Reliably detectable flaw size for NDE methods that use calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshti, Ajay M.

2017-04-01

Probability of detection (POD) analysis is used in assessing reliably detectable flaw size in nondestructive evaluation (NDE). MIL-HDBK-1823 and associated mh18232 POD software gives most common methods of POD analysis. In this paper, POD analysis is applied to an NDE method, such as eddy current testing, where calibration is used. NDE calibration standards have known size artificial flaws such as electro-discharge machined (EDM) notches and flat bottom hole (FBH) reflectors which are used to set instrument sensitivity for detection of real flaws. Real flaws such as cracks and crack-like flaws are desired to be detected using these NDE methods. A reliably detectable crack size is required for safe life analysis of fracture critical parts. Therefore, it is important to correlate signal responses from real flaws with signal responses form artificial flaws used in calibration process to determine reliably detectable flaw size.

Reliably Detectable Flaw Size for NDE Methods that Use Calibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koshti, Ajay M.

2017-01-01

Probability of detection (POD) analysis is used in assessing reliably detectable flaw size in nondestructive evaluation (NDE). MIL-HDBK-1823 and associated mh1823 POD software gives most common methods of POD analysis. In this paper, POD analysis is applied to an NDE method, such as eddy current testing, where calibration is used. NDE calibration standards have known size artificial flaws such as electro-discharge machined (EDM) notches and flat bottom hole (FBH) reflectors which are used to set instrument sensitivity for detection of real flaws. Real flaws such as cracks and crack-like flaws are desired to be detected using these NDE methods. A reliably detectable crack size is required for safe life analysis of fracture critical parts. Therefore, it is important to correlate signal responses from real flaws with signal responses form artificial flaws used in calibration process to determine reliably detectable flaw size.

Genomic regions, cellular components and gene regulatory basis underlying pod length variations in cowpea (V. unguiculata L. Walp).

PubMed

Xu, Pei; Wu, Xinyi; Muñoz-Amatriaín, María; Wang, Baogen; Wu, Xiaohua; Hu, Yaowen; Huynh, Bao-Lam; Close, Timothy J; Roberts, Philip A; Zhou, Wen; Lu, Zhongfu; Li, Guojing

2017-05-01

Cowpea (V. unguiculata L. Walp) is a climate resilient legume crop important for food security. Cultivated cowpea (V. unguiculata L) generally comprises the bushy, short-podded grain cowpea dominant in Africa and the climbing, long-podded vegetable cowpea popular in Asia. How selection has contributed to the diversification of the two types of cowpea remains largely unknown. In the current study, a novel genotyping assay for over 50 000 SNPs was employed to delineate genomic regions governing pod length. Major, minor and epistatic QTLs were identified through QTL mapping. Seventy-two SNPs associated with pod length were detected by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Population stratification analysis revealed subdivision among a cowpea germplasm collection consisting of 299 accessions, which is consistent with pod length groups. Genomic scan for selective signals suggested that domestication of vegetable cowpea was accompanied by selection of multiple traits including pod length, while the further improvement process was featured by selection of pod length primarily. Pod growth kinetics assay demonstrated that more durable cell proliferation rather than cell elongation or enlargement was the main reason for longer pods. Transcriptomic analysis suggested the involvement of sugar, gibberellin and nutritional signalling in regulation of pod length. This study establishes the basis for map-based cloning of pod length genes in cowpea and for marker-assisted selection of this trait in breeding programmes. © 2016 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fast detection of peroxidase (POD) activity in tomato leaves which infected with Botrytis cinerea using hyperspectral imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Wenwen; Liu, Fei; Zhang, Chu; Bao, Yidan; Yu, Jiajia; He, Yong

2014-01-01

Tomatoes are cultivated around the world and gray mold is one of its most prominent and destructive diseases. An early disease detection method can decrease losses caused by plant diseases and prevent the spread of diseases. The activity of peroxidase (POD) is very important indicator of disease stress for plants. The objective of this study is to examine the possibility of fast detection of POD activity in tomato leaves which infected with Botrytis cinerea using hyperspectral imaging data. Five pre-treatment methods were investigated. Genetic algorithm-partial least squares (GA-PLS) was applied to select optimal wavelengths. A new fast learning neural algorithm named extreme learning machine (ELM) was employed as multivariate analytical tool in this study. 21 optimal wavelengths were selected by GA-PLS and used as inputs of three calibration models. The optimal prediction result was achieved by ELM model with selected wavelengths, and the r and RMSEP in validation were 0.8647 and 465.9880 respectively. The results indicated that hyperspectral imaging could be considered as a valuable tool for POD activity prediction. The selected wavelengths could be potential resources for instrument development.

Schlieren optics for leak detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peale, Robert E.; Ruffin, Alranzo B.

1995-01-01

The purpose of this research was to develop an optical method of leak detection. Various modifications of schlieren optics were explored with initial emphasis on leak detection of the plumbing within the orbital maneuvering system of the space shuttle (OMS pod). The schlieren scheme envisioned for OMS pod leak detection was that of a high contrast pattern on flexible reflecting material imaged onto a negative of the same pattern. We find that the OMS pod geometry constrains the characteristic length scale of the pattern to the order of 0.001 inch. Our experiments suggest that optical modulation transfer efficiency will be very low for such patterns, which will limit the sensitivity of the technique. Optical elements which allow a negative of the scene to be reversibly recorded using light from the scene itself were explored for their potential in adaptive single-ended schlieren systems. Elements studied include photochromic glass, bacteriorhodopsin, and a transmissive liquid crystal display. The dynamics of writing and reading patterns were studied using intensity profiles from recorded images. Schlieren detection of index gradients in air was demonstrated.

Localized Glaucomatous Change Detection within the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Framework

PubMed Central

Balasubramanian, Madhusudhanan; Kriegman, David J.; Bowd, Christopher; Holst, Michael; Weinreb, Robert N.; Sample, Pamela A.; Zangwill, Linda M.

2012-01-01

Purpose. To detect localized glaucomatous structural changes using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) framework with false-positive control that minimizes confirmatory follow-ups, and to compare the results to topographic change analysis (TCA). Methods. We included 167 participants (246 eyes) with ≥4 Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT)-II exams from the Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study; 36 eyes progressed by stereo-photographs or visual fields. All other patient eyes (n = 210) were non-progressing. Specificities were evaluated using 21 normal eyes. Significance of change at each HRT superpixel between each follow-up and its nearest baseline (obtained using POD) was estimated using mixed-effects ANOVA. Locations with significant reduction in retinal height (red pixels) were determined using Bonferroni, Lehmann-Romano k-family-wise error rate (k-FWER), and Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) type I error control procedures. Observed positive rate (OPR) in each follow-up was calculated as a ratio of number of red pixels within disk to disk size. Progression by POD was defined as one or more follow-ups with OPR greater than the anticipated false-positive rate. TCA was evaluated using the recently proposed liberal, moderate, and conservative progression criteria. Results. Sensitivity in progressors, specificity in normals, and specificity in non-progressors, respectively, were POD-Bonferroni = 100%, 0%, and 0%; POD k-FWER = 78%, 86%, and 43%; POD-FDR = 78%, 86%, and 43%; POD k-FWER with retinal height change ≥50 μm = 61%, 95%, and 60%; TCA-liberal = 86%, 62%, and 21%; TCA-moderate = 53%, 100%, and 70%; and TCA-conservative = 17%, 100%, and 84%. Conclusions. With a stronger control of type I errors, k-FWER in POD framework minimized confirmatory follow-ups while providing diagnostic accuracy comparable to TCA. Thus, POD with k-FWER shows promise to reduce the number of confirmatory follow-ups required for clinical care and studies evaluating new glaucoma treatments. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00221897.) PMID:22491406

Interrelationships Between Receiver/Relative Operating Characteristics Display, Binomial, Logit, and Bayes' Rule Probability of Detection Methodologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Generazio, Edward R.

2014-01-01

Unknown risks are introduced into failure critical systems when probability of detection (POD) capabilities are accepted without a complete understanding of the statistical method applied and the interpretation of the statistical results. The presence of this risk in the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) community is revealed in common statements about POD. These statements are often interpreted in a variety of ways and therefore, the very existence of the statements identifies the need for a more comprehensive understanding of POD methodologies. Statistical methodologies have data requirements to be met, procedures to be followed, and requirements for validation or demonstration of adequacy of the POD estimates. Risks are further enhanced due to the wide range of statistical methodologies used for determining the POD capability. Receiver/Relative Operating Characteristics (ROC) Display, simple binomial, logistic regression, and Bayes' rule POD methodologies are widely used in determining POD capability. This work focuses on Hit-Miss data to reveal the framework of the interrelationships between Receiver/Relative Operating Characteristics Display, simple binomial, logistic regression, and Bayes' Rule methodologies as they are applied to POD. Knowledge of these interrelationships leads to an intuitive and global understanding of the statistical data, procedural and validation requirements for establishing credible POD estimates.

POD evaluation using simulation: A phased array UT case on a complex geometry part

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dominguez, Nicolas; Reverdy, Frederic; Jenson, Frederic

2014-02-01

The use of Probability of Detection (POD) for NDT performances demonstration is a key link in products lifecycle management. The POD approach is to apply the given NDT procedure on a series of known flaws to estimate the probability to detect with respect to the flaw size. A POD is relevant if and only if NDT operations are carried out within the range of variability authorized by the procedure. Such experimental campaigns require collection of large enough datasets to cover the range of variability with sufficient occurrences to build a reliable POD statistics, leading to expensive costs to get POD curves. In the last decade research activities have been led in the USA with the MAPOD group and later in Europe with the SISTAE and PICASSO projects based on the idea to use models and simulation tools to feed POD estimations. This paper proposes an example of application of POD using simulation on the inspection procedure of a complex -full 3D- geometry part using phased arrays ultrasonic testing. It illustrates the methodology and the associated tools developed in the CIVA software. The paper finally provides elements of further progress in the domain.

Variables Affecting Probability of Detection in Bolt Hole Eddy Current Inspection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemire, H.; Krause, T. W.; Bunn, M.; Butcher, D. J.

2009-03-01

Physical variables affecting probability of detection (POD) in a bolt-hole eddy current inspection were examined. The POD study involved simulated bolt holes in 7075-T6 aluminum coupons representative of wing areas on CC-130 and CP-140 aircraft. The data were obtained from 24 inspectors who inspected 468 coupons, containing a subset of coupons with 45 electric discharge machined notches and 72 laboratory grown fatigue cracks located at the inner surface corner of the bi-layer structures. A comparison of physical features of cracks and notches in light of skin depth effects and probe geometry was used to identify length rather than depth as the significant variable producing signal variation. Probability of detection based on length produced similar results for the two discontinuity types, except at lengths less than 0.4 mm, where POD for cracks was found to be higher than that of notches.

Procalcitonin and C-reactive protein as early markers of anastomotic leak after laparoscopic colorectal surgery within an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program.

PubMed

Muñoz, José Luis; Alvarez, María Oliva; Cuquerella, Vicent; Miranda, Elena; Picó, Carlos; Flores, Raquel; Resalt-Pereira, Marta; Moya, Pedro; Pérez, Ana; Arroyo, Antonio

2018-03-08

C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) have been described as good predictors of anastomotic leak after colorectal surgery, obtaining the highest diagnostic accuracy on the 5th postoperative day. However, if an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program is performed, early predictors are needed in order to ensure a safe and early discharge. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of CRP, PCT, and white blood cell (WBC) count determined on first postoperative days, in predicting septic complications, especially anastomotic leak, after laparoscopic colorectal surgery performed within an ERAS program. We conducted a prospective study including 134 patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery within an ERAS program between 2015 and 2017. The primary endpoint investigated was anastomotic leak. CRP, PCT, and WBC count were determined in the blood sample extracted on postoperative day 1 (POD 1), POD 2 and POD 3. Anastomotic leak (AL) was detected in 6 patients (4.5%). Serum levels of CRP and PCT, but not WBC, determined on POD 1, POD 2, and POD 3 were significantly higher in patients who had AL in the postoperative course. Using ROC analysis, the best AUC of the CRP and PCT levels was on POD 3 (0.837 and 0.947, respectively). A CRP cutoff level at 163 mg/l yielded 85% sensitivity, 80% specificity, and 99% negative predictive value (NPV). A PCT cutoff level at 2.5 ng/ml achieved 85% sensitivity, 95% specificity, 44% positive predictive value, and 99% NPV. CRP and PCT are relevant markers for detecting postoperative AL after laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Furthermore, they can ensure an early discharge with a low probability of AL when an ERAS program is performed.

Histochemical and immunohistochemical analysis of enzymes involved in phenolic metabolism during berry development in Vitis vinifera L.

PubMed

Molero de Ávila, María Eugenia; Alarcón, María Victoria; Uriarte, David; Mancha, Luis Alberto; Moreno, Daniel; Francisco-Morcillo, Javier

2018-06-20

Phenolics are involved in many of plants' biological functions. In particular, they play important roles in determining the quality of grape berries and the wine made from them, and can also act as antioxidants with beneficial effects for human health. Several enzymes are involved in the synthesis of phenolic compounds. Among them, stilbene synthase (STS) is a key to the biosynthesis of stilbenes, which are considered to be important secondary metabolites in plants. Other enzymes, such as polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD), are involved in the degradation of phenolics, and become activated during late stages of berry ripening. In the present study, Vitis vinifera L. berries were sampled at eight stages of development, from 10 days after anthesis to late harvest. The PPO and POD enzymatic activities were determined at each stage. The presence of STS, PPO, and POD proteins in the grape exocarp and mesocarp was detected immunohistochemically and histochemically. The amount and intensity of the immunohistochemical and histochemical signals correlate with the variations in enzyme activities throughout fruit development. Strong STS immunoreactivity was detected until the onset of ripening. Labeled tissue increased gradually from mesocarp to exocarp, showing an intense signal in epidermis. At subcellular level, STS was mainly detected in cytoplasm grains and cell walls. The amount of PPO immunoreactivity increased progressively until the end of ripening. The PPO signal was detected in hypodermal layers and, to a lesser extent, in mesocarp parenchyma cells, especially in cytoplasm grains and cell walls. Finally, POD activity was stronger at the onset of ripening, and the POD histochemical signal was mainly detected in the cell walls of both exocarp and mesocarp tissue.

Characterization of Active Anthocyanin Degradation in the Petals of Rosa chinensis and Brunfelsia calycina Reveals the Effect of Gallated Catechins on Pigment Maintenance

PubMed Central

Luo, Honghui; Deng, Shuangfan; Fu, Wei; Zhang, Xin; Zhang, Xuelian; Zhang, Zhaoqi; Pang, Xuequn

2017-01-01

Anthocyanin degradation decreases ornamental or nutritional values of horticultural products. To investigate factors that may influence colour change in flower development, anthocyanin degradation was compared between the flowers of Brunfelsia calycina and Rosa chinensis, which show rapid and slow degradation, respectively. In-gel activity assays, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of tannins, enzyme kinetics measurement and immune-detection of anthocyanin degradation related-perioxidases (PODs) were carried out for the comparison. Rose petals possessed significantly lower anthocyanin degradation-related POD activities than Brunfelsia petals, which may be related to the high tannin contents. Epicatechin gallate (ECG) and gallocatechin gallate (GCG) were detected in rose as 161.3 ± 12.34 and 273.56 ± 41.23 μg/g FW (Fresh Weight) respectively, while not detected in Brunfelsia. ECG and GCG inhibited the activities of the Brunfelsia POD with half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) as 21.5 and 29.7 μM respectively, and increased the colour intensities of the anthocyanins. Catechin and epicatechin did not inhibit the POD activity, while serving as POD substrates, with Km (the Michaelis constant) as 0.48 and 1.23 mM. Similar protein levels of the anthocyanin degradation-related 40-kDa PODs were detected in Brunfelsia and rose. In summary, high amount of tannins, particularly ECG and GCG, in red rose petals may inhibit the degradation-related enzymes, leading to the maintenance of anthocyanins in vivo. PMID:28346355

Characterization of Active Anthocyanin Degradation in the Petals of Rosa chinensis and Brunfelsia calycina Reveals the Effect of Gallated Catechins on Pigment Maintenance.

PubMed

Luo, Honghui; Deng, Shuangfan; Fu, Wei; Zhang, Xin; Zhang, Xuelian; Zhang, Zhaoqi; Pang, Xuequn

2017-03-25

Anthocyanin degradation decreases ornamental or nutritional values of horticultural products. To investigate factors that may influence colour change in flower development, anthocyanin degradation was compared between the flowers of Brunfelsia calycina and Rosa chinensis , which show rapid and slow degradation, respectively. In-gel activity assays, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of tannins, enzyme kinetics measurement and immune-detection of anthocyanin degradation related-perioxidases (PODs) were carried out for the comparison. Rose petals possessed significantly lower anthocyanin degradation-related POD activities than Brunfelsia petals, which may be related to the high tannin contents. Epicatechin gallate (ECG) and gallocatechin gallate (GCG) were detected in rose as 161.3 ± 12.34 and 273.56 ± 41.23 μg/g FW (Fresh Weight) respectively, while not detected in Brunfelsia . ECG and GCG inhibited the activities of the Brunfelsia POD with half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) as 21.5 and 29.7 μM respectively, and increased the colour intensities of the anthocyanins. Catechin and epicatechin did not inhibit the POD activity, while serving as POD substrates, with K m (the Michaelis constant) as 0.48 and 1.23 mM. Similar protein levels of the anthocyanin degradation-related 40-kDa PODs were detected in Brunfelsia and rose. In summary, high amount of tannins, particularly ECG and GCG, in red rose petals may inhibit the degradation-related enzymes, leading to the maintenance of anthocyanins in vivo.

A Framework for Detecting Glaucomatous Progression in the Optic Nerve Head of an Eye using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition

PubMed Central

Balasubramanian, Madhusudhanan; Žabić, Stanislav; Bowd, Christopher; Thompson, Hilary W.; Wolenski, Peter; Iyengar, S. Sitharama; Karki, Bijaya B.; Zangwill, Linda M.

2009-01-01

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Often the optic nerve head (ONH) glaucomatous damage and ONH changes occur prior to visual field loss and are observable in vivo. Thus, digital image analysis is a promising choice for detecting the onset and/or progression of glaucoma. In this work, we present a new framework for detecting glaucomatous changes in the ONH of an eye using the method of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). A baseline topograph subspace was constructed for each eye to describe the structure of the ONH of the eye at a reference/baseline condition using POD. Any glaucomatous changes in the ONH of the eye present during a follow-up exam were estimated by comparing the follow-up ONH topography with its baseline topograph subspace representation. Image correspondence measures of L1 and L2 norms, correlation, and image Euclidean distance (IMED) were used to quantify the ONH changes. An ONH topographic library built from the Louisiana State University Experimental Glaucoma study was used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) were used to compare the diagnostic performance of the POD induced parameters with the parameters of Topographic Change Analysis (TCA) method. The IMED and L2 norm parameters in the POD framework provided the highest AUC of 0.94 at 10° field of imaging and 0.91 at 15° field of imaging compared to the TCA parameters with an AUC of 0.86 and 0.88 respectively. The proposed POD framework captures the instrument measurement variability and inherent structure variability and shows promise for improving our ability to detect glaucomatous change over time in glaucoma management. PMID:19369163

Terahertz Imaging and Backscatter Radiography Probability of Detection Study for Space Shuttle Foam Inspections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ussery, Warren; Johnson, Kenneth; Walker, James; Rummel, Ward

2008-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the use of terahertz imaging and Backscatter Radiography in a probability of detection study of the foam on the external tank (ET) shedding and damaging the shuttle orbiter. Non-destructive Examination (NDE) is performed as one method of preventing critical foam debris during the launch. Conventional NDE methods for inspection of the foam are assessed and the deficiencies are reviewed. Two methods for NDE inspection are reviewed: Backscatter Radiography (BSX) and Terahertz (THZ) Imaging. The purpose of the Probability of Detection (POD) study was to assess performance and reliability of the use of BSX and or THZ as an appropriate NDE method. The study used a test article with inserted defects, and a sample of blanks included to test for false positives. The results of the POD study are reported.

Characterisation of phenol oxidase and peroxidase from maize silk.

PubMed

Sukalović, V Hadzi-Tasković; Veljović-Jovanović, S; Maksimović, J Dragisić; Maksimović, V; Pajić, Z

2010-05-01

Silk of some maize genotypes contains a high level of phenolics that undergo enzymatic oxidation to form quinones, which condense among themselves or with proteins to form brown pigments. Two phenolic oxidizing enzymes, peroxidase (POD; EC 1.11.1.7) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO; EC 1.10.3.1), from maize (Zea mays L.) silk were characterised with respect to their preferred substrate, different isoforms and specific effectors. One browning silk sample with high, and two non-browning samples with low phenolic content were investigated. Although POD oxidizes a wide range of phenolic substrates in vitro, its activity rate was independent of silk phenolic content. PPO activity, detected with o-diphenolic substrates, was abundant only in browning silk, and low or absent in non-browning silk. Pollination increased POD but not PPO activity. Isoelectric-focusing (IEF) and specific staining for POD and PPO showed a high degree of polymorphism that varied with silk origin. The IEF pattern of POD revealed a number of anionic and several cationic isoenzymes, with the most pronounced having neutral pI 7 and a basic isoform with pI 10. Detected isoforms of PPO were anionic, except for one neutral form found only in browning silk, and occupied positions different from those of POD. Different inhibitory effects of NaN(3), EDTA, KCN, and L-cysteine, as well as different impacts of a variety of cations on the oxidation of chlorogenic acid, mediated by PPO or POD, were detected. The findings are discussed in terms of a possible roles of these enzymes in defence and pollination.

Applicability of a Conservative Margin Approach for Assessing NDE Flaw Detectability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koshti, ajay M.

2007-01-01

Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) procedures are required to detect flaws in structures with a high percentage detectability and high confidence. Conventional Probability of Detection (POD) methods are statistical in nature and require detection data from a relatively large number of flaw specimens. In many circumstances, due to the high cost and long lead time, it is impractical to build the large set of flaw specimens that is required by the conventional POD methodology. Therefore, in such situations it is desirable to have a flaw detectability estimation approach that allows for a reduced number of flaw specimens but provides a high degree of confidence in establishing the flaw detectability size. This paper presents an alternative approach called the conservative margin approach (CMA). To investigate the applicability of the CMA approach, flaw detectability sizes determined by the CMA and POD approaches have been compared on actual datasets. The results of these comparisons are presented and the applicability of the CMA approach is discussed.

Structural health monitoring and probability of detection estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsyth, David S.

2016-02-01

Structural health monitoring (SHM) methods are often based on nondestructive testing (NDT) sensors and are often proposed as replacements for NDT to lower cost and/or improve reliability. In order to take advantage of SHM for life cycle management, it is necessary to determine the Probability of Detection (POD) of the SHM system just as for traditional NDT to ensure that the required level of safety is maintained. Many different possibilities exist for SHM systems, but one of the attractive features of SHM versus NDT is the ability to take measurements very simply after the SHM system is installed. Using a simple statistical model of POD, some authors have proposed that very high rates of SHM system data sampling can result in high effective POD even in situations where an individual test has low POD. In this paper, we discuss the theoretical basis for determining the effect of repeated inspections, and examine data from SHM experiments against this framework to show how the effective POD from multiple tests can be estimated.

Model reconstruction using POD method for gray-box fault detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, H. G.; Zak, M.

2003-01-01

This paper describes using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) method to create low-order dynamical models for the Model Filter component of Beacon-based Exception Analysis for Multi-missions (BEAM).

The importance of nodule CO2 fixation for the efficiency of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in pea at vegetative growth and during pod formation.

PubMed

Fischinger, Stephanie Anastasia; Schulze, Joachim

2010-05-01

Nodule CO2 fixation is of pivotal importance for N2 fixation. The process provides malate for bacteroids and oxaloacetate for nitrogen assimilation. The hypothesis of the present paper was that grain legume nodules would adapt to higher plant N demand and more restricted carbon availability at pod formation through increased nodule CO2 fixation and a more efficient N2 fixation. Growth, N2 fixation, and nodule composition during vegetative growth and at pod formation were studied in pea plants (Pisum sativum L.). In parallel experiments, 15N2 and 13CO2 uptake, as well as nodule hydrogen and CO2 release, was measured. Plants at pod formation showed higher growth rates and N2 fixation per plant when compared with vegetative growth. The specific activity of active nodules was about 25% higher at pod formation. The higher nodule activity was accompanied by higher amino acid concentration in nodules and xylem sap with a higher share of asparagine. Nodule 13CO2 fixation was increased at pod formation, both per plant and per 15N2 fixed unit. However, malate concentration in nodules was only 40% of that during vegetative growth and succinate was no longer detectable. The data indicate that increased N2 fixation at pod formation is connected with strongly increased nodule CO2 fixation. While the sugar concentration in nodules at pod formation was not altered, the concentration of organic acids, namely malate and succinate, was significantly lower. It is concluded that strategies to improve the capability of nodules to fix CO2 and form organic acids might prolong intensive N2 fixation into the later stages of pod formation and pod filling in grain legumes.

Characterization of renin-angiotensin system enzyme activities in cultured mouse podocytes.

PubMed

Velez, Juan Carlos Q; Bland, Alison M; Arthur, John M; Raymond, John R; Janech, Michael G

2007-07-01

Intraglomerular ANG II has been linked to glomerular injury. However, little is known about the contribution of podocytes (POD) to intraglomerular ANG II homeostasis. The aim of the present study was to examine the processing of angiotensin substrates by cultured POD. Our approach was to use matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry for peptide determination from conditioned cell media and customized AQUA peptides for quantification. Immortalized mouse POD were incubated with 1-2 microM ANG I, ANG II, or the renin substrate ANG-(1-14) for different time intervals and coincubated in parallel with various inhibitors. Human mesangial cells (MES) were used as controls. POD incubated with 1 microM ANG I primarily formed ANG-(1-9) and ANG-(1-7). In contrast, MES incubated with ANG I primarily generated ANG II. In POD, ANG-(1-7) was the predominant product, and its formation was inhibited by a neprilysin inhibitor. Modest angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity was also detected in POD, although only after cells were incubated with 2 microM ANG I. In addition, we observed that POD degraded ANG II into ANG III and ANG-(1-7). An aminopeptidase A inhibitor inhibited ANG III formation, and an ACE2 inhibitor led to ANG II accumulation. Furthermore, we found that POD converted ANG-(1-14) to ANG I and ANG-(1-7). This conversion was inhibited by a renin inhibitor. These findings demonstrate that POD express a functional intrinsic renin-angiotensin system characterized by neprilysin, aminopeptidase A, ACE2, and renin activities, which predominantly lead to ANG-(1-7) and ANG-(1-9) formation, as well as ANG II degradation. These findings may reflect a specific role of POD in maintenance of intraglomerular renin-angiotensin system balance.

On a framework for generating PoD curves assisted by numerical simulations

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

Subair, S. Mohamed, E-mail: prajagopal@iitm.ac.in; Agrawal, Shweta, E-mail: prajagopal@iitm.ac.in; Balasubramaniam, Krishnan, E-mail: prajagopal@iitm.ac.in

2015-03-31

The Probability of Detection (PoD) curve method has emerged as an important tool for the assessment of the performance of NDE techniques, a topic of particular interest to the nuclear industry where inspection qualification is very important. The conventional experimental means of generating PoD curves though, can be expensive, requiring large data sets (covering defects and test conditions), and equipment and operator time. Several methods of achieving faster estimates for PoD curves using physics-based modelling have been developed to address this problem. Numerical modelling techniques are also attractive, especially given the ever-increasing computational power available to scientists today. Here wemore » develop procedures for obtaining PoD curves, assisted by numerical simulation and based on Bayesian statistics. Numerical simulations are performed using Finite Element analysis for factors that are assumed to be independent, random and normally distributed. PoD curves so generated are compared with experiments on austenitic stainless steel (SS) plates with artificially created notches. We examine issues affecting the PoD curve generation process including codes, standards, distribution of defect parameters and the choice of the noise threshold. We also study the assumption of normal distribution for signal response parameters and consider strategies for dealing with data that may be more complex or sparse to justify this. These topics are addressed and illustrated through the example case of generation of PoD curves for pulse-echo ultrasonic inspection of vertical surface-breaking cracks in SS plates.« less

On a framework for generating PoD curves assisted by numerical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subair, S. Mohamed; Agrawal, Shweta; Balasubramaniam, Krishnan; Rajagopal, Prabhu; Kumar, Anish; Rao, Purnachandra B.; Tamanna, Jayakumar

2015-03-01

The Probability of Detection (PoD) curve method has emerged as an important tool for the assessment of the performance of NDE techniques, a topic of particular interest to the nuclear industry where inspection qualification is very important. The conventional experimental means of generating PoD curves though, can be expensive, requiring large data sets (covering defects and test conditions), and equipment and operator time. Several methods of achieving faster estimates for PoD curves using physics-based modelling have been developed to address this problem. Numerical modelling techniques are also attractive, especially given the ever-increasing computational power available to scientists today. Here we develop procedures for obtaining PoD curves, assisted by numerical simulation and based on Bayesian statistics. Numerical simulations are performed using Finite Element analysis for factors that are assumed to be independent, random and normally distributed. PoD curves so generated are compared with experiments on austenitic stainless steel (SS) plates with artificially created notches. We examine issues affecting the PoD curve generation process including codes, standards, distribution of defect parameters and the choice of the noise threshold. We also study the assumption of normal distribution for signal response parameters and consider strategies for dealing with data that may be more complex or sparse to justify this. These topics are addressed and illustrated through the example case of generation of PoD curves for pulse-echo ultrasonic inspection of vertical surface-breaking cracks in SS plates.

Observer POD for radiographic testing

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

Kanzler, Daniel, E-mail: daniel.kanzler@bam.de, E-mail: uwe.ewert@bam.de, E-mail: christina.mueller@bam.de; Ewert, Uwe, E-mail: daniel.kanzler@bam.de, E-mail: uwe.ewert@bam.de, E-mail: christina.mueller@bam.de; Müller, Christina, E-mail: daniel.kanzler@bam.de, E-mail: uwe.ewert@bam.de, E-mail: christina.mueller@bam.de

2015-03-31

The radiographic testing (RT) is a non-destructive testing (NDT) method capable of finding volumetric and open planar defects depending on their orientation. The radiographic contrast is higher for larger penetrated length of the defect in a component. Even though, the detectability of defects does not only depend on the contrast, but also on the noise, the defect area and the geometry of the defect. The currently applied Probability of Detection (POD) approach uses a detection threshold that is only based on a constant noise level or on a constant contrast threshold. This does not reflect accurately the results of evaluationsmore » by human observers. A new approach is introduced, using the widely applied POD evaluation and additionally a detection threshold depending on the lateral area and shape of the indication. This work shows the process of calculating the POD curves with simulated data by the modeling software aRTist and with artificial reference data of different defect types, such as ASTM E 476 EPS plates, flat bottom holes and notches. Additional experiments with different operators confirm that the depth of a defect, the lateral area and shape of its indication contribute with different weight to the detectability of the defect if evaluated by human operators on monitors.« less

Hemoglobin phase of oxygenation and deoxygenation in early brain development measured using fNIRS

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Hama; Shitara, Yoshihiko; Aoki, Yoshinori; Inoue, Takanobu; Tsuchida, Shinya; Takahashi, Naoto; Taga, Gentaro

2017-01-01

A crucial issue in neonatal medicine is the impact of preterm birth on the developmental trajectory of the brain. Although a growing number of studies have shown alterations in the structure and function of the brain in preterm-born infants, we propose a method to detect subtle differences in neurovascular and metabolic functions in neonates and infants. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to obtain time-averaged phase differences between spontaneous low-frequency (less than 0.1 Hz) oscillatory changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) and those in deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxy-Hb). This phase difference was referred to as hemoglobin phase of oxygenation and deoxygenation (hPod) in the cerebral tissue of sleeping neonates and infants. We examined hPod in term, late preterm, and early preterm infants with no evidence of clinical issues and found that all groups of infants showed developmental changes in the values of hPod from an in-phase to an antiphase pattern. Comparison of hPod among the groups revealed that developmental changes in hPod in early preterm infants precede those in late preterm and term infants at term equivalent age but then, progress at a slower pace. This study suggests that hPod measured using fNIRS is sensitive to the developmental stage of the integration of circular, neurovascular, and metabolic functions in the brains of neonates and infants. PMID:28196885

Recent progress in the NDE of cast ship propulsion components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spies, Martin; Rieder, Hans; Dillhöfer, Alexander; Rauhut, Markus; Taeubner, Kai; Kreier, Peter

2014-02-01

The failure of propulsion components of ships and ferries can lead to serious environmental and economic damage or even the loss of lives. For ultrasonic inspection of such large components we employ mechanized scanning and defect reconstruction using the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT). We report on results obtained in view of the detection of defects with different inspection techniques. Also, we address the issue of Probability of Detection by reporting results obtained in POD and MAPOD-studies (Model-Assisted POD) using experimental and simulated data. Finally, we show recent results of surface and sub-surface inspection using optical and eddy current techniques.

Lamb wave-based damage quantification and probability of detection modeling for fatigue life assessment of riveted lap joint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Jingjing; Wang, Dengjiang; Zhang, Weifang

2015-03-01

This study presents an experimental and modeling study for damage detection and quantification in riveted lap joints. Embedded lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric (PZT) ceramic wafer-type sensors are employed to perform in-situ non-destructive testing during fatigue cyclical loading. A multi-feature integration method is developed to quantify the crack size using signal features of correlation coefficient, amplitude change, and phase change. In addition, probability of detection (POD) model is constructed to quantify the reliability of the developed sizing method. Using the developed crack size quantification method and the resulting POD curve, probabilistic fatigue life prediction can be performed to provide comprehensive information for decision-making. The effectiveness of the overall methodology is demonstrated and validated using several aircraft lap joint specimens from different manufactures and under different loading conditions.

Multigenic Control of Pod Shattering Resistance in Chinese Rapeseed Germplasm Revealed by Genome-Wide Association and Linkage Analyses

PubMed Central

Liu, Jia; Wang, Jun; Wang, Hui; Wang, Wenxiang; Zhou, Rijin; Mei, Desheng; Cheng, Hongtao; Yang, Juan; Raman, Harsh; Hu, Qiong

2016-01-01

The majority of rapeseed cultivars shatter seeds upon maturity especially under hot-dry and windy conditions, reducing yield and gross margin return to growers. Here, we identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to pod shatter in an unstructured diverse panel of 143 rapeseed accessions, and two structured populations derived from bi-parental doubled haploid (DH) and inter-mated (IF2) crosses derived from R1 (resistant to pod shattering) and R2 (prone to pod shattering) accessions. Genome-wide association analysis identified six significant QTL for resistance to pod shatter located on chromosomes A01, A06, A07, A09, C02, and C05. Two of the QTL, qSRI.A09 delimited with the SNP marker Bn-A09-p30171993 (A09) and qSRI.A06 delimited with the SNP marker Bn-A06-p115948 (A06) could be repeatedly detected across environments in a diversity panel, DH and IF2 populations, suggesting that at least two loci on chromosomes A06 and A09 were the main contributors to pod shatter resistance in Chinese germplasm. Significant SNP markers identified in this study especially those that appeared repeatedly across environments provide a cost-effective and an efficient method for introgression and pyramiding of favorable alleles for pod shatter resistance via marker-assisted selection in rapeseed improvement programs. PMID:27493651

Cell wall-bound cationic and anionic class III isoperoxidases of pea root: biochemical characterization and function in root growth.

PubMed

Kukavica, Biljana M; Veljovicc-Jovanovicc, Sonja D; Menckhoff, Ljiljana; Lüthje, Sabine

2012-07-01

Cell wall isolated from pea roots was used to separate and characterize two fractions possessing class III peroxidase activity: (i) ionically bound proteins and (ii) covalently bound proteins. Modified SDS-PAGE separated peroxidase isoforms by their apparent molecular weights: four bands of 56, 46, 44, and 41kDa were found in the ionically bound fraction (iPOD) and one band (70kDa) was resolved after treatment of the cell wall with cellulase and pectinase (cPOD). Isoelectric focusing (IEF) patterns for iPODs and cPODs were significantly different: five iPODs with highly cationic pI (9.5-9.2) were detected, whereas the nine cPODs were anionic with pI values between pH 3.7 and 5. iPODs and cPODs showed rather specific substrate affinity and different sensitivity to inhibitors, heat, and deglycosylation treatments. Peroxidase and oxidase activities and their IEF patterns for both fractions were determined in different zones along the root and in roots of different ages. New iPODs with pI 9.34 and 9.5 were induced with root growth, while the activity of cPODs was more related to the formation of the cell wall in non-elongating tissue. Treatment with auxin that inhibits root growth led to suppression of iPOD and induction of cPOD. A similar effect was obtained with the widely used elicitor, chitosan, which also induced cPODs with pI 5.3 and 5.7, which may be specifically related to pathogen defence. The differences reported here between biochemical properties of cPOD and iPOD and their differential induction during development and under specific treatments implicate that they are involved in specific and different physiological processes.

Effects of a Foot Pump on the Incidence of Deep Vein Thrombosis After Total Knee Arthroplasty in Patients Given Edoxaban: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PubMed

Sakai, Tatsuya; Izumi, Masahiro; Kumagai, Kenji; Kidera, Kenichi; Yamaguchi, Takayuki; Asahara, Tomohiko; Kozuru, Hideko; Jiuchi, Yuka; Mawatari, Masaaki; Osaki, Makoto; Motokawa, Satoru; Migita, Kiyoshi

2016-01-01

We conducted a randomized clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of the A-V Impulse System foot pump for reducing the incidence of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients under edoxaban thromboprophylaxis. Patients undergoing primary TKA at our institution between September 2013 and March 2015 were enrolled after obtaining informed consent. The patients were randomized to use the foot pump (n = 58) and not to use the foot pump (n = 62). Both groups were given prophylactic edoxaban. Primary outcomes were any DVT as detected by bilateral ultrasonography up to postoperative day 10 (POD10) and pulmonary embolism (PE) up to POD28. The safety outcomes were bleeding and death of any cause up to POD28. Plasma D-dimer levels were measured before TKA and on POD10 after TKA. Immunoglobulin G (IgG)-class anti-PF4/heparin antibodies were measured using an IgG-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The incidences of any DVT up to POD28 were 31.0% and 17.7% in patients with or without the foot pump, respectively. The incidences of major bleeding up to POD28 were 5.1% and 4.8% in patients with or without the foot pump, respectively. Foot pump use did not significantly reduce the incidence of DVTs in patients undergoing TKA under edoxaban thromboprophylaxis. Although seroconversion of anti-PF4/heparin antibodies was confirmed in one-fourth of patients, the seroconversion rates did not differ between patients with (20.7%) or without (25.8%) foot pump use. This study shows that the A-V Impulse system foot pump did not affect the incidence of DVT under edoxaban thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing TKA. Seroconversion of anti-PF4/heparin antibodies was detected in a significant number of patients who underwent TKA under antithrombotic prophylaxis using edoxaban.

Numerical modelling as a cost-reduction tool for probability of detection of bolt hole eddy current testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandache, C.; Khan, M.; Fahr, A.; Yanishevsky, M.

2011-03-01

Probability of detection (PoD) studies are broadly used to determine the reliability of specific nondestructive inspection procedures, as well as to provide data for damage tolerance life estimations and calculation of inspection intervals for critical components. They require inspections on a large set of samples, a fact that makes these statistical assessments time- and cost-consuming. Physics-based numerical simulations of nondestructive testing inspections could be used as a cost-effective alternative to empirical investigations. They realistically predict the inspection outputs as functions of the input characteristics related to the test piece, transducer and instrument settings, which are subsequently used to partially substitute and/or complement inspection data in PoD analysis. This work focuses on the numerical modelling aspects of eddy current testing for the bolt hole inspections of wing box structures typical of the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orion aircraft, found in the air force inventory of many countries. Boundary element-based numerical modelling software was employed to predict the eddy current signal responses when varying inspection parameters related to probe characteristics, crack geometry and test piece properties. Two demonstrator exercises were used for eddy current signal prediction when lowering the driver probe frequency and changing the material's electrical conductivity, followed by subsequent discussions and examination of the implications on using simulated data in the PoD analysis. Despite some simplifying assumptions, the modelled eddy current signals were found to provide similar results to the actual inspections. It is concluded that physics-based numerical simulations have the potential to partially substitute or complement inspection data required for PoD studies, reducing the cost, time, effort and resources necessary for a full empirical PoD assessment.

Pyranose Oxidase, a Major Source of H(2)O(2) during Wood Degradation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Trametes versicolor, and Oudemansiella mucida.

PubMed

Daniel, G; Volc, J; Kubatova, E

1994-07-01

The production of the H(2)O(2)-generating enzyme pyranose oxidase (POD) (EC 1.1.3.10) (synonym, glucose 2-oxidase), two ligninolytic peroxidases, and laccase in wood decayed by three white rot fungi was investigated by correlated biochemical, immunological, and transmission electron microscopic techniques. Enzyme activities were assayed in extracts from decayed birch wood blocks obtained by a novel extraction procedure. With the coupled peroxidase-chromogen (3-dimethylaminobenzoic acid plus 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone hydrochloride) spectrophotometric assay, the highest POD activities were detected in wood blocks degraded for 4 months and were for Phanerochaete chrysosporium (149 mU g [dry weight] of decayed wood), Trametes versicolor (45 mU g), and Oudemansiella mucida (1.2 mU g), corresponding to wood dry weight losses of 74, 58, and 13%, respectively. Mn-dependent peroxidase activities in the same extracts were comparable to those of POD, while lignin peroxidase activity was below the detection limit for all fungi with the veratryl alcohol assay. Laccase activity was high with T. versicolor (422 mU g after 4 months), in trace levels with O. mucida, and undetectable in P. chrysosporium extracts. Evidence for C-2 specificity of POD was shown by thin-layer chromatography detection of 2-keto-d-glucose as the reaction product. By transmission electron microscopy-immunocytochemistry, POD was found to be preferentially localized in the hyphal periplasmic space of P. chrysosporium and O. mucida and associated with membranous materials in hyphae growing within the cell lumina or cell walls of partially and highly degraded birch fibers. An extracellular distribution of POD associated with slime coating wood cell walls was also noted. The periplasmic distribution in hyphae and extracellular location of POD are consistent with the reported ultrastructural distribution of H(2)O(2)-dependent Mn-dependent peroxidases. This fact and the dominant presence of POD and Mn-dependent peroxidase in extracts from degraded wood suggest a cooperative role of the two enzymes during white rot decay by the test fungi.

FaPOD27 functions in the metabolism of polyphenols in strawberry fruit (Fragaria sp.)

PubMed Central

Yeh, Su-Ying; Huang, Fong-Chin; Hoffmann, Thomas; Mayershofer, Mechthild; Schwab, Wilfried

2014-01-01

The strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is one of the most preferred fresh fruit worldwide, accumulates numerous flavonoids but has limited shelf life due to excessive tissue softening caused by cell wall degradation. Since lignin is one of the polymers that strengthen plant cell walls and might contribute to some extent to fruit firmness monolignol biosynthesis was studied in strawberry fruit. Cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), and a peroxidase (POD27) gene were strongly expressed in red, ripe fruit whereas a second POD gene was primarily expressed in green, immature fruit. Moreover, FaPOD27 transcripts were strongly and constitutively induced in fruits exposed to Agrobacterium infection. Gene expression levels and enzymatic activities of FaCCR and FaCAD were efficiently suppressed through RNAi in FaCCR- and FaCAD-silenced strawberries. Besides, significantly elevated FaPOD transcript levels were detected after agroinfiltration of pBI-FaPOD constructs in fruits. At the same time, levels of G-monomers were considerably reduced in FaCCR-silenced fruits whereas the proportion of both G- and S-monomers decisively decreased in FaCAD-silenced and pBI-FaPOD fruits. Development, firmness, and lignin level of the treated fruits were similar to pBI-intron control fruits, presumably attributed to increased expression levels of FaPOD27 upon agroinfiltration. Additionally, enhanced firmness, accompanied with elevated lignin levels, was revealed in chalcone synthase-deficient fruits (CHS−), independent of down- or up-regulation of individual and combined FaCCR. FaCAD, and FaPOD genes by agroinfiltration, when compared to CHS−/pBI-intron control fruits. These approaches provide further insight into the genetic control of flavonoid and lignin synthesis in strawberries. The results suggest that FaPOD27 is a key gene for lignin biosynthesis in strawberry fruit and thus to improving the firmness of strawberries. PMID:25346738

Plasma chitinase 3-like 1 is persistently elevated during first month after minimally invasive colorectal cancer resection.

PubMed

Shantha Kumara, H M C; Gaita, David; Miyagaki, Hiromichi; Yan, Xiaohong; Hearth, Sonali Ac; Njoh, Linda; Cekic, Vesna; Whelan, Richard L

2016-08-15

To assess blood chitinase 3-like 1 (CHi3L1) levels for 2 mo after minimally invasive colorectal resection (MICR) for colorectal cancer (CRC). CRC patients in an Institutional Review Board approved data/plasma bank who underwent elective MICR for whom preoperative (PreOp), early postoperative (PostOp), and 1 or more late PostOp samples [postoperative day (POD) 7-27] available were included. Plasma CHi3L1 levels (ng/mL) were determined in duplicate by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. PreOp and PostOp plasma sample were available for 80 MICR cancer patients for the study. The median PreOp CHi3L1 level was 56.8 CI: 41.9-78.6 ng/mL (n = 80). Significantly elevated (P < 0.001) median plasma levels (ng/mL) over PreOp levels were detected on POD1 (667.7 CI: 495.7, 771.7; n = 79), POD 3 (132.6 CI: 95.5, 173.7; n = 76), POD7-13 (96.4 CI: 67.7, 136.9; n = 62), POD14-20 (101.4 CI: 80.7, 287.4; n = 22), and POD 21-27 (98.1 CI: 66.8, 137.4; n = 20, P = 0.001). No significant difference in plasma levels were noted on POD27-41. Plasma CHi3L1 levels were significantly elevated for one month after MICR. Persistently elevated plasma CHi3L1 may support the growth of residual tumor and metastasis.

A Comparison of the Capability of Sensitivity Level 3 and Sensitivity Level 4 Fluorescent Penetrants to Detect Fatigue Cracks in Various Metals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Bradford H.

2011-01-01

In April 2008, NASA-STD-5009 established a requirement that only sensitivity level 4 penetrants are acceptable for NASA Standard Level liquid penetrant inspections. Having NASA contractors change existing processes or perform demonstration tests to certify sensitivity level 3 penetrants posed a potentially huge cost to the Agency. This study was conducted to directly compare the probability of detection (POD) of sensitivity level 3 and level 4 penetrants using both Method A and Method D inspection processes. POD demonstration tests were performed on 6061-Al, Haynes 188 and Ti-6Al-4V crack panel sets. The study results strongly support the conclusion that sensitivity level 3 penetrants are acceptable for NASA Standard Level inspections.

Clinical evaluation of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin for the early detection of postoperative complications after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

PubMed

Frask, Agata; Orłowski, Michał; Dowgiałło-Wnukiewicz, Natalia; Lech, Paweł; Gajewski, Krzysztof; Michalik, Maciej

2017-06-01

Among the most common early complications after bariatric surgery are anastomosis leak and bleeding. In order to react quickly and perform accurate treatment before the clinical signs appear, early predictors should be found. In the study C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) levels were investigated. Characterized by a relatively short half-life, they can predict surgical complications. To develop and implement certain standards for early detection of complications. The study involved 319 adults who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) as a surgical intervention for morbid obesity at the Department of General Surgery of Ceynowa Hospital in Wejherowo. Every patient had CRP and PCT levels measured before the surgery and on the 1 st and 2 nd postoperative day (POD). Early postoperative complications occurred in 19 (5.96%) patients. Septic and non-septic complications occurred in 3 and 16 patients respectively. Among the patients with septic postoperative complications CRP level increased significantly on the 2 nd POD compared to the remainder (p = 0.0221). Among the patients with non-septic postoperative complications CRP level increased significantly on the 1 st and 2 nd POD compared to the remainder. Among the patients with septic and non-septic postoperative complications PCT level increased significantly on the 2 nd POD compared to the remainder. The CRP and PCT level are supposed to be relevant diagnostic markers to predict non-septic and septic complications after LSG.

Clinical evaluation of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin for the early detection of postoperative complications after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

PubMed Central

Frask, Agata; Orłowski, Michał; Lech, Paweł; Gajewski, Krzysztof; Michalik, Maciej

2017-01-01

Introduction Among the most common early complications after bariatric surgery are anastomosis leak and bleeding. In order to react quickly and perform accurate treatment before the clinical signs appear, early predictors should be found. In the study C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) levels were investigated. Characterized by a relatively short half-life, they can predict surgical complications. Aim To develop and implement certain standards for early detection of complications. Material and methods The study involved 319 adults who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) as a surgical intervention for morbid obesity at the Department of General Surgery of Ceynowa Hospital in Wejherowo. Every patient had CRP and PCT levels measured before the surgery and on the 1st and 2nd postoperative day (POD). Results Early postoperative complications occurred in 19 (5.96%) patients. Septic and non-septic complications occurred in 3 and 16 patients respectively. Among the patients with septic postoperative complications CRP level increased significantly on the 2nd POD compared to the remainder (p = 0.0221). Among the patients with non-septic postoperative complications CRP level increased significantly on the 1st and 2nd POD compared to the remainder. Among the patients with septic and non-septic postoperative complications PCT level increased significantly on the 2nd POD compared to the remainder. Conclusions The CRP and PCT level are supposed to be relevant diagnostic markers to predict non-septic and septic complications after LSG. PMID:28694902

Identification and characterization of anthocyanins in yard-long beans (Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis L.) by High-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS) analysis.

PubMed

Ha, Tae Joung; Lee, Myoung-Hee; Park, Chang-Hwan; Pae, Suk-Bok; Shim, Kang-Bo; Ko, Jong-Min; Shin, Sang-Ouk; Baek, In-Youl; Park, Keum-Yong

2010-02-24

Anthocyanins play an important role in physiological functions related to human health. The objective of this study was to investigate the profiles of anthocyanins in the immature purple pods and black seeds of yard-long beans ( Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis L.) using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection and electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (DAD-ESI/MS) analysis. The individual anthocyanins were identified by comparing their mass spectrometric data and retention times. In the purple pods, five individual anthocyanins were identified: delphinidin-3-O-glucoside (2), cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside (4), cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (5), pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside (7), and peonidin-3-O-glucoside (8). From the black seed coat of the yard-long beans, seven anthocyanins were identified, including delphinidin-3-O-galactoside (1), cyanidin-3-O-galactoside (3), petunidin-3-O-glucoside (6), and malvidin-3-O-glucoside (9), together with compounds 2, 5, and 8. In this study, we report for the first time anthocyanin profiles for the pod and seed coat of yard-long beans.

NASA DOEPOD NDE Capabilities Data Book

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Generazio, Edward R.

2015-01-01

This data book contains the Directed Design of Experiments for Validating Probability of Detection (POD) Capability of NDE Systems (DOEPOD) analyses of the nondestructive inspection data presented in the NTIAC, Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Capabilities Data Book. DOEPOD is designed as a decision support system to validate inspection system, personnel, and protocol demonstrating 0.90 POD with 95% confidence at critical flaw sizes, a90/95. Although 0.90 POD with 95% confidence at critical flaw sizes is often stated as an inspection requirement in inspection documents, including NASA Standards, NASA critical aerospace applications have historically only accepted 0.978 POD or better with a 95% one-sided lower confidence bound exceeding 0.90 at critical flaw sizes, a90/95.

Plasma chitinase 3-like 1 is persistently elevated during first month after minimally invasive colorectal cancer resection

PubMed Central

Shantha Kumara, H M C; Gaita, David; Miyagaki, Hiromichi; Yan, Xiaohong; Hearth, Sonali AC; Njoh, Linda; Cekic, Vesna; Whelan, Richard L

2016-01-01

AIM To assess blood chitinase 3-like 1 (CHi3L1) levels for 2 mo after minimally invasive colorectal resection (MICR) for colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS CRC patients in an Institutional Review Board approved data/plasma bank who underwent elective MICR for whom preoperative (PreOp), early postoperative (PostOp), and 1 or more late PostOp samples [postoperative day (POD) 7-27] available were included. Plasma CHi3L1 levels (ng/mL) were determined in duplicate by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS PreOp and PostOp plasma sample were available for 80 MICR cancer patients for the study. The median PreOp CHi3L1 level was 56.8 CI: 41.9-78.6 ng/mL (n = 80). Significantly elevated (P < 0.001) median plasma levels (ng/mL) over PreOp levels were detected on POD1 (667.7 CI: 495.7, 771.7; n = 79), POD 3 (132.6 CI: 95.5, 173.7; n = 76), POD7-13 (96.4 CI: 67.7, 136.9; n = 62), POD14-20 (101.4 CI: 80.7, 287.4; n = 22), and POD 21-27 (98.1 CI: 66.8, 137.4; n = 20, P = 0.001). No significant difference in plasma levels were noted on POD27-41. CONCLUSION Plasma CHi3L1 levels were significantly elevated for one month after MICR. Persistently elevated plasma CHi3L1 may support the growth of residual tumor and metastasis. PMID:27574553

Short-term quality of life in patients undergoing colonic surgery using enhanced recovery after surgery program versus conventional perioperative management.

PubMed

Wang, Hao; Zhu, Dexiang; Liang, Li; Ye, Lechi; Lin, Qi; Zhong, Yunshi; Wei, Ye; Ren, Li; Xu, Jianmin; Qin, Xinyu

2015-11-01

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) integrates evidence-based interventions to reduce surgical stress and accelerate rehabilitation. Our study was to compare the short-term quality of life (QOL) in patients undergoing open colonic surgery using ERAS program or conventional management. A prospective study of 57 patients using ERAS program and 60 patients using conventional management was conducted. The clinical characteristics of all patients were recorded. QOL was evaluated longitudinally using the questionnaires (EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR29) pre- and postoperatively. Generalized estimating equation was used to do the analysis in order to determine the effective impact of correlative factors on the postoperative QOL, including age, sex, BMI, ASA grade, tumor location, tumor size, pTNM stage, recovery program and length of time after surgery. The morbidity in ERAS and control group was 17.5 versus 26.7 % (p = 0.235). The patients in ERAS group had much faster rehabilitation and less hospital stay. In the primary statistical analysis, the scores of global QOL (on POD3, POD6, POD10, POD14, POD21), physical functioning (on POD3, POD6, POD10, POD14, POD21), role functioning (on POD6, POD10, POD14, POD21), emotional functioning (on POD3, POD6, POD10, POD14, POD21), cognitive functioning (on POD3, POD6) and social functioning (on POD3, POD6, POD10, POD14, POD21, POD28) were higher in ERAS group than in control group, which suggested that the patients in ERAS group had a better life status. However, the scores of pain (on POD10, POD14, POD21), appetite loss (on POD3, POD6), constipation (on POD3, POD6, POD10), diarrhea (on POD3, POD10), financial difficulties (on POD10, POD14, POD21), perspective of future health (on POD6, POD10, POD14), gastrointestinal tract problems (on POD3, POD6, POD10) and defecation problems (on POD6, POD10, POD14) were lower in ERAS group than in control group, which revealed that the patients in ERAS group suffered less symptoms. In the further generalized estimating equation analysis, the result showed that recovery program and length of time after surgery had independently positive impact on the patient's postoperative QOL. Short-term QOL in patients undergoing colonic cancer using ERAS program was better than that using conventional management.

Metabolic changes in different developmental stages of Vanilla planifolia pods.

PubMed

Palama, Tony Lionel; Khatib, Alfi; Choi, Young Hae; Payet, Bertrand; Fock, Isabelle; Verpoorte, Robert; Kodja, Hippolyte

2009-09-09

The metabolomic analysis of developing Vanilla planifolia green pods (between 3 and 8 months after pollination) was carried out by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis. Multivariate data analysis of the (1)H NMR spectra, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), showed a trend of separation of those samples based on the metabolites present in the methanol/water (1:1) extract. Older pods had a higher content of glucovanillin, vanillin, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde glucoside, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and sucrose, while younger pods had more bis[4-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-benzyl]-2-isopropyltartrate (glucoside A), bis[4-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-benzyl]-2-(2-butyl)tartrate (glucoside B), glucose, malic acid, and homocitric acid. A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis targeted at phenolic compound content was also performed on the developing pods and confirmed the NMR results. Ratios of aglycones/glucosides were estimated and thus allowed for detection of more minor metabolites in the green vanilla pods. Quantification of compounds based on both LC-MS and NMR analyses showed that free vanillin can reach 24% of the total vanillin content after 8 months of development in the vanilla green pods.

Recent Advances in Model-Assisted Probability of Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, R. Bruce; Brasche, Lisa J.; Lindgren, Eric; Swindell, Paul; Winfree, William P.

2009-01-01

The increased role played by probability of detection (POD) in structural integrity programs, combined with the significant time and cost associated with the purely empirical determination of POD, provides motivation for alternate means to estimate this important metric of NDE techniques. One approach to make the process of POD estimation more efficient is to complement limited empirical experiments with information from physics-based models of the inspection process or controlled laboratory experiments. The Model-Assisted Probability of Detection (MAPOD) Working Group was formed by the Air Force Research Laboratory, the FAA Technical Center, and NASA to explore these possibilities. Since the 2004 inception of the MAPOD Working Group, 11 meetings have been held in conjunction with major NDE conferences. This paper will review the accomplishments of this group, which includes over 90 members from around the world. Included will be a discussion of strategies developed to combine physics-based and empirical understanding, draft protocols that have been developed to guide application of the strategies, and demonstrations that have been or are being carried out in a number of countries. The talk will conclude with a discussion of future directions, which will include documentation of benefits via case studies, development of formal protocols for engineering practice, as well as a number of specific technical issues.

Diagnostic value of serial measurement of C-reactive protein in serum and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in drainage fluid in the detection of infectious complications and anastomotic leakage in patients with colorectal resection.

PubMed

Kostić, Zoran; Panišić, Marina; Milev, Boško; Mijušković, Zoran; Slavković, Damjan; Ignjatović, Mile

2015-10-01

Postoperative infectious complications are one of the most important problems in surgical treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC), being present in up to 40% of patients. The aim of this paper was to establish the significance of serial measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP) in serum and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in drainage fluid for the detection of infectious complications and anastomotic leakage (AL) in patients with colorectal resection. CRP and MMP-9 values in serum and drainage fluid, respectively, were measured on the first, third, fifth, and seventh postoperative day (POD) in 150 patients with colorectal resection and primary anastomosis. The values obtained were compared between the patients without complicatons and those with surgical site and remote infections and AL. Surgical site infections (SSIs) were observed in 41 (27.3%), and remote infections in 10 (6.7%) patients. Clinically evident AL was observed in 15 (10/6) patients. In 82% of the patients with SSIs, serum CRP value on POD 5 exceeded 82 mg/L, with 81% specificity. AL was reported in 85% and 92% of the patients on PODs 5 and 7, respectively, with CRP values of 77 mg/L and 90 mg/L, respectively. The specificity was 77% for POD 5 and 88% for POD 7. All the patients with CRP values exceeding 139 mg/L on POD 5 had some of SSIs and/or AL. The mean values of MMP-9 were not statistically different between the group without complications (n = 99) and the group with AL (n = 15). Serial measurement of CRP is recommended for screening of infectious complications of colorectal resection. Patients with CRP values above 139 mg/L on POD 5 cannot be discharged from hospital, and require an intensive search for infectious complications, particularly AL. MMP-9 measurement in drainage fluid is not relevant in the detection of AL in patients with colorectal resection.

POD-based constrained sensor placement and field reconstruction from noisy wind measurements: A perturbation study

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Zhongqiang; Yang, Xiu; Lin, Guang

2016-04-14

Sensor placement at the extrema of Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) is efficient and leads to accurate reconstruction of the wind field from a limited number of measure- ments. In this paper we extend this approach of sensor placement and take into account measurement errors and detect possible malfunctioning sensors. We use the 48 hourly spa- tial wind field simulation data sets simulated using the Weather Research an Forecasting (WRF) model applied to the Maine Bay to evaluate the performances of our methods. Specifically, we use an exclusion disk strategy to distribute sensors when the extrema of POD modes are close.more » It turns out that this strategy can also reduce the error of recon- struction from noise measurements. Also, by a cross-validation technique, we successfully locate the malfunctioning sensors.« less

Comparative metabolomics in vanilla pod and vanilla bean revealing the biosynthesis of vanillin during the curing process of vanilla.

PubMed

Gu, Fenglin; Chen, Yonggan; Hong, Yinghua; Fang, Yiming; Tan, Lehe

2017-12-01

High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used for comprehensive metabolomic fingerprinting of vanilla fruits prepared from the curing process. In this study, the metabolic changes of vanilla pods and vanilla beans were characterized using MS-based metabolomics to elucidate the biosynthesis of vanillin. The vanilla pods were significantly different from vanilla beans. Seven pathways of vanillin biosynthesis were constructed, namely, glucovanillin, glucose, cresol, capsaicin, vanillyl alcohol, tyrosine, and phenylalanine pathways. Investigations demonstrated that glucose, cresol, capsaicin, and vanillyl alcohol pathway were detected in a wide range of distribution in microbial metabolism. Thus, microorganisms might have participated in vanillin biosynthesis during vanilla curing. Furthermore, the ion strength of glucovanillin was stable, which indicated that glucovanillin only participated in the vanillin biosynthesis during the curing of vanilla.

Development of IR Contrast Data Analysis Application for Characterizing Delaminations in Graphite-Epoxy Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Havican, Marie

2012-01-01

Objective: Develop infrared (IR) flash thermography application based on use of a calibration standard for inspecting graphite-epoxy laminated/honeycomb structures. Background: Graphite/Epoxy composites (laminated and honeycomb) are widely used on NASA programs. Composite materials are susceptible for impact damage that is not readily detected by visual inspection. IR inspection can provide required sensitivity to detect surface damage in composites during manufacturing and during service. IR contrast analysis can provide characterization of depth, size and gap thickness of impact damage. Benefits/Payoffs: The research provides an empirical method of calibrating the flash thermography response in nondestructive evaluation. A physical calibration standard with artificial flaws such as flat bottom holes with desired diameter and depth values in a desired material is used in calibration. The research devises several probability of detection (POD) analysis approaches to enable cost effective POD study to meet program requirements.

First report of frosty pod rot caused by Moniliophthora roreri on cacao in Bolivia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Frosty pod rot (FPR) is a devastating cacao disease caused by the basidiomycete Moniliophthora roreri (Aime and Phillips-Mora, 2005). The disease is confined to 13 countries in Central and South America and constitutes a permanent threat for cacao cultivation worldwide. In July 2012, FPR was detect...

Operational NDT simulator, towards human factors integration in simulated probability of detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodat, Damien; Guibert, Frank; Dominguez, Nicolas; Calmon, Pierre

2017-02-01

In the aeronautic industry, the performance demonstration of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) procedures relies on Probability Of Detection (POD) analyses. This statistical approach measures the ability of the procedure to detect a flaw with regard to one of its characteristic dimensions. The inspection chain is evaluated as a whole, including equipment configuration, probe effciency but also operator manipulations. Traditionally, a POD study requires an expensive campaign during which several operators apply the procedure on a large set of representative samples. Recently, new perspectives for the POD estimation have been introduced using NDT simulation to generate data. However, these approaches do not offer straightforward solutions to take the operator into account. The simulation of human factors, including cognitive aspects, often raises questions. To address these diffculties, we propose a concept of operational NDT simulator [1]. This work presents the first steps in the implementation of such simulator for ultrasound phased array inspection of composite parts containing Flat Bottom Holes (FBHs). The final system will look like a classical ultrasound testing equipment with a single exception: the displayed signals will be synthesized. Our hardware (ultrasound acquisition card, 3D position tracker) and software (position analysis, inspection scenario, synchronization, simulations) environments are developed as a bench to test the meta-modeling techniques able to provide fast-simulated realistic ultra-sound signals. The results presented here are obtained by on-the-fly merging of real and simulated signals. They confirm the feasibility of our approach: the replacement of real signals by purely simulated ones has been unnoticed by operators. We believe this simulator is a great prospect for POD evaluation including human factors, and may also find applications for training or procedure set-up.

Pod of Ultrasonic Detection of Synthetic Hard Alpha Inclusions in Titanium Aircraft Engine Forgings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, R. B.; Meeker, W. Q.; Brasche, L. J. H.

2011-06-01

The probability of detection (POD) of inspection techniques is a key input to estimating the lives of structural components such as aircraft engines. This paper describes work conducted as a part of the development of POD curves for the ultrasonic detection of synthetic hard alpha (SHA) inclusions in titanium aircraft engine forgings. The sample upon which the POD curves are to be based contains four types of right circular SHAs that have been embedded in a representative titanium forging, as well as a number of flat bottomed holes (FBHs). The SHAs were of two sizes, ♯3 and ♯5, with each size including seeds with nominal nitrogen concentrations of both 3 and 17 wt. %. The FBHs included sizes of ♯1, ♯3, and ♯5. This discreteness of the data poses a number of challenges to standard processes for determining POD. For example, at each concentration of nitrogen, there are only two sizes, with 10 inspection opportunities each. Fully empirical, standard methodologies such as â versus a provide less than an ideal framework for such an analysis. For example, there is no way to describe the beam limiting effect whereby the signal no longer increases the flaw grows larger than the beam, one can only determine POD at the two concentration levels present in the block, and confidence bounds tend to be broad because of the limited data available for each case. In this paper, we will describe strategies involving the use of physics-based models to overcome these difficulties by allowing the data from all reflectors to be analyzed by a single statistical model. Included will be a discussion of the development of the physics-based model, its comparison to the experimental data (obtained at multiple sites with multiple operators) and its implications regarding the statistical analysis, whose details will be given in a separate article by Li et al. in this volume.

Early disease progression in patients with localized natural killer/T-cell lymphoma treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Motoko; Suzuki, Ritsuro; Kim, Seok Jin; Ko, Young Hyeh; Oguchi, Masahiko; Asano, Naoko; Miyazaki, Kana; Terui, Yasuhiko; Kubota, Nobuko; Maeda, Takeshi; Kobayashi, Yukio; Amaki, Jun; Soejima, Toshinori; Saito, Bungo; Shimoda, Emiko; Fukuhara, Noriko; Tsukamoto, Norifumi; Shimada, Kazuyuki; Choi, Ilseung; Utsumi, Takahiko; Ejima, Yasuo; Kim, Won Seog; Katayama, Naoyuki

2018-03-30

Prognosis of patients with localized nasal extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKL) has been improved by non-anthracycline-containing treatments such as concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). However, some patients experience early disease progression. To clarify the clinical features and outcomes of these patients, data from 165 patients with localized nasal ENKL who were diagnosed between 2000 and 2013 at 31 institutes in Japan and who received radiotherapy with dexamethasone, etoposide, ifosfamide, and carboplatin (RT-DeVIC) were retrospectively analyzed. Progression of disease within 2 years after diagnosis (POD24) was used as the definition of early progression. An independent dataset of 60 patients with localized nasal ENKL who received CCRT at Samsung Medical Center was used in the validation analysis. POD24 was documented in 23% of patients who received RT-DeVIC and in 25% of patients in the validation cohort. Overall survival (OS) from risk-defining events of the POD24 group was inferior to that of the reference group in both cohorts (P < .00001). In the RT-DeVIC cohort, pretreatment elevated levels of serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, and detectable Epstein-Barr virus DNA in peripheral blood were associated with POD24. In the validation cohort, no pretreatment clinical factor associated with POD24 was identified. Our study indicates that POD24 is a strong indicator of survival in localized ENKL, despite the different CCRT regimens adopted. In the treatment of localized nasal ENKL, POD24 is useful for identifying patients who have unmet medical needs. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

Transcriptome Analyses Reveal Candidate Pod Shattering-Associated Genes Involved in the Pod Ventral Sutures of Common Vetch (Vicia sativa L.)

PubMed Central

Dong, Rui; Dong, Deke; Luo, Dong; Zhou, Qiang; Chai, Xutian; Zhang, Jiyu; Xie, Wengang; Liu, Wenxian; Dong, Yang; Wang, Yanrong; Liu, Zhipeng

2017-01-01

The seed dispersion caused by pod shattering is a form of propagation used by many wild species. Loss of seeds from pod shattering is frequent in the common vetch (Vicia sativa L.), an important self-pollinating annual forage legume. However, pod shattering is one of the most important defects that limits the reproduction of the vetch in the field and the usage as a leguminous forage crop. To better understand the vetch pod shattering mechanism, we used high-throughput RNA sequencing to assess the global changes in the transcriptomes of the pod ventral sutures of shattering-susceptible and shattering-resistant vetch accessions screened from 541 vetch germplasms. A total of 1,285 significantly differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) were detected, including 575 up-regulated unigenes and 710 down-regulated unigenes. Analyses of Gene Ontology and KEGG metabolic enrichment pathways of 1,285 DEGs indicated that 22 DEGs encoding cell wall modifications and hydrolases associated with pod shattering were highly expressed in shattering-susceptible accessions. These genes were mainly enriched in “hydrolase activity,” “cytoplasm,” and “carbohydrate metabolic process” systems. These cell wall modifications and hydrolases genes included β-glucosidase and endo-polygalacturonase, which work together to break down the glycosidic bonds of pectin and cellulose, and to promote the dissolution and disappearance of the cell wall in the ventral suture of the pod and make the pod more susceptible to shattering. We demonstrated the differences in gene transcription levels between the shattering-susceptible and shattering-resistant vetch accessions for the first time and our results provided valuable information for the identifying and characterizing of pod shattering regulation networks in vetch. This information may facilitate the future identification of pod shattering-related genes and their underlying molecular mechanisms in the common vetch. PMID:28496452

Effect of Liquid Penetrant Sensitivity on Probability of Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Bradford H.

2011-01-01

The objective of the task is to investigate the effect of liquid penetrant sensitivity level on probability of detection (POD) of cracks in various metals. NASA-STD-5009 currently requires the use of only sensitivity level 4 liquid penetrants for NASA Standard Level inspections. This requirement is based on the fact that the data used to establish the reliably detectable flaw sizes penetrant inspection was from studies performed in the 1970s using penetrant deemed to be equivalent only to modern day sensitivity level 4 penetrants. However, many NDE contractors supporting NASA Centers routinely use sensitivity level 3 penetrants. Because of the new NASA-STD-5009 requirement, these contractors will have to either shift to sensitivity level 4 penetrants or perform formal POD demonstration tests to qualify their existing process. We propose a study to compare the POD generated for two penetrant manufactures, Sherwin and Magnaflux, and for the two most common penetrant inspection methods, water washable and post emulsifiable, hydrophilic. NDE vendors local to GSFC will be employed. A total of six inspectors will inspect a set of crack panels with a broad range of fatigue crack sizes. Each inspector will perform eight inspections of the panel set using the combination of methods and sensitivity levels described above. At least one inspector will also perform multiple inspections using a fixed technique to investigate repeatability. The hit/miss data sets will be evaluated using both the NASA generated DOEPOD software and the MIL-STD-1823 software.

Diagnostic value of C-reactive protein to rule out infectious complications after major abdominal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Gans, Sarah L; Atema, Jasper J; van Dieren, Susan; Groot Koerkamp, Bas; Boermeester, Marja A

2015-07-01

Infectious complications occur frequently after major abdominal surgery and have a major influence on patient outcome and hospital costs. A marker that can rule out postoperative infectious complications (PICs) could aid patient selection for safe and early hospital discharge. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a widely available, fast, and cheap marker that might be of value in detecting PIC. Present meta-analysis evaluates the diagnostic value of CRP to rule out PIC following major abdominal surgery, aiding patient selection for early discharge. A systematic literature search of Medline, PubMed, and Cochrane was performed identifying all prospective studies evaluating the diagnostic value of CRP after abdominal surgery. Meta-analysis was performed according to the PRISMA statement. Twenty-two studies were included for qualitative analysis of which 16 studies were eligible for meta-analysis, representing 2215 patients. Most studies analyzed the value of CRP in colorectal surgery (eight studies). The pooled negative predictive value (NPV) improved each day after surgery up to 90% at postoperative day (POD) 3 for a pooled CRP cutoff of 159 mg/L (range 92-200). Maximum predictive values for PICs were reached on POD 5 for a pooled CRP cutoff of 114 mg/L (range 48-150): a pooled sensitivity of 86% (95% confidence interval (CI) 79-91%), specificity of 86% (95% CI 75-92%), and a positive predictive value of 64% (95% CI 49-77%). The pooled sensitivity and specificity were significantly higher on POD 5 than on other PODs (p < 0.001). Infectious complications after major abdominal surgery are very unlikely in patients with a CRP below 159 mg/L on POD 3. This can aid patient selection for safe and early hospital discharge and prevent overuse of imaging.

Molecular basis of a shattering resistance boosting global dissemination of soybean

PubMed Central

Funatsuki, Hideyuki; Suzuki, Masaya; Hirose, Aya; Inaba, Hiroki; Yamada, Tetsuya; Hajika, Makita; Komatsu, Kunihiko; Katayama, Takeshi; Sayama, Takashi; Ishimoto, Masao; Fujino, Kaien

2014-01-01

Pod dehiscence (shattering) is essential for the propagation of wild plant species bearing seeds in pods but is a major cause of yield loss in legume and crucifer crops. Although natural genetic variation in pod dehiscence has been, and will be, useful for plant breeding, little is known about the molecular genetic basis of shattering resistance in crops. Therefore, we performed map-based cloning to unveil a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) controlling pod dehiscence in soybean. Fine mapping and complementation testing revealed that the QTL encodes a dirigent-like protein, designated as Pdh1. The gene for the shattering-resistant genotype, pdh1, was defective, having a premature stop codon. The functional gene, Pdh1, was highly expressed in the lignin-rich inner sclerenchyma of pod walls, especially at the stage of initiation in lignin deposition. Comparisons of near-isogenic lines indicated that Pdh1 promotes pod dehiscence by increasing the torsion of dried pod walls, which serves as a driving force for pod dehiscence under low humidity. A survey of soybean germplasm revealed that pdh1 was frequently detected in landraces from semiarid regions and has been extensively used for breeding in North America, the world’s leading soybean producer. These findings point to a new mechanism for pod dehiscence involving the dirigent protein family and suggest that pdh1 has played a crucial role in the global expansion of soybean cultivation. Furthermore, the orthologs of pdh1, or genes with the same role, will possibly be useful for crop improvement. PMID:25468966

Consistent Practices for the Probability of Detection (POD) of Fracture Critical Metallic Components Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughitt, Brian; Generazio, Edward (Principal Investigator); Nichols, Charles; Myers, Mika (Principal Investigator); Spencer, Floyd (Principal Investigator); Waller, Jess (Principal Investigator); Wladyka, Jordan (Principal Investigator); Aldrin, John; Burke, Eric; Cerecerez, Laura;

Simulation assisted pod of a phased array ultrasonic inspection in manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dominguez, N.; Feuillard, V.; Jenson, F.; Willaume, P.

2012-05-01

The concept of Probability of Detection (POD) is generally used to quantitatively assess performances and reliability of NDT operations for in-service operations related to damage tolerant designs. Application of the POD approach as a metric for manufacturing NDT assessment would also be relevant but the very expensive cost of such campaigns generally prevents us from doing so. However the increase in NDT simulation capability and maturity opens the field for POD demonstrations for manufacturing NDT with the help of simulation. This paper presents the example of an automated phased array ultrasonic testing procedure of Electron Beam Welding on rotative parts, as part of the PICASSO European project. POD is calculated by using the uncertainty propagation approach in CIVA. The peculiarity of uncertainties in automated NDT compared to in-service manual operations is discussed and raises questions on appropriate statistics to be used for this kind of data. Alternative estimation techniques like Box-Cox transform or quantile regression are proposed and evaluated.

Assessment of MMP-2/-9 expression by fluorescence endoscopy for evaluation of anastomotic healing in a murine model of anastomotic leakage

PubMed Central

Twardy, Vanessa; Becker, Felix; Geyer, Christiane; Schwegmann, Katrin; Mohr, Annika; Faust, Andreas

2018-01-01

Background Disturbance of intestinal wound closure leads to insufficient anastomotic healing and is associated with considerable morbidity following colorectal resections. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a crucial role in regulation of wound closure. Here fluorescence endoscopy was evaluated for assessment of MMP-2/-9 expression during failed intestinal anastomotic healing. Methods Distal colonic anastomoses were performed as a model for disturbed healing in 36 Balb/c mice. Healing was evaluated endoscopically, macroscopically, and histologically after 1, 3 and 5 days. For detection of MMP-2/-9 expression fluorescence endoscopy (FE) was used following i.v.-administration of a Cy5.5-labeled MMP-2/-9 specific tracer. FE was complemented by quantification of the fluorescence signal using the MS-FX PRO Optical Imaging System. An overall leakage score was calculated and correlated with the results of FE. Results With increasing incidence of anastomotic leakage from POD1 (17%) to POD5 (83%) the uptake of the MMP tracer gradually increased (signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), POD1: 17.91 ± 1.251 vs. POD3: 30.56 ± 3.03 vs. POD5: 44.8 ± 4.473, P<0.0001). Mice with defective anastomotic healing showed significantly higher uptake compared to non-defective (SNR: 37.37± 3.63 vs. 26.16± 3.635, P = 0.0369). White light endoscopy and FE allowed evaluation of anastomotic healing and visualization of mucosal MMPs in vivo. Using FE based detection of MMPs in the anastomosis, an overall positive predictive value of 71.4% and negative predictive value of 66.6% was calculated for detection of anastomotic leakage. Conclusion During disturbed anastomotic healing increased expression of MMP-2/-9 was observed in the anastomotic tissue. Fluorescence endoscopy for detection of MMP-2/-9 during the healing process might be a promising tool for early identification of anastomotic leakage. PMID:29566031

Assessment of MMP-2/-9 expression by fluorescence endoscopy for evaluation of anastomotic healing in a murine model of anastomotic leakage.

PubMed

Neumann, Philipp-Alexander; Twardy, Vanessa; Becker, Felix; Geyer, Christiane; Schwegmann, Katrin; Mohr, Annika; Faust, Andreas; Lenz, Philipp; Rijcken, Emile

2018-01-01

Disturbance of intestinal wound closure leads to insufficient anastomotic healing and is associated with considerable morbidity following colorectal resections. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a crucial role in regulation of wound closure. Here fluorescence endoscopy was evaluated for assessment of MMP-2/-9 expression during failed intestinal anastomotic healing. Distal colonic anastomoses were performed as a model for disturbed healing in 36 Balb/c mice. Healing was evaluated endoscopically, macroscopically, and histologically after 1, 3 and 5 days. For detection of MMP-2/-9 expression fluorescence endoscopy (FE) was used following i.v.-administration of a Cy5.5-labeled MMP-2/-9 specific tracer. FE was complemented by quantification of the fluorescence signal using the MS-FX PRO Optical Imaging System. An overall leakage score was calculated and correlated with the results of FE. With increasing incidence of anastomotic leakage from POD1 (17%) to POD5 (83%) the uptake of the MMP tracer gradually increased (signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), POD1: 17.91 ± 1.251 vs. POD3: 30.56 ± 3.03 vs. POD5: 44.8 ± 4.473, P<0.0001). Mice with defective anastomotic healing showed significantly higher uptake compared to non-defective (SNR: 37.37± 3.63 vs. 26.16± 3.635, P = 0.0369). White light endoscopy and FE allowed evaluation of anastomotic healing and visualization of mucosal MMPs in vivo. Using FE based detection of MMPs in the anastomosis, an overall positive predictive value of 71.4% and negative predictive value of 66.6% was calculated for detection of anastomotic leakage. During disturbed anastomotic healing increased expression of MMP-2/-9 was observed in the anastomotic tissue. Fluorescence endoscopy for detection of MMP-2/-9 during the healing process might be a promising tool for early identification of anastomotic leakage.

Population dynamics of epiphytic mycoparasites of the genera Clonostachys and Fusarium for the biocontrol of black pod (Phytophthora palmivora) and moniliasis (Moniliophthora roreri) on cocoa (Theobroma cacao).

PubMed

Hoopen, G Martijn ten; Rees, Robert; Aisa, Philo; Stirrup, Tim; Krauss, Ulrike

2003-05-01

Mycoparasites collected from aerial parts of the cocoa plant (Theobroma cacao) have shown great promise in the control of black pod, caused by Phytophthora palmivora, and moniliasis, caused by Moniliophthora roreri. However, the ecology of epiphytic mycoparasites is still poorly understood although it has a direct bearing on applied biocontrol practices, ranging from the identification and isolation of promising biocontrol candidates to formulation needs and required application frequency. One objective of this study was to determine the natural abundance of mycoparasites on cocoa flowers and pods in relation to crop development stage and cultivar. For this purpose, native mycoparasites were detected on cocoa flowers and pods using the precolonised plate baiting technique. Furthermore, the survival of an applied Clonostachys rosea isolate on cocoa pods on shaded and non-shaded trees was compared as well as the recolonisation patterns of surface-sterilised pods by native mycoparasites under these conditions. Clonostachys spp. were the most commonly isolated native mycoparasites, followed by Fusarium spp. No differences in the occurrence of native, epiphytic mycoparasites were observed between the three main cocoa cultivars, 'Criollo', 'Forastero' and 'Trinitario', nor between clones within these groups. Thus, a single biocontrol inoculum can be suitable for application to cultivar mixtures of cocoa commonly grown together in a field. Different susceptibility classes of segregating F1 populations of hybrids with resistance against M. roreri and P. palmivora supported similar population levels and taxonomic assemblages of mycoparasites. Therefore, we reject the hypothesis that these antagonists mediate resistance. Mycoparasite abundance and genetic disease resistance to black pod and moniliasis are independent phenomena and should lead to additive effects if employed simultaneously in an integrated disease management programme. The survival of applied C. rosea was not affected by the shading regime or any other meteorological parameter measured. On the other hand, recolonisation of surface-sterilised cocoa pods by most native mycoparasites was faster in the shade. Only Trichoderma spp. colonised pods exposed to direct sunlight faster than shaded ones. The implications for the design of biocontrol inocula and formulation technology are discussed.

POD Model Reconstruction for Gray-Box Fault Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Han; Zak, Michail

2007-01-01

Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is the mathematical basis of a method of constructing low-order mathematical models for the "gray-box" fault-detection algorithm that is a component of a diagnostic system known as beacon-based exception analysis for multi-missions (BEAM). POD has been successfully applied in reducing computational complexity by generating simple models that can be used for control and simulation for complex systems such as fluid flows. In the present application to BEAM, POD brings the same benefits to automated diagnosis. BEAM is a method of real-time or offline, automated diagnosis of a complex dynamic system.The gray-box approach makes it possible to utilize incomplete or approximate knowledge of the dynamics of the system that one seeks to diagnose. In the gray-box approach, a deterministic model of the system is used to filter a time series of system sensor data to remove the deterministic components of the time series from further examination. What is left after the filtering operation is a time series of residual quantities that represent the unknown (or at least unmodeled) aspects of the behavior of the system. Stochastic modeling techniques are then applied to the residual time series. The procedure for detecting abnormal behavior of the system then becomes one of looking for statistical differences between the residual time series and the predictions of the stochastic model.

Laundry pod and non-pod detergent related emergency department visits occurring in children in the USA.

PubMed

Swain, Thomas A; McGwin, Gerald; Griffin, Russell

2016-12-01

Previous studies have reported that children are at risk of severe injuries from exposure to laundry detergent pods. For the first time, this study sought to compare demographic and exposure characteristics and risk among children exposed to pod and non-pod laundry detergents presenting to emergency departments (EDs). Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) from 2012-2014 were used. All observations with injuries involving laundry detergent (NEISS code 0949) were included in this study. The χ 2 test was used for bivariate analysis and logistic regression was used to determine the OR and 95% CI of hospitalisation for pod related versus non-pod laundry detergent exposures. From 2012-2014, there were an estimated 26 062 non-pod and 9814 pod laundry detergent related exposures among those aged 18 years and younger. For pod detergent, children aged 0-5 years had the most injuries. Poisoning (71.3%) was the most common diagnosis for pod detergent while contact dermatitis (72.2%) was most common for non-pod detergent. Hospitalisation occurred in 12.5% of pod detergent cases and just 3.0% of non-pod cases. Compared with non-pod detergent, those exposed to pod detergent were 4 times as likely to be hospitalised (OR 4.02; 95% CI 1.96 to 8.24). A greater effort should be made to appropriately educate the public about the dangers of laundry detergents, specifically pods, so a safe home environment can be established. While new regulations such as childproof containers, opaque packaging, and less appealing and colourful pods could reduce the number of pod related ED visits for children, caregivers should store detergents, along with other chemicals, in a secure location where children cannot easily access them. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

A major host plant volatile, 1-octen-3-ol, contributes to mating in the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bendera, M.; Ekesi, S.; Ndung'u, M.; Srinivasan, R.; Torto, B.

2015-10-01

Previous studies on the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a serious pest of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Fabales: Fabaceae), in sub-Saharan Africa have focused on sex pheromones, but the role of the host plant on sexual behavior has not been explored. We investigated this interaction in the laboratory using behavioral assays and chemical analyses. We found that the presence of cowpea seedlings and a dichloromethane extract of the leaf increased coupling in the legume pod borer by 33 and 61 %, respectively, compared to the control, suggesting the involvement of both contact and olfactory cues. We used coupled gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC/EAD) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to identify compounds from the cowpea leaf extract, detected by M. vitrata antenna. We found that the antennae of the insect consistently detected four components, with 1-octen-3-ol identified as a common and dominant component in both the volatiles released by the intact cowpea plant and leaf extract. We therefore investigated its role in the coupling of M. vitrata. In dose-response assays, 1-octen-3-ol increased coupling in M. vitrata with increasing dose of the compound compared to the control. Our results suggest that the cowpea volatile 1-octen-3-ol contributes to M. vitrata sexual behavior.

Early Subretinal Allograft Rejection Is Characterized by Innate Immune Activity.

PubMed

Kennelly, Kevin P; Holmes, Toby M; Wallace, Deborah M; O'Farrelly, Cliona; Keegan, David J

2017-06-09

Successful subretinal transplantation is limited by considerable early graft loss despite pharmacological suppression of adaptive immunity. We postulated that early innate immune activity is a dominant factor in determining graft survival and chose a nonimmunosuppressed mouse model of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell transplantation to explore this. Expression of almost all measured cytokines by DH01 RPE cells increased significantly following graft preparation, and the neutrophil chemoattractant KC/GRO/CINC was most significantly increased. Subretinal allografts of DH01 cells (C57BL/10 origin) into healthy, nonimmunosuppressed C57BL/6 murine eyes were harvested and fixed at 1, 3, 7, and 28 days postoperatively and subsequently cryosectioned and stained. Graft cells were detected using SV40 large T antigen (SV40T) immunolabeling and apoptosis/necrosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). Sections were also immunolabeled for macrophage (CD11b and F4/80), neutrophil (Gr1 Ly-6G), and T-lymphocyte (CD3-ɛ) infiltration. Images captured with an Olympus FV1000 confocal microscope were analyzed using the Imaris software. The proportion of the subretinal bolus comprising graft cells (SV40T+) was significantly (p < 0.001) reduced between postoperative day (POD) 3 (90 ± 4%) and POD 7 (20 ± 7%). CD11b+, F4/80+, and Gr1 Ly-6G+ cells increased significantly (p < 0.05) from POD 1 and predominated over SV40T+ cells by POD 7. Colabeling confocal microscopic analysis demonstrated graft engulfment by neutrophils and macrophages at POD 7, and reconstruction of z-stacked confocal images confirmed SV40T inside Gr1 Ly-6G+ cells. Expression of CD3-ɛ was low and did not differ significantly between time points. By POD 28, no graft cells were detectable and few inflammatory cells remained. These studies reveal, for the first time, a critical role for innate immune mechanisms early in subretinal graft rejection. The future success of subretinal transplantation will require more emphasis on techniques to limit innate immune-mediated graft loss, rather than focusing exclusively on suppression of the adaptive immune response.

Real-time distributed fiber optic sensor for security systems: Performance, event classification and nuisance mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmoud, Seedahmed S.; Visagathilagar, Yuvaraja; Katsifolis, Jim

2012-09-01

The success of any perimeter intrusion detection system depends on three important performance parameters: the probability of detection (POD), the nuisance alarm rate (NAR), and the false alarm rate (FAR). The most fundamental parameter, POD, is normally related to a number of factors such as the event of interest, the sensitivity of the sensor, the installation quality of the system, and the reliability of the sensing equipment. The suppression of nuisance alarms without degrading sensitivity in fiber optic intrusion detection systems is key to maintaining acceptable performance. Signal processing algorithms that maintain the POD and eliminate nuisance alarms are crucial for achieving this. In this paper, a robust event classification system using supervised neural networks together with a level crossings (LCs) based feature extraction algorithm is presented for the detection and recognition of intrusion and non-intrusion events in a fence-based fiber-optic intrusion detection system. A level crossings algorithm is also used with a dynamic threshold to suppress torrential rain-induced nuisance alarms in a fence system. Results show that rain-induced nuisance alarms can be suppressed for rainfall rates in excess of 100 mm/hr with the simultaneous detection of intrusion events. The use of a level crossing based detection and novel classification algorithm is also presented for a buried pipeline fiber optic intrusion detection system for the suppression of nuisance events and discrimination of intrusion events. The sensor employed for both types of systems is a distributed bidirectional fiber-optic Mach-Zehnder (MZ) interferometer.

Model-assisted probability of detection of flaws in aluminum blocks using polynomial chaos expansions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Xiaosong; Leifsson, Leifur; Grandin, Robert; Meeker, William; Roberts, Ronald; Song, Jiming

2018-04-01

Probability of detection (POD) is widely used for measuring reliability of nondestructive testing (NDT) systems. Typically, POD is determined experimentally, while it can be enhanced by utilizing physics-based computational models in combination with model-assisted POD (MAPOD) methods. With the development of advanced physics-based methods, such as ultrasonic NDT testing, the empirical information, needed for POD methods, can be reduced. However, performing accurate numerical simulations can be prohibitively time-consuming, especially as part of stochastic analysis. In this work, stochastic surrogate models for computational physics-based measurement simulations are developed for cost savings of MAPOD methods while simultaneously ensuring sufficient accuracy. The stochastic surrogate is used to propagate the random input variables through the physics-based simulation model to obtain the joint probability distribution of the output. The POD curves are then generated based on those results. Here, the stochastic surrogates are constructed using non-intrusive polynomial chaos (NIPC) expansions. In particular, the NIPC methods used are the quadrature, ordinary least-squares (OLS), and least-angle regression sparse (LARS) techniques. The proposed approach is demonstrated on the ultrasonic testing simulation of a flat bottom hole flaw in an aluminum block. The results show that the stochastic surrogates have at least two orders of magnitude faster convergence on the statistics than direct Monte Carlo sampling (MCS). Moreover, the evaluation of the stochastic surrogate models is over three orders of magnitude faster than the underlying simulation model for this case, which is the UTSim2 model.

A Novel Stress-Diathesis Model to Predict Risk of Post-operative Delirium: Implications for Intra-operative Management.

PubMed

El-Gabalawy, Renée; Patel, Ronak; Kilborn, Kayla; Blaney, Caitlin; Hoban, Christopher; Ryner, Lawrence; Funk, Duane; Legaspi, Regina; Fisher, Joseph A; Duffin, James; Mikulis, David J; Mutch, W Alan C

2017-01-01

Introduction: Risk assessment for post-operative delirium (POD) is poorly developed. Improved metrics could greatly facilitate peri-operative care as costs associated with POD are staggering. In this preliminary study, we develop a novel stress-diathesis model based on comprehensive pre-operative psychiatric and neuropsychological testing, a blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) stress test, and high fidelity measures of intra-operative parameters that may interact facilitating POD. Methods: The study was approved by the ethics board at the University of Manitoba and registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02126215. Twelve patients were studied. Pre-operative psychiatric symptom measures and neuropsychological testing preceded MRI featuring a BOLD MRI CO 2 stress test whereby BOLD scans were conducted while exposing participants to a rigorously controlled CO 2 stimulus. During surgery the patient had hemodynamics and end-tidal gases downloaded at 0.5 hz. Post-operatively, the presence of POD and POD severity was comprehensively assessed using the Confusion Assessment Measure -Severity (CAM-S) scoring instrument on days 0 (surgery) through post-operative day 5, and patients were followed up at least 1 month post-operatively. Results: Six of 12 patients had no evidence of POD (non-POD). Three patients had POD and 3 had clinically significant confusional states (referred as subthreshold POD; ST-POD) (score ≥ 5/19 on the CAM-S). Average severity for delirium was 1.3 in the non-POD group, 3.2 in ST-POD, and 6.1 in POD (F-statistic = 15.4, p < 0.001). Depressive symptoms, and cognitive measures of semantic fluency and executive functioning/processing speed were significantly associated with POD. Second level analysis revealed an increased inverse BOLD responsiveness to CO 2 pre-operatively in ST-POD and marked increase in the POD groups when compared to the non-POD group. An association was also noted for the patient population to manifest leucoaraiosis as assessed with advanced neuroimaging techniques. Results provide preliminary support for the interacting of diatheses (vulnerabilities) and intra-operative stressors on the POD phenotype. Conclusions: The stress-diathesis model has the potential to aid in risk assessment for POD. Based on these initial findings, we make some recommendations for intra-operative management for patients at risk of POD.

A Novel Stress-Diathesis Model to Predict Risk of Post-operative Delirium: Implications for Intra-operative Management

PubMed Central

El-Gabalawy, Renée; Patel, Ronak; Kilborn, Kayla; Blaney, Caitlin; Hoban, Christopher; Ryner, Lawrence; Funk, Duane; Legaspi, Regina; Fisher, Joseph A.; Duffin, James; Mikulis, David J.; Mutch, W. Alan C.

2017-01-01

Introduction: Risk assessment for post-operative delirium (POD) is poorly developed. Improved metrics could greatly facilitate peri-operative care as costs associated with POD are staggering. In this preliminary study, we develop a novel stress-diathesis model based on comprehensive pre-operative psychiatric and neuropsychological testing, a blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) carbon dioxide (CO2) stress test, and high fidelity measures of intra-operative parameters that may interact facilitating POD. Methods: The study was approved by the ethics board at the University of Manitoba and registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02126215. Twelve patients were studied. Pre-operative psychiatric symptom measures and neuropsychological testing preceded MRI featuring a BOLD MRI CO2 stress test whereby BOLD scans were conducted while exposing participants to a rigorously controlled CO2 stimulus. During surgery the patient had hemodynamics and end-tidal gases downloaded at 0.5 hz. Post-operatively, the presence of POD and POD severity was comprehensively assessed using the Confusion Assessment Measure –Severity (CAM-S) scoring instrument on days 0 (surgery) through post-operative day 5, and patients were followed up at least 1 month post-operatively. Results: Six of 12 patients had no evidence of POD (non-POD). Three patients had POD and 3 had clinically significant confusional states (referred as subthreshold POD; ST-POD) (score ≥ 5/19 on the CAM-S). Average severity for delirium was 1.3 in the non-POD group, 3.2 in ST-POD, and 6.1 in POD (F-statistic = 15.4, p < 0.001). Depressive symptoms, and cognitive measures of semantic fluency and executive functioning/processing speed were significantly associated with POD. Second level analysis revealed an increased inverse BOLD responsiveness to CO2 pre-operatively in ST-POD and marked increase in the POD groups when compared to the non-POD group. An association was also noted for the patient population to manifest leucoaraiosis as assessed with advanced neuroimaging techniques. Results provide preliminary support for the interacting of diatheses (vulnerabilities) and intra-operative stressors on the POD phenotype. Conclusions: The stress-diathesis model has the potential to aid in risk assessment for POD. Based on these initial findings, we make some recommendations for intra-operative management for patients at risk of POD. PMID:28868035

Effects of multiple levels of social organization on survival and abundance.

PubMed

Ward, Eric J; Semmens, Brice X; Holmes, Elizabeth E; Balcomb Iii, Ken C

2011-04-01

Identifying how social organization shapes individual behavior, survival, and fecundity of animals that live in groups can inform conservation efforts and improve forecasts of population abundance, even when the mechanism responsible for group-level differences is unknown. We constructed a hierarchical Bayesian model to quantify the relative variability in survival rates among different levels of social organization (matrilines and pods) of an endangered population of killer whales (Orcinus orca). Individual killer whales often participate in group activities such as prey sharing and cooperative hunting. The estimated age-specific survival probabilities and survivorship curves differed considerably among pods and to a lesser extent among matrilines (within pods). Across all pods, males had lower life expectancy than females. Differences in survival between pods may be caused by a combination of factors that vary across the population's range, including reduced prey availability, contaminants in prey, and human activity. Our modeling approach could be applied to demographic rates for other species and for parameters other than survival, including reproduction, prey selection, movement, and detection probabilities. Conservation Biology ©2010 Society for Conservation Biology. No claim to original US government works.

EUVL mask dual pods to be used for mask shipping and handling in exposure tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomei, Yoshio; Ota, Kazuya; Lystad, John; Halbmair, Dave; He, Long

2007-03-01

The concept of Extreme Ultra-Violet Lithography (EUVL) mask dual pods is proposed for use in both mask shipping and handling in exposure tools. The inner pod was specially designed to protect masks from particle contamination during shipping from mask houses to wafer factories. It can be installed in a load-lock chamber of exposure tools and evacuated while holding the mask inside. The inner pod upper cover is removed just before the mask is installed to a mask stage. Prototypes were manufactured and tested for shipping and for vacuum cycling. We counted particle adders through these actions with a detectable level of 54 nm and up. The adder count was close to zero, or we can say that the obtained result is within the noise level of our present evaluation environment. This indicates that the present concept is highly feasible for EUVL mask shipping and handling in exposure tools.

Efficacy of cocoa pod extract as antiwrinkle gel on human skin surface.

PubMed

Abdul Karim, Azila; Azlan, Azrina; Ismail, Amin; Hashim, Puziah; Abd Gani, Siti Salwa; Zainudin, Badrul Hisyam; Abdullah, Nur Azilah

2016-09-01

Cocoa pods are abundant waste materials of cocoa plantation, which are usually discarded onto plantation floors. However, due to poor plantation management, the discarded cocoa pods can create suitable breeding ground for Phytophthora palmivora, which is regarded as the causal agent of the black pod disease. On the other hand, cocoa pods potentially contain antioxidant compounds. Antioxidant compounds are related to the protection of skin from wrinkles and can be used as functional cosmetic ingredients. Therefore, in this study, cocoa pods were extracted and to be used as active ingredients for antiwrinkles. The active compounds in cocoa pod extracts (CPE) were screened using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Fibroblast cells were used to determine the effective concentration of CPE to maintain the viability for at least 50% of the cells (EC50 ). The gel was tested by 12 panelists to determine the efficacy of CPE in gel form using Visioscan to reduce skin wrinkles and improve skin condition. CPE was detected to contain malic acid, procyanidin B1, rosmarinic acid, procyanidin C1, apigenin, and ellagic acid, all of which may contribute to functional cosmetic properties of CPE. The EC50 value of cocoa pod extracts was used to calculate the amount of CPE to be incorporated into gel so that the formulated product could reach an effective concentration of extract while being nonintoxicant to the skin cell. The results showed that CPE is potential ingredient to reduce wrinkles. Skin wrinkles reduced at 6.38 ± 1.23% with the application of the CPE gel within 3 weeks and significantly improved further (12.39 ± 1.59%) after 5 weeks. The skin hydration increased (3.181 ± 1.06%) after 3 weeks of the CPE gel application. Flavonoid compounds in CPE contributed to the functional cosmetic properties of CPE. The CPE which is nontoxic to skin cells help to reduce wrinkles on skin after 3 weeks of application. CPE can be used as the active ingredients in antiwrinkle products, and prolonged application may result in significant visual changes to the naked eyes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development of POD from in-service NDI data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsyth, David S.; Fahr, Abbas; Leemans, Dirk V.; McRae, Ken I.

2000-05-01

The economic drive towards using aircraft beyond their initial design life has created a great interest in damage-tolerance (DT) based maintenance. The DT approach relies on routine nondestructive inspections (NDI), and requires that the NDI performance to be quantified in terms probability of detection (POD) to determine the safe inspection intervals. The most common approach for determining NDI POD is to perform inspections on representative components or specimens simulating the actual parts. This approach is practical but can be very expensive. A more economical approach may be to use actual field inspection data to obtain POD. This approach is particularly attractive for airframe inspection techniques, since most airframe structures cannot be easily simulated. There are a number of difficulties with this approach: Firstly, there is usually a very limited amount of field data. This may require special statistical treatment. Secondly, crack growth data must exist to allow the estimation of flaw sizes at the inspection sites at inspection times before the flaws were found. These factors and others affect the confidence in the calculated POD, and must be quantified before POD data of this type can be used. In this work, data from full scale fatigue tests were analyzed, and methods of overcoming the problems of small sample sizes and crack growth data requirements were investigated.

Application of Probability of Crack Detection to Aircraft Systems Reliability.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-08-31

This report describes three tasks related to probability of crack detection (POD) and aircraft systems reliablity. All three consider previous work in which crack growth simulations and crack detection data in the Service Difficulty Report (SDR) data...

Space Shuttle Program (SSP) Orbiter Main Propulsion System (MPS) Gaseous Hydrogen (GH2) Flow Control Valve (FCV) Poppet Eddy Current (EC) Inspection Probability of Detection (POD) Study. Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Piascik, Robert S.; Prosser, William H.

2011-01-01

The Director of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC), requested an independent assessment of the anomalous gaseous hydrogen (GH2) flow incident on the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) Orbiter Vehicle (OV)-105 during the Space Transportation System (STS)-126 mission. The main propulsion system (MPS) engine #2 GH2 flow control valve (FCV) LV-57 transition from low towards high flow position without being commanded. Post-flight examination revealed that the FCV LV-57 poppet had experienced a fatigue failure that liberated a section of the poppet flange. The NESC assessment provided a peer review of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD), stress analysis, and impact testing. A probability of detection (POD) study was requested by the SSP Orbiter Project for the eddy current (EC) nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques that were developed to inspect the flight FCV poppets. This report contains the findings and recommendations from the NESC assessment.

Space Shuttle Program (SSP) Orbiter Main Propulsion System (MPS) Gaseous Hydrogen (GH2) Flow Control Valve (FCV) Poppet Eddy Current (EC) Inspection Probability of Detection (POD) Study. Volume 2; Appendices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Piascik, Robert S.; Prosser, William H.

2011-01-01

The Director of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC), requested an independent assessment of the anomalous gaseous hydrogen (GH2) flow incident on the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) Orbiter Vehicle (OV)-105 during the Space Transportation System (STS)-126 mission. The main propulsion system (MPS) engine #2 GH2 flow control valve (FCV) LV-57 transition from low towards high flow position without being commanded. Post-flight examination revealed that the FCV LV-57 poppet had experienced a fatigue failure that liberated a section of the poppet flange. The NESC assessment provided a peer review of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD), stress analysis, and impact testing. A probability of detection (POD) study was requested by the SSP Orbiter Project for the eddy current (EC) nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques that were developed to inspect the flight FCV poppets. This report contains the Appendices to the main report.

Evaluation of 3M™ Molecular Detection Assay (MDA) Listeria for the Detection of Listeria species in Selected Foods and Environmental Surfaces: Collaborative Study, First Action 2014.06.

PubMed

Bird, Patrick; Flannery, Jonathan; Crowley, Erin; Agin, James; Goins, David; Monteroso, Lisa; Benesh, DeAnn

2015-01-01

The 3M™ Molecular Detection Assay (MDA) Listeria is used with the 3M Molecular Detection System for the detection of Listeria species in food, food-related, and environmental samples after enrichment. The assay utilizes loop-mediated isothermal amplification to rapidly amplify Listeria target DNA with high specificity and sensitivity, combined with bioluminescence to detect the amplification. The 3M MDA Listeria method was evaluated using an unpaired study design in a multilaboratory collaborative study and compared to the AOAC Official Method of AnalysisSM (OMA) 993.12 Listeria monocytogenes in Milk and Dairy Products reference method for the detection of Listeria species in full-fat (4% milk fat) cottage cheese (25 g test portions). A total of 15 laboratories located in the continental United States and Canada participated. Each matrix had three inoculation levels: an uninoculated control level (0 CFU/test portion), and two levels artificially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a low inoculum level (0.2-2 CFU/test portion) and a high inoculum level (2-5 CFU/test portion) using nonheat-stressed cells. In total, 792 unpaired replicate portions were analyzed. Statistical analysis was conducted according to the probability of detection (POD) model. Results obtained for the low inoculum level test portions produced a difference in cross-laboratory POD value of -0.07 with a 95% confidence interval of (-0.19, 0.06). No statistically significant differences were observed in the number of positive samples detected by the 3M MDA Listeria method versus the AOAC OMA method.

Alleviation of podophyllotoxin toxicity using coexisting flavonoids from Dysosma versipellis.

PubMed

Li, Juan; Sun, Hua; Jin, Lu; Cao, Wei; Zhang, Jin; Guo, Chong-Yi; Ding, Ke; Luo, Cheng; Ye, Wen-Cai; Jiang, Ren-Wang

2013-01-01

Podophyllotoxin (POD) is a lignan-type toxin existing in many herbs used in folk medicine. Until now, no effective strategy is available for the management of POD intoxication. This study aims to determine the protective effects of flavonoids (quercetin and kaempferol) on POD-induced toxicity. In Vero cells, both flavonoids protected POD-induced cytotoxicity by recovering alleviating G2/M arrest, decreasing ROS generation and changes of membrane potential, and recovering microtubule structure. In Swiss mice, the group given both POD and flavonoids group had significantly lower mortality rate and showed less damages in the liver and kidney than the group given POD alone. As compared to the POD group, the POD plus flavonoids group exhibited decreases in plasma transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, plasma urea, creatinine and malondialdehyde levels, and increases in superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels. Histological examination of the liver and kidney showed less pathological changes in the treatment of POD plus flavonoids group. The protective mechanisms were due to the antioxidant activity of flavonoids against the oxidative stress induced by POD and the competitive binding of flavonoids against POD for the same colchicines-binding sites. The latter binding was confirmed by the tubulin assembly assay in combination with molecular docking analyses. In conclusion, this study for the first time demonstrated that the coexisting flavonoids have great protective effects against the POD toxicity, and results of this study highlighted the great potential of searching for effective antidotes against toxins based on the pharmacological clues.

Alleviation of Podophyllotoxin Toxicity Using Coexisting Flavonoids from Dysosma versipellis

PubMed Central

Li, Juan; Sun, Hua; Jin, Lu; Cao, Wei; Zhang, Jin; Guo, Chong-Yi; Ding, Ke; Luo, Cheng; Ye, Wen-Cai; Jiang, Ren-Wang

2013-01-01

Podophyllotoxin (POD) is a lignan-type toxin existing in many herbs used in folk medicine. Until now, no effective strategy is available for the management of POD intoxication. This study aims to determine the protective effects of flavonoids (quercetin and kaempferol) on POD-induced toxicity. In Vero cells, both flavonoids protected POD-induced cytotoxicity by recovering alleviating G2/M arrest, decreasing ROS generation and changes of membrane potential, and recovering microtubule structure. In Swiss mice, the group given both POD and flavonoids group had significantly lower mortality rate and showed less damages in the liver and kidney than the group given POD alone. As compared to the POD group, the POD plus flavonoids group exhibited decreases in plasma transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, plasma urea, creatinine and malondialdehyde levels, and increases in superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels. Histological examination of the liver and kidney showed less pathological changes in the treatment of POD plus flavonoids group. The protective mechanisms were due to the antioxidant activity of flavonoids against the oxidative stress induced by POD and the competitive binding of flavonoids against POD for the same colchicines-binding sites. The latter binding was confirmed by the tubulin assembly assay in combination with molecular docking analyses. In conclusion, this study for the first time demonstrated that the coexisting flavonoids have great protective effects against the POD toxicity, and results of this study highlighted the great potential of searching for effective antidotes against toxins based on the pharmacological clues. PMID:23991049

Gene structure, phylogeny and expression profile of the sucrose synthase gene family in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.).

PubMed

Li, Fupeng; Hao, Chaoyun; Yan, Lin; Wu, Baoduo; Qin, Xiaowei; Lai, Jianxiong; Song, Yinghui

2015-09-01

In higher plants, sucrose synthase (Sus, EC 2.4.1.13) is widely considered as a key enzyme involved in sucrose metabolism. Although, several paralogous genes encoding different isozymes of Sus have been identified and characterized in multiple plant genomes, to date detailed information about the Sus genes is lacking for cacao. This study reports the identification of six novel Sus genes from economically important cacao tree. Analyses of the gene structure and phylogeny of the Sus genes demonstrated evolutionary conservation in the Sus family across cacao and other plant species. The expression of cacao Sus genes was investigated via real-time PCR in various tissues, different developmental phases of leaf, flower bud and pod. The Sus genes exhibited distinct but partially redundant expression profiles in cacao, with TcSus1, TcSus5 and TcSus6, being the predominant genes in the bark with phloem, TcSus2 predominantly expressing in the seed during the stereotype stage. TcSus3 and TcSus4 were significantly detected more in the pod husk and seed coat along the pod development, and showed development dependent expression profiles in the cacao pod. These results provide new insights into the evolution, and basic information that will assist in elucidating the functions of cacao Sus gene family.

Effect of climate variables on cocoa black pod incidence in Sabah using ARIMAX model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling Sheng Chang, Albert; Ramba, Haya; Mohd. Jaaffar, Ahmad Kamil; Kim Phin, Chong; Chong Mun, Ho

2016-06-01

Cocoa black pod disease is one of the major diseases affecting the cocoa production in Malaysia and also around the world. Studies have shown that the climate variables have influenced the cocoa black pod disease incidence and it is important to quantify the black pod disease variation due to the effect of climate variables. Application of time series analysis especially auto-regressive moving average (ARIMA) model has been widely used in economics study and can be used to quantify the effect of climate variables on black pod incidence to forecast the right time to control the incidence. However, ARIMA model does not capture some turning points in cocoa black pod incidence. In order to improve forecasting performance, other explanatory variables such as climate variables should be included into ARIMA model as ARIMAX model. Therefore, this paper is to study the effect of climate variables on the cocoa black pod disease incidence using ARIMAX model. The findings of the study showed ARIMAX model using MA(1) and relative humidity at lag 7 days, RHt - 7 gave better R square value compared to ARIMA model using MA(1) which could be used to forecast the black pod incidence to assist the farmers determine timely application of fungicide spraying and culture practices to control the black pod incidence.

On the POD based reduced order modeling of high Reynolds flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behzad, Fariduddin; Helenbrook, Brian; Ahmadi, Goodarz

2012-11-01

Reduced-order modeling (ROM) of a high Reynolds fluid flow using the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) was studied. Particular attention was given to incompressible, unsteady flow over a two-dimensional NACA0015 airfoil. The Reynolds number is 105 and the angle of attacked of the airfoil is 12°. For DNS solution, hp-finite element method is employed to drive flow samples from which the POD modes are extracted. Particular attention is paid on two issues. First, the stability of POD-ROM resimulation of the turbulent flow is studied. High Reynolds flow contains a lot of fluctuating modes. So, to reach a certain amount of error, more POD modes are needed and the effect of truncation of POD modes is more important. Second, the role of convergence rate on the results of POD. Due to complexity of the flow, convergence of the governing equations is more difficult and the influences of weak convergence appear in the results of POD-ROM. For each issue, the capability of the POD-ROM is assessed in terms of predictions quality of times upon which the POD model was derived. The results are compared with DNS solution and the accuracy and efficiency of different cases are evaluated.

Evaluation and comparison of statistical methods for early temporal detection of outbreaks: A simulation-based study

PubMed Central

Le Strat, Yann

2017-01-01

The objective of this paper is to evaluate a panel of statistical algorithms for temporal outbreak detection. Based on a large dataset of simulated weekly surveillance time series, we performed a systematic assessment of 21 statistical algorithms, 19 implemented in the R package surveillance and two other methods. We estimated false positive rate (FPR), probability of detection (POD), probability of detection during the first week, sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values and F1-measure for each detection method. Then, to identify the factors associated with these performance measures, we ran multivariate Poisson regression models adjusted for the characteristics of the simulated time series (trend, seasonality, dispersion, outbreak sizes, etc.). The FPR ranged from 0.7% to 59.9% and the POD from 43.3% to 88.7%. Some methods had a very high specificity, up to 99.4%, but a low sensitivity. Methods with a high sensitivity (up to 79.5%) had a low specificity. All methods had a high negative predictive value, over 94%, while positive predictive values ranged from 6.5% to 68.4%. Multivariate Poisson regression models showed that performance measures were strongly influenced by the characteristics of time series. Past or current outbreak size and duration strongly influenced detection performances. PMID:28715489

Design and Parametric Study of the Magnetic Sensor for Position Detection in Linear Motor Based on Nonlinear Parametric Model Order Reduction

PubMed Central

Paul, Sarbajit; Chang, Junghwan

2017-01-01

This paper presents a design approach for a magnetic sensor module to detect mover position using the proper orthogonal decomposition-dynamic mode decomposition (POD-DMD)-based nonlinear parametric model order reduction (PMOR). The parameterization of the sensor module is achieved by using the multipolar moment matching method. Several geometric variables of the sensor module are considered while developing the parametric study. The operation of the sensor module is based on the principle of the airgap flux density distribution detection by the Hall Effect IC. Therefore, the design objective is to achieve a peak flux density (PFD) greater than 0.1 T and total harmonic distortion (THD) less than 3%. To fulfill the constraint conditions, the specifications for the sensor module is achieved by using POD-DMD based reduced model. The POD-DMD based reduced model provides a platform to analyze the high number of design models very fast, with less computational burden. Finally, with the final specifications, the experimental prototype is designed and tested. Two different modes, 90° and 120° modes respectively are used to obtain the position information of the linear motor mover. The position information thus obtained are compared with that of the linear scale data, used as a reference signal. The position information obtained using the 120° mode has a standard deviation of 0.10 mm from the reference linear scale signal, whereas the 90° mode position signal shows a deviation of 0.23 mm from the reference. The deviation in the output arises due to the mechanical tolerances introduced into the specification during the manufacturing process. This provides a scope for coupling the reliability based design optimization in the design process as a future extension. PMID:28671580

Design and Parametric Study of the Magnetic Sensor for Position Detection in Linear Motor Based on Nonlinear Parametric model order reduction.

PubMed

Paul, Sarbajit; Chang, Junghwan

2017-07-01

This paper presents a design approach for a magnetic sensor module to detect mover position using the proper orthogonal decomposition-dynamic mode decomposition (POD-DMD)-based nonlinear parametric model order reduction (PMOR). The parameterization of the sensor module is achieved by using the multipolar moment matching method. Several geometric variables of the sensor module are considered while developing the parametric study. The operation of the sensor module is based on the principle of the airgap flux density distribution detection by the Hall Effect IC. Therefore, the design objective is to achieve a peak flux density (PFD) greater than 0.1 T and total harmonic distortion (THD) less than 3%. To fulfill the constraint conditions, the specifications for the sensor module is achieved by using POD-DMD based reduced model. The POD-DMD based reduced model provides a platform to analyze the high number of design models very fast, with less computational burden. Finally, with the final specifications, the experimental prototype is designed and tested. Two different modes, 90° and 120° modes respectively are used to obtain the position information of the linear motor mover. The position information thus obtained are compared with that of the linear scale data, used as a reference signal. The position information obtained using the 120° mode has a standard deviation of 0.10 mm from the reference linear scale signal, whereas the 90° mode position signal shows a deviation of 0.23 mm from the reference. The deviation in the output arises due to the mechanical tolerances introduced into the specification during the manufacturing process. This provides a scope for coupling the reliability based design optimization in the design process as a future extension.

Probability of detection evaluation results for railroad tank car nondestructive testing : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-08-01

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), and rail industry participants have : performed probability of detection (POD) assessments to evaluate nondestructive testing (NDT) technologies, which are : pr...

Dissipation of Pendimethalin in Soybean Crop Under Field Conditions.

PubMed

Tandon, Shishir

2016-05-01

Persistence of pendimethalin was studied in soil, soybean pods, straw and water under field conditions. Pendimethalin was applied at 1 and 2 kg a.i. ha(-1). Residues in soil were detected up to 60 and 90 days at the recommended and double dose, respectively. Dissipation followed first order kinetics and was accounted for by a biphasic pattern. The half-life for the initial phase and later phase was 12.73 and 26.60 days, respectively, for recommended and 7.25 and 37.91 days, respectively, for double dose. The limit of quantification was 0.005 µg g(-1) of sample. Percent recovery from soil, oil, defatted cake, straw and water samples fortified with 0.01-1.0 mg kg(-1) varied from 84.5 %-89.6 %, 84.6 %-88.7 %, 79.4 %-86.0 %, 78.2 %-85.6 % and 90.2 %-93.0 %, respectively. At harvest, pendimethalin residue in soybean pods, straw, and soil were below detectable limits. No residues of pendimethalin were detected in ground water. Current application of pendimethalin in the environment is not expected to cause adverse health effects form the consumption of soybeans.

[Diagnostic value of dynamic monitoring of C-reactive protein in drain drainage to predict early anastomotic leakage after colorectal cancer surgery].

PubMed

Lu, Jia; Zheng, Lei; Li, Runtian; Hao, Chunmin; Gao, Wenbin; Feng, Ziwei; Yin, Guangya; Wang, Yue

2017-09-25

To evaluate the diagnostic value of dynamic monitoring of C-reactive protein (CRP) in drainage fluid in predicting early anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery. This study enrolled 172 patients, who were diagnosed as colorectal cancer before operation and underwent radical surgery, without residual tumor tissues by postoperative pathology and perioperative infection, at the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital between July 2015 and January 2016. The C-reactive(CRP) protein level in drainage fluid was continuously monitored from postoperative days (POD) 1 to 5. CRP level was compared between anastomotic leakage (AL) group and non-anastomotic leakage (NAL) group. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to estimate the value of monitoring CRP in drainage fluid to predict anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery. Among 172 patients, 101 cases were male and 71 cases were female, with age of (59.9±10.3) years. Anastomotic leakage occurred after colorectal surgery in 24 cases(14.0%, AL group ) and other 148 cases were defined as NAL group. Other than body mass index (BMI), differences in baseline data were not statistically significant between two groups. The CRP lever in AL group and NAL group showed rising trend from POD1 to POD4 [Day 1: (6.7±8.4) g/L vs. (8.0±10.6) g/L; Day 2: (24.8±14.6) g/L vs. (28.3±21.1) g/L, Day 3: (54.8±26.5) g/L vs. (53.8±27.6)g/L, Day 4: (62.0±32.2) g/L vs. (58.4±30.7) g/L], while the differences were not significant (all P>0.05). At POD 5, the CRP lever of AL group increased continuously, while that of NAL group decreased with significant difference [(65.3±38.9) g/L vs. (44.7±39.5) g/L, t=-2.85, P=0.005]. Further stratification analysis on AL group revealed CRP level in early AL (AL occurrence POD 10) showed rising trend from POD 1 to 4, then decreased slightly at POD 5, but whose differences were not significant (all P>0.05). ROC curve was drawn with AL condition as state variables and CRP level as test variables. The AUC of POD 1 to 4 was 0.425, 0.487, 0.510, 0.522 respectively and the AUC of POD 5 was the largest, 0.657 (95%CI:0.537-0.777). The largest Youden Index was 0.274. The critical value of CRP was 27.15 g/L. When this value was used as the point of tangency to predict the occurrence of AL, the sensitivity was 87.5%, the specificity was 39.9%, positive predictive value was 19.1%, and negative predictive value was 95.2%. Continuous increase of CRP level in abdominal drainage fluid from POD 1 to POD 5 indicates the occurrence of AL after colorectal cancer operation, especially the detection of CRP level at POD 5 is important.

Evaluation of the 3M™ Molecular Detection Assay (MDA) 2 - Salmonella for the Detection of Salmonella spp. in Select Foods and Environmental Surfaces: Collaborative Study, First Action 2016.01.

PubMed

Bird, Patrick; Flannery, Jonathan; Crowley, Erin; Agin, James R; Goins, David; Monteroso, Lisa

2016-07-01

The 3M™ Molecular Detection Assay (MDA) 2 - Salmonella uses real-time isothermal technology for the rapid and accurate detection of Salmonella spp. from enriched select food, feed, and food-process environmental samples. The 3M MDA 2 - Salmonella was evaluated in a multilaboratory collaborative study using an unpaired study design. The 3M MDA 2 - Salmonella was compared to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual Chapter 5 reference method for the detection of Salmonella in creamy peanut butter, and to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook Chapter 4.08 reference method "Isolation and Identification of Salmonella from Meat, Poultry, Pasteurized Egg and Catfish Products and Carcass and Environmental Samples" for the detection of Salmonella in raw ground beef (73% lean). Technicians from 16 laboratories located within the continental United States participated. Each matrix was evaluated at three levels of contamination: an uninoculated control level (0 CFU/test portion), a low inoculum level (0.2-2 CFU/test portion), and a high inoculum level (2-5 CFU/test portion). Statistical analysis was conducted according to the probability of detection (POD) statistical model. Results obtained for the low inoculum level test portions produced difference in collaborator POD values of 0.03 (95% confidence interval, -0.10 to 0.16) for raw ground beef and 0.06 (95% confidence interval, -0.06 to 0.18) for creamy peanut butter, indicating no statistically significant difference between the candidate and reference methods.

Generation of hydroxyl radical in isolated pea root cell wall, and the role of cell wall-bound peroxidase, Mn-SOD and phenolics in their production.

PubMed

Kukavica, Biljana; Mojovic, Milos; Vuccinic, Zeljko; Maksimovic, Vuk; Takahama, Umeo; Jovanovic, Sonja Veljovic

2009-02-01

The hydroxyl radical produced in the apoplast has been demonstrated to facilitate cell wall loosening during cell elongation. Cell wall-bound peroxidases (PODs) have been implicated in hydroxyl radical formation. For this mechanism, the apoplast or cell walls should contain the electron donors for (i) H(2)O(2) formation from dioxygen; and (ii) the POD-catalyzed reduction of H(2)O(2) to the hydroxyl radical. The aim of the work was to identify the electron donors in these reactions. In this report, hydroxyl radical (.OH) generation in the cell wall isolated from pea roots was detected in the absence of any exogenous reductants, suggesting that the plant cell wall possesses the capacity to generate .OH in situ. Distinct POD and Mn-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) isoforms different from other cellular isoforms were shown by native gel electropho-resis to be preferably bound to the cell walls. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of cell wall isolates containing the spin-trapping reagent, 5-diethoxyphosphoryl-5-methyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DEPMPO), was used for detection of and differentiation between .OH and the superoxide radical (O(2)(-).). The data obtained using POD inhibitors confirmed that tightly bound cell wall PODs are involved in DEPMPO/OH adduct formation. A decrease in DEPMPO/OH adduct formation in the presence of H(2)O(2) scavengers demonstrated that this hydroxyl radical was derived from H(2)O(2). During the generation of .OH, the concentration of quinhydrone structures (as detected by EPR spectroscopy) increased, suggesting that the H(2)O(2) required for the formation of .OH in isolated cell walls is produced during the reduction of O(2) by hydroxycinnamic acids. Cell wall isolates in which the proteins have been denaturated (including the endogenous POD and SOD) did not produce .OH. Addition of exogenous H(2)O(2) again induced the production of .OH, and these were shown to originate from the Fenton reaction with tightly bound metal ions. However, the appearance of the DEPMPO/OOH adduct could also be observed, due to the production of O(2)(-). when endogenous SOD has been inactivated. Also, O(2)(-). was converted to .OH in an in vitro horseradish peroxidase (HRP)/H(2)O(2) system to which exogenous SOD has been added. Taken together with the discovery of the cell wall-bound Mn-SOD isoform, these results support the role of such a cell wall-bound SOD in the formation of .OH jointly with the cell wall-bound POD. According to the above findings, it seems that the hydroxycinnamic acids from the cell wall, acting as reductants, contribute to the formation of H(2)O(2) in the presence of O(2) in an autocatalytic manner, and that POD and Mn-SOD coupled together generate .OH from such H(2)O(2).

Probability of detection evaluation results for railroad tank cars : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-08-01

The Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) used the approach developed for the National Aeronautics and Space : Association to determine the probability of detection (POD) for various nondestructive test (NDT) methods used during inspection : ...

Assessment of molecular contamination in mask pod

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foray, Jean Marie; Dejaune, Patrice; Sergent, Pierre; Gough, Stuart; Cheung, D.; Davenet, Magali; Favre, Arnaud; Rude, C.; Trautmann, T.; Tissier, Michel; Fontaine, H.; Veillerot, M.; Avary, K.; Hollein, I.; Lerit, R.

2008-04-01

Context/ study Motivation: Contamination and especially Airbone Molecular Contamination (AMC) is a critical issue for mask material flow with a severe and fairly unpredictable risk of induced contamination and damages especially for 193 nm lithography. It is therefore essential to measure, to understand and then try to reduce AMC in mask environment. Mask material flow was studied in a global approach by a pool of European partners, especially within the frame of European MEDEA+ project, so called "MUSCLE". This paper deals with results and assessment of mask pod environment in term of molecular contamination in a first step, then in a second step preliminary studies to reduce mask pod influence and contamination due to material out gassing. Approach and techniques: A specific assessment of environmental / molecular contamination along the supply chain was performed by all partners. After previous work presented at EMLC 07, further studies were performed on real time contamination measurement pod at different sites locations (including Mask manufacturing site, blank manufacturing sites, IC fab). Studies were linked to the main critical issues: cleaning, storage, handling, materials and processes. Contamination measurement campaigns were carried out along the mask supply chain using specific Adixen analyzer in order to monitor in real time organic contaminants (ppb level) in mask pods. Key results would be presented: VOC, AMC and humidity level on different kinds of mask carriers, impact of basic cleaning on pod outgassing measurement (VOC, NH3), and process influence on pod contamination... In a second step, preliminary specific pod conditioning studies for better pod environment were performed based on Adixen vacuum process. Process influence had been experimentally measured in term of molecular outgassing from mask pods. Different AMC experimental characterization methods had been carried out leading to results on a wide range of organic and inorganic contaminants: by inline techniques based on Adixen humidity, also VOC and organic sensors, together by off-line techniques already used in the extensive previous mask pods benchmark (TD-GCMS & Ionic Chromatography). Humidity and VOC levels from mask carriers had shown significant reduction after Adixen pod conditioning process. Focus had been made on optimized vacuum step (for AMC) after particles carrier cleaning cycle. Based upon these key results new procedures, as well as guidelines for mask carrier cleaning optimization are proposed to improve pod contamination control. Summary results/next steps: This paper reports molecular contamination measurement campaigns performed by a pool of European partners along the mask supply chain. It allows us to investigate, identify and quantify critical molecular contamination in mask pod, as well as VOC and humidity, issues depending on locations, uses, and carrier's type. Preliminary studies highlight initial process solutions for pods conditioning that are being used for short term industrialization and further industrialized.

Autonomous collection of dynamically-cued multi-sensor imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniel, Brian; Wilson, Michael L.; Edelberg, Jason; Jensen, Mark; Johnson, Troy; Anderson, Scott

2011-05-01

The availability of imagery simultaneously collected from sensors of disparate modalities enhances an image analyst's situational awareness and expands the overall detection capability to a larger array of target classes. Dynamic cooperation between sensors is increasingly important for the collection of coincident data from multiple sensors either on the same or on different platforms suitable for UAV deployment. Of particular interest is autonomous collaboration between wide area survey detection, high-resolution inspection, and RF sensors that span large segments of the electromagnetic spectrum. The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in conjunction with the Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) is building sensors with such networked communications capability and is conducting field tests to demonstrate the feasibility of collaborative sensor data collection and exploitation. Example survey / detection sensors include: NuSAR (NRL Unmanned SAR), a UAV compatible synthetic aperture radar system; microHSI, an NRL developed lightweight hyper-spectral imager; RASAR (Real-time Autonomous SAR), a lightweight podded synthetic aperture radar; and N-WAPSS-16 (Nighttime Wide-Area Persistent Surveillance Sensor-16Mpix), a MWIR large array gimbaled system. From these sensors, detected target cues are automatically sent to the NRL/SDL developed EyePod, a high-resolution, narrow FOV EO/IR sensor, for target inspection. In addition to this cooperative data collection, EyePod's real-time, autonomous target tracking capabilities will be demonstrated. Preliminary results and target analysis will be presented.

Assessment of Closed Point-of-Dispensing (POD) Preparedness in St. Louis County, Missouri, 2012-2016.

PubMed

Rebmann, Terri; Anthony, John; Loux, Travis M; Mulroy, Julia; Sitzes, Rikki

Little is known about closed point-of-dispensing (POD) site preparedness-especially how these entities progress in their preparedness efforts over time. The purpose of this study was to assess the preparedness of a closed POD network. Between 2012 and 2016, 30% to 50% of POD entities in the St. Louis County region were assessed each year, for a total of 138 site evaluations from 62 entities. The assessment tool included 41 components of closed POD preparedness, each scored either 0 = not met or 1 = met. POD preparedness scores could range from 0 to 41. Chi-square tests were conducted to compare the percentage of entities that had each preparedness indicator. A multilevel linear model with a random intercept for each agency was used to model longitudinal changes in closed POD preparedness. POD preparedness scores were higher in 2016 than in 2012 (31.5 vs. 26.5, t = 14.3, p < .001); however, there was a negative yearly trend in preparedness, and, on average, entities met only 65.4% of the preparedness indicators. Only a third of entities reported hosting a POD exercise at least once every 2 years (32.3%, n = 20). From the multilevel regression, determinants of better POD preparedness include having been assessed more often, employing a business continuity expert, and not being a long-term care agency. Closed POD entities should continue to work toward better preparedness, to better ensure successful deployment. Findings from this study indicate that more frequent assessments likely enhance preparedness at closed POD entities.

Study of spectral characteristics of radiation from a thermal wake of a pulsating optical discharge in a supersonic air flow

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

Malov, A N; Orishich, A M; Terent'eva, Ya S

The spectral characteristics of the thermal wake of a pulsating optical discharge (POD) in a supersonic air flow are studied. The POD is stimulated by radiation of a mechanically Q-switched, repetitively pulsed CO{sub 2} laser with a pulse repetition rate of 7 – 150 kHz and a power up to 4.5 kW. The flow is produced by means of the supersonic aerodynamic MAU-M setup having a conic nozzle with a critical cross-section size of 50 mm, the Mach number being 1.3 – 1.6. We describe in detail the system of optical diagnostics that allows the detection of the spectrum ofmore » the weak thermal wake glow against the background of high-power POD radiation. The glow of the thermal wake is due to the emission of light by atoms and ions of nitrogen and oxygen, carried by the flow in the form of hot low-density gas clouds (caverns). The wavelengths of the thermal wake emission and the data on the transitions, corresponding to the spectral lines are presented. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)« less

A Signal-to-Noise Crossover Dose as the Point of Departure for Health Risk Assessment

PubMed Central

Portier, Christopher J.; Krewski, Daniel

2011-01-01

Background: The U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) cancer bioassay database provides an opportunity to compare both existing and new approaches to determining points of departure (PoDs) for establishing reference doses (RfDs). Objectives: The aims of this study were a) to investigate the risk associated with the traditional PoD used in human health risk assessment [the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL)]; b) to present a new approach based on the signal-to-noise crossover dose (SNCD); and c) to compare the SNCD and SNCD-based RfD with PoDs and RfDs based on the NOAEL and benchmark dose (BMD) approaches. Methods: The complete NTP database was used as the basis for these analyses, which were performed using the Hill model. We determined NOAELs and estimated corresponding extra risks. Lower 95% confidence bounds on the BMD (BMDLs) corresponding to extra risks of 1%, 5%, and 10% (BMDL01, BMDL05, and BMDL10, respectively) were also estimated. We introduce the SNCD as a new PoD, defined as the dose where the additional risk is equal to the “background noise” (the difference between the upper and lower bounds of the two-sided 90% confidence interval on absolute risk) or a specified fraction thereof. Results: The median risk at the NOAEL was approximately 10%, and the default uncertainty factor (UF = 100) was considered most applicable to the BMDL10. Therefore, we chose a target risk of 1/1,000 (0.1/100) to derive an SNCD-based RfD by linear extrapolation. At the median, this approach provided the same RfD as the BMDL10 divided by the default UF. Conclusions: Under a standard BMD approach, the BMDL10 is considered to be the most appropriate PoD. The SNCD approach, which is based on the lowest dose at which the signal can be reliably detected, warrants further development as a PoD for human health risk assessment. PMID:21813365

Acoustic Seaglider(trademark) for Beaked Whale Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-30

of all three pods of southern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) were present at various times. SG022 completed five dives in water depths...characterize system performance. • Deploy locally in the presence of killer whales (Orcinus orca) as a proxy for beaked whales . • Deploy off Kona (west) coast...between 60m to 120m. SG022 was positioned at the start of each dive at ranges to the killer whale pods of between 0.8km and 3.5km. The PAAM board was

Survey of college students on iPod use and hearing health.

PubMed

Danhauer, Jeffrey L; Johnson, Carole E; Byrd, Anne; DeGood, Laura; Meuel, Caitlin; Pecile, Angela; Koch, Lindsey L

2009-01-01

The popularity of personal listening devices (PLDs) including iPods has increased dramatically over the past decade. PLDs allow users to listen to music uninterrupted for prolonged periods and at levels that may pose a risk for hearing loss in some listeners, particularly those using earbud earphones that fail to attenuate high ambient noise levels and necessitate increasing volume for acoustic enjoyment. Earlier studies have documented PLD use by teenagers and adults, but omitted college students, which represent a large segment of individuals who use these devices. This study surveyed college students' knowledge about, experiences with, attitudes toward, and practices and preferences for hearing health and use of iPods and/or other PLDs. The study was designed to help determine the need, content, and preferred format for educational outreach campaigns regarding safe iPod use to college students. An 83-item questionnaire was designed and used to survey college students' knowledge about, experiences with, attitudes toward, and practices/preferences for hearing health and PLD use. The questionnaire assessed Demographics and Knowledge of Hearing Health, iPod Users' Practices and Preferences, Attitudes toward iPod Use, and Reasons for iPod Use. Generally, most college students were knowledgeable about hearing health but could use information about signs of and how to prevent hearing loss. Two-thirds of these students used iPods, but not at levels or for durations that should pose excessive risks for hearing loss when listening in quiet environments. However, most iPod users could be at risk for hearing loss given a combination of common practices. Most of these college students should not be at great risk of hearing loss from their iPods when used conscientiously. Some concern is warranted for a small segment of these students who seemed to be most at risk because they listened to their iPods at high volume levels for long durations using earbuds, and reported that they may already have hearing loss due to their iPods.

MRI Markers of Neurodegenerative and Neurovascular Changes in Relation to Postoperative Delirium and Postoperative Cognitive Decline.

PubMed

Kant, Ilse M J; de Bresser, Jeroen; van Montfort, Simone J T; Slooter, Arjen J C; Hendrikse, Jeroen

2017-10-01

Postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) are common in elderly patients. The aim of the present review was to explore the association of neurodegenerative and neurovascular changes with the occurrence of POD and POCD. Fifteen MRI studies were identified by combining multiple search terms for POD, POCD, and brain imaging. These studies described a total of 1,422 patients and were all observational in design. Neurodegenerative changes (global and regional brain volumes) did not show a consistent association with the occurrence of POD (four studies) or POCD (two studies). In contrast, neurovascular changes (white matter hyperintensities and cerebral infarcts) were more consistently associated with the occurrence of POD (seven studies) and POCD (five studies). In conclusion, neurovascular changes appear to be consistently associated with the occurrence of POD and POCD, and may identify patients at increased risk of these conditions. Larger prospective studies are needed to study the consistency of these findings and to unravel the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PopZ identifies the new pole, and PodJ identifies the old pole during polar growth in Agrobacterium tumefaciens

PubMed Central

Grangeon, Romain; Zupan, John R.; Anderson-Furgeson, James; Zambryski, Patricia C.

2015-01-01

Agrobacterium tumefaciens elongates by addition of peptidoglycan (PG) only at the pole created by cell division, the growth pole, whereas the opposite pole, the old pole, is inactive for PG synthesis. How Agrobacterium assigns and maintains pole asymmetry is not understood. Here, we investigated whether polar growth is correlated with novel pole-specific localization of proteins implicated in a variety of growth and cell division pathways. The cell cycle of A. tumefaciens was monitored by time-lapse and superresolution microscopy to image the localization of A. tumefaciens homologs of proteins involved in cell division, PG synthesis and pole identity. FtsZ and FtsA accumulate at the growth pole during elongation, and improved imaging reveals FtsZ disappears from the growth pole and accumulates at the midcell before FtsA. The L,D-transpeptidase Atu0845 was detected mainly at the growth pole. A. tumefaciens specific pole-organizing protein (Pop) PopZAt and polar organelle development (Pod) protein PodJAt exhibited dynamic yet distinct behavior. PopZAt was found exclusively at the growing pole and quickly switches to the new growth poles of both siblings immediately after septation. PodJAt is initially at the old pole but then also accumulates at the growth pole as the cell cycle progresses suggesting that PodJAt may mediate the transition of the growth pole to an old pole. Thus, PopZAt is a marker for growth pole identity, whereas PodJAt identifies the old pole. PMID:26324921

Wound Infiltration With Extended-Release Versus Short-Acting Bupivacaine Before Laparoscopic Hysterectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Barron, Kenneth I; Lamvu, Georgine M; Schmidt, R Cole; Fisk, Matthew; Blanton, Emily; Patanwala, Insiyyah

2017-02-01

To evaluate if preincision infiltration with extended-release liposomal bupivacaine provides improved overall pain relief compared with 0.25% bupivacaine after laparoscopic or robotic-assisted hysterectomy. A single-center double-masked randomized controlled trial (Canadian Task Force Classification I). A tertiary-care community hospital. Patients recruited from July 2015 through January 2016. Sixty-four patients were randomized, and 59 were analyzed for the primary outcome. Women scheduled to undergo multiport laparoscopic or robotic-assisted total hysterectomy for benign indications were randomized to receive preincision infiltration with undiluted liposomal bupivacaine or 0.25% bupivacaine. The primary outcome was overall average pain intensity by numeric rating scale (0-10) using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) via telephone survey on postoperative day (POD) 3. A sample size of 28 per group (N = 56) was planned to detect a 30% change in pain scores. Secondary outcomes were overall average and worst numeric pain scores on PODs 1, 2, and 14; pain scores in hospital; BPI pain interference scores; and total opioid use. There were no demographic differences between the 2 groups. For the primary outcome, we found a decrease in the average (p = .02) pain scores on POD 3 in the liposomal bupivacaine group. We also found a decrease in worst pain scores on POD 2 (p = .03) and POD 3 (p = .01). There were no differences in pain scores while in the hospital or on POD 1 or POD 14. There were no differences in BPI pain interference scores, opioid use, or reported adverse effects. For laparoscopic and robotic-assisted multiport hysterectomies, there is evidence of decreased average postoperative pain with liposomal bupivacaine compared with 0.25% bupivacaine for port-site analgesia on POD 3, but no difference in opioid use or measures of functioning. Published by Elsevier Inc.

ArduiPod Box: a low-cost and open-source Skinner box using an iPod Touch and an Arduino microcontroller.

PubMed

Pineño, Oskar

2014-03-01

This article introduces the ArduiPod Box, an open-source device built using two main components (i.e., an iPod Touch and an Arduino microcontroller), developed as a low-cost alternative to the standard operant conditioning chamber, or "Skinner box." Because of its affordability, the ArduiPod Box provides an opportunity for educational institutions with small budgets seeking to set up animal laboratories for research and instructional purposes. A pilot experiment is also presented, which shows that the ArduiPod Box, in spite of its extraordinary simplicity, can be effectively used to study animal learning and behavior.

An assessment of thin cloud detection by applying bidirectional reflectance distribution function model-based background surface reflectance using Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI): A case study for South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hye-Won; Yeom, Jong-Min; Shin, Daegeun; Choi, Sungwon; Han, Kyung-Soo; Roujean, Jean-Louis

2017-08-01

In this study, a new assessment of thin cloud detection with the application of bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model-based background surface reflectance was undertaken by interpreting surface spectra characterized using the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) over a land surface area. Unlike cloud detection over the ocean, the detection of cloud over land surfaces is difficult due to the complicated surface scattering characteristics, which vary among land surface types. Furthermore, in the case of thin clouds, in which the surface and cloud radiation are mixed, it is difficult to detect the clouds in both land and atmospheric fields. Therefore, to interpret background surface reflectance, especially underneath cloud, the semiempirical BRDF model was used to simulate surface reflectance by reflecting solar angle-dependent geostationary sensor geometry. For quantitative validation, Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) data were used to make a comparison with the proposed cloud masking result. As a result, the new cloud masking scheme resulted in a high probability of detection (POD = 0.82) compared with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (POD = 0.808) for all cloud cases. In particular, the agreement between the CALIPSO cloud product and new GOCI cloud mask was over 94% when detecting thin cloud (e.g., altostratus and cirrus) from January 2014 to June 2015. This result is relatively high in comparison with the result from the MODIS Collection 6 cloud mask product (MYD35).

Transcriptome analysis of Brassica napus pod using RNA-Seq and identification of lipid-related candidate genes.

PubMed

Xu, Hai-Ming; Kong, Xiang-Dong; Chen, Fei; Huang, Ji-Xiang; Lou, Xiang-Yang; Zhao, Jian-Yi

2015-10-24

Brassica napus is an important oilseed crop. Dissection of the genetic architecture underlying oil-related biological processes will greatly facilitates the genetic improvement of rapeseed. The differential gene expression during pod development offers a snapshot on the genes responsible for oil accumulation in. To identify candidate genes in the linkage peaks reported previously, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) technology to analyze the pod transcriptomes of German cultivar Sollux and Chinese inbred line Gaoyou. The RNA samples were collected for RNA-Seq at 5-7, 15-17 and 25-27 days after flowering (DAF). Bioinformatics analysis was performed to investigate differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene annotation analysis was integrated with QTL mapping and Brassica napus pod transcriptome profiling to detect potential candidate genes in oilseed. Four hundred sixty five and two thousand, one hundred fourteen candidate DEGs were identified, respectively, between two varieties at the same stages and across different periods of each variety. Then, 33 DEGs between Sollux and Gaoyou were identified as the candidate genes affecting seed oil content by combining those DEGs with the quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping results, of which, one was found to be homologous to Arabidopsis thaliana lipid-related genes. Intervarietal DEGs of lipid pathways in QTL regions represent important candidate genes for oil-related traits. Integrated analysis of transcriptome profiling, QTL mapping and comparative genomics with other relative species leads to efficient identification of most plausible functional genes underlying oil-content related characters, offering valuable resources for bettering breeding program of Brassica napus. This study provided a comprehensive overview on the pod transcriptomes of two varieties with different oil-contents at the three developmental stages.

Validation of Satellite-Based Objective Overshooting Cloud-Top Detection Methods Using CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bedka, Kristopher M.; Dworak, Richard; Brunner, Jason; Feltz, Wayne

2012-01-01

Two satellite infrared-based overshooting convective cloud-top (OT) detection methods have recently been described in the literature: 1) the 11-mm infrared window channel texture (IRW texture) method, which uses IRW channel brightness temperature (BT) spatial gradients and thresholds, and 2) the water vapor minus IRW BT difference (WV-IRW BTD). While both methods show good performance in published case study examples, it is important to quantitatively validate these methods relative to overshooting top events across the globe. Unfortunately, no overshooting top database currently exists that could be used in such study. This study examines National Aeronautics and Space Administration CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar data to develop an OT detection validation database that is used to evaluate the IRW-texture and WV-IRW BTD OT detection methods. CloudSat data were manually examined over a 1.5-yr period to identify cases in which the cloud top penetrates above the tropopause height defined by a numerical weather prediction model and the surrounding cirrus anvil cloud top, producing 111 confirmed overshooting top events. When applied to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-based Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series (GOES-R) Advanced Baseline Imager proxy data, the IRW-texture (WV-IRW BTD) method offered a 76% (96%) probability of OT detection (POD) and 16% (81%) false-alarm ratio. Case study examples show that WV-IRW BTD.0 K identifies much of the deep convective cloud top, while the IRW-texture method focuses only on regions with a spatial scale near that of commonly observed OTs. The POD decreases by 20% when IRW-texture is applied to current geostationary imager data, highlighting the importance of imager spatial resolution for observing and detecting OT regions.

Evaluation of Esophageal Anastomotic Integrity With Serial Pleural Amylase Levels.

PubMed

Miller, Daniel L; Helms, Gerald A; Mayfield, William R

2018-01-01

An anastomotic leak is the most devastating and potentially fatal complication after esophagectomy. Current detection methods can be inaccurate and place patients at risk of other complications. Analysis of pleural fluid for amylase may be more accurate and place patients at less of a risk for evaluating the integrity of an esophageal anastomosis. We retrospectively reviewed prospective data of 45 consecutive patients who underwent an Ivor Lewis esophagectomy over an 18-month period and evaluated their anastomotic integrity with serial pleural amylase levels (PAL). There were 40 men (89%), and median age was 63 years (range, 35 to 79). Indication for esophagectomy was cancer in 38 patients (84%); 27 (71%) underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation. A barium swallow was performed in the first 25 patients at median postoperative day (POD) 5 (range, 5 to 10); the swallow was negative in 23 patients (93%). Serial PALs were obtained starting on POD 3 and stopped 1 day after toleration of clear liquids. The PALs in the no-leak patients were highest on POD 3 (median 42 IU/L; range, 20 to 102 IU/L) and decreased (median 15 IU/L; range, 8 to 34 IU/L) to the lowest levels 1 day after clear liquid toleration (p = 0.04). Two patients had a leak and had peak PALs of 227 IU/L and 630 IU/L, respectively; both leaks occurred on POD 4, 1 day before their scheduled swallow test. The last 20 patients underwent serial PALs only, without a planned swallow test or computed tomography scan for anastomotic integrity evaluation. One of these patients had a leak on POD 5 with a low PAL of 55 IU/L the day before the spike of more than 4,000 IU/L. Two of the leaks were treated with esophageal stent placement and intravenous antibiotics, and the remaining patient's leak resolved with intravenous antibiotics, no oral intake, and observation only. None of the leak patients required transthoracic esophageal repair or drainage of an empyema. There was 1 postoperative death (2%) secondary to aspiration pneumonia on POD 10; no leak was ever identified, and the patient had been eating for 3 days before death. Complications occurred in 15 patients (33%), most commonly respiratory; no respiratory issues occurred in PAL-only evaluated patients. No late anastomotic leaks occurred in any patient while in the hospital or after discharge. Serial PALs for the detection of esophageal anastomotic leaks proved to be accurate, safe, and inexpensive. Elimination of barium swallows and computed tomography scans for evaluation of anastomotic integrity may decrease aspiration risks as well as associated pulmonary failure during the postoperative period. Serial PALs may be the preferred method of detecting an anastomotic leak after esophagectomy. A prospective randomized study is warranted. Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of carotenoids and carotenoid esters in red pepper pods (Capsicum annuum L.) by high-performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Schweiggert, Ute; Kammerer, Dietmar R; Carle, Reinhold; Schieber, Andreas

2005-01-01

Carotenoids and carotenoid esters were extracted from red pepper pods (Capsicum annuum L.) without saponification. Among the 42 compounds detected, 4 non-esterified, 11 mono- and 17 diesters were characterized based on their retention times, UV/Vis spectra and their fragmentation patterns in collision-induced dissociation experiments in atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI-MS). Positive and negative ion mode measurements were used for the characterization of major and minor carotenoids and their esters. Capsanthin esterified with lauric, palmitic and myristic acids represented the predominant compounds in the red pepper extracts. Additionally, three beta-cryptoxanthin and one zeaxanthin monoester were tentatively identified in red pepper pods for the first time. Furthermore, the specific fragmentation patterns of capsanthin-laurate-myristate and capsanthin-myristate-palmitate were used for the distinction of both regioisomers. The results obtained from LC-DAD-APCI-MSn experiments demonstrated that the carotenoid profile of red pepper pods is considerably more complex than considered hitherto. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Comprehensive Phenotypic Investigation of the "Pod-Shattering Syndrome" in Common Bean.

PubMed

Murgia, Maria L; Attene, Giovanna; Rodriguez, Monica; Bitocchi, Elena; Bellucci, Elisa; Fois, Davide; Nanni, Laura; Gioia, Tania; Albani, Diego M; Papa, Roberto; Rau, Domenico

2017-01-01

Seed shattering in crops is a key domestication trait due to its relevance for seed dispersal, yield, and fundamental questions in evolution (e.g., convergent evolution). Here, we focused on pod shattering in common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.), the most important legume crop for human consuption in the world. With this main aim, we developed a methodological pipeline that comprises a thorough characterization under field conditions, including also the chemical composition and histological analysis of the pod valves. The pipeline was developed based on the assumption that the shattering trait itself can be treated in principle as a "syndrome" (i.e., a set of correlated different traits) at the pod level. We characterized a population of 267 introgression lines that were developed ad-hoc to study shattering in common bean. Three main objectives were sought: (1) to dissect the shattering trait into its "components," of level (percentage of shattering pods per plant) and mode (percentage of pods with twisting or non-twisting valves); (2) to test whether shattering is associated to the chemical composition and/or the histological characteristics of the pod valves; and (3) to test the associations between shattering and other plant traits. We can conclude the following: Very high shattering levels can be achieved in different modes; shattering resistance is mainly a qualitative trait; and high shattering levels is correlated with high carbon and lignin contents of the pod valves and with specific histological charaterstics of the ventral sheath and the inner fibrous layer of the pod wall. Our data also suggest that shattering comes with a "cost," as it is associated with low pod size, low seed weight per pod, high pod weight, and low seed to pod-valves ratio; indeed, it can be more exaustively described as a syndrome at the pod level. Our work suggests that the valve chemical composition (i.e., carbon and lignin content) can be used for a high troughput phenotyping procedures for shattering phenotyping. Finally, we believe that the application of our pipeline will greatly facilitate comparative studies among legume crops, and gene tagging.

Improving Nutritional Quality of Cocoa Pod (Theobroma cacao) through Chemical and Biological Treatments for Ruminant Feeding: In vitro and In vivo Evaluation.

PubMed

Laconi, Erika B; Jayanegara, Anuraga

2015-03-01

Cocoa pod is among the by-products of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) plantations. The aim of this study was to apply a number of treatments in order to improve nutritional quality of cocoa pod for feeding of ruminants. Cocoa pod was subjected to different treatments, i.e. C (cocoa pod without any treatment or control), CAm (cocoa pod+1.5% urea), CMo (cocoa pod+3% molasses), CRu (cocoa pod+3% rumen content) and CPh (cocoa pod+3% molasses+Phanerochaete chrysosporium inoculum). Analysis of proximate and Van Soest's fiber fraction were performed on the respective treatments. The pods were then subjected to an in vitro digestibility evaluation by incubation in rumen fluid-buffer medium, employing a randomized complete block design (n = 3 replicates). Further, an in vivo evaluation of the pods (35% inclusion level in total mixed ration) was conducted by feeding to young Holstein steers (average body weight of 145±3.6 kg) with a 5×5 latin square design arrangement (n = 5 replicates). Each experimental period lasted for 30 d; the first 20 d was for feed adaptation, the next 3 d was for sampling of rumen liquid, and the last 7 d was for measurements of digestibility and N balance. Results revealed that lignin content was reduced significantly when cocoa pod was treated with urea, molasses, rumen content or P. chrysosporium (p<0.01) with the following order of effectiveness: CPh>CAm>CRu>CMo. Among all treatments, CAm and CPh treatments significantly improved the in vitro dry matter and organic matter digestibility (p<0.05) of cocoa pod. Average daily gain of steers receiving CAm or CPh treatment was significantly higher than that of control (p<0.01) with an increase of 105% and 92%, respectively. Such higher daily gain was concomitant with higher N retention and proportion of N retention to N intake in CAm and CPh treatments than those of control (p<0.05). It can be concluded from this study that treatment with either urea or P. chrysosporium is effective in improving the nutritive value of cocoa pod.

Observational test of empirical magnetopause location models using geosynchronous satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Eunsu; Moon, Y.-J.; Lee, Kangjin

2016-11-01

In this study, we identify 123 geosynchronous magnetopause crossings using geosynchronous satellite observation data from 1996 to 2010 as well as make an observational test of magnetopause location models using the identified events. For this, we consider three models: Petrinec and Russell (1996), Shue et al. (1998), and Lin et al. (2010). To evaluate the models, we estimate a probability of detection (PoD) and a critical success index (CSI) as a function of year. To examine the effect of solar cycle phase, we consider three different time periods: (1) ascending phase (1996-1999), (2) maximum phase (2000-2002), and (3) descending phase (2003-2008). Major results from this study are as follows. First, the PoD values of all models range from 0.4 to 0.8 for the most of years. Second, the PoD values of Lin et al. (2010) are noticeably higher than those of the other models. Third, the CSI values of all models range from 0.1 to 0.3, and those of Shue et al. (1998) are slightly higher than those of the other models. Fourth, the predicted magnetopause radii based on Lin et al.(2010) well match the observed ones within 1 Earth radius, while those on Shue et al. (1998) overestimate the observed ones by about 2 Earth radii. Fifth, the PoD and critical success index (CSI) values of all the models are better for the solar maximum phase than those for the other phases, implying that the models are more optimized for the phase.

Integrated Solution for Physical Activity Monitoring Based on Mobile Phone and PC.

PubMed

Lee, Mi Hee; Kim, Jungchae; Jee, Sun Ha; Yoo, Sun Kook

2011-03-01

This study is part of the ongoing development of treatment methods for metabolic syndrome (MS) project, which involves monitoring daily physical activity. In this study, we have focused on detecting walking activity from subjects which includes many other physical activities such as standing, sitting, lying, walking, running, and falling. Specially, we implemented an integrated solution for various physical activities monitoring using a mobile phone and PC. We put the iPod touch has built in a tri-axial accelerometer on the waist of the subjects, and measured change in acceleration signal according to change in ambulatory movement and physical activities. First, we developed of programs that are aware of step counts, velocity of walking, energy consumptions, and metabolic equivalents based on iPod. Second, we have developed the activity recognition program based on PC. iPod synchronization with PC to transmit measured data using iPhoneBrowser program. Using the implemented system, we analyzed change in acceleration signal according to the change of six activity patterns. We compared results of the step counting algorithm with different positions. The mean accuracy across these tests was 99.6 ± 0.61%, 99.1 ± 0.87% (right waist location, right pants pocket). Moreover, six activities recognition was performed using Fuzzy c means classification algorithm recognized over 98% accuracy. In addition we developed of programs that synchronization of data between PC and iPod for long-term physical activity monitoring. This study will provide evidence on using mobile phone and PC for monitoring various activities in everyday life. The next step in our system will be addition of a standard value of various physical activities in everyday life such as household duties and a health guideline how to select and plan exercise considering one's physical characteristics and condition.

Evaluation of mericon E. coli O157 Screen Plus and mericon E. coli STEC O-Type Pathogen Detection Assays in Select Foods: Collaborative Study, First Action 2017.05.

PubMed

Bird, Patrick; Benzinger, M Joseph; Bastin, Benjamin; Crowley, Erin; Agin, James; Goins, David; Armstrong, Marcia

2018-05-01

QIAGEN mericon Escherichia coli O157 Screen Plus and mericon E. coli Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O-Type Pathogen Detection Assays use Real-Time PCR technology for the rapid, accurate detection of E. coli O157 and the "big six" (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145) (non-O157 STEC) in select food types. Using a paired study design, the assays were compared with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook Chapter 5.09 reference method for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef. Both mericon assays were evaluated using the manual and an automated DNA extraction method. Thirteen technicians from five laboratories located within the continental United States participated in the collaborative study. Three levels of contamination were evaluated. Statistical analysis was conducted according to the probability of detection (POD) statistical model. Results obtained for the low-inoculum level test portions produced a difference between laboratories POD (dLPOD) value with a 95% confidence interval of 0.00 (-0.12, 0.12) for the mericon E. coli O157 Screen Plus with manual and automated extraction and mericon E. coli STEC O-Type with manual extraction and -0.01 (-0.13, 0.10) for the mericon E. coli STEC O-Type with automated extraction. The dLPOD results indicate equivalence between the candidate methods and the reference method.

Effects of preoperative oral carbohydrate supplementation on postoperative metabolic stress response of patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery.

PubMed

Viganò, Jacopo; Cereda, Emanuele; Caccialanza, Riccardo; Carini, Roberta; Cameletti, Barbara; Spampinato, Marcello; Dionigi, Paolo

2012-08-01

The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effects of preoperative oral carbohydrate supplementation (OCH) on the postoperative metabolic stress response of patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery. The study was designed as a controlled, prospective, cohort study including 38 patients treated with OCH (800 mL the day before surgery and 400 mL within 3 h before the induction of anesthesia) and 38 controls matched for surgical procedure. Fasting glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR index), cortisol, and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were assessed before and after surgery (postoperative day (POD) 1, 2, and 3). The administration of OCH resulted in lower fasting glucose, HOMA-IR index, cortisol, and IL-6 on both POD 1 and POD 2. At multivariable regression analyses, the reduction of these parameters was independent of sex, age, body mass index, and major abdominal surgery. Particularly, models including OCH treatment explained 70, 63, and 66 % of the variance of the increase in IL-6 levels at POD 1, POD 2, and POD 3, respectively. The effect of OCH on changes in glucose, insulin resistance, and cortisol on POD 1 and POD 2 disappeared after the inclusion of IL-6 in the models. Treatment with OCH was associated with attenuation of the postoperative metabolic stress response. We hypothesize that modulation of the inflammatory response is one of the mechanisms involved.

Study on optimization method of test conditions for fatigue crack detection using lock-in vibrothermography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Min, Qing-xu; Zhu, Jun-zhen; Feng, Fu-zhou; Xu, Chao; Sun, Ji-wei

2017-06-01

In this paper, the lock-in vibrothermography (LVT) is utilized for defect detection. Specifically, for a metal plate with an artificial fatigue crack, the temperature rise of the defective area is used for analyzing the influence of different test conditions, i.e. engagement force, excitation intensity, and modulated frequency. The multivariate nonlinear and logistic regression models are employed to estimate the POD (probability of detection) and POA (probability of alarm) of fatigue crack, respectively. The resulting optimal selection of test conditions is presented. The study aims to provide an optimized selection method of the test conditions in the vibrothermography system with the enhanced detection ability.

Highly Efficient and Stable Novel NanoBiohybrid Catalyst to Avert 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid Pollutant in Water.

PubMed

Das, Rasel; Hamid, Sharifah Bee Abd; Annuar, Mohamad Suffian Mohamad

2016-10-10

The present study reported for the first time covalent immobilization of protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase (3,4-POD) onto functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (F-MWCNT) for degrading the toxic 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHBA) pollutant in water. The F-MWCNTs had a maximum 3,4-POD loading of 1060 μg/mg. Immobilized 3,4 POD had 44% of relative structural changes to its free configurations. Nevertheless, >90% of relative activity and about 50% of catalytic efficiency were retained to the free enzyme. Immobilized 3,4-POD demonstrated higher alkaline stability and thermostability than the free 3,4-POD. The free and immobilized 3,4-POD lost 82% and 66% of relative activities, respectively after 180 min of incubations at 90 °C. Excellent shelf-life was observed for the immobilized 3,4-POD with residual activity of 56% compared with 41% and 39% of the free 3,4-POD at 4 °C and 25 °C over 30 days storage. Immobilized 3,4-POD showed >60% of catalytic activity retention even after ten-cycle uses, defraying the expenses of free 3,4-POD productions for long term uses. Finally, the immobilized 3,4-POD removed 71% of 3,4-DHBA from water in <4 h, paving its future application for water purification with reduced costs and time.

Highly Efficient and Stable Novel NanoBiohybrid Catalyst to Avert 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid Pollutant in Water

PubMed Central

Das, Rasel; Hamid, Sharifah Bee Abd; Annuar, Mohamad Suffian Mohamad

2016-01-01

The present study reported for the first time covalent immobilization of protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase (3,4-POD) onto functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (F-MWCNT) for degrading the toxic 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHBA) pollutant in water. The F-MWCNTs had a maximum 3,4-POD loading of 1060 μg/mg. Immobilized 3,4 POD had 44% of relative structural changes to its free configurations. Nevertheless, >90% of relative activity and about 50% of catalytic efficiency were retained to the free enzyme. Immobilized 3,4-POD demonstrated higher alkaline stability and thermostability than the free 3,4-POD. The free and immobilized 3,4-POD lost 82% and 66% of relative activities, respectively after 180 min of incubations at 90 °C. Excellent shelf-life was observed for the immobilized 3,4-POD with residual activity of 56% compared with 41% and 39% of the free 3,4-POD at 4 °C and 25 °C over 30 days storage. Immobilized 3,4-POD showed >60% of catalytic activity retention even after ten-cycle uses, defraying the expenses of free 3,4-POD productions for long term uses. Finally, the immobilized 3,4-POD removed 71% of 3,4-DHBA from water in <4 h, paving its future application for water purification with reduced costs and time. PMID:27721429

Mutant Transcriptome Sequencing Provides Insights into Pod Development in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

PubMed Central

Wan, Liyun; Li, Bei; Lei, Yong; Yan, Liying; Ren, Xiaoping; Chen, Yuning; Dai, Xiaofeng; Jiang, Huifang; Zhang, Juncheng; Guo, Wei; Chen, Ao; Liao, Boshou

2017-01-01

Pod size is the major yield component and a key target trait that is selected for in peanut breeding. However, although numerous quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for peanut pod size have been described, the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of this characteristic remain elusive. A peanut mutant with a narrower pod was developed in this study using ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis and designated as the “pod width” mutant line (pw). The fresh pod weight of pw was only about 40% of that seen in the wild-type (WT) Zhonghua16, while the hull and seed filling of the mutant both also developed at earlier stages. Pods from both pw and WT lines were sampled 20, 40, and 60 days after flowering (DAF) and used for RNA-Seq analysis; the results revealed highly differentially expressed lignin metabolic pathway genes at all three stages, but especially at DAF 20 and DAF 40. At the same time, expression of genes related to auxin signal transduction was found to be significantly repressed during the pw early pod developmental stage. A genome-wide comparative analysis of expression profiles revealed 260 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across all three stages, and two candidate genes, c26901_g1 (CAD) and c37339_g1 (ACS), responsible for pod width were identified by integrating expression patterns and function annotation of the common DEGs within the three stages. Taken together, the information provided in this study illuminates the processes underlying peanut pod development, and will facilitate further identification of causal genes and the development of improved peanut varieties with higher yields. PMID:29170673

Blood count and C-reactive protein evolution in gastric cancer patients with total gastrectomy surgery

PubMed Central

CSENDES J., Attila; MUÑOZ Ch., Andrea; BURGOS L., Ana María

2014-01-01

Background The complete blood count (CBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are useful inflammatory parameters for ruling out acute postoperative inflammatory complications. Aim To determine their changes in gastric cancer patients submitted to total gastrectomy. Methods This is a prospective study, with 36 patients with gastric cancer who were submitted to elective total gastrectomy. On the first, third and fifth postoperative day (POD), blood count and CRP changes were assessed. Patients with postoperative complications were excluded. Results Twenty-one (58%) were men and 15 (42%) women. The mean age was 65 years. The leukocytes peaked on the 1st POD with a mean of 13,826 u/mm³, and decreased to 8,266 u/mm³ by the 5th POD. The bacilliforms peaked on the 1st POD with a maximum value of 1.48%. CRP reached its maximum level on the 3rd POD with a mean of 144.64 mg/l±44.84. Preoperative hematocrit (HCT) was 35% and 33.67% by the 5th POD. Hemoglobin, showed similar values. Conclusions Leukocytes increased during the 1st POD but reached normal values by the 5th POD. CRP peaked on the 3rd POD but did not reach normal values by the 5th POD. PMID:25626929

Prolonged air leak following lobectomy can be predicted in lung cancer patients.

PubMed

Okada, Satoru; Shimada, Junichi; Kato, Daishiro; Tsunezuka, Hiroaki; Inoue, Masayoshi

2017-08-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors associated with prolonged air leak (PAL) following pulmonary lobectomy for lung cancer. The data of 146 patients who underwent pulmonary lobectomy for lung cancer between August 2010 and July 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Air leaks were assessed daily by a visual evaluation and were categorized as follows: forced expiratory only (Grade 1), expiratory only (Grade 2), or continuous (Grade 3). Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the predictors of PAL (>5 days). PAL occurred in 23 patients (16%). An air leak at rest (Grade ≥ 2) was detected on postoperative day (POD) 1 in 48% of the patients with PAL and 7% of the patients without PAL. A univariate analysis demonstrated that PAL was significantly associated with male sex, a smoking history of ≥ 40 pack years, a serum albumin level of ≤4.0 mg/dL, and an air leak on POD1 (Grade ≥ 2). A multivariate analysis demonstrated that a serum albumin level of ≤4.0 mg/dL (p = 0.027) and an air leak on POD1 (p = 0.006) were independent predictors of PAL. PAL occurred in 75% of the patients with these two risk factors. The preoperative serum albumin level and the presence of a visually evaluated air leak on POD1 may be useful indicators for the perioperative management of air leaks.

Molecular characterization of cDNAs for two anionic peroxidases from suspension cultures of sweet potato.

PubMed

Kim, K Y; Huh, G H; Lee, H S; Kwon, S Y; Hur, Y; Kwak, S S

1999-07-01

Two cDNAs for anionic peroxidase (PODs), swpa2 and swpa3, were isolated from suspension cultures of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), and their expression was investigated with a view to understanding the physiological function of PODs in relation to environmental stresses. Swpa2 (whose putative mature protein product would have a pI value of 4.1) and swpa3 (4.3) encode polypeptides of 358 and 349 amino acids, respectively. The genes from which they were derived are predominantly expressed in cultured cells of sweet potato; transcripts of swpa2 were not detected in any tissues of the intact plant, and transcripts of swpa3 were detected at a low level only in the stem tissue. During cell culture, the expression patterns of the two genes differed; the level of swpa2 RNA progressively increased during cell growth, whereas that of swpa3 reached a maximum at the stationary phase and decreased on further culture. The two genes responded differently to stresses such as wounding or chilling of leaves. Swpa2 was strongly induced 48 h after wounding, but swpa3 was not affected by this treatment. The two genes were also highly expressed upon chilling (4 degrees C), but expression was reduced by prior acclimation at 15 degrees C. In addition, both genes were strongly induced immediately after treatment with ozone, and expression had decreased to the basal level 12 h after treatment. The response of these two genes to stresses such as aging, wounding, and chilling are different from those of the POD genes (swpa1 encoding an anionic product and swpn1 a neutral peroxidase) that we described previously. The responses of the two genes were also different from each other. These results suggest that the two new POD genes are involved in overcoming oxidative environmental stress, and each POD gene may be regulated by cell growth and environmental stress in different ways.

Ventilation during cardiopulmonary bypass: impact on heat shock protein release.

PubMed

Beer, L; Szerafin, T; Mitterbauer, A; Kasiri, M M; Debreceni T Palotás, L; Dworschak, M; Roth, G A; Ankersmit, H J

2014-12-01

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), utilized in on-pump coronary artery bypass graft procedures (CABG) induces generalized immune suppression, release of heat shock proteins (HSP), inflammatory markers and apoptosis-specific proteins. We hypothesized that continued mechanical ventilation during cardiopulmonary bypass attenuates immune response and HSP liberation. Thirty patients undergoing conventional coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) operation were randomized into a ventilated on CPB (VG; N.=15) and a non-ventilated CPB group (NVG; N.=15). Blood samples were drawn at the beginning and end of surgery, as well as on the five consecutive postoperative days (POD). Molecular markers were measured by ELISA. Data are given as mean ± (SD). Mann-Whitney-U-test was used for statistical analysis. Serum concentrations of HSP70 were significantly lower in VG compared to NVG on POD-1 (VG: 1629±608 vs. NVG: 5203±2128.6 pg/mL, P<0.001). HSP27 and HSP60 depicted a minor increase in both study groups at the end of surgery without any intergroup differences (HSP27: VG 6207.9±1252.5 vs. NVG 7424.1±2632.5; HSP60: VG 1046.2±478.8 vs. NVG 1223.5±510.1). IL-8 and CK-18 M30 evidenced the highest serum concentrations at the end of surgery (IL-8: VG 119.5±77.9 vs. NVG 148.0±184.55; CK-18 M30: VG 62.1±39.2 vs. NVG 67.5±33.9) with no differences between groups. Decreased ICAM-1 serum concentrations were detected postoperatively, however ICAM-1 concentrations on POD-1 to POD-5 showed slightly elevated concentrations in both study groups with no intergroup differences. Significantly less HSP70 was detectable in patients receiving uninterrupted mechanical lung ventilation on CPB, indicating either different inflammatory response, cellular stress or cell damage between the ventilated and non-ventilated group. These data suggest that continued mechanical ventilation has a modulatory effect on the immune response in patients after CABG surgery.

Replacement/Refurbishment of JSC/NASA POD Specimens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castner, Willard L.

2010-01-01

The NASA Special NDE certification process requires demonstration of NDE capability by test per NASA-STD-5009. This test is performed with fatigue cracked specimens containing very small cracks. The certification test results are usually based on binomial statistics and must meet a 90/95 Probability of Detection (POD). The assumption is that fatigue cracks are tightly closed, difficult to detect, and inspectors and processes passing such a test are well qualified for inspecting NASA fracture critical hardware. The JSC NDE laboratory has what may be the largest inventory that exists of such fatigue cracked NDE demonstration specimens. These specimens were produced by the hundreds in the late 1980s and early 1990s. None have been produced since that time and the condition and usability of the specimens are questionable.

SU-E-I-79: Effect of Number of Pinholes in Onboard Robotic Multi-Pinhole SPECT System

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

Touch, M; Bowsher, J; Yan, S

Purpose: To study the effect of number of pinholes for a novel Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) system for onboard molecular and functional imaging. Methods: Comparison studies were performed using simulation for the 49-pinhole SPECT system and a series of reductions in number of pinholes. Trajectories about the breast of a supine patient were considered. Minimum distances, radii of rotation (RORs), were determined by requirements to fully view the region of interest (ROI) and to avoid collision between the detector and the patient. Reductions in RORs translate into improvements in sensitivity. Starting from the 49-pinhole system, pinholes were removedmore » pod by pod. The furthest two end pods in the Sup-Inf direction were removed first for their higher likelihood of alleviating the collision avoidance criteria. After iterating through different combinations of pinhole pods, and selecting three combinations, the corresponding RORs were used to analytically calculate sensitivities. Results: Based on the Methods procedure, 3 combination of pods removal were identified: 1) Superior peripheral pod 2) Inferior peripheral pod 3) both pods. RORs were reduced at only one multi-pinhole stop. Analytic calculation showed that sensitivities were reduced from 0.032 for the 49-pinhole system to 0.028 for 42-pinhole and to 0.023 for 39-pinhole system respectively. The sensitivity per pinhole detector was approximately the same for all three cases. Conclusion: For the trajectories considered, only minimal improvements in RORs were identified by removing pinhole pods. Consequently, sensitivities decreased in proportion to the number of pinholes. Studies of other anatomical sites are needed to determine if in some cases sensitivity per pinhole can be improved by removing some pinholes. PHS/NIH/NCI grant R21-CA156390-01A1.« less

Early Relapse of Follicular Lymphoma After Rituximab Plus Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, and Prednisone Defines Patients at High Risk for Death: An Analysis From the National LymphoCare Study

PubMed Central

Casulo, Carla; Byrtek, Michelle; Dawson, Keith L.; Zhou, Xiaolei; Farber, Charles M.; Flowers, Christopher R.; Hainsworth, John D.; Maurer, Matthew J.; Cerhan, James R.; Link, Brian K.; Zelenetz, Andrew D.; Friedberg, Jonathan W.

2015-01-01

Purpose Twenty percent of patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) experience progression of disease (POD) within 2 years of initial chemoimmunotherapy. We analyzed data from the National LymphoCare Study to identify whether prognostic FL factors are associated with early POD and whether patients with early POD are at high risk for death. Patients and Methods In total, 588 patients with stage 2 to 4 FL received first-line rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP). Two groups were defined: patients with early POD 2 years or less after diagnosis and those without POD within 2 years, the reference group. An independent validation set, 147 patients with FL who received first-line R-CHOP, was analyzed for reproducibility. Results Of 588 patients, 19% (n = 110) had early POD, 71% (n = 420) were in the reference group, 8% (n = 46) were lost to follow-up, and 2% (n = 12) died without POD less than 2 years after diagnosis. Five-year overall survival was lower in the early-POD group than in the reference group (50% v 90%). This trend was maintained after we adjusted for FL International Prognostic Index (hazard ratio, 6.44; 95% CI, 4.33 to 9.58). Results were similar for the validation set (FL International Prognostic Index–adjusted hazard ratio, 19.8). Conclusion In patients with FL who received first-line R-CHOP, POD within 2 years after diagnosis was associated with poor outcomes and should be further validated as a standard end point of chemoimmunotherapy trials of untreated FL. This high-risk FL population warrants further study in directed prospective clinical trials. PMID:26124482

Influence of Fermentation and Drying Materials on the Contamination of Cocoa Beans by Ochratoxin A

PubMed Central

Dano, Sébastien Djédjé; Manda, Pierre; Dembélé, Ardjourma; Abla, Ange Marie-Joseph Kouassi; Bibaud, Joel Henri; Gouet, Julien Zroh; Sika, Charles Bruno Ze Maria

2013-01-01

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced mainly by species of Aspergillus and Penicillium. Contamination of food with OTA is a major consumer health hazard. In Côte d’Ivoire, preventing OTA contamination has been the subject of extensive study. The current study was conducted to evaluate the influence of fermentation and drying materials on the OTA content in cocoa. For each test, 7000 intact cocoa pods were collected, split open to remove the beans, fermented using 1 of 3 different materials, sun-dried on 1 of 3 different platform types and stored for 30 days. A total of 22 samples were collected at each stage of post-harvesting operations. The OTA content in the extracted samples was then quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. OTA was detected in beans at all stages of post-harvesting operations at varying levels: pod-opening (0.025 ± 0.02 mg/kg), fermentation (0.275 ± 0.2 mg/kg), drying (0.569 ± 0.015 mg/kg), and storage (0.558 ± 0.04 mg/kg). No significant relationships between the detected OTA level and the materials used in the fermentation and drying of cocoa were observed. PMID:24287569

The quality of life of patients developed delirium after coronary artery bypass grafting is determined by cognitive function after discharge: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Chen, Yuling; Ding, Shu; Tao, Xiangjun; Feng, Xinwei; Lu, Sai; Shen, Yuzhi; Wu, Ying; An, Xiangguang

2017-10-01

Postoperative delirium (POD) and declined cognitive function were common in patients (especially elderly patients) who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), which may affect quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to determine the relationships among age, POD, declined cognitive function, and QoL in patients who underwent CABG. Consecutive patients who underwent first time elective CABG and assessed for POD using Confusion Assessment Method for intensive care unit for 5 postoperative days from November 2013 to March 2015 were recruited. A cross-sectional study was conducted during April 2015 to assess their cognitive function and QoL, using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status Scale and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. The relationships among age, POD, declined cognitive function, and QoL were tested using path analysis. Declined cognitive function was associated with poorer QoL. POD was associated with declined cognitive function but was not associated with poorer QoL. Ageing was not associated with QoL but was associated with POD and declined cognitive function. The QoL of patients developed delirium after CABG is determined by cognitive function after discharge. Necessary strategies should be implemented to prevent POD and declined cognitive function, especially in elderly patients. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Particle protection capability of SEMI-compliant EUV-pod carriers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, George; He, Long; Lystad, John; Kielbaso, Tom; Montgomery, Cecilia; Goodwin, Frank

2010-04-01

With the projected rollout of pre-production extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) scanners in 2010, EUVL pilot line production will become a reality in wafer fabrication companies. Among EUVL infrastructure items that must be ready, EUV mask carriers remain critical. To keep non-pellicle EUV masks free from particle contamination, an EUV pod concept has been extensively studied. Early prototypes demonstrated nearly particle-free results at a 53 nm PSL equivalent inspection sensitivity during EUVL mask robotic handling, shipment, vacuum pump-purge, and storage. After the passage of SEMI E152, which specifies the EUV pod mechanical interfaces, standards-compliant EUV pod prototypes, including a production version inner pod and prototype outer pod, were built and tested. Their particle protection capability results are reported in this paper. A state-of-the-art blank defect inspection tool was used to quantify their defect protection capability during mask robotic handling, shipment, and storage tests. To ensure the availability of an EUV pod for 2010 pilot production, the progress and preliminary test results of pre-production EUV outer pods are reported as well.

Can anyone screen for deep infiltrating endometriosis with transvaginal ultrasound?

PubMed

Piessens, Sofie; Healey, Martin; Maher, Peter; Tsaltas, Jim; Rombauts, Luk

2014-10-01

Surgical treatment of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is complex, and preoperative diagnosis benefits both surgeon and patient. Studies in expert centres have reported high accuracy for transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) diagnosis of DIE. External validation of these findings has been limited, and no information is available on how quickly these skills can be acquired. The aim of this study was to measure the learning curve of DIE-TVUS and to identify the causes for inaccuracies in the diagnosis of bowel lesions and Pouch of Douglas (POD) obliteration. Following one week of training at the University of São Paulo (Brazil), 205 consecutive women with a history of endometriosis symptoms were prospectively assessed by TVUS after minimal bowel preparation. TVUS findings were correlated with laparoscopic findings in eighty-five cases to assess the accuracy. The LC-CUSUM and CUSUM were used to assess the learning curve and maintenance of competency, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for DIE of the bladder, vagina and bowel were 33% and 100%, 80% and 100%, and 88% and 93%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for the presence of POD obliteration were 88% and 90%, respectively. LC-CUSUM analysis confirmed that competency for DIE-TVUS was achieved within 38 scans for the detection of POD obliteration and within 36 scans for the detection of bowel nodules. Competency was maintained for the remainder of the scans as assessed by the CUSUM. After one week of DIE-TVUS training, competency can be achieved within forty procedures, allowing diagnosis of DIE with similar diagnostic accuracy as reported by centres of excellence. © 2014 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

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

Heitholt, J.J.

Soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) were grown in the field in 1982 and 1983 (cv. Kent) and greenhouse (cv. McCall) to characterize the effects of timing and source-sink alterations on flower and immature pod abortion and to study the causes of abortion. Flowers and immature pods were marked during early flowering (R1 to R2) and late flowering (R3 to R4). Nineteen percent of the early flowers aborted in the greenhouse and 31 to 48% aborted in the field. Seventy-six to 92% and 77 to 90% of the late flowers aborted in the greenhouse and field, respectively. Defoliation increased early flowermore » abortion and depodding decreased late flower abortion. Fifteen and 19% of the early immature pods and the late immature pods from depodded plants aborted, respectively. Fifty-seven percent of the late immature pods aborted. Across both years there was not a consistent relationship between the concentrations of ethanol soluble carbohydrates, starch, ethanol soluble nitrogen, ethanol insoluble nitrogen, nitrate, and cations in the flowers or immature pods and abortion. During both early and late flowering, a single leaf located in the middle of the main stem that subtended flowers at anthesis, or immature pods was labeled with 3.7 x 10/sup 5/ Bq /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ for 1 h. After 24 h the entire plant was harvested, divided into flowers, pods, labeled leaf, and the remainder of the plant and the radioactivity was determined. The low aborting flowers and immature pods contained a greater percentage of the total /sup 14/C recovered than the high aborting flowers and immature pods. The results indirectly support the hypothesis that a signal compound produced by another plant part, perhaps the established pods, inhibits the development of aborting flowers and immature pods.« less

Increased collagen maturity with sildenafil citrate: experimental high risk colonic anastomosis model.

PubMed

Cakir, Tebessum; Ozer, Ilter; Bostanci, Erdal Birol; Keklik, Tulay Timucin; Ercin, Ugur; Bilgihan, Ayse; Akoglu, Musa

2015-01-01

Inadequate healing and high anastomosis leak rates at rectal anastomosis may be due to lack of supportive serosal layer and technical difficulty of low anterior resections. Positive effects of sildenafil on wound healing were observed. The aim of this study was to simulate rectal anastomosis as a technical insufficient anastomosis and investigate the effects of sildenafil on anastomosis healing. Colonic anastomoses were carried out in 64 rats and randomized into four groups, CA-S, complete anastomoses without sildenafil (10 mg/kg for 5 days); CA+S, complete anastomoses with sildenafil; IA-S, incomplete anastomoses without sildenafil; IA+S, incomplete anastomoses with sildenafil. Half of the rats in every group were sacrificed on post-operative day (POD) 3, half of them sacrificed on POD 7. Tissues from the anastomoses were used for functional, histochemical, biochemical investigations. Sildenafil treatment resulted in increased bursting pressures in IA+S on POD 7 (p=0.010). Collagen maturity was higher in IA+S on POD 3 and POD 7, CA+S on POD 7 (p=0.010; p=0.010; p<0.007). Collagen content was higher in IA+S on POD 7 (p<0.001). Glutathione, hydroxyproline levels were similar. Malondialdehyde levels were lower in IA+S on POD 3 (p<0.001). Epithelization score was higher in IA+S on POD 7 (p=0.007). Inflammation score was higher in CA-S group on POD 3 and POD 7 (p<0.001; p<0.001). Neutrophil score was lower in CA+S on POD 3 (p=0.005). An increase in collagen content, maturity, and epithelization, a decrease in neutrophil infiltration, oxidative stress and better mechanical strength were observed with the administration of sildenafil. Copyright © 2014 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recommended approaches in the application of ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

ABSTRACT:Only a fraction of chemicals in commerce have been fully assessed for their potential hazards to human health due to difficulties involved in conventional regulatory tests. It has recently been proposed that quantitative transcriptomic data can be used to determine benchmark dose (BMD) and estimate a point of departure (POD). Several studies have shown that transcriptional PODs correlate with PODs derived from analysis of pathological changes, but there is no consensus on how the genes that are used to derive a transcriptional POD should be selected. Because of very large number of unrelated genes in gene expression data, the process of selecting subsets of informative genes is a major challenge. We used published microarray data from studies on rats exposed orally to multiple doses of six chemicals for 5, 14, 28, and 90 days. We evaluated eight different approaches to select genes for POD derivation and compared them to three previously proposed approaches. The relationship between transcriptional BMDs derived using these 11 approaches were compared with PODs derived from apical data that might be used in a human health risk assessment. We found that transcriptional benchmark dose values for all 11 approaches were remarkably aligned with different apical PODs, while a subset of between 3 and 8 of the approaches met standard statistical criteria across the 5-, 14-, 28-, and 90-day time points and thus qualify as effective estimates of apical PODs. Our r

Red cell exchange to mitigate a delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction in a patient transfused with incompatible red blood cells.

PubMed

Irani, Mehraboon S; Karafin, Matthew S; Ernster, Luke

2017-02-01

A red cell exchange was performed to prevent a potentially fatal hemolytic transfusion reaction in a patient with anti-e who was transfused with e-antigen unscreened red blood cells during liver transplant surgery. A 64-year-old woman with cirrhosis due to hepatitis C was scheduled to receive a liver transplant. She had a previously documented anti-e, an antibody to the Rh(e)-antigen that is known to cause delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions. Pre-operatively and intra-operatively, she had massive hemorrhage which required transfusion of 34 e-antigen unscreened red blood cells (RBCs) most of which were incompatible. The hemoglobin dropped from 9.1 g/dL on post-operative day (POD)1 to 6.6 g/dL on POD6, with no evidence of blood loss. The bilirubin also increased from 5.0 mg/dL on POD 1 to 11.0 mg/dL on POD 6. As she was also becoming more hemodynamically unstable, a red cell exchange with 10 units of e-negative RBCs was performed on POD 6. She improved clinically and was extubated the following day. A few residual transfused e-positive red cells were detected after the red cell exchange until POD 13. This case illustrates how a red cell exchange can mitigate the potentially harmful effects of a delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction caused by red cell antibodies. With massive intraoperative blood loss it may not be possible to have antigen-negative RBCs immediately available, particularly for the e-antigen, which is present in 98% of the donor population. The ability to perform such a procedure may be life-saving in such patients. J. Clin. Apheresis 32:59-61, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Isolation and characterisation of a pod dehiscence zone-specific polygalacturonase from Brassica napus.

PubMed

Petersen, M; Sander, L; Child, R; van Onckelen, H; Ulvskov, P; Borkhardt, B

1996-06-01

Seven distinct partial cDNAs, similar in sequence to previously described polygalacturonases (PGs), were amplified from cDNA derived from rape pod wall, dehiscence zone and leaves by the polymerase chain reaction. Northern analysis showed that one clone, PG35-8, was expressed at low levels in the dehiscence zone during the first five weeks after anthesis but was very abundantly expressed at week 6. In contrast, no PG35-8-related RNA was detected in the pod wall. Our data suggest that there are temporal and spatial correlations between the breakdown of the middle lamella, of the dehiscence zone cells and the pattern of synthesis of PG35-8 transcripts which may indicate a role for this particular PG in rape pod dehiscence. PG35-8 was used to isolate five cDNA clones from a rape dehiscence zone cDNA library. Restriction enzyme analysis and partial sequencing revealed that they were derived from four highly homologous transcripts which are probably allelic forms of a single gene. One full-length clone, RDPG1, was completely sequenced. The predicted protein of RDPG1 showed its highest identity with PG from apple fruit with an identity of 52%.

The scaffolding and signaling functions of a localization factor impact polar development

PubMed Central

Curtis, Patrick D.; Quardokus, Ellen M.; Lawler, Melanie L.; Guo, Xiaoyun; Klein, David; Chen, Joseph C.; Arnold, Randy J.; Brun, Yves V.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY In the differentiating alphaproteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus, organelle synthesis at cell poles is critical to forming different progeny after cell division. Coordination of polar organelle synthesis, including pili and holdfast, and flagellum ejection, is mediated in part by the scaffolding protein PodJ. At the time of cell division, PodJ undergoes regulated processing to a short form that persists at the flagellar pole of swarmer cells. This study analyzes how PodJ’s role in structural and signaling protein localization impacts organelle synthesis. A PodJ mutant with an internal deletion exhibits reduced sensitivity to pili-tropic phage ΦCbK, resulting from reduced pilA gene expression, which can be linked to altered signaling protein localization. The phage sensitivity defect of a ΔpodJ mutant can be partially suppressed by ectopic pilA expression. Induction of PodJ processing, by manipulation of podJ itself or controlled perP expression, resulted in decreased pilus biogenesis and, when coupled with a podJ mutation that reduced pilA expression, led to complete loss of phage sensitivity. As a whole, the results show that PodJ’s scaffolding role for structural and signaling proteins both contribute to flagellar pole organelle development. PMID:22512778

Precise orbit determination using the batch filter based on particle filtering with genetic resampling approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Young-Rok; Park, Eunseo; Choi, Eun-Jung; Park, Sang-Young; Park, Chandeok; Lim, Hyung-Chul

2014-09-01

In this study, genetic resampling (GRS) approach is utilized for precise orbit determination (POD) using the batch filter based on particle filtering (PF). Two genetic operations, which are arithmetic crossover and residual mutation, are used for GRS of the batch filter based on PF (PF batch filter). For POD, Laser-ranging Precise Orbit Determination System (LPODS) and satellite laser ranging (SLR) observations of the CHAMP satellite are used. Monte Carlo trials for POD are performed by one hundred times. The characteristics of the POD results by PF batch filter with GRS are compared with those of a PF batch filter with minimum residual resampling (MRRS). The post-fit residual, 3D error by external orbit comparison, and POD repeatability are analyzed for orbit quality assessments. The POD results are externally checked by NASA JPL’s orbits using totally different software, measurements, and techniques. For post-fit residuals and 3D errors, both MRRS and GRS give accurate estimation results whose mean root mean square (RMS) values are at a level of 5 cm and 10-13 cm, respectively. The mean radial orbit errors of both methods are at a level of 5 cm. For POD repeatability represented as the standard deviations of post-fit residuals and 3D errors by repetitive PODs, however, GRS yields 25% and 13% more robust estimation results than MRRS for post-fit residual and 3D error, respectively. This study shows that PF batch filter with GRS approach using genetic operations is superior to PF batch filter with MRRS in terms of robustness in POD with SLR observations.

Zearalenone reduction by commercial peroxidase enzyme and peroxidases from soybean bran and rice bran.

PubMed

Garcia, Sabrina O; Feltrin, Ana Carla P; Garda-Buffon, Jaqueline

2018-06-11

The peroxidase (POD) enzyme, obtained from different sources, has been described in the literature regarding its good results of reduction in concentration or degradation levels of mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone. This study aimed at evaluating the action of commercial peroxidase and peroxidase from soybean bran (SB) and rice bran (RB) in zearalenone (ZEA) reduction in a model solution and the characterization of the mechanism of enzyme action. POD was extracted from SB and RB in phosphate buffer by orbital agitation. Evaluation of the action of commercial POD and POD from SB and RB in ZEA reduction was carried out in phosphate buffer and aqueous solution, respectively. Parameters of K M and V max were determined in the concentration range from 0.16 to 6 µg mL -1 . ZEA reduction was determined and the mechanism of enzyme action was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and high-pressure liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Commercial POD and POD from RB and SB reduced ZEA concentration by 69.9, 47.4 and 30.6% in 24 h, respectively. K M values were 39.61 and 8.90 µM whereas V max values were 0.170 and 0.011 µM min -1 for commercial POD and POD from RB, respectively. The characterization of the mechanism of enzyme action showed the oxidoreductive action of commercial POD in the mycotoxin. The use of commercial POD and POD from agro-industrial by-products, such as SB and RB, could be a promising alternative for ZEA biodegradation.

Explicit treatment for Dirichlet, Neumann and Cauchy boundary conditions in POD-based reduction of groundwater models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gosses, Moritz; Nowak, Wolfgang; Wöhling, Thomas

2018-05-01

In recent years, proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) has become a popular model reduction method in the field of groundwater modeling. It is used to mitigate the problem of long run times that are often associated with physically-based modeling of natural systems, especially for parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis. POD-based techniques reproduce groundwater head fields sufficiently accurate for a variety of applications. However, no study has investigated how POD techniques affect the accuracy of different boundary conditions found in groundwater models. We show that the current treatment of boundary conditions in POD causes inaccuracies for these boundaries in the reduced models. We provide an improved method that splits the POD projection space into a subspace orthogonal to the boundary conditions and a separate subspace that enforces the boundary conditions. To test the method for Dirichlet, Neumann and Cauchy boundary conditions, four simple transient 1D-groundwater models, as well as a more complex 3D model, are set up and reduced both by standard POD and POD with the new extension. We show that, in contrast to standard POD, the new method satisfies both Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. It can also be applied to Cauchy boundaries, where the flux error of standard POD is reduced by its head-independent contribution. The extension essentially shifts the focus of the projection towards the boundary conditions. Therefore, we see a slight trade-off between errors at model boundaries and overall accuracy of the reduced model. The proposed POD extension is recommended where exact treatment of boundary conditions is required.

Unmanned aerial vehicles for surveying marine fauna: assessing detection probability.

PubMed

Hodgson, Amanda; Peel, David; Kelly, Natalie

2017-06-01

Aerial surveys are conducted for various fauna to assess abundance, distribution, and habitat use over large spatial scales. They are traditionally conducted using light aircraft with observers recording sightings in real time. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) offer an alternative with many potential advantages, including eliminating human risk. To be effective, this emerging platform needs to provide detection rates of animals comparable to traditional methods. UAVs can also acquire new types of information, and this new data requires a reevaluation of traditional analyses used in aerial surveys; including estimating the probability of detecting animals. We conducted 17 replicate UAV surveys of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) while simultaneously obtaining a 'census' of the population from land-based observations, to assess UAV detection probability. The ScanEagle UAV, carrying a digital SLR camera, continuously captured images (with 75% overlap) along transects covering the visual range of land-based observers. We also used ScanEagle to conduct focal follows of whale pods (n = 12, mean duration = 40 min), to assess a new method of estimating availability. A comparison of the whale detections from the UAV to the land-based census provided an estimated UAV detection probability of 0.33 (CV = 0.25; incorporating both availability and perception biases), which was not affected by environmental covariates (Beaufort sea state, glare, and cloud cover). According to our focal follows, the mean availability was 0.63 (CV = 0.37), with pods including mother/calf pairs having a higher availability (0.86, CV = 0.20) than those without (0.59, CV = 0.38). The follows also revealed (and provided a potential correction for) a downward bias in group size estimates from the UAV surveys, which resulted from asynchronous diving within whale pods, and a relatively short observation window of 9 s. We have shown that UAVs are an effective alternative to traditional methods, providing a detection probability that is within the range of previous studies for our target species. We also describe a method of assessing availability bias that represents spatial and temporal characteristics of a survey, from the same perspective as the survey platform, is benign, and provides additional data on animal behavior. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Satellite remote sensing of hailstorms in France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melcón, Pablo; Merino, Andrés; Sánchez, José Luis; López, Laura; Hermida, Lucía

2016-12-01

Hailstorms are meteorological phenomena of great interest to the scientific community, owing to their socioeconomic impact, which is mainly on agricultural production. With its global coverage and high spatial and temporal resolution, satellite remote sensing can contribute to monitoring of such events through the development of appropriate techniques. This paper presents an extensive validation in the south of France of a hail detection tool (HDT) developed for the Middle Ebro Valley (MEV). The HDT is based on consecutive application of two filters, a convection mask (CM) and hail mask (HM), using spectral channels of the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite. The south of France is an ideal area for studying hailstorms, because there is a robust database of hail falls recorded by an extensive network of hailpads managed by the Association Nationale d'Etude et de Lutte contre les Fleáux Atmosphériques (ANELFA). The results show noticeably poorer performance of the HDT in France relative to that in the MEV, with probability of detection (POD) 60.4% and false alarm rate (FAR) 26.6%. For this reason, a new tool to suit the characteristics of hailstorms in France has been developed. The France Hail Detection Tool (FHDT) was developed using logistic regression from channels of the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) sensor of the MSG. The FHDT was validated, resulting in POD 69.3% and FAR 15.4%, thus improving hail detection in the study area as compared with the previous tool. The new tool was tested in a case study with satisfactory results, supporting its future practical application.

Vision systems for manned and robotic ground vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanders-Reed, John N.; Koon, Phillip L.

2010-04-01

A Distributed Aperture Vision System for ground vehicles is described. An overview of the hardware including sensor pod, processor, video compression, and displays is provided. This includes a discussion of the choice between an integrated sensor pod and individually mounted sensors, open architecture design, and latency issues as well as flat panel versus head mounted displays. This technology is applied to various ground vehicle scenarios, including closed-hatch operations (operator in the vehicle), remote operator tele-operation, and supervised autonomy for multi-vehicle unmanned convoys. In addition, remote vision for automatic perimeter surveillance using autonomous vehicles and automatic detection algorithms is demonstrated.

Geometry and Mechanics in the Opening of Chiral Seed Pods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armon, Shahaf; Efrati, Efi; Kupferman, Raz; Sharon, Eran

2011-09-01

We studied the mechanical process of seed pods opening in Bauhinia variegate and found a chirality-creating mechanism, which turns an initially flat pod valve into a helix. We studied configurations of strips cut from pod valve tissue and from composite elastic materials that mimic its structure. The experiments reveal various helical configurations with sharp morphological transitions between them. Using the mathematical framework of “incompatible elasticity,” we modeled the pod as a thin strip with a flat intrinsic metric and a saddle-like intrinsic curvature. Our theoretical analysis quantitatively predicts all observed configurations, thus linking the pod’s microscopic structure and macroscopic conformation. We suggest that this type of incompatible strip is likely to play a role in the self-assembly of chiral macromolecules and could be used for the engineering of synthetic self-shaping devices.

Spatial optimization of operationally relevant large fire confine and point protection strategies: Model development and test cases

Treesearch

Yu Wei; Matthew P. Thompson; Jessica R. Haas; Gregory K. Dillon; Christopher D. O’Connor

2018-01-01

This study introduces a large fire containment strategy that builds upon recent advances in spatial fire planning, notably the concept of potential wildland fire operation delineations (PODs). Multiple PODs can be clustered together to form a “box” that is referred as the “response POD” (or rPOD). Fire lines would be built along the boundary of an rPOD to contain a...

Contribution of the pod wall to seed grain filling in alfalfa.

PubMed

Wang, Hui; Hou, Longyu; Wang, Mingya; Mao, Peisheng

2016-05-23

Three genotypes of alfalfa viz. Medicago sativa (Zhongmu No. 1, Zhongmu No. 2) and M. varia (Caoyuan No. 3) grown in the filed were investigated for the contribution of pod wall and leaves by shading all pods and leaves on July 15, 20 and 25, respectively. Date was recorded for total pod weight (TPW), pod wall weight (PWW), seed weight per pod (SWP), seed number per pod (SNP) and single seed weight (SSW) of one-coil and two-coil spiral pods. TPW, SNP, PWW and SWP were reduced by shading all leaves or pods, whereas SSW was not significantly affected. The relative photosynthetic contribution of pod wall to SWP was 25.6-48.1% in three genotypes on July 15. The pod wall in one-coil spiral pods generated a greater relative contribution to the TPW and SWP than in two-coil spiral pods. In the last stage (July 25), the relative photosynthetic contribution of leaves to SWP sharply decreased, whereas the relative photosynthetic contribution of pod wall to SWP was stable in the late stage (July 20 and 25). In conclusion, the pod wall of alfalfa could carry out photosynthesis and the pod wall played an important role in pod filling at the late growth stage.

Contribution of pod borer pests to soybean crop production (case in Pondidaha, Konawe District, Southeast Sulawesi)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahayu, M.; Bande, LOS; Hasan, A.; Yuswana, A.; Rinambo, F.

2018-02-01

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is one of the most important crops which production continues to be improved in all areas of soybean cultivation centers in an effort to maintain the availability of soybean foods, including Southeast Sulawesi. The purpose of this study was to analyze the contribution of pod borer pests to soybean crop production. Methods of direct observation were made on observed variables, including species and population of pest pod borer, intensity, and crop production. The result that found four types of pod borer pests are Nezara viridula, Riptortus linearis, Etiella zinckenella, and Leptocorisa acuta, each with a different population and contribution to the intensity of pod damage. The result of path analysis showed that directly population of N. viridula (61.14) and E. zinckenella (66.44) gave positive contribution in increasing pod damage, by 0.332 and 0.502 respectively, while the negative contribution was shown by population of R. linearis and L. acuta. Damage of the pod causes increased production of low soybean is only about 0.202, therefore required appropriate control techniques to control pod borer pests populations in soybean crops.

InstrumentationPod (IPOD) User Guide

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

Parker, Robert F.

2014-06-12

This document describes the Instrumentation Pod (IPOD) and its operation and use. The IPOD is a low-power detector system comprising a 3He tube with preamp for neutron detection, a microcontroller-based data acquisition system, a GPS receiver for locationdetermination and time-synchronization, and power filtering and protection. The IPOD is intended to be bolted to the top of Dual-Use Casks stored at Baikal-1 in Kazakhstan in order to maintain continuity of knowledge of the materials stored within the cask. The data acquisition system receives pulses from the neutron-detection preamp, combines this information with other sensor data, and stores the result on twomore » SD cards that are part of the data acquisition system. Firmware in the data acquisition system controls collection and storing of the data and enables configuration of the acquisition parameters.« less

Endophytic fungal diversity in Theobroma cacao (cacao) and T. grandiflorum (cupuaçu) trees and their potential for growth promotion and biocontrol of black-pod disease.

PubMed

Hanada, Rogério Eiji; Pomella, Alan William V; Costa, Heron Salazar; Bezerra, José Luiz; Loguercio, Leandro L; Pereira, José O

2010-01-01

The endophytic niches of plants are a rich source of microbes that can directly and indirectly promote plant protection, growth and development. The diversity of culturable endophytic fungi from stems and branches of Theobroma cacao (cacao) and Theobroma grandiflorum (cupuaçu) trees growing in the Amazon region of Brazil was assessed. The collection of fungal endophytic isolates obtained was applied in field experiments to evaluate their potential as biocontrol agents against Phytophthora palmivora, the causal agent of the black-pod rot disease of cacao, one of the most important pathogens in cocoa-producing regions worldwide. The isolated endophytic fungi from 60 traditional, farmer-planted, healthy cacao and 10 cupuaçu plants were cultured in PDA under conditions inducing sporulation. Isolates were classified based upon the morphological characteristics of their cultures and reproductive structures. Spore suspensions from a total of 103 isolates that could be classified at least up to genus level were tested against P. palmivora in pods attached to cacao trees in the field. Results indicated that ∼70% of isolates showed biocontrol effects to a certain extent, suggesting that culturable endophytic fungal biodiversity in this system is of a mostly mutualistic type of interaction with the host. Eight isolates from genera Trichoderma (reference isolate), Pestalotiopsis, Curvularia, Tolypocladium and Fusarium showed the highest level of activity against the pathogen, and were further characterized. All demonstrated their endophytic nature by colonizing axenic cacao plantlets, and confirmed their biocontrol activity on attached pods trials by showing significant decrease in disease severity in relation to the positive control. None, however, showed detectable growth-promotion effects. Aspects related to endophytic biodiversity and host-pathogen-endophyte interactions in the environment of this study were discussed on the context of developing sustainable strategies for biological control of black-pod rot of cacao. Copyright © 2010 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of post-harvest protocol of okra for export marketing.

PubMed

Dhall, R K; Sharma, S R; Mahajan, B V C

2014-08-01

The study was carried out on the harvesting and handling methods of okra with the objective to maintain the best quality of pods from harvesting to end consumer especially for export marketing. For that purpose okra cv. 'Punjab-8' pods were harvested with minimum handling (least injuries to the pubescence on the ridges of pod) and normal handling (no safety taken to prevent injuries on pods). Pods were precooled at 15 ± 1ºC, 90-95% RH; jumble packed in the CFB boxes of 2.0 Kg capacity and than stored at 8 ± 1ºC, 90-95% RH. The quality parameters of okra namely texture, chlorophyll content, physiological loss in weight, rotting percentage and general appearance were studied. The pods harvested with minimum handling and field packaging can retain their green colour, crisp texture (maximum force to puncture pod = 500.2 g) with minimum rotting (3.0%) and physiological loss in weight (15.8%) and good appearance upto 13 days of cold storage whereas normal handled pods can be stored upto 5 days at 8 ± 1ºC, 90-95% RH and thereafter lost their general appearance on the 7th day of storage and were discarded. Therefore, in order to maintain high quality of okra from harvesting to the final destination (consumer), the okra pods should be harvested with minimum handling followed by field packaging in CFB boxes.

Shade tree spatial structure and pod production explain frosty pod rot intensity in cacao agroforests, Costa Rica.

PubMed

Gidoin, Cynthia; Avelino, Jacques; Deheuvels, Olivier; Cilas, Christian; Bieng, Marie Ange Ngo

2014-03-01

Vegetation composition and plant spatial structure affect disease intensity through resource and microclimatic variation effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the independent effect and relative importance of host composition and plant spatial structure variables in explaining disease intensity at the plot scale. For that purpose, frosty pod rot intensity, a disease caused by Moniliophthora roreri on cacao pods, was monitored in 36 cacao agroforests in Costa Rica in order to assess the vegetation composition and spatial structure variables conducive to the disease. Hierarchical partitioning was used to identify the most causal factors. Firstly, pod production, cacao tree density and shade tree spatial structure had significant independent effects on disease intensity. In our case study, the amount of susceptible tissue was the most relevant host composition variable for explaining disease intensity by resource dilution. Indeed, cacao tree density probably affected disease intensity more by the creation of self-shading rather than by host dilution. Lastly, only regularly distributed forest trees, and not aggregated or randomly distributed forest trees, reduced disease intensity in comparison to plots with a low forest tree density. A regular spatial structure is probably crucial to the creation of moderate and uniform shade as recommended for frosty pod rot management. As pod production is an important service expected from these agroforests, shade tree spatial structure may be a lever for integrated management of frosty pod rot in cacao agroforests.

Variation among edible podded snap bean accessions for pod and seed sugar content

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sugar content of immature snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) pods and the effects of sugars on other flavor compounds are important to consumers and affect their food and vegetable choices. The objective of this study was to identify variation within Phaseolus vulgaris in relation to sugars that affect ...

Simulation supported POD for RT test case-concept and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gollwitzer, C.; Bellon, C.; Deresch, A.; Ewert, U.; Jaenisch, G.-R.; Zscherpel, U.; Mistral, Q.

2012-05-01

Within the framework of the European project PICASSO, the radiographic simulator aRTist (analytical Radiographic Testing inspection simulation tool) developed by BAM has been extended for reliability assessment of film and digital radiography. NDT of safety relevant components of aerospace industry requires the proof of probability of detection (POD) of the inspection. Modeling tools can reduce the expense of such extended, time consuming NDT trials, if the result of simulation fits to the experiment. Our analytic simulation tool consists of three modules for the description of the radiation source, the interaction of radiation with test pieces and flaws, and the detection process with special focus on film and digital industrial radiography. It features high processing speed with near-interactive frame rates and a high level of realism. A concept has been developed as well as a software extension for reliability investigations, completed by a user interface for planning automatic simulations with varying parameters and defects. Furthermore, an automatic image analysis procedure is included to evaluate the defect visibility. The radiographic modeling from 3D CAD of aero engine components and quality test samples are compared as a precondition for real trials. This enables the evaluation and optimization of film replacement for application of modern digital equipment for economical NDT and defined POD.

In vitro fermentation characteristics and effective utilisable crude protein in leaves and green pods of Moringa stenopetala and Moringa oleifera cultivated at low and mid-altitudes.

PubMed

Melesse, A; Steingass, H; Boguhn, J; Rodehutscord, M

2013-06-01

This study was conducted to assess the in vitro nutrient digestibility and utilisation of leaves and green pods of two Moringa species in supplementing the feed of ruminant animals during the dry season. Samples were analysed for proximate nutrients using official methods. The metabolisable energy (ME), organic matter digestibility (OMD) and effective utilisable crude protein (uCP) were estimated using the Hohenheim in vitro gas test method. Gas volume in Moringa stenopetala leaves and green pods was generally higher than those of Moringa oleifera. Gas volume for leaves was similar between low and mid-altitudes but was higher for green pods at mid-altitude. M. stenopetala leaves contained significantly higher ME (9.8 MJ/kg DM) and OMD (75%) than those of M. oleifera. Similarly, M. stenopetala green pods had higher ME and OMD values than those of M. oleifera. For green pods, the ME and OMD values were significantly higher at mid-altitude than those at low altitude although these values for leaves were similar between both altitudes. Moringa oleifera leaves had higher effective uCP than those of M. stenopetala. Nevertheless, the effective uCP was higher for green pods of M. stenopetala than those of M. oleifera. The effective uCP for leaves cultivated at mid-altitude was slightly higher than those at low altitude. This study suggested that leaves and green pods could be used as alternative energy and protein supplements for tropical ruminants, particularly during dry periods. It was further concluded that leaves were generally better in nutrient compositions and in vitro nutrient digestibility characteristics than green pods. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The impact of psychomotor subtypes and duration of delirium on 6-month mortality in hip-fractured elderly patients.

PubMed

Bellelli, Giuseppe; Carnevali, Lucio; Corsi, Maurizio; Morandi, Alessandro; Zambon, Antonella; Mazzola, Paolo; Galeazzi, Marianna; Bonfanti, Alessandra; Massariello, Francesca; Szabo, Hajnalka; Oliveri, Giulia; Haas, Justin; d'Oro, Luca Cavalieri; Annoni, Giorgio

2018-05-31

Studies exploring the incidence and impact of the psychomotor subtypes of postoperative delirium (POD) on the survival of hip fracture patients are few, and results are inconsistent. We sought to assess the incidence of POD subtypes and their impact, in addition to delirium duration, on 6-month mortality in older patients after hip-fracture surgery. This is a prospective study involving 571 individuals admitted to an Orthogeriatric Unit within a 5-year period with a diagnosis of hip fracture. Survival status was assessed 6 months after posthip fracture surgery. Postoperative delirium was diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Postoperative delirium subtypes were classified according to Lipowski's criteria. Cox regressions were used to evaluate the associations between POD subtypes, POD duration, and 6-month mortality, adjusting for covariates. The incidence of psychomotor POD subtypes was hypoactive 57 (10.0%), hyperactive 84 (14.7%), and mixed 79 (13.8%). Six-month mortality rates were 8.3%, 10.7%, 36.8%, and 29.1% in the no-delirium, hyperactive, hypoactive, and mixed-delirium subgroups, respectively. In adjusted models, the hypoactive subgroup (Hazard Ratio, HR = 3.14, 95% Confidence Intervals, CI, 1.63-6.04) and mixed subgroup (HR = 2.89, 95% CI, 1.49-5.62) showed high mortality rates and a significantly increased risk of mortality associated with POD duration as well. Hyperactive delirium was the most common POD psychomotor subtype, but hypoactive and mixed POD were associated with 6-month mortality risk. Moreover, the risk of death 6 months after surgery increased for both subgroups (hypoactive and mixed) with increasing duration of POD. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Pēpi-Pod study: Overnight video, oximetry and thermal environment while using an in-bed sleep device for sudden unexpected death in infancy prevention.

PubMed

Tipene-Leach, David; Baddock, Sally A; Williams, Sheila M; Tangiora, Angeline; Jones, Raymond; McElnay, Caroline; Taylor, Barry J

2018-06-01

The aim of this study was to identify the potential risks and benefits of sleeping infants in a Pēpi-Pod distributed to families with high risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy compared to a bassinet. Forty-five mostly indigenous Māori mothers who were referred by local health providers to receive a Pēpi-Pod were surveyed at recruitment, 1 and 3 months. A sleep study at 1 month included infrared video, oximetry and temperature measures. When compared with 89 historical bassinet controls, an intention-to-treat analysis of questionnaires showed no increase in direct bed sharing but demonstrated significantly less sharing of the maternal bedroom at both interviews, with the majority of those not sleeping in the maternal bedroom, actually sleeping in the living room. The 1 month 'as-used' analysis showed poorer maternal sleep quality. The 'as-used' analysis of video data (24 Pēpi-Pod and 113 bassinet infants) also showed no increase in direct bed sharing, head covering or prone/side sleep position. Differences in oxygen saturation were not significant, but heart rate was higher in the Pēpi-Pod infants by 8.37 bpm (95% confidence interval 4.40, 12.14). Time in the thermal comfort zone was not different between groups despite Pēpi-Pod infants being situated in significantly warmer rooms. Overall, we found that most differences in infant risk behaviours in a Pēpi-Pod compared to a bassinet were small, with confidence intervals excluding meaningful differences. We noted poorer maternal sleep quality at 1 month. Higher infant heart rates in the Pēpi-Pod group may be related to higher room temperatures. The Pēpi-Pod appears physiologically safe but is associated with lower reported maternal sleep quality. © 2018 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

The effects of iPod and text-messaging use on driver distraction: a bio-behavioral analysis.

PubMed

Mouloua, M; Ahern, A; Quevedo, A; Jaramillo, D; Rinalducci, E; Smither, J; Alberti, P; Brill, C

2012-01-01

This study was designed to empirically examine the effects of iPod device and text-messaging activities on driver distraction. Sixty participants were asked to perform a driving simulation task while searching for songs using an iPod device or text messaging. Driving errors as measured by lane deviations were recorded and analyzed as a function of the distracters. Physiological measures (EEG) were also recorded during the driving phases in order to measure participant levels of cortical arousal. It was hypothesized that iPod use and text messaging would result in a profound effect on driving ability. The results showed a significant effect of iPod use and text-messaging on driving performance. Increased numbers of driving errors were recorded during the iPod and text-messaging phases than the pre- and post-allocation phases. Higher levels of Theta activity were also observed during the iPod and Text-messaging phase than the pre- and post-allocation phases. Implications for in-vehicle systems design, training, and safety are also discussed.

Broad bean and pea by-products as sources of fibre-rich ingredients: potential antioxidant activity measured in vitro.

PubMed

Mateos-Aparicio, Inmaculada; Redondo-Cuenca, Araceli; Villanueva-Suárez, María-José

2012-02-01

By-products generated during the processing of plant food can be considered a promising source of dietary fibre as a functional compound. The dietary fibre composition, soluble sugars and antioxidant activity of the extractable polyphenols of pea and broad bean by-products have been analysed in this study. Total dietary fibre using AOAC methods plus hydrolysis (broad bean pod: 337.3 g kg⁻¹; pea pod: 472.6 g kg⁻¹) is higher (P < 0.05) in both by-products than with the Englyst method (broad bean pod: 309.7 g kg⁻¹; pea pod: 434.6 g kg⁻¹). The main monomers are uronic acids, glucose, arabinose and galactose in broad bean pods. However, pea pods are very rich in glucose and xylose. The soluble sugars analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography in both by-products have glucose as the most important component, followed by sucrose and fructose. The ferric reducing antioxidant power (broad bean pod: 406.4 µmol Trolox equivalents g⁻¹; pea pod: 25.9 µmol Trolox equivalents g⁻¹) and scavenging effect on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (EC₅₀ of broad bean pod: 0.4 mg mL⁻¹; EC₅₀ of pea pod: 16.0 mg mL⁻¹) were also measured. Broad bean and pea by-products are very rich in dietary fibre, particularly insoluble dietary fibre and their extractable polyphenols demonstrate antioxidant activity. Therefore they might be regarded as functional ingredients. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparing Distribution of Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) Derived from Satellite Telemetry and Passive Acoustic Monitoring

PubMed Central

Rigét, Frank F.; Kyhn, Line A.; Sveegaard, Signe; Dietz, Rune; Tougaard, Jakob; Carlström, Julia A. K.; Carlén, Ida; Koblitz, Jens C.; Teilmann, Jonas

2016-01-01

Cetacean monitoring is essential in determining the status of a population. Different monitoring methods should reflect the real trends in abundance and patterns in distribution, and results should therefore ideally be independent of the selected method. Here, we compare two independent methods of describing harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) relative distribution pattern in the western Baltic Sea. Satellite locations from 13 tagged harbour porpoises were used to build a Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model of suitable habitats. The data set was subsampled to one location every second day, which were sufficient to make reliable models over the summer (Jun-Aug) and autumn (Sep-Nov) seasons. The modelled results were compared to harbour porpoise acoustic activity obtained from 36 static acoustic monitoring stations (C-PODs) covering the same area. The C-POD data was expressed as the percentage of porpoise positive days/hours (the number of days/hours per day with porpoise detections) by season. The MaxEnt model and C-POD data showed a significant linear relationship with a strong decline in porpoise occurrence from west to east. This study shows that two very different methods provide comparable information on relative distribution patterns of harbour porpoises even in a low density area. PMID:27463509

Forecasting Dust Storms Using the CARMA-Dust Model and MM5 Weather Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnum, B. H.; Winstead, N. S.; Wesely, J.; Hakola, A.; Colarco, P.; Toon, O. B.; Ginoux, P.; Brooks, G.; Hasselbarth, L. M.; Toth, B.; Sterner, R.

2002-12-01

An operational model for the forecast of dust storms in Northern Africa, the Middle East and Southwest Asia has been developed for the United States Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA). The dust forecast model uses the 5th generation Penn State Mesoscale Meteorology Model (MM5), and a modified version of the Colorado Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA). AFWA conducted a 60 day evaluation of the dust model to look at the model's ability to forecast dust storms for short, medium and long range (72 hour) forecast periods. The study used satellite and ground observations of dust storms to verify the model's effectiveness. Each of the main mesoscale forecast theaters was broken down into smaller sub-regions for detailed analysis. The study found the forecast model was able to forecast dust storms in Saharan Africa and the Sahel region with an average Probability of Detection (POD)exceeding 68%, with a 16% False Alarm Rate (FAR). The Southwest Asian theater had average POD's of 61% with FAR's averaging 10%.

Harbour porpoise distribution can vary at small spatiotemporal scales in energetic habitats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benjamins, Steven; van Geel, Nienke; Hastie, Gordon; Elliott, Jim; Wilson, Ben

2017-07-01

Marine habitat heterogeneity underpins species distribution and can be generated through interactions between physical and biological drivers at multiple spatiotemporal scales. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is used worldwide to study potential impacts of marine industrial activities on cetaceans, but understanding of animals' site use at small spatiotemporal scales (<1 km, <1 day) remains limited. Small-scale variability in vocalising harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) distribution within two Scottish marine renewable energy development (MRED) sites was investigated by deploying dense arrays of C-POD passive acoustic detectors at a wave energy test site (the European Marine Energy Centre [Billia Croo, Orkney]) and by a minor tidal-stream site (Scarba [Inner Hebrides]). Respective arrays consisted of 7 and 11 moorings containing two C-PODs each and were deployed for up to 55 days. Minimum inter-mooring distances varied between 300-600 m. All C-POD data were analysed at a temporal resolution of whole minutes, with each minute classified as 1 or 0 on the basis of presence/absence of porpoise click trains (Porpoise-Positive Minutes/PPMs). Porpoise detection rates were analysed using Generalised Additive Models (GAMs) with Generalised Estimation Equations (GEEs). Although there were many porpoise detections (wave test site: N=3,432; tidal-stream site: N=17,366), daily detection rates varied significantly within both arrays. Within the wave site array (<1 km diameter), average daily detection rates varied from 4.3 to 14.8 PPMs/day. Within the tidal-stream array (<2 km diameter), average daily detection rates varied from 10.3 to 49.7 PPMs/day. GAM-GEE model results for individual moorings within both arrays indicated linkages between porpoise presence and small-scale heterogeneity among different environmental covariates (e.g., tidal phase, time of day). Porpoise detection rates varied considerably but with coherent patterns between moorings only several hundred metres apart and within hours. These patterns presumably have ecological relevance. These results indicate that, in energetically active and heterogeneous areas, porpoises can display significant spatiotemporal variability in site use at scales of hundreds of metres and hours. Such variability will not be identified when using solitary moored PAM detectors (a common practice for site-based cetacean monitoring), but may be highly relevant for site-based impact assessments of MRED and other coastal developments. PAM arrays encompassing several detectors spread across a site therefore appear to be a more appropriate tool to study site-specific cetacean use of spatiotemporally heterogeneous habitat and assess the potential impacts of coastal and nearshore developments at small scales.

Uncertainty and operational considerations in mass prophylaxis workforce planning.

PubMed

Hupert, Nathaniel; Xiong, Wei; King, Kathleen; Castorena, Michelle; Hawkins, Caitlin; Wu, Cindie; Muckstadt, John A

2009-12-01

The public health response to an influenza pandemic or other large-scale health emergency may include mass prophylaxis using multiple points of dispensing (PODs) to deliver countermeasures rapidly to affected populations. Computer models created to date to determine "optimal" staffing levels at PODs typically assume stable patient demand for service. The authors investigated POD function under dynamic and uncertain operational environments. The authors constructed a Monte Carlo simulation model of mass prophylaxis (the Dynamic POD Simulator, or D-PODS) to assess the consequences of nonstationary patient arrival patterns on POD function under a variety of POD layouts and staffing plans. Compared are the performance of a standard POD layout under steady-state and variable patient arrival rates that may mimic real-life variation in patient demand. To achieve similar performance, PODs functioning under nonstationary patient arrival rates require higher staffing levels than would be predicted using the assumption of stationary arrival rates. Furthermore, PODs may develop severe bottlenecks unless staffing levels vary over time to meet changing patient arrival patterns. Efficient POD networks therefore require command and control systems capable of dynamically adjusting intra- and inter-POD staff levels to meet demand. In addition, under real-world operating conditions of heightened uncertainty, fewer large PODs will require a smaller total staff than many small PODs to achieve comparable performance. Modeling environments that capture the effects of fundamental uncertainties in public health disasters are essential for the realistic evaluation of response mechanisms and policies. D-PODS quantifies POD operational efficiency under more realistic conditions than have been modeled previously. The authors' experiments demonstrate that effective POD staffing plans must be responsive to variation and uncertainty in POD arrival patterns. These experiments highlight the need for command and control systems to be created to manage emergency response successfully.

Impact of Genomics Platform and Statistical Filtering on Transcriptional Benchmark Doses (BMD) and Multiple Approaches for Selection of Chemical Point of Departure (PoD)

PubMed Central

Webster, A. Francina; Chepelev, Nikolai; Gagné, Rémi; Kuo, Byron; Recio, Leslie; Williams, Andrew; Yauk, Carole L.

2015-01-01

Many regulatory agencies are exploring ways to integrate toxicogenomic data into their chemical risk assessments. The major challenge lies in determining how to distill the complex data produced by high-content, multi-dose gene expression studies into quantitative information. It has been proposed that benchmark dose (BMD) values derived from toxicogenomics data be used as point of departure (PoD) values in chemical risk assessments. However, there is limited information regarding which genomics platforms are most suitable and how to select appropriate PoD values. In this study, we compared BMD values modeled from RNA sequencing-, microarray-, and qPCR-derived gene expression data from a single study, and explored multiple approaches for selecting a single PoD from these data. The strategies evaluated include several that do not require prior mechanistic knowledge of the compound for selection of the PoD, thus providing approaches for assessing data-poor chemicals. We used RNA extracted from the livers of female mice exposed to non-carcinogenic (0, 2 mg/kg/day, mkd) and carcinogenic (4, 8 mkd) doses of furan for 21 days. We show that transcriptional BMD values were consistent across technologies and highly predictive of the two-year cancer bioassay-based PoD. We also demonstrate that filtering data based on statistically significant changes in gene expression prior to BMD modeling creates more conservative BMD values. Taken together, this case study on mice exposed to furan demonstrates that high-content toxicogenomics studies produce robust data for BMD modelling that are minimally affected by inter-technology variability and highly predictive of cancer-based PoD doses. PMID:26313361

Histological survey of symbionts and other conditions of pod razor clam Ensis siliqua (Linnaeus, 1758) in Galicia (NW Spain).

PubMed

Ruiz, Maite; Darriba, Susana; Rodríguez, Rosana; López, Carmen

2013-01-01

The aim of the present study was to carry out a survey of parasites and other conditions affecting pod razor clam populations, Ensis siliqua, in two beds from Galicia (NW Spain). In Galicia, the production of E. siliqua has increased in recent years due to the development of specific plans for its exploitation, however few and quite recent pathological studies have been carried out in this species. The results of this study showed the presence of different protozoa as the more prevalent group, especially Nematopsis sp. gregarines, unidentified branchial protozoa, renal coccidia and Trichodina sp. ciliates. Larval stages of trematodes and neoplastic disorders were also observed with lower prevalences. Furthermore, an ultrastructural analysis of two types of unidentified basophilic inclusions, both found in the digestive gland, revealed the presence of icosahedral viral particles and prokaryotic organisms, respectively. None of the parasites detected in E. siliqua from this study was notifiable to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the majority of the symbionts and conditions observed in their tissues did not cause host damage. Nevertheless, parasites like bucephalid digenean sporocysts, viral inclusions, prokaryotic infections, disseminated neoplasm or germinoma detected in some samples could cause moderate or severe damage to the host depending on the intensity of infection. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pediatric exposure to laundry detergent pods.

PubMed

Valdez, Amanda L; Casavant, Marcel J; Spiller, Henry A; Chounthirath, Thiphalak; Xiang, Huiyun; Smith, Gary A

2014-12-01

Laundry detergent pods are a new product in the US marketplace. This study investigates the epidemiologic characteristics and outcomes of laundry detergent pod exposures among young children in the United States. Using data from the National Poison Data System, exposures to laundry detergent pods among children younger than 6 years of age during 2012-2013 were investigated. There were 17 230 children younger than 6 years exposed to laundry detergent pods in 2012-2013. From March 2012 to April 2013, the monthly number of exposures increased by 645.3%, followed by a 25.1% decrease from April to December 2013. Children younger than 3 years accounted for 73.5% of cases. The major route of exposure was ingestion, accounting for 79.7% of cases. Among exposed children, 4.4% were hospitalized and 7.5% experienced a moderate or major medical outcome. A spectrum of clinical effects from minor to serious was seen with ingestion and ocular exposures. There were 102 patients (0.6%) exposed to a detergent pod via ingestion, aspiration, or a combination of routes, including ingestion, who required tracheal intubation. There was 1 confirmed death. Laundry detergent pods pose a serious poisoning risk to young children. This nationwide study underscores the need for increased efforts to prevent exposure of young children to these products, which may include improvements in product packaging and labeling, development of a voluntary product safety standard, and public education. Product constituent reformulation is another potential strategy to mitigate the severity of clinical effects of laundry detergent pod exposure. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Delirium, Frailty, and Fast-Track Surgery in Oncogeriatrics: Is There a Link?

PubMed Central

Monacelli, Fiammetta; Signori, Alessio; Prefumo, Matteo; Giannotti, Chiara; Nencioni, Alessio; Romairone, Emanuele; Scabini, Stefano; Odetti, Patrizio

2018-01-01

Background/Aims Postoperative delirium (POD) is more frequent in elderly patients undergoing major cancer surgery. The interplay between individual clinical vulnerability and a series of perioperative factors seems to play a relevant role. Surgery is the first-line treatment option for cancer, and fast-track surgery (FTS) has been documented to decrease postoperative complications. The study sought to assess, after comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and frailty stratification (Rockwood 40 items index), which perioperative parameters were predictive of POD development in elderly patients undergoing FTS for colorectal cancer. Methods A total of 107 consecutive subjects admitted for elective colorectal FTS were enrolled. All patients underwent CGA, frailly stratification, Timed up & go (TUG) test, 4AT test for delirium screening, anesthesiologists physical status classification, and Dindo-Clavien classification. Results The incidence of POD was 12.3%. Patients’ prevalent clinical phenotype was pre-frail. The multivariate analysis indicated physical performance (TUG in seconds) as the most significant predictor of POD for each second of increase. Conclusions Only few procedure-specific studies have examined the impact of FTS for colorectal cancer on POD. This is the first study to investigate the risk factors for POD, in a vulnerable octogenarian oncogeriatric population submitted to FTS surgery and frailty stratification. PMID:29515621

A method for creating interactive content for the iPod, and its potential use as a learning tool: Technical Advances

PubMed Central

Palmer, Edward J; Devitt, Peter G

2007-01-01

Background Podcasting is currently a popular means of delivery of information with a large number of podcasts specifically tailored for educational purposes. It can be argued that the passive nature of this teaching methodology limits the educational benefit that can be derived from podcasts. This paper describes the development and construction of interactive material for the iPod, and a survey of student attitudes towards this type of learning material. Methods The development of interactive material for an iPod is described in detail. This material was developed and demonstrated to 50 medical students. These students completed a paper-based survey on the potential uses of this technology, before and after a 20 minute presentation in class of an interactive case-study on an iPod. Results A technical description of how to develop interactive content for the iPod was created. The results of the student survey indicate a favourable shift in student attitudes after viewing the interactive case. Despite only 15% of the students owning an iPod, 57% of the students were positive about having access to interactive iPod content and 59% believed they would use it whilst travelling. The percentage of students who felt podcasting was a useful means of learning increased from 9% to 41%. Conclusion The development of interactive content for the iPod is feasible. There are indications that students view interactive iPod cases as having value as an additional learning resource. PMID:17888168

Inflammatory markers in postoperative delirium (POD) and cognitive dysfunction (POCD): A meta-analysis of observational studies

PubMed Central

Liu, Xuling; Yu, Yang

2018-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to summarize and discuss the similarities and differences in inflammatory biomarkers in postoperative delirium (POD) and cognitive dysfunction (POCD). Methods A systematic retrieval of literature up to June 2017 in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, and the Wanfang database was conducted. Extracted data were analyzed with STATA (version 14). The standardized mean difference (SMD) and the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of each indicator were calculated using a random effect model. We also performed tests of heterogeneity, sensitivity analysis, assessments of bias, and meta-regression in this meta-analysis. Results A total of 54 observational studies were included. By meta-analysis we found significantly increased C-reactive protein (CRP) (9 studies, SMD 0.883, 95% CI 0.130 to 1.637, P = 0.022 in POD; 10 studies, SMD -0.133, 95% CI -0.512 to 0.246, P = 0.429 in POCD) and interleukin (IL)-6 (7 studies, SMD 0.386, 95% CI 0.054 to 0.717, P = 0.022 in POD; 16 studies, SMD 0.089, 95% CI -0.133 to 0.311, P = 0.433 in POCD) concentrations in both POD and POCD patients. We also found that the SMDs of CRP and IL-6 from POCD patients were positively correlated with surgery type in the meta-regression (CRP: Coefficient = 1.555365, P = 0.001, 10 studies; IL-6: Coefficient = -0.6455521, P = 0.086, 16 studies). Conclusion Available evidence from medium-to-high quality observational studies suggests that POD and POCD are indeed correlated with the concentration of peripheral and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflammatory markers. Some of these markers, such as CRP and IL-6, play roles in both POD and POCD, while others are specific to either one of them. PMID:29641605

Assessing of the contributions of pod photosynthesis to carbon acquisition of seed in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

PubMed

Zhang, Wenxu; Mao, Peisheng; Li, Yuan; Wang, Mingya; Xia, Fangshan; Wang, Hui

2017-02-07

The distribution of carbon from a branch setting pod in alfalfa was investigated during the seed development of seeds to determine the relative contribution of pod and leaf photoassimilates to the total C balance and to investigate the partitioning of these photoassimilates to other plant organs. A 13 Clabeling procedure was used to label C photoassimilates of pods and leaves in alfalfa, and the Δ 13 C values of a pod, leaves, a section of stem and roots were measured during seed development on day 10, 15, 20 and 25 after labeling of the pod. The results showed that the alfalfa pod had photosynthetic capacity early in the development of seeds, and that pod photosynthesis could provide carbon to alfalfa organs including seeds, pods, leaves, stems and roots, in addition to leaf photosynthesis. Photosynthesis in the pod affected the total C balance of the alfalfa branch with the redistribution of a portion of pod assimilates to other plant organs. The assimilated 13 C of the pod was used for the growth requirements of plant seeds and pods. The requirements for assimilated C came primarily from the young pod in early seed development, with later requirements provided primarily from the leaf.

Body Fat Measurements in Singaporean Adults Using Four Methods

PubMed Central

Bi, Xinyan; Loo, Yi Ting

2018-01-01

Few studies have been conducted to measure body composition in Asian populations. In this study, we determined the percent body fat (PBF) by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), air-displacement plethysmography (ADP or BOD POD), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and skinfold (SKF) in 445 healthy Singaporean adults. We observed that the BOD POD, BIA and SKF estimates of PBF were highly correlated with that from DEXA (as a reference method) among Singaporean adults. However, they all underestimated PBF (differences of 3.9% for BOD POD, 5.6% for BIA and 12.5% for SKF). Our results filled a gap in the literature by testing the relationships between DEXA and BOD POD, BIA and SKF in a large sample with a wide range of body mass index (BMI) from 16.1 to 37.5 kg/m2 and age from 21 to 69.2 years. The differences of PBF measured by different methods were dependent on age, gender and ethnicity. No significant difference was observed between DEXA and BOD POD in men aged > 40 or in BMI tertile 3. However, the mean difference between DEXA and BOD POD was significant in women. Different measuring methods of estimating PBF therefore must be cautiously interpreted. PMID:29510545

Effect of urea treatment of cocoa pod on rumen fermentation characteristics in vitro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anggraeni, A. S.; Herdian, H.; Sakti, A. A.; Sofyan, A.; Ekaningrum, M.

2017-12-01

Indonesia is a third largest country in the world for cocoa production. A cocoa pod could be utilized as alternative feeds due to their sufficient quantity and availability throughout the year. On the other hand, low nutritional quality such as highly fibrous materials and low protein content usually characterized in agricultural and plantation by-products as it appears on cocoa pod. Ammoniation treatment using urea improve the nutritional quality of feedstuff. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of ammoniation treatments on a cocoa pod on in vitro feed fermentation and gas production on ruminal fluid. KA treatment gave highest gas production than other treatment. Total gas production during 48 hours of the cocoa pod was significantly affected by treatments (P<0.05). Total volatile acid (VFA), acetate (C2), propionate (C3), butyrate (C4) total VFA and A/P ratio indicated no significant difference among treatments. KA and KD treatments have tendency effect on IVDMD than control (KS) treatment. In this study ammoniation treatment using 5% of urea had a positive and effect on the best degradability and ruminal fermentation of cocoa pod.

The effects of practice with MP3 players on driving performance.

PubMed

Chisholm, S L; Caird, J K; Lockhart, J

2008-03-01

This study examined the effects of repeated iPod interactions on driver performance to determine if performance decrements decreased with practice. Nineteen younger drivers (mean age=19.4, range 18-22) participated in a seven session study in the University of Calgary Driving Simulator (UCDS). Drivers encountered a number of critical events on the roadways while interacting with an iPod including a pedestrian entering the roadway, a vehicle pullout, and a lead vehicle braking. Measures of hazard response, vehicle control, eye movements, and secondary task performance were analyzed. Increases in perception response time (PRT) and collisions were found while drivers were performing the difficult iPod tasks, which involved finding a specific song within the song titles menu. Over the course of the six experimental sessions, driving performance improved in all conditions. Difficult iPod interactions significantly increased the amount of visual attention directed into the vehicle above that of the baseline condition. With practice, slowed responses to driving hazards while interacting with the iPod declined somewhat, but a decrement still remained relative to the baseline condition. The multivariate results suggest that access to difficult iPod tasks while vehicles are in motion should be curtailed.

Influence of Peanut Cultivars and Environmental Conditions on the Diversity and Community Composition of Pod Rot Soil Fungi in China.

PubMed

Wang, Mian; Chen, Mingna; Yang, Zhen; Chen, Na; Chi, Xiaoyuan; Pan, Lijuan; Wang, Tong; Yu, Shanlin; Guo, Xingqi

2017-12-01

Peanut yield and quality are seriously affected by pod rot pathogens worldwide, especially in China in recent years. The goals of this study are to analyze the structure of fungal communities of peanut pod rot in soil in three peanut cultivars and the correlation of pod rot with environmental variables using 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 46,723 internal transcribed spacer high-quality sequences were obtained and grouped into 1,706 operational taxonomic units at the 97% similarity cut-off level. The coverage, rank abundance, and the Chao 1 and Shannon diversity indices of the operational taxonomic units were analyzed. Members of the phylum Ascomycota were dominant, such as Fusarium , Chaetomium , Alternaria , and Sordariomycetes , followed by Basidiomycota. The results of the heatmap and redundancy analysis revealed significant variation in the composition of the fungal community among the three cultivar samples. The environmental conditions in different peanut cultivars may also influence on the structure of the fungal community. The results of this study suggest that the causal agent of peanut pod rot may be more complex, and cultivars and environmental conditions are both important contributors to the community structure of peanut pod rot fungi.

Physiological traits of endornavirus-infected and endornavirus-free common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cv Black Turtle Soup.

PubMed

Khankhum, S; Valverde, R A

2018-04-01

This study evaluated the physiological traits of eight lines of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cv. Black Turtle Soup, four of which were double-infected with Phaseolus vulgaris endornavirus 1 and Phaseolus vulgaris endornavirus 2, and four of which were endornavirus-free. Plants from all eight lines were morphologically similar and did not show statistically significant differences in plant height, wet weight, number of days to flowering and pod formation, pods per plant, pod thickness, seed size, number of seeds per pod, and anthocyanin content. However, the endornavirus-infected lines had faster seed germination, longer radicle, lower chlorophyll content, higher carotene content, longer pods, and higher weight of 100 seeds, all of which were statistically significant. The endornaviruses were not associated with visible pathogenic effects.

Pod Mildew on Soybeans Can Mitigate the Damage to the Seed Arising from Field Mold at Harvest Time.

PubMed

Liu, Jiang; Deng, Juncai; Zhang, Ke; Wu, Haijun; Yang, Caiqiong; Zhang, Xiaowen; Du, Junbo; Shu, Kai; Yang, Wenyu

2016-12-07

Seedpods are the outermost barrier of legume plants encountered by pests and pathogens, but research on this tissue, especially regarding their chemical constituents, is limited. In the present study, a mildew-index-model-based cluster analysis was used to evaluate and identify groups of soybean genotypes with different organ-specific resistance against field mold. The constituents of soybean pods, including proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and isoflavones, were analyzed. Linear regression and correlation analyses were also conducted between these main pod constituents and the organ-specific mildew indexes of seed (MIS) and pod (MIP). With increases in the contents of infection constituents, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fatty acids, the MIP increased and the MIS decreased. The MIS decreased with increases in the contents of glycitein (GLE)-type isoflavonoids, which act as antibiotic constituents. Although the infection constituents in the soybean pods caused pod mildew, they also helped mitigate the corresponding seed mildew to a certain extent.

Local analgesic effect of tramadol is mediated by opioid receptors in late postoperative pain after plantar incision in rats.

PubMed

de Oliveira Junior, José Oswaldo; de Freitas, Milena Fernandes; Bullara de Andrade, Carolina; Chacur, Marucia; Ashmawi, Hazem Adel

2016-01-01

Tramadol is a drug used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is known to present a peripheral effect, but the local mechanisms underlying its actions remain unclear. The role of peripheral opioid receptors in postoperative pain is not well understood. In the present study, we examined the peripheral opioid receptors to determine the local effect of tramadol in a plantar incision pain model. Rats were subjected to plantar incision and divided into four groups on postoperative day (POD) 1: SF_SF, 0.9% NaCl injected into the right hindpaw; SF_TraI, 0.9% NaCl and tramadol injected into the right hindpaw; SF_TraC, 0.9% NaCl and tramadol injected into the contralateral hindpaw; and Nal_Tra, naloxone and tramadol injected into the ipsilateral hindpaw. To determine the animals' nociceptive threshold, mechanical hyperalgesia was measured before incision, on POD1 before treatment and at 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after the incision. The same procedure was repeated on the POD2. The expression levels of μ-opioid receptor (MOR) and δ-opioid receptor (DOR) were obtained through immunoblotting assays in the lumbar dorsal root ganglia (L3-L6) in naïve rats and 1, 2, 3, and 7 days after the incision. Our results showed that the plantar incision was able to cause an increase in mechanical hyperalgesia and that tramadol reversed this hyperalgesia on POD1 and POD2. Tramadol injections in the contralateral paw did not affect the animals' nociceptive threshold. Naloxone was able to antagonize the tramadol effect partially on POD1 and completely on POD2. The DOR expression increased on POD2, POD3, and POD7, whereas the MOR expression did not change. Together, our results show that tramadol promoted a local analgesic effect in the postoperative pain model that was antagonized by naloxone in POD2, alongside the increase of DOR expression.

Breeding behaviour of pilot whales revealed by DNA fingerprinting.

PubMed

Amos, B; Barrett, J; Dover, G A

1991-08-01

Most species of whale spend the majority of their lives well away from land, are capable of migrating over large distances and are difficult to identify individually. However, conservation measures require a detailed understanding of their social structure, breeding behaviour and migration patterns. The advent of DNA fingerprinting permits a systematic investigation of such parameters. In the Faeroe Islands there exists a traditional harvest of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas), in which intact social groups (pods) are captured. This affords a unique opportunity to study genetic relationships within and between pods. We report here on a paternity analysis, using DNA fingerprinting, of mother-fetus pairs and males sampled from complete pods. In addition, a single, highly polymorphic minisatellite locus was used to infer degrees of relatedness between groups of fetuses and females. Taken together, our results suggest that pods consist of closely related adult females and their offspring. Sexually mature males either move frequently between pods or remain in their natal pod but refrain from mating with female relatives. Whichever hypothesis is correct, the data suggest that each male spends only a few months with the female post-mating and individual males often father several fetuses within a pod.

Severe post-renal acute kidney injury, post-obstructive diuresis and renal recovery.

PubMed

Hamdi, Aïcha; Hajage, David; Van Glabeke, Emmanuel; Belenfant, Xavier; Vincent, François; Gonzalez, Frédéric; Ciroldi, Magali; Obadia, Edouard; Chelha, Riad; Pallot, Jean-Louis; Das, Vincent

2012-12-01

Study Type--Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4. What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? The pathophysiology of post-renal acute kidney injury (PR-AKI), i.e. caused by urinary tract obstruction, has been extensively studied in animal models but clinical studies on this subject are outdated, and/or have focused on the mechanisms of 'post-obstructive diuresis' (POD), a potentially life-threatening polyuria that can develop after the release of obstruction. In severe PR-AKI, the risk of occurrence of POD is high. POD occurrence predicts renal recovery without the persistence of severe chronic kidney failure. In the present study, the occurrence of POD and the persistence of chronic renal sequelae could be predicted early from clinical variables at admission before the release of obstruction. • To identify predictors of post-obstructive diuresis (POD) occurrence or severe chronic renal failure (CRF) persistence after the release of urinary tract obstruction in the setting of post-renal acute kidney injury (PR-AKI). • Bi-centre retrospective observational study of all patients with PR-AKI treated in two intensive care units (ICUs) from 1998 to 2010. • Clinical, biological and imaging characteristics on admission and after the release of obstruction were analysed with univariate and, if possible, multivariate analysis to search for predictors of (i) occurrence of POD (diuresis >4 L/day) after the release of obstruction; (ii) persistence of severe CRF (estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73 m(2), including end-stage CRF) at 3 months. • On admission, median (range) serum creatinine was 866 (247-3119) µmol/L. • POD occurred in 34 (63%) of the 54 analysable patients. On admission, higher serum creatinine (Odds ratio [OR] 1.002 per 1 µmol/L, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.000-1.004, P = 0.004), higher serum bicarbonate (OR 1.36 per 1 mmol/L, 95% CI 1.13-1.65, P < 0.001), and urinary retention (OR 6.96, 95% CI 1.34-36.23, P = 0.01) independently predicted POD occurrence. • Severe CRF persisted in seven (21%) of the 34 analysable patients, including two (6%) cases of end-stage CRF. Predictors of severe CRF persistence after univariate analysis were: lower blood haemoglobin (P < 0.001) and lower serum bicarbonate (P = 0.03) on admission, longer time from admission to the release of obstruction (P = 0.01) and absence of POD (P = 0.04) after the release of obstruction. • In severe PR-AKI treated in ICU, POD occurrence was a frequent event that predicted renal recovery without severe CRF. • POD occurrence or severe CRF persistence could be predicted early from clinical and biological variables at admission before the release of obstruction. © 2012 THE AUTHORS. BJU INTERNATIONAL © 2012 BJU INTERNATIONAL.

The Hospice Information System and its association with the congruence between the preferred and actual place of death.

PubMed

Lin, Huang-Ren; Wang, Jen-Hung; Hsieh, Jyh-Gang; Wang, Ying-Wei; Kao, Sheng-Lun

2017-01-01

A Hospice Information System (HIS) developed in eastern Taiwan in 2012 aimed to improve the quality of hospice care through an integrated system that provided telemetry-based vital sign records, online 24/7 consultations, online video interviews, and online health educations. The purpose of this study was to explore the congruence between the preferred and actual place of death (POD) among patients who received HIS services. A retrospective study was performed from January 2012 to August 2016. Data from patients enrolled in the HIS who died during this period were included. Data on basic characteristics and the actual and preferred POD were obtained from the HIS database. The primary outcome was the congruence between the preferred and actual POD. Secondary outcomes were comparisons between patients who did and did not achieve their preferred POD. Further comparisons between patients who did and did not achieve home death were also performed. In total, we enrolled 481 patients who received HIS services and died. Of them, 444 (92.3%) died at their preferred POD. Patients who preferred an inpatient hospice as their POD had higher achievement rate than those who wanted a home death. High-intensity HIS utilization was associated with a higher likelihood of home death than low-intensity HIS utilization. Patients living in areas distant from the medical center had lower achievement of home death than those living in local areas. This study suggested that patients enrolled in the HIS had high congruence between the actual and preferred POD.

Evaluation of 3M molecular detection assay (MDA) Salmonella for the detection of Salmonella in selected foods: collaborative study.

PubMed

Bird, Patrick; Fisher, Kiel; Boyle, Megan; Huffman, Travis; Benzinger, M Joseph; Bedinghaus, Paige; Flannery, Jonathan; Crowley, Erin; Agin, James; Goins, David; Benesh, DeAnn; David, John

2013-01-01

The 3M Molecular Detection Assay (MDA) Salmonella is used with the 3M Molecular Detection System for the detection of Salmonella spp. in food, food-related, and environmental samples after enrichment. The assay utilizes loop-mediated isothermal amplification to rapidly amplify Salmonella target DNA with high specificity and sensitivity, combined with bioluminescence to detect the amplification. The 3M MDA Salmonella method was compared using an unpaired study design in a multilaboratory collaborative study to the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Food Safety and Inspection Service-Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (USDA/FSIS-MLG 4.05), Isolation and Identification of Salmonella from Meat, Poultry, Pasteurized Egg and Catfish Products for raw ground beef and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration/Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA/BAM) Chapter 5 Salmonella reference method for wet dog food following the current AOAC guidelines. A total of 20 laboratories participated. For the 3M MDA Salmonella method, raw ground beef was analyzed using 25 g test portions, and wet dog food was analyzed using 375 g test portions. For the reference methods, 25 g test portions of each matrix were analyzed. Each matrix was artificially contaminated with Salmonella at three inoculation levels: an uninoculated control level (0 CFU/test portion), a low inoculum level (0.2-2 CFU/test portion), and a high inoculum level (2-5 CFU/test portion). In this study, 1512 unpaired replicate samples were analyzed. Statistical analysis was conducted according to the probability of detection (POD). For the low-level raw ground beef test portions, the following dLPOD (difference between the POD of the reference and candidate method) values with 95% confidence intervals were obtained: -0.01 (-0.14, +0.12). For the low-level wet dog food test portions, the following dLPOD with 95% confidence intervals were obtained: -0.04 (-0.16, +0.09). No significant differences were observed in the number of positive samples detected by the 3M MDA Salmonella method versus either the USDA/FSIS-MLG or FDA/BAM methods.

Investigating the intrinsic cleanliness of automated handling designed for EUV mask pod-in-pod systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brux, O.; van der Walle, P.; van der Donck, J. C. J.; Dress, P.

2011-11-01

Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) is the most promising solution for technology nodes 16nm (hp) and below. However, several unique EUV mask challenges must be resolved for a successful launch of the technology into the market. Uncontrolled introduction of particles and/or contamination into the EUV scanner significantly increases the risk for device yield loss and potentially scanner down-time. With the absence of a pellicle to protect the surface of the EUV mask, a zero particle adder regime between final clean and the point-of-exposure is critical for the active areas of the mask. A Dual Pod concept for handling EUV masks had been proposed by the industry as means to minimize the risk of mask contamination during transport and storage. SuSS-HamaTech introduces MaskTrackPro InSync as a fully automated solution for the handling of EUV masks in and out of this Dual Pod System and therefore constitutes an interface between various tools inside the Fab. The intrinsic cleanliness of each individual handling and storage step of the inner shell (EIP) of this Dual Pod and the EUV mask inside the InSync Tool has been investigated to confirm the capability for minimizing the risk of cross-contamination. An Entegris Dual Pod EUV-1000A-A110 has been used for the qualification. The particle detection for the qualification procedure was executed with the TNO's RapidNano Particle Scanner, qualified for particle sizes down to 50nm (PSL equivalent). It has been shown that the target specification of < 2 particles @ 60nm per 25 cycles has been achieved. In case where added particles were measured, the EIP has been identified as a potential root cause for Ni particle generation. Any direct Ni-Al contact has to be avoided to mitigate the risk of material abrasion.

Precise orbit determination of the Fengyun-3C satellite using onboard GPS and BDS observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Min; Li, Wenwen; Shi, Chuang; Jiang, Kecai; Guo, Xiang; Dai, Xiaolei; Meng, Xiangguang; Yang, Zhongdong; Yang, Guanglin; Liao, Mi

2017-11-01

The GNSS Occultation Sounder instrument onboard the Chinese meteorological satellite Fengyun-3C (FY-3C) tracks both GPS and BDS signals for orbit determination. One month's worth of the onboard dual-frequency GPS and BDS data during March 2015 from the FY-3C satellite is analyzed in this study. The onboard BDS and GPS measurement quality is evaluated in terms of data quantity as well as code multipath error. Severe multipath errors for BDS code ranges are observed especially for high elevations for BDS medium earth orbit satellites (MEOs). The code multipath errors are estimated as piecewise linear model in 2{°}× 2{°} grid and applied in precise orbit determination (POD) calculations. POD of FY-3C is firstly performed with GPS data, which shows orbit consistency of approximate 2.7 cm in 3D RMS (root mean square) by overlap comparisons; the estimated orbits are then used as reference orbits for evaluating the orbit precision of GPS and BDS combined POD as well as BDS-based POD. It is indicated that inclusion of BDS geosynchronous orbit satellites (GEOs) could degrade POD precision seriously. The precisions of orbit estimates by combined POD and BDS-based POD are 3.4 and 30.1 cm in 3D RMS when GEOs are involved, respectively. However, if BDS GEOs are excluded, the combined POD can reach similar precision with respect to GPS POD, showing orbit differences about 0.8 cm, while the orbit precision of BDS-based POD can be improved to 8.4 cm. These results indicate that the POD performance with onboard BDS data alone can reach precision better than 10 cm with only five BDS inclined geosynchronous satellite orbit satellites and three MEOs. As the GNOS receiver can only track six BDS satellites for orbit positioning at its maximum channel, it can be expected that the performance of POD with onboard BDS data can be further improved if more observations are generated without such restrictions.

Tracking POD's Engagement with Diversity: A Content Analysis of "To Improve the Academy" and POD Network Conference Programs from 1977 to 2011

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grooters, Stacy E.

2014-01-01

This study examines the degree to which sessions from the annual Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network Conference and articles from "To Improve the Academy" engage questions of diversity. The titles and abstracts of 3,946 conference sessions and 560 journal articles were coded for presence and type of diversity. A…

Effects of light quality on pod elongation in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.).

PubMed

Tanaka, Seiya; Ario, Nobuyuki; Nakagawa, Andressa Camila Seiko; Tomita, Yuki; Murayama, Naoki; Taniguchi, Takatoshi; Hamaoka, Norimitsu; Iwaya-Inoue, Mari; Ishibashi, Yushi

2017-06-03

Soybean pods are located at the nodes, where they are in the shadow, whereas cowpea pods are located outside of the leaves and are exposed to sunlight. To compare the effects of light quality on pod growth in soybean and cowpea, we measured the length of pods treated with white, blue, red or far-red light. In both species, pods elongated faster during the dark period than during the light period in all light treatments except red light treatment in cowpea. Red light significantly suppressed pod elongation in soybean during the dark and light periods. On the other hand, the elongation of cowpea pods treated with red light markedly promoted during the light period. These results suggested that the difference in the pod set sites between soybean and cowpea might account for the difference in their red light responses for pod growth.

Piscivore diet response to a collapse in pelagic prey populations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zeug, Steven; Feyrer, Frederick; Brodsky, Annie; Melgo, Jenny

2017-01-01

Pelagic fish populations in the upper San Francisco Estuary have experienced significant declines since the turn of the century; a pattern known as the pelagic organism decline (POD). This study investigated food habits of piscivorous fishes over two consecutive fall seasons following the decline of pelagic fish prey. Specifically, this study addressed the contribution of pelagic versus benthic prey to piscivorous fish diets, including the frequency of predation on special-status pelagic species, and the spatial variability in prey consumption. The piscivore community was dominated by Striped Bass and also included small numbers of Sacramento Pikeminnow and Largemouth Bass. Overall, pelagic prey items contributed less than 10% of the diet by weight in both years, whereas pre-POD studies gleaned from the literature found contributions of 39–100%, suggesting a major switch from pelagic to benthic prey resources. Between-year variation in piscivore diets reflected differences in environmental conditions associated with variation in freshwater outflow. No special status fish species were detected in any of the piscivore stomachs examined. The consequences of this pelagic to benthic diet shift warrants further investigation to understand its ecological relevance.

Phenotypic diversity and evaluation of fresh pods of cowpea landraces from Southern Europe.

PubMed

Lazaridi, Efstathia; Ntatsi, Georgia; Fernández, Juan A; Karapanos, Ioannis; Carnide, Valdemar; Savvas, Dimitrios; Bebeli, Penelope J

2017-10-01

Cowpea fresh pods are consumed as green vegetables in many countries in Southern Europe. Among cowpea cultivated material, a relatively large number of landraces can be found, maintaining species genetic diversity. To assess the value of these landraces in breeding programs, the characterization and estimation of diversity levels is therefore required. In the present study, an estimation of the diversity and evaluation of cowpea landraces originating from Portugal, Spain and Greece, in terms of their fresh pod traits, was performed, aiming to assist with the problem of low cowpea production in Southern Europe. A notable mean total phenotypic diversity (H T = 0.57) was observed in the whole collection. The Spanish cv. - gr. unguiculata collection exhibited the highest value of total phenotypic diversity (0.56). Landraces did not differ significantly from each other regarding the three countries of origin. Landraces such as Cp4906, Vg60 and BGE038478 presenting higher values of some traits studied could contribute to the breeding of new cowpea varieties for fresh pod production. Positive correlations were observed, indicating the feasibility of breeding for preferable traits regarding fresh pod consumption. The present study has revealed a wide diversity among and within cowpea landraces that could enhance fresh pod production in South European countries. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

ALMDS laser system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kushina, Mark E.; Heberle, Geoff; Hope, Michael; Hall, David; Bethel, Michael; Calmes, Lonnie K.

2003-06-01

The ALMDS (Airborne Laser Mine Detection System) has been developed utilizing a solid-state laser operating at 532nm for naval mine detection. The laser system is integrated into a pod that mounts externally on a helicopter. This laser, along with other receiver systems, enables detailed underwater bathymetry. CEO designs and manufactures the laser portion of this system. Arete Associates integrates the laser system into the complete LIDAR package that utilizes sophisticated streak tube detection technology. Northrop Grumman is responsible for final pod integration. The laser sub-system is comprised of two separate parts: the LTU (Laser Transmitter Unit) and the LEU (Laser Electronics Unit). The LTU and LEU are undergoing MIL-STD-810 testing for vibration, shock, temperature storage and operation extremes, as well as MIL-STD-704E electrical power testing and MIL-STD-461E EMI testing. The Nd:YAG MOPA laser operates at 350 Hz pulse repetition frequency at 45 Watts average 532nm power and is controlled at the system level from within the helicopter. Power monitor circuits allow real time laser health monitoring, which enables input parameter adjustments for consistent laser behavior.

Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE): Aerospace Propulsion Hazard Mitigation Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mizukami, Masashi; Corpening, Griffin P.; Ray, Ronald J.; Hass, Neal; Ennix, Kimberly A.; Lazaroff, Scott M.

1998-01-01

A major hazard posed by the propulsion system of hypersonic and space vehicles is the possibility of fire or explosion in the vehicle environment. The hazard is mitigated by minimizing or detecting, in the vehicle environment, the three ingredients essential to producing fire: fuel, oxidizer, and an ignition source. The Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE) consisted of a linear aerospike rocket engine integrated into one-half of an X-33-like lifting body shape, carried on top of an SR-71 aircraft. Gaseous hydrogen and liquid oxygen were used as propellants. Although LASRE is a one-of-a-kind experimental system, it must be rated for piloted flight, so this test presented a unique challenge. To help meet safety requirements, the following propulsion hazard mitigation systems were incorporated into the experiment: pod inert purge, oxygen sensors, a hydrogen leak detection algorithm, hydrogen sensors, fire detection and pod temperature thermocouples, water misting, and control room displays. These systems are described, and their development discussed. Analyses, ground test, and flight test results are presented, as are findings and lessons learned.

The next generation of low-cost personal air quality sensors for quantitative exposure monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piedrahita, R.; Xiang, Y.; Masson, N.; Ortega, J.; Collier, A.; Jiang, Y.; Li, K.; Dick, R.; Lv, Q.; Hannigan, M.; Shang, L.

2014-03-01

Advances in embedded systems and low-cost gas sensors are enabling a new wave of low cost air quality monitoring tools. Our team has been engaged in the development of low-cost wearable air quality monitors (M-Pods) using the Arduino platform. The M-Pods use commercially available metal oxide semiconductor (MOx) sensors to measure CO, O3, NO2, and total VOCs, and NDIR sensors to measure CO2. MOx sensors are low in cost and show high sensitivity near ambient levels; however they display non-linear output signals and have cross sensitivity effects. Thus, a quantification system was developed to convert the MOx sensor signals into concentrations. Two deployments were conducted at a regulatory monitoring station in Denver, Colorado. M-Pod concentrations were determined using laboratory calibration techniques and co-location calibrations, in which we place the M-Pods near regulatory monitors to then derive calibration function coefficients using the regulatory monitors as the standard. The form of the calibration function was derived based on laboratory experiments. We discuss various techniques used to estimate measurement uncertainties. A separate user study was also conducted to assess personal exposure and M-Pod reliability. In this study, 10 M-Pods were calibrated via co-location multiple times over 4 weeks and sensor drift was analyzed with the result being a calibration function that included drift. We found that co-location calibrations perform better than laboratory calibrations. Lab calibrations suffer from bias and difficulty in covering the necessary parameter space. During co-location calibrations, median standard errors ranged between 4.0-6.1 ppb for O3, 6.4-8.4 ppb for NO2, 0.28-0.44 ppm for CO, and 16.8 ppm for CO2. Median signal to noise (S/N) ratios for the M-Pod sensors were higher for M-Pods than the regulatory instruments: for NO2, 3.6 compared to 23.4; for O3, 1.4 compared to 1.6; for CO, 1.1 compared to 10.0; and for CO2, 42.2 compared to 300-500. The user study provided trends and location-specific information on pollutants, and affected change in user behavior. The study demonstrated the utility of the M-Pod as a tool to assess personal exposure.

Continuous 30-day measurements utilizing the monkey metabolism pod. [study of weightlessness effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pace, N.; Kodama, A. M.; Mains, R. C.; Rahlmann, D. F.; Grunbaum, B. W.

1977-01-01

A fiberglass system was previously described, using which quantitative physiological measurements could be made to study the effects of weightlessness on 10 to 14 kg adult monkeys maintained in comfortable restraint under space flight conditions. Recent improvements in the system have made it possible to obtain continuous measurements of respiratory gas exchange, cardiovascular function, and mineral balance for periods of up to 30 days on pig-tailed monkeys. It has also been possible to operate two pods which share one set of instrumentation, thereby permitting simultaneous measurements to be made on two animals by commutating signal outputs from the pods. In principle, more than two pods could be operated in this fashion. The system is compatible with Spacelab design. Representative physiological data from ground tests of the system are presented.

Evaluation results of a new EUV reticle pod based on SEMI E152

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ota, Kazuya; Yonekawa, Masami; Taguchi, Takao; Suga, Osamu

2010-04-01

To protect the reticle during shipping, storage and tool handling, various reticle pod concepts have been proposed and evaluated in the last 10 years. MIRAI-Selete has been developing EUV reticle handling technology and evaluating EUV reticle pods designed using "Dual Pod Concept" for four years. The concept was jointly proposed by Canon and Nikon at the EUV mask technology and standards workshop at Miyazaki in November 2004; a mask is doubly protected by an inner pod and an outer pod and the mask is carried into an exposure tool with the inner pod. Canon, Nikon and Entegris have started collaboration in 2005 and developed three types of EUV pod prototypes, alpha, beta and gamma. The gamma pods were evaluated by MIRAI-Selete and the superiority of the dual pod concept has been verified with many experimental data on shipping, storage and tool handling. The dual pod concept was standardized as SEMI E152-0709 "Mechanical Specification of EUV Pods for 150mm EUVL Reticles" in 2009. Canon, Nikon and Entegris have developed a new pod design compatible with SEMI E152; it has a Type A inner baseplate for uses with EUV exposure tools. The baseplate has two alignment windows, a window for a data matrix symbol and five pockets as the front edge grip exclusion volumes. In addition to the new features, there are some differences between the new SEMI compliant pod design and the former design "CNE-gamma", e.g. the material of the inner cover was changed to metal to reduce outgassing rate and the gap between the reticle and the side supports were widened to satisfy a requirement of the standard. MIRAI-Selete has evaluated the particle protective capability of the new SEMI compliant pods "cnPod" during shipping, storage and tool handling in vacuum and found the "cnPod" has the excellent particle protective capability and the dual pod concept can be used not only for EUVL pilot line but also for EUVL high volume manufacturing.

User evaluations offer promise for pod-intravaginal ring as a drug delivery platform: A mixed methods study of acceptability and use experiences.

PubMed

Guthrie, Kate M; Rosen, Rochelle K; Vargas, Sara E; Getz, Melissa L; Dawson, Lauren; Guillen, Melissa; Ramirez, Jaime J; Baum, Marc M; Vincent, Kathleen L

2018-01-01

Effective HIV prevention requires efficient delivery of safe and efficacious drugs and optimization of user adherence. The user's experiences with the drug, delivery system, and use parameters are critical to product acceptability and adherence. Prevention product developers have the opportunity to directly control a drug delivery system and its impact on acceptability and adherence, as well as product efficacy. Involvement of potential users during preclinical design and development can facilitate this process. We embedded a mixed methods user evaluation study into a safety and pharmacokinetics (PK) trial of a pod-intravaginal ring delivering antiretroviral agents. Women enrolled in two cohorts, ultimately evaluating the safety/PK of a pod-IVRs delivering TDF-alone, TDF-FTC, and/or TDF-FTC-MVC. A 7-day use period was targeted for each pod-IVR, regardless of drug or drug combination. During the clinical study, participants provided both quantitative (i.e., survey) and qualitative (i.e., in-depth interview) data capturing acceptability, perceptibility, and adherence behaviors. Initial sexual and reproductive health history surveys, daily diaries, a final acceptability and willingness to use survey, and a qualitative in-depth interview comprised the user evaluation data for each pod-IVR experienced by the participants. Overall, the majority of participants (N = 10) reported being willing to use the pod-IVR platform for HIV prevention should it advance to market. Confidence to use the pod-IVR (e.g., insertion, removal) was high. There were no differences noted in the user experience of the pod-IVR platform; that is, whether the ring delivered TDF-alone, TDF-FTC, or TDF-FTC-MVC, users' experiences of the ring were similar and acceptable. Participants did report specific experiences, both sensory and behavioral, that impacted their use behaviors with respect to the ring, and which could ultimately impact acceptability and adherence. These experiences, and user evaluations elicited by them, could both challenge use or be used to leverage use in future trials and product rollout once fully articulated. High willingness-to-use data and lack of salient differences in user experiences related to use of the pod-IVR platform (regardless of agents delivered) suggests that the pod-IVR is a feasible and acceptable drug delivery device in and of itself. This finding holds promise both for an anti-HIV pod-IVR and, potentially, a multipurpose prevention pod-IVR that could deliver both prevention for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV and contraception. Given the very early clinical trial context, further acceptability, perceptibility, and adherence data should continue to be explored, in the context of longer use periods (e.g., 28-day ring use), and in the contexts of sexual activity and menses. Using early design and development contexts to gain insights into potential challenges and facilitators of drug delivery systems such as the pod-IVR could save valuable resources and time as a potential biomedical technology moves through the clinical trial pipeline and into real-world use.

User evaluations offer promise for pod-intravaginal ring as a drug delivery platform: A mixed methods study of acceptability and use experiences

PubMed Central

Rosen, Rochelle K.; Getz, Melissa L.; Dawson, Lauren; Guillen, Melissa; Ramirez, Jaime J.

2018-01-01

Background Effective HIV prevention requires efficient delivery of safe and efficacious drugs and optimization of user adherence. The user’s experiences with the drug, delivery system, and use parameters are critical to product acceptability and adherence. Prevention product developers have the opportunity to directly control a drug delivery system and its impact on acceptability and adherence, as well as product efficacy. Involvement of potential users during preclinical design and development can facilitate this process. We embedded a mixed methods user evaluation study into a safety and pharmacokinetics (PK) trial of a pod-intravaginal ring delivering antiretroviral agents. Methodology Women enrolled in two cohorts, ultimately evaluating the safety/PK of a pod-IVRs delivering TDF-alone, TDF-FTC, and/or TDF-FTC-MVC. A 7-day use period was targeted for each pod-IVR, regardless of drug or drug combination. During the clinical study, participants provided both quantitative (i.e., survey) and qualitative (i.e., in-depth interview) data capturing acceptability, perceptibility, and adherence behaviors. Initial sexual and reproductive health history surveys, daily diaries, a final acceptability and willingness to use survey, and a qualitative in-depth interview comprised the user evaluation data for each pod-IVR experienced by the participants. Findings Overall, the majority of participants (N = 10) reported being willing to use the pod-IVR platform for HIV prevention should it advance to market. Confidence to use the pod-IVR (e.g., insertion, removal) was high. There were no differences noted in the user experience of the pod-IVR platform; that is, whether the ring delivered TDF-alone, TDF-FTC, or TDF-FTC-MVC, users’ experiences of the ring were similar and acceptable. Participants did report specific experiences, both sensory and behavioral, that impacted their use behaviors with respect to the ring, and which could ultimately impact acceptability and adherence. These experiences, and user evaluations elicited by them, could both challenge use or be used to leverage use in future trials and product rollout once fully articulated. Conclusions High willingness-to-use data and lack of salient differences in user experiences related to use of the pod-IVR platform (regardless of agents delivered) suggests that the pod-IVR is a feasible and acceptable drug delivery device in and of itself. This finding holds promise both for an anti-HIV pod-IVR and, potentially, a multipurpose prevention pod-IVR that could deliver both prevention for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV and contraception. Given the very early clinical trial context, further acceptability, perceptibility, and adherence data should continue to be explored, in the context of longer use periods (e.g., 28-day ring use), and in the contexts of sexual activity and menses. Using early design and development contexts to gain insights into potential challenges and facilitators of drug delivery systems such as the pod-IVR could save valuable resources and time as a potential biomedical technology moves through the clinical trial pipeline and into real-world use. PMID:29758049

Protective effects and mechanisms of curcumin on podophyllotoxin toxicity in vitro and in vivo

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

Li, Juan; Dai, Cai-Xia; Sun, Hua

2012-12-01

Podophyllotoxin (POD) is a naturally occurring lignan with pronounced antineoplastic and antiviral properties. POD binds to tubulin and prevents the formation of mitotic spindle. Although cases of overdose or accidental ingestion are quite often, no specific therapy is currently available to treat the POD intoxication. In the current investigation, the protective effects and mechanisms of curcumin (CUR) on podophyllotoxin toxicity were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that CUR could protect POD-induced cytotoxicity by recovering the G2/M arrest and decrease the changes of membrane potential and microtubule structure in Vero cells. A significant decrease of mortality ratesmore » was observed in Swiss mice treated by intragastrical administration of POD + CUR as compared with POD alone. The POD + CUR group also exhibited decreases in plasma transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, plasma urea, creatinine and malondialdehyde level but elevated superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels as compared to the POD group. Histological examination of the liver and kidney demonstrated less morphological changes in the treatment of POD + CUR as compared with POD alone. The mechanism of the protective effects might be due to the competitive binding of CUR with POD in the same colchicines binding site as revealed by the tubulin polymerization assay and the molecular docking analysis, and the antioxidant activity against the oxidative stress induced by POD. In summary, both in vitro and in vivo data indicated the promising role of CUR as a protective agent against the POD poisoning. Highlights: ► A potential antidote to treat the podophyllotoxin (POD) intoxication is found. ► Curcumin showed promising effects against POD poisoning in vitro and in vivo. ► The mechanisms lie in the antioxidant activity and competitive binding with tubulin.« less

Xenon for the prevention of postoperative delirium in cardiac surgery: study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Al Tmimi, Layth; Van de Velde, Marc; Herijgers, Paul; Meyns, Bart; Meyfroidt, Geert; Milisen, Koen; Fieuws, Steffen; Coburn, Mark; Poesen, Koen; Rex, Steffen

2015-10-09

Postoperative delirium (POD) is a manifestation of acute postoperative brain dysfunction that is frequently observed after cardiac surgery. POD is associated with short-term complications such as an increase in mortality, morbidity, costs and length of stay, but can also have long-term sequelae, including persistent cognitive deficits, loss of independence, and increased mortality for up to 2 years. The noble gas xenon has been demonstrated in various models of neuronal injury to exhibit remarkable neuroprotective properties. We therefore hypothesize that xenon anesthesia reduces the incidence of POD in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. One hundred and ninety patients, older than 65 years, and scheduled for elective cardiac surgery, will be enrolled in this prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Patients will be randomized to receive general anesthesia with either xenon or sevoflurane. Primary outcome parameter will be the incidence of POD in the first 5 postoperative days. The occurrence of POD will be assessed by trained research personnel, blinded to study group, with the validated 3-minute Diagnostic Confusion Assessment Method (3D-CAM) (on the intensive care unit in its version specifically adapted for the ICU), in addition to chart review and the results of delirium screening tools that will be performed by the bedside nurses). Secondary outcome parameters include duration and severity of POD, and postoperative cognitive function as assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination. Older patients undergoing cardiac surgery are at particular risk to develop POD. Xenon provides remarkable hemodynamic stability and has been suggested in preclinical studies to exhibit neuroprotective properties. The present trial will assess whether the promising profile of xenon can be translated into a better outcome in the geriatric population. EudraCT Identifier: 2014-005370-11 (13 May 2015).

TreePOD: Sensitivity-Aware Selection of Pareto-Optimal Decision Trees.

PubMed

Muhlbacher, Thomas; Linhardt, Lorenz; Moller, Torsten; Piringer, Harald

2018-01-01

Balancing accuracy gains with other objectives such as interpretability is a key challenge when building decision trees. However, this process is difficult to automate because it involves know-how about the domain as well as the purpose of the model. This paper presents TreePOD, a new approach for sensitivity-aware model selection along trade-offs. TreePOD is based on exploring a large set of candidate trees generated by sampling the parameters of tree construction algorithms. Based on this set, visualizations of quantitative and qualitative tree aspects provide a comprehensive overview of possible tree characteristics. Along trade-offs between two objectives, TreePOD provides efficient selection guidance by focusing on Pareto-optimal tree candidates. TreePOD also conveys the sensitivities of tree characteristics on variations of selected parameters by extending the tree generation process with a full-factorial sampling. We demonstrate how TreePOD supports a variety of tasks involved in decision tree selection and describe its integration in a holistic workflow for building and selecting decision trees. For evaluation, we illustrate a case study for predicting critical power grid states, and we report qualitative feedback from domain experts in the energy sector. This feedback suggests that TreePOD enables users with and without statistical background a confident and efficient identification of suitable decision trees.

Enhanced anastomotic healing by Daikenchuto (TJ-100) in rats.

PubMed

Wada, Toshiaki; Kawada, Kenji; Hirai, Kenjiro; Toda, Kosuke; Iwamoto, Masayoshi; Hasegawa, Suguru; Sakai, Yoshiharu

2018-01-18

Daikenchuto (DKT), a traditional Japanese medicine, is widely used to treat various gastrointestinal disorders. This study aimed to investigate whether DKT could promote the anastomotic healing in a rat model. Pedicled colonic segments were made in left colon by ligation of the feeding arteries, and then intestinal continuity was restored. Colonic blood flow was analyzed by using ICG fluorescence imaging: Fmax, Tmax, T1/2, and Slope were calculated. Anastomotic leakage (AL) was found in 6 of 19 rats (31.6%) in the control group, whereas in 1 of 16 rats (6.2%) in the DKT group. The Fmax and Slope of DKT group were significantly higher than those of control group. DKT could promote the anastomotic healing, with the higher bursting pressure on postoperative day (POD) 2 and 5, the larger granulation thickness on POD 5, and neoangiogenesis on POD 5. Histological examination showed DKT exhibited a decreased inflammatory cell infiltration, enhanced fibroblast infiltration, and enhanced collagen density on POD 5. In the DKT group, the levels of TGFβ1 on POD 2 and VEGFα on POD5 were significantly higher, whereas the level of TNFα on POD 2 was significantly lower. Therefore, DKT could be effective for the prevention of AL following colorectal surgery.

Polarity-defective mutants of Aspergillus nidulans.

PubMed

Osherov, N; Mathew, J; May, G S

2000-12-01

We have identified two polarity-defective (pod) mutants in Aspergillus nidulans from a collection of heat-sensitive lethal mutants. At restrictive temperature, these mutants are capable of nuclear division but are unable to establish polar hyphal growth. We cloned the two pod genes by complementation of their heat-sensitive lethal phenotypes. The libraries used to clone the pod genes are under the control of the bidirectional niaD and niiA promoters. Complementation of the pod mutants is dependent on growth on inducing medium. We show that rescue of the heat-sensitive phenotype on inducing media is independent of the orientation of the gene relative to the niaD or niiA promoters, demonstrating that the intergenic region between the niaD and the niiA genes functions as an orientation-independent enhancer and repressor that is capable of functioning over long distances. The products of the podG and the podH genes were identified as homologues of the alpha subunit of yeast mitochondrial phenylalanyl--tRNA synthetase and transcription factor IIF interacting component of the CTD phosphatase. Neither of these gene products would have been predicted to produce a pod mutant phenotype based on studies of cellular polarity mutants in other organisms. The implications of these results are discussed. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Acid soil infertility effects on peanut yields and yield components

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

Blamey, F.P.C.

1983-01-01

The interpretation of soil amelioration experiments with peanuts is made difficult by the unpredictibility of the crop and by the many factors altered when ameliorating acid soils. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of lime and gypsum applications on peanut kernel yield via the three first order yield components, pods per ha, kernels per pod, and kernel mass. On an acid medium sandy loam soil (typic Plinthustult), liming resulted in a highly significant kernel yield increase of 117% whereas gypsum applications were of no significant benefit. As indicated by path coefficient analysis, an increase in the numbermore » of pods per ha was markedly more important in increasing yield than an increase in either the number of kernels per pod or kernel mass. Furthermore, exch. Al was found to be particularly detrimental to pod number. It was postulated that poor peanut yields resulting from acid soil infertility were mainly due to the depressive effect of exch. Al on pod number. Exch. Ca appeared to play a secondary role by ameliorating the adverse effects of exch. Al.« less

POD/MAC-Based Modal Basis Selection for a Reduced Order Nonlinear Response Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rizzi, Stephen A.; Przekop, Adam

2007-01-01

A feasibility study was conducted to explore the applicability of a POD/MAC basis selection technique to a nonlinear structural response analysis. For the case studied the application of the POD/MAC technique resulted in a substantial improvement of the reduced order simulation when compared to a classic approach utilizing only low frequency modes present in the excitation bandwidth. Further studies are aimed to expand application of the presented technique to more complex structures including non-planar and two-dimensional configurations. For non-planar structures the separation of different displacement components may not be necessary or desirable.

Phytochemical screening and acute toxicity evaluation of Telfairia occidentalis aqueous extracts on rats.

PubMed

Anthony, Ogbonnaya Enyinnaya; Ojeifo, Uadia Patrick

2016-05-01

The phytochemical composition and acute toxicity of Telfairia occidentalis aqueous extracts were investigated in this study. Phytochemical screening was carried out on the pulverized leaf, root, pod and stem samples. Proximate analysis was also conducted for the root to ascertain the effect of drying procedures on its composition. Fifty-six (56) Wister albino rats, male and female were divided into two broad groups of 28 animals per group. The first group was randomly separated into seven (7) groups of four (4) animals per group. The control group received distilled water alone while the other groups received varied doses (1500mg/kg, 2250mg/kg and 3000mg/kg) of the Soluble and Insoluble Tefairia occidentalis root fraction. The second group of 28 animals was also distributed into 7 groups of 4 animals per group. Six test groups received varied doses (1500mg/kg, 2250mg/kg and 3000mg/kg) of Telfairia occidentalis fruit and stem extracts. The animals were observed for the first 12hr for any toxic symptoms and for 48 hr for mortality rate. Surviving animals were sacrificed after 48 hours. Phytochemical screening results reveal the presence of tannins, flavonoid, steroid, terpenoids, saponin, alkaloid, glycosides, proteins and carbohydrates. Flavonoid and saponin was not detected in stem sample; alkaloid is present in all samples except pod; and cyanogenic glycoside was found in both root and pod samples. Except for the fibre content, the method of preparation of the root had no significant effect on the proximate composition of the sample. The root extracts cause insignificant reduction in Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities, except for the significant reduction in ALT activity at highest dose. The pod extract significantly increased the ALT and AST activities, which is dose dependent, while the stem extract only caused increased activity of ALT, but not AST. None of the extracts administered had any significant effect on the levels of serum creatinine and urea. Thus, while the root extract may exhibit some hepatoprotective effect (or nephrotoxic due to cyanogenic glycoside) and its proximate composition, not affected by heat treatment, the pod and stem extracts of Telfairia occidentalis may have some effects on rat hepatocytes.

Randomized controlled trial to compare oral analgesic requirements and patient satisfaction in using oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs versus benzydamine hydrochloride oral rinses after mandibular third molar extraction: a pilot study.

PubMed

Goswami, Devalina; Jain, Gaurav; Mohod, Mangesh; Baidya, Dalim Kumar; Bhutia, Ongkila; Roychoudhury, Ajoy

2018-02-01

Third molar extraction is associated with considerable pain and discomfort, which is mostly managed with oral analgesic medication. We assessed the analgesic effect of benzydamine hydrochloride, a topical analgesic oral rinse, for controlling postoperative pain following third molar extraction. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 40 patients divided into two groups, for extraction of fully erupted third molar. Groups A received benzydamine hydrochloride mouthwash and group B received normal saline gargle with oral ibuprofen and paracetamol. Oral ibuprofen and paracetamol was the rescue analgesic drug in group A. Patients were evaluated on the 3 rd and 7 th post-operative days (POD) for pain using the visual analogue score (VAS), trismus, total number of analgesics consumed, and satisfaction level of patients. The VAS in groups A and B on POD3 and POD7 was 4.55 ± 2.54 and 3.95 ± 1.8, and 1.2 ± 1.64 and 0.95 ± 1.14, respectively and was statistically insignificant. The number of analgesics consumed in groups A and B on POD3 (5.25 ± 2.22 and 6.05 ± 2.43) was not statistically different from that consumed on POD7 (9.15 ± 5.93 and 10.65 ± 6.46). The p values for trismus on POD3 and POD7 were 0.609 and 0.490, respectively and those for patient satisfaction level on POD3 and POD7 were 0.283 and 0.217, respectively. Benzydamine hydrochloride oral rinses do not significantly reduce intake of oral analgesics and are inadequate for pain relief following mandibular third molar extraction.

Surveillance of paediatric exposures to liquid laundry detergent pods in Italy

PubMed Central

Settimi, Laura; Giordano, Felice; Lauria, Laura; Celentano, Anna; Sesana, Fabrizio; Davanzo, Franca

2018-01-01

Objective To analyse paediatric exposures to pod and traditional laundry detergents in Italy and changes in exposure trends. Methods Analyses of a series of patients aged <5 years and exposed to laundry detergents between September 2010 and June 2015, identified by the National Poison Control in Milan. Results In comparison with patients exposed to traditional laundry detergents (n=1150), a higher proportion of those exposed to pods (n=1649) were managed in hospital (68% vs 42%), had clinical effects (75% vs 22%) and moderate/high severity outcomes (13% vs <1%). Exposure rates were stable over time for traditional detergents (average 0.65 cases/day), but an abrupt decline in major company pods was seen in December 2012, 4 months after the introduction of opaque outer packaging (from 1.03 to 0.36 cases/day and from 1.88 to 0.86 cases/million units sold). The odds of clinical effects was higher for exposure to pods than for traditional detergents (OR=10.8; 95% CI 9.0 to 12.9). Among patients exposed to pods, the odds of moderate/high severity outcomes was four times higher for children aged <1 years than for the other age groups (OR=3.9; 95% CI 2.2 to 7.0). Ten children exposed to laundry detergent pods had high severity outcomes while no children exposed to traditional laundry detergents developed high severity effects. Conclusions The study confirms that exposure to laundry detergent pods is more dangerous than exposure to traditional detergents. In Italy, 4 months after the introduction of opaque outer packaging by a major company, product-specific exposure rates decreased sharply, suggesting that reducing visibility of laundry detergent pods may be an effective preventive measure. Further efforts are needed to improve safety. PMID:28188147

[Comparison of immune response after laparoscopic and open surgery for colorectal carcinoma: a meta-analysis].

PubMed

Song, Hu; Song, Jun; Liang, Yong; Fu, Wei; Xu, Yixin; Zheng, Junnian; Xu, Wei

2014-08-01

To compare the immune function after laparoscopic surgery (LS) and conventional open surgery(OS) for colorectal cancer (CRC). PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Database were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials published before August 2013 concerning the immunological difference between LS and OS. Data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers and data analysis was performed using Review Manager ver. 4.3.1. Twelve studies including 638 patients (307 in LS group and 331 in OS group) were eligible for analysis. Overall analysis demonstrated that no significant differences were identified for blood C-reactive protein level on postoperative days (POD) 0-1 (P=0.40), plasma lymphocyte count on POD 1-3 (P=0.92) and POD 4-7 (P=0.64), plasma CD4⁺ T cell count on POD 1-7 (P=0.63), plasma CD8⁺ T cell count on POD 4-7 (P=0.09), and plasma NK cell count POD 1-3 (P=0.34) as well as POD 4-7 (P=0.46). Data analysis also showed that a significantly lower serum level of IL-6 on POD 0-1 after LS (WMD=-25.03, 95% CI:-34.06 to -15.99, P=0.000), and a significantly higher plasma level of CD8⁺ T cell count on POD 1-3 after LS(WMD=0.05, 95% CI:0.01 to 0.08, P=0.004). Although postoperatively short-term humoral immune function trends to be better after LS for CRC compared to OS, there is no sufficient evidence to support superior preservation of global immune function after acute reactive phase.

Detection of the Equatorial Ionospheric Irregularities Using the POD GPS Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakharenkova, I.; Astafyeva, E.; Cherniak, I.

2015-12-01

By making use of GPS measurements from Precise Orbit Determination (POD) GPS antenna onboard Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites we present results of the equatorial irregularities/plasma bubbles detection. For a given research we use data from a multi-satellite constellation consisting of the three Swarm satellites and the TerraSAR-X satellite. The major advantage of such LEO constellation is rather similar orbit altitude of ~500 km. The GPS-based indices, characterizing the occurrence and the strength of the ionospheric irregularities, were derived from the LEO GPS observations of a zenith-looking onboard GPS antenna. To study GPS fluctuation activity at the topside equatorial ionosphere we used TEC-based indices ROT (rate of TEC change) and ROTI (rate of TEC Index), proposed by Pi et al. (1997). We demonstrate a successful implementation of this technique for several case studies of the equatorial plasma bubbles occurrence in the post-midnight and morning LT hours during the year 2014. The ionospheric irregularities detected with GPS technique in Swarm/TerrasSAR-X data are consistent with the in situ plasma density variations registered by the three Swarm satellites (PLP measurements), as well as by three DMSP satellites at ~840 km orbital height, which indicate a large altitudinal extent of the observed phenomenon. Also we analyzed the global/seasonal distribution of the ionospheric irregularities at the topside equatorial region caused the phase fluctuations in GPS measurements onboard LEO satellite. We demonstrate that ROT/ROTI technique can be applied to LEO GPS data for geomagnetically quiet and disturbed conditions, as well as detection of the storm-induced equatorial irregularities in the morning local time.

Evaluation of the Thermo Scientific SureTect Listeria monocytogenes Assay.

PubMed

Cloke, Jonathan; Leon-Velarde, Carlos; Larson, Nathan; Dave, Keron; Evans, Katharine; Crabtree, David; Hughes, Annette; Hopper, Craig; Simpson, Helen; Withey, Sophie; Oleksiuk, Milena; Holopainen, Jani; Wickstrand, Nina; Kauppinen, Mikko

2014-01-01

The Thermo Scientific SureTect Listeria monocytogenes Assay is a new real-time PCR assay for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in food and environmental samples. This assay was validated using the AOAC Research Institute (AOAC-RI) Performance Tested Methods program in comparison to the reference method detailed in International Organization for Standardization 11290-1:1996, including Amendment 1:2004 with the following foods and food contact surfaces: smoked salmon, processed cheese, fresh bagged spinach, fresh cantaloupe, cooked prawns (chilled product), cooked sliced turkey meat (chilled product), ice cream, pork frankfurters, salami, ground raw beef meat (12% fat), plastic, and stainless steel. All matrixes were tested by Thermo Fisher Scientific, Microbiology Division, Basingstoke, UK. In addition, three matrixes (pork frankfurters, bagged lettuce, and stainless steel) were analyzed independently as part of the AOAC-RI controlled laboratory study by the University of Guelph, Canada. Using probability of detection (POD) statistical analysis, a significant difference was demonstrated between the candidate and reference methods for salami, cooked sliced turkey and ice cream in favor of the SureTect assay. For all other matrixes, no significant difference by POD was seen between the two methods during the study. Inclusivity and exclusivity testing was also conducted with 53 and 30 isolates, respectively, which demonstrated that the SureTect assay was able to detect all serotypes of L. monocytogenes. None of the exclusivity isolates analyzed were detected by the SureTect assay. Ruggedness testing was conducted to evaluate the performance of the assay with specific method deviations outside the recommended parameters open to variation, i.e., enrichment time and temperature and lysis temperature, which demonstrated that the assay gave reliable performance. Accelerated stability testing was also conducted, validating the assay shelf life.

Antioxidant and Anti-Fatigue Constituents of Okra

PubMed Central

Xia, Fangbo; Zhong, Yu; Li, Mengqiu; Chang, Qi; Liao, Yonghong; Liu, Xinmin; Pan, Ruile

2015-01-01

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench), a healthy vegetable, is widely spread in tropical and subtropical areas. Previous studies have proven that okra pods possess anti-fatigue activity, and the aim of this research is to clarify the anti-fatigue constituents. To achieve this, we divided okra pods (OPD) into seeds (OSD) and skins (OSK), and compared the contents of total polysaccharides, total polyphenols, total flavonoids, isoquercitrin, and quercetin-3-O-gentiobiose and the antioxidant activity in vitro and anti-fatigue activity in vivo between OSD and OSK. The contents of total polyphenols and total polysaccharides were 29.5% and 14.8% in OSD and 1.25% and 43.1% in OSK, respectively. Total flavonoids, isoquercitrin and quercetin-3-O-gentiobiose (5.35%, 2.067% and 2.741%, respectively) were only detected in OSD. Antioxidant assays, including 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and reducing power test, and weight-loaded swimming test showed OSD possessed significant antioxidant and anti-fatigue effects. Moreover, biochemical determination revealed that that anti-fatigue activity of OSD is caused by reducing the levels of blood lactic acid (BLA) and urea nitrogen (BUN), enhancing hepatic glycogen storage and promoting antioxidant ability by lowering malondialdehyde (MDA) level and increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) levels. These results proved okra seeds were the anti-fatigue part of okra pods and polyphenols and flavonoids were active constituents. PMID:26516905

Aerosol Stable Peptide-Coated Liposome Nanoparticles: A Proof-of-Concept Study with Opioid Fentanyl in Enhancing Analgesic Effects and Reducing Plasma Drug Exposure

PubMed Central

HOEKMAN, JOHN D; SRIVASTAVA, PRAMOD; HO, RODNEY J Y

2014-01-01

Previous we reported a novel pressurized olfactory drug (POD) delivery device that deposit aerosolized drug preferentially to upper nasal cavity. This POD device provided sustained CNS levels of soluble morphine analgesic effects. However, analgesic onset of less soluble fentanyl was more rapid but brief, likely due to hydrophobic fentanyl redistribution readily back to blood. To determine whether fentanyl incorporated into an aerosol stable liposome that binds to nasal epithelial cells will enhance CNS drug exposure and analgesic effects and reduce plasma exposure, we constructed RGD liposomes anchored with acylated integrin binding peptides (palmitoyl-GRGDS). The RGD liposomes, which assume gel-phase membrane structure at 25°C were stable under the stress of aerosolization as only 2.2 ± 0.5 % calcein leakage detected. The RGD mediated integrin binding of liposome is also verified to be unaffected by aerosolization. Rats treated with fentanyl in RGD-liposome and POD device exhibited greater analgesic effect, compared to the free drug counterpart (AUCeffect = 1387.l vs. 760.1 %MPE*min); while ~20% reduced plasma drug exposure was noted (AUC0-120 = 208.2 vs 284.8 ng*min/ml). Collectively, fentanyl incorporated in RGD-liposomes are physically and biologically stable under aerosolization, enhanced the overall analgesic effects and reduced plasma drug exposure for the first 2 hours. PMID:24909764

Drain Management after Pancreatoduodenectomy: Reappraisal of a Prospective Randomized Trial Using Risk Stratification.

PubMed

McMillan, Matthew T; Malleo, Giuseppe; Bassi, Claudio; Butturini, Giovanni; Salvia, Roberto; Roses, Robert E; Lee, Major K; Fraker, Douglas L; Drebin, Jeffrey A; Vollmer, Charles M

2015-10-01

A recent randomized trial used the Fistula Risk Score (FRS) to develop guidelines for selective drainage based on clinically relevant fistula (CR-POPF) risk. Additionally, postoperative day (POD) 1 drain and serum amylase have been identified as accurate postoperative predictors of CR-POPF. This study sought to identify patients who may benefit from selective drainage, as well as the optimal timing for drain removal after pancreatoduodenectomy. One hundred six pancreatoduodenectomies from a previously reported RCT were assessed using risk-adjustment. The incidence of CR-POPF was compared between FRS risk cohorts. Drain and serum amylase values from POD 1 were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to establish cut-offs predictive of CR-POPF occurrence. A regression analysis compared drain removal randomizations (POD 3 vs POD 5). Three-quarters of patients had moderate/high CR-POPF risk. This group had a CR-POPF rate of 36.3% vs 7.7% among negligible/low risk patients (p = 0.005). The areas under the ROC curve for CR-POPF prediction using POD 1 drain and serum amylase values were 0.800 (p = 0.000001; 95% CI 0.70-0.90) and 0.655 (p = 0.012; 95% CI 0.55-0.77), respectively. No significant serum amylase cut-offs were identified. Moderate/high risk patients with POD 1 drain amylase ≤ 5,000 U/L had significantly lower rates of CR-POPF when randomized to POD 3 drain removal (4.2% vs 38.5%; p = 0.003); moreover, these patients experienced fewer complications and shorter hospital stays. A clinical care protocol is proposed whereby drains are recommended for moderate/high FRS risk patients, but may be omitted in patients with negligible/low risk. Drain amylase values in moderate/high risk patients should then be evaluated on POD 1 to determine the optimal timing for drain removal. Moderate/high risk patients with POD 1 drain amylase ≤ 5,000 U/L have lower rates of CR-POPF with POD 3 (vs POD ≥ 5) drain removal; early drain removal is recommended for these patients. Copyright © 2015 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sensor web

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delin, Kevin A. (Inventor); Jackson, Shannon P. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A Sensor Web formed of a number of different sensor pods. Each of the sensor pods include a clock which is synchronized with a master clock so that all of the sensor pods in the Web have a synchronized clock. The synchronization is carried out by first using a coarse synchronization which takes less power, and subsequently carrying out a fine synchronization to make a fine sync of all the pods on the Web. After the synchronization, the pods ping their neighbors to determine which pods are listening and responded, and then only listen during time slots corresponding to those pods which respond.

The Need and Requirements for Validating Damage Detection Capability

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

Testing of Airborne Equipment [11], 2) Materials / Structure Certification, 3) NDE (POD) Validation Procedures, 4) Failure Mode Effects and Criticality...Analysis (FMECA), and 5) Cost Benefits Analysis [12]. Existing procedures for environmental testing of airborne equipment ensure flight...e.g. ultrasound or eddy current), damage type or failure conditions to detect, criticality of the damage state (e.g. safety of flight), likelihood of

Directed Design of Experiments (DOE) for Determining Probability of Detection (POD) Capability of NDE Systems (DOEPOD)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Generazio, Edward R.

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews some of the problems that are encountered by designers of Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) have in determining the probability of detection. According to the author "[the] NDE community should not blindly accept statistical results due to lack of knowledge." This is an attempt to bridge the gap between people doing NDE, and statisticians.

Improving quality and digestibility of cocoa pod with white rot fungi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustabi, J.; Wedawati; Armayanti, A. K.

2018-05-01

White rot fungi is a type of fungus that is able to degrade lignin in the feed material from waste, so it can be used to increase the added value of cocoa pod as alternative feed ingredients to meet the nutritional needs of cattle. The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of white rot fungi in improving the quality and digestibility cocoa pod as feed. The study consisted of two phases, namely fermentation using three isolates of white rot fungi (Coprinus comatus, Corilopsis polyzona and Lentinus torulosus) on pod husks and quality testing in vitro digestibility of fermented. Results of analysis of variance show that the treatment was highly significant on the content of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose pod husks. Fermented cocoa husks with white rot fungi can degrade lignin content of 1.42% - 12.28% and highly significant improved on in vitro digestibility of dry matter and organic matter. The conclusion, isolates of white rot fungi most active in degrading lignin was Lentinus torulosus isolates and less ability to degrade cellulose and hemicellulose.

Soybean fruit development and set at the node level under combined photoperiod and radiation conditions.

PubMed

Nico, Magalí; Mantese, Anita I; Miralles, Daniel J; Kantolic, Adriana G

2016-01-01

In soybean, long days during post-flowering increase seed number. This positive photoperiodic effect on seed number has been previously associated with increments in the amount of radiation accumulated during the crop cycle because long days extend the duration of the crop cycle. However, evidence of intra-nodal processes independent of the availability of assimilates suggests that photoperiodic effects at the node level might also contribute to pod set. This work aims to identify the main mechanisms responsible for the increase in pod number per node in response to long days; including the dynamics of flowering, pod development, growth and set at the node level. Long days increased pods per node on the main stems, by increasing pods on lateral racemes (usually dominated positions) at some main stem nodes. Long days lengthened the flowering period and thereby increased the number of opened flowers on lateral racemes. The flowering period was prolonged under long days because effective seed filling was delayed on primary racemes (dominant positions). Long days also delayed the development of flowers into pods with filling seeds, delaying the initiation of pod elongation without modifying pod elongation rate. The embryo development matched the external pod length irrespective of the pod's chronological age. These results suggest that long days during post-flowering enhance pod number per node through a relief of the competition between pods of different hierarchy within the node. The photoperiodic effect on the development of dominant pods, delaying their elongation and therefore postponing their active growth, extends flowering and allows pod set at positions that are usually dominated. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Safety of Next Day Discharge Following Lobectomy: Have We Broken the Speed Limit?

PubMed

Greer, Stephen; Miller, Ashley D; Smith, Jeremiah S; Holcombe, Jenny M; Headrick, James R

2018-06-13

Utilizing our standardized approach to air leak reduction (STAR) protocol has led to a continual decrease in the need for inpatient recovery following lobectomy. Although next day discharges do occur, the current literature hasn't addressed their safety. We analyzed our STAR dataset to study this group and their outcomes. A retrospective review of prospectively collected data from the STAR dataset was performed. Characteristics were compared between patients discharged on postoperative day (POD) 1 and those with longer admissions. Outcome data was analyzed. From June 2010 through June 2017, 390 patients underwent lobectomy and met study criteria. Of these, 150 (38%) were discharged on POD 1 versus 240 (62%) who were discharged later (mean LOS 3.9 days). There was no increase in morbidity, mortality or 30-day readmission between the two groups. Distinguishing characteristics of the POD 1 group included more non-smokers, use of a minimally invasive technique, and a lower incidence of prolonged air leak. FEV1 and DLCO data were also favorable in the POD 1 group. The percentage of patients sent home POD 1 increased from an average of 23% over the first three years of the study to 63% over the last three years. Appropriately identified patients can safely go home on POD 1 following lobectomy without an increase in 30-day readmission, morbidity or mortality. A continued focus on lobectomy LOS reduction has the capacity to increase patient satisfaction and lead to reduction in healthcare costs. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

NASA DOE POD NDE Capabilities Data Book

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Generazio, Edward R.

2015-01-01

This data book contains the Directed Design of Experiments for Validating Probability of Detection (POD) Capability of NDE Systems (DOEPOD) analyses of the nondestructive inspection data presented in the NTIAC, Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Capabilities Data Book, 3rd ed., NTIAC DB-97-02. DOEPOD is designed as a decision support system to validate inspection system, personnel, and protocol demonstrating 0.90 POD with 95% confidence at critical flaw sizes, a90/95. The test methodology used in DOEPOD is based on the field of statistical sequential analysis founded by Abraham Wald. Sequential analysis is a method of statistical inference whose characteristic feature is that the number of observations required by the procedure is not determined in advance of the experiment. The decision to terminate the experiment depends, at each stage, on the results of the observations previously made. A merit of the sequential method, as applied to testing statistical hypotheses, is that test procedures can be constructed which require, on average, a substantially smaller number of observations than equally reliable test procedures based on a predetermined number of observations.

The Human Cytomegalovirus IE2 and UL112-113 Proteins Accumulate in Viral DNA Replication Compartments That Initiate from the Periphery of Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein-Associated Nuclear Bodies (PODs or ND10)

PubMed Central

Ahn, Jin-Hyun; Jang, Won-Jong; Hayward, Gary S.

1999-01-01

During human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, the periphery of promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML)-associated nuclear bodies (also known as PML oncogenic domains [PODs] or ND10) are sites for both input viral genome deposition and immediate-early (IE) gene transcription. At very early times after infection, the IE1 protein localizes to and subsequently disrupts PODs, whereas the IE2 protein localizes within or adjacent to PODs. This process appears to be required for efficient viral gene expression and DNA replication. We have investigated the initiation of viral DNA replication compartment formation by studying the localization of viral IE proteins, DNA replication proteins, and the PML protein during productive infection. Localization of IE2 adjacent to PODs between 2 and 6 h after infection was confirmed by confocal microscopy of human fibroblasts (HF cells) infected with both wild-type HCMV(Towne) and with an IE1-deletion mutant HCMV(CR208) that fails to disrupt PODs. In HCMV(Towne)-infected HF cells at 24 to 48 h, IE2 also accumulated in newly formed viral DNA replication compartments containing the polymerase processivity factor (UL44), the single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB; UL57), the UL112-113 accessory protein, and newly incorporated bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Double labeling of the HCMV(CR208)-infected HF cells demonstrated that formation of viral DNA replication compartments initiates within granular structures that bud from the periphery of some of the PODs and subsequently coalesce into larger structures that are flanked by PODs. In transient DNA transfection assays, both the N terminus (codons 136 to 290) and the C terminus (codons 379 to 579) of IE2 exon 5, but not the central region between them, were found to be necessary for both the punctate distribution of IE2 and its association with PODs. Like IE2, the UL112-113 accessory replication protein was also distributed in a POD-associated pattern in both DNA-transfected and virus-infected cells beginning at 6 h. Furthermore, when all six replication core machinery proteins (polymerase complex, SSB, and helicase-primase complex) were expressed together in the presence of UL112-113, they also accumulated at POD-associated sites, suggesting that the UL112-113 protein (but not IE2) may play a role in recruitment of viral replication fork proteins into the periphery of PODs. These results show that (i) subsequent to accumulating at the periphery of PODs, IE2 is incorporated together with the core proteins into viral DNA replication compartments that initiate from the periphery of PODs and then grow to fill the space between groups of PODs, and (ii) the UL112-113 protein appears to have a key role in assembling and recruiting the core replication machinery proteins in the initial stages of viral replication compartment formation. PMID:10559364

Electromagnetic interference with pacemakers caused by portable media players.

PubMed

Thaker, Jay P; Patel, Mehul B; Jongnarangsin, Krit; Liepa, Valdis V; Thakur, Ranjan K

2008-04-01

Electromagnetic fields generated by electrical devices may cause interference with permanent pacemakers. Media players are becoming a common mode of portable entertainment. The most common media players used worldwide are iPods. These devices are often carried in a shirt chest pocket, which may place the devices close to an implanted pacemaker. The purpose of this study was to determine if iPods cause interference with pacemakers. In this prospective, single-blinded study, 100 patients who had cardiac pacemakers were tested with four types of iPods to assess for interference. Patients were monitored by a single-channel ECG monitor as well as the respective pacemaker programmer via the telemetry wand. iPods were tested by placing them 2 inches anterior to the pacemaker and wand for up to 10 seconds. To simulate actual use, standard-issue headphones were plugged into the iPods. To maintain consistency, the volume was turned up maximally, and the equalizer was turned off. A subset of 25 patients underwent testing on 2 separate days to assess for reproducibility of interference. Pacemaker interference was categorized as type I or type II telemetry interference. Type I interference was associated with atrial and/or ventricular high rates on rate histograms. Type II interference did not affect pacemaker rate counters. Electromagnetic emissions from the four iPods also were evaluated in a Faraday cage to determine the mechanism of the observed interference. One hundred patients (63 men and 37 women; mean age 77.1 +/- 7.6 years) with 11 single-chamber pacemakers and 89 dual-chamber pacemakers underwent 800 tests. The incidence of any type of interference was 51% of patients and 20% of tests. Type I interference was seen in 19% of patients and type II in 32% of patients. Reproducibility testing confirmed that interference occurred regardless of pacing configuration (unipolar or bipolar), pacing mode (AAI, VVI, or DDD), and from one day to the next. Electromagnetic emissions testing from the iPods demonstrated maximum emissions in the pacemaker carrier frequency range when the iPod was turned "on" with the headphones attached. iPods placed within 2 inches of implanted pacemakers monitored via the telemetry wand can cause interference with pacemakers.

Soybean fruit development and set at the node level under combined photoperiod and radiation conditions

PubMed Central

Nico, Magalí; Mantese, Anita I.; Miralles, Daniel J.; Kantolic, Adriana G.

2016-01-01

In soybean, long days during post-flowering increase seed number. This positive photoperiodic effect on seed number has been previously associated with increments in the amount of radiation accumulated during the crop cycle because long days extend the duration of the crop cycle. However, evidence of intra-nodal processes independent of the availability of assimilates suggests that photoperiodic effects at the node level might also contribute to pod set. This work aims to identify the main mechanisms responsible for the increase in pod number per node in response to long days; including the dynamics of flowering, pod development, growth and set at the node level. Long days increased pods per node on the main stems, by increasing pods on lateral racemes (usually dominated positions) at some main stem nodes. Long days lengthened the flowering period and thereby increased the number of opened flowers on lateral racemes. The flowering period was prolonged under long days because effective seed filling was delayed on primary racemes (dominant positions). Long days also delayed the development of flowers into pods with filling seeds, delaying the initiation of pod elongation without modifying pod elongation rate. The embryo development matched the external pod length irrespective of the pod’s chronological age. These results suggest that long days during post-flowering enhance pod number per node through a relief of the competition between pods of different hierarchy within the node. The photoperiodic effect on the development of dominant pods, delaying their elongation and therefore postponing their active growth, extends flowering and allows pod set at positions that are usually dominated. PMID:26512057

Optimal design of UAV's pod shape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Qun; Jia, Hong-guang

2011-08-01

In the modern war, UAV(unmanned aircraft system) plays a more and more important role in the army. UAVs always carry electrical-optical reconnaissance systems. These systems are used to accomplish the missions of observing and reconnaissance the battlefield. For traditional UAV, the shape of the pod on UAV is sphericity. In addition, the pod of UAV not only has the job of observing and reconnaissance the battlefield, but its shape also has impact on the UAV's drag when it flies in the air. In this paper, two different kinds of pod models are set up, one is the traditional sphericity model, the other is a new model. Unstructured grid is used on the flow field. Using CFD(computational fluid dynamic) method, the results of the drags of the different kinds of pod are got. The drag's relationship between the pod and the UAV is obtained by comparing the results of simulations. After analyzing the results we can get: when UAV flies at low speed(0.3Ma{0.7Ma), the drag's difference between the two kinds of pod is little, the pod's drag takes a small part of the UAV's whole drag which is only about 14%. At transonic speed(0.8Ma{1.2Ma), the drag's difference between these two kinds of pod is getting bigger and bigger along with the speed goes higher. The traditional pod's drag is 1/3 of the UAV's whole drag value, but for the new pod, it is only 1/5. At supersonic speed(1.3Ma{2.0Ma), the traditional pod's drag goes up rapidly, but the new kind of pod's drag goes up slowly. This makes the difference between the two kinds of UAVs' total drag comes greater. For example, at 2Ma, the total drag of new UAV is only 2/3 of the traditional UAV. These results show: when the UAV flies at low speed, these two kinds of pod have little difference in drag. But if it flies at supersonic speed, the pod has great impact on the UAV's total drag, so the designer of UAV's pod should pay more attention on the out shape.

Influence of a Shorter Duration of Post-Operative Antibiotic Prophylaxis on Infectious Complications in Patients Undergoing Elective Liver Resection.

PubMed

Sakoda, Masahiko; Iino, Satoshi; Mataki, Yuko; Kawasaki, Yota; Kurahara, Hiroshi; Maemura, Kosei; Ueno, Shinichi; Natsugoe, Shoji

Antibiotic prophylaxis has been recommended to reduce post-operative infectious complications. Discontinuation of post-operative antibiotic administration within 24 hours of operation is currently recommended. Many surgeons, however, conventionally tend to extend the duration of prophylactic antibiotic use. In this study, we performed a retrospective analysis to assess the efficacy of extended post-operative antibiotic use in patients who underwent elective liver resection. A total of 208 consecutive patients who underwent liver resection without biliary reconstruction were investigated. Patients were divided into two groups according to the duration of post-operative antibiotic use: Only once after the operation (the post-operative day [POD] 0 group) and until three days after the operation (the POD 3 group). Post-operative complications in the two groups were analyzed and compared. Incisional surgical site infections (SSIs) were observed in 5% of the POD 0 group and 3% of the POD 3 group (p = 0.517). Organ/space SSIs were observed in 2% of the POD 0 group and 3% of the POD 3 group (p = 0.694). Overall infectious complications including SSIs and remote site infections were observed in 12% of the POD 0 group and 11% of the POD 3 group. Multi-variable analyses revealed that the short-term post-operative antibiotic regimen did not confer additional risk for infectious complications. In elective liver resection, the administration of prophylactic antibiotics on the operative day alone appears to be sufficient, because no additional benefit in the incidence of post-operative infectious complications was conferred on patients given antibiotic agents for three days.

Postoperative Delirium in Severely Burned Patients Undergoing Early Escharotomy: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes.

PubMed

Guo, Zhenggang; Liu, Jiabin; Li, Jia; Wang, Xiaoyan; Guo, Hui; Ma, Panpan; Su, Xiaojun; Li, Ping

The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence, related risk factors, and outcomes of postoperative delirium (POD) in severely burned patients undergoing early escharotomy. This study included 385 severely burned patients (injured <1 week; TBSA, 31-50% or 11-20%; American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status, II-IV) aged 18 to 65 years, who underwent early escharotomy between October 2014 and December 2015, and were selected by cluster sampling. The authors excluded patients with preoperative delirium or diagnosed dementia, depression, or cognitive dysfunction. Preoperative, perioperative, intraoperative, and postoperative information, such as demographic characteristics, vital signs, and health history were collected. The Confusion Assessment Method was used once daily for 5 days after surgery to identify POD. Stepwise binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for POD, t-tests, and χ tests were performed to compare the outcomes of patients with and without the condition. Fifty-six (14.55%) of the patients in the sample were diagnosed with POD. Stepwise binary logistic regression showed that the significant risk factors for POD in severely burned patients undergoing early escharotomy were advanced age (>50 years old), a history of alcohol consumption (>3/week), high American Society of Anesthesiologists classification (III or IV), time between injury and surgery (>2 days), number of previous escharotomies (>2), combined intravenous and inhalation anesthesia, no bispectral index applied, long duration surgery (>180 min), and intraoperative hypotension (mean arterial pressure < 55 mm Hg). On the basis of the different odds ratios, the authors established a weighted model. When the score of a patient's weighted odds ratios is more than 6, the incidence of POD increased significantly (P < .05). When the score of a patient's weighted odds ratios is more than 6, the incidence of POD increased significantly (P < .05). Further, POD was associated with more postoperative complications, including hepatic and renal function impairment and hypernatremia, as well as prolonged hospitalization, increased medical costs, and higher mortality.

Intra-urban spatial variability of surface ozone in Riverside, CA: viability and validation of low-cost sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadighi, Kira; Coffey, Evan; Polidori, Andrea; Feenstra, Brandon; Lv, Qin; Henze, Daven K.; Hannigan, Michael

2018-03-01

Sensor networks are being more widely used to characterize and understand compounds in the atmosphere like ozone (O3). This study employs a measurement tool, called the U-Pod, constructed at the University of Colorado Boulder, to investigate spatial and temporal variability of O3 in a 200 km2 area of Riverside County near Los Angeles, California. This tool contains low-cost sensors to collect ambient data at non-permanent locations. The U-Pods were calibrated using a pre-deployment field calibration technique; all the U-Pods were collocated with regulatory monitors. After collocation, the U-Pods were deployed in the area mentioned. A subset of pods was deployed at two local regulatory air quality monitoring stations providing validation for the collocation calibration method. Field validation of sensor O3 measurements to minute-resolution reference observations resulted in R2 and root mean squared errors (RMSEs) of 0.95-0.97 and 4.4-5.9 ppbv, respectively. Using the deployment data, ozone concentrations were observed to vary on this small spatial scale. In the analysis based on hourly binned data, the median R2 values between all possible U-Pod pairs varied from 0.52 to 0.86 for ozone during the deployment. The medians of absolute differences were calculated between all possible pod pairs, 21 pairs total. The median values of those median absolute differences for each hour of the day varied between 2.2 and 9.3 ppbv for the ozone deployment. Since median differences between U-Pod concentrations during deployment are larger than the respective root mean square error values, we can conclude that there is spatial variability in this criteria pollutant across the study area. This is important because it means that citizens may be exposed to more, or less, ozone than they would assume based on current regulatory monitoring.

Mineral accumulation in vegetative and reproductive tissues during seed development in Medicago truncatula

PubMed Central

Garcia, Christina B.; Grusak, Michael A.

2015-01-01

Enhancing nutrient density in legume seeds is one of several strategies being explored to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply. In order to develop crop varieties with increased seed mineral concentration, a more detailed understanding of mineral translocation within the plant is required. By studying mineral accumulation in different organs within genetically diverse members of the same species, it may be possible to identify variable traits that modulate seed mineral concentration. We utilized two ecotypes (A17 and DZA315.16) of the model legume, Medicago truncatula, to study dry mass and mineral accumulation in the leaves, pod walls, and seeds during reproductive development. The pod wall dry mass was significantly different between the two ecotypes beginning at 12 days after pollination, whereas there was no significant difference in the average dry mass of individual seeds between the two ecotypes at any time point. There were also no significant differences in leaf dry mass between ecotypes; however, we observed expansion of A17 leaves during the first 21 days of pod development, while DZA315.16 leaves did not display a significant increase in leaf area. Mineral profiling of the leaves, pod walls, and seeds highlighted differences in accumulation patterns among minerals within each tissue as well as genotypic differences with respect to individual minerals. Because there were differences in the average seed number per pod, the total seed mineral content per pod was generally higher in A17 than DZA315.16. In addition, mineral partitioning to the seeds tended to be higher in A17 pods. These data revealed that mineral retention within leaves and/or pod walls might attenuate mineral accumulation within the seeds. As a result, strategies to increase seed mineral content should include approaches that will enhance export from these tissues. PMID:26322063

Postoperative plasma 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α levels are associated with delirium and cognitive dysfunction in elderly patients after hip fracture surgery.

PubMed

Zheng, Yuan-Bo; Ruan, Guo-Mo; Fu, Jia-Xing; Su, Zhong-Liang; Cheng, Peng; Lu, Jian-Zuo

2016-04-01

Oxidative stress may be involved in occurrence of postoperative delirium (POD) and cognitive dysfunction (POCD). 8-iso-Prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α), an isoprostane derived from arachidonic acid via lipid peroxidation, is considered a gold standard for measuring oxidative stress. The present study aimed to investigate the ability of postoperative plasma 8-iso-PGF2α levels to predict POD and POCD in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. Postoperative plasma 8-iso-PGF2α levels of 182 patients were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We assessed the relationships between plasma 8-iso-PGF2α levels and the risk of POD and POCD using a multivariate analysis. Plasma 8-iso-PGF2α levels and age were identified as the independent predictors for POD and POCD. Based on areas under receiver operating characteristic curve, the predictive values of 8-iso-PGF2α were obviously higher than those of age for POD and POCD. In a combined logistic-regression model, 8-iso-PGF2α significantly enhanced the areas under curve of age for prediction of POD and POCD. Postoperative plasma 8-iso-PGF2α levels may have the potential to predict POD and POCD in elder patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods removed from Endeavour is lowered toward a transporter. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts. OMS pods are removed during Orbiter Major Modifications. Once removed, the OMS pods undergo in-depth structural inspections, system checks and the thrusters are changed out.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods removed from Endeavour is lowered toward a transporter. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts. OMS pods are removed during Orbiter Major Modifications. Once removed, the OMS pods undergo in-depth structural inspections, system checks and the thrusters are changed out.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Technicians in the Orbiter Processing Facility oversee removal of one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods from Endeavour. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts. OMS pods are removed during Orbiter Major Modifications. Once removed, the OMS pods undergo in-depth structural inspections, system checks and the thrusters are changed out.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Technicians in the Orbiter Processing Facility oversee removal of one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods from Endeavour. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts. OMS pods are removed during Orbiter Major Modifications. Once removed, the OMS pods undergo in-depth structural inspections, system checks and the thrusters are changed out.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Orbiter Processing Facility prepare to remove one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods from Endeavour. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts. OMS pods are removed during Orbiter Major Modifications. Once removed, the OMS pods undergo in-depth structural inspections, system checks and the thrusters are changed out.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Orbiter Processing Facility prepare to remove one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods from Endeavour. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts. OMS pods are removed during Orbiter Major Modifications. Once removed, the OMS pods undergo in-depth structural inspections, system checks and the thrusters are changed out.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods removed from Endeavour is suspended overhead. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts. OMS pods are removed during Orbiter Major Modifications. Once removed, the OMS pods undergo in-depth structural inspections, system checks and the thrusters are changed out.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods removed from Endeavour is suspended overhead. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts. OMS pods are removed during Orbiter Major Modifications. Once removed, the OMS pods undergo in-depth structural inspections, system checks and the thrusters are changed out.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods removed from Endeavour is lowered onto a transporter. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts. OMS pods are removed during Orbiter Major Modifications. Once removed, the OMS pods undergo in-depth structural inspections, system checks and the thrusters are changed out.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods removed from Endeavour is lowered onto a transporter. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts. OMS pods are removed during Orbiter Major Modifications. Once removed, the OMS pods undergo in-depth structural inspections, system checks and the thrusters are changed out.

Directed Design of Experiments (DOE) for Determining Probability of Detection (POD) Capability of NDE Systems (DOEPOD)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Generazio, Ed

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews some of the issues that people who specialize in Non destructive evaluation (NDE) have with determining the statistics of the probability of detection. There is discussion of the use of the binominal distribution, and the probability of hit. The presentation then reviews the concepts of Directed Design of Experiments for Validating Probability of Detection of Inspection Systems (DOEPOD). Several cases are reviewed, and discussed. The concept of false calls is also reviewed.

Expression of an alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) peroxidase gene in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana enhances resistance to NaCl and H2O2.

PubMed

Teng, K; Xiao, G Z; Guo, W E; Yuan, J B; Li, J; Chao, Y H; Han, L B

2016-05-23

Peroxidases (PODs) are enzymes that play important roles in catalyzing the reduction of H2O2 and the oxidation of various substrates. They function in many different and important biological processes, such as defense mechanisms, immune responses, and pathogeny. The POD genes have been cloned and identified in many plants, but their function in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is not known, to date. Based on the POD gene sequence (GenBank accession No. L36157.1), we cloned the POD gene in alfalfa, which was named MsPOD. MsPOD expression increased with increasing H2O2. The gene was expressed in all of the tissues, including the roots, stems, leaves, and flowers, particularly in stems and leaves under light/dark conditions. A subcellular analysis showed that MsPOD was localized outside the cells. Transgenic Arabidopsis with MsPOD exhibited increased resistance to H2O2 and NaCl. Moreover, POD activity in the transgenic plants was significantly higher than that in wild-type Arabidopsis. These results show that MsPOD plays an important role in resistance to H2O2 and NaCl.

A Novel mRNA Level Subtraction Method for Quick Identification of Target-Orientated Uniquely Expressed Genes Between Peanut Immature Pod and Leaf

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Subtraction technique has been broadly applied for target gene discovery. However, most current protocols apply relative differential subtraction and result in great amount clone mixtures of unique and differentially expressed genes. This makes it more difficult to identify unique or target-orientated expressed genes. In this study, we developed a novel method for subtraction at mRNA level by integrating magnetic particle technology into driver preparation and tester–driver hybridization to facilitate uniquely expressed gene discovery between peanut immature pod and leaf through a single round subtraction. The resulting target clones were further validated through polymerase chain reaction screening using peanut immature pod and leaf cDNA libraries as templates. This study has resulted in identifying several genes expressed uniquely in immature peanut pod. These target genes can be used for future peanut functional genome and genetic engineering research. PMID:21406066

Significance of Portal Venous Velocity in Short-term Graft Function in Living Donor Liver Transplantation.

PubMed

Wakiyama, S; Takano, Y; Shiba, H; Gocho, T; Sakamoto, T; Ishida, Y; Yanaga, K

2017-06-01

Graft regeneration and functional recovery after reperfusion of transplanted graft are very important for successful living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of postoperative portal venous velocity (PVV) in short-term recovery of graft function in LDLT. From February 2007 through December 2015, we performed 17 primary LDLTs, which were included in the present study. The patients ranged in age from 12 to 65 years (mean: 50 years), and 11 were female patients. Postoperatively, Doppler ultrasonography was performed daily to measure PVV (cm/s), and liver function parameters were measured daily. The change in PVV (ΔPVV) was defined as follows: ΔPVV = PVV on postoperative day (POD) 1 - PVV on POD 7. Maximal value of serum aspartate aminotransferase (ASTmax) and maximal value of serum alanine transaminase (ALTmax) at 24 hours after graft reperfusion were used as parameters of reperfusion injury. Correlation analyses were performed as follows: (1) correlation of ΔPVV and PVV on POD 1 (PVV-POD 1) with the values such as ASTmax, ALTmax, other liver function parameters on POD 7 and graft regeneration rate; (2) correlation of ASTmax and ALTmax with other liver function parameters on POD 7. ΔPVV significantly correlated with the values of serum total bilirubin (P < .01), prothrombin time (P < .01), and platelet count (P < .05), and PVV-POD 1 significantly correlated with the values of serum total bilirubin (P < .05) and prothrombin time (P < .05). ΔPVV and PVV-POD 1 may be useful parameters of short-term functional recovery of the transplant liver in LDLT. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploration of POD-Galerkin Techniques for Developing Reduced Order Models of the Euler Equations

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-01

modes [1]. Barone et al [15, 16] proposed to stabilize the reduced system by symmetrizing the higher-order PDE with a preconditioning matrix. Rowley et...advection scalar equation. The ROM is obtained by employing Galerkin’s method to reduce the high-order PDEs to a lower- order ODE system by means of POD...high-order PDEs to a lower-order ODE system by means of POD eigen-bases. For purposes of this study, a linearized version of the Euler equations is

Impact of a new cryotherapy device on early rehabilitation after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA): a prospective randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Sadoghi, Patrick; Hasenhütl, Sandro; Gruber, Gerald; Leitner, Lukas; Leithner, Andreas; Rumpold-Seitlinger, Gudrun; Kastner, Norbert; Poolman, Rudolf W; Glehr, Mathias

2018-06-01

The aim of this prospective, randomised and single blinded study was to evaluate the efficiency and safety of a new cryotherapy device in patients undergoing unilateral, primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Our hypothesis was that patients administered to the new cryotherapy device would perform better than patients receiving a conventional standard cold therapy regimen. Ninety-seven patients were randomised into two groups receiving either the cTreatment® (new cryotherapy device) or the standard cold therapy protocol (including cold pack application for six days after the surgical intervention). We evaluated the following endpoints consisting of range of motion (ROM), pain intensity, and knee girth on admission day and the second, fourth, and sixth post-operative day (POD). A statistically significant benefit of the new cryotherapy device was detected regarding the ROM on the sixth POD with an average gain of 7 degrees (p = 0.021). Pain in the numeric rating scale (NRS) score in motion was significantly lower in the cTreatment® group on the second POD (p = 0.034). There were no statistically significant differences between groups regarding the NRS in rest, patient controlled analgesia (PCA) consumption, and girth measurements. No adverse effects were observed in both study groups. The new computer-controlled cooling therapy device provides benefits in terms of early post-operative remobilisation with respect to ROM and pain, which might be attributed to a reduced inflammatory response, as well as reduced secretion and bleeding. The cTreatment® system appears to be a safe and efficient procedure.

Association mapping of seed and disease resistance traits in Theobroma cacao L.

PubMed

Motilal, Lambert A; Zhang, Dapeng; Mischke, Sue; Meinhardt, Lyndel W; Boccara, Michel; Fouet, Olivier; Lanaud, Claire; Umaharan, Pathmanathan

2016-12-01

Microsatellite and single nucleotide polymorphism markers that could be used in marker assisted breeding of cacao were identified for number of filled seeds, black pod resistance and witches' broom disease resistance. An association mapping approach was employed to identify markers for seed number and resistance to black pod and witches' broom disease (WBD) in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.). Ninety-five microsatellites (SSRs) and 775 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were assessed on 483 unique trees in the International Cocoa Genebank Trinidad (ICGT). Linkage disequilibrium (LD) and association mapping studies were conducted to identify markers to tag the phenotypic traits. Decay of LD occurred over an average 9.3 cM for chromosomes 1-9 and 2.5 cM for chromosome 10. Marker/trait associations were generally identified based on general linear models (GLMs) that incorporated principal components from molecular information on relatedness factor. Seven markers (mTcCIR 8, 66, 126, 212; TcSNP368, 697, 1370) on chromosomes 1 and 9 were identified for number of filled seeds (NSEED). A single marker was found for black pod resistance (mTcCIR280) on chromosome 3, whereas six markers on chromosomes 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 were detected for WBD (mTcCIR91, 183; TcSNP375, 720, 1230 and 1374). It is expected that this association mapping study in cacao would contribute to the knowledge of the genetic determinism of cocoa traits and that the markers identified herein would prove useful in marker assisted breeding of cacao.

Dissection of Resistance Genes to Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola in UI3 Common Bean Cultivar

PubMed Central

González, Ana M.; Godoy, Luís

2017-01-01

Few quantitative trait loci have been mapped for resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola in common bean. Two F2 populations were developed from the host differential UI3 cultivar. The objective of this study was to further characterize the resistance to races 1, 5, 7 and 9 of Psp included in UI3. Using a QTL mapping approach, 16 and 11 main-effect QTLs for pod and primary leaf resistance were located on LG10, explaining up to 90% and 26% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. The homologous genomic region corresponding to primary leaf resistance QTLs detected tested positive for the presence of resistance-associated gene cluster encoding nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NL), Natural Resistance Associated Macrophage (NRAMP) and Pentatricopeptide Repeat family (PPR) proteins. It is worth noting that the main effect QTLs for resistance in pod were located inside a 3.5 Mb genomic region that included the Phvul.010G021200 gene, which encodes a protein that has the highest sequence similarity to the RIN4 gene of Arabidopsis, and can be considered an important candidate gene for the organ-specific QTLs identified here. These results support that resistance to Psp from UI3 might result from the immune response activated by combinations of R proteins, and suggest the guard model as an important mechanism in pod resistance to halo blight. The candidate genes identified here warrant functional studies that will help in characterizing the actual defense gene(s) in UI3 genotype. PMID:29168746

Variability within Systemic In Vivo Toxicity Points-of-Departure (SOT)

EPA Science Inventory

In vivo studies have long been considered the gold standard for toxicology screening and deriving points of departure (POD). With the push to decrease the use of animal studies, predictive models using in vivo data are being developed to estimate POD. However, recent work has il...

The influence of formulation on Trichoderma biological activity and frosty pod rot disease management in Theobroma cacao

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Frosty pod rot (FPR), caused by Moniliophthora roreri is responsible for significant losses in Theobroma cacao. Due to the limited options for FPR management, biological control methods using Trichoderma are being studied. Combinations of three formulations and two Trichoderma isolates were studied ...

Evaluation of mature soybean pods as a food source for two pod-sucking bugs, Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae) and Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

PubMed Central

Rahman, M. Mahbubur

2017-01-01

Riptortus pedestris (Fabricius) and Halyomorpha halys (Stål) cause injury to soybeans by piercing and sucking pods and seeds. Growers believe that new damage decreases near to harvest despite the occurrence of these bugs at that time. As this question has never been assessed, we evaluated two diets: a) mature soybean pods (dried shell + dried soybean seeds) and b) dried soybean seeds for the two bugs by assessing their biological, behavioral, and morphological attributes on each diet in laboratory. While nymphs of both species were able to develop and adults able to reproduce on the tested diets, bugs fed on pods had longer development times and 2.2 to 5.0 times higher mortality rates than bugs fed on seeds. Furthermore, adult longevity of R. pedestris and H. halys fed on pods was 8.4 and 7.5 days shorter, respectively, than that of bugs fed on seeds. However, pod feeding had no effect on adult fecundity or egg viability. In a behavioral choice test, adult R. pedestris preferred seeds over pods and probed seeds longer than pods. On average, adult H. halys also preferred seeds over pods, although 15.6% of H. halys showed the reverse, preferring pods over seeds. The proboscis length and estimated depth of stylet penetration into the host tissue of both nymphs and adults of both species was much greater than the thickness of the pod shell, suggesting that mouthpart structure does not explain the negative effects of pods vs. seeds. In conclusion, mature soybean pods were found to be a suitable food source for both R. pedestris and H. halys despite some negative effects, and thus careful attention should be paid to the population levels of these two bugs approaching harvest to reduce economic damage in soybean. PMID:28430798

Comparison of survey techniques on detection of northern flying squirrels

USGS Publications Warehouse

Diggins, Corinne A.; Gilley, L. Michelle; Kelly, Christine A.; Ford, W. Mark

2016-01-01

The ability to detect a species is central to the success of monitoring for conservation and management purposes, especially if the species is rare or endangered. Traditional methods, such as live capture, can be labor-intensive, invasive, and produce low detection rates. Technological advances and new approaches provide opportunities to more effectively survey for species both in terms of accuracy and efficiency than previous methods. We conducted a pilot comparison study of a traditional technique (live-trapping) and 2 novel noninvasive techniques (camera-trapping and ultrasonic acoustic surveys) on detection rates of the federally endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus) in occupied habitat within the Roan Mountain Highlands of North Carolina, USA. In 2015, we established 3 5 × 5 live-trapping grids (6.5 ha) with 4 camera traps and 4 acoustic detectors systematically embedded in each grid. All 3 techniques were used simultaneously during 2 4-day survey periods. We compared techniques by assessing probability of detection (POD), latency to detection (LTD; i.e., no. of survey nights until initial detection), and survey effort. Acoustics had the greatest POD (0.37 ± 0.06 SE), followed by camera traps (0.30 ± 0.06) and live traps (0.01 ± 0.005). Acoustics had a lower LTD than camera traps (P = 0.017), where average LTD was 1.5 nights for acoustics and 3.25 nights for camera traps. Total field effort was greatest with live traps (111.9 hr) followed by acoustics (8.4 hr) and camera traps (9.6 hr), although processing and examination for data of noninvasive techniques made overall effort similar among the 3 methods. This pilot study demonstrated that both noninvasive methods were better rapid-assessment detection techniques for flying squirrels than live traps. However, determining seasonal effects between survey techniques and further development of protocols for both noninvasive techniques is necessary prior to widespread application in the region. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Comparative study on the effect of chemicals on Alternaria blight in Indian mustard--a multi-location study in India.

PubMed

Meena, P D; Chattopadhyay, C; Kumar, A; Awasthi, R P; Singh, R; Kaur, S; Thomas, L; Goyal, P; Chand, P

2011-05-01

High severity of Altemaria blight disease is a major constraint in production of rapeseed-mustard in India. The aim of this study was to investigate the suppressive potential of chemicals viz., zinc sulphate, borax, sulphur, potash and calcium sulphate, aqueous extracts viz., Eucalyptus globosus (50 g l-1) leaf extract and garlic (Allium sativum) bulb (20 g l-1) extract, cow urine and bio-agents Trichoderma harzianum, Pseudomonas fluorescence in comparison with the recommended chemical fungicide (mancozeb), against foliar disease Alternaria blight of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. and Coss] under five different geographical locations of India. Mancozeb recorded the lowest mean severity (leaf: 33.1%; pod: 26.3%) of Alternaria blight with efficacy of garlic bulb extract alone (leaf = 34.4%; pod = 27.3%) or in combination with cow urine (leaf = 34.2%; pod = 28.6%) being statistically at par with the recommended chemical fungicide. Chemicals also proved effective in reducing Alternaria blight severity on leaves and pods of Indian mustard (leaf = 36.3-37.9%; pod = 27.5-30.1%). The effective treatments besides providing significant reduction in disease severity also enabled increase in dry seed yield of the crop (mancozeb = 2052 kg ha-1; garlic = 2006 kg ha-1; control = 1561 kg ha-1).

Carob pod water extracts as feedstock for succinic acid production by Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z.

PubMed

Carvalho, Margarida; Roca, Christophe; Reis, Maria A M

2014-10-01

Carob pods are a by-product of locust bean gum industry containing more than 50% (w/w) sucrose, glucose and fructose. In this work, carob pod water extracts were used, for the first time, for succinic acid production by Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z. Kinetic studies of glucose, fructose and sucrose consumption as individual carbon sources till 30g/L showed no inhibition on cell growth, sugar consumption and SA production rates. Sugar extraction from carob pods was optimized varying solid/liquid ratio and extraction time, maximizing sugar recovery while minimizing the extraction of polyphenols. Batch fermentations containing 10-15g/L total sugars resulted in a maximum specific SA production rate of 0.61Cmol/Cmol X.h, with a yield of 0.55Cmol SA/Cmol sugar and a volumetric productivity of 1.61g SA/L.h. Results demonstrate that carob pods can be a promising low cost feedstock for bio-based SA production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sample size for estimating mean and coefficient of variation in species of crotalarias.

PubMed

Toebe, Marcos; Machado, Letícia N; Tartaglia, Francieli L; Carvalho, Juliana O DE; Bandeira, Cirineu T; Cargnelutti Filho, Alberto

2018-04-16

The objective of this study was to determine the sample size necessary to estimate the mean and coefficient of variation in four species of crotalarias (C. juncea, C. spectabilis, C. breviflora and C. ochroleuca). An experiment was carried out for each species during the season 2014/15. At harvest, 1,000 pods of each species were randomly collected. In each pod were measured: mass of pod with and without seeds, length, width and height of pods, number and mass of seeds per pod, and mass of hundred seeds. Measures of central tendency, variability and distribution were calculated, and the normality was verified. The sample size necessary to estimate the mean and coefficient of variation with amplitudes of the confidence interval of 95% (ACI95%) of 2%, 4%, ..., 20% was determined by resampling with replacement. The sample size varies among species and characters, being necessary a larger sample size to estimate the mean in relation of the necessary for the coefficient of variation.

Comparative efficacy of storage bags, storability and damage potential of bruchid beetle.

PubMed

Harish, G; Nataraja, M V; Ajay, B C; Holajjer, Prasanna; Savaliya, S D; Gedia, M V

2014-12-01

Groundnut during storage is attacked by number of stored grain pests and management of these insect pests particularly bruchid beetle, Caryedon serratus (Oliver) is of prime importance as they directly damage the pod and kernels. In this regard different storage bags that could be used and duration up to which we can store groundnut has been studied. Super grain bag recorded minimum number of eggs laid and less damage and minimum weight loss in pods and kernels in comparison to other storage bags. Analysis of variance for multiple regression models were found to be significant in all bags for variables viz, number of eggs laid, damage in pods and kernels, weight loss in pods and kernels throughout the season. Multiple comparison results showed that there was a high probability of eggs laid and pod damage in lino bag, fertilizer bag and gunny bag, whereas super grain bag was found to be more effective in managing the C. serratus owing to very low air circulation.

Inheritance of quantitative traits in crosses between two Pisum sativum subspecies with particular reference to their breeding value.

PubMed

Kosev, V; Pachev, I; Angelova, S; Mikić, A

2012-01-01

The experimental study was conducted during the period of 2008-2010 at the experimental field of the Institute of Forage Crops in Pleven. The hybridization scheme included direct and back crosses covering four varieties of forage pea (Pisum sativum L.), namely two spring ones, Usatii 90 and Kamerton from Ukraine, and a winter one from Bulgaria, Pleven 10. There was analyzed the inheritance of quantitative traits such as plant height, height to first pod, pod number per plant, seed number per plant, seed number per pod, seed weight per plant and number of fertile nodes per plant of parental components (P1 and P2) and both first (F1) and second (F2) hybrid generations. The cross Usatii 90 x Pleven 10 showed the highest real heterosis effect for plant height (8.26%), pods per plant (158.79%), seeds per plant (272.16%), seeds per pod (42.09%), seed weight per plant (432.43%) and number of fertile nodes per plant (117.14%). The cross Pleven 10 x Usatii 90 had the highest real heterosis effect height to first pod (11.06%). In F2 plants, the strongest depression for plant height (5.88%), seeds per plant (57.88%), seeds per pod (55.93%) and seed weight per plant (55.99%) was in the cross Usatii 90 x Pleven 10, for height to first pod (1.47%) in the cross Kamerton x Pleven 10 and for number of fertile nodes per plant (15.91%) in the cross Pleven 10 x Usatii 90. The highest positive degree of transgression for number of fertile nodes per plant (165.64%) and seed weight per plant (162.10%) was in the cross Pleven 10 x Kamerton and for pod number per plant (102.54%) and seeds per plant (99.13%) in Kamerton x Pleven 10. The stability of the characters was determined. Low variability in F1 and F2 was found in plant height (3.97-6.85%). Variability of number seeds per plant in F1 was highest (11.86-33.23%). For all other traits, the variability varied from average to high. A lower narrow-sense heritability coefficient was observed for plant height, height to first pod, pods per plant, seeds per plant and seed weight per plant (from 0.001 to 0.230). In few cases, such as in fertile nodes per plant (0.39 and 0.81) and seeds per pod (0.44), the coefficients ofbroad-sense heritability were higher.

Use of plant residues for improving soil fertility, pod nutrients, root growth and pod weight of okra (Abelmoschus esculentum L).

PubMed

Moyin-Jesu, Emmanuel Ibukunoluwa

2007-08-01

The effect of wood ash, sawdust, ground cocoa husk, spent grain and rice bran upon root development, ash content, pod yield and nutrient status and soil fertility for okra (Abelmoschus esculentum L NHAe 47 variety) was studied. The five organic fertilizer treatments were compared to chemical fertilizer (400kg/ha/crop NPK 15-15-15) and unfertilized controls in four field experiments replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. The results showed that the application of 6tha(-1) of plant residues increased (P<0.05) the soil N, P, K, Ca, Mg, pH, and SOM; pod N, P, K, Ca, Mg and ash; root length; and pod yield of okra in all four experiments relative to the control treatment. For instance, spent grain treatment increased the okra pod yield by 99%, 33%, 50%, 49%, 65% and 67% compared to control, NPK, wood ash, cocoa husk, rice bran and sawdust treatments respectively. In the stepwise regression, out of the total R(2) value of 0.83 for the soil nutrients to the pod yield of okra; soil N accounted for 50% of the soil fertility improvement and yield of okra. Spent grain, wood ash and cocoa husk were the most effective in improving okra pod weight, pod nutrients, ash content, root length and soil fertility whereas the rice bran and sawdust were the least effective. This was because the spent grain, wood ash and cocoa husk had lower C/N ratio and higher nutrient composition than rice bran and sawdust, thus, the former enhanced an increase in pod nutrients, composition for better human dietary intake, increased the root length, pod weight of okra and improved soil fertility and plant nutrition crop. The significance of the increases in okra mineral nutrition concentration by plant residues is that consumers will consume more of these minerals in their meals and monetarily spend less for purchasing vitamins and mineral supplement drugs to meet health requirements. In addition, the increase in plant nutrition and soil fertility would help to reduce the high cost of buying synthetic inorganic fertilizers and maintain the long term productivity of soils for sustainable cultivation of okra.

Dynamic changes in pod and fungal physiology associated with the shift from biotrophy to necrotrophy during the infection of Theobroma cacao by Moniliophthora roreri

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Where it occurs in South and Central America, M. roreri (Mr) causes a destructive pod disease (frosty pod rot) on Theobroma cacao (cacao). Hand pollinated cacao pods were inoculated with Mr spores in the field and assessed for disease symptoms over a 90 day period. On average, pods showed symptoms o...

Incidence of Trismus in Transalveolar Extraction of Lower Third Molar.

PubMed

Balakrishnan, Gowri; Narendar, Ramesh; Kavin, Thangavelu; Venkataraman, Sivasubramanian; Gokulanathan, Subramaniam

2017-11-01

Conventional mandibular third molar removal produces tissue trauma that induces an inflammatory reaction, leading to postoperative sequelae, the most common ones being trismus which influences the patient's quality of life in the postoperative period. Identifying the factors determining trismus after mandibular third molar extraction helps us to evaluate and correlate the incidence of trismus with morphological and surgical factors that are associated with its incidence in the postoperative period. Patients referred to our institution for surgical removal of their impacted lower third molar between November 2014 and February 2015 were the participants of the study. Type of impaction, indication, and level of difficulty based on Pedersen criteria were obtained. Postoperative pain, swelling, and mouth opening (MO) limitations were evaluated at postoperative day (POD) 0, POD1, POD3, POD5, and POD7 and were analyzed. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. In this study, out of fifty patients, only nine patients had experienced limited MO during postoperative period when the duration of procedure exceeded 30 min. However, it occurred as cumulative of pericoronitis and tooth sectioning done. The postoperative trismus was more significant in disto-angular impaction ( P < 0.05) due to postoperative sequelae, swelling and pain.

Comparative analyses of universal extraction buffers for assay of stress related biochemical and physiological parameters.

PubMed

Han, Chunyu; Chan, Zhulong; Yang, Fan

2015-01-01

Comparative efficiency of three extraction solutions, including the universal sodium phosphate buffer (USPB), the Tris-HCl buffer (UTHB), and the specific buffers, were compared for assays of soluble protein, free proline, superoxide radical (O2∙-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and the antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and glutathione reductase (GR) in Populus deltoide. Significant differences for protein extraction were detected via sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). Between the two universal extraction buffers, the USPB showed higher efficiency for extraction of soluble protein, CAT, GR, O2∙-, GPX, SOD, and free proline, while the UTHB had higher efficiency for extraction of APX, POD, and H2O2. When compared with the specific buffers, the USPB showed higher extraction efficiency for measurement of soluble protein, CAT, GR, and O2∙-, parallel extraction efficiency for GPX, SOD, free proline, and H2O2, and lower extraction efficiency for APX and POD, whereas the UTHB had higher extraction efficiency for measurement of POD and H2O2. Further comparisons proved that 100 mM USPB buffer showed the highest extraction efficiencies. These results indicated that USPB would be suitable and efficient for extraction of soluble protein, CAT, GR, GPX, SOD, H2O2, O2∙-, and free proline.

Sentinel-1A - First precise orbit determination results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peter, H.; Jäggi, A.; Fernández, J.; Escobar, D.; Ayuga, F.; Arnold, D.; Wermuth, M.; Hackel, S.; Otten, M.; Simons, W.; Visser, P.; Hugentobler, U.; Féménias, P.

2017-09-01

Sentinel-1A is the first satellite of the European Copernicus programme. Equipped with a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument the satellite was launched on April 3, 2014. Operational since October 2014 the satellite delivers valuable data for more than two years. The orbit accuracy requirements are given as 5 cm in 3D. In order to fulfill this stringent requirement the precise orbit determination (POD) is based on the dual-frequency GPS observations delivered by an eight-channel GPS receiver. The Copernicus POD (CPOD) Service is in charge of providing the orbital and auxiliary products required by the PDGS (Payload Data Ground Segment). External orbit validation is regularly performed by comparing the CPOD Service orbits to orbit solutions provided by POD expert members of the Copernicus POD Quality Working Group (QWG). The orbit comparisons revealed systematic orbit offsets mainly in radial direction (approx. 3 cm). Although no independent observation technique (e.g. DORIS, SLR) is available to validate the GPS-derived orbit solutions, comparisons between the different antenna phase center variations and different reduced-dynamic orbit determination approaches used in the various software packages helped to detect the cause of the systematic offset. An error in the given geometry information about the satellite has been found. After correction of the geometry the orbit validation shows a significant reduction of the radial offset to below 5 mm. The 5 cm orbit accuracy requirement in 3D is fulfilled according to the results of the orbit comparisons between the different orbit solutions from the QWG.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A165b Restores Normal Glomerular Water Permeability in a Diphtheria-Toxin Mouse Model of Glomerular Injury.

PubMed

Stevens, Megan; Neal, Christopher R; Salmon, Andrew H J; Bates, David O; Harper, Steven J; Oltean, Sebastian

2018-01-01

Genetic cell ablation using the human diphtheria toxin receptor (hDTR) is a new strategy used for analysing cellular function. Diphtheria toxin (DT) is a cytotoxic protein that leaves mouse cells relatively unaffected, but upon binding to hDTR it ultimately leads to cell death. We used a podocyte-specific hDTR expressing (Pod-DTR) mouse to assess the anti-permeability and cyto-protective effects of the splice isoform vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A165b). The Pod-DTR mouse was crossed with a mouse that over-expressed VEGF-A165b specifically in the podocytes (Neph-VEGF-A165b). Wild type (WT), Pod-DTR, Neph-VEGF-A165b and Pod-DTR X Neph-VEGF-A165b mice were treated with several doses of DT (1, 5, 100, and 1,000 ng/g bodyweight). Urine was collected and the glomerular water permeability (LpA/Vi) was measured ex vivo after 14 days. Structural analysis and podocyte marker expression were also assessed. Pod-DTR mice developed an increased glomerular LpA/Vi 14 days after administration of DT (all doses), which was prevented when the mice over-expressed VEGF-A165b. No major structural abnormalities, podocyte ablation or albuminuria was observed in Pod-DTR mice, indicating this to be a mild model of podocyte disease. However, a change in expression and localisation of nephrin within the podocytes was observed, indicating disruption of the slit diaphragm in the Pod-DTR mice. This was prevented in the Pod-DTR X Neph-VEGF-A165b mice. Although only a mild model of podocyte injury, over-expression of the anti-permeability VEGF-A165b isoform in the podocytes of Pod-DTR mice had a protective effect. Therefore, this study further highlights the therapeutic potential of VEGF-A165b in glomerular disease. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Effect of Adductor Canal Block on Knee Extensor Muscle Strength 6 Weeks After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Rousseau-Saine, Nicolas; Williams, Stephan R; Girard, François; Hébert, Luc J; Robin, Florian; Duchesne, Luc; Lavoie, Frédéric; Ruel, Monique

2018-03-01

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) reduces knee extensor muscle strength (KES) in the operated limb for several months after the surgery. Immediately after TKA, compared to either inguinal femoral nerve block or placebo, adductor canal block (ACB) better preserves KES. Whether this short-term increase in KES is maintained several weeks after surgery remains unknown. We hypothesized that 48 hours of continuous ACB immediately after TKA would improve KES 6 weeks after TKA, compared to placebo. Patients scheduled for primary unilateral TKA were randomized to receive either a continuous ACB (group ACB) or a sham block (group SHAM) for 48 hours after surgery. Primary outcome was the difference in maximal KES 6 weeks postoperatively, measured with a dynamometer during maximum voluntary isometric contraction. Secondary outcomes included postoperative day 1 (POD1) and day 2 (POD2) KES, pain scores at rest and peak effort, and opioid consumption; variation at 6 weeks of Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, patient satisfaction, and length of hospital stay. Sixty-three subjects were randomized and 58 completed the study. Patients in group ACB had less pain at rest during POD1 and during peak effort on POD1 and POD2, consumed less opioids on POD1 and POD2, and had higher median KES on POD1. There was no significant difference between groups for median KES on POD2, variation of Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, patient satisfaction, and length of stay. There was no difference between groups in median KES 6 weeks after surgery (52 Nm [31-89 Nm] for group ACB vs 47 Nm [30-78 Nm] for group SHAM, P= .147). Continuous ACB provides better analgesia and KES for 24-48 hours after surgery, but does not affect KES 6 weeks after TKA. Further research could evaluate whether standardized and optimized rehabilitation over the long term would allow early KES improvements with ACB to be maintained over a period of weeks or months.

US regional and demographic differences in prescription opioid and heroin-related overdose hospitalizations.

PubMed

Unick, George Jay; Ciccarone, Daniel

2017-08-01

US opioid overdose death rates have increased between 2000 and 2014. While, the increase in prescription opioid use has been linked to the increase in heroin use, there are reasons to view this relationship as a partial explanation for the recent increase in heroin-related harms. This study documents the differences in trends in prescription opioid overdose-related (POD) and heroin overdose-related (HOD) hospitalizations. Data come from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) for the years 2000 through 2014. POD and HOD hospitalizations were abstracted from ICD-9 codes. Rates of POD and HOD by census region and census division were constructed along with separate rates for age and race. Regression analysis analyzing trends across region were estimated along with graphs for documenting differences in POD and HOD rates. POD hospitalization rates were highest in the South and lowest in the Northeast. HOD hospitalization rates were highest in the Northeast region and grew the fastest in the Midwest. There was statistically significant heterogeneity in HOD trends but not POD trends across the four regions between 2000 and 2014. Between 2012 and 2014 POD rates decreased in eight of the nine census divisions, with only New England showing an increase. HOD hospitalization rates increased in all nine census divisions between 2012 and 2014. Both POD and HOD rates show different demographic patterns across the nine census divisions. Comparing POD and HOD hospitalization trends reveals significant disparities in geographic as well as demographic distributions. These epidemics are evolving and the simple opioid-to-heroin transition story is both supported and challenged by this paper. The opioid pill, heroin and fentanyl crises are intertwined yet increasingly have drivers and outcomes that support examining them as distinct. Addressing these complex and interrelated epidemics will require innovative public health research and interventions which need to consider local and regional contexts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Serum hCG-β levels of postovulatory day 12 and 14 with the sequential application of hCG-β fold change significantly increased predictability of pregnancy outcome after IVF-ET cycle.

PubMed

Sung, Nayoung; Kwak-Kim, Joanne; Koo, H S; Yang, K M

2016-09-01

To investigate hCG-β level on postovulatory day (POD) 12 and its fold increase as predictors for pregnancy outcome after in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. A retrospective cohort study was performed in total 1408 fresh and 598 frozen cycles between November 2008 and October 2011, which resulted in biochemical pregnancy, early pregnancy loss, or live birth of singleton pregnancy. The serum hCG-β levels of POD 12 and 14 were compared among biochemical pregnancy, early pregnancy loss, and live birth groups. The cutoff values of POD 12 and 14 hCG-β levels and the degree of hCG-β increase from POD 12 to 14 were determined for each pregnancy outcome. POD 12 and 14 hCG-β levels stratified based on pregnancy outcomes were significantly different among the biochemical pregnancy, early pregnancy loss, and live birth in both fresh and frozen cycles. Serum hCG-β levels of POD 12 and 14 and the fold increase of hCG-β levels from POD 12 to 14 significantly predict pregnancy outcomes after fresh and frozen cycles. Among these, the cutoff value of POD 14 hCG-β had the highest sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV). In fresh cycles, the cutoff values of POD 12 and 14 serum hCG-β levels for clinical pregnancies were 30.2 mIU/mL (sensitivity 81.3 %, specificity 79.6 %, and PPV 92.3 %) and 70.5 mIU/mL (sensitivity 88.4 %, specificity 85.2 %, and PPV 94.7 %). In pregnancies with POD 12 serum hCG-β levels ≥30.2 mIU/mL, the cutoff level of increase of hCG-β for clinical pregnancy was 2.56 (sensitivity 73.6 %, specificity 72.4 %, and PPV 97.8 %). Sequential application of cutoff values such as POD 12 hCG-β and fold increase of hCG-β improved predictability of pregnancy outcome as compared with that of POD 12 hCG-β alone. The cutoff values of POD 12 and 14 serum hCG-β levels for live birth were 40.5 mIU/mL (sensitivity 75.2 %, specificity 72.6 %, PPV 78.9 %) and 104.5 mIU/mL (sensitivity 80.3 %, specificity 74.1 %, PPV 80.8 %). In the frozen cycles, the cutoff values of POD 12 and 14 serum hCG-β level for clinical pregnancy were 31.5 IU/L (sensitivity 80.4 %, specificity 71.1 % and PPV 90 %) and 43.5 mIU/mL (sensitivity 72.6 %, specificity 71.7 %, PPV 77.2 %). In pregnancies with POD 12 serum hCG-β level ≥31.5 mIU/mL, the cutoff value for fold increase of hCG-β was 2.38 for clinical pregnancy (sensitivity 81.6 %, specificity 71.4 % and PPV 87.9 %). The cutoff values of POD 12 and 14 for live birth were 43.5 mIU/mL (sensitivity 72.6 %, specificity 71.7 %, PPV 77.2 %) and 101.6 mIU/mL (sensitivity 79.6 %, specificity 71.1 %, PPV 78.4 %). Sequential application of cutoff values for POD 12 hCG-β level and fold increase of hCG-β significantly increased PPV for live birth but not clinical pregnancy in frozen cycles. Early prediction of pregnancy outcome by using POD 12 and 14 cutoff levels and sequential application of cutoff value of fold increase could provide appropriate reference to health care providers to initiate earlier management of high-risk pregnancies and precise follow-up of abnormal pregnancies.

Patterns in place of cancer death in the State of Qatar: a population-based study.

PubMed

Mohsen, Hassan; Haddad, Pascale; Allam, Ayman; Hassan, Azza

2014-01-01

International studies show that most people prefer to die at home; however, hospitals remain the most common place of death (PoD). This study aims to investigate the patterns in PoD and the associated factors, which are crucial for end-of-life cancer care enhancement. This retrospective, population-based study analyzed all registered cancer deaths in Qatar between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2012 (n = 1,224). The main outcome measures were patient characteristics: age, gender, nationality, cancer diagnosis, year of death, and PoD. Time trends for age-standardized proportions of death in individual PoDs were evaluated using chi-square analysis. Odds ratio (OR) were determined for variables associated with the most preferred (acute palliative care unit [APCU] and hematology/oncology ward) versus least preferred (ICU and general medicine ward) PoDs in Qatar, stratified by nationality. The hematology/oncology ward was the most common PoD (32.4%; 95% CI 26.7-35.3%) followed by ICU (31.4%; 95% CI 28.7-34.3%), APCU (26.9%; 95% CI 24.3-29.6%), and general medicine ward (9.2%; 95% CI 7.6-11.1%). APCU trended upward (+0.057/year; p<0.001), while the hematology/oncology ward trended downward (-0.055/year; p<0.001). No statistically significant changes occurred in the other PoDs; home deaths remained low (0.4%; 95% Cl 0.38-0.42). Qataris who died from liver cancer (OR 0.23) and aged 65 or older (OR 0.64) were less likely to die in the APCU or hematology/oncology ward (p<0.05). Non-Qataris who died from pancreatic cancer (OR 3.12) and female (OR 2.05) were more likely to die in the APCU or hematology/oncology ward (p<0.05). Both Qataris and non-Qataris who died from hematologic malignancy (OR 0.18 and 0.41, respectively) were more likely to die in the ICU or general medicine ward (p<0.05). A high percentage of cancer deaths in Qatar occur in hospital. As home was the preferred PoD for most people, effective home care and hospice programs are needed to improve end-of-life cancer care.

Patterns in Place of Cancer Death in the State of Qatar: A Population-Based Study

PubMed Central

Mohsen, Hassan; Haddad, Pascale; Allam, Ayman; Hassan, Azza

2014-01-01

Background International studies show that most people prefer to die at home; however, hospitals remain the most common place of death (PoD). This study aims to investigate the patterns in PoD and the associated factors, which are crucial for end-of-life cancer care enhancement. Method This retrospective, population-based study analyzed all registered cancer deaths in Qatar between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2012 (n = 1,224). The main outcome measures were patient characteristics: age, gender, nationality, cancer diagnosis, year of death, and PoD. Time trends for age-standardized proportions of death in individual PoDs were evaluated using chi-square analysis. Odds ratio (OR) were determined for variables associated with the most preferred (acute palliative care unit [APCU] and hematology/oncology ward) versus least preferred (ICU and general medicine ward) PoDs in Qatar, stratified by nationality. Results The hematology/oncology ward was the most common PoD (32.4%; 95% CI 26.7–35.3%) followed by ICU (31.4%; 95% CI 28.7–34.3%), APCU (26.9%; 95% CI 24.3–29.6%), and general medicine ward (9.2%; 95% CI 7.6–11.1%). APCU trended upward (+0.057/year; p<0.001), while the hematology/oncology ward trended downward (−0.055/year; p<0.001). No statistically significant changes occurred in the other PoDs; home deaths remained low (0.4%; 95% Cl 0.38–0.42). Qataris who died from liver cancer (OR 0.23) and aged 65 or older (OR 0.64) were less likely to die in the APCU or hematology/oncology ward (p<0.05). Non-Qataris who died from pancreatic cancer (OR 3.12) and female (OR 2.05) were more likely to die in the APCU or hematology/oncology ward (p<0.05). Both Qataris and non-Qataris who died from hematologic malignancy (OR 0.18 and 0.41, respectively) were more likely to die in the ICU or general medicine ward (p<0.05). Conclusion A high percentage of cancer deaths in Qatar occur in hospital. As home was the preferred PoD for most people, effective home care and hospice programs are needed to improve end-of-life cancer care. PMID:25536076

Same-Day Discharge after Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: An Analysis of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program Database.

PubMed

Inaba, Colette S; Koh, Christina Y; Sujatha-Bhaskar, Sarath; Zhang, Lishi; Nguyen, Ninh T

2018-05-01

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) has been performed with successful discharge on postoperative day 1 (POD1). There are limited studies on same-day discharge after LRYGB. The objective of this study was to examine the frequency and outcomes of same-day discharge after LRYGB. The 2015 Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) database was analyzed for adult patients who underwent elective LRYGB cases with same-day vs POD1 discharge. Open and revisional cases were excluded. Multivariate analysis was performed to compare risk-adjusted 30-day mortality, overall morbidity, readmission, and reoperation. There were 354 (0.9%) patients who were discharged on the same day as surgery after LRYGB. After exclusion criteria, 319 patients with same-day discharge and 9,402 patients with POD1 discharge were examined. For same-day vs POD1 discharge groups, mean ages were 45.0 and 44.5 years, respectively, and mean BMIs were 47.3 kg/m 2 and 45.9 kg/m 2 , respectively. The unadjusted mortality rate was significantly higher for same-day compared with POD1 discharge (0.94% vs. 0.05%, respectively; p = 0.0017). Compared with POD1 discharge, same-day discharge had higher overall morbidity (3.76% vs 1.54%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.41; p = 0.0216), but no statistically significant differences for readmissions (3.45% vs. 3.66%; AOR 0.85; p = 0.9999) or reoperations (1.88% vs. 0.89%; AOR 2.33; p = 0.2428). Same-day discharge after LRYGB is associated with increased morbidity and mortality compared with POD1 discharge. The practice of same-day discharge after LRYGB should be considered experimental until further studies confirm which patient characteristics will ensure safe same-day discharge. Copyright © 2018 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mass prophylaxis dispensing concerns: traffic and public access to PODs.

PubMed

Baccam, Prasith; Willauer, David; Krometis, Justin; Ma, Yongchang; Sen, Atri; Boechler, Michael

2011-06-01

The ability to quickly dispense postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) using multiple points of dispensing (PODs) following a bioterrorism event could potentially save a large proportion of those who were exposed, while failure in PEP dispensing could have dire public health consequences. A Monte Carlo simulation was developed to explore the traffic flow and parking around PODs under different arrival rates and how these factors might affect the utilization rate of POD workers. The results demonstrate that the public can reasonably access the PODs under ideal conditions assuming a stationary (uniform) arrival rate. For the 5 nonstationary arrival rates tested, however, the available parking spaces quickly become filled, causing long traffic queues and resulting in total processing times that range from 1 hour to over 6 hours. Basic planning considerations should include the use of physical barriers, signage, and traffic control officers to help direct vehicular and pedestrian access to the PODs. Furthermore, the parking and traffic surrounding PODs creates long queues of people waiting to access the PODs. Thus, POD staff are fully used approximately 90% of the time, which can lead to worker fatigue and burn out.

Probability of detection for bolt hole eddy current in extracted from service aircraft wing structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Underhill, P. R.; Uemura, C.; Krause, T. W.

2018-04-01

Fatigue cracks are prone to develop around fasteners found in multi-layer aluminum structures on aging aircraft. Bolt hole eddy current (BHEC) is used for detection of cracks from within bolt holes after fastener removal. In support of qualification towards a target a90/95 (detect 90% of cracks of depth a, 95% of the time) of 0.76 mm (0.030"), a preliminary probability of detection (POD) study was performed to identify those parameters whose variation may keep a bolt hole inspection from attaining its goal. Parameters that were examined included variability in lift-off due to probe type, out-of-round holes, holes with diameters too large to permit surface-contact of the probe and mechanical damage to the holes, including burrs. The study examined the POD for BHEC of corner cracks in unfinished fastener holes extracted from service material. 68 EDM notches were introduced into two specimens of a horizontal stabilizer from a CC-130 Hercules aircraft. The fastener holes were inspected in the unfinished state, simulating potential inspection conditions, by 7 certified inspectors using a manual BHEC setup with an impedance plane display and also with one inspection conducted utilizing a BHEC automated C-Scan apparatus. While the standard detection limit of 1.27 mm (0.050") was achieved, given the a90/95 of 0.97 mm (0.039"), the target 0.76 mm (0.030") was not achieved. The work highlighted a number of areas where there was insufficient information to complete the qualification. Consequently, a number of recommendations were made. These included; development of a specification for minimum probe requirements; criteria for condition of the hole to be inspected, including out-of-roundness and presence of corrosion pits; statement of range of hole sizes; inspection frequency and data display for analysis.

Small RNA profiling and degradome analysis reveal regulation of microRNA in peanut embryogenesis and early pod development.

PubMed

Gao, Chao; Wang, Pengfei; Zhao, Shuzhen; Zhao, Chuanzhi; Xia, Han; Hou, Lei; Ju, Zheng; Zhang, Ye; Li, Changsheng; Wang, Xingjun

2017-03-02

As a typical geocarpic plant, peanut embryogenesis and pod development are complex processes involving many gene regulatory pathways and controlled by appropriate hormone level. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that play indispensable roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Recently, identification and characterization of peanut miRNAs has been described. However, whether miRNAs participate in the regulation of peanut embryogenesis and pod development has yet to be explored. In this study, small RNA and degradome libraries from peanut early pod of different developmental stages were constructed and sequenced. A total of 70 known and 24 novel miRNA families were discovered. Among them, 16 miRNA families were legume-specific and 12 families were peanut-specific. 30 known and 10 novel miRNA families were differentially expressed during pod development. In addition, 115 target genes were identified for 47 miRNA families by degradome sequencing. Several new targets that might be specific to peanut were found and further validated by RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of 5' cDNA ends (RLM 5'-RACE). Furthermore, we performed profiling analysis of intact and total transcripts of several target genes, demonstrating that SPL (miR156/157), NAC (miR164), PPRP (miR167 and miR1088), AP2 (miR172) and GRF (miR396) are actively modulated during early pod development, respectively. Large numbers of miRNAs and their related target genes were identified through deep sequencing. These findings provided new information on miRNA-mediated regulatory pathways in peanut pod, which will contribute to the comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms that governing peanut embryo and early pod development.

A High-Resolution InDel (Insertion–Deletion) Markers-Anchored Consensus Genetic Map Identifies Major QTLs Governing Pod Number and Seed Yield in Chickpea

PubMed Central

Srivastava, Rishi; Singh, Mohar; Bajaj, Deepak; Parida, Swarup K.

2016-01-01

Development and large-scale genotyping of user-friendly informative genome/gene-derived InDel markers in natural and mapping populations is vital for accelerating genomics-assisted breeding applications of chickpea with minimal resource expenses. The present investigation employed a high-throughput whole genome next-generation resequencing strategy in low and high pod number parental accessions and homozygous individuals constituting the bulks from each of two inter-specific mapping populations [(Pusa 1103 × ILWC 46) and (Pusa 256 × ILWC 46)] to develop non-erroneous InDel markers at a genome-wide scale. Comparing these high-quality genomic sequences, 82,360 InDel markers with reference to kabuli genome and 13,891 InDel markers exhibiting differentiation between low and high pod number parental accessions and bulks of aforementioned mapping populations were developed. These informative markers were structurally and functionally annotated in diverse coding and non-coding sequence components of genome/genes of kabuli chickpea. The functional significance of regulatory and coding (frameshift and large-effect mutations) InDel markers for establishing marker-trait linkages through association/genetic mapping was apparent. The markers detected a greater amplification (97%) and intra-specific polymorphic potential (58–87%) among a diverse panel of cultivated desi, kabuli, and wild accessions even by using a simpler cost-efficient agarose gel-based assay implicating their utility in large-scale genetic analysis especially in domesticated chickpea with narrow genetic base. Two high-density inter-specific genetic linkage maps generated using aforesaid mapping populations were integrated to construct a consensus 1479 InDel markers-anchored high-resolution (inter-marker distance: 0.66 cM) genetic map for efficient molecular mapping of major QTLs governing pod number and seed yield per plant in chickpea. Utilizing these high-density genetic maps as anchors, three major genomic regions harboring each of pod number and seed yield robust QTLs (15–28% phenotypic variation explained) were identified on chromosomes 2, 4, and 6. The integration of genetic and physical maps at these QTLs mapped on chromosomes scaled-down the long major QTL intervals into high-resolution short pod number and seed yield robust QTL physical intervals (0.89–2.94 Mb) which were essentially got validated in multiple genetic backgrounds of two chickpea mapping populations. The genome-wide InDel markers including natural allelic variants and genomic loci/genes delineated at major six especially in one colocalized novel congruent robust pod number and seed yield robust QTLs mapped on a high-density consensus genetic map were found most promising in chickpea. These functionally relevant molecular tags can drive marker-assisted genetic enhancement to develop high-yielding cultivars with increased seed/pod number and yield in chickpea. PMID:27695461

The effects of Psychotropic drugs On Developing brain (ePOD) study: methods and design.

PubMed

Bottelier, Marco A; Schouw, Marieke L J; Klomp, Anne; Tamminga, Hyke G H; Schrantee, Anouk G M; Bouziane, Cheima; de Ruiter, Michiel B; Boer, Frits; Ruhé, Henricus G; Denys, Damiaan; Rijsman, Roselyne; Lindauer, Ramon J L; Reitsma, Hans B; Geurts, Hilde M; Reneman, Liesbeth

2014-02-19

Animal studies have shown that methylphenidate (MPH) and fluoxetine (FLX) have different effects on dopaminergic and serotonergic system in the developing brain compared to the developed brain. The effects of Psychotropic drugs On the Developing brain (ePOD) study is a combination of different approaches to determine whether there are related findings in humans. Animal studies were carried out to investigate age-related effects of psychotropic drugs and to validate new neuroimaging techniques. In addition, we set up two double-blind placebo controlled clinical trials with MPH in 50 boys (10-12 years) and 50 young men (23-40 years) suffering from ADHD (ePOD-MPH) and with FLX in 40 girls (12-14 years) and 40 young women (23-40 years) suffering from depression and anxiety disorders (ePOD-SSRI). Trial registration numbers are: Nederlands Trial Register NTR3103 and NTR2111. A cross-sectional cohort study on age-related effects of these psychotropic medications in patients who have been treated previously with MPH or FLX (ePOD-Pharmo) is also ongoing. The effects of psychotropic drugs on the developing brain are studied using neuroimaging techniques together with neuropsychological and psychiatric assessments of cognition, behavior and emotion. All assessments take place before, during (only in case of MPH) and after chronic treatment. The combined results of these approaches will provide new insight into the modulating effect of MPH and FLX on brain development.

The effects of Psychotropic drugs On Developing brain (ePOD) study: methods and design

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Animal studies have shown that methylphenidate (MPH) and fluoxetine (FLX) have different effects on dopaminergic and serotonergic system in the developing brain compared to the developed brain. The effects of Psychotropic drugs On the Developing brain (ePOD) study is a combination of different approaches to determine whether there are related findings in humans. Methods/Design Animal studies were carried out to investigate age-related effects of psychotropic drugs and to validate new neuroimaging techniques. In addition, we set up two double-blind placebo controlled clinical trials with MPH in 50 boys (10–12 years) and 50 young men (23–40 years) suffering from ADHD (ePOD-MPH) and with FLX in 40 girls (12–14 years) and 40 young women (23–40 years) suffering from depression and anxiety disorders (ePOD-SSRI). Trial registration numbers are: Nederlands Trial Register NTR3103 and NTR2111. A cross-sectional cohort study on age-related effects of these psychotropic medications in patients who have been treated previously with MPH or FLX (ePOD-Pharmo) is also ongoing. The effects of psychotropic drugs on the developing brain are studied using neuroimaging techniques together with neuropsychological and psychiatric assessments of cognition, behavior and emotion. All assessments take place before, during (only in case of MPH) and after chronic treatment. Discussion The combined results of these approaches will provide new insight into the modulating effect of MPH and FLX on brain development. PMID:24552282

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, workers discuss the next step in moving the orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod behind them. The OMS pod will be installed on Atlantis. Two OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, workers discuss the next step in moving the orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod behind them. The OMS pod will be installed on Atlantis. Two OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

Results of a prospective randomized controlled trial of early ambulation for patients with lower extremity autografts.

PubMed

Lorello, David John; Peck, Michael; Albrecht, Marlene; Richey, Karen J; Pressman, Melissa A

2014-01-01

It is common practice to keep those patients with lower extremity autografts immobile until post-operative day (POD) 5. There is however inherent risks associated with even short periods of immobility. As of now there are no randomized controlled trials looking at early ambulation of patients with lower extremity autografts in the burn community.The objective of this study was to show that patients who begin ambulation within 24 hours of lower extremity autografting will have no increased risk of graft failure than those patients who remain immobile until POD 5. Thirty-one subjects who received autografts to the lower extremity were randomized after surgery into either the early ambulation group (EAG;17 subjects) or the standard treatment group (STG;14 subjects). Those subjects randomized to the EAG began ambulating with physical therapy on POD 1. Subjects in the STG maintained bed rest until POD 5. There was no difference in the number of patients with graft loss in either the EAG or STG on POD 5, and during any of the follow-up visits. No subjects required regrafting. There was a significant difference in the mean minutes of ambulation, with the EAG ambulating longer than the STG (EAG 23.4 minutes [SD 12.03], STG 14.1 [SD 9.00], P=.0235) on POD 5. Burn patients with lower extremity autografts can safely ambulate on POD 1 without fear of graft failure compared with those patients that remain on bed rest for 5 days.

Proximal Occlusion of Medium-Sized Vessels with the Penumbra Occlusion Device: A Study of Safety and Efficacy

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

Jambon, E.; Petitpierre, F.; Brizzi, V.

PurposeTo retrospectively investigate the safety and efficacy of hybrid proximal coiling of various medium-sized vessels (4 to 8 mm) using the Penumbra Occlusion Device (POD).Materials and MethodsFrom October 2014 to February 2016, 37 proximal embolizations were performed with PODs in 36 patients (mean age: 50.8, range: 10–86; 29 male, 7 female). Vessel occlusions were achieved under fluoroscopic guidance using a 2.7 French microcatheter. Among the 36 vessels targeted, 16 were splenic arteries, 11 renal arteries, 4 mesenteric arteries, 3 arteriovenous fistulae, 1 iliac artery, and 1 gonadal vein. Intermittent follow-up angiography was performed to assess the flow for final occlusion. Outcomesmore » and complications were assessed by clinical and/or imaging follow-up.ResultsTo produce proximal occlusion of the intended vessels, the POD was used alone in 19 embolizations (51.4 %). In 12 procedures (32.4 %), POD was used as a coil constrainer to secure the coil construct. In 6 procedures (16.2 %), additional embolic devices were used to achieve vessel occlusion after initial POD deployment. After a mean follow-up of 3.2 months, no POD migration was observed but two complications occurred (5.4 %): one post embolic syndrome and one extensive infarction with splenic abscess.ConclusionThe POD system allows safe and effective proximal embolization of medium-sized vessels in a variety of clinical settings.« less

The steroidal Na+/K+ ATPase inhibitor 3-[(R)-3-pyrrolidinyl]oxime derivative (3-R-POD) induces potent pro-apoptotic responses in colonic tumor cells.

PubMed

Alkahtani, Saad Hussin

2014-06-01

Recently, potent anticancer actions of the steroidal Na(+)/K(+) ATPase inhibitor 3-[(R)-3-pyrrolidinyl]oxime derivative 3 (3-R-POD) have been reported for multiple cell lines, including prostate and lung cancer cells. In the present study, the anticancer action of 3-R-POD was addressed in colonic tumor cells. Treatment of Caco2 colonic tumor cells with increasing concentrations of 3-R-POD induced potent, dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth as measured by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In addition, the APOpercentage apoptosis assay revealed significant pro-apoptotic responses, suggesting that the anticancer activity of this steroidal Na(+)/K(+) ATPase inhibitor in colonic tumors takes places mainly through the induction of strong pro-apoptotic effects. Focussing on the molecular mechanism that may regulate these interactions, 3-R-POD was shown to induce significant early actin re-organization and late Protein Kinase B (AKT) de-phosphorylation. Finally, the 3-R-POD-induced inhibition of cell growth and early actin reorganization in colonic cancer cells remained unchanged when cells were pre-treated with pertussis toxin, thus excluding possible interactions of this inhibitor with G-coupled receptors. These results indicate that 3-R-POD induces potent pro-apoptotic responses in colonic tumor cells governed by actin re-organization and inhibition of AKT pro-survival signaling. Copyright© 2014 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

[Enzymatic characteristics of peroxidase from Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. Bo-ju].

PubMed

Zhu, Yu-Yun; Lyu, Xin-Lin; Li, Xiang-Wei; Zhang, Dong; Dong, Li-Hua; Zhu, Jing-Jing; Wang, Zhi-Min; Zhang, Jin-Zhen

2018-04-01

The enzymatic browning is one of the main reasons for affecting the quality of medicinal flowers. In the process of chrysanthemum harvesting and processing, improper treatment will lead to the browning and severely impact the appearance and quality of chrysanthemum. Peroxidase enzyme is one of the oxidoreductases that cause enzymatic browning of fresh chrysanthemum. The enzymatic characteristics of peroxidase (POD) in chrysanthemum were studied in this paper. In this experiment, the effects of different reaction substrates and their concentrations, PH value of buffer and reaction temperatures on the activity of POD enzyme were investigated. The results showed that the optimal substrate of POD was guaiacol, and the optimal concentration of POD was 50 mmol·L⁻¹. The optimal pH value and reaction temperature were 4.4 and 30-35 °C, respectively. Michaelis-Menten equation was obtained to express the kinetics of enzyme-catalyzed reaction of POD, Km=0.193 mol·L⁻¹, Vmax=0.329 D·min⁻¹. In addition, the results of POD enzyme thermal stability test showed that the POD enzyme activity was inhibited when being treated at 80 °C for 4 min or at 100 °C for 2 min. The above results were of practical significance to reveal the enzymatic browning mechanism, control the enzymatic browning and improve the quality of chrysanthemum, and can also provide the basis for the harvesting and processing of medicinal materials containing polyphenols. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Examining iPod Use by Texas Agricultural Science and Technology Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphrey, Theresa Pesl; Miller, Kimberly A.; Roberts, T. Grady

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to establish baseline data regarding the adoption of iPods and similar technologies by agricultural science and technology teachers. The population consisted of all agricultural science and technology teachers in Texas. A sample of 310 was randomly drawn from the population. Study findings reveal that while…

Reverse Kinematic Analysis and Uncertainty Analysis of the Space Shuttle AFT Propulsion System (APS) POD Lifting Fixture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brink, Jeffrey S.

2005-01-01

The space shuttle Aft Propulsion System (APS) pod requires precision alignment to be installed onto the orbiter deck. The Ground Support Equipment (GSE) used to perform this task cannot be manipulated along a single Cartesian axis without causing motion along the other Cartesian axes. As a result, manipulations required to achieve a desired motion are not intuitive. My study calculated the joint angles required to align the APS pod, using reverse kinematic analysis techniques. Knowledge of these joint angles will allow the ground support team to align the APS pod more safely and efficiently. An uncertainty analysis was also performed to estimate the accuracy associated with this approach and to determine whether any inexpensive modifications can be made to further improve accuracy.

Early focus development effort, ultrasonic inspection of fixed housing metal-to-adhesive bondline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartmann, John K.; Hoskins, Brad R.; Karner, Paul

1991-01-01

An ultrasonic technique was developed for the fixed housing metal-to-adhesive bondline that will support the Flight 15 time frame and subsequent motors. The technique has the capability to detect a 1.0 inch diameter unbond with a 90 percent probability of detection (POD) at a 95 percent confidence level. The technique and support equipment will perform within the working envelope dictated by a stacked motor configuration.

An Evaluation of the Pea Pod System for Assessing Body Composition of Moderately Premature Infants.

PubMed

Forsum, Elisabet; Olhager, Elisabeth; Törnqvist, Caroline

2016-04-22

(1) BACKGROUND: Assessing the quality of growth in premature infants is important in order to be able to provide them with optimal nutrition. The Pea Pod device, based on air displacement plethysmography, is able to assess body composition of infants. However, this method has not been sufficiently evaluated in premature infants; (2) METHODS: In 14 infants in an age range of 3-7 days, born after 32-35 completed weeks of gestation, body weight, body volume, fat-free mass density (predicted by the Pea Pod software), and total body water (isotope dilution) were assessed. Reference estimates of fat-free mass density and body composition were obtained using a three-component model; (3) RESULTS: Fat-free mass density values, predicted using Pea Pod, were biased but not significantly (p > 0.05) different from reference estimates. Body fat (%), assessed using Pea Pod, was not significantly different from reference estimates. The biological variability of fat-free mass density was 0.55% of the average value (1.0627 g/mL); (4) CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the Pea Pod system is accurate for groups of newborn, moderately premature infants. However, more studies where this system is used for premature infants are needed, and we provide suggestions regarding how to develop this area.

Temporally and spatially restricted expression of a gland cell gene during regeneration and in vitro transdifferentiation in the hydrozoan Podocoryne carnea.

PubMed

Baader, C D; Schuchert, P; Schmid, V; Heiermann, Reinhard; Plickert, Günter

1995-01-01

An antiserum to transdifferentiated striated muscle cells from the medusa of Podocoryne carnea was prepared and used to screen a λ gt11-expression library prepared from gonozoids of P. carnea. We isolated a cDNA clone termed Pod-EPPT with at least 63 tandem repeats of the tetrapeptide-motive glu-pro-pro-thr, named Pod-EPPT. Using Pod-EPPT as a molecular marker for head quality the morphological relationship between the two metagenic life stages of this hydroid, the polyp and the medusa, was studied. In situ hybridization demonstrated that expression of the gene corresponding is restricted to secretory cells in the endoderm of the oral hypostome region of polyps and medusae and, presumably, to progenitor cells of this type. Cells expressing Pod-EPPT could not be observed in the larval stage. During head regeneration in polyps, Pod-EPPT expression is upregulated soon after head removal in previously non-expressing cells and in newly differentiating secretory cells. This activation of a head-specific gene precedes the morphologically obvious events of head regeneration. Pod-EPPT is one of the genes that are activated during manubrium (mouth) regeneration from experimentally combined subumbrellar plate endoderm and striated muscle of the medusa.

Concentrated liquid detergent pod ingestion in children.

PubMed

Sidhu, Natasha; Jaeger, Matthew W

2014-12-01

Concentrated liquid detergent pods are an emerging public health hazard, especially in pediatric patients. Ingestion is a more common route of exposure for liquid detergent pods compared with non-pod detergents and it tends to be associated with more severe adverse effects. We present 3 cases that demonstrate the varied clinical symptoms resulting from detergent pod ingestion. These cases not only demonstrate findings such as gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms but also show more rare neurological symptoms. The cases highlight the dangers of concentrated liquid detergent pod ingestion. To help prevent further life-threatening injuries, there is a need for more consumer information and provider knowledge about the potential adverse complications.

[Predictive value of procalcitonin in postoperative intra-abdominal infections after definitive operation of intestinal fistulae].

PubMed

Ren, Huajian; Wang, Gefei; Gu, Guosheng; Hu, Qiongyuan; Li, Guanwei; Hong, Zhiwu; Wu, Xiuwen; Ren, Jianan

2017-05-25

To investigate the predictive value of procalcitonin(PCT) in postoperative intra-abdominal infections (IAI) after definitive operation of intestinal fistulae(IF). With the exclusion of emergence operation, preoperative clinical infection, preoperative renal or hepatic dysfunction, and age less than 18 years, a total of 356 consecutive patients who underwent elective digestive tract reconstruction of intestinal fistulae from February 2012 to December 2015 at Intestinal Fistula Center of Jinling Hospital were prospectively enrolled in the study. All the patients were divided into IAI group (26 cases, 21 of anastomosis leakage and 5 of peritoneal abscess) and non-IAI group (330 cases) based on the existence of postoperative IAI. The non-IAI group was then divided into two subgroups of other infection (93 cases) and non-infection(237 cases) according to the presence of other infections. Plasma PCT level, serum CRP concentration and WBC count were assessed preoperatively and on postoperative days (PODs) 1, 3, 5, 7 by immunofluorescence, turbidimetry and automatic blood analyzer, respectively. The predictive value of each marker for IAI was calculated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. There was no significant difference in general clinical data between IAI and non-IAI group (all P>0.05). The proportions of multi-IF (53.8%, 14/26) and colectomy (61.5%, 16/26) in IAI group were higher than those of non-IAI group [20.0% (66/330), χ 2 =15.847, P=0.000 and 31.2%(103/330), χ 2 =9.961, P=0.002]. Differences of preoperative PCT, CRP and WBC levels among IAI, other infection and non-infection groups were not significant. These three markers all increased obviously and immediately after surgery. PCT and WBC values reached the peak point on POD 1, whereas CRP on POD 3. In IAI group, mean PCT values were (5.4±4.2) μg/L, (2.9±1.9) μg/L and (1.6±1.8) μg/L on POD 1, POD 3 and POD 5, respectively, which were higher than those of other infection group [(4.2±8.7) μg/L, (1.9±3.8) μg/L and (0.6±0.8) μg/L] and non-infection group [(2.7±5.8) μg/L, (1.1±1.7) μg/L and (0.5±0.7) μg/L, all P<0.05]. Mean CRP values in IAI group were 99.4 mg/L and 183.9 mg/L respectively on POD 1 and POD 3,and mean WBC values of IAI group on POD 1, POD 3 and POD 5 were 16.0×10 9 /L, 10.8×10 9 /L and 8.7×10 9 /L, respectively, which were all significantly higher than those in the other 2 groups (all P<0.05). No significant differences were obtained between other infection group and non-infection group in all these three markers (all P>0.05). ROC curve demonstrated that PCT had the biggest area under the curve (AUC) of 0.86 and 0.84 on POD 3 and POD 5, with the cut-off value of 0.98 μg/L and 0.83 μg/L, 92.0% sensitivity and 74.0% specificity, 91.0% sensitivity and 73.0% specificity, respectively. The highest AUC was 0.72 on POD 3 for CRP and 0.71 on POD 3 for WBC, with 80.0% sensitivity and 54.0% specificity, 56.0% sensitivity and 73.0% specificity, respectively. The value of procalcitonin above 0.98 μg/L on POD 3 and 0.83 μg/L on POD 5 can predict the occurrence of IAI after definitive operations of intestinal fistulae.

The cytology, isozyme, HPLC fingerprint, and interspecific hybridization studies of genus epimedium (berberidaceae).

PubMed

Wang, Lin-Jiao; Sheng, Mao-Yin

2013-01-01

104 samples from 27 accessions belonging to 12 species of genus Epimedium were studied on the basis of cytology observation, POD (i.e., peroxide) isozyme, high performance liquid chromatography (i.e., HPLC) fingerprint, and interspecific hybridization. The cytology observation showed karyotypes of twelve species studied; all are 2A symmetry type of Stebbins standard and similar to each other, and except for karyotype of E. leptorrhizum which is 2n = 2x = 8m (2SAT) + 4sm, the rest are 2n = 2x = 6m (2SAT) + 6sm. Chromosomes C-banding of barrenwort species varies, with 15 to 22 bands, consisting of centromeric bands, intercalary bands, terminal bands, and middle satellite bands. Results of POD isozyme showed that the zymographs vary greatly and sixteen bands were detected in the eleven species, and each species has its own characteristic bands different from the others. Studies on the HPLC fingerprint showed that the HPLC fingerprint of different species has characteristic peaks, divided into two regions (retention time < 10 min and retention time > 10 min). Results of interspecific hybridization showed that crosses of any combination among seven species studied are successful and the rates of grain set vary greatly. Based on these results, the system and phylogeny of this genus were inferred.

The Cytology, Isozyme, HPLC Fingerprint, and Interspecific Hybridization Studies of Genus Epimedium (Berberidaceae)

PubMed Central

Wang, Lin-Jiao; Sheng, Mao-Yin

2013-01-01

104 samples from 27 accessions belonging to 12 species of genus Epimedium were studied on the basis of cytology observation, POD (i.e., peroxide) isozyme, high performance liquid chromatography (i.e., HPLC) fingerprint, and interspecific hybridization. The cytology observation showed karyotypes of twelve species studied; all are 2A symmetry type of Stebbins standard and similar to each other, and except for karyotype of E. leptorrhizum which is 2n = 2x = 8m (2SAT) + 4sm, the rest are 2n = 2x = 6m (2SAT) + 6sm. Chromosomes C-banding of barrenwort species varies, with 15 to 22 bands, consisting of centromeric bands, intercalary bands, terminal bands, and middle satellite bands. Results of POD isozyme showed that the zymographs vary greatly and sixteen bands were detected in the eleven species, and each species has its own characteristic bands different from the others. Studies on the HPLC fingerprint showed that the HPLC fingerprint of different species has characteristic peaks, divided into two regions (retention time < 10 min and retention time > 10 min). Results of interspecific hybridization showed that crosses of any combination among seven species studied are successful and the rates of grain set vary greatly. Based on these results, the system and phylogeny of this genus were inferred. PMID:24349794

14 CFR 25.1182 - Nacelle areas behind firewalls, and engine pod attaching structures containing flammable fluid...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... pod attaching structures containing flammable fluid lines. 25.1182 Section 25.1182 Aeronautics and..., and engine pod attaching structures containing flammable fluid lines. (a) Each nacelle area immediately behind the firewall, and each portion of any engine pod attaching structure containing flammable...

14 CFR 25.1182 - Nacelle areas behind firewalls, and engine pod attaching structures containing flammable fluid...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... pod attaching structures containing flammable fluid lines. 25.1182 Section 25.1182 Aeronautics and..., and engine pod attaching structures containing flammable fluid lines. (a) Each nacelle area immediately behind the firewall, and each portion of any engine pod attaching structure containing flammable...

The Safety Course Design and Operations of Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPV)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saulsberry, Regor; Prosser, William

2015-01-01

Following a Commercial Launch Vehicle On-Pad COPV (Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels) failure, a request was received by the NESC (NASA Engineering and Safety Center) June 14, 2014. An assessment was approved July 10, 2014, to develop and assess the capability of scanning eddy current (EC) nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods for mapping thickness and inspection for flaws. Current methods could not identify thickness reduction from necking and critical flaw detection was not possible with conventional dye penetrant (PT) methods, so sensitive EC scanning techniques were needed. Developmental methods existed, but had not been fully developed, nor had the requisite capability assessment (i.e., a POD (Probability of Detection) study) been performed.

Variability of arginine content and yield components in Valencia peanut germplasm.

PubMed

Aninbon, Chorkaew; Jogloy, Sanun; Vorasoot, Nimitr; Nuchadomrong, Suporn; Holbrook, C Corley; Kvien, Craig; Puppala, Naveen; Patanothai, Aran

2017-06-01

Peanut seeds are rich in arginine, an amino acid that has several positive effects on human health. Establishing the genetic variability of arginine content in peanut will be useful for breeding programs that have high arginine as one of their goals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the variation of arginine content, pods/plant, seeds/pod, seed weight, and yield in Valencia peanut germplasm. One hundred and thirty peanut genotypes were grown under field condition for two years. A randomized complete block design with three replications was used for this study. Arginine content was analyzed in peanut seeds at harvest using spectrophotometry. Yield and yield components were recorded for each genotype. Significant differences in arginine content and yield components were found in the tested Valencia peanut germplasm. Arginine content ranged from 8.68-23.35 μg/g seed. Kremena was the best overall genotype of high arginine content, number of pods/plant, 100 seed weight and pod yield.

Extraction and quantitation of coumarin from cinnamon and its effect on enzymatic browning in fresh apple juice: a bioinformatics approach to illuminate its antibrowning activity.

PubMed

Thada, Rajarajeshwari; Chockalingam, Shivashri; Dhandapani, Ramesh Kumar; Panchamoorthy, Rajasekar

2013-06-05

Enzymatic browning by polyphenoloxidase (PPO) affects food quality and taste in fruits and vegetables. Thus, the study was designed to reduce browning in apple juice by coumarin. The ethanolic extract of cinnamon was prepared and its coumarin content was quantitated by HPLC, using authentic coumarin (AC) as standard. The effect of cinnamon extract (CE) and AC on enzymatic browning, its time dependent effects, and the specific activity of PPO and peroxidase (POD) were studied in apple juice. The docking of coumarin with PPO and POD was also performed to elucidate its antibrowning mechanism. The CE (73%) and AC (82%) showed better reduction in browning, maintained its antibrowning effect at all time points, and significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the specific activity of PPO and POD when compared with controls. Coumarin showed strong interaction with binding pockets of PPO and POD, suggesting its potential use as inhibitor to enzyme mediated browning in apple juice.

Is preoperative hypocholesterolemia a risk factor for severe postoperative pain? Analysis of 1,944 patients after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery.

PubMed

Oh, Tak Kyu; Kang, Sung-Bum; Song, In-Ae; Hwang, Jung-Won; Do, Sang-Hwan; Kim, Jin Hee; Oh, Ah-Young

2018-01-01

This study aimed to identify the effect of preoperative serum total cholesterol on postoperative pain outcome in patients who had undergone laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer who had undergone laparoscopic colorectal surgery from January 1, 2011, to June 30, 2017, to identify the relationship of total cholesterol levels within a month prior to surgery with the numeric rating scale (NRS) scores and total opioid consumption on postoperative days (PODs) 0-2. We included 1,944 patients. No significant correlations were observed between total cholesterol and the NRS (POD 0), NRS (POD 1), and oral morphine equivalents (PODs 0-2) ( P >0.05). There was no significant difference between the low (<160 mg/dL), medium (160-199 mg/dL), and high (≥200 mg/dL) groups in NRS scores on PODs 0, 1, or 2 ( P >0.05). Furthermore, there was no significant association in multivariate linear regression analysis for postoperative opioid consumption according to preoperative serum total cholesterol level (coefficient 0.08, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.18, P =0.81). This study showed that there was no meaningful association between preoperative total cholesterol level and postoperative pain outcome after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery.

Reader strategies: variability and error- methodology, findings, and health policy implications from a study of the U.S. population of mammographers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beam, Craig A.

2002-04-01

Each year, approximately 60% of all US women over the age of 40 utilize mammography. Through the matrix of an imaging technology, this Population of Patients (POP) interacts with a population of approximately 20,000 physicians who interpret mammograms in the US. This latter Population of Diagnosticians (POD) operationally serves as the interface between an image-centric healthcare technology system and patient. Methods: using data collected from a large POD and POP based study, I evaluate the distribution of several ROC curve-related parameters in the POD and explore the health policy implications of a population ROC curve for mammography. Results and Conclusions: Principal Components Analysis suggests that two Binormal parameters are sufficient to explain variation in the POD and implies that the Binormal model is foundational to Health Policy Research in Mammography. A population ROC curve based on percentiles of the POD can be used to set targets to achieve national health policy goals. Medical Image Perception science provides the framework. Alternatively, a restrictive policy can be envisioned using performance criteria based on area. However, the data suggests this sort of policy would be too costly in terms of reduced healthcare service capacity in the US in the face of burgeoning demands.

Necessity of Surgical Site Closed Suction Drain for Pterional Craniotomy

PubMed Central

Choi, Su Yong; Yoon, Sung Min; Yoo, Chan Jong; Kim, Young Bo; Kim, Woo Kyung

2015-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the benefit of using a prophylactic surgical site closed suction drain in pterional craniotomy. Materials and Methods A retrospective review was conducted on 607 consecutive patients who underwent a pterional craniotomy for treatment of intracranial anterior circulation aneurysms over a 5-year period. Between January 2000 and December 2004, 607 patients were divided into two groups, those who had a prophylactic suction drain during closure of the surgical site (drain group, DG) and those who did not (non-drain group, NDG). Head computed tomography (CT) was taken routinely on postoperative day (POD) 1, 7, and 14. Patients' demographics, incidence of surgical site complications, and courses of surgical site healing which were evaluated radiologically by the thickness of the surgical site myocutaneous layer, were analyzed between DG and NDG. Results Patients' demographics and characteristics did not differ significantly between the two groups. The head CT showed that the degree of changes in the postoperative surgical site thickness was 148% at POD 1, 209% at POD 7, and 198% at POD 14 in DG, and 118% at POD 1, 152% at POD 7, and 158% at POD 14 in NDG compared to the preoperative value. Postoperative surgical site hematoma was 7.9% (22/274) in DG and 2.4% (8/333) in NDG. Conclusion Prophylactic use of an epidural and/or subgaleal closed suction drain does not appear to be necessary for prevention of postoperative surgical site hematoma as well as for promotion of surgical site healing in pterional craniotomy. PMID:26523255

Estimating cetacean carrying capacity based on spacing behaviour.

PubMed

Braithwaite, Janelle E; Meeuwig, Jessica J; Jenner, K Curt S

2012-01-01

Conservation of large ocean wildlife requires an understanding of how they use space. In Western Australia, the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) population is growing at a minimum rate of 10% per year. An important consideration for conservation based management in space-limited environments, such as coastal resting areas, is the potential expansion in area use by humpback whales if the carrying capacity of existing areas is exceeded. Here we determined the theoretical carrying capacity of a known humpback resting area based on the spacing behaviour of pods, where a resting area is defined as a sheltered embayment along the coast. Two separate approaches were taken to estimate this distance. The first used the median nearest neighbour distance between pods in relatively dense areas, giving a spacing distance of 2.16 km (± 0.94). The second estimated the spacing distance as the radius at which 50% of the population included no other pods, and was calculated as 1.93 km (range: 1.62-2.50 km). Using these values, the maximum number of pods able to fit into the resting area was 698 and 872 pods, respectively. Given an average observed pod size of 1.7 whales, this equates to a carrying capacity estimate of between 1187 and 1482 whales at any given point in time. This study demonstrates that whale pods do maintain a distance from each other, which may determine the number of animals that can occupy aggregation areas where space is limited. This requirement for space has implications when considering boundaries for protected areas or competition for space with the fishing and resources sectors.

Ecological risk study on subacute toxicology experiment of streptomycin wastewater for Zebrafish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Qing; Shen, Hongyan

2017-08-01

An exposure experiment was conducted to study the effect of different volume fraction of effluent streptomycin wastewater on the activity of the peroxidase (POD) activity and the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in muscles of Zebrafish for 20 days. The results show that POD activity is significantly induced on the eighth day. POD activities in the muscles of Zebrafish exposed to the streptomycin wastewater of 20% exposure group were significantly different (0.01

Spatial distribution of total phenolic content, enzymatic activities and browning in white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) tubers.

PubMed

Graham-Acquaah, Seth; Ayernor, George Sodah; Bediako-Amoa, Betty; Saalia, Firibu Kwesi; Afoakwa, Emmanuel Ohene

2014-10-01

Browning in raw and processed yams resulting from enzymes, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD), activities is a major limitation to the industrial utilization of Dioscorea varieties of yams. Two elite cultivars of D. rotundata species were selected to study the spatial distribution of total phenols and enzymes (PPO and POD) activities. The intensities of tissue darkening in fresh yam chips prepared from the tuber sections of cultivars during frozen storage were also studied. Total phenolic content was observed to be highest in the head and mid sections of the cultivars than at the tail end. PPO activity did not have any specific distribution pattern whereas POD activity was found to be more concentrated in the head than in the middle and tail regions. Browning was found to be most intense in the head regions of the two cultivars studied; and was observed to correlate with total phenol and dry matter contents of tubers. Between the two enzymes, POD activity appeared to be more related to browning than PPO.

Measures of body fat in South Asian adults.

PubMed

Kalra, S; Mercuri, M; Anand, S S

2013-05-27

South Asian people who originate from the Indian subcontinent have greater percent body fat (%BF) for the same body mass index (BMI) compared with white Caucasians. This has been implicated in their increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There is limited information comparing different measures of body fat in this ethnic group. The objectives of this study were: (1) to investigate the correlation of %BF measured by a foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis (FF-BIA) against the BOD POD, a method of air-displacement plethysmography, and (2) to determine the correlations of simple anthropometric measures, (that is, BMI, body adiposity index (BAI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)) against the BOD POD measure of body fat. Eighty apparently healthy South Asian men and women were recruited from the community, and measurements of height, weight, WC, HC and body composition using Tanita FF-BIA and BOD POD were taken. The mean±s.d. age of participants was 27.78±10.49 years, 42.5% were women, and the mean BMI was 22.68±3.51 kg m(-2). The mean body fat (%BF) calculated by FF-BIA and BOD POD was 21.94±7.88% and 26.20±8.47%, respectively. The %BF calculated by FF-BIA was highly correlated with the BOD POD (Pearson's r=0.83, P<0.001), however, FF-BIA underestimated %BF by 4.3%. When anthropometric measures were compared with % BF by BOD POD, the BAI showed the strongest correlation (r=0.74) and the WHR showed the weakest (r=0.33). BAI generally underestimated %BF by 2.6% in comparison with %BF by BOD POD. The correlations of BOD POD with other measures of %BF were much stronger in subjects with a BMI >21 kg m(-2) than those with a BMI 21 kg m(-2). The FF-BIA and BAI estimates of %BF are highly correlated with that of BOD POD among people of South Asian origin, although both methods somewhat underestimate % BF. Furthermore, their correlations with % BF from BOD POD are significantly weakened among men and women with a BMI 21 kg m(-2).

One-Hour PTH after Thyroidectomy Predicts Symptomatic Hypocalcemia

PubMed Central

Nocon, Cheryl; Nagar, Sapna; Kaplan, Edwin L.; Angelos, Peter; Grogan, Raymon H.

2015-01-01

Background A major morbidity following total thyroidectomy is hypocalcemia. While many clinical factors and laboratory studies have been correlated with both biochemical and symptomatic hypocalcemia, the ideal use and timing of these tests the remains unclear. We hypothesize one-hour (PACU) PTH will identify patients at risk for symptomatic hypocalcemia. Methods This prospective study evaluated 196 patients undergoing total thyroidectomy. Serum calcium and PTH levels were measured one hour after surgery and on postoperative day 1 (POD1). Performance of a central compartment lymph node dissection, parathyroid autotransplantation, indication for procedure, pathology, and presence of parathyroid tissue in the pathology specimen were recorded. Results Of 196 patients, 9 (4.6%) developed symptomatic hypocalcemia. 34 (17.3%) had a 1-hour PACU PTH ≤ 10 pg/dL while 31 (15.8%) had a POD1 PTH of ≤ 10. Five (56%) of the nine symptomatic patients underwent central compartment lymph node dissection, 4 (44%) had parathyroid autotransplantation and 4 (44%) had a PACU PTH ≤10. PACU and POD1 PTH levels were correlated (R2=0.682). Multivariate regression identified central compartment dissection, autotransplantation, and PACU or POD1 PTH correlated with symptomatic hypocalcemia. PACU PTH, POD1 PTH, PACU Ca, malignant final pathology, and Age ≤ 45 years correlated with biochemical hypocalcemia. Conclusion 1-hour postoperative PACU PTH is equivalent to POD1 PTH in predicting the development of symptomatic hypocalcemia. Biochemical hypocalcemia was not predictive of symptoms in the immediate post-operative period. Lymph node dissection and parathyroid autotransplantation correlated with symptomatic hypocalcemia and improve the sensitivity of biochemical screening alone. PMID:27020834

One-hour PTH after thyroidectomy predicts symptomatic hypocalcemia.

PubMed

White, Michael G; James, Benjamin C; Nocon, Cheryl; Nagar, Sapna; Kaplan, Edwin L; Angelos, Peter; Grogan, Raymon H

2016-04-01

A major morbidity after total thyroidectomy is hypocalcemia. Although many clinical factors and laboratory studies have been correlated with both biochemical and symptomatic hypocalcemia, the ideal use and timing of these tests remain unclear. We hypothesize 1-h (PACU) parathyroid hormone (PTH) will identify patients at risk for symptomatic hypocalcemia. This prospective study evaluated 196 patients undergoing total thyroidectomy. Serum calcium and PTH levels were measured 1 h after surgery and on postoperative day 1 (POD1). Performance of a central compartment lymph node dissection, parathyroid autotransplantation, indication for procedure, pathology, and presence of parathyroid tissue in the pathology specimen were recorded. Of 196 patients, nine (4.6%) developed symptomatic hypocalcemia. Thirty four (17.3%) had a 1-h PACU PTH ≤10 pg/dL, whereas 31 (15.8%) had a POD1 PTH of ≤10. Five (56%) of the nine symptomatic patients underwent central compartment lymph node dissection, four (44%) had parathyroid autotransplantation, and four (44%) had a PACU PTH ≤10. PACU and POD1 PTH levels were correlated (R(2) = 0.682). Multivariate regression identified central compartment dissection, autotransplantation, and PACU or POD1 PTH correlated with symptomatic hypocalcemia. PACU PTH, POD1 PTH, PACU Ca, malignant final pathology, and age ≤45 y correlated with biochemical hypocalcemia. A 1-h postoperative PACU PTH is equivalent to POD1 PTH in predicting the development of symptomatic hypocalcemia. Biochemical hypocalcemia was not predictive of symptoms in the immediate postoperative period. Lymph node dissection and parathyroid autotransplantation correlated with symptomatic hypocalcemia and improve the sensitivity of biochemical screening alone. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictors of dermal exposures to polycyclic aromatic compounds among hot-mix asphalt paving workers.

PubMed

Cavallari, Jennifer M; Osborn, Linda V; Snawder, John E; Kriech, Anthony J; Olsen, Larry D; Herrick, Robert F; McClean, Michael D

2012-03-01

The primary objective of this study was to identify the source and work practices that affect dermal exposure to polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) among hot-mix asphalt (HMA) paving workers. Four workers were recruited from each of three asphalt paving crews (12 workers) and were monitored for three consecutive days over 4 weeks for a total of 12 sampling days per worker (144 worker days). Two sampling weeks were conducted under standard conditions for dermal exposures. The third week included the substitution of biodiesel for diesel oil used to clean tools and equipment and the fourth week included dermal protection through the use of gloves, hat and neck cloth, clean pants, and long-sleeved shirts. Dermal exposure to PACs was quantified using two methods: a passive organic dermal (POD) sampler specifically developed for this study and a sunflower oil hand wash technique. Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate predictors of PAC exposures. Dermal exposures measured under all conditions via POD and hand wash were low with most samples for each analyte being below the limit of the detection with the exception of phenanthrene and pyrene. The geometric mean (GM) concentrations of phenanthrene were 0.69 ng cm(-2) on the polypropylene layer of the POD sampler and 1.37 ng cm(-2) in the hand wash sample. The GM concentrations of pyrene were 0.30 ng cm(-2) on the polypropylene layer of the POD sampler and 0.29 ng cm(-2) in the hand wash sample. Both the biodiesel substitution and dermal protection scenarios were effective in reducing dermal exposures. Based on the results of multivariate linear mixed-effects models, increasing frequency of glove use was associated with significant (P < 0.0001) reductions for hand wash and POD phenanthrene and pyrene concentrations; percent reductions ranged from 40 to 90%. Similar reductions in hand wash concentrations of phenanthrene (P = 0.01) and pyrene (P = 0.003) were observed when biodiesel was substituted for diesel oil as a cleaning agent, although reductions were not significant for the POD sampler data. Although task was not a predictor of dermal exposure, job site characteristics such as HMA application temperature, asphalt grade, and asphalt application rate (tons per hour) were found to significantly affect exposure. Predictive models suggest that the combined effect of substituting biodiesel for diesel oil as a cleaning agent, frequent glove use, and reducing the HMA application temperature from 149°C (300°F) to 127°C (260°F) may reduce dermal exposures by 76-86%, varying by analyte and assessment method. Promising strategies for reducing dermal exposure to PACs among asphalt paving workers include requiring the use of dermal coverage (e.g. wearing gloves and/or long sleeves), substituting biodiesel for diesel oil as a cleaning agent, and decreasing the HMA application temperature.

Geometry and Mechanics of Chiral Pod Opening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharon, Eran; Armon, Shahaf; Efrati, Efi; Kupferman, Raz

2012-02-01

We study the geometry and mechanics that drive the opening of Bauhinia seeds pods. The pod valve wall consists of two fibrous layers oriented at ± 45^o with respect to the pod axis. Upon drying, each of the layers shrinks uniaxially, perpendicularly to the fibers orientation. This active deformation turn the valve into an incompatible sheet with reference saddle-like curvature tensor and a flat (Euclidean) reference metric. These two intrinsic properties are incompatible. The shape is, therefore, selected by a stretching-bending competition. Strips cut from the valve tissue and from synthetic model material adopt various helical configurations. We provide analytical expressions for these configurations in the bending and stretching dominated regimes. Surface measurements show the transition from minimal surfaces (narrow limit) to cylindrical ones (wide limit). Finally, we show how plants use these mechanical principles using different tissue architectures.

Molecular cloning of peroxidase cDNAs from dehydration-treated fibrous roots of sweetpotato and their differential expression in response to stress.

PubMed

Kim, Yun-Hee; Yang, Kyoung-Sil; Kim, Cha Young; Ryu, Sun-Hwa; Song, Wan-Keun; Kwon, Suk-Yoon; Lee, Haeng-Soon; Bang, Jae-Wook; Kwak, Sang-Soo

2008-03-31

Three peroxidase (POD) cDNAs were isolated from dehydration-treated fibrous roots of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) plant via the screening of a cDNA library, and their expressions were assessed to characterize functions of each POD in relation to environmental stress. Three PODs were divided into two groups, designated the basic PODs (swpb4, swpb5) and the anionic PODs (swpa7), on the basis of the pI values of mature proteins. Fluorescence microscope analysis indicated that three PODs are secreted into the extracellular space. RTPCR analysis revealed that POD genes have diverse expression patterns in a variety of plant tissues. Swpb4 was abundantly expressed in stem tissues, whereas the expression levels of swpb5 and swpa7 transcripts were high in fibrous and thick pigmented roots. Swpb4 and swpa7 showed abundant expression levels in suspension cultured cells. Three POD genes responded differently in the leaf and fibrous roots in response to a variety of stresses including dehydration, temperature stress, stress-associated chemicals, and pathogenic bacteria.

Cell-penetrating peptide for enhanced delivery of nucleic acids and drugs to ocular tissues including retina and cornea.

PubMed

Johnson, Leslie N; Cashman, Siobhan M; Kumar-Singh, Rajendra

2008-01-01

As in other organ systems, gene and drug delivery to ocular tissues such as the retina and cornea is hampered by inefficient penetration of therapeutic molecules across the plasma membrane. We describe the use of a novel peptide for ocular delivery (POD) with protein transduction properties, for delivery of small and large molecules across the plasma membrane. POD enters cells within 5 minutes in a temperature dependent manner. POD can compact and deliver plasmid DNA, achieving transgene expression in >50% of human embryonic retinoblasts. Delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) duplexes to cells using POD, allowed for silencing of transgene expression by >50%. POD could also be used to deliver quantum dots in vitro and in vivo. Upon ocular delivery, POD rapidly entered neural retina and localized to retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), photoreceptor, and ganglion cells. Additionally, POD was able to enter corneal epithelium, sclera, choroid, and the dura of the optic nerve via topical application. POD also functions as a bacteriostatic, a useful property for a carrier of molecules to post mitotic neural ocular tissues.

A model "go-kit" for use at Strategic National Stockpile Points of Dispensing.

PubMed

May, Larissa; Cote, Timothy; Hardeman, Bernard; Gonzalez, Gabriela R; Adams, Sherry B; Blair, Roderick K; Pane, Gregg

2007-01-01

The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is a national repository of pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies forseeably needed during a medical disaster. In the event of SNS deployment, state and local public health authorities must be prepared to receive, distribute, and dispense the materials. We propose a cache of supplies, termed the "POD go-kit," prepared in advance and locally available prior to the establishment of Points of Dispensing (POD) for SNS material. Characteristics of the preassembled go-kit are its multiplicity of use, ease of storage and transportation, minimal redundancy with SNS material, and packaging in a manner consistent with POD function. The POD go-kit is assembled into 4 separate "subkits": administrative supplies, patient routing supplies, dispensing supplies, and POD staff protection supplies. Incorporating existing practices from the SNS Listserv, this article itemizes the contents of the POD go-kit and its subkits and provides a rationale for its packaging. The Division of Strategic National Stockpile (DSNS) has not certified the proposed "POD go-kit" as a standardized POD go-kit.

Amperometric biosensor based on reductive H2O2 detection using pentacyanoferrate-bound polymer for creatinine determination.

PubMed

Nieh, Chi-Hua; Tsujimura, Seiya; Shirai, Osamu; Kano, Kenji

2013-03-12

Pentacyanoferrate-bound poly(1-vinylimidazole) (PVI[Fe(CN)5]) was selected as a mediator for amperometric creatinine determination based on the reductive H2O2 detection. Creatinine amidohydrolase (CNH), creatine amidohydrolase (CRH), sarcosine oxidase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and PVI[Fe(CN)5] were crosslinked with poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDGE) on a glassy carbon (GC) electrode for a creatinine biosensor fabrication. Reduction current was monitored at -0.1V in the presence of creatinine and O2. It is revealed that PVI[Fe(CN)5] is suitable as a mediator for a bioelectrocatalytic reaction of POD, since PVI[Fe(CN)5] neither reacts with reactants nor works as an electron acceptor of SOD. The amounts of PVI[Fe(CN)5], PEGDGE, and enzymes were optimized toward creatinine detection. Nafion as a protecting film successfully prevented the enzyme layer from interferences. The detection limit and linear range in creatinine determination were 12μM and 12-500μM (R(2)=0.993), respectively, and the sensitivity was 11mAcm(-2)M(-1), which is applicable for urine creatinine tests. The results of the creatinine determination for four urine samples measured with this proposed method were compared with Jaffe method, and a good correlation was obtained between the results. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Proximate, mineral, and antinutrient compositions of indigenous Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) pod accessions: implications for mineral bioavailability.

PubMed

Gemede, Habtamu Fekadu; Haki, Gulelat Desse; Beyene, Fekadu; Woldegiorgis, Ashagrie Z; Rakshit, Sudip Kumar

2016-03-01

The promotion and consumption of indigenous vegetables could help to mitigate food insecurity and alleviate malnutrition in developing countries. Nutrient and antinutrient compositions of eight accessions of Okra Pods were investigated. Molar ratios and mineral bioavailability of Okra pod accessions were also calculated and compared to the critical values to predict the implications for mineral bioavailability. Proximate and mineral composition of Okra pod accessions were determined using standard methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists. The result of the study revealed that the proximate composition (g/100 g) in dry weight basis was significantly (P < 0.05) varied and ranged: moisture/dry matter 9.69-13.33, crude protein 10.25-26.16, crude fat 0.56-2.49, crude fiber 11.97-29.93, crude ash 5.37-11.30, utilizable carbohydrate 36.66-50.97, and gross energy 197.26-245.55 kcal/100 g. The mineral concentrations (mg/100 g) were also significantly (P < 0.05) varied and ranged: calcium (111.11-311.95), Iron (18.30-36.68), potassium (122.59-318.20), zinc (3.83-6.31), phosphorus (25.62-59.72), and sodium (3.33-8.31) on dry weight bases. The Okra Pods of "OPA#6" accession contained significantly higher amounts of crude protein, total ash, crude fat, calcium, iron, and zinc than all other accessions evaluated in this study. The results of antinutrients analysis showed that, except phytate, tannin, and oxalate contents of all the accessions were significantly (P < 0.05) varied. The range of phytate, tannin, and oxalate contents (mg/100 g) for Okra pod accessions studied were as follows: 0.83-0.87, 4.93-9.90, and 0.04-0.53, respectively. The calculated molar ratios of phytate: calcium, phytate: iron, phytate: zinc, oxalate: calcium and [Phytate][Calcium]/[Zinc] were below the critical value and this indicate that the bioavailability of calcium, iron, and zinc in these accessions could be high. The results of the study revealed that Okra pod contain appreciable amount of vital nutrients like protein, fiber, calcium, iron, and zinc and low in antinutrient contents with high mineral bioavailability. Therefore, increase in the production and consumption of these nutrient-rich indigenous Okra pods will help to supplement/formulate the diets and alleviate the problems associated with malnutrition in the country.

Disaster-hardened imaging POD for PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honeyman-Buck, Janice; Frost, Meryll

2005-04-01

After the events of 9/11, many people questioned their ability to keep critical services operational in the face of massive infrastructure failure. Hospitals increased their backup and recovery power, made plans for emergency water and food, and operated on a heightened alert awareness with more frequent disaster drills. In a film-based radiology department, if a portable X-ray unit, a CT unit, an Ultrasound unit, and an film processor could be operated on emergency power, a limited, but effective number of studies could be performed. However, in a digital department, there is a reliance on the network infrastructure to deliver images to viewing locations. The system developed for our institution uses several imaging PODS, a name we chose because it implied to us a safe, contained environment. Each POD is a stand-alone emergency powered network capable of generating images and displaying them in the POD or printing them to a DICOM printer. The technology we used to create a POD consists of a computer with dual network interface cards joining our private, local POD network, to the hospital network. In the case of an infrastructure failure, each POD can and does work independently to produce CTs, CRs, and Ultrasounds. The system has been tested during disaster drills and works correctly, producing images using equipment technologists are comfortable using with very few emergency switch-over tasks. Purpose: To provide imaging capabilities in the event of a natural or man-made disaster with infrastructure failure. Method: After the events of 9/11, many people questioned their ability to keep critical services operational in the face of massive infrastructure failure. Hospitals increased their backup and recovery power, made plans for emergency water and food, and operated on a heightened alert awareness with more frequent disaster drills. In a film-based radiology department, if a portable X-ray unit, a CT unit, an Ultrasound unit, and an film processor could be operated on emergency power, a limited, but effective number of studies could be performed. However, in a digital department, there is a reliance on the network infrastructure to deliver images to viewing locations. The system developed for our institution uses several imaging PODS, a name we chose because it implied to us a safe, contained environment. Each POD is on both the standard and the emergency power systems. All the vendor equipment that produces images is on a private, stand-alone network controlled either by a simple or a managed switch. Included in each POD is a dry-process DICOM printer that is rarely used during normal operations and a display workstation. One node on the private network is a PACS application processor (AP) with two network interface cards, one for the private network, one for the standard PACS network. During ordinary daily operations, all acquired images pass through this AP and are routed to the PACS archives, web servers, and workstations. However, if the power and network to much of the hospital were to fail, the stand-alone POD could still function. Images are routed to the AP, but cannot forward to the main network. However, they can be routed to the printer and display in the POD. They are also stored on the AP to continue normal routing when the infrastructure is restored. Results: The imaging PODS have been tested in actual disaster testing where the infrastructure was intentionally removed and worked as designed. To date, we have not had to use them in a real-life scenario and we hope we never do, but we feel we have a reasonable level of emergency imaging capability if we ever need it. Conclusions: Our testing indicates our PODS are a viable way to continue medical imaging in the face of an emergency with a major part of our network and electrical infrastructure destroyed.

Integrated assessment of oxidative stress and DNA damage in earthworms (Eisenia fetida) exposed to azoxystrobin.

PubMed

Han, Yingnan; Zhu, Lusheng; Wang, Jinhua; Wang, Jun; Xie, Hui; Zhang, Shumin

2014-09-01

Azoxystrobin has been widely used in recent years. The present study investigated the oxidative stress and DNA damage effects of azoxystrobin on earthworms (Eisenia fetida). Earthworms were exposed to different azoxystrobin concentrations in an artificial soil (0, 0.1, 1, and 10mg/kg) and sampled on days 7, 14, 21, and 28. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (POD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were measured by an ultraviolet spectrophotometer to determine the antioxidant responses and lipid peroxidation. Single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) was used to detect DNA damage in the coelomocytes. Compared with these in the controls, earthworms exposed to azoxystrobin had excess ROS accumulation and greater SOD, POD, and GST activity while the opposite trend occurred for CAT activity. MDA content increased after 14-day exposure, and DNA damage was enhanced with an increase in the concentration of azoxystrobin. In conclusion, azoxystrobin caused oxidative stress leading to lipid peroxidation and DNA damage in earthworms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The next generation of low-cost personal air quality sensors for quantitative exposure monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piedrahita, R.; Xiang, Y.; Masson, N.; Ortega, J.; Collier, A.; Jiang, Y.; Li, K.; Dick, R. P.; Lv, Q.; Hannigan, M.; Shang, L.

2014-10-01

Advances in embedded systems and low-cost gas sensors are enabling a new wave of low-cost air quality monitoring tools. Our team has been engaged in the development of low-cost, wearable, air quality monitors (M-Pods) using the Arduino platform. These M-Pods house two types of sensors - commercially available metal oxide semiconductor (MOx) sensors used to measure CO, O3, NO2, and total VOCs, and NDIR sensors used to measure CO2. The MOx sensors are low in cost and show high sensitivity near ambient levels; however they display non-linear output signals and have cross-sensitivity effects. Thus, a quantification system was developed to convert the MOx sensor signals into concentrations. We conducted two types of validation studies - first, deployments at a regulatory monitoring station in Denver, Colorado, and second, a user study. In the two deployments (at the regulatory monitoring station), M-Pod concentrations were determined using collocation calibrations and laboratory calibration techniques. M-Pods were placed near regulatory monitors to derive calibration function coefficients using the regulatory monitors as the standard. The form of the calibration function was derived based on laboratory experiments. We discuss various techniques used to estimate measurement uncertainties. The deployments revealed that collocation calibrations provide more accurate concentration estimates than laboratory calibrations. During collocation calibrations, median standard errors ranged between 4.0-6.1 ppb for O3, 6.4-8.4 ppb for NO2, 0.28-0.44 ppm for CO, and 16.8 ppm for CO2. Median signal to noise (S / N) ratios for the M-Pod sensors were higher than the regulatory instruments: for NO2, 3.6 compared to 23.4; for O3, 1.4 compared to 1.6; for CO, 1.1 compared to 10.0; and for CO2, 42.2 compared to 300-500. By contrast, lab calibrations added bias and made it difficult to cover the necessary range of environmental conditions to obtain a good calibration. A separate user study was also conducted to assess uncertainty estimates and sensor variability. In this study, 9 M-Pods were calibrated via collocation multiple times over 4 weeks, and sensor drift was analyzed, with the result being a calibration function that included baseline drift. Three pairs of M-Pods were deployed, while users individually carried the other three. The user study suggested that inter-M-Pod variability between paired units was on the same order as calibration uncertainty; however, it is difficult to make conclusions about the actual personal exposure levels due to the level of user engagement. The user study provided real-world sensor drift data, showing limited CO drift (under -0.05 ppm day-1), and higher for O3 (-2.6 to 2.0 ppb day-1), NO2 (-1.56 to 0.51 ppb day-1), and CO2 (-4.2 to 3.1 ppm day-1). Overall, the user study confirmed the utility of the M-Pod as a low-cost tool to assess personal exposure.

An algorithm to detect fire activity using Meteosat: fine tuning and quality assesment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amraoui, M.; DaCamara, C. C.; Ermida, S. L.

2012-04-01

Hot spot detection by means of sensors on-board geostationary satellites allows studying wildfire activity at hourly and even sub-hourly intervals, an advantage that cannot be met by polar orbiters. Since 1997, the Satellite Application Facility for Land Surface Analysis has been running an operational procedure that allows detecting active fires based on information from Meteosat-8/SEVIRI. This is the so-called Fire Detection and Monitoring (FD&M) product and the procedure takes advantage of the temporal resolution of SEVIRI (one image every 15 min), and relies on information from SEVIRI channels (namely 0.6, 0.8, 3.9, 10.8 and 12.0 μm) together with information on illumination angles. The method is based on heritage from contextual algorithms designed for polar, sun-synchronous instruments, namely NOAA/AVHRR and MODIS/TERRAAQUA. A potential fire pixel is compared with the neighboring ones and the decision is made based on relative thresholds as derived from the pixels in the neighborhood. Generally speaking, the observed fire incidence compares well against hot spots extracted from the global daily active fire product developed by the MODIS Fire Team. However, values of probability of detection (POD) tend to be quite low, a result that may be partially expected by the finer resolution of MODIS. The aim of the present study is to make a systematic assessment of the impacts on POD and False Alarm Ratio (FAR) of the several parameters that are set in the algorithms. Such parameters range from the threshold values of brightness temperature in the IR3.9 and 10.8 channels that are used to select potential fire pixels up to the extent of the background grid and thresholds used to statistically characterize the radiometric departures of a potential pixel from the respective background. The impact of different criteria to identify pixels contaminated by clouds, smoke and sun glint is also evaluated. Finally, the advantages that may be brought to the algorithm by adding contextual tests in the time domain are discussed. The study lays the grounds to the development of improved quality flags that will be integrated in the FD&M product in the nearby future.

Comparison of Whole-Body Cooling Techniques for Athletes and Military Personnel.

PubMed

Nye, Emma A; Eberman, Lindsey E; Games, Kenneth E; Carriker, Colin

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate cooling rates of The Polar Life Pod ® , a military protocol and cold water immersion. A randomized, repeated measures design was used to compare three treatment options. Participants exercised in an environmental chamber, where they followed a military march protocol on a treadmill, followed by the application of one of three treatments: Cold water immersion tub (5 - 10 °C), Polar Life Pod® (5 - 10 °C), Ice sheets at onset (5 - 10 °C). Mean cooling rate for CWI was 0.072 ºC/min, 0.046ºC/min for ice sheets, and 0.040ºC/min for The Polar Life Pod ® . There was a significant difference between conditions (F2,26=13.564, p=0.001, ES=0.511, 1-β=0.969). There was a significant difference in cooling rate among The Polar Life Pod ® and CWI (p = 0.006), and no significant difference among The Polar Life Pod ® and Ice Sheets (p = 0.103). There was a significant difference of time to cool among the three conditions F 2,26 = 13.564, p = 0.001, ES = 0.401, 1-β = 0.950. Our results support multiple organizations that deem CWI as the only acceptable treatment, when compared to the cooling rates of The Polar Life Pod ® and ice sheets.

Transcriptome and Differential Expression Profiling Analysis of the Mechanism of Ca2+ Regulation in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Pod Development

PubMed Central

Yang, Sha; Li, Lin; Zhang, Jialei; Geng, Yun; Guo, Feng; Wang, Jianguo; Meng, Jingjing; Sui, Na; Wan, Shubo; Li, Xinguo

2017-01-01

Calcium not only serves as a necessary nutrient for plant growth but also acts as a ubiquitous central hub in a large number of signaling pathways. Free Ca2+ deficiency in the soil may cause early embryo abortion, which eventually led to abnormal development of peanut pod during the harvest season. To understand the mechanisms of Ca2+ regulation in pod development, transcriptome analysis of peanut gynophores and pods was performed by comparing the treatments between free Ca2+ sufficiency and free Ca2+ deficiency using Illumina HiSeq™ 2000. 9,903,082,800 nt bases are generated totally. After assembly, the average length of 102,819 unigenes is 999 nt, N50 is 1,782 nt. RNA-seq based gene expression profilings showed a large number of genes at the transcriptional level changed significantly between the aerial pegs and underground swelling pods under free Ca2+ sufficienct or deficiency treatments, respectively. Genes encoding key members of Ca2+ signaling transduction pathway, enzymes for hormone metabolism, cell division and growth, transcriptional factor as well as embryo development were highlighted. This information provides useful information for our further study. The results of digital gene expression (DGE) indicated that exogenous calcium might contribute to the development of peanut pod through its signal transduction pathway, meanwhile, promote the normal transition of the gynophores to the reproductive development. PMID:29033956

The association of plasma gamma-aminobutyric acid concentration with postoperative delirium in critically ill patients.

PubMed

Yoshitaka, Shiho; Egi, Moritoki; Kanazawa, Tomoyuki; Toda, Yuichiro; Morita, Kiyoshi

2014-12-01

Delirium is a common complication in postoperative, critically ill patients. The mechanism of postoperative delirium is not well understood but many studies have shown significant associations between benzodiazepine use, alcohol withdrawal and cirrhosis, and an increased risk of delirium. We aimed to investigate a possible link with alterations of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) activity. A prospective observational investigation of 40 patients > 20 years old who had undergone elective surgery with general anaesthesia and were expected to need postoperative intensive care for more than 48 hours. We assessed postoperative delirium using the confusion assessment method in the intensive care unit at 1 hour after the operation and on postoperative Day (POD) 1 and POD 2. We collected blood samples for measurement of plasma GABA concentrations before the operation and on POD 1 and 2. Postoperative delirium and perioperative plasma GABA concentrations in patients with and without delirium. Postoperative delirium occurred in 13 of the patients. Patients with delirium had significantly higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores than patients without delirium. The mean plasma GABA concentration on POD 2 was significantly lower in patients with delirium than in those without delirium. After adjustment of relevant variables, plasma GABA concentration on POD 2 was independently associated with postoperative delirium. Plasma GABA level on POD 2 has a significant independent association with postoperative delirium.

A Predeployment Limited Technical Assessment of the iPod Touch to Aid the United States Marine Corps

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-01

public release; distribution is unlimited. 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES "Safari," " iTunes ," "iPod," "iPod touch," and "iPhone" are registered trademarks...Marine Corps unit and assessed during the EUE.1 1 “Safari,” “ iTunes ,” “iPod,” “iPod touch,” and “iPhone...application store, YouTube, the Apple Safari Web browser, maps, weather, and Apple iTunes . Participants then arranged a paper prototype home screen

Deep sequencing analysis of the transcriptomes of peanut aerial and subterranean young pods identifies candidate genes related to early embryo abortion.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaoping; Zhu, Wei; Azam, Sarwar; Li, Heying; Zhu, Fanghe; Li, Haifen; Hong, Yanbin; Liu, Haiyan; Zhang, Erhua; Wu, Hong; Yu, Shanlin; Zhou, Guiyuan; Li, Shaoxiong; Zhong, Ni; Wen, Shijie; Li, Xingyu; Knapp, Steve J; Ozias-Akins, Peggy; Varshney, Rajeev K; Liang, Xuanqiang

2013-01-01

The failure of peg penetration into the soil leads to seed abortion in peanut. Knowledge of genes involved in these processes is comparatively deficient. Here, we used RNA-seq to gain insights into transcriptomes of aerial and subterranean pods. More than 2 million transcript reads with an average length of 396 bp were generated from one aerial (AP) and two subterranean (SP1 and SP2) pod libraries using pyrosequencing technology. After assembly, sets of 49 632, 49 952 and 50 494 from a total of 74 974 transcript assembly contigs (TACs) were identified in AP, SP1 and SP2, respectively. A clear linear relationship in the gene expression level was observed between these data sets. In brief, 2194 differentially expressed TACs with a 99.0% true-positive rate were identified, among which 859 and 1068 TACs were up-regulated in aerial and subterranean pods, respectively. Functional analysis showed that putative function based on similarity with proteins catalogued in UniProt and gene ontology term classification could be determined for 59 342 (79.2%) and 42 955 (57.3%) TACs, respectively. A total of 2968 TACs were mapped to 174 KEGG pathways, of which 168 were shared by aerial and subterranean transcriptomes. TACs involved in photosynthesis were significantly up-regulated and enriched in the aerial pod. In addition, two senescence-associated genes were identified as significantly up-regulated in the aerial pod, which potentially contribute to embryo abortion in aerial pods, and in turn, to cessation of swelling. The data set generated in this study provides evidence for some functional genes as robust candidates underlying aerial and subterranean pod development and contributes to an elucidation of the evolutionary implications resulting from fruit development under light and dark conditions. © 2012 The Authors Plant Biotechnology Journal © 2012 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Observations on the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berkooz, Gal

1992-01-01

The Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (P.O.D.), also known as the Karhunen-Loeve expansion, is a procedure for decomposing a stochastic field in an L(2) optimal sense. It is used in diverse disciplines from image processing to turbulence. Recently the P.O.D. is receiving much attention as a tool for studying dynamics of systems in infinite dimensional space. This paper reviews the mathematical fundamentals of this theory. Also included are results on the span of the eigenfunction basis, a geometric corollary due to Chebyshev's inequality and a relation between the P.O.D. symmetry and ergodicity.

Performance estimates of a Boeing 747-100 transport mated with an outsize cargo pod

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jernell, L. S.

1980-01-01

The design mission performance of a Boeing 747-100 aircraft mated with an outsize cargo pod was studied. The basic design requirement was the rapid deployment of a combat loaded mobile bridge launcher from a United States east coast staging base to Europe. Weight was minimized by stripping the aircraft of unneeded, quick removal items and by utilizing graphite-epoxy composite materials for most pod components. The mission analysis was based on wind tunnel data and full scale carrier aircraft and engine data. The results are presented in tabular and graphic form.

A Study of Health Record Control at Reynolds Army Hospital, Fort Sill, Oklahoma

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-04-01

other medical and surgical procedures appear on the walls of Paleolithic caverns of Spain that date back to about 25,000 B.C.1 Although these archaic...record revealed that they were more careful in taking medications, made improvements in their diets , stopped smoking and had fewer worries about their...Pod 19 Mar TMC 3 30 Apr Surg 6 Apr RAH 29 Apr Eye 27 Apr Audio Cl 27 Apr Hosp 27 Nov Diet Cl 23 Apr F.P. 18 Apr Ortho/Pod 30 Apr Pod 26 Apr RAN 30 Apr

Agricultural Science and Technology Teachers' Perceptions of iPod and Mp3 Technology Integration into Curricular and Cocurricular Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphrey, Theresa Pesl; Miller, Kimberly A.; Roberts, T. Grady

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe agricultural science and technology teachers' reaction to iPod and mp3 technology use and potential use in both curricular and cocurricular activities. A total of 112 unique respondents provided written responses to open-ended questions. Study findings reveal that agricultural science and technology…

Calculating inspector probability of detection using performance demonstration program pass rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cumblidge, Stephen; D'Agostino, Amy

2016-02-01

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has been working since the 1970's to ensure that nondestructive testing performed on nuclear power plants in the United States will provide reasonable assurance of structural integrity of the nuclear power plant components. One tool used by the NRC has been the development and implementation of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI Appendix VIII[1] (Appendix VIII) blind testing requirements for ultrasonic procedures, equipment, and personnel. Some concerns have been raised, over the years, by the relatively low pass rates for the Appendix VIII qualification testing. The NRC staff has applied statistical tools and simulations to determine the expected probability of detection (POD) for ultrasonic examinations under ideal conditions based on the pass rates for the Appendix VIII qualification tests for the ultrasonic testing personnel. This work was primarily performed to answer three questions. First, given a test design and pass rate, what is the expected overall POD for inspectors? Second, can we calculate the probability of detection for flaws of different sizes using this information? Finally, if a previously qualified inspector fails a requalification test, does this call their earlier inspections into question? The calculations have shown that one can expect good performance from inspectors who have passed appendix VIII testing in a laboratory-like environment, and the requalification pass rates show that the inspectors have maintained their skills between tests. While these calculations showed that the PODs for the ultrasonic inspections are very good under laboratory conditions, the field inspections are conducted in a very different environment. The NRC staff has initiated a project to systematically analyze the human factors differences between qualification testing and field examinations. This work will be used to evaluate and prioritize potential human factors issues that may degrade performance in the field.

Fast Metabolite Identification in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Metabolomic Studies: Statistical Peak Sorting and Peak Overlap Detection for More Reliable Database Queries.

PubMed

Hoijemberg, Pablo A; Pelczer, István

2018-01-05

A lot of time is spent by researchers in the identification of metabolites in NMR-based metabolomic studies. The usual metabolite identification starts employing public or commercial databases to match chemical shifts thought to belong to a given compound. Statistical total correlation spectroscopy (STOCSY), in use for more than a decade, speeds the process by finding statistical correlations among peaks, being able to create a better peak list as input for the database query. However, the (normally not automated) analysis becomes challenging due to the intrinsic issue of peak overlap, where correlations of more than one compound appear in the STOCSY trace. Here we present a fully automated methodology that analyzes all STOCSY traces at once (every peak is chosen as driver peak) and overcomes the peak overlap obstacle. Peak overlap detection by clustering analysis and sorting of traces (POD-CAST) first creates an overlap matrix from the STOCSY traces, then clusters the overlap traces based on their similarity and finally calculates a cumulative overlap index (COI) to account for both strong and intermediate correlations. This information is gathered in one plot to help the user identify the groups of peaks that would belong to a single molecule and perform a more reliable database query. The simultaneous examination of all traces reduces the time of analysis, compared to viewing STOCSY traces by pairs or small groups, and condenses the redundant information in the 2D STOCSY matrix into bands containing similar traces. The COI helps in the detection of overlapping peaks, which can be added to the peak list from another cross-correlated band. POD-CAST overcomes the generally overlooked and underestimated presence of overlapping peaks and it detects them to include them in the search of all compounds contributing to the peak overlap, enabling the user to accelerate the metabolite identification process with more successful database queries and searching all tentative compounds in the sample set.

Real-time prediction of the occurrence of GLE events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Núñez, Marlon; Reyes-Santiago, Pedro J.; Malandraki, Olga E.

2017-07-01

A tool for predicting the occurrence of Ground Level Enhancement (GLE) events using the UMASEP scheme is presented. This real-time tool, called HESPERIA UMASEP-500, is based on the detection of the magnetic connection, along which protons arrive in the near-Earth environment, by estimating the lag correlation between the time derivatives of 1 min soft X-ray flux (SXR) and 1 min near-Earth proton fluxes observed by the GOES satellites. Unlike current GLE warning systems, this tool can predict GLE events before the detection by any neutron monitor (NM) station. The prediction performance measured for the period from 1986 to 2016 is presented for two consecutive periods, because of their notable difference in performance. For the 2000-2016 period, this prediction tool obtained a probability of detection (POD) of 53.8% (7 of 13 GLE events), a false alarm ratio (FAR) of 30.0%, and average warning times (AWT) of 8 min with respect to the first NM station's alert and 15 min to the GLE Alert Plus's warning. We have tested the model by replacing the GOES proton data with SOHO/EPHIN proton data, and the results are similar in terms of POD, FAR, and AWT for the same period. The paper also presents a comparison with a GLE warning system.

Evaluation of the health-related quality of life for patients following laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

PubMed

Tani, Masaji; Kawai, Manabu; Okada, Ken-Ichi; Hirono, Seiko; Hotta, Tsukasa; Takifuji, Katsunari; Yamaue, Hiroki

2015-05-01

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has become the standard procedure, and contributes to a shorter hospital stay. However, there have been no reports regarding when the patients can be discharged in terms of their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The HRQOL was evaluated by using the SF-8 health survey (SF-8) 24-hour version in 127 consecutive patients treated from May 2007 to December 2008. The HRQOL and a visual analogue scale (VAS) score were assessed on the day before surgery and on postoperative day (POD) 1, POD2 and POD7. All scores of the eight domains on POD1 were significantly decreased compared to the preoperative score (P < 0.05), and seven scores were still decreased on POD2, with the mental health (MH) domain showing an improvement. On POD7, the general health score improved to the preoperative level. The physical component summary 8 (PCS-8) was suppressed for all 7 days after LC. The mental health component summary 8 (MCS-8) was improved to the preoperative level on POD2, despite the significant suppression observed on POD1 (P < 0.05). The VAS score was higher in the low PCS-8 (PCS-8 < 42.4) and low MCS-8 (MCS-8 < 40.6) patients than in the high PCS-8 and high MCS-8 patients. The HRQOL score demonstrated the improvement of the MCS-8 on POD2, which might suggest that a discharge of LC patients is appropriate on POD2 in terms of the patients' point of view.

The Time Course of Knee Swelling Post Total Knee Arthroplasty and Its Associations with Quadriceps Strength and Gait Speed.

PubMed

Pua, Yong-Hao

2015-07-01

This study examines the time course of knee swelling post total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and its associations with quadriceps strength and gait speed. Eighty-five patients with unilateral TKA participated. Preoperatively and on post-operative days (PODs) 1, 4, 14, and 90, knee swelling was measured using bioimpedance spectrometry. Preoperatively and on PODs 14 and 90, quadriceps strength was measured using isokinetic dynamometry while fast gait speed was measured using the timed 10-meter walk. On POD1, knee swelling increased ~35% from preoperative levels after which, knee swelling reduced but remained at ~11% above preoperative levels on POD90. In longitudinal, multivariable analyses, knee swelling was associated with quadriceps weakness (P<0.01) and slower gait speed (P=0.03). Interventions to reduce post-TKA knee swelling may be indicated to improve quadriceps strength and gait speed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-speed imaging of submerged jet: visualization analysis using proper orthogonality decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yingzheng; He, Chuangxin

2016-11-01

In the present study, the submerged jet at low Reynolds numbers was visualized using laser induced fluoresce and high-speed imaging in a water tank. Well-controlled calibration was made to determine linear dependency region of the fluoresce intensity on its concentration. Subsequently, the jet fluid issuing from a circular pipe was visualized using a high-speed camera. The animation sequence of the visualized jet flow field was supplied for the snapshot proper orthogonality decomposition (POD) analysis. Spatio-temporally varying structures superimposed in the unsteady fluid flow were identified, e.g., the axisymmetric mode and the helical mode, which were reflected from the dominant POD modes. The coefficients of the POD modes give strong indication of temporal and spectral features of the corresponding unsteady events. The reconstruction using the time-mean visualization and the selected POD modes was conducted to reveal the convective motion of the buried vortical structures. National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Implementation of a low-cost, commercial orbit determination system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corrigan, Jim

1994-01-01

This paper describes the implementation and potential applications of a workstation-based orbit determination system developed by Storm Integration, Inc. called the Precision Orbit Determination System (PODS). PODS is offered as a layered product to the commercially-available Satellite Tool Kit (STK) produced by Analytical Graphics, Inc. PODS also incorporates the Workstation/Precision Orbit Determination (WS/POD) product offered by Van Martin System, Inc. The STK graphical user interface is used to access and invoke the PODS capabilities and to display the results. WS/POD is used to compute a best-fit solution to user-supplied tracking data. PODS provides the capability to simultaneously estimate the orbits of up to 99 satellites based on a wide variety of observation types including angles, range, range rate, and Global Positioning System (GPS) data. PODS can also estimate ground facility locations, Earth geopotential model coefficients, solar pressure and atmospheric drag parameters, and observation data biases. All determined data is automatically incorporated into the STK data base, which allows storage, manipulation and export of the data to other applications. PODS is offered in three levels: Standard, Basic GPS and Extended GPS. Standard allows processing of non-GPS observation types for any number of vehicles and facilities. Basic GPS adds processing of GPS pseudo-ranging data to the Standard capabilities. Extended GPS adds the ability to process GPS carrier phase data.

Seed abortion in wind-dispersed pods of Dalbergia sissoo: maternal regulation or sibling rivalry?

PubMed

Ganeshaiah, K N; Shaanker, R Uma

1988-10-01

Dalbergia sissoo, a wind-dispersed tropical tree, shows a positively skewed distribution of seeds per pod. This is attributed to the enhanced dispersal advantage of few-seeded pods due to their reduced wing loading (ratio of weight to pod surface area) and low settling velocity. The proximate mechanisms causing the positively skewed distribution were investigated. The distribution could not be attributed to the distribution pattern of ovule number per ovary, pollen grain limitation, lack of ovule fertilization, or post-fertilization elimination of many-seeded pods. Rather, it was caused by the post-fertilization abortion of seeds within a pod 2 weeks after fertilization. This intra-pod seed abortion (IPSA) is due to a dominance hierarchy of fertilized ovules from the distal (near stigma) to the basal end, generated by the temporal differences in fertilization. The dominant developing seeds at the distal end cause the abortion of others through the production and diffusion of an aborting agent. When the dominance hierarchy of the siblings is not intense, pods are formed with more than one seed. We argue that the positively skewed distribution of seeds per pod is not due to maternal regulation but is a result of sibling rivalry. We propose that this sibling rivalry is generated by genetic differences in pollen grain fitness and disucss the results in the context of parent-offspring conflict.

Preliminary Orbit Determination System (PODS) for Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS)-tracked target Spacecraft using the homotopy continuation method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirschner, S. M.; Samii, M. V.; Broaddus, S. R.; Doll, C. E.

1988-01-01

The Preliminary Orbit Determination System (PODS) provides early orbit determination capability in the Trajectory Computation and Orbital Products System (TCOPS) for a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS)-tracked spacecraft. PODS computes a set of orbit states from an a priori estimate and six tracking measurements, consisting of any combination of TDRSS range and Doppler tracking measurements. PODS uses the homotopy continuation method to solve a set of nonlinear equations, and it is particularly effective for the case when the a priori estimate is not well known. Since range and Doppler measurements produce multiple states in PODS, a screening technique selects the desired state. PODS is executed in the TCOPS environment and can directly access all operational data sets. At the completion of the preliminary orbit determination, the PODS-generated state, along with additional tracking measurements, can be directly input to the differential correction (DC) process to generate an improved state. To validate the computational and operational capabilities of PODS, tests were performed using simulated TDRSS tracking measurements for the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite and using real TDRSS measurements for the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) and the Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME) spacecraft. The effects of various measurement combinations, varying arc lengths, and levels of degradation of the a priori state vector on the PODS solutions were considered.

QTL mapping for resistance to frosty pod and black pod diseases in an f1 population of Theobroma cacao L

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) is a native crop of the Americas; however severe losses due to frosty pod (FP) [Moniliophthora roreri (Cif. and Par.)], and black pod (BP) [Phytophthora palmivora (Butl.) Butl.] have reduced cacao in the Americas to only 13.0% of world production. Agronomic practices to co...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, an orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod is moved into place on Atlantis. It is one of two OMS pods attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, an orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod is moved into place on Atlantis. It is one of two OMS pods attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, an orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod is suspended in air as it is moved toward Atlantis for installation. Two OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, an orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod is suspended in air as it is moved toward Atlantis for installation. Two OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, an orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod is moved closer to Atlantis for installation. Two OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, an orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod is moved closer to Atlantis for installation. Two OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, technicians make adjustments to the orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod being installed on Atlantis. The OMS pod is one of two that are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, technicians make adjustments to the orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod being installed on Atlantis. The OMS pod is one of two that are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods is being moved for installation on Atlantis. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods is being moved for installation on Atlantis. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, technicians move an orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod into the correct position on Atlantis. The OMS pod is one of two that are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, technicians move an orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod into the correct position on Atlantis. The OMS pod is one of two that are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

Effect of Tara (Caesalpinia spinosa) Pod Powder on the Oxidation and Colour Stability of Pork Meat Batter During Chilled Storage

PubMed Central

Skowyra, Monika; Janiewicz, Urszula; Salejda, Anna Marietta; Krasnowska, Grażyna

2015-01-01

Summary The effect of dried pods of Caesalpinia spinosa, known as tara, on pH, cooking loss, lipid oxidation, colour stability and texture of model meat systems stored at 4 °C for 21 days was investigated. Tara pod powder showing a potential antioxidant activity was added at 0.02, 0.04 and 0.08% (by mass) directly to the pork batter and compared with a synthetic antioxidant, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and control (no added antioxidants). The addition of tara pod powder at 0.02% was as effective as BHA (0.02%) in retarding lipid oxidation in pork products during storage. Results showed that redness increased after the addition of tara pod powder. Specifically, 0.02% of tara pod powder was effective in keeping the red colour of meat batter stored under illumination at 4 °C for 48 h. Hardness of pork products was the lowest in samples manufactured with tara pod powder compared with control. Results highlight the potential of using tara pod powder as natural functional ingredient in the development of pork products with enhanced quality and shelf life. PMID:27904376

Multipurpose Pressure Vessel Scanner and Photon Doppler Velocimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, Tayera

2015-01-01

Critical flight hardware typically undergoes a series of nondestructive evaluation methods to screen for defects before it is integrated into the flight system. Conventionally, pressure vessels have been inspected for flaws using a technique known as fluorescent dye penetrant, which is biased to inspector interpretation. An alternate method known as eddy current is automated and can detect small cracks better than dye penetrant. A new multipurpose pressure vessel scanner has been developed to perform internal and external eddy current scanning, laser profilometry, and thickness mapping on pressure vessels. Before this system can be implemented throughout industry, a probability of detection (POD) study needs to be performed to validate the system's eddy current crack/flaw capabilities. The POD sample set will consist of 6 flight-like metal pressure vessel liners with defects of known size. Preparation for the POD includes sample set fabrication, system operation, procedure development, and eddy current settings optimization. For this, collaborating with subject matter experts was required. This technical paper details the preparation activities leading up to the POD study currently scheduled for winter 2015/2016. Once validated, this system will be a proven innovation for increasing the safety and reliability of necessary flight hardware. Additionally, testing of frangible joint requires Photon Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) and Digital Image Correlation instrumentation. There is often noise associated with PDV data, which necessitates a frequency modulation (FM) signal-to-noise pre-test. Generally, FM radio works by varying the carrier frequency and mixing it with a fixed frequency source, creating a beat frequency which is represented by audio frequency that can be heard between about 20 to 20,000 Hz. Similarly, PDV reflects a shifted frequency (a phenomenon known as the Doppler Effect) from a moving source and mixes it with a fixed source frequency, which results in a beat frequency. However, for PDV, discerning the signal from the noise is difficult without a moving source to induce the modulation. A rotating wheel is currently being used as the moving source but its configuration is impractical and has cumbersome placement inside the current frangible joint test cell. As a way to combat this problem and verify a satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio, a reflective moving crystal piezo will be used to modulate a beat frequency, and an absorptive target will be used to block the signal in order to determine any back reflection coming from the probe and discern the true signal-to-noise ratio. The piezo will be mounted and inserted onto the test table on an extendable telescopic antenna grounded by a magnetic base in the test zone. This piezo configuration will be more compatible within the test zone and allow for easy removal of the disk following acceptable signal verification and prior to frangible joint tests.

Conjugation of cell-penetrating peptides with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-polyethylene glycol nanoparticles improves ocular drug delivery

PubMed Central

Vasconcelos, Aimee; Vega, Estefania; Pérez, Yolanda; Gómara, María J; García, María Luisa; Haro, Isabel

2015-01-01

In this work, a peptide for ocular delivery (POD) and human immunodeficiency virus transactivator were conjugated with biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PGLA)–polyethylene glycol (PEG)-nanoparticles (NPs) in an attempt to improve ocular drug bioavailability. The NPs were prepared by the solvent displacement method following two different pathways. One involved preparation of PLGA NPs followed by PEG and peptide conjugation (PLGA-NPs-PEG-peptide); the other involved self-assembly of PLGA-PEG and the PLGA-PEG-peptide copolymer followed by NP formulation. The conjugation of the PEG and the peptide was confirmed by a colorimetric test and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Flurbiprofen was used as an example of an anti-inflammatory drug. The physicochemical properties of the resulting NPs (morphology, in vitro release, cell viability, and ocular tolerance) were studied. In vivo anti-inflammatory efficacy was assessed in rabbit eyes after topical instillation of sodium arachidonate. Of the formulations developed, the PLGA-PEG-POD NPs were the smaller particles and exhibited greater entrapment efficiency and more sustained release. The positive charge on the surface of these NPs, due to the conjugation with the positively charged peptide, facilitated penetration into the corneal epithelium, resulting in more effective prevention of ocular inflammation. The in vitro toxicity of the NPs developed was very low; no ocular irritation in vitro (hen’s egg test–chorioallantoic membrane assay) or in vivo (Draize test) was detected. Taken together, these data demonstrate that PLGA-PEG-POD NPs are promising vehicles for ocular drug delivery. PMID:25670897

Generation of peanut mutants by fast neutron irradiation combined with in vitro culture

PubMed Central

Wang, Jing-Shan; Sui, Jiong-Ming; Xie, Yong-Dun; Guo, Hui-Jun; Qiao, Li-Xian; Zhao, Li-Lan; Yu, Shan-Lin; Liu, Lu-Xiang

2015-01-01

Induced mutations have played an important role in the development of new plant varieties. In this study, we investigated the effects of fast neutron irradiation on somatic embryogenesis combined with plant regeneration in embryonic leaflet culture to develop new peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) germplasm for breeding. The dry seeds of the elite cultivar Luhua 11 were irradiated with fast neutrons at dosages of 9.7, 14.0 and 18.0 Gy. The embryonic leaflets were separated and incubated in a medium with 10.0-mg/l 2,4-D to induce somatic embryogenesis. Next, they were incubated in a medium with 4.0-mg/l BAP for plant regeneration. As the irradiation dosage increased, the frequency of both somatic embryo formation and plantlet regeneration decreased. The regenerated plantlets were grafted onto rootstocks and were transplanted into the field. Later, the mature seeds of the regenerated plants were harvested. The M2 generation plants from most of the regenerated cultivars exhibited variations and segregation in vigor, plant height, branch and pod number, pod size, and pod shape. To determine whether the phenotypes were associated with genomic modification, we compared the DNA polymorphisms between the wild-type plants and 19 M3-generation individuals from different regenerated plants. We used 20 pairs of simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers and detected polymorphisms between most of the mutants and the wild-type plants (Luhua 11). Our results indicate that using a combination of fast neutron irradiation and tissue culture is an effective approach for creating new peanut germplasm. PMID:25653418

Improving BeiDou precise orbit determination using observations of onboard MEO satellite receivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Haibo; Li, Bofeng; Ge, Maorong; Shen, Yunzhong; Schuh, Harald

2017-12-01

In recent years, the precise orbit determination (POD) of the regional Chinese BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has been a hot spot because of its special constellation consisting of five geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites and five inclined geosynchronous satellite orbit (IGSO) satellites besides four medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites since the end of 2012. GEO and IGSO satellites play an important role in regional BDS applications. However, this brings a great challenge to the POD, especially for the GEO satellites due to their geostationary orbiting. Though a number of studies have been carried out to improve the POD performance of GEO satellites, the result is still much worse than that of IGSO and MEO, particularly in the along-track direction. The major reason is that the geostationary characteristic of a GEO satellite results in a bad geometry with respect to the ground tracking network. In order to improve the tracking geometry of the GEO satellites, a possible strategy is to mount global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers on MEO satellites to collect the signals from GEO/IGSO GNSS satellites so as that these observations can be used to improve GEO/IGSO POD. We extended our POD software package to simulate all the related observations and to assimilate the MEO-onboard GNSS observations in orbit determination. Based on GPS and BDS constellations, simulated studies are undertaken for various tracking scenarios. The impact of the onboard GNSS observations is investigated carefully and presented in detail. The results show that MEO-onboard observations can significantly improve the orbit precision of GEO satellites from metres to decimetres, especially in the along-track direction. The POD results of IGSO satellites also benefit from the MEO-onboard data and the precision can be improved by more than 50% in 3D direction.

Epidemiologic research using probabilistic outcome definitions.

PubMed

Cai, Bing; Hennessy, Sean; Lo Re, Vincent; Small, Dylan S

2015-01-01

Epidemiologic studies using electronic healthcare data often define the presence or absence of binary clinical outcomes by using algorithms with imperfect specificity, sensitivity, and positive predictive value. This results in misclassification and bias in study results. We describe and evaluate a new method called probabilistic outcome definition (POD) that uses logistic regression to estimate the probability of a clinical outcome using multiple potential algorithms and then uses multiple imputation to make valid inferences about the risk ratio or other epidemiologic parameters of interest. We conducted a simulation to evaluate the performance of the POD method with two variables that can predict the true outcome and compared the POD method with the conventional method. The simulation results showed that when the true risk ratio is equal to 1.0 (null), the conventional method based on a binary outcome provides unbiased estimates. However, when the risk ratio is not equal to 1.0, the traditional method, either using one predictive variable or both predictive variables to define the outcome, is biased when the positive predictive value is <100%, and the bias is very severe when the sensitivity or positive predictive value is poor (less than 0.75 in our simulation). In contrast, the POD method provides unbiased estimates of the risk ratio both when this measure of effect is equal to 1.0 and not equal to 1.0. Even when the sensitivity and positive predictive value are low, the POD method continues to provide unbiased estimates of the risk ratio. The POD method provides an improved way to define outcomes in database research. This method has a major advantage over the conventional method in that it provided unbiased estimates of risk ratios and it is easy to use. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Expression profiles of key phenylpropanoid genes during Vanilla planifolia pod development reveal a positive correlation between PAL gene expression and vanillin biosynthesis.

PubMed

Fock-Bastide, Isabelle; Palama, Tony Lionel; Bory, Séverine; Lécolier, Aurélie; Noirot, Michel; Joët, Thierry

2014-01-01

In Vanilla planifolia pods, development of flavor precursors is dependent on the phenylpropanoid pathway. The distinctive vanilla aroma is produced by numerous phenolic compounds of which vanillin is the most important. Because of the economic importance of vanilla, vanillin biosynthetic pathways have been extensively studied but agreement has not yet been reached on the processes leading to its accumulation. In order to explore the transcriptional control exerted on these pathways, five key phenylpropanoid genes expressed during pod development were identified and their mRNA accumulation profiles were evaluated during pod development and maturation using quantitative real-time PCR. As a prerequisite for expression analysis using qRT-PCR, five potential reference genes were tested, and two genes encoding Actin and EF1 were shown to be the most stable reference genes for accurate normalization during pod development. For the first time, genes encoding a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (VpPAL1) and a cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (VpC4H1) were identified in vanilla pods and studied during maturation. Among phenylpropanoid genes, differential regulation was observed from 3 to 8 months after pollination. VpPAL1 was gradually up-regulated, reaching the maximum expression level at maturity. In contrast, genes encoding 4HBS, C4H, OMT2 and OMT3 did not show significant increase in expression levels after the fourth month post-pollination. Expression profiling of these key phenylpropanoid genes is also discussed in light of accumulation patterns for key phenolic compounds. Interestingly, VpPAL1 gene expression was shown to be positively correlated to maturation and vanillin accumulation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Advances in tribological testing of artificial joint biomaterials using multidirectional pin-on-disk testers

PubMed Central

Baykal, D.; Siskey, R.S.; Haider, H.; Saikko, V.; Ahlroos, T.; Kurtz, S.M.

2013-01-01

The introduction of numerous formulations of Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), which is widely used as a bearing material in orthopedic implants, necessitated screening of bearing couples to identify promising iterations for expensive joint simulations. Pin-on-disk (POD) testers capable of multidirectional sliding can correctly rank formulations of UHMWPE with respect to their predictive in vivo wear behavior. However, there are still uncertainties regarding POD test parameters for facilitating clinically relevant wear mechanisms of UHMWPE. Studies on the development of POD testing were briefly summarized. We systematically reviewed wear rate data of UHMWPE generated by POD testers. To determine if POD testing was capable of correctly ranking bearings and if test parameters outlined in ASTM F732 enabled differentiation between wear behavior of various formulations, mean wear rates of non-irradiated, conventional (25–50 kGy) and highly crosslinked (≥90 kGy) UHMWPE were grouped and compared. The mean wear rates of non-irradiated, conventional and highly crosslinked UHMWPEs were 7.03, 5.39 and 0.67 mm3/MC. Based on studies that complied with the guidelines of ASTM F732, the mean wear rates of non-irradiated, conventional and highly crosslinked UHMWPEs were 0.32, 0.21 and 0.04 mm3/km, respectively. In both sets of results, the mean wear rate of highly crosslinked UHMPWE was smaller than both conventional and non-irradiated UHMWPEs (p<0.05). Thus, POD testers can compare highly crosslinked and conventional UHMWPEs despite different test parameters. Narrowing the allowable range for standardized test parameters could improve sensitivity of multi-axial testers in correctly ranking materials. PMID:23831149

Assessment of Re-sighting Rates of Previously Dart-Tagged False Killer Whales and Short-Finned Pilot Whales in Hawai’i: A Preliminary Report Taking into Account Re-sighting of Social Groups

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-14

For example, with southern resident killer whales , re-sighting a specific pod (or sub-pod) member is likely only if that pod (or sub-pod) has been...remaining four clusters are seen infrequently, a situation similar to pod-specific differences in sighting rates for northern resident killer whales (Ford...Satellite tracking reveals distinct movement patterns for Type B and Type C killer whales in the southern Ross Sea, Antarctica. Polar Biology 31:1461

Laundry detergent "pod" ingestions: a case series and discussion of recent literature.

PubMed

Beuhler, Michael C; Gala, Payal K; Wolfe, Heather A; Meaney, Peter A; Henretig, Fred M

2013-06-01

The objectives of this study were to present and explore the clinical presentation of the increasingly common pediatric exposure to the widely available single-use laundry packets or "laundry pods." This is a case report of 4 pediatric patients with significant toxicity due to laundry pod detergent exposure and a review of the available literature including abstract-only publications. An unexpectedly severe clinical pattern was noted; 3 of the 4 children required intubation for management, airway injury was noted in 1 of them, and 2 of them had hospital courses of at least 1 week. The literature suggests that laundry pod exposures are associated with increased morbidity compared to traditional laundry detergent exposures. To date, no specific contaminant or component has been identified as being responsible for the injury, although some evidence points to the surfactant component. A different approach to the triage and management of pediatric exposures to laundry detergent pod ingestions is required compared with nonpod ingestions. Although the exact cause is not known, practitioners should be vigilant for rapid onset of neurological impairment and inability to protect the airway in addition to its caustic effects.

Third Graders' Understanding of Air Concepts Facilitated by the iPod Inquiry Teaching Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Ching-san

2016-01-01

The major purpose of this study was to determine the learning performance of the air concept unit for third graders in a primary school facilitated by the iPod inquiry teaching method. This study adopts a quasi-experimental method. Participants were third graders in a primary school in New Taipei city. The experimental group consisted of 53…

Implementation of a One-to-One iPod Touch Program in a Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crompton, Helen; Keane, Julie

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the implementation of a whole school one-to-one iPod Touch project in a middle school in the southeastern United States. While some focused studies have been undertaken in this new field of learning, there has been little research to date that documents activity within a whole school implementation…

Using iPods[R] and iPads[R] in Teaching Programs for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kagohara, Debora M.; van der Meer, Larah; Ramdoss, Sathiyaprakash; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Lancioni, Giulio E.; Davis, Tonya N.; Rispoli, Mandy; Lang, Russell; Marschik, Peter B.; Sutherland, Dean; Green, Vanessa A.; Sigafoos, Jeff

2013-01-01

We conducted a systematic review of studies that involved iPods[R], iPads[R], and related devices (e.g., iPhones[R]) in teaching programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. The search yielded 15 studies covering five domains: (a) academic, (b) communication, (c) employment, (d) leisure, and (e) transitioning across school settings.…

Perioperative Alanyl-Glutamine-Supplemented Parenteral Nutrition in Chronic Radiation Enteritis Patients With Surgical Intestinal Obstruction: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Study.

PubMed

Yao, Danhua; Zheng, Lei; Wang, Jian; Guo, Mingxiao; Yin, Jianyi; Li, Yousheng

2016-04-01

A prospective, randomized, controlled study was performed to evaluate the effects of perioperative alanyl-glutamine-supplemented parenteral nutrition (PN) support on the immunologic function, intestinal permeability, and nutrition status of surgical patients with chronic radiation enteritis (CRE)-induced intestinal obstruction. Patients who received 0.4 g/kg/d alanyl-glutamine and isonitrogenous PN were assigned to an alanyl-glutamine-supplemented PN (Gln-PN) group and a control group, respectively. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and glutamine, body fat mass (FM), immunologic function, and intestinal permeability were measured before and after surgery. Serum glutamine levels of the Gln-PN group significantly exceeded that of the control group (P < .001; Gln-PN, baseline 460.7 ± 42.5 vs 523.3 ± 48.6 µmol/L on postoperative day 14 [POD14], P < .001; control, baseline 451.9 ± 44.0 vs 453.8 ± 42.3 µmol/L on POD14, P = .708). Lactulose/mannitol ratios of both groups decreased over time (Gln-PN, baseline 0.129 ± 0.0403 vs 0.024 ± 0.0107 on POD1 4; control, baseline 0.125 ± 0.0378 vs 0.044 ± 0.0126 on POD14, P < .001 in both groups). CD4/CD8-positive T-lymphocyte ratios significantly rose in both groups, with significant intergroup difference (P < .001; Gln-PN, baseline 1.36 ± 0.32 vs 1.82 ± 0.30 on POD14, P < .001; control, baseline 1.37 ± 0.25 vs 1.63 ± 0.31 on POD14, P < .001). In the Gln-PN group, FM increased from 3.68 ± 1.68 kg at baseline to 5.22 ± 1.42 kg on POD14 (P < .001). FM of control group increased from 3.84 ± 1.57 kg at baseline to 5.40 ± 1.54 kg on POD14 (P < .001). However, there were no significant intergroup differences (P = .614). Gln-PN significantly boosted the immune state and decreased the intestinal permeability of CRE patients. However, Gln-PN was not superior to standard PN in improving the nutrition state and intestinal motility of surgical patients with CRE-induced intestinal obstruction. © 2015 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

Parts on Demand: Evaluation of Approaches to Achieve Flexible Manufacturing Systems for Navy Parts on Demand. Volume 2. Appendices

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-02-01

of Cost Analysis Worksheets * POD Program-Economic Analysis & Methodology - Economic Evaluation Procedures for POD Investment Program - System...Approval Considerations - POD Investment Program - Potential Improvement Areas for POD - Example Cost Categories and Determinants Appendix E Long Range R&D...Funding Profiles * Investment Strategy for Integrated Circuits Diminishing Sources of Supply - Problem Scope - Approach - Alternatives - Proposed

Application of Terahertz Imaging and Backscatter Radiography to Space Shuttle Foam Inspection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ussery, Warren

2008-01-01

Two state of the art technologies have been developed for External Fuel Tank foam inspections. Results of POD tests have shown Backscatter Radiography and Terahertz imaging detect critical defects with no false positive issue. These techniques are currently in use on the External Tank program as one component in the foam quality assurance program.

Effects of Picture Prompts Delivered by a Video iPod on Pedestrian Navigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelley, Kelly R.; Test, David W.; Cooke, Nancy L.

2013-01-01

Transportation access is a major contributor to independence, productivity, and societal inclusion for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD). This study examined the effects of pedestrian navigation training using picture prompts displayed through a video iPod on travel route completion with 4 adults and IDD. Results…

Effect of cultural conditions on the seed-to-seed growth of Arabidopsis and Cardamine - A study of growth rates and reproductive development as affected by test tube seals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoshizaki, T.

1982-01-01

The effects of test tube seals on the growth, flowering, and seed pod formation of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., mouse ear cress, and Cardamine oligosperma Nutt, bitter cress, are studied in order to assess the conditions used in weightlessness experiments. Among other results, it is found that the growth (height) and flowering (date of bud appearance) were suppressed in mouse ear cress in tubes sealed with Saran. Seed pod formation which occurred by day 45 in open-to-air controls, was still lacking in the sealed plants even up to day 124. The growth and flowering of bitter cress were also suppressed by the Saran seal, although up to day 55 the Saran-sealed plants were taller. It is suggested that atmospheric composition was the cause of the suppression of growth, flowering, and seed pod development in these plants, since the mouse ear cress renewed their growth and then set seed pods after the Saran seal was ruptured.

Using Reconstructed POD Modes as Turbulent Inflow for LES Wind Turbine Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielson, Jordan; Bhaganagar, Kiran; Juttijudata, Vejapong; Sirisup, Sirod

2016-11-01

Currently, in order to get realistic atmospheric effects of turbulence, wind turbine LES simulations require computationally expensive precursor simulations. At times, the precursor simulation is more computationally expensive than the wind turbine simulation. The precursor simulations are important because they capture turbulence in the atmosphere and as stated above, turbulence impacts the power production estimation. On the other hand, POD analysis has been shown to be capable of capturing turbulent structures. The current study was performed to determine the plausibility of using lower dimension models from POD analysis of LES simulations as turbulent inflow to wind turbine LES simulations. The study will aid the wind energy community by lowering the computational cost of full scale wind turbine LES simulations, while maintaining a high level of turbulent information and being able to quickly apply the turbulent inflow to multi turbine wind farms. This will be done by comparing a pure LES precursor wind turbine simulation with simulations that use reduced POD mod inflow conditions. The study shows the feasibility of using lower dimension models as turbulent inflow of LES wind turbine simulations. Overall the power production estimation and velocity field of the wind turbine wake are well captured with small errors.

Protective Effect of Bauhinia purpurea on Gentamicin-induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats

PubMed Central

Lakshmi, B. V. S.; Neelima, N.; Kasthuri, N.; Umarani, V.; Sudhakar, M.

2009-01-01

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the ethanol extract of leaves of Bauhinia purpurea and unripe pods of Bauhinia purpurea for its protective effects on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Nephrotoxicity was induced in Wistar rats by intraperitoneal administration of gentamicin 100 mg/kg/d for eight days. Effect of concurrent administration of ethanol extract of leaves of Bauhinia purpurea and unripe pods of Bauhinia purpurea at a dose of 300 mg/kg/d given by oral route was determined using serum creatinine, serum uric acid, blood urea nitrogen and serum urea as indicators of kidney damage. The study groups contained six rats in each group. It was observed that the ethanol extract of leaves of Bauhinia purpurea and unripe pods of Bauhinia purpurea significantly protect rat kidneys from gentamicin-induced histopathological changes. Gentamicin-induced glomerular congestion, blood vessel congestion, epithelial desquamation, accumulation of inflammatory cells and necrosis of the kidney cells were found to be reduced in the groups receiving the leaf and unripe pods extract of Bauhinia purpurea along with gentamicin. The extracts also normalized the gentamicin-induced increase in serum creatinine, serum uric acid and blood urea nitrogen levels. This is also evidenced by the histopathological studies. PMID:20502576

Estimation of the POD function and the LOD of a qualitative microbiological measurement method.

PubMed

Wilrich, Cordula; Wilrich, Peter-Theodor

2009-01-01

Qualitative microbiological measurement methods in which the measurement results are either 0 (microorganism not detected) or 1 (microorganism detected) are discussed. The performance of such a measurement method is described by its probability of detection as a function of the contamination (CFU/g or CFU/mL) of the test material, or by the LOD(p), i.e., the contamination that is detected (measurement result 1) with a specified probability p. A complementary log-log model was used to statistically estimate these performance characteristics. An intralaboratory experiment for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in various food matrixes illustrates the method. The estimate of LOD50% is compared with the Spearman-Kaerber method.

[Effects of two phenolic acids on root zone soil nutrients, soil enzyme activities and pod yield of peanut].

PubMed

Li, Qing Kai; Liu, Ping; Tang, Zhao Hui; Zhao, Hai Jun; Wang, Jiang Tao; Song, Xiao Zong; Yang, Li; Wan, Shu Bo

2016-04-22

In order to investigate the relationship between the accumulation of phenolic acids in peanut continuous cropping soil and the continuous cropping obstacle of peanut, the effects of p-hydroxy benzoic acid and cinnamic acid on peanut root zone soil nutrients, soil enzyme activities and yield of peanut were studied by pot experiment at three stages of peanut, i.e. the pegging stage of peanut (45 days after seedling), the early podding (75 days after seedling) and the end of podding (105 days after seedling) stages. The results showed that the peanut root zone soil nutrients and enzyme activities changed obviously under the two phenolic acids treatment, especially at the pegging stage of peanut. The soil alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, and soil enzyme activities (urease, sucrose, neutral phosphatase) were decreased significantly. At the early and end of podding stages of peanut, the effects of the two phenolic acids on peanut root zone soil nutrients and soil enzyme activities were under a weakening trend. The allelopathy of cinnamic acid was stronger than that of p-hydroxy benzoic acid at the same initial content. The pod yield per pot was reduced by 45.9% and 52.8%, while the pod number of per plant was reduced by 46.2% and 48.9% at higher concentration (80 mg·kg -1 dry soil) of p-hydroxy benzoic acid and cinnamic acid treatments, respectively.

Automated recognition and tracking of aerosol threat plumes with an IR camera pod

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fauth, Ryan; Powell, Christopher; Gruber, Thomas; Clapp, Dan

2012-06-01

Protection of fixed sites from chemical, biological, or radiological aerosol plume attacks depends on early warning so that there is time to take mitigating actions. Early warning requires continuous, autonomous, and rapid coverage of large surrounding areas; however, this must be done at an affordable cost. Once a potential threat plume is detected though, a different type of sensor (e.g., a more expensive, slower sensor) may be cued for identification purposes, but the problem is to quickly identify all of the potential threats around the fixed site of interest. To address this problem of low cost, persistent, wide area surveillance, an IR camera pod and multi-image stitching and processing algorithms have been developed for automatic recognition and tracking of aerosol plumes. A rugged, modular, static pod design, which accommodates as many as four micro-bolometer IR cameras for 45deg to 180deg of azimuth coverage, is presented. Various OpenCV1 based image-processing algorithms, including stitching of multiple adjacent FOVs, recognition of aerosol plume objects, and the tracking of aerosol plumes, are presented using process block diagrams and sample field test results, including chemical and biological simulant plumes. Methods for dealing with the background removal, brightness equalization between images, and focus quality for optimal plume tracking are also discussed.

Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Analysis of the Orbiter's LH2 Feedline Flowliner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bonacuse, Peter J. (Technical Monitor); Hudak, Stephen J., Jr.; Huyse, Luc; Chell, Graham; Lee, Yi-Der; Riha, David S.; Thacker, Ben; McClung, Craig; Gardner, Brian; Leverant, Gerald R.;

Nutritive evaluation and effect of Moringa oleifera pod on clastogenic potential in the mouse.

PubMed

Promkum, Chadamas; Kupradinun, Piengchai; Tuntipopipat, Siriporn; Butryee, Chaniphun

2010-01-01

Moringa oleifera Lam (horseradish tree; tender pod or fruits) has been consumed as a vegetable and utilized as a major ingredient of healthy Thai cuisine. Previous studies have shown that M. oleifera pod extracts act as bifunctional inducers along with displaying antioxidant properties and also inhibiting skin papillomagenesis in mice. This study was aimed to determine the nutritive value, and clastogenic and anticlastogenic potentials of M. oleifera pod. The nutritive value was determined according to AOAC methods. The clastogenic and anticlastogenic potentials were determined using the in vivo erythrocyte micronucleus assay in the mouse. Eighty male mice were fed semi-purified diets containing 1.5%, 3.0% and 6.0% of ground freeze-dried boiled M. oleifera pod (bMO) for 2 weeks prior to administration of both direct-acting (mitomycin C, MMC) and indirect-acting (7, 12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, DMBA), clastogens. Blood samples were collected at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h, dropped on acridine orange-coated slides, and then counted for reticulocytes both with and without micronuclei by fluorescence microscopy. The nutritive value of 100 g bMO consisted of: moisture content, 8.2 g; protein, 19.2 g; fat, 3.9 g; carbohydrate (dietary fiber included), 60.5 g; dietary fiber, 37.5 g; ash, 8.1 g and energy, 354 kcal. Freeze-dried boiled M. oleifera had no clastogenic activity in the mouse while it possessed anticlastogenic activity against both direct and indirect-acting clastogens. Freeze-dried boiled M. oleifera pod at 1.5%, 3.0% and 6.0% in the diets decreased the number of micronucleated peripheral reticulocytes (MNRETs) induced by both MMC and DMBA. However, the effect was statistically significant in the dose dependent manner only in the MMC-treated group. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that bMO has no clastogenicity and possesses anticlastogenic potential against clastogens, and particularly a direct-acting clastogen in the mouse.

Communication with Orthopedic Trauma Patients via an Automated Mobile Phone Messaging Robot.

PubMed

Anthony, Chris A; Volkmar, Alexander; Shah, Apurva S; Willey, Mike; Karam, Matt; Marsh, J Lawrence

2017-12-20

Communication with orthopedic trauma patients is traditionally problematic with low response rates (RRs). The purpose of this investigation was to (1) evaluate the feasibility of communicating with orthopedic trauma patients postoperatively, utilizing an automated mobile phone messaging platform; and (2) assess the first 2 weeks of postoperative patient-reported pain and opioid use after lower extremity orthopedic trauma procedures. This was a prospective investigation at a Level 1 trauma center in the United States. Adult patients who were capable of mobile phone messaging and were undergoing common, lower extremity orthopedic trauma procedures were enrolled in the study. Patients received a daily mobile phone message protocol inquiring about their current pain level and amount of opioid medication they had taken in the past 24 h starting on postoperative day (POD) 3 and continuing through POD 17. Our analysis considered (1) Patient completion rate of mobile phone questions, (2) Patient-reported pain level (0-10 scale), and (3) Number and percentage of daily prescribed opioid medication patients reported taking. Twenty-five patients were enrolled in this investigation. Patients responded to 87.5% of the pain and opioid medication inquiries they received over the 2-week study period. There were no differences in RRs by patient age, sex, or educational attainment. Patient-reported pain decreased over the initial 2-week study period from an average of 4.9 ± 1.7 on POD 3 to 3 ± 2.2 on POD 16-17. Patients took an average of 68% of their maximum daily narcotic prescription on POD 3 compared with 35% of their prescribed pain medication on POD 16-17. We found that in orthopedic trauma patients, an automated mobile phone messaging platform elicited a high patient RR that improved upon prior methods in the literature. This method may be used to reliably obtain pain and medication utilization data after trauma procedures.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, technicians make final adjustments to the orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod being installed on Atlantis. The OMS pod is one of two that are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, technicians make final adjustments to the orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod being installed on Atlantis. The OMS pod is one of two that are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods is lifted off its stand to move it toward Atlantis for installation. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods is lifted off its stand to move it toward Atlantis for installation. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

Validity and reliability of the BOD POD® S/T tracking system.

PubMed

Tseh, W; Caputo, J L; Keefer, D J

2010-10-01

BOD POD(®) self-testing (S/T) body composition tracking system is a practical assessment tool designed for use in the health and fitness industries. Relative to its parent counterpart, the BOD POD(®) S/T has received little research attention. The primary purpose was to determine the validity of the BOD POD(®) S/T against hydrostatic weighing and 7-site skinfolds. Secondary aim was to determine the within-day and between-day reliability of the BOD POD(®) S/T. After a period of equipment and testing accommodation, volunteer's (N=50) body composition (%BF) via 7-site skinfolds, BOD POD(®) S/T, and hydrostatic weighing were obtained on the second and third visits. BOD POD(®) S/T significantly overestimated %BF when compared to hydrostatic weighing and 7-site skinfolds. There was no statistical difference between 7-site skinfolds and hydrostatic weighing values. BOD POD(®) S/T reliability within-day and between-days were high. While the BOD POD(®) S/T body composition tracking system is deemed reliable both within-day and between-days, it did significantly overestimate %BF in comparison to hydrostatic weighing and skinfolds. Future research should be aimed at deriving a correction factor for this body composition assessment tool. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Problem-oriented drug information: physicians' expectations and impact on clinical practice.

PubMed

Hedegaard, U; Damkier, P

2009-05-01

Problem-oriented drug information (POD) is a service in which health professionals provide evidence-based answers to clinical questions posed by physicians. The objective of this study was to evaluate the user satisfaction and clinical impact of POD, to investigate predictors for use and to examine the kind of sources physicians search before applying for POD. To evaluate POD, a questionnaire was distributed with problem-oriented answers sent from a drug information centre to physicians during the period of April 2006 to March 2007. Of 197 questionnaires, 183 (93%) were returned. The information from the POD service was highly valued by the physicians, and 90% of the answers led to reported impact on clinical practice in the specific clinical situation. Furthermore, 74% of the answers were intended to be used in a wider context either for future patients (67%) or for dissemination to colleagues (51%). Secondary-care physicians more often than general practitioners (GPs) used the information for dissemination to colleagues (63 vs. 39%, P = 0.0008), while GPs more often used the answer to support patient information (88 vs. 70%, P = 0.0029). The most prominent motive for applying for POD was a request for evidence-based information (78%), and the service was used to overcome barriers to practicing evidence-based medicine such as lack of time (36%), skills for searching (26%), and appraising the literature (13%). Before inquiring, 74% of the physicians had tried other information sources; the most frequent sources used were a drug reference (68%) and consulting a colleague (24%). Secondary-care physicians reported fewer barriers than GPs when seeking information, and secondary-care physicians searched other sources more often than GPs before contacting the service (81 vs. 67%, P = 0.031). POD represents a useful source for acquiring evidence-based drug information by physicians. POD is highly valued by the users. It was reported to have an impact on clinical practice for the specific patient but is also intended to be used in a wider context for future patients or for dissemination to colleagues. GPs' and secondary-care physicians' use of POD differs with GPs having more focus on patient information and secondary-care physicians having more focus on dissemination of the information to colleagues.

The Vanilla Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstead, David

1994-01-01

Explains a series of experiments that enable students to discover the internal and external structure of the vanilla pod, isolate the chemical constituents of the pod, identify vanillin in the pod extract, and compare extracts across varieties of vanilla. (DDR)

The iPod Experiments: Michael Stephens Investigates Ways that Librarians Are Using This Popular Consumer Device

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Michael

2005-01-01

No other consumer electronic device has created such an impact on popular culture in recent years as the Apple iPod. Since iPod's release in November 2001, music fans have been able to carry upwards of 15,000 song files on those sleek devices with their trendy white headphones. Over ten million iPods have been sold--nearly half of them in the last…

Reaction of mid-southern U.S. southern cultivars to Bean pod mottle virus and Tobacco ringspot virus

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bean pod mottle virus (BPMV) and Tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV) are two important viral pathogens causing reduction of seed yield and quality in soybean. There are various BPMV and TRSV isolates observed, but no host resistance reported so far. The objective of this study was to screen modern soybean...

mQTL-seq delineates functionally relevant candidate gene harbouring a major QTL regulating pod number in chickpea

PubMed Central

Das, Shouvik; Singh, Mohar; Srivastava, Rishi; Bajaj, Deepak; Saxena, Maneesha S.; Rana, Jai C.; Bansal, Kailash C.; Tyagi, Akhilesh K.; Parida, Swarup K.

2016-01-01

The present study used a whole-genome, NGS resequencing-based mQTL-seq (multiple QTL-seq) strategy in two inter-specific mapping populations (Pusa 1103 × ILWC 46 and Pusa 256 × ILWC 46) to scan the major genomic region(s) underlying QTL(s) governing pod number trait in chickpea. Essentially, the whole-genome resequencing of low and high pod number-containing parental accessions and homozygous individuals (constituting bulks) from each of these two mapping populations discovered >8 million high-quality homozygous SNPs with respect to the reference kabuli chickpea. The functional significance of the physically mapped SNPs was apparent from the identified 2,264 non-synonymous and 23,550 regulatory SNPs, with 8–10% of these SNPs-carrying genes corresponding to transcription factors and disease resistance-related proteins. The utilization of these mined SNPs in Δ (SNP index)-led QTL-seq analysis and their correlation between two mapping populations based on mQTL-seq, narrowed down two (CaqaPN4.1: 867.8 kb and CaqaPN4.2: 1.8 Mb) major genomic regions harbouring robust pod number QTLs into the high-resolution short QTL intervals (CaqbPN4.1: 637.5 kb and CaqbPN4.2: 1.28 Mb) on chickpea chromosome 4. The integration of mQTL-seq-derived one novel robust QTL with QTL region-specific association analysis delineated the regulatory (C/T) and coding (C/A) SNPs-containing one pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) gene at a major QTL region regulating pod number in chickpea. This target gene exhibited anther, mature pollen and pod-specific expression, including pronounced higher up-regulated (∼3.5-folds) transcript expression in high pod number-containing parental accessions and homozygous individuals of two mapping populations especially during pollen and pod development. The proposed mQTL-seq-driven combinatorial strategy has profound efficacy in rapid genome-wide scanning of potential candidate gene(s) underlying trait-associated high-resolution robust QTL(s), thereby expediting genomics-assisted breeding and genetic enhancement of crop plants, including chickpea. PMID:26685680

Phenylpropanoids, Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase and Peroxidases in Elicitor‐challenged Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Suspension Cells and Leaves

PubMed Central

GÓMEZ‐VÁSQUEZ, ROCÍO; DAY, ROBERT; BUSCHMANN, HOLGER; RANDLES, SOPHIE; BEECHING, JOHN R.; COOPER, RICHARD M.

2004-01-01

• Background and aims Control of diseases in the key tropical staple, cassava, is dependent on resistant genotypes, but the innate mechanisms are unknown. The aim was to study phenylpropanoids and associated enzymes as possible defence components. • Methods Phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase (PAL), phenylpropanoids and peroxidases (POD) were investigated in elicited cassava suspension cells and leaves. Yeast elicitor was the most effective of several microbial and endogenous elicitors. Fungitoxicity was determined against the cassava pathogens Fusarium solani, F. oxysporum and the saprotroph Trichoderma harzianum. • Key results A single and rapid (≥2–3 min) oxidative burst, measured as hydrogen peroxide, occurred in elicited cells. PAL activity was induced maximally at 15 h and was preceded by PAL mRNA accumulation, which peaked at 9 h. Symplasmic POD activity increased four‐fold in cells, 48 h post‐elicitation. POD isoforms (2–7 isoforms, pI 3·1–8·8) were detected in elicited and unelicited cells, extracellular medium and leaves but two extracellular isoforms were enhanced post‐elicitation. Also expression of a cassava peroxidase gene MecPOD1 increased in elicited cells. Only anionic forms oxidized scopoletin, with highest activity by isoform pI 3·6, present in all samples. Unidentified phenolics and possibly scopolin increased post‐elicitation, but there was no enhancement of scopoletin, rutin or kaempferol‐3‐O‐rutinoside concentration. Fungal germ tube elongation was inhibited more than germination by esculetin, ferulic acid, quercetin and scopoletin. T. harzianum was generally more sensitive than the pathogens and was inhibited by ≥50 µg mL–1 of ferulic acid and quercetin and ≥10 µg mL–1 of scopoletin. • Conclusions Phenolic levels in cells were not enhanced and were, theoretically, too low to be inhibitory. However, in combination and when oxidized they may contribute to defence, because oxidation of esculetin and scopoletin by peroxidase and of esculetin by tyrosinase enhanced their fungitoxicity up to 20‐fold. PMID:15145789

Comparison of Laser Doppler and Laser-Assisted Indocyanine Green Angiography Prediction of Flap Survival in a Novel Modification of the McFarlane Flap.

PubMed

Fourman, Mitchell Stephen; Gersch, Robert P; Phillips, Brett T; Nasser, Ahmed; Rivara, Andrew; Verma, Richa; Dagum, Alexander B; Rosengart, Todd K; Bui, Duc T

2015-07-01

The McFarlane rat ischemic dorsal skin flap model has been commonly used for clinical vector studies, as well as the testing of noninvasive diagnostics. However, variability of this model secondary to flap contact with the wound bed has led many to question its validity. Here we present a novel modification to the McFarlane skin flap using sterile silicone. We also use this model to test the prognostic efficacy of laser-assisted indocyanine green (ICG) angiography and laser Doppler imaging (LDI). A 3 × 9-cm dorsal skin flap with a cranially based pedicle was created, centered 1 cm distal to the scapulae. The flap was undermined, and in one of the 2 groups, a sterile silicone sheet was placed onto the wound bed. All flaps were then reapproximated with sutures 1-cm intervals. Clinical assessment and perfusion imaging was performed immediately postoperative, and at 24, 48, and 72 hours postsurgery. Postoperative day 7 clinical assessment was obtained before euthanasia. A comparative study using silicone blocked versus unblocked models (n = 6 per group) showed that, clinically, both models had equivalent flap survival [8.5 (0.913) vs 9.5 (1.01) cm]. However, a statistically significant increase in perfusion in the mid-third of unblocked models was observed on POD3 [20.28% (2.7%) vs blocked 13.45% (2.5%), P < 0.05], with a similar increase in the distal third on POD7 [18.73% (2.064%) vs 10.91% (4.19%), P < 0.05]. A prognostic study comparing LDI and ICG angiography prediction of POD7 survival at early time points (n = 10) found that LDI underpredicted flap survival at early time points [84.2% (12.03%) on POD0, 87.35% (16.11%) on POD1]. In contrast, ICG was more proficient [100.1% (10.1%) on POD0]. We present a modification of the McFarlane skin flap model that results in similar clinical results, but with a noted reduction in perfusion inconsistencies noted in unblocked models. The ICG angiography is superior to LDI in predicting POD7 flap necrosis within the first 48 hours postinjury. Future work will focus on histologic validation of our model, and vector efficacy testing.

Structure identification within a transitioning swept-wing boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, Keith Lance

1997-08-01

Extensive measurements are made in a transitioning swept-wing boundary layer using hot-film, hot-wire and cross-wire anemometry. The crossflow-dominated flow contains stationary vortices that breakdown near mid-chord. The most amplified vortex wavelength is forced by the use of artificial roughness elements near the leading edge. Two-component velocity and spanwise surface shear-stress correlation measurements are made at two constant chord locations, before and after transition. Streamwise surface shear stresses are also measured through the entire transition region. Correlation techniques are used to identify stationary structures in the laminar regime and coherent structures in the turbulent regime. Basic techniques include observation of the spatial correlations and the spatially distributed auto-spectra. The primary and secondary instability mechanisms are identified in the spectra in all measured fields. The primary mechanism is seen to grow, cause transition and produce large-scale turbulence. The secondary mechanism grows through the entire transition region and produces the small-scale turbulence. Advanced techniques use linear stochastic estimation (LSE) and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) to identify the spatio-temporal evolutions of structures in the boundary layer. LSE is used to estimate the instantaneous velocity fields using temporal data from just two spatial locations and the spatial correlations. Reference locations are selected using maximum RMS values to provide the best available estimates. POD is used to objectively determine modes characteristic of the measured flow based on energy. The stationary vortices are identified in the first laminar modes of each velocity component and shear component. Experimental evidence suggests that neighboring vortices interact and produce large coherent structures with spanwise periodicity at double the stationary vortex wavelength. An objective transition region detection method is developed using streamwise spatial POD solutions which isolate the growth of the primary and secondary instability mechanisms in the first and second modes, respectively. Temporal evolutions of dominant POD modes in all measured fields are calculated. These scalar POD coefficients contain the integrated characteristics of the entire field, greatly reducing the amount of data to characterize the instantaneous field. These modes may then be used to train future flow control algorithms based on neural networks.

Structure Identification Within a Transitioning Swept-Wing Boundary Layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapman, Keith; Glauser, Mark

1996-01-01

Extensive measurements are made in a transitioning swept-wing boundary layer using hot-film, hot-wire and cross-wire anemometry. The crossflow-dominated flow contains stationary vortices that breakdown near mid-chord. The most amplified vortex wavelength is forced by the use of artificial roughness elements near the leading edge. Two-component velocity and spanwise surface shear-stress correlation measurements are made at two constant chord locations, before and after transition. Streamwise surface shear stresses are also measured through the entire transition region. Correlation techniques are used to identify stationary structures in the laminar regime and coherent structures in the turbulent regime. Basic techniques include observation of the spatial correlations and the spatially distributed auto-spectra. The primary and secondary instability mechanisms are identified in the spectra in all measured fields. The primary mechanism is seen to grow, cause transition and produce large-scale turbulence. The secondary mechanism grows through the entire transition region and produces the small-scale turbulence. Advanced techniques use Linear Stochastic Estimation (LSE) and Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) to identify the spatio-temporal evolutions of structures in the boundary layer. LSE is used to estimate the instantaneous velocity fields using temporal data from just two spatial locations and the spatial correlations. Reference locations are selected using maximum RMS values to provide the best available estimates. POD is used to objectively determine modes characteristic of the measured flow based on energy. The stationary vortices are identified in the first laminar modes of each velocity component and shear component. Experimental evidence suggests that neighboring vortices interact and produce large coherent structures with spanwise periodicity at double the stationary vortex wavelength. An objective transition region detection method is developed using streamwise spatial POD solutions which isolate the growth of the primary and secondary instability mechanisms in the first and second modes, respectively. Temporal evolutions of dominant POD modes in all measured fields are calculated. These scalar POD coefficients contain the integrated characteristics of the entire field, greatly reducing the amount of data to characterize the instantaneous field. These modes may then be used to train future flow control algorithms based on neural networks.

The Gastric/Pancreatic Amylase Ratio Predicts Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula With High Sensitivity and Specificity

PubMed Central

Jin, Shuo; Shi, Xiao-Ju; Sun, Xiao-Dong; Zhang, Ping; Lv, Guo-Yue; Du, Xiao-Hong; Wang, Si-Yuan; Wang, Guang-Yi

2015-01-01

Abstract This article aims to identify risk factors for postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) and evaluate the gastric/pancreatic amylase ratio (GPAR) on postoperative day (POD) 3 as a POPF predictor in patients who undergo pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). POPF significantly contributes to mortality and morbidity in patients who undergo PD. Previously identified predictors for POPF often have low predictive accuracy. Therefore, accurate POPF predictors are needed. In this prospective cohort study, we measured the clinical and biochemical factors of 61 patients who underwent PD and diagnosed POPF according to the definition of the International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula. We analyzed the association between POPF and various factors, identified POPF risk factors, and evaluated the predictive power of the GPAR on POD3 and the levels of serum and ascites amylase. Of the 61 patients, 21 developed POPF. The color of the pancreatic drain fluid, POD1 serum, POD1 median output of pancreatic drain fluid volume, and GPAR were significantly associated with POPF. The color of the pancreatic drain fluid and high GPAR were independent risk factors. Although serum and ascites amylase did not predict POPF accurately, the cutoff value was 1.24, and GPAR predicted POPF with high sensitivity and specificity. This is the first report demonstrating that high GPAR on POD3 is a risk factor for POPF and showing that GPAR is a more accurate predictor of POPF than the previously reported amylase markers. PMID:25621676

The gastric/pancreatic amylase ratio predicts postoperative pancreatic fistula with high sensitivity and specificity.

PubMed

Jin, Shuo; Shi, Xiao-Ju; Sun, Xiao-Dong; Zhang, Ping; Lv, Guo-Yue; Du, Xiao-Hong; Wang, Si-Yuan; Wang, Guang-Yi

2015-01-01

This article aims to identify risk factors for postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) and evaluate the gastric/pancreatic amylase ratio (GPAR) on postoperative day (POD) 3 as a POPF predictor in patients who undergo pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).POPF significantly contributes to mortality and morbidity in patients who undergo PD. Previously identified predictors for POPF often have low predictive accuracy. Therefore, accurate POPF predictors are needed.In this prospective cohort study, we measured the clinical and biochemical factors of 61 patients who underwent PD and diagnosed POPF according to the definition of the International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula. We analyzed the association between POPF and various factors, identified POPF risk factors, and evaluated the predictive power of the GPAR on POD3 and the levels of serum and ascites amylase.Of the 61 patients, 21 developed POPF. The color of the pancreatic drain fluid, POD1 serum, POD1 median output of pancreatic drain fluid volume, and GPAR were significantly associated with POPF. The color of the pancreatic drain fluid and high GPAR were independent risk factors. Although serum and ascites amylase did not predict POPF accurately, the cutoff value was 1.24, and GPAR predicted POPF with high sensitivity and specificity.This is the first report demonstrating that high GPAR on POD3 is a risk factor for POPF and showing that GPAR is a more accurate predictor of POPF than the previously reported amylase markers.

Lightning Prediction using Electric Field Measurements Associated with Convective Events at a Tropical Location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jana, S.; Chakraborty, R.; Maitra, A.

2017-12-01

Nowcasting of lightning activities during intense convective events using a single electric field monitor (EFM) has been carried out at a tropical location, Kolkata (22.65oN, 88.45oE). Before and at the onset of heavy lightning, certain changes of electric field (EF) can be related to high liquid water content (LWC) and low cloud base height (CBH). The present study discusses the utility of EF observation to show a few aspects of convective events. Large convective cloud showed by high LWC and low CBH can be detected from EF variation which could be a precursor of upcoming convective events. Suitable values of EF gradient can be used as an indicator of impending lightning events. An EF variation of 0.195 kV/m/min can predict lightning within 17.5 km radius with a probability of detection (POD) of 91% and false alarm rate (FAR) of 8% with a lead time of 45 min. The total number of predicted lightning strikes is nearly 9 times less than that measured by the lightning detector. This prediction technique can, therefore, give an estimate of cloud to ground (CG) and intra cloud (IC) lighting occurrences within the surrounding area. This prediction technique involving POD, FAR and lead time information shows a better prediction capability compared to the techniques reported earlier. Thus an EFM can be effectively used for prediction of lightning events at a tropical location.

Flavoring extracts of Hemidesmus indicus roots and Vanilla planifolia pods exhibit in vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities.

PubMed

Kundu, Anish; Mitra, Adinpunya

2013-09-01

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) are important for treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders. Search for potent and safe AChEIs from plant sources still continues. In the present work, we explored fragrant plant extracts that are traditionally used in flavoring foods, namely, Hemidesmus indicus and Vanilla planifolia, as possible sources for AChEI. Root and pod extracts of H. indicus and V. planifolia, respectively, produce fragrant phenolic compounds, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (MBALD) and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (vanillin). These methoxybenzaldehydes were shown to have inhibitory potential against acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Vanillin (IC50 = 0.037 mM) was detected as more efficient inhibitor than MBALD (IC50 = 0.047 mM). This finding was supported by kinetic analysis. Thus, plant-based food flavoring agents showed capacity in curing Alzheimer's disease and other neurological dysfunctions.

Structure analysis of turbulent liquid phase by POD and LSE techniques

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

Munir, S., E-mail: shahzad-munir@comsats.edu.pk; Muthuvalu, M. S.; Siddiqui, M. I.

2014-10-24

In this paper, vortical structures and turbulence characteristics of liquid phase in both single liquid phase and two-phase slug flow in pipes were studied. Two dimensional velocity vector fields of liquid phase were obtained by Particle image velocimetry (PIV). Two cases were considered one single phase liquid flow at 80 l/m and second slug flow by introducing gas at 60 l/m while keeping liquid flow rate same. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and Linear stochastic estimation techniques were used for the extraction of coherent structures and analysis of turbulence in liquid phase for both cases. POD has successfully revealed large energymore » containing structures. The time dependent POD spatial mode coefficients oscillate with high frequency for high mode numbers. The energy distribution of spatial modes was also achieved. LSE has pointed out the coherent structured for both cases and the reconstructed velocity fields are in well agreement with the instantaneous velocity fields.« less

Persistent organic pollutants and stable isotopes in biopsy samples (2004/2006) from Southern Resident killer whales.

PubMed

Krahn, Margaret M; Hanson, M Bradley; Baird, Robin W; Boyer, Richard H; Burrows, Douglas G; Emmons, Candice K; Ford, John K B; Jones, Linda L; Noren, Dawn P; Ross, Peter S; Schorr, Gregory S; Collier, Tracy K

2007-12-01

"Southern Resident" killer whales include three "pods" (J, K and L) that reside primarily in Puget Sound/Georgia Basin during the spring, summer and fall. This population was listed as "endangered" in the US and Canada following a 20% decline between 1996 and 2001. The current study, using blubber/epidermis biopsy samples, contributes contemporary information about potential factors (i.e., levels of pollutants or changes in diet) that could adversely affect Southern Residents. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes indicated J- and L-pod consumed prey from similar trophic levels in 2004/2006 and also showed no evidence for a large shift in the trophic level of prey consumed by L-pod between 1996 and 2004/2006. Sigma PCBs decreased for Southern Residents biopsied in 2004/2006 compared to 1993-1995. Surprisingly, however, a three-year-old male whale (J39) had the highest concentrations of Sigma PBDEs, Sigma HCHs and HCB. POP ratio differences between J- and L-pod suggested that they occupy different ranges in winter.

[The peroxidase content of human tears].

PubMed

Buchberger, W; Rieger, G

1989-01-01

The peroxidase-(POD)-thiocyanate-hydrogenperoxide-system is a well-known antibacterial system, which has been demonstrated to exist, for example, in milk and saliva. Earlier investigations by van Haeringen et al. established a POD level in human tears of 10(3) units/l, yet the thiocyanate concentration was only about 0.2 mmol/l. Therefore van Haeringen et al. excluded the existence of a POD-thiocyanate-hydrogenperoxide antibacterial system in human tears because of the insufficient amount of thiocyanate in the tears examined. Instead of thiocyanate halides such as J- can also complete the POD hydrogen peroxide system as electron donors. Sufficient amounts of iodide can be expected after the application of iodine-containing eye drops or after local treatment with iodine-containing brine, as done in Bad Hall in Austria. Therefore, the above mentioned antibacterial system may be of importance if the POD-level is high enough (greater than 250 units/l). We investigated 22 tear samples from healthy persons: the POD levels were below 20 units/l in 19 cases; in 3 cases the POD concentration was found to be between 20 and 50 units/l. Therefore, in normal human tear fluid, not only the amount of thiocyanate but also the concentration of POD is too low for effective antimicrobial activity of the peroxidase-thiocyanate-hydrogenperoxide system. It is so far not known whether this system is effective under pathological conditions.

Protection efficiency of a standard compliant EUV reticle handling solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Long; Lystad, John; Wurm, Stefan; Orvek, Kevin; Sohn, Jaewoong; Ma, Andy; Kearney, Patrick; Kolbow, Steve; Halbmaier, David

2009-03-01

For successful implementation of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) technology for late cycle insertion at 32 nm half-pitch (hp) and full introduction for 22 nm hp high volume production, the mask development infrastructure must be in place by 2010. The central element of the mask infrastructure is contamination-free reticle handling and protection. Today, the industry has already developed and balloted an EUV pod standard for shipping, transporting, transferring, and storing EUV masks. We have previously demonstrated that the EUV pod reticle handling method represents the best approach in meeting EUVL high volume production requirements, based on then state-of-the-art inspection capability at ~53nm polystyrene latex (PSL) equivalent sensitivity. In this paper, we will present our latest data to show defect-free reticle handling is achievable down to 40 nm particle sizes, using the same EUV pod carriers as in the previous study and the recently established world's most advanced defect inspection capability of ~40 nm SiO2 equivalent sensitivity. The EUV pod is a worthy solution to meet EUVL pilot line and pre-production exposure tool development requirements. We will also discuss the technical challenges facing the industry in refining the EUV pod solution to meet 22 nm hp EUVL production requirements and beyond.

Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Patients Undergoing Hip Fracture Surgery in the Sugammadex Era: A Retrospective Study

PubMed Central

Oh, Chung-Sik; Rhee, Ka Young; Yoon, Tae-Gyoon; Woo, Nam-Sik; Hong, Seung Wan; Kim, Seong-Hyop

2016-01-01

Background. Residual neuromuscular block (NMB) after general anesthesia has been associated with pulmonary dysfunction and hypoxia, which are both associated with postoperative delirium (POD). We evaluated the effects of sugammadex on POD in elderly patients who underwent hip fracture surgery. Methods. Medical records of 174 consecutive patients who underwent hip fracture surgery with general anesthesia were reviewed retrospectively to compare the perioperative incidence of POD, pulmonary complications, time to extubation, incidence of hypoxia, and laboratory findings between patients treated with sugammadex and those treated with a conventional cholinesterase inhibitor. Results. The incidence of POD was not significantly different between the two groups (33.3% versus 36.5%, resp.; P = 0.750). Postoperative pulmonary complications and laboratory findings did not showed significant intergroup difference. However, time to extubation (6 ± 3 versus 8 ± 3 min; P < 0.001) and the frequency of postoperative hypoxia were significantly lower (23% versus 43%; P = 0.010) in the sugammadex group than in the conventional cholinesterase inhibitor group. Conclusion. Sugammadex did not reduce POD or pulmonary complications compared to conventional cholinesterase inhibitors, despite reducing time to extubation and postoperative hypoxia in elderly patients who underwent hip fracture surgery under general anesthesia. PMID:26998480

Characterisation of chlorophyll oxidation mediated by peroxidative activity in olives (Olea europaea L.) cv. Hojiblanca.

PubMed

Vergara-Domínguez, Honorio; Roca, María; Gandul-Rojas, Beatriz

2013-08-15

The oxidation of chlorophyll a (chl a) catalysed by peroxidase (POD) from mesocarp of the olive fruit (Olea europaea L., cv Hojiblanca) in the presence of H2O2 and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), is characterised via the individualised quantification of the products of the enzymatic reaction using a new methodology of HPLC-UV spectrometry. This innovation has allowed the discovery that, in addition to 13(2) OH chl a and 15(1) OH lactone chl a, which are the first products of POD on chl a, the reaction process sequentially creates another series of oxidised chlorophyll derivatives which have not been previously described. Their origins have been linked to POD activity in the presence of 2,4-DCP. Likewise, a study of the effect of the concentration of the various cosubstrates on the POD reaction rate demonstrated that the correct establishment of the relative concentrations of the same ([H2O2]/[2,4-DCP]/[Chl]=1:3:0.02) is crucial to explaining inhibition effects by substrates and carrying out optimum measurements. Therefore, new essential parameters for the determination of POD activity on a chlorophyll substrate are established. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

78 FR 41361 - Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Interstate Movement of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-10

..., jackfruit, fresh pods of cowpea and its relatives, dragon fruit, mangosteen, moringa pods, and melon must..., moringa pods, and melon in Hawaii. Estimated annual number of respondents: 110. Estimated annual number of...

Effects of Aluminum Stress on Protective Enzyme Activity in Tie Guanyin leaves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, JingWei; Du, NaiChen; Zhang, YunFeng

2018-01-01

The experiment was adopted to study the change of SOD, CAT and POD activity of Tie guanyin (new leaf and old leaf blade of different concentrations of aluminum stress; in this paper, 0 (CK), 40, 200, four gradients of 400mg/L concentration of Al3+ in acidic conditions, Tieguanyin tea leaf SOD, cat and POD activity changes. The results showed that high concentrations of aluminum stress on antioxidant enzyme system activity cannot continue to increase; at the same time showed that SOD is sensitive to aluminum toxicity concentration change, its sensitivity is higher than CAT and POD, SOD and CAT activity and the aging and decline of plant There was a positive correlation.

Pain and convalescence following laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.

PubMed

Eriksen, Jens Ravn

2011-12-01

Severe pain is usual after laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR). Mesh fixation with titanium tacks may play a key role in the development of acute and chronic pain and alternative fixation methods should therefore be investigated. This PhD thesis was based on three studies and aimed too: 1) assess the intensity and impact of postoperative pain by detailed patient-reported description of pain and convalescence after LVHR (Study I), 2) evaluate the feasibility of fibrin sealant (FS) for mesh fixation in an experimental pig model (Study II), and 3) investigate FS vs. tacks for mesh fixation in LVHR in a randomised, double-blinded, clinical controlled study with acute postoperative pain as the primary outcome (Study III). In Study I - a prospective descriptive study - 35 patients were prospectively included and underwent LVHR. Scores of pain, quality of life, convalescence, fatigue, and general well-being were obtained from each patient. Follow-up was six months. Average pain from postoperative day (POD) 0-2 and POD 0-6 measured on a 0-100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS) was 61 and 48, respectively. Pain scores reached preoperative values at POD 30. The incidence of severe chronic pain was 7%. No parameter predicted postoperative pain significantly. Significant correlations were found between pain, and general well-being (rS= -0.8, p < 0.001), satisfaction (rS= -0.67, p < quality of life score (rS= -0.63, p < 0.001) six months postoperatively. Patients resumed normal daily activity at POD 14. In Study II - a randomised experimental study in pigs - nine pigs were operated laparoscopically with insertion of two different meshes fixed with either FS or tacks. All pigs were euthanized on POD 30. The primary outcome parameter was strength of ingrowth between the mesh and the anterior abdominal wall. A mechanical peel test was performed for each tissue sample. The secondary outcome parameters were grade and strength of adhesions to the mesh, shrinkage and displacement/folding of the mesh and histological parameters. All nine pigs survived without complications until sacrifice. No meshes were displaced from their initial position at autopsy, but in two cases mesh folding was observed. No significant difference in strength of ingrowth was found between different fixation methods or mesh types. Furthermore, no significant difference was found in grade or strength of adhesions or any histological parameters. In Study III - a randomised, controlled, double-blinded, multicenter trial - 40 patients with umbilical hernia defects between 1.5-5 cm, were randomly assigned to receive FS or titanium tacks for mesh fixation in LVHR. Patients, care givers and those assessing the outcomes were blinded to group assignment. The primary outcome was average pain from POD 0-2 (VAS score). Secondary outcome parameters were fatigue, general well-being and time to resume normal daily activity. Follow-up was one month for all. Patients in the FS group reported significantly less pain at POD 0-2 (median VAS 38 (range 6-98) vs. 60 (18-96), p = 0.01). Absolute VAS score difference between groups was 20 mm (95% CI 4-35 mm) at activity, and 19 mm (95% CI 3-34 mm) at rest. Patients in the FS group reported significantly less discomfort from POD 0-2 and POD 0-10, compared with the tack group. No significant difference was found in fatigue score between groups. No significant difference in hospital stay, hernia diameter, or morphine consumption in the post anesthesia care unit was found between groups. Patients in the FS group resumed normal daily activity at POD 7 (1-66) versus POD 18 (1-95) in the tack group (p = 0.03). No recurrences were observed. No adverse events or side effects were observed. No significant differences in predefined complications were found between groups. In conclusion, pain is a significant clinical problem after LVHR with impact on general well-being, quality of life and patient satisfaction. This issue must have first priority in future ventral hernia repair research. It is now documented, that the simple application of fibrin glue instead of titanium tacks for mesh fixation in LVHR of defects < 5 cm significantly reduced acute pain, discomfort and the period of convalescence. Long-term follow-up will show the value of FS fixation in terms of chronic pain and recurrence. As FS potentially may solve many of the outcome problems associated with LVHR, future studies should include larger hernia defects including large incisional hernias, as the operative technique may be different.

Comparing and improving proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) to reduce the complexity of groundwater models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gosses, Moritz; Nowak, Wolfgang; Wöhling, Thomas

2017-04-01

Physically-based modeling is a wide-spread tool in understanding and management of natural systems. With the high complexity of many such models and the huge amount of model runs necessary for parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis, overall run times can be prohibitively long even on modern computer systems. An encouraging strategy to tackle this problem are model reduction methods. In this contribution, we compare different proper orthogonal decomposition (POD, Siade et al. (2010)) methods and their potential applications to groundwater models. The POD method performs a singular value decomposition on system states as simulated by the complex (e.g., PDE-based) groundwater model taken at several time-steps, so-called snapshots. The singular vectors with the highest information content resulting from this decomposition are then used as a basis for projection of the system of model equations onto a subspace of much lower dimensionality than the original complex model, thereby greatly reducing complexity and accelerating run times. In its original form, this method is only applicable to linear problems. Many real-world groundwater models are non-linear, tough. These non-linearities are introduced either through model structure (unconfined aquifers) or boundary conditions (certain Cauchy boundaries, like rivers with variable connection to the groundwater table). To date, applications of POD focused on groundwater models simulating pumping tests in confined aquifers with constant head boundaries. In contrast, POD model reduction either greatly looses accuracy or does not significantly reduce model run time if the above-mentioned non-linearities are introduced. We have also found that variable Dirichlet boundaries are problematic for POD model reduction. An extension to the POD method, called POD-DEIM, has been developed for non-linear groundwater models by Stanko et al. (2016). This method uses spatial interpolation points to build the equation system in the reduced model space, thereby allowing the recalculation of system matrices at every time-step necessary for non-linear models while retaining the speed of the reduced model. This makes POD-DEIM applicable for groundwater models simulating unconfined aquifers. However, in our analysis, the method struggled to reproduce variable river boundaries accurately and gave no advantage for variable Dirichlet boundaries compared to the original POD method. We have developed another extension for POD that targets to address these remaining problems by performing a second POD operation on the model matrix on the left-hand side of the equation. The method aims to at least reproduce the accuracy of the other methods where they are applicable while outperforming them for setups with changing river boundaries or variable Dirichlet boundaries. We compared the new extension with original POD and POD-DEIM for different combinations of model structures and boundary conditions. The new method shows the potential of POD extensions for applications to non-linear groundwater systems and complex boundary conditions that go beyond the current, relatively limited range of applications. References: Siade, A. J., Putti, M., and Yeh, W. W.-G. (2010). Snapshot selection for groundwater model reduction using proper orthogonal decomposition. Water Resour. Res., 46(8):W08539. Stanko, Z. P., Boyce, S. E., and Yeh, W. W.-G. (2016). Nonlinear model reduction of unconfined groundwater flow using pod and deim. Advances in Water Resources, 97:130 - 143.

Postoperative dysesthesia in minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: a report of five cases.

PubMed

Wang, Honggang; Zhou, Yue; Zhang, Zhengfeng

2016-05-01

Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (misTLIF) can potentially lead to dorsal root ganglion (DRG) injury which may cause postoperative dysesthesia (POD). The purpose of retrospective study was to describe the uncommon complication of POD in misTLIF. Between January 2010 and December 2014, 539 patients were treated with misTLIF in investigator group. POD was defined as dysesthetic pain or burning dysesthesia at a proper DRG innervated region, whether spontaneous or evoked. Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, central non-opioid analgesic agent, neuropathic pain drugs and/or intervertebral foramen block were selectively used to treat POD. There were five cases of POD (5/539, 0.9 %), which consisted of one patient in recurrent lumbar disc herniation (1/36, 3 %), one patient in far lateral lumbar disc herniation (1/34, 3 %), and 3 patients in lumbar spondylolisthesis (3/201, 1 %). Two DRG injury cases were confirmed by revision surgery. After the treatment by drugs administration plus DRG block, all patients presented pain relief with duration from 22 to 50 days. A gradual pain moving to distal end of a proper DRG innervated region was found as the beginning of end. Although POD is a unique and rare complication and maybe misdiagnosed as nerve root injury in misTLIF, combination drug therapy and DRG block have an effective result of pain relief. The appearance of a gradual pain moving to distal end of a proper DRG innervated region during recovery may be used as a sign for the good prognosis.

Validation of air displacement plethysmography for assessing body composition.

PubMed

Wagner, D R; Heyward, V H; Gibson, A L

2000-07-01

The purpose of this study was to verify the validity of an air displacement plethysmography device (Bod Pod) for estimating body density (Db). The Db from the Bod Pod (DbBP) was compared with the Db from hydrostatic weighing (DbHW) at residual lung volume in a heterogeneous sample of 30 black men who varied in age (32.0 +/- 7.7 yr), height (180.3 +/- 7.5 cm), body mass (84.2 +/- 15.0 kg), body fatness (16.1 +/- 7.5%), and self-reported physical activity level and socioeconomic status. The Db for each method was converted to relative body fat (%BF) using race-specific conversion formulas and subsequently compared with %BF obtained from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (%BFDXA). Linear regression, using DbHW as the dependent variable and DbBP as the predictor, produced an R2 = 0.84 and SEE = 0.00721 g x cc(-1). However, the mean difference between the two methods (0.00450 +/- 0.00718 g x cc(-1) was significant (P < 0.01). The Bod Pod underestimated the Db of 73% of the sample. The %BF estimates from the Bod Pod, HW, and DXA differed significantly (P < 0.01). The average %BFBP (17.7 +/- 7.4%) was significantly greater than %BFHW (15.8 +/- 7.5%) and %BFDXA (16.1 +/- 7.5%); however, there was no significant difference between %BFHW and %BFDXA. The Bod Pod significantly and systematically underestimated Db, resulting in an overestimation of %BF. More cross-validation research is needed before recommending the Bod Pod as a reference method.

Reliability of BOD POD Measurements Remains High After a Short-Duration Low-Carbohydrate Diet.

PubMed

Greer, Beau Kjerulf; Edsall, Kathleen M; Greer, Anna E

2016-04-01

The purpose of the current study was to determine whether expected changes in body weight via a 3-day low-carbohydrate (LC) diet will disrupt the reliability of air displacement plethysmography measurements via BOD POD. Twenty-four subjects recorded their typical diets for 3 days before BOD POD and 7-site skinfold analyses. Subjects were matched for lean body mass and divided into low-CHO (LC) and control (CON) groups. The LC group was given instruction intended to prevent more than 50 grams/day of carbohydrate consumption for 3 consecutive days, and the CON group replicated their previously recorded diet. Body composition measurements were repeated after dietary intervention. Test-retest reliability measures were significant (p < .01) and high for body fat percentage in both the LC and the CON groups (rs = .993 and .965, respectively). Likewise, skinfold analysis for body fat percentage reliability was high in both groups (rs = .996 and .997, respectively). There were significant differences between 1st and 2nd BOD POD measurements for body mass (72.9 ± 13.3 vs. 72.1 ± 13.0 kg [M ± SD]) and body volume (69.0 ± 12.7-68.1 ± 12.2 L) in the LC group (p < .05). However, there were no differences (p > .05) in BOD POD-determined body fat percentage, lean body mass, or fat mass between the 1st and 2nd trial in either group. Body composition measures via BOD POD and 7-site skinfolds remain reliable after 3 days of an LC diet despite significant decreases in body mass.

Landing instrument packages on regolith in micro gravity: point designs for passive, self-righting landers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Movshovitz, N.; Asphaug, E. I.

2012-12-01

A small asteroid is likely to be the target of the next human exploration mission. Undoubtedly, a robotic mission will precede, whose main objective will be to characterize the target; this would have to include deployment of sensory instruments on the surface. The surface properties of small bodies are largely unknown, and this makes it essential to have detailed models for package deployment. We evaluate low cost, low risk, lander designs by considering 'pods' that have no moving parts, no guidance or thrust, that are designed to be thrown to the surface from the orbiting spacecraft. The design goal is to "encourage" the pods to land upright regardless of surface properties. With no need for guidance or articulation, these pods can be made and deployed to the surface at low cost and low risk. The challenge, of course, is to design the pods to land right-side-up, consistently, in a low gravity environment. In such an environment a body may experience cohesive forces comparable to its weight. These forces will effectively modify the physical parameters controlling a mechanical system, primarily the coefficients of friction and restitution. To make things worse, gravity will not always be pointing "down", as the presence of mass concentrations will tilt the gravity acceleration vector in unpredictable directions. We consider three point designs: (1) a weighted ellipsoidal shape, the bottom several times as dense as the top, analogous to the children's toy; (2) a pod with one side elastic and the other side inelastic; and (3) a combination of both weight distribution and material properties. We have used a discrete element model based on NVIDIA's PhysX library to design a simulation software suitable for modeling astrophysical rubble (Movshovitz, Asphaug and Korycansky, submitted). We then deploy different pod designs onto a numerical regolith testbed. Initial studies are very promising, although to date we have not included forces such as cohesion, and the effect of much smaller grain sizes than can be resolved in our simulations. We study the effect of bulk density, the velocity of deployment, and the effects of a tumbling or spinning deployment to the comet or asteroid surface. We are able to model the utility of internal actuators (vibrators, thumpers) that can rearrange or pods on the surface, or serve to embed them into a bed of loose soil. The size of the pods we are studying is ~30 cm average diameter. The key variables are shape, density distribution, and elastic properties, modeled by a coefficient of restitution. Our models benefit from asynchronous, parallel execution of the gravity module on a GPU, while the rigid-body dynamics module executes on a multi-threaded CPU for maximum performance.

Germination and field survival of white-topped pitcher plant seeds

Treesearch

Kristina Connor; Hilliard Gibbs

2012-01-01

A study was initiated to determine longevity of white-topped pitcher plant (Sarracenia leucophylla, Raf.) seeds in the field and in cold storage. Thirty seed pods were harvested in August 2009 from plants located in Alabama 38 miles from the Gulf Coast. Of the 10,000+ seeds extracted from the pods, some were buried outside in screen-wire bags and...

Effectiveness of Video Modeling to Teach "iPod" Use to Students with Moderate Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammond, Diana L.; Whatley, Abigail D.; Ayres, Kevin M.; Gast, David L.

2010-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effects of video modeling delivered via computer on accurate and independent use of an iPod by three participants with moderate intellectual disabilities. In the context of combined multiple probes across participants and replicated across tasks, three female middle school students learned to…

Expectations and Challenges: The Implementation of Mobile Devices in a Scottish Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornelius, Sarah; Shanks, Rachel

2017-01-01

This article provides a case study of the implementation of iPod Touches on a one-to-one basis in a Scottish primary school. It focuses on teachers' expectations for the project and the realisation (or otherwise) of these expectations. Findings suggest that the iPods offered opportunities for resource provision, interactive learning and extension…

Teaching Functional Use of an iPod-Based Speech-Generating Device to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Meer, Larah; Kagohara, Debora; Achmadi, Donna; Green, Vanessa A.; Herrington, Christina; Sigafoos, Jeff; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Lancioni, Giulio E.; Lang, Russell; Rispoli, Mandy

2011-01-01

Anecdotal reports suggest that individuals with developmental disabilities who lack speech may be enabled to communicate through the use of a new iPod-based communication device. However, there appear to be limited empirical data demonstrating successful use of this new device by such individuals. This study was designed to provide empirical…

Identification of QTL controlling domestication-related traits in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp).

PubMed

Lo, Sassoum; Muñoz-Amatriaín, María; Boukar, Ousmane; Herniter, Ira; Cisse, Ndiaga; Guo, Yi-Ning; Roberts, Philip A; Xu, Shizhong; Fatokun, Christian; Close, Timothy J

2018-04-19

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is a warm-season legume with a genetically diverse gene-pool composed of wild and cultivated forms. Cowpea domestication involved considerable phenotypic changes from the wild progenitor, including reduction of pod shattering, increased organ size, and changes in flowering time. Little is known about the genetic basis underlying these changes. In this study, 215 recombinant inbred lines derived from a cross between a cultivated and a wild cowpea accession were used to evaluate nine domestication-related traits (pod shattering, peduncle length, flower color, days to flowering, 100-seed weight, pod length, leaf length, leaf width and seed number per pod). A high-density genetic map containing 17,739 single nucleotide polymorphisms was constructed and used to identify 16 quantitative trait loci (QTL) for these nine traits. Based on annotations of the cowpea reference genome, genes within these regions are reported. Four regions with clusters of QTL were identified, including one on chromosome 8 related to increased organ size. This study provides new knowledge of the genomic regions controlling domestication-related traits in cowpea as well as candidate genes underlying those QTL. This information can help to exploit wild relatives in cowpea breeding programs.

Genetic variability and heritability on Kipas Putih soybean mutant lines using gamma rays irradiation (M3 generation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nilahayati; Rosmayati; Hanafiah, D. S.; Harahap, F.

2018-02-01

The objective of the research was to determine the selection criteria in Kipas Putih Soybean with gamma rays irradiation in M3 generation. In this study there are four populations namely population 0 Gray (control), 100 Gray, 200 Gray and 300 Gray. The results showed that high genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) was obtained on the number of pods and seed weight per plant in population 200 Gy, number of branches on 100 Gy and 300 Gy, number of pods and seed weight per plants 100 and 200 Gy, moderate GCV in number of branches on 100 and 300 Gy while other characters such as plant height, numbers of branches on 200 Gy, flowering and harvest age have narrow GCV criteria. High heritability values are found in 300 Gy on plant height, number of branches 300 Gy, number of pods and seed weight per plant 200 Gy, days to flower 200 Gy and 300 Gy and days to harvest of all doses. Based on the genetic variabiliy and heritability, characters that can be used as selection criteria in this study is number of pods and seeds weight per plant, days to flower and days to harvest.

75 FR 31785 - Pesticide Products; Registration Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-04

... 5.96%. Propose uses: Barley, corn, dried shelled peas and beans, edible podded legumes vegetables... peas and beans, edible podded legume vegetables, oat, peanut, rye, sorghum, soybean, sunflower, wheat..., edible podded legume vegetables, oat, peanut, rye, sorghum, soybean, sunflower, wheat, and triticale seed...

Dermal Wound Transcriptomic Responses to Infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa versus Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Rabbit Ear Wound Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-02

harvested on POD4 for microarray and transcriptome analysis. Other wounds received topical antibiotic after infection for 24 hours to promote biofilm ...cell toxicity in response to a more damaging P.a. inflammatory milieu. The POD6 wounds were colonized with biofilm but expressed magnitudes fewer...infection for 24 hours to promote biofilm development, and were harvested on POD6 or POD12. Results: Wounds infected for 24 hours, relative to uninfected

Reconstruction of Acoustic Exposure on Orcas in Haro Strait

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) (J pod).1 The class shadowed the J pod from their boat, recording its behavior, the GPS loca- tion of the...one of the resident pods of orcas, raising the question of the sonar’s impact on them. Due to two coincidental activities, this question can be...addressed in detail. Coinciding with Shoup’s transit, a marine mammal class from Friday Harbor Labs led by Dr. David Bain was observing a pod of Southern

Supporting the Copernicus POD Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peter, Heike; Springer, Tim; Otten, Michiel; Fernandez, Jaime; Escobar, Diego; Femenias, Pierre

2015-12-01

The Copernicus POD (Precise Orbit Determination) Service is part of the Copernicus PDGS (Payload Data Ground Segment) of the Sentinel missions. A GMV-led consortium is operating the Copernicus POD Service being in charge of generating precise orbital products and auxiliary data files for their use as part of the processing chains of the respective Sentinel PDGS. As part of the consortium PosiTim is responsible for implementing and testing software and model updates thoroughly before integrating them in the operational chain of the Copernicus POD Service. The NAPEOS (Navigation Package for Earth Observation Satellites) software is used for the generation of the orbit products within the Copernicus POD Service. The test procedures and results obtained for a recent software and model update to IERS 2010 Conventions are presented. It has been tested as well that the arc length of 72 hours for the non-time critical (NTC) orbit solutions might be shorten to 48 hours without losing accuracy. Orbit comparisons to external solutions help to validate the different orbit solutions. GPS antenna phase centre variations (PCVs) are one of the largest systematic error sources in POD. Since the satellite body may cause signal multipath a ground calibration of the GPS antenna without taking into account the satellite body might not be sufficient to quantify the PCVs. The PCVs are therefore obtained by an in-flight calibration. A first map for the PCVs determined from a limited amount of data at the beginning of the mission has shown significant multipath signals in parts of the antenna for code and carrier phase measurements. Since the satellite has moving parts it has been checked carefully if these multipath regions are moving as well or if they are antenna-fixed. Normally the correction maps are only applied for the carrier phase measurements. Since significant multipath has been spotted for the code measurements as well investigations are performed to study the impact of additionally applying code correction maps in the POD process.

The degree of local inflammatory response after colonic resection depends on the surgical approach: an observational study in 61 patients.

PubMed

Glatz, Torben; Lederer, Ann-Kathrin; Kulemann, Birte; Seifert, Gabriel; Holzner, Philipp Anton; Hopt, Ulrich Theodor; Hoeppner, Jens; Marjanovic, Goran

2015-10-06

Clinical data indicate that laparoscopic surgery reduces postoperative inflammatory response and benefits patient recovery. Little is known about the mechanisms involved in reduced systemic and local inflammation and the contribution of reduced trauma to the abdominal wall and the parietal peritoneum. Included were 61 patients, who underwent elective colorectal resection without intraabdominal complications; 17 received a completely laparoscopic, 13 a laparoscopically- assisted procedure and 31 open surgery. Local inflammatory response was quantified by measurement of intraperitoneal leukocytes and IL-6 levels during the first 4 days after surgery. There was no statistical difference between the groups in systemic inflammatory parameters and intraperitoneal leukocytes. Intraperitoneal interleukin-6 was significantly lower in the laparoscopic group than in the laparoscopically-assisted and open group on postoperative day 1 (26.16 versus 43.25 versus 40.83 ng/ml; p = 0.001). No difference between the groups was recorded on POD 2-4. Intraperitoneal interleukin-6 showed a correlation with duration of hospital stay on POD 1 (0.233, p = 0.036), but not on POD 2-4. Patients who developed a surgical wound infection showed higher levels of intraperitoneal interleukin-6 on postoperative day 2-4 (POD 2: 42.56 versus 30.02 ng/ml, p = 0.03), POD 3: 36.52 versus 23.62 ng/ml, p = 0.06 and POD 4: 34.43 versus 19.99 ng/ml, p = 0.046). Extraabdominal infections had no impact. The analysis shows an attenuated intraperitoneal inflammatory response on POD 1 in completely laparoscopically-operated patients, associated with a quicker recovery. This effect cannot be observed in patients, who underwent a laparoscopically-assisted or open procedure. Factors inflicting additional trauma to the abdominal wall and parietal peritoneum promote the intraperitoneal inflammation process.

Prominent Optic Disc Featured in Inherited Retinopathy.

PubMed

Todorova, M G; Bojinova, R I; Valmaggia, C; Schorderet, D F

2017-04-01

Background We investigated the relationship between prominent optic disc (POD) and inherited retinal dystrophy (IRD). Patients and Methods A cross-sectional consecutive study was performed in 10 children and 11 adults of 7 non-related families. We performed clinical phenotyping, including a detailed examination, fundus autofluorescence, and colour fundus and OCT imaging. Genetic testing was subsequently performed for all family members presenting retinal pathology. Results In 4 members of a 3-generation family, hyperfluorescent deposits on the surface of POD were related to a p.(L224M) heterozygous mutation in BEST1 . In the second family, one member presented deposits located on the surface on hyperaemic OD and a compound p.(R141H);(A195V) mutation in BEST1 . In the third family, POD was observed in father and child with early onset cone-rod dystrophy and a novel autosomal recessive p.(W31*) homozygous mutation in ABCA4 . In the fourth family, POD with "mulberry-like" deposits and attenuated vessels were observed in a 7-year old girl, with a mutation in USH1A , and with early onset rod-cone dystrophy, associated with hearing loss. In the fifth family, blurry OD with tortuous vessels was observed in 4 consanguineous female carriers and a hemizygous boy with a p.(R200H) mutation in the X-linked retinoschisis RS1 . In the sixth family, a mother and her son were both affected with POD and attenuated peripapillary vessels, and presented with a p.(Y836C) heterozygous mutation in TOPORS , thus confirming autosomal dominant RP. In the seventh family, in 3 family members with POD, compound p.(L541P;A1038 V);(G1961E) mutations in ABCA4 confirmed the diagnosis of Stargardt disease. Conclusions A variety of OD findings are found in a genetically heterogeneous group of IRDs. In the presence of POD, an inherited progressive photoreceptor disease should be ruled out. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Comparing distinct ground-based lightning location networks covering the Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vos, Lotte; Leijnse, Hidde; Schmeits, Maurice; Beekhuis, Hans; Poelman, Dieter; Evers, Läslo; Smets, Pieter

2015-04-01

Lightning can be detected using a ground-based sensor network. The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) monitors lightning activity in the Netherlands with the so-called FLITS-system; a network combining SAFIR-type sensors. This makes use of Very High Frequency (VHF) as well as Low Frequency (LF) sensors. KNMI has recently decided to replace FLITS by data from a sub-continental network operated by Météorage which makes use of LF sensors only (KNMI Lightning Detection Network, or KLDN). KLDN is compared to the FLITS system, as well as Met Office's long-range Arrival Time Difference (ATDnet), which measures Very Low Frequency (VLF). Special focus lies on the ability to detect Cloud to Ground (CG) and Cloud to Cloud (CC) lightning in the Netherlands. Relative detection efficiency of individual flashes and lightning activity in a more general sense are calculated over a period of almost 5 years. Additionally, the detection efficiency of each system is compared to a ground-truth that is constructed from flashes that are detected by both of the other datasets. Finally, infrasound data is used as a fourth lightning data source for several case studies. Relative performance is found to vary strongly with location and time. As expected, it is found that FLITS detects significantly more CC lightning (because of the strong aptitude of VHF antennas to detect CC), though KLDN and ATDnet detect more CG lightning. We analyze statistics computed over the entire 5-year period, where we look at CG as well as total lightning (CC and CG combined). Statistics that are considered are the Probability of Detection (POD) and the so-called Lightning Activity Detection (LAD). POD is defined as the percentage of reference flashes the system detects compared to the total detections in the reference. LAD is defined as the fraction of system recordings of one or more flashes in predefined area boxes over a certain time period given the fact that the reference detects at least one flash, compared to the total recordings in the reference dataset. The reference for these statistics is taken to be either another dataset, or a dataset consisting of flashes detected by two datasets. Extreme thunderstorm case evaluation shows that the weather alert criterion for severe thunderstorm is reached by FLITS when this is not the case in KLDN and ATD, suggesting the need for KNMI to modify that weather alert criterion when using KLDN.

Using paired visual and passive acoustic surveys to estimate passive acoustic detection parameters for harbor porpoise abundance estimates.

PubMed

Jacobson, Eiren K; Forney, Karin A; Barlow, Jay

2017-01-01

Passive acoustic monitoring is a promising approach for monitoring long-term trends in harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) abundance. Before passive acoustic monitoring can be implemented to estimate harbor porpoise abundance, information about the detectability of harbor porpoise is needed to convert recorded numbers of echolocation clicks to harbor porpoise densities. In the present study, paired data from a grid of nine passive acoustic click detectors (C-PODs, Chelonia Ltd., United Kingdom) and three days of simultaneous aerial line-transect visual surveys were collected over a 370 km 2 study area. The focus of the study was estimating the effective detection area of the passive acoustic sensors, which was defined as the product of the sound production rate of individual animals and the area within which those sounds are detected by the passive acoustic sensors. Visually estimated porpoise densities were used as informative priors in a Bayesian model to solve for the effective detection area for individual harbor porpoises. This model-based approach resulted in a posterior distribution of the effective detection area of individual harbor porpoises consistent with previously published values. This technique is a viable alternative for estimating the effective detection area of passive acoustic sensors when other experimental approaches are not feasible.

Molecular Diversity Analysis and Genetic Mapping of Pod Shatter Resistance Loci in Brassica carinata L.

PubMed Central

Raman, Rosy; Qiu, Yu; Coombes, Neil; Song, Jie; Kilian, Andrzej; Raman, Harsh

2017-01-01

Seed lost due to easy pod dehiscence at maturity (pod shatter) is a major problem in several members of Brassicaceae family. We investigated the level of pod shatter resistance in Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata) and identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) for targeted introgression of this trait in Ethiopian mustard and its close relatives of the genus Brassica. A set of 83 accessions of B. carinata, collected from the Australian Grains Genebank, was evaluated for pod shatter resistance based on pod rupture energy (RE). In comparison to B. napus (RE = 2.16 mJ), B. carinata accessions had higher RE values (2.53 to 20.82 mJ). A genetic linkage map of an F2 population from two contrasting B. carinata selections, BC73526 (shatter resistant with high RE) and BC73524 (shatter prone with low RE) comprising 300 individuals, was constructed using a set of 6,464 high quality DArTseq markers and subsequently used for QTL analysis. Genetic analysis of the F2 and F2:3 derived lines revealed five statistically significant QTL (LOD ≥ 3) that are linked with pod shatter resistance on chromosomes B1, B3, B8, and C5. Herein, we report for the first time, identification of genetic loci associated with pod shatter resistance in B. carinata. These characterized accessions would be useful in Brassica breeding programs for introgression of pod shatter resistance alleles in to elite breeding lines. Molecular markers would assist marker-assisted selection for tracing the introgression of resistant alleles. Our results suggest that the value of the germplasm collections can be harnessed through genetic and genomics tools. PMID:29250080

Seasonal and pod-specific differences in core use areas by resident killer whales in the Northern Gulf of Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olsen, Daniel W.; Matkin, Craig O.; Andrews, Russel D.; Atkinson, Shannon

2018-01-01

The resident killer whale is a genetically and behaviorally distinct ecotype of killer whale (Orcinus orca) found in the North Pacific that feeds primarily on Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp .). Details regarding core use areas have been inferred by boat surveys, but are subject to effort bias and weather limitations. To investigate core use areas, 37 satellite tags were deployed from 2006 to 2014 on resident killer whales representing 12 pods in the Northern Gulf of Alaska, and transmissions were received during the months of June to January. Core use areas were identified through utilization distributions using a biased Brownian Bridge movement model. Distinct differences in these core use areas were revealed, and were highly specific to season and pod. In June, July, and August, the waters of Hinchinbrook Entrance and west of Kayak Island were primary areas used, mainly by 3 separate pods. These same pods shifted their focus to Montague Strait in August, September, and October. Port Gravina was a focal area for 2 other pods in June, July, and August, but this was not the case in later months. These pods were responsible for seven of eight documented trips into the deeper fjords of Prince William Sound, yet these fjords were not a focus for most groups of killer whales. The seasonal differences in core use may be a response to the seasonal returns of salmon, though details on specific migration routes and timing for the salmon are limited. We found strong seasonal and pod-specific shifts in patterns between core use areas. Future research should investigate pod differences in diet composition and relationships between core area use and bathymetry.

Orbital maneuvering subsystem functional path analysis for performance monitoring fault detection and annunciation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keesler, E. L.

1974-01-01

The functional paths of the Orbital Maneuver Subsystem (OMS) is defined. The operational flight instrumentation required for performance monitoring, fault detection, and annunciation is described. The OMS is a pressure fed rocket engine propulsion subsystem. One complete OMS shares each of the two auxiliary propulsion subsystem pods with a reaction control subsystem. Each OMS is composed of a pressurization system, a propellant tanking system, and a gimbaled rocket engine. The design, development, and operation of the system are explained. Diagrams of the system are provided.

Investigation of probabilistic principal component analysis compared to proper orthogonal decomposition methods for basis extraction and missing data estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kyunghoon

To evaluate the maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) of probabilistic principal component analysis (PPCA) parameters such as a factor-loading, PPCA can invoke an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm, yielding an EM algorithm for PPCA (EM-PCA). In order to examine the benefits of the EM-PCA for aerospace engineering applications, this thesis attempts to qualitatively and quantitatively scrutinize the EM-PCA alongside both POD and gappy POD using high-dimensional simulation data. In pursuing qualitative investigations, the theoretical relationship between POD and PPCA is transparent such that the factor-loading MLE of PPCA, evaluated by the EM-PCA, pertains to an orthogonal basis obtained by POD. By contrast, the analytical connection between gappy POD and the EM-PCA is nebulous because they distinctively approximate missing data due to their antithetical formulation perspectives: gappy POD solves a least-squares problem whereas the EM-PCA relies on the expectation of the observation probability model. To juxtapose both gappy POD and the EM-PCA, this research proposes a unifying least-squares perspective that embraces the two disparate algorithms within a generalized least-squares framework. As a result, the unifying perspective reveals that both methods address similar least-squares problems; however, their formulations contain dissimilar bases and norms. Furthermore, this research delves into the ramifications of the different bases and norms that will eventually characterize the traits of both methods. To this end, two hybrid algorithms of gappy POD and the EM-PCA are devised and compared to the original algorithms for a qualitative illustration of the different basis and norm effects. After all, a norm reflecting a curve-fitting method is found to more significantly affect estimation error reduction than a basis for two example test data sets: one is absent of data only at a single snapshot and the other misses data across all the snapshots. From a numerical performance aspect, the EM-PCA is computationally less efficient than POD for intact data since it suffers from slow convergence inherited from the EM algorithm. For incomplete data, this thesis quantitatively found that the number of data missing snapshots predetermines whether the EM-PCA or gappy POD outperforms the other because of the computational cost of a coefficient evaluation, resulting from a norm selection. For instance, gappy POD demands laborious computational effort in proportion to the number of data-missing snapshots as a consequence of the gappy norm. In contrast, the computational cost of the EM-PCA is invariant to the number of data-missing snapshots thanks to the L2 norm. In general, the higher the number of data-missing snapshots, the wider the gap between the computational cost of gappy POD and the EM-PCA. Based on the numerical experiments reported in this thesis, the following criterion is recommended regarding the selection between gappy POD and the EM-PCA for computational efficiency: gappy POD for an incomplete data set containing a few data-missing snapshots and the EM-PCA for an incomplete data set involving multiple data-missing snapshots. Last, the EM-PCA is applied to two aerospace applications in comparison to gappy POD as a proof of concept: one with an emphasis on basis extraction and the other with a focus on missing data reconstruction for a given incomplete data set with scattered missing data. The first application exploits the EM-PCA to efficiently construct reduced-order models of engine deck responses obtained by the numerical propulsion system simulation (NPSS), some of whose results are absent due to failed analyses caused by numerical instability. Model-prediction tests validate that engine performance metrics estimated by the reduced-order NPSS model exhibit considerably good agreement with those directly obtained by NPSS. Similarly, the second application illustrates that the EM-PCA is significantly more cost effective than gappy POD at repairing spurious PIV measurements obtained from acoustically-excited, bluff-body jet flow experiments. The EM-PCA reduces computational cost on factors 8 ˜ 19 compared to gappy POD while generating the same restoration results as those evaluated by gappy POD. All in all, through comprehensive theoretical and numerical investigation, this research establishes that the EM-PCA is an efficient alternative to gappy POD for an incomplete data set containing missing data over an entire data set. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Field-design optimization with triangular heliostat pods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domínguez-Bravo, Carmen-Ana; Bode, Sebastian-James; Heiming, Gregor; Richter, Pascal; Carrizosa, Emilio; Fernández-Cara, Enrique; Frank, Martin; Gauché, Paul

2016-05-01

In this paper the optimization of a heliostat field with triangular heliostat pods is addressed. The use of structures which allow the combination of several heliostats into a common pod system aims to reduce the high costs associated with the heliostat field and therefore reduces the Levelized Cost of Electricity value. A pattern-based algorithm and two pattern-free algorithms are adapted to handle the field layout problem with triangular heliostat pods. Under the Helio100 project in South Africa, a new small-scale Solar Power Tower plant has been recently constructed. The Helio100 plant has 20 triangular pods (each with 6 heliostats) whose positions follow a linear pattern. The obtained field layouts after optimization are compared against the reference field Helio100.

Directing the Branching Growth of Cuprous Oxide by OH- Ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Kunfeng; Si, Yunfei; Xue, Dongfeng

The effect of OH- ions on the branching growth of cuprous oxide microcrystals was systematically studied by a reduction route, where copper-citrate complexes were reduced by glucose under alkaline conditions. Different copper salts including Cu(NO3)2, CuCl2, CuSO4, and Cu(Ac)2 were used in this work. The results indicate that the Cu2O branching growth habit is closely correlated to the concentration of OH- ions, which plays an important role in directing the diffusion-limited branching growth of Cu2O and influencing the reduction power of glucose. A variety of Cu2O branching patterns including 6-pod, 8-pod and 24-pod branches, have been achieved without using template and surfactant. The current method can provide a good platform for studying the growth mechanism of microcrystal branching patterns.

Global Positioning System (GPS) Precipitable Water in Forecasting Lightning at Spaceport Canaveral

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kehrer, Kristen; Graf, Brian G.; Roeder, William

2005-01-01

Using meteorology data, focusing on precipitable water (PW), obtained during the 2000-2003 thunderstorm seasons in Central Florida, this paper will, one, assess the skill and accuracy measurements of the current Mazany forecasting tool and, two, provide additional forecasting tools that can be used in predicting lightning. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) are located in east Central Florida. KSC and CCAFS process and launch manned (NASA Space Shuttle) and unmanned (NASA and Air Force Expendable Launch Vehicles) space vehicles. One of the biggest cost impacts is unplanned launch scrubs due to inclement weather conditions such as thunderstorms. Each launch delay/scrub costs over a quarter million dollars, and the need to land the Shuttle at another landing site and return to KSC costs approximately $ 1M. Given the amount of time lost and costs incurred, the ability to accurately forecast (predict) when lightning will occur can result in significant cost and time savings. All lightning prediction models were developed using binary logistic regression. Lightning is the dependent variable and is binary. The independent variables are the Precipitable Water (PW) value for a given time of the day, the change in PW up to 12 hours, the electric field mill value, and the K-index value. In comparing the Mazany model results for the 1999 period B against actual observations for the 2000-2003 thunderstorm seasons, differences were found in the False Alarm Rate (FAR), Probability of Detection (POD) and Hit Rate (H). On average, the False Alarm Rate (FAR) increased by 58%, the Probability of Detection (POD) decreased by 31% and the Hit Rate decreased by 20%. In comparing the performance of the 6 hour forecast period to the performance of the 1.5 hour forecast period for the Mazany model, the FAR was lower by 15% and the Hit Rate was higher by 7%. However, the POD for the 6 hour forecast period was lower by 16% as compared to the POD of the 1.5 hour forecast period. Neither forecast period performed at the accuracy measures expected. A 2-Hr Forecasting Tool was developed to support a Phase I Lightning Advisory, which requires a 30-minute lead time for predicting lightning.

Reduced-Order Models Based on POD-Tpwl for Compositional Subsurface Flow Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durlofsky, L. J.; He, J.; Jin, L. Z.

2014-12-01

A reduced-order modeling procedure applicable for compositional subsurface flow simulation will be described and applied. The technique combines trajectory piecewise linearization (TPWL) and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) to provide highly efficient surrogate models. The method is based on a molar formulation (which uses pressure and overall component mole fractions as the primary variables) and is applicable for two-phase, multicomponent systems. The POD-TPWL procedure expresses new solutions in terms of linearizations around solution states generated and saved during previously simulated 'training' runs. High-dimensional states are projected into a low-dimensional subspace using POD. Thus, at each time step, only a low-dimensional linear system needs to be solved. Results will be presented for heterogeneous three-dimensional simulation models involving CO2 injection. Both enhanced oil recovery and carbon storage applications (with horizontal CO2 injectors) will be considered. Reasonably close agreement between full-order reference solutions and compositional POD-TPWL simulations will be demonstrated for 'test' runs in which the well controls differ from those used for training. Construction of the POD-TPWL model requires preprocessing overhead computations equivalent to about 3-4 full-order runs. Runtime speedups using POD-TPWL are, however, very significant - typically O(100-1000). The use of POD-TPWL for well control optimization will also be illustrated. For this application, some amount of retraining during the course of the optimization is required, which leads to smaller, but still significant, speedup factors.

Dynamic PROOF clusters with PoD: architecture and user experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manafov, Anar

2011-12-01

PROOF on Demand (PoD) is a tool-set, which sets up a PROOF cluster on any resource management system. PoD is a user oriented product with an easy to use GUI and a command-line interface. It is fully automated. No administrative privileges or special knowledge is required to use it. PoD utilizes a plug-in system, to use different job submission front-ends. The current PoD distribution is shipped with LSF, Torque (PBS), Grid Engine, Condor, gLite, and SSH plug-ins. The product is to be extended. We therefore plan to implement a plug-in for AliEn Grid as well. Recently developed algorithms made it possible to efficiently maintain two types of connections: packet-forwarding and native PROOF connections. This helps to properly handle most kinds of workers, with and without firewalls. PoD maintains the PROOF environment automatically and, for example, prevents resource misusage in case when workers idle for too long. As PoD matures as a product and provides more plug-ins, it's used as a standard for setting up dynamic PROOF clusters in many different institutions. The GSI Analysis Facility (GSIAF) is in production since 2007. The static PROOF cluster has been phased out end of 2009. GSIAF is now completely based on PoD. Users create private dynamic PROOF clusters on the general purpose batch farm. This provides an easier resource sharing between interactive local batch and Grid usage. The main user communities are FAIR and ALICE.

Performance Evaluation of New-Generation Pulse Oximeters in the NICU: Observational Study.

PubMed

Nizami, Shermeen; Greenwood, Kim; Barrowman, Nick; Harrold, JoAnn

2015-09-01

This crossover observational study compares the data characteristics and performance of new-generation Nellcor OXIMAX and Masimo SET SmartPod pulse oximeter technologies. The study was conducted independent of either original equipment manufacturer (OEM) across eleven preterm infants in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The SmartPods were integrated with Dräger Infinity Delta monitors. The Delta monitor measured the heart rate (HR) using an independent electrocardiogram sensor, and the two SmartPods collected arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate (PR). All patient data were non-Gaussian. Nellcor PR showed a higher correlation with the HR as compared to Masimo PR. The statistically significant difference found in their median values (1% for SpO2, 1 bpm for PR) was deemed clinically insignificant. SpO2 alarms generated by both SmartPods were observed and categorized for performance evaluation. Results for sensitivity, positive predictive value, accuracy and false alarm rates were Nellcor (80.3, 50, 44.5, 50%) and Masimo (72.2, 48.2, 40.6, 51.8%) respectively. These metrics were not statistically significantly different between the two pulse oximeters. Despite claims by OEMs, both pulse oximeters exhibited high false alarm rates, with no statistically or clinically significant difference in performance. These findings have a direct impact on alarm fatigue in the NICU. Performance evaluation studies can also impact medical device purchase decisions made by hospital administrators.

Loss of PodJ in Agrobacterium tumefaciens Leads to Ectopic Polar Growth, Branching, and Reduced Cell Division

PubMed Central

Anderson-Furgeson, James C.; Zupan, John R.; Grangeon, Romain

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a rod-shaped Gram-negative bacterium that elongates by unipolar addition of new cell envelope material. Approaching cell division, the growth pole transitions to a nongrowing old pole, and the division site creates new growth poles in sibling cells. The A. tumefaciens homolog of the Caulobacter crescentus polar organizing protein PopZ localizes specifically to growth poles. In contrast, the A. tumefaciens homolog of the C. crescentus polar organelle development protein PodJ localizes to the old pole early in the cell cycle and accumulates at the growth pole as the cell cycle proceeds. FtsA and FtsZ also localize to the growth pole for most of the cell cycle prior to Z-ring formation. To further characterize the function of polar localizing proteins, we created a deletion of A. tumefaciens podJ (podJAt). ΔpodJAt cells display ectopic growth poles (branching), growth poles that fail to transition to an old pole, and elongated cells that fail to divide. In ΔpodJAt cells, A. tumefaciens PopZ-green fluorescent protein (PopZAt-GFP) persists at nontransitioning growth poles postdivision and also localizes to ectopic growth poles, as expected for a growth-pole-specific factor. Even though GFP-PodJAt does not localize to the midcell in the wild type, deletion of podJAt impacts localization, stability, and function of Z-rings as assayed by localization of FtsA-GFP and FtsZ-GFP. Z-ring defects are further evidenced by minicell production. Together, these data indicate that PodJAt is a critical factor for polar growth and that ΔpodJAt cells display a cell division phenotype, likely because the growth pole cannot transition to an old pole. IMPORTANCE How rod-shaped prokaryotes develop and maintain shape is complicated by the fact that at least two distinct species-specific growth modes exist: uniform sidewall insertion of cell envelope material, characterized in model organisms such as Escherichia coli, and unipolar growth, which occurs in several alphaproteobacteria, including Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Essential components for unipolar growth are largely uncharacterized, and the mechanism constraining growth to one pole of a wild-type cell is unknown. Here, we report that the deletion of a polar development gene, podJAt, results in cells exhibiting ectopic polar growth, including multiple growth poles and aberrant localization of cell division and polar growth-associated proteins. These data suggest that PodJAt is a critical factor in normal polar growth and impacts cell division in A. tumefaciens. PMID:27137498

Effects of bromopride on expression of metalloproteinases and interleukins in left colonic anastomoses: an experimental study

PubMed Central

Silva, S.M.; Jerônimo, M.S.; Silva-Pereira, I.; Bocca, A.L.; Sousa, J.B.

2014-01-01

Anastomotic dehiscence is the most severe complication of colorectal surgery. Metalloproteinases (MMPs) and interleukins (ILs) can be used to analyze the healing process of anastomosis. To evaluate the effects of bromopride on MMP and cytokine gene expression in left colonic anastomoses in rats with or without induced abdominal sepsis, 80 rats were divided into two groups for euthanasia on the third or seventh postoperative day (POD). They were then divided into subgroups of 20 rats for sepsis induction or not, and then into subgroups of 10 rats for administration of bromopride or saline. Left colonic anastomosis was performed and abdominal sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture. A colonic segment containing the anastomosis was removed for analysis of gene expression of MMP-1α, MMP-8, MMP-13, IL-β, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). On the third POD, bromopride was associated with increased MMP-1α, MMP-13, IL-6, IFN-γ, and IL-10 gene expression. On the seventh POD, all MMP transcripts became negatively modulated and all IL transcripts became positively modulated. In the presence of sepsis, bromopride administration increased MMP-8 and IFN-γ gene expression and decreased MMP-1, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 gene expression on the third POD. On the seventh POD, we observed increased expression of MMP-13 and all cytokines, except for TNF-α. In conclusion, bromopride interferes with MMP and IL gene expression during anastomotic healing. Further studies are needed to correlate these changes with the healing process. PMID:25140813

Effects of bromopride on expression of metalloproteinases and interleukins in left colonic anastomoses: an experimental study.

PubMed

Silva, S M; Jerônimo, M S; Silva-Pereira, I; Bocca, A L; Sousa, J B

2014-10-01

Anastomotic dehiscence is the most severe complication of colorectal surgery. Metalloproteinases (MMPs) and interleukins (ILs) can be used to analyze the healing process of anastomosis. To evaluate the effects of bromopride on MMP and cytokine gene expression in left colonic anastomoses in rats with or without induced abdominal sepsis, 80 rats were divided into two groups for euthanasia on the third or seventh postoperative day (POD). They were then divided into subgroups of 20 rats for sepsis induction or not, and then into subgroups of 10 rats for administration of bromopride or saline. Left colonic anastomosis was performed and abdominal sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture. A colonic segment containing the anastomosis was removed for analysis of gene expression of MMP-1α, MMP-8, MMP-13, IL-β, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). On the third POD, bromopride was associated with increased MMP-1α, MMP-13, IL-6, IFN-γ, and IL-10 gene expression. On the seventh POD, all MMP transcripts became negatively modulated and all IL transcripts became positively modulated. In the presence of sepsis, bromopride administration increased MMP-8 and IFN-γ gene expression and decreased MMP-1, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 gene expression on the third POD. On the seventh POD, we observed increased expression of MMP-13 and all cytokines, except for TNF-α. In conclusion, bromopride interferes with MMP and IL gene expression during anastomotic healing. Further studies are needed to correlate these changes with the healing process.

Effect of ovule position within the pod on the probability of seed production in Bauhinia ungulata (Fabaceae).

PubMed

Mena-Alí, Jorge I; Rocha, Oscar J

2005-02-01

It has been claimed that ovules linearly ordered within a fruit differ in their probabilities of reaching maturity. This was investigated by studying the effect the position of an ovule within the pod has on seed abortion and seed production in Bauhinia ungulata. Fruits collected during the dry seasons of 1999, 2000 and 2001 were opened, and the number, position and status of each ovule within the fruit were recorded. A GLM model was used to assess the effects of population, tree identity and ovule position within the pod on ovule fertilization, seed abortion, seed damage and seed maturation in two populations of B. ungulata. Nearly 30% of the ovules were not fertilized in 1999; this percentage dropped to 5% the following two years. Seed abortion (50%) and seed damage (15%) were the same every year during the study period. Only 15% of the initial ovules developed into mature seeds in 1999; this value increased to 35% in 2000 and 2001. However, seed survivorship was dependent on the position of the ovule within the pod; non-fertilized and early aborted ovules were found more often near the basal end of the ovary. The frequency of seed damage was not affected by position. Mature seeds were found mainly in the stylar half of fruits, where ovules are likely to be fertilized by fast pollen tubes. The pattern of seed production in B. ungulata is non-random but is dependent upon the position of the ovule within the pod. The results suggest that the seeds produced within a fruit might differ in their vigour.

Effects of iPod Touch™ Technology as Communication Devices on Peer Social Interactions across Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mancil, G. Richmond; Lorah, Elizabeth R.; Whitby, Peggy Schaefer

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the use of the iPod Touch™ as a Speech Generated Device (SGD) for Functional Communication Training (FCT). The evaluation of the effects on problem behavior, the effects on generalization and maintenance of the acquired communication repertoire, and the social initiations of peers between the new SGD (iPod…

Personal Devices in Public Settings: Lessons Learned from an iPod Touch/iPad Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crichton, Susan; Pegler, Karen; White, Duncan

2012-01-01

Our paper reports findings from a two-phase deployment of iPod Touch and iPad devices in a large, urban Canadian school board. The purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of the infrastructure required to support handheld devices in classrooms; the opportunities and challenges teachers face as they begin to use handheld devices for…

Aerial Measuring System Sensor Modeling

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

R. S. Detwiler

2002-04-01

This project deals with the modeling the Aerial Measuring System (AMS) fixed-wing and rotary-wing sensor systems, which are critical U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Consequence Management assets. The fixed-wing system is critical in detecting lost or stolen radiography or medical sources, or mixed fission products as from a commercial power plant release at high flying altitudes. The helicopter is typically used at lower altitudes to determine ground contamination, such as in measuring americium from a plutonium ground dispersal during a cleanup. Since the sensitivity of these instruments as a function of altitude is crucial in estimatingmore » detection limits of various ground contaminations and necessary count times, a characterization of their sensitivity as a function of altitude and energy is needed. Experimental data at altitude as well as laboratory benchmarks is important to insure that the strong effects of air attenuation are modeled correctly. The modeling presented here is the first attempt at such a characterization of the equipment for flying altitudes. The sodium iodide (NaI) sensors utilized with these systems were characterized using the Monte Carlo N-Particle code (MCNP) developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. For the fixed wing system, calculations modeled the spectral response for the 3-element NaI detector pod and High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector, in the relevant energy range of 50 keV to 3 MeV. NaI detector responses were simulated for both point and distributed surface sources as a function of gamma energy and flying altitude. For point sources, photopeak efficiencies were calculated for a zero radial distance and an offset equal to the altitude. For distributed sources approximating an infinite plane, gross count efficiencies were calculated and normalized to a uniform surface deposition of 1 {micro}Ci/m{sup 2}. The helicopter calculations modeled the transport of americium-241 ({sup 241}Am) as this is the ''marker'' isotope utilized by the system for Pu detection. The helicopter sensor array consists of 2 six-element NaI detector pods, and the NaI pod detector response was simulated for a distributed surface source of {sup 241}Am as a function of altitude.« less

Effects of different pressure levels of CO2 pneumoperitoneum on liver regeneration after liver resection in a rat model.

PubMed

Komori, Yoko; Iwashita, Yukio; Ohta, Masayuki; Kawano, Yuichiro; Inomata, Masafumi; Kitano, Seigo

2014-08-01

A recent study demonstrated that high pressure of carbon dioxide (CO2) pneumoperitoneum before liver resection impairs postoperative liver regeneration. This study was aimed to investigate effects of varying insufflation pressures of CO2 pneumoperitoneum on liver regeneration using a rat model. 180 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group (without preoperative pneumoperitoneum), low-pressure group (with preoperative pneumoperitoneum at 5 mmHg), and high-pressure group (with preoperative pneumoperitoneum at 10 mmHg). After pneumoperitoneum, all rats were subjected to 70% partial hepatic resection and then euthanized at 0 min, 12 h, and on postoperative days (PODs) 1, 2, 4, and 7. Following outcome parameters were used: liver regeneration (liver regeneration rate, mitotic count, Ki-67 labeling index), hepatocellular damage (serum aminotransferases), oxidative stress [serum malondialdehyde (MDA)], interleukin-6 (IL-6), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) expression in the liver tissue. No significant differences were observed for all parameters between control and low-pressure groups. The liver regeneration rate and mitotic count were significantly decreased in the high-pressure group than in control and low-pressure groups on PODs 2 and 4. Postoperative hepatocellular damage was significantly greater in the high-pressure group on PODs 1, 2, 4, and 7 compared with control and/or low-pressure groups. Serum MDA levels were significantly higher in the high-pressure group on PODs 1 and 2, and serum IL-6 levels were significantly higher in the high-pressure group at 12 h and on POD 1, compared with control and/or low-pressure groups. The HGF tissue expression was significantly lower in the high-pressure group at 12 h and on PODs 1 and 4, compared with that in control and/or low-pressure groups. High-pressure pneumoperitoneum before 70% liver resection impairs postoperative liver regeneration, but low-pressure pneumoperitoneum has no adverse effects. This study suggests that following laparoscopic liver resection using appropriate pneumoperitoneum pressure, no impairment of liver regeneration occurs.

Chemical composition, nutritional value and antioxidant properties of Mediterranean okra genotypes in relation to harvest stage.

PubMed

Petropoulos, Spyridon; Fernandes, Ângela; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C F R

2018-03-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of fruit size on nutritional value, chemical composition and antioxidant properties of Mediterranean okra genotypes. For this purpose, pods from four okra cultivars and local landraces commonly cultivated in Greece, as well as pods from four commercial cultivars from North America were collected at two sizes (3-5 and>7cm). Significant differences were observed between the studied genotypes for both nutritional value and chemical composition parameters. Small fruit had a higher nutritional value, whereas chemical composition differed in a genotype dependent manner with most of the studied cultivars showing better results when harvested in small size. In conclusion, fruit size has a genotype dependent impact on chemical composition and nutritional value of okra pods and the common practice of harvesting okra fruit while they still have a small size helps to increase nutritional value for most of the studied genotypes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The mitogenome of the brown pod-sucking bug Clavigralla tomentosicollis (Hemiptera: Coreidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Brown pod-sucking bug, Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stäl (Hemiptera: Coreidae), causes significant damage to cultivated cowpea, Vigna unguiculata Walp, a staple crop in sub-Saharan Africa. C. tomentosicollis pierce and suck sap from cowpea pods, resulting in reduced grain yield and quality. The compl...

Chile stand management for mechanical green chile harvest

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Currently the red chile crop is mechanically harvested. Because the pods will be dehydrated before consumption, breakage and bruising of red pods is not a concern. Green chile, however, is currently hand harvested because of the fragile nature of the fruit and the need to avoid pod damage. Hand h...

Boeing 747 aircraft with large external pod for transporting outsize cargo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Price, J. E.; Quartero, C. B.; Smith, P. M.; Washburn, G. F.

1979-01-01

The effect on structural arrangement, system weight, and range performance of the cargo pod payload carrying capability was determined to include either the bridge launcher or a spacelab module on a Boeing 747 aircraft. Modifications to the carrier aircraft and the installation time required to attach the external pod to the 747 were minimized. Results indicate that the increase in pod size was minimal, and that the basic 747 structure was adequate to safely absorb the load induced by ground or air operation while transporting either payload.

Effects of a military cargo pod and tail fins on the aerodynamic characteristics of a large wide-body transport model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jernell, L. S.; Croom, D. R.

1979-01-01

Wind tunnel tests were conducted on a 0.03 scale model of a large wide-body commercial aircraft to determine the effects on the static aerodynamic characteristics resulting from the attachment of a belly pod for the long-range deployment of outsize military equipment. The effectiveness of horizontal-tip fins in augmenting directional stability was investigated. At a test Reynolds number of 1.08 x 1,000,000, the addition of the pod results in an increase in total drag of approximately 20 percent. Trim drag due to the pod is very small. Although the pod produces a significant decrease in directional stability, the addition of the tip fins restores some of the stability, particularly at the lower angles of attack.

Feedback stabilization of an oscillating vertical cylinder by POD Reduced-Order Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tissot, Gilles; Cordier, Laurent; Noack, Bernd R.

2015-01-01

The objective is to demonstrate the use of reduced-order models (ROM) based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) to stabilize the flow over a vertically oscillating circular cylinder in the laminar regime (Reynolds number equal to 60). The 2D Navier-Stokes equations are first solved with a finite element method, in which the moving cylinder is introduced via an ALE method. Since in fluid-structure interaction, the POD algorithm cannot be applied directly, we implemented the fictitious domain method of Glowinski et al. [1] where the solid domain is treated as a fluid undergoing an additional constraint. The POD-ROM is classically obtained by projecting the Navier-Stokes equations onto the first POD modes. At this level, the cylinder displacement is enforced in the POD-ROM through the introduction of Lagrange multipliers. For determining the optimal vertical velocity of the cylinder, a linear quadratic regulator framework is employed. After linearization of the POD-ROM around the steady flow state, the optimal linear feedback gain is obtained as solution of a generalized algebraic Riccati equation. Finally, when the optimal feedback control is applied, it is shown that the flow converges rapidly to the steady state. In addition, a vanishing control is obtained proving the efficiency of the control approach.

Evaluation of NDE Round-Robin Exercises Using the NRC Steam Generator Mockup at Argonne National Laboratory

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

Muscara, Joseph; Kupperman, David S.; Bakhtiari, Sasab

2002-07-01

This paper discusses round-robin exercises using the NRC steam generator (SG) mock-up at Argonne National Laboratory to assess inspection reliability. The purpose of the round robins was to assess the current reliability of SG tubing inservice inspection, determine the probability of detection (POD) as function of flaw size or severity, and assess the capability for sizing of flaws. For the round robin and subsequent evaluation completed in 2001, eleven teams participated. Bobbin and rotating coil mock-up data collected by qualified industry personnel were evaluated. The mock-up contains hundreds of cracks and simulations of artifacts such as corrosion deposits and tubemore » support plates that make detection and characterization of cracks more difficult in operating steam generators than in most laboratory situations. An expert Task Group from industry, Argonne National Laboratory, and the NRC have reviewed the signals from the laboratory-grown cracks used in the mock-up to ensure that they provide reasonable simulations of those obtained in the field. The mock-up contains 400 tube openings. Each tube contains nine 22.2-mm (7/8-in.) diameter, 30.5-cm (1-ft) long, Alloy 600 test sections. The flaws are located in the tube sheet near the roll transition zone (RTZ), in the tube support plate (TSP), and in the free-span. The flaws are primarily intergranular stress corrosion cracks (axial and circumferential, ID and OD) though intergranular attack (IGA) wear and fatigue cracks are also present, as well as cracks in dents. In addition to the simulated tube sheet and TSP the mock-up has simulated sludge and magnetite deposits. A multiparameter eddy current algorithm, validated for mock-up flaws, provided a detailed isometric plot for every flaw and was used to establish the reference state of defects in the mock-up. The detection results for the 11 teams were used to develop POD curves as a function of maximum depth, voltage and the parameter m p, for the various types of flaws. The POD curves were represented as linear logistic curves, and the curve parameters were determined by the method of Maximum Likelihood. The effect of both statistical uncertainties inherent in sampling from distributions and the uncertainties due to errors in the estimates of maximum depth and m p was investigated. The 95% one-sided confidence limits (OSL), which include errors in maximum depth estimates, are presented along with the POD curves. For the second round robin a reconfigured mock-up is being used to evaluate the effectiveness of eddy current array probes. The primary emphasis is on the X-Probe. Progress with the X-Probe round robin is discussed in this paper. (authors)« less

Postoperative dysesthesia in lumbar three-column resection osteotomies.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhengfeng; Wang, Honggang; Zheng, Wenjie

2016-08-01

Three-column lumbar spinal resection osteotomies including pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO), vertebral column resection (VCR), and total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) can potentially lead to dorsal root ganglion (DRG) injury which may cause postoperative dysesthesia (POD). The purpose of retrospective study was to describe the uncommon complication of POD in lumbar spinal resection osteotomies. Between January 2009 and December 2013, 64 patients were treated with lumbar three-column spinal resection osteotomies (PSO, n = 31; VCR, n = 29; TES, n = 4) in investigator group. POD was defined as dysesthetic pain or burning dysesthesia at a proper DRG innervated region, whether spontaneous or evoked. Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, central none-opioid analgesic agent, neuropathic pain drugs and/or intervertebral foramen block were selectively used to treat POD. There were 5 cases of POD (5/64, 7.8 %), which consisted of 1 patient in PSO (1/31, 3.2 %), 3 patients in PVCR (3/29, 10.3 %), and 1 patient in TES (1/4, 25 %). After the treatment by drugs administration plus DRG block, all patients presented pain relief with duration from 8 to 38 days. A gradual pain moving to distal end of a proper DRG innervated region was found as the beginning of end. Although POD is a unique and rare complication and maybe misdiagnosed as nerve root injury in lumbar spinal resection osteotomies, combination drug therapy and DRG block have an effective result of pain relief. The appearance of a gradual pain moving to distal end of a proper DRG innervated region during recovering may be used as a sign for the good prognosis.

Using Smart Devices to Measure Intermittent Noise in the Workplace

PubMed Central

Roberts, Benjamin; Neitzel, Richard Lee

2017-01-01

Purpose: To determine the accuracy of smart devices (iPods) to measure intermittent noise and integrate a noise dose in the workplace. Materials and Methods: In experiment 1, four iPods were each paired with a Larson Davis Spark dosimeter and exposed to randomly fluctuating pink noise in a reverberant sound chamber. Descriptive statistics and the mean difference between the iPod and its paired dosimeter were calculated for the 1-s data logged measurements. The calculated time weighted average (TWA) was also compared between the devices. In experiment 2, 15 maintenance workers and 14 office workers wore an iPod and dosimeter during their work-shift for a maximum of five workdays. A mixed effects linear regression model was used to control for repeated measures and to determine the effect of the device type on the projected 8-h TWA. Results: In experiment 1, a total of 315,306 1-s data logged measurements were made. The interquartile range of the mean difference fell within ±2.0 A-weighted decibels (dBA), which is the standard used by the American National Standards Institute to classify a type 2 sound level meter. The mean difference of the calculated TWA was within ±0.5 dBA except for one outlier. In experiment 2, the results of the mixed effects model found that, on average, iPods measured an 8-h TWA 1.7 dBA higher than their paired dosimeters. Conclusion: This study shows that iPods have the ability to make reasonably accurate noise measurements in the workplace, but they are not as accurate as traditional noise dosimeters. PMID:29192614

Intravenous acetaminophen as an adjunct to multimodal analgesia after total knee and hip arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Yang, Liqing; Du, Shuai; Sun, Yuefeng

2017-11-01

This meta-analysis aimed to perform a meta-analysis to investigate the impact of additional intravenous acetaminophen for pain management after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). We conducted electronic searches of Medline (1966-2017.07), PubMed (1966-2017.07), Embase (1980-2017.07), ScienceDirect (1985-2017.07) and the Cochrane Library. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs were included. The quality assessments were performed according to the Cochrane systematic review method. The primary outcomes were postoperative pain scores and opioid consumption. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 11.0 software. A total of four studies were retrieved involving 865 participants. The present meta-analysis indicated that there were significant differences between groups in terms of pain scores at POD 1 (WMD = -0.954, 95% CI: -1.204 to -0.703, P = 0.000), POD 2 (WMD = -1.072, 95% CI: -2.072 to -0.073, P = 0.000), and POD 3 (WMD = -0.883, 95% CI: -1.142 to -0.624, P = 0.000). Significant differences were found regarding opioid consumption at POD 1 (WMD = -3.144, 95% CI: -4.142 to -2.146, P = 0.000), POD 2 (WMD = -5.665, 95% CI: -7.383 to -3.947, P = 0.000), and POD 3 (WMD = -3.563, 95% CI: -6.136 to -0.991, P = 0.007). Additional intravenous acetaminophen to multimodal analgesia could significantly reduce pain and opioid consumption after total joint arthroplasty with fewer adverse effects. Higher quality RCTs are required for further research. Copyright © 2017 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fungal endophytes of Vanilla planifolia across Réunion Island: isolation, distribution and biotransformation.

PubMed

Khoyratty, Shahnoo; Dupont, Joëlle; Lacoste, Sandrine; Palama, Tony Lionel; Choi, Young Hae; Kim, Hye Kyong; Payet, Bertrand; Grisoni, Michel; Fouillaud, Mireille; Verpoorte, Robert; Kodja, Hippolyte

2015-06-14

The objective of the work was to characterize fungal endophytes from aerial parts of Vanilla planifolia. Also, to establish their biotransformation abilities of flavor-related metabolites. This was done in order to find a potential role of endophytes on vanilla flavors. Twenty three MOTUs were obtained, representing 6 fungal classes. Fungi from green pods were cultured on mature green pod based media for 30 days followed by (1)H NMR and HPLC-DAD analysis. All fungi from pods consumed metabolized vanilla flavor phenolics. Though Fusarium proliferatum was recovered more often (37.6% of the isolates), it is Pestalotiopsis microspora (3.0%) that increased the absolute amounts (quantified by (1)H NMR in μmol/g DW green pods) of vanillin (37.0 × 10(-3)), vanillyl alcohol (100.0 × 10(-3)), vanillic acid (9.2 × 10(-3)) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (87.9 × 10(-3)) by significant amounts. All plants studied contained endophytic fungi and the isolation of the endophytes was conducted from plant organs at nine sites in Réunion Island including under shade house and undergrowth conditions. Endophytic variation occured between cultivation practices and the type of organ. Given the physical proximity of fungi inside pods, endophytic biotransformation may contribute to the complexity of vanilla flavors.

A genome-wide SNP scan accelerates trait-regulatory genomic loci identification in chickpea

PubMed Central

Kujur, Alice; Bajaj, Deepak; Upadhyaya, Hari D.; Das, Shouvik; Ranjan, Rajeev; Shree, Tanima; Saxena, Maneesha S.; Badoni, Saurabh; Kumar, Vinod; Tripathi, Shailesh; Gowda, C.L.L.; Sharma, Shivali; Singh, Sube; Tyagi, Akhilesh K.; Parida, Swarup K.

2015-01-01

We identified 44844 high-quality SNPs by sequencing 92 diverse chickpea accessions belonging to a seed and pod trait-specific association panel using reference genome- and de novo-based GBS (genotyping-by-sequencing) assays. A GWAS (genome-wide association study) in an association panel of 211, including the 92 sequenced accessions, identified 22 major genomic loci showing significant association (explaining 23–47% phenotypic variation) with pod and seed number/plant and 100-seed weight. Eighteen trait-regulatory major genomic loci underlying 13 robust QTLs were validated and mapped on an intra-specific genetic linkage map by QTL mapping. A combinatorial approach of GWAS, QTL mapping and gene haplotype-specific LD mapping and transcript profiling uncovered one superior haplotype and favourable natural allelic variants in the upstream regulatory region of a CesA-type cellulose synthase (Ca_Kabuli_CesA3) gene regulating high pod and seed number/plant (explaining 47% phenotypic variation) in chickpea. The up-regulation of this superior gene haplotype correlated with increased transcript expression of Ca_Kabuli_CesA3 gene in the pollen and pod of high pod/seed number accession, resulting in higher cellulose accumulation for normal pollen and pollen tube growth. A rapid combinatorial genome-wide SNP genotyping-based approach has potential to dissect complex quantitative agronomic traits and delineate trait-regulatory genomic loci (candidate genes) for genetic enhancement in crop plants, including chickpea. PMID:26058368

[Pediatric exposures to laundry pods or capsules: more toxic than traditional laundry products?].

PubMed

Claudet, I; Honorat, R; Casasoprana, A; Grouteau, E; Franchitto, N

2014-06-01

New concentrated laundry pods, available on the European market for approximately 10 years, are associated with more severe intoxications compared to classic laundry detergents. To compare symptoms and severity after exposure to classic laundry detergents and new laundry pods in a pediatric population. Retrospective study conducted between 1st January 2002 and 30th June 2013 including all laundry detergent exposure patients admitted to our tertiary level pediatric emergency unit. Collected data were age, sex, date, time and location of exposure, type of product (powder, liquid, tablets, pods), estimated ingested quantity, time of admission, clinical symptoms, severity, complications, and progression. Descriptive analysis: eighty-nine children were included. The mean age was 2.1 ± 1.5 years (range, 36 days to 10 years), 65% of patients were aged less than 2 years. The male:female ratio was 1.5 (males, 60%). After exposure, 57% of children were symptomatic and most frequently developed digestive symptoms (75%). Comparative analysis: compared to classic laundry detergent, children exposed to laundry pods were more symptomatic (96% versus 51%, P<0.0001), had more digestive signs (P=0.003), more frequently had bronchospasm (P=0.02), had a higher risk of ocular lesions (P=0.04), and exposure was more severe (poisoning severity score grade 2, 92% versus 59%, P<0.0001). Laundry pod toxicity is more severe. The chemical composition of laundry pods has a higher concentration of surfactants and ethoxylated alcohols; they have a higher viscosity and hydrotropic power. The addition of water seems to modify the alkalinity, which explains the severity of ENT, gastric, and corneal lesions. The declaration to national poison centers of these intoxications should be pursued by emergency pediatricians, physicians, and pediatric intensivists. Family physicians can encourage parents to declare adverse effects to the National Consumer Product Safety Commission. Parents need to be better informed of the risk of laundry pods and strictly keep this type of product out of the reach of children. Given that it took 7 years after the first warning by the French poison centers to obtain safety recommendations for manufacturers, it is important to maintain pressure on companies to obtain the necessary modification of the physicochemical properties and child-resistant packaging. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Phytophthora megakarya and P. palmivora, Causal Agents of Black Pod Rot, Induce Similar Plant Defense Responses Late during Infection of Susceptible Cacao Pods

PubMed Central

Ali, Shahin S.; Shao, Jonathan; Lary, David J.; Strem, Mary D.; Meinhardt, Lyndel W.; Bailey, Bryan A.

2017-01-01

Phytophthora megakarya (Pmeg) and Phytophthora palmivora (Ppal) cause black pod rot of Theobroma cacao L. (cacao). Of these two clade 4 species, Pmeg is more virulent and is displacing Ppal in many cacao production areas in Africa. Symptoms and species specific sporangia production were compared when the two species were co-inoculated onto pod pieces in staggered 24 h time intervals. Pmeg sporangia were predominantly recovered from pod pieces with unwounded surfaces even when inoculated 24 h after Ppal. On wounded surfaces, sporangia of Ppal were predominantly recovered if the two species were simultaneously applied or Ppal was applied first but not if Pmeg was applied first. Pmeg demonstrated an advantage over Ppal when infecting un-wounded surfaces while Ppal had the advantage when infecting wounded surfaces. RNA-Seq was carried out on RNA isolated from control and Pmeg and Ppal infected pod pieces 3 days post inoculation to assess their abilities to alter/suppress cacao defense. Expression of 4,482 and 5,264 cacao genes was altered after Pmeg and Ppal infection, respectively, with most genes responding to both species. Neural network self-organizing map analyses separated the cacao RNA-Seq gene expression profiles into 24 classes, 6 of which were largely induced in response to infection. Using KEGG analysis, subsets of genes composing interrelated pathways leading to phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, ethylene and jasmonic acid biosynthesis and action, plant defense signal transduction, and endocytosis showed induction in response to infection. A large subset of genes encoding putative Pr-proteins also showed differential expression in response to infection. A subset of 36 cacao genes was used to validate the RNA-Seq expression data and compare infection induced gene expression patterns in leaves and wounded and unwounded pod husks. Expression patterns between RNA-Seq and RT-qPCR were generally reproducible. The level and timing of altered gene expression was influenced by the tissues studied and by wounding. Although, in these susceptible interactions gene expression patterns were similar, some genes did show differential expression in a Phytophthora species dependent manner. The biggest difference was the more intense changes in expression in Ppal inoculated wounded pod pieces further demonstrating its rapid progression when penetrating through wounds. PMID:28261234

Cowpea fresh pods - a new legume for the market: assessment of their quality and dietary characteristics of 37 cowpea accessions grown in southern Europe.

PubMed

Karapanos, Ioannis; Papandreou, Anastasia; Skouloudi, Marianna; Makrogianni, Despoina; Fernández, Juan A; Rosa, Eduardo; Ntatsi, Georgia; Bebeli, Penelope J; Savvas, Dimitrios

2017-10-01

Cowpea is traditionally cultivated in some regions of southern Europe for its dried seeds; however, there is a scarcity of information on the quality and dietary characteristics of fresh pods, which are occasionally used in folk diets. This paper aims at covering this gap in knowledge, thereby contributing to the dissemination of fresh cowpea pods as a novel product for the market. The quality and dietary characteristics of pods from 37 accessions (Vigna unguiculata ssp. unguiculata and ssp. sesquipedalis) grown in southern Europe were assessed in an attempt to provide information on pod quality and nutritional properties and to identify relationships between quality traits and accession origin. Pods from the sesquipedalis accessions were heavier and larger, and reached commercial maturity 2 days later, than those from the unguiculata accessions. There were also large differences in the quality and dietary characteristics of the accessions. The pods of most accessions were rich in proteins, chlorophylls, carotenoids and phenolics, and showed high antioxidant activity and low concentrations of nitrates and raffinose-family oligosaccharides. Cluster analysis based on quality, dietary or antinutritional traits did not reveal any apparent grouping among the accessions. All the quality characteristics were independent of accession origin and subspecies. Most of the accessions produced fresh pods of good quality and high dietary value, suitable for introduction in the market and/or for use as valuable genetic material for the development of new improved varieties. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nutrient Digestibility and Metabolizable Energy Content of Mucuna pruriens Whole Pods Fed to Growing Pelibuey Lambs.

PubMed

Loyra-Tzab, Enrique; Sarmiento-Franco, Luis Armando; Sandoval-Castro, Carlos Alfredo; Santos-Ricalde, Ronald Herve

2013-07-01

The nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance and in vivo metabolizable energy supply of Mucuna pruriens whole pods fed to growing Pelibuey lambs was investigated. Eight Pelibuey sheep housed in metabolic crates were fed increasing levels of Mucuna pruriens pods: 0 (control), 100 (Mucuna100), 200 (Mucuna200) and 300 (Mucuna300) g/kg dry matter. A quadratic (p<0.002) effect was observed for dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fibre (aNDF), nitrogen (N) and gross energy (GE) intakes with higher intakes in the Mucuna100 and Mucuna200 treatments. Increasing M. pruriens in the diets had no effect (p>0.05) on DM and GE apparent digestibility (p<0.05). A linear reduction in N digestibility and N retention was observed with increasing mucuna pod level. This effect was accompanied by a quadratic effect (p<0.05) on fecal-N and N-balance which were higher in the Mucuna100 and Mucuna200 treatments. Urine-N excretion, GE retention and dietary estimated nutrient supply (metabolizable protein and metabolizable energy) were not affected (p>0.05). DM, N and GE apparent digestibility coefficient of M. pruriens whole pods obtained through multiple regression equations were 0.692, 0.457, 0.654 respectively. In vivo DE and ME content of mucuna whole pod were estimated in 11.0 and 9.7 MJ/kg DM. It was concluded that whole pods from M. pruriens did not affect nutrient utilization when included in an mixed diet up to 200 g/kg DM. This is the first in vivo estimation of mucuna whole pod ME value for ruminants.

A POD reduced order model for resolving angular direction in neutron/photon transport problems

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

Buchan, A.G., E-mail: andrew.buchan@imperial.ac.uk; Calloo, A.A.; Goffin, M.G.

2015-09-01

This article presents the first Reduced Order Model (ROM) that efficiently resolves the angular dimension of the time independent, mono-energetic Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE). It is based on Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) and uses the method of snapshots to form optimal basis functions for resolving the direction of particle travel in neutron/photon transport problems. A unique element of this work is that the snapshots are formed from the vector of angular coefficients relating to a high resolution expansion of the BTE's angular dimension. In addition, the individual snapshots are not recorded through time, as in standard POD, but instead theymore » are recorded through space. In essence this work swaps the roles of the dimensions space and time in standard POD methods, with angle and space respectively. It is shown here how the POD model can be formed from the POD basis functions in a highly efficient manner. The model is then applied to two radiation problems; one involving the transport of radiation through a shield and the other through an infinite array of pins. Both problems are selected for their complex angular flux solutions in order to provide an appropriate demonstration of the model's capabilities. It is shown that the POD model can resolve these fluxes efficiently and accurately. In comparison to high resolution models this POD model can reduce the size of a problem by up to two orders of magnitude without compromising accuracy. Solving times are also reduced by similar factors.« less

A novel coupling of noise reduction algorithms for particle flow simulations

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

Zimoń, M.J., E-mail: malgorzata.zimon@stfc.ac.uk; James Weir Fluids Lab, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, The University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XJ; Reese, J.M.

2016-09-15

Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and its extension based on time-windows have been shown to greatly improve the effectiveness of recovering smooth ensemble solutions from noisy particle data. However, to successfully de-noise any molecular system, a large number of measurements still need to be provided. In order to achieve a better efficiency in processing time-dependent fields, we have combined POD with a well-established signal processing technique, wavelet-based thresholding. In this novel hybrid procedure, the wavelet filtering is applied within the POD domain and referred to as WAVinPOD. The algorithm exhibits promising results when applied to both synthetically generated signals and particlemore » data. In this work, the simulations compare the performance of our new approach with standard POD or wavelet analysis in extracting smooth profiles from noisy velocity and density fields. Numerical examples include molecular dynamics and dissipative particle dynamics simulations of unsteady force- and shear-driven liquid flows, as well as phase separation phenomenon. Simulation results confirm that WAVinPOD preserves the dimensionality reduction obtained using POD, while improving its filtering properties through the sparse representation of data in wavelet basis. This paper shows that WAVinPOD outperforms the other estimators for both synthetically generated signals and particle-based measurements, achieving a higher signal-to-noise ratio from a smaller number of samples. The new filtering methodology offers significant computational savings, particularly for multi-scale applications seeking to couple continuum informations with atomistic models. It is the first time that a rigorous analysis has compared de-noising techniques for particle-based fluid simulations.« less

Effects of a Fibrin Sealant on Skin Graft Tissue Adhesion in a Rodent Model.

PubMed

Balceniuk, Mark D; Wingate, Nicholas A; Krein, Howard; Curry, Joseph; Cognetti, David; Heffelfiner, Ryan; Luginbuhl, Adam

2016-07-01

To establish a rodent model for skin grafting with fibrin glue and examine the effects of fibrin glue on the adhesive strength of skin grafts without bolsters. Animal cohort. Academic hospital laboratory. Three skin grafts were created using a pneumatic microtome on the dorsum of 12 rats. Rats were evenly divided into experimental (n = 6) and control (n = 6) groups. The experimental group received a thin layer of fibrin glue between the graft and wound bed, and the control group was secured with standard bolsters. Adherence strength of the skin graft was tested by measurement of force required to sheer the graft from the recipient wound. Adhesion strength measurements were taken on postoperative days (PODs) 1, 2, and 3. The experimental group required an average force of 719 g on POD1, 895 g on POD2, and 676 g on POD3, while the average force in the control group was 161 g on POD1, 257 g on POD2, and 267 g on POD3. On each of the 3 PODs, there was a significant difference in adherence strength between the experimental and control groups (P = .036, P = .029, P = .024). There is a significant difference in the adhesion strength of skin grafts to the wound bed in the early postoperative period of the 2 groups. In areas of high mobility, using the fibrin sealant can keep the graft immobile during the critical phases of early healing. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

[Effects of simulated acid rain on oilseed rape (Brassica napus) physiological characteristics at flowering stage and yield].

PubMed

Cao, Chun-Xin; Zhou, Qin; Han, Liang-Liang; Zhang, Pei; Jiang, Hai-Dong

2010-08-01

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of different acidity simulated acid rain on the physiological characteristics at flowering stage and yield of oilseed rape (B. napus cv. Qinyou 9). Comparing with the control (pH 6.0), weak acidity (pH = 4.0-5.0) simulated acid rain stimulated the rape growth to some extent, but had less effects on the plant biomass, leaf chlorophyll content, photosynthetic characteristics, and yield. With the further increase of acid rain acidity, the plant biomass, leaf chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, antioxidative enzyme activities, and non-enzyme antioxidant contents all decreased gradually, while the leaf malonyldialdehyde (MDA) content and relative conductivity increased significantly. As the results, the pod number per plant, seed number per pod, seed weight, and actual yield decreased. However, different yield components showed different sensitivity to simulated acid rain. With the increasing acidity of simulated acid rain, the pod number per plant and the seed number per pod decreased significantly, while the seed weight was less affected.

Laparoscopic versus conventional open surgery for immune function in patients with colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Liu, Chuanyuan; Liu, Jungang; Zhang, Sen

2011-11-01

To systematically evaluate the immune function in patients with colorectal cancer after laparoscopic surgery (LS) and conventional open surgery (OS). PUBMED, EMBASE, and the Cochrane library were searched and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the immunological difference between LS and OS were included. Two authors extracted data and assessed trial quality. Eleven studies including 695 patients were analysed. Immune-competent cells demonstrated no significant differences between LS and OS in six trials. Eight trials assessed various perioperative plasma cytokine concentrations with no significant differences in interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels between LS and OS. However, meta-analysis showed higher T suppressor lymphocytes (CD8+) counts on postoperative days (POD) 1-3 and lower plasma levels of CRP on POD 0-1 in LS group compared with OS group. Although LS groups displayed higher T suppressor lymphocyte (CD8+) counts on postoperative days (POD) 1-3 and lower plasma levels of CRP on POD 0-1, there is no sufficient evidence to support superior preservation of global immune function with LS compared to OS.

POD/DEIM reduced-order strategies for efficient four dimensional variational data assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ştefănescu, R.; Sandu, A.; Navon, I. M.

2015-08-01

This work studies reduced order modeling (ROM) approaches to speed up the solution of variational data assimilation problems with large scale nonlinear dynamical models. It is shown that a key requirement for a successful reduced order solution is that reduced order Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions accurately represent their full order counterparts. In particular, accurate reduced order approximations are needed for the forward and adjoint dynamical models, as well as for the reduced gradient. New strategies to construct reduced order based are developed for proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) ROM data assimilation using both Galerkin and Petrov-Galerkin projections. For the first time POD, tensorial POD, and discrete empirical interpolation method (DEIM) are employed to develop reduced data assimilation systems for a geophysical flow model, namely, the two dimensional shallow water equations. Numerical experiments confirm the theoretical framework for Galerkin projection. In the case of Petrov-Galerkin projection, stabilization strategies must be considered for the reduced order models. The new reduced order shallow water data assimilation system provides analyses similar to those produced by the full resolution data assimilation system in one tenth of the computational time.

Designing Extraterrestrial Plant Growth Habitats With Low Pressure Atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corey, Kenneth A.

2001-01-01

In-situ resource utilization, provision of human life support requirements by bioregenerative methods, and engineering constraints for construction and deployment of plant growth structures on the surface of Mars all suggest the need for plant growth studies at hypobaric pressures. Past work demonstrated that plants will likely tolerate and grow at pressures at or below 10 kPa. Based upon this premise, concepts are developed for the design of reduced pressure atmospheres in lightweight, inflatable structures for plant growth systems on Mars with the goals of maximizing design simplicity and the use of local resources. A modular pod design is proposed as it could be integrated with large-scale production systems. Atmospheric modification of pod clusters would be based upon a pulse and scrub system using mass flow methods for atmospheric transport. A specific modification and control scenario is developed for a lettuce pod to illustrate the dynamics of carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange within a pod. Considerations of minimal atmospheric crop requirements will aid in the development of engineering designs and strategies for extraterrestrial plant growth structures that employ rarefied atmospheres.

Designing Extraterrestrial Plant Growth Habitats with Low Pressure Atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corey, Kenneth A.

2002-01-01

In-situ resource utilization, provision of human life support requirements by bioregenerative methods, and engineering constraints for construction and deployment of plant growth structures on the surface of Mars all suggest the need for plant growth studies at hypobaric pressures. Past work demonstrated that plants will likely tolerate and grow at pressures at or below 10 kPa. Based upon this premise, concepts are developed for the design of reduced pressure atmospheres in lightweight, inflatable structures for plant growth systems on Mars with the goals of maximizing design simplicity and the use of local resources. A modular pod design is proposed as it could be integrated with large-scale production systems. Atmospheric modification of pod clusters would be based upon a pulse and scrub system using mass flow methods for atmospheric transport. A specific modification and control scenario is developed for a lettuce pod to illustrate the dynamics of carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange within a pod. Considerations of minimal atmospheric crop requirements will aid in the development of engineering designs and strategies for extraterrestrial plant growth structures that employ rarefied atmospheres.

Advances in Satellite Microwave Precipitation Retrieval Algorithms Over Land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, N. Y.; You, Y.; Ferraro, R. R.

2015-12-01

Precipitation plays a key role in the earth's climate system, particularly in the aspect of its water and energy balance. Satellite microwave (MW) observations of precipitation provide a viable mean to achieve global measurement of precipitation with sufficient sampling density and accuracy. However, accurate precipitation information over land from satellite MW is a challenging problem. The Goddard Profiling Algorithm (GPROF) algorithm for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) is built around the Bayesian formulation (Evans et al., 1995; Kummerow et al., 1996). GPROF uses the likelihood function and the prior probability distribution function to calculate the expected value of precipitation rate, given the observed brightness temperatures. It is particularly convenient to draw samples from a prior PDF from a predefined database of observations or models. GPROF algorithm does not search all database entries but only the subset thought to correspond to the actual observation. The GPM GPROF V1 database focuses on stratification by surface emissivity class, land surface temperature and total precipitable water. However, there is much uncertainty as to what is the optimal information needed to subset the database for different conditions. To this end, we conduct a database stratification study of using National Mosaic and Multi-Sensor Quantitative Precipitation Estimation, Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) and Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) and reanalysis data from Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA). Our database study (You et al., 2015) shows that environmental factors such as surface elevation, relative humidity, and storm vertical structure and height, and ice thickness can help in stratifying a single large database to smaller and more homogeneous subsets, in which the surface condition and precipitation vertical profiles are similar. It is found that the probability of detection (POD) increases about 8% and 12% by using stratified databases for rainfall and snowfall detection, respectively. In addition, by considering the relative humidity at lower troposphere and the vertical velocity at 700 hPa in the precipitation detection process, the POD for snowfall detection is further increased by 20.4% from 56.0% to 76.4%.

Fine phenotyping of pod and seed traits in Arachis germplasm accessions using digital image analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Reliable and objective phenotyping of peanut pod and seed traits is important for cultivar selection and genetic mapping of yield components. To develop useful and efficient methods to quantitatively define peanut pod and seed traits, a group of peanut germplasm with high levels of phenotypic varia...

Toward The identification Of candidate genes involved in black pod disease resistance in Theobroma cacao L.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasing yield, quality and disease resistance are important objectives for cacao breeding programs. Some of the diseases, such as black pod rot (Phytophtora spp), frosty pod (Moniliophthora roreri) and witches’ broom (M. perniciosa), produce significant losses in all or in some of the various pro...

Listening Habits of iPod Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epstein, Michael; Marozeau, Jeremy; Cleveland, Sandra

2010-01-01

Purpose: To estimate real-environment iPod listening levels for listeners in 4 environments to gain insight into whether average listeners receive dosages exceeding occupational noise exposure guidelines as a result of their listening habits. Method: The earbud outputs of iPods were connected directly into the inputs of a digital recorder to make…

Model Adaptation in Parametric Space for POD-Galerkin Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Haotian; Wei, Mingjun

2017-11-01

The development of low-order POD-Galerkin models is largely motivated by the expectation to use the model developed with a set of parameters at their native values to predict the dynamic behaviors of the same system under different parametric values, in other words, a successful model adaptation in parametric space. However, most of time, even small deviation of parameters from their original value may lead to large deviation or unstable results. It has been shown that adding more information (e.g. a steady state, mean value of a different unsteady state, or an entire different set of POD modes) may improve the prediction of flow with other parametric states. For a simple case of the flow passing a fixed cylinder, an orthogonal mean mode at a different Reynolds number may stabilize the POD-Galerkin model when Reynolds number is changed. For a more complicated case of the flow passing an oscillatory cylinder, a global POD-Galerkin model is first applied to handle the moving boundaries, then more information (e.g. more POD modes) is required to predicate the flow under different oscillatory frequencies. Supported by ARL.

Process design and economic analysis of a hypothetical bioethanol production plant using carob pod as feedstock.

PubMed

Sánchez-Segado, S; Lozano, L J; de Los Ríos, A P; Hernández-Fernández, F J; Godínez, C; Juan, D

2012-01-01

A process for the production of ethanol from carob (Ceratonia siliqua) pods was designed and an economic analysis was carried out for a hypothetical plant. The plant was assumed to perform an aqueous extraction of sugars from the pods followed by fermentation and distillation to produce ethanol. The total fixed capital investment for a base case process with a capacity to transform 68,000 t/year carob pod was calculated as 39.61 millon euros (€) with a minimum bioethanol production cost of 0.51 €/L and an internal rate of return of 7%. The plant was found to be profitable at carob pod prices lower than 0.188 €/kg. An increase in the transformation capacity of the plant from 33,880 to 135,450 t/year was calculated to result in an increase in the internal rate of return from 5.50% to 13.61%. The obtained results show that carob pod is a promising alternative source for bioethanol production. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Krylov-Subspace Recycling via the POD-Augmented Conjugate-Gradient Method

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

Carlberg, Kevin; Forstall, Virginia; Tuminaro, Ray

This paper presents a new Krylov-subspace-recycling method for efficiently solving sequences of linear systems of equations characterized by varying right-hand sides and symmetric-positive-definite matrices. As opposed to typical truncation strategies used in recycling such as deflation, we propose a truncation method inspired by goal-oriented proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) from model reduction. This idea is based on the observation that model reduction aims to compute a low-dimensional subspace that contains an accurate solution; as such, we expect the proposed method to generate a low-dimensional subspace that is well suited for computing solutions that can satisfy inexact tolerances. In particular, we proposemore » specific goal-oriented POD `ingredients' that align the optimality properties of POD with the objective of Krylov-subspace recycling. To compute solutions in the resulting 'augmented' POD subspace, we propose a hybrid direct/iterative three-stage method that leverages 1) the optimal ordering of POD basis vectors, and 2) well-conditioned reduced matrices. Numerical experiments performed on solid-mechanics problems highlight the benefits of the proposed method over existing approaches for Krylov-subspace recycling.« less

Krylov-Subspace Recycling via the POD-Augmented Conjugate-Gradient Method

DOE PAGES

Carlberg, Kevin; Forstall, Virginia; Tuminaro, Ray

2016-01-01

This paper presents a new Krylov-subspace-recycling method for efficiently solving sequences of linear systems of equations characterized by varying right-hand sides and symmetric-positive-definite matrices. As opposed to typical truncation strategies used in recycling such as deflation, we propose a truncation method inspired by goal-oriented proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) from model reduction. This idea is based on the observation that model reduction aims to compute a low-dimensional subspace that contains an accurate solution; as such, we expect the proposed method to generate a low-dimensional subspace that is well suited for computing solutions that can satisfy inexact tolerances. In particular, we proposemore » specific goal-oriented POD `ingredients' that align the optimality properties of POD with the objective of Krylov-subspace recycling. To compute solutions in the resulting 'augmented' POD subspace, we propose a hybrid direct/iterative three-stage method that leverages 1) the optimal ordering of POD basis vectors, and 2) well-conditioned reduced matrices. Numerical experiments performed on solid-mechanics problems highlight the benefits of the proposed method over existing approaches for Krylov-subspace recycling.« less

Combining of different data pools for calculating a reliable POD for real defects

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

Kanzler, Daniel, E-mail: daniel.kanzler@bam.de, E-mail: christina.mueller@bam.de; Müller, Christina, E-mail: daniel.kanzler@bam.de, E-mail: christina.mueller@bam.de; Pitkänen, Jorma, E-mail: jorma.pitkanen@posiva.fi

2015-03-31

Real defects are essential for the evaluation of the reliability of non destructive testing (NDT) methods, especially in relation to the integrity of components. But in most of the cases the amount of available real defects is not sufficient to evaluate the system. Model-assisted and transfer functions are one way to handle that challenge. This study is focused on a combination of different data pools to create a sufficient amount of data for the reliability estimation. A widespread approach for calculating the Probability of Detection (POD) was used on a radiographic testing (RT) method. The highest contrast to noise ratiomore » (CNR) of each indication is usually selected as the signal in the 'â vs. a' (signal-response) approach for RT. By combining real and artificial defects (flat bottom holes, side drill holes, flat bottom squares, notches, etc) in RT the highest signals are close to each other, but the process of creating and evaluating real defects is much more complex. The solution is seen in the combination of real and artificial data using a weighted least square approach. The weights for real or artificial data were based on the importance, the value and the different detection behavior of the different data. For comparison, the alternative combination through the Bayesian Updating was also applied. As verification, a data pool with a large amount of real data was available. In an advanced approach for evaluating the digital RT data, the size of the indication (perpendicular to the X-ray beam) was introduced as additional information. The signal now consists of the CNR and the area of the indication. The detectability is changing depending on the area of the indication, a fact that was ignored in the previous POD calculations for RT. This points out that a weighted least square approach to pool the data might no longer be adequate. The Bayesian Updating of the estimated parameters of the relationship between the signal field (the area of the indication) and the geometry of the defects is seen as the appropriate model to combine the different defect types in a useful and meaningful way. This work was carried out together with the Finnish company for spent nuclear fuel and waste management - Posiva Oy. The digital RT is one of the NDT methods that might be used for the inspection of the weld of the copper canister to be used for the spent nuclear fuel in the Scandinavian concept of final disposal.« less

RNAi-mediated down-regulation of SHATTERPROOF gene in transgenic oilseed rape.

PubMed

Kord, Hadis; Shakib, Ali Mohammad; Daneshvar, Mohammad Hossein; Azadi, Pejman; Bayat, Vahid; Mashayekhi, Mohsen; Zarea, Mahboobeh; Seifi, Alireza; Ahmad-Raji, Mana

2015-06-01

Oilseed rape is one of the important oil plants. Pod shattering is one of the problems in oilseed rape production especially in regions with dry conditions. One of the important genes in Brassica pod opening is SHATTERPROOF1 (SHP1). Down-regulation of BnSHP1 expression by RNAi can increase resistance to pod shattering. A 470 bp of the BnSHP1 cDNA sequence constructed in an RNAi-silencing vector was transferred to oilseed rape cv. SLM046. Molecular analysis of T2 transgenic plants by RT-PCR and Real-time PCR showed that expression of the BnSHP alleles was highly decreased in comparison with control plants. Morphologically, transgenic plants were normal and produced seeds at greenhouse conditions. At ripening, stage pods failed to shatter, and a finger pressure was needed for pod opening.

Determination of body composition using air displacement plethysmography, anthropometry and bio-electrical impedance in rural elderly Mexican men and women.

PubMed

Aleman-Mateo, H; Esparza Romero, J; Macias Morales, N; Salazar, G; Wyatt, J; Valencia, M E

2004-01-01

Air displacement plethysmography with the BOD-POD is a new densitometry technique, and has been found to be an accurate method to measure body composition. The aim of this study was to assess body composition in a group of free living healthy subjects 60 years of age or older from a rural area of Northwest Mexico, and to evaluate body composition by anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance (BIA) using equations reported for other elderly populations. Body composition was evaluated in 21 women and 26 men with the BOD-POD, by anthropometry, and BIA and compared to different equations using the Bland- Altman procedure. Body fat in elderly women and men was 42.7 and 30.2 % respectively. In women, Segal's equation using BIA 1, based on standing height, showed no significant differences with the BOD-POD. There was satisfactory agreement between Segal's equation and BOD-POD. In men similar results was found with Deurenberg's equation using B1A 2 based on recumbent length. Segal's and Deurenberg's equations were accurate and precise for the estimation of body fat in the elderly of this study. The use of these equations could improve the estimation of body composition for similar elderly subjects. Further studies are recommended with a larger size samples to include elderly subjects from other Latin American countries.

Potentials of Mobile Technology for K-12 Education: An Investigation of iPod Touch Use for English Language Learners in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Min; Navarrete, Cesar C.; Wivagg, Jennifer

2014-01-01

This case study investigated a m-learning initiative by a large school district in the United States to provide iPod touch devices 24/7 to teachers and students of English Language Learners. We described the initiative and presented the research findings of its implementation for two years at elementary and middle school levels. The results…

Open-Source Conceptual Sizing Models for the Hyperloop Passenger Pod

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chin, Jeffrey C.; Gray, Justin S.; Jones, Scott M.; Berton, Jeffrey J.

2015-01-01

Hyperloop is a new mode of transportation proposed as an alternative to California's high speed rail project, with the intended benefits of higher performance at lower overall costs. It consists of a passenger pod traveling through a tube under a light vacuum and suspended on air bearings. The pod travels up to transonic speeds resulting in a 35 minute travel time between the intended route from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Of the two variants outlined, the smaller system includes a 1.1 meter tall passenger capsule traveling through a 2.2 meter tube at 700 miles per hour. The passenger pod features water-based heat exchangers as well as an on-board compression system that reduces the aerodynamic drag as it moves through the tube. Although the original proposal looks very promising, it assumes that tube and pod dimensions are independently sizable without fully acknowledging the constraints of the compressor system on the pod geometry. This work focuses on the aerodynamic and thermodynamic interactions between the two largest systems; the tube and the pod. Using open-source toolsets, a new sizing method is developed based on one-dimensional thermodynamic relationships that accounts for the strong interactions between these sub-systems. These additional considerations require a tube nearly twice the size originally considered and limit the maximum pod travel speed to about 620 miles per hour. Although the results indicate that Hyperloop will need to be larger and slightly slower than originally intended, the estimated travel time only increases by approximately five minutes, so the overall performance is not dramatically affected. In addition, the proposed on-board heat exchanger is not an ideal solution to achieve reasonable equilibrium air temperatures within the tube. Removal of this subsystem represents a potential reduction in weight, energy requirements and complexity of the pod. In light of these finding, the core concept still remains a compelling possibility, although additional engineering and economic analyses are markedly necessary before a more complete design can be developed.

Evaluation of the BOD POD for estimating percent body fat in collegiate track and field female athletes: a comparison of four methods.

PubMed

Bentzur, Keren M; Kravitz, Len; Lockner, Donna W

2008-11-01

This investigation examined the accuracy of the BOD POD on a group of Division I collegiate track and field female athletes (N = 30). Hydrostatic weighing (HW) was used as the gold standard method. Body density (Db) values obtained from the BOD POD (Db BP) were compared with those determined by HW (Db HW). Both Db values were converted to percent body fat (%BF) using the Siri equation for comparison. Percent body fat values obtained from the BOD POD (BF BP) were also compared with those obtained from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA, BF DXA) and skinfold (SF, BF SF). The validity of the BOD POD was assessed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the relationship between the methods was examined through Pearson correlation. Average Db BP was 0.00890 g x cm(-3) lower (p < 0.05) than Db HW, resulting in a significant overestimation of %BF (p < 0.05) by the BOD POD. Values for BFDXA and BFBP also differed significantly (p < 0.05). On the other hand, BFSF and BF BP were not significantly different. The correlation between percent body fat values obtained from HW (BFHW) and BF BP was good (r = 0.88, SEE = 2.30) as well as between BF SF and BF BP (r = 0.85, SEE = 2.05). Conversely, the correlation between BFDXA and BF BP was poor (r = 0.25, SEE = 5.73). The strong correlation between BF BP and BF HW presented here suggests that the BOD POD has the potential to be used as a body composition analysis tool for female athletes. The advantages of the BOD POD over HW encourage further investigation of this instrument. However, the fact that the BOD POD and SF results did not differ significantly might suggest that the SF could be used in its place until a better rate of accuracy for this instrument is established.

Deciphering Transcriptional Programming during Pod and Seed Development Using RNA-Seq in Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan).

PubMed

Pazhamala, Lekha T; Agarwal, Gaurav; Bajaj, Prasad; Kumar, Vinay; Kulshreshtha, Akanksha; Saxena, Rachit K; Varshney, Rajeev K

2016-01-01

Seed development is an important event in plant life cycle that has interested humankind since ages, especially in crops of economic importance. Pigeonpea is an important grain legume of the semi-arid tropics, used mainly for its protein rich seeds. In order to understand the transcriptional programming during the pod and seed development, RNA-seq data was generated from embryo sac from the day of anthesis (0 DAA), seed and pod wall (5, 10, 20 and 30 DAA) of pigeonpea variety "Asha" (ICPL 87119) using Illumina HiSeq 2500. About 684 million sequencing reads have been generated from nine samples, which resulted in the identification of 27,441 expressed genes after sequence analysis. These genes have been studied for their differentially expression, co-expression, temporal and spatial gene expression. We have also used the RNA-seq data to identify important seed-specific transcription factors, biological processes and associated pathways during seed development process in pigeonpea. The comprehensive gene expression study from flowering to mature pod development in pigeonpea would be crucial in identifying candidate genes involved in seed traits directly or indirectly related to yield and quality. The dataset will serve as an important resource for gene discovery and deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying various seed related traits.

Evaluation and optimization of ethanol production from carob pod extract by Zymomonas mobilis using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Vaheed, Hossein; Shojaosadati, Seyed Abbas; Galip, Hasan

2011-01-01

In this research, ethanol production from carob pod extract (extract) using Zymomonas mobilis with medium optimized by Plackett-Burman (P-B) and response surface methodologies (RSM) was studied. Z. mobilis was recognized as useful for ethanol production from carob pod extract. The effects of initial concentrations of sugar, peptone, and yeast extract as well as agitation rate (rpm), pH, and culture time in nonhydrolyzed carob pod extract were investigated. Significantly affecting variables (P = 0.05) in the model obtained from RSM studies were: weights of bacterial inoculum, initial sugar, peptone, and yeast extract. Acid hydrolysis was useful to complete conversion of sugars to glucose and fructose. Nonhydrolyzed extract showed higher ethanol yield and residual sugar compared with hydrolyzed extract. Ethanol produced (g g(-1) initial sugar, as the response) was not significantly different (P = 0.05) when Z. mobilis performance was compared in hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed extract. The maximum ethanol of 0.34 ± 0.02 g g(-1) initial sugar was obtained at 30°C, initial pH 5.2, and 80 rpm, using concentrations (g per 50 mL culture media) of: inoculum bacterial dry weight, 0.017; initial sugar, 5.78; peptone, 0.43; yeast extract, 0.43; and culture time of 36 h.

Deciphering Transcriptional Programming during Pod and Seed Development Using RNA-Seq in Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan)

PubMed Central

Pazhamala, Lekha T.; Agarwal, Gaurav; Bajaj, Prasad; Kumar, Vinay; Kulshreshtha, Akanksha; Saxena, Rachit K.; Varshney, Rajeev K.

2016-01-01

Seed development is an important event in plant life cycle that has interested humankind since ages, especially in crops of economic importance. Pigeonpea is an important grain legume of the semi-arid tropics, used mainly for its protein rich seeds. In order to understand the transcriptional programming during the pod and seed development, RNA-seq data was generated from embryo sac from the day of anthesis (0 DAA), seed and pod wall (5, 10, 20 and 30 DAA) of pigeonpea variety “Asha” (ICPL 87119) using Illumina HiSeq 2500. About 684 million sequencing reads have been generated from nine samples, which resulted in the identification of 27,441 expressed genes after sequence analysis. These genes have been studied for their differentially expression, co-expression, temporal and spatial gene expression. We have also used the RNA-seq data to identify important seed-specific transcription factors, biological processes and associated pathways during seed development process in pigeonpea. The comprehensive gene expression study from flowering to mature pod development in pigeonpea would be crucial in identifying candidate genes involved in seed traits directly or indirectly related to yield and quality. The dataset will serve as an important resource for gene discovery and deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying various seed related traits. PMID:27760186

Size variation of Acacia caven (leguminosae) pods along a climatic gradient in Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutiérrez, J. R.; Armesto, J. J.

1981-06-01

A southward tendency of increment in pod-length is shown for 11 populations of Acacia caven (Mol.) Hook et Arn. localized along a climatic gradient of increasing annual rainfall in Chile. This fact would suggest that A. caven populations occurring in the south are in better conditions for reproduction than northern populations, since pod-length is related to the amount of seeds inside the pods. The possible bearing of this southward tendency of increasing seed production upon the expansion of A. caven toward the more humid zones in southern Chile is discussed.

Performance Evaluation of the United Nations Environment ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A request for technical collaboration between the UNEP and the US EPA resulted in the establishment of a MCRADA. The purpose of this agreement was to evaluate an air quality monitoring system (referred to as the UNEP pod) developed by the UNEP for use in environmental situations where more sophisticated monitoring instrumentation was not available. The US EPA has conducted numerous evaluations of other similar sensor pods at its Research Triangle Park, NC research campus and has trained staff as well as established research designs for such efforts. Under the terms of the MCRADA, the US EPA would operate the pod using UNEP provided operating procedures in a manner consistent with its planned intent of deployment. The US EPA would collect air quality monitoring data from the pod involving select environmental measures over a period of approximately one month. Reference monitoring data collected from collocated federal regulatory monitors would be used to establish a comparison between the two systems and thus establishment of performance characteristics. In addition, the US EPA would provide feedback information to the UNEP as to observed ease of use features of the pod that would be beneficial in its future evolution and deployment. The UNEP recently developed a multipollutant sensor pod called the UNEP Air Quality Monitoring Unit, herein simply defined as the UNEP pod (http://aqicn.org/faq/2015-10-28/unep-air-quality-monitoring-station/). First introduced in 20

Community-wide Validation of Geospace Model Ground Magnetic Field Perturbation Predictions to Support Model Transition to Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pulkkinen, A.; Rastaetter, L.; Kuznetsova, M.; Singer, H.; Balch, C.; Weimer, D.; Toth, G.; Ridley, A.; Gombosi, T.; Wiltberger, M.;

Isolation and identification of mycoparasitic isolates of Trichoderma asperellum with potential for suppression of black pod disease of cacao in Cameroon

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Alternative measures to chemical fungicides are needed to control Phytophthora megakarya, the main causal agent of black pod diseasein Central and West Africa. Precolonized plate and detached cacao pod assays were used to screen fungal isolates for mycoparasitismon P. megakarya. Of over 200 isolates...

Teaching Adults with Moderate Intellectual Disability ATM Use via the "iPod"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Renee; Collins, Belva; Knight, Victoria; Kleinert, Harold

2013-01-01

Money management can increase independence and access to communities for individuals with disabilities. Although research on computer-based instruction for teaching banking skills to students with intellectual disability is established, the use of portable electronic devices (e.g., iPod) has not been evaluated. iPods may be an effective, portable,…

Ecology of the cocoa pod borer, Conopomorpha cramerella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), a major pest for the cocoa industry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Conopomorpha cramerella, the cocoa pod borer (CPB), has been known to damage cocoa pods for more than 100 years, but information on the ecology of this species is scant in the scientific literature. That which does exist is scattered in obscure local journals, not readily accessible, and often unve...

21 CFR 155.200 - Certain other canned vegetables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Bottom cuts or cuts—tips removed. Bean sprouts Sprouts of the Mung bean Shelled beans Seed shelled from green or wax bean pods, with or without snaps (pieces of immature unshelled pods) Lima beans or butter beans Seed shelled from the pods of the lima bean plant Beets Root of the beet plant Whole; slices or...

21 CFR 155.200 - Certain other canned vegetables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Bottom cuts or cuts—tips removed. Bean sprouts Sprouts of the Mung bean Shelled beans Seed shelled from green or wax bean pods, with or without snaps (pieces of immature unshelled pods) Lima beans or butter beans Seed shelled from the pods of the lima bean plant Beets Root of the beet plant Whole; slices or...

7 CFR 319.56-62 - Fresh beans, shelled or in pods, from Jordan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Fresh beans, shelled or in pods, from Jordan. 319.56... Vegetables § 319.56-62 Fresh beans, shelled or in pods, from Jordan. Fresh beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L... Spodoptera littoralis. (a) Packinghouse requirements. The beans must be packed in packing facilities that are...

Molecular and metabolic changes of cherelle wilt of cacao and its effect on Moniliophthora roreri

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The seeds of Theobroma cacao L. pods are processed into cocoa products. Cherelle wilt is physiological thinning of young pods that result in loss of potential pods. Cherelle wilt first occurs 50 days after pollination (DAP) and a second thinning occurs around 70 DAP. Cherelles are also highly sus...

Evaluation of VIDAS UP Listeria assay (LPT) for the detection of Listeria in a variety of foods and environmental surfaces: First Action 2013.10.

PubMed

Crowley, Erin; Bird, Patrick; Flannery, Jonathan; Benzinger, M Joseph; Fisher, Kiel; Boyle, Megan; Huffman, Travis; Bastin, Ben; Bedinghaus, Paige; Judd, William; Hoang, Thao; Agin, James; Goins, David; Johnson, Ronald L

2014-01-01

The VIDAS UP Listeria (LPT) is an automated rapid screening enzyme phage-ligand based assay for the detection of Listeria species in human food products and environmental samples. The VIDAS LPT method was compared in a multi-laboratory collaborative study to AOAC Official Method 993.12 Listeria monocytogenes in Milk and Dairy Products reference method following current AOAC guidelines. A total of 14 laboratories participated, representing government and industry, throughout the United States. One matrix, queso fresco (soft Mexican cheese), was analyzed using two different test portion sizes, 25 and 125 g. Samples representing each test portion size were artificially contaminated with Listeria species at three levels, an uninoculated control level [0 colony-forming units (CFU)/test portion], a low-inoculum level (0.2-2 CFU/test portion), and a high-inoculum level (2-5 CFU/test portion). For this evaluation, 1800 unpaired replicate test portions were analyzed by either the VIDAS LPT or AOAC 993.12. Each inoculation level was analyzed using the Probability of Detection (POD) statistical model. For the low-level inoculated test portions, difference in collaborator POD (dLPOD) values of 0.01, (-0.10, 0.13), with 95% confidence intervals, were obtained for both 25 and 125 g test portions. The range of the confidence intervals for dLPOD values for both the 25 and 125 g test portions contains the point 0.0 indicating no statistically significant difference in the number of positive samples detected between the VIDAS LPT and the AOAC methods. In addition to Oxford agar, VIDAS LPT test portions were confirmed using Agar Listeria Ottavani and Agosti (ALOA), a proprietary chromogenic agar for the identification and differentiation of L. monocytogenes and Listeria species. No differences were observed between the two selective agars. The VIDAS LPT method, with the optional ALOA agar confirmation method, was adopted as Official First Action status for the detection of Listeria species in a variety of foods and environmental samples.

Monitoring the Ocean Using High Frequency Ambient Sound

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-01

even identify specific groups within the resident killer whale type ( Puget Sound Southern Resident pods J, K and L) because these groups have...particular, the different populations of killer whales in the NE Pacific Ocean. This has been accomplished by detecting transient sounds with short...high sea state (the sound of spray), general shipping - close and distant, clanking and whale calls and clicking. These sound sources form the basis

Light-Addressed Electrodeposition of Enzyme-Entrapped Chitosan Membranes for Multiplexed Enzyme-Based Bioassays Using a Digital Micromirror Device

PubMed Central

Huang, Shih-Hao; Wei, Lu-Shiuan; Chu, Hsiao-Tzu; Jiang, Yeu-Long

2013-01-01

This paper describes a light-addressed electrolytic system used to perform an electrodeposition of enzyme-entrapped chitosan membranes for multiplexed enzyme-based bioassays using a digital micromirror device (DMD). In this system, a patterned light illumination is projected onto a photoconductive substrate serving as a photo-cathode to electrolytically produce hydroxide ions, which leads to an increased pH gradient. The high pH generated at the cathode can cause a local gelation of chitosan through sol-gel transition. By controlling the illumination pattern on the DMD, a light-addressed electrodeposition of chitosan membranes with different shapes and sizes, as well as multiplexed micropatterning, was performed. The effect of the illumination time of the light pattern on the dimensional resolution of chitosan membrane formation was examined experimentally. Moreover, multiplexed enzyme-based bioassay of enzyme-entrapped chitosan membranes was also successfully demonstrated through the electrodeposition of the chitosan membranes with various shapes/sizes and entrapping different enzymes. As a model experiment, glucose and ethanol were simultaneously detected in a single detection chamber without cross-talk using shape-coded chitosan membranes entrapped with glucose oxidase (GOX), peroxidase (POD), and Amplex Red (AmR) or alcohol oxidase (AOX), POD, and AmR by using same fluorescence indicator (AmR). PMID:23959236

Light-addressed electrodeposition of enzyme-entrapped chitosan membranes for multiplexed enzyme-based bioassays using a digital micromirror device.

PubMed

Huang, Shih-Hao; Wei, Lu-Shiuan; Chu, Hsiao-Tzu; Jiang, Yeu-Long

2013-08-16

This paper describes a light-addressed electrolytic system used to perform an electrodeposition of enzyme-entrapped chitosan membranes for multiplexed enzyme-based bioassays using a digital micromirror device (DMD). In this system, a patterned light illumination is projected onto a photoconductive substrate serving as a photo-cathode to electrolytically produce hydroxide ions, which leads to an increased pH gradient. The high pH generated at the cathode can cause a local gelation of chitosan through sol-gel transition. By controlling the illumination pattern on the DMD, a light-addressed electrodeposition of chitosan membranes with different shapes and sizes, as well as multiplexed micropatterning, was performed. The effect of the illumination time of the light pattern on the dimensional resolution of chitosan membrane formation was examined experimentally. Moreover, multiplexed enzyme-based bioassay of enzyme-entrapped chitosan membranes was also successfully demonstrated through the electrodeposition of the chitosan membranes with various shapes/sizes and entrapping different enzymes. As a model experiment, glucose and ethanol were simultaneously detected in a single detection chamber without cross-talk using shape-coded chitosan membranes entrapped with glucose oxidase (GOX), peroxidase (POD), and Amplex Red (AmR) or alcohol oxidase (AOX), POD, and AmR by using same fluorescence indicator (AmR).

Recent Survey and Application of the simSUNDT Software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persson, G.; Wirdelius, H.

2010-02-01

The simSUNDT software is based on a previous developed program (SUNDT). The latest version has been customized in order to generate realistic synthetic data (including a grain noise model), compatible with a number of off-line analysis software. The software consists of a Windows®-based preprocessor and postprocessor together with a mathematical kernel (UTDefect), dealing with the actual mathematical modeling. The model employs various integral transforms and integral equation and enables simulations of the entire ultrasonic testing situation. The model is completely three-dimensional though the simulated component is two-dimensional, bounded by the scanning surface and a planar back surface as an option. It is of great importance that inspection methods that are applied are proper validated and that their capability of detection of cracks and defects are quantified. In order to achieve this, statistical methods such as Probability of Detection (POD) often are applied, with the ambition to estimate the detectability as a function of defect size. Despite the fact that the proposed procedure with the utilization of test pieces is very expensive, it also tends to introduce a number of possible misalignments between the actual NDT situation that is to be performed and the proposed experimental simulation. The presentation will describe the developed model that will enable simulation of a phased array NDT inspection and the ambition to use this simulation software to generate POD information. The paper also includes the most recent developments of the model including some initial experimental validation of the phased array probe model.

Evaluation of PCR Systems for Field Screening of Bacillus anthracis

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

Ozanich, Richard M.; Colburn, Heather A.; Victry, Kristin D.

There is little published data on the performance of hand-portable polymerase chain reaction (PCR) instruments that could be used by first responders to determine if a suspicious powder contains a potential biothreat agent. We evaluated five commercially available hand-portable PCR instruments for detection of Bacillus anthracis (Ba). We designed a cost-effective, statistically-based test plan that allows instruments to be evaluated at performance levels ranging from 0.85-0.95 lower confidence bound (LCB) on the probability of detection (POD) at confidence levels of 80-95%. We assessed specificity using purified genomic DNA from 13 Ba strains and 18 Bacillus near neighbors, interference with 22more » common hoax powders encountered in the field, and PCR inhibition when Ba spores were spiked into these powders. Our results indicated that three of the five instruments achieved >0.95 LCB on the POD with 95% confidence at test concentrations of 2,000 genome equivalents/mL (comparable to 2,000 spores/mL), displaying more than sufficient sensitivity for screening suspicious powders. These instruments exhibited no false positive results or PCR inhibition with common hoax powders, and reliably detected Ba spores spiked into common hoax powders, though some issues with instrument controls were observed. Our testing approach enables efficient instrument performance testing to a statistically rigorous and cost-effective test plan to generate performance data that will allow users to make informed decisions regarding the purchase and use of biodetection equipment in the field.« less

Enhanced Analgesic Responses After Preferential Delivery of Morphine and Fentanyl to the Olfactory Epithelium in Rats

PubMed Central

Hoekman, John D.; Ho, Rodney J.Y.

2011-01-01

Background Centrally acting opioid analgesics such as morphine and fentanyl are effective, but their efficacy is often limited by a delayed response or side effects resulting from systemic first-pass before reaching the brain and the central nervous system (CNS). It is generally accepted that drugs applied to the nasal cavity can directly access the brain and the CNS, which could provide therapeutic advantages such as rapid onset and lower systemic exposure. The olfactory region of the nasal cavity has been implicated in facilitating this direct nose-to-CNS transfer. If the fraction of opioid administered to the olfactory region could be improved, there could be a larger fraction of drug directly delivered to the CNS, mediating greater therapeutic benefit. Methods We have developed a pressurized olfactory delivery (POD) device to consistently and non-invasively deposit a majority of drug on the olfactory region of the nasal cavity in Sprague-Dawley rats. Using the tail-flick latency test and analysis of plasma and CNS tissue drug exposure, we compared distribution and efficacy of the opioids morphine and fentanyl administered to the nasal olfactory region with the POD device or the nasal respiratory region with nose drops or systemically via intraperitoneal (IP) injection. Results Compared to nose drop, POD administration of morphine resulted in significantly higher overall therapeutic effect (AUCeffect) without a significant increase in plasma drug exposure (AUCplasma). POD delivery of morphine resulted in a nose-to-CNS direct transport percentage of 38–55%. POD delivery of fentanyl led to a faster (5 min vs. 10 min) and more intense analgesic effect compared to nasal respiratory administration. Unlike IP injection or nose drop administration, both morphine and fentanyl given by the POD device to olfactory nasal epithelium exhibited clockwise [plasma] versus effect hysteresis after nasal POD administration, consistent with direct nose-to-CNS drug transport mechanism. Conclusions Deposition of opioids to the olfactory region within the nasal cavity could have a significant impact on drug distribution and pharmacodynamic effect, and thus should be considered into account in future nasally administered opioid studies. PMID:21709146

C-reactive protein as early predictor of complications after minimally invasive colorectal resection.

PubMed

Pedrazzani, Corrado; Moro, Margherita; Mantovani, Guido; Lazzarini, Enrico; Conci, Simone; Ruzzenente, Andrea; Lippi, Giuseppe; Guglielmi, Alfredo

2017-04-01

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and enhanced recovery programs have been increasingly adopted in colorectal surgery. The aim of this prospective observational study was to evaluate the usefulness of the C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration measured on postoperative day 3 (POD-3) as an early predictor of severe complications after minimally invasive colorectal resection. From January 2014 to December 2015, 160 patients underwent resection of colorectal disease by MIS at the Division of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery, University of Verona Hospital Trust. Among these, CRP measurement was available on POD-3 in 143 patients. Conversion from laparoscopic to open surgery was necessary in 18 patients (12.6%). The mean POD-3 CRP concentration was significantly higher in patients who did than did not require conversions (205.6 ± 89.6 mg/L versus 104.6 ± 85.8 mg/L, respectively; P < 0.001), even in the absence of postoperative complications, and these patients were therefore excluded from the subsequent analysis. No deaths occurred during the study period, but complications occurred in 39 patients (31.2%). Among these, 24 patients (61.5%) developed surgery-related complications. A POD-3 CRP concentration of 120 mg/L was highly reliable for excluding the occurrence of surgery-related and severe complications. The negative predictive values for excluding surgery-related and severe complications was 86.8% and 97.7%, respectively. Assessment of the POD-3 CRP concentration after colorectal MIS is clinically significant for excluding the occurrence of surgery-related and severe complications. This measurement is a largely available, inexpensive, and easy-to-use tool that allows early and safe discharge in the setting of colorectal MIS and enhanced recovery programs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The challenge of precise orbit determination for STSAT-2C using extremely sparse SLR data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Young-Rok; Park, Eunseo; Kucharski, Daniel; Lim, Hyung-Chul; Kim, Byoungsoo

2016-03-01

The Science and Technology Satellite (STSAT)-2C is the first Korean satellite equipped with a laser retro-reflector array for satellite laser ranging (SLR). SLR is the only on-board tracking source for precise orbit determination (POD) of STSAT-2C. However, POD for the STSAT-2C is a challenging issue, as the laser measurements of the satellite are extremely sparse, largely due to the inaccurate two-line element (TLE)-based orbit predictions used by the SLR tracking stations. In this study, POD for the STSAT-2C using extremely sparse SLR data is successfully implemented, and new laser-based orbit predictions are obtained. The NASA/GSFC GEODYN II software and seven-day arcs are used for the SLR data processing of two years of normal points from March 2013 to May 2015. To compensate for the extremely sparse laser tracking, the number of estimation parameters are minimized, and only the atmospheric drag coefficients are estimated with various intervals. The POD results show that the weighted root mean square (RMS) post-fit residuals are less than 10 m, and the 3D day boundaries vary from 30 m to 3 km. The average four-day orbit overlaps are less than 20/330/20 m for the radial/along-track/cross-track components. The quality of the new laser-based prediction is verified by SLR observations, and the SLR residuals show better results than those of previous TLE-based predictions. This study demonstrates that POD for the STSAT-2C can be successfully achieved against extreme sparseness of SLR data, and the results can deliver more accurate predictions.

Habitat and food preferences of the endangered Palila (Loxioides bailleui) on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hess, Steven C.; Banko, Paul C.; Miller, Linda J.; Laniawe, Leona P.

2014-01-01

Seeds and flowers of the leguminous māmane (Sophora chrysophylla) tree are the primary food resource of the federally endangered Palila (Loxioides bailleui; Fringillidae: Drepanidinae), which is now restricted to dry subalpine woodland on Mauna Kea Volcano on the island of Hawai'i because of centuries of habitat degradation by non-native ungulates. Palila are morphologically and behaviorally adapted to consume māmane seeds by grasping seed pods with their feet and opening pods with stout bills and demonstrate limited ability to exploit alternative food resources. This degree of single species dependency is rare among birds and illustrates unique adaptations that also occurred in other Hawaiian species that are now extinct. In mixed-woodland with co-dominant naio (Myoporum sandwicense), Palila spent 1.7-3.9 times longer in māmane than in naio during foraging observations where naio was 1.3-4.6 times as dense as māmane. Naio fruit was readily available, but it comprised proportionally <11% of food items taken by Palila. Although māmane flowers were more abundant than māmane pods throughout this study except at one lower-elevation mixed-woodland site, Palila spent more time foraging on pods than flowers in both māmane woodland and mixed-woodland, but consumed more flowers than pods in mixed-woodland. Insects, which have been reported as an important component of the diet of Palila, were apparently taken rarely in this study. Protecting and restoring māmane in woodlands adjacent to the current range of Palila will benefit their recovery, allowing them to exploit increased food availability in areas of their former range.

Effect of Ovule Position within the Pod on the Probability of Seed Production in Bauhinia ungulata (Fabaceae)

PubMed Central

MENA-ALÍ, JORGE I.; ROCHA, OSCAR J.

2004-01-01

• Background and Aims It has been claimed that ovules linearly ordered within a fruit differ in their probabilities of reaching maturity. This was investigated by studying the effect the position of an ovule within the pod has on seed abortion and seed production in Bauhinia ungulata. • Methods Fruits collected during the dry seasons of 1999, 2000 and 2001 were opened, and the number, position and status of each ovule within the fruit were recorded. A GLM model was used to assess the effects of population, tree identity and ovule position within the pod on ovule fertilization, seed abortion, seed damage and seed maturation in two populations of B. ungulata. • Key Results Nearly 30 % of the ovules were not fertilized in 1999; this percentage dropped to 5 % the following two years. Seed abortion (50 %) and seed damage (15 %) were the same every year during the study period. Only 15 % of the initial ovules developed into mature seeds in 1999; this value increased to 35 % in 2000 and 2001. However, seed survivorship was dependent on the position of the ovule within the pod; non-fertilized and early aborted ovules were found more often near the basal end of the ovary. The frequency of seed damage was not affected by position. Mature seeds were found mainly in the stylar half of fruits, where ovules are likely to be fertilized by fast pollen tubes. • Conclusions The pattern of seed production in B. ungulata is non-random but is dependent upon the position of the ovule within the pod. The results suggest that the seeds produced within a fruit might differ in their vigour. PMID:15596452

Thrombocytopenia following implantation of the stentless biological sorin freedom SOLO valve.

PubMed

Gersak, Borut; Gartner, Urska; Antonic, Miha

2011-07-01

Stentless biological valves have proven advantages in hemodynamic performance and left ventricular function compared to stented biological valves. Following a marked postoperative fall in the platelet count of patients after implantation of the Freedom SOLO valve, the study aim was to confirm clinical observations that this effect was more severe in patients receiving Freedom SOLO valves than in those receiving St. Jude Medical (SJM) mechanical aortic valves. Preoperative and postoperative platelet counts were compared in two groups of patients who underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR) without any concomitant procedures between January and December 2007. Patients received either a Freedom SOLO valve (n = 28) or a SJM mechanical valve (n = 41). Mean values of platelet counts were compared using three multiple linear regression models. Platelet counts were significantly lower in the Freedom SOLO group than in the SJM group from the first postoperative day (POD 1) up to POD 6 (p <0.001). In three patients of the Freedom SOLO group the platelet count fell below 30x10(9)/l, while the lowest level in the SJM group was 75x10(9)/l. Based on multiple linear regression models, the type of valve implanted had a statistically significant influence on postoperative platelet counts on POD 1, POD 3, and POD 5 (p <0.001). Whilst the reason for this phenomenon is unknown, the use of consistent monitoring should prevent severe falls in platelet count from becoming dangerous for the patient. Further studies are required to investigate the phenomenon since, despite a shorter cardiopulmonary bypass time, the fall in platelet count was more profound in the Freedom SOLO group.

Response of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) to terminal drought: leaf stomatal conductance, pod abscisic acid concentration, and seed set.

PubMed

Pang, Jiayin; Turner, Neil C; Khan, Tanveer; Du, Yan-Lei; Xiong, Jun-Lan; Colmer, Timothy D; Devilla, Rosangela; Stefanova, Katia; Siddique, Kadambot H M

2017-04-01

Flower and pod production and seed set of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) are sensitive to drought stress. A 2-fold range in seed yield was found among a large number of chickpea genotypes grown at three dryland field sites in south-western Australia. Leaf water potential, photosynthetic characteristics, and reproductive development of two chickpea genotypes with contrasting yields in the field were compared when subjected to terminal drought in 106kg containers of soil in a glasshouse. The terminal drought imposed from early podding reduced biomass, reproductive growth, harvest index, and seed yield of both genotypes. Terminal drought at least doubled the percentage of flower abortion, pod abscission, and number of empty pods. Pollen viability and germination decreased when the fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) decreased below 0.18 (82% of the plant-available soil water had been transpired); however, at least one pollen tube in each flower reached the ovary. The young pods which developed from flowers produced when the FTSW was 0.50 had viable embryos, but contained higher abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations than those of the well-watered plants; all pods ultimately aborted in the drought treatment. Cessation of seed set at the same soil water content at which stomata began to close and ABA increased strongly suggested a role for ABA signalling in the failure to set seed either directly through abscission of developing pods or seeds or indirectly through the reduction of photosynthesis and assimilate supply to the seeds. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Nutrient Digestibility and Metabolizable Energy Content of Mucuna pruriens Whole Pods Fed to Growing Pelibuey Lambs

PubMed Central

Loyra-Tzab, Enrique; Sarmiento-Franco, Luis Armando; Sandoval-Castro, Carlos Alfredo; Santos-Ricalde, Ronald Herve

2013-01-01

The nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance and in vivo metabolizable energy supply of Mucuna pruriens whole pods fed to growing Pelibuey lambs was investigated. Eight Pelibuey sheep housed in metabolic crates were fed increasing levels of Mucuna pruriens pods: 0 (control), 100 (Mucuna100), 200 (Mucuna200) and 300 (Mucuna300) g/kg dry matter. A quadratic (p<0.002) effect was observed for dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fibre (aNDF), nitrogen (N) and gross energy (GE) intakes with higher intakes in the Mucuna100 and Mucuna200 treatments. Increasing M. pruriens in the diets had no effect (p>0.05) on DM and GE apparent digestibility (p<0.05). A linear reduction in N digestibility and N retention was observed with increasing mucuna pod level. This effect was accompanied by a quadratic effect (p<0.05) on fecal-N and N-balance which were higher in the Mucuna100 and Mucuna200 treatments. Urine-N excretion, GE retention and dietary estimated nutrient supply (metabolizable protein and metabolizable energy) were not affected (p>0.05). DM, N and GE apparent digestibility coefficient of M. pruriens whole pods obtained through multiple regression equations were 0.692, 0.457, 0.654 respectively. In vivo DE and ME content of mucuna whole pod were estimated in 11.0 and 9.7 MJ/kg DM. It was concluded that whole pods from M. pruriens did not affect nutrient utilization when included in an mixed diet up to 200 g/kg DM. This is the first in vivo estimation of mucuna whole pod ME value for ruminants. PMID:25049876

An iPod treatment of amblyopia: an updated binocular approach.

PubMed

Hess, Robert F; Thompson, B; Black, J M; Machara, G; Zhang, P; Bobier, W R; Cooperstock, J

2012-02-15

We describe the successful translation of computerized and space-consuming laboratory equipment for the treatment of suppression to a small handheld iPod device (Apple iPod; Apple Inc., Cupertino, California). A portable and easily obtainable Apple iPod display, using current video technology offers an ideal solution for the clinical treatment of suppression. The following is a description of the iPod device and illustrates how a video game has been adapted to provide the appropriate stimulation to implement our recent antisuppression treatment protocol. One to 2 hours per day of video game playing under controlled conditions for 1 to 3 weeks can improve acuity and restore binocular function, including stereopsis in adults, well beyond the age at which traditional patching is used. This handheld platform provides a convenient and effective platform for implementing the newly proposed binocular treatment of amblyopia in the clinic, home, or elsewhere. American Optometric Association.

Results from the EPL monkey-pod experiment conducted as part of the 1974 NASA/Ames shuttle CVT-2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rahlmann, D. F.; Kodama, A. M.; Mains, R. C.; Pace, N.

1974-01-01

The participation of the Environmental Physiology Laboratory (EPL) in the general purpose laboratory concept verification test 3 is documented. The EPL Monkey-Pod Experiment was designed to incorporate a 10-12 kg, pig tailed monkey, Macaca nemestrina, into the pod and measure the physiological responses of the animal continuously. Four major elements comprise the EPL Monkey-Pod Experiment System: (1) a fiberglass pod containing the instrumented monkey plus feeder and watering devices, (2) an inner console containing the SKYLAB mass spectrometer with its associated valving and electronic controls, sensing, control and monitoring units for lower body negative pressure, feeder activity, waterer activity, temperatures, and gas metabolism calibration, (3) an umbilical complex comprising gas flow lines and electrical cabling between the inner and outer console and (4) an outer console in principle representing the experiment support to be provided from general spacecraft sources.