Three-dimensional neutronics optimization of helium-cooled blanket for multi-functional experimental fusion-fission hybrid reactor (FDS-MFX)

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

Jiang, J.; Yuan, B.; Jin, M.

2012-07-01

Three-dimensional neutronics optimization calculations were performed to analyse the parameters of Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR) and maximum average Power Density (PDmax) in a helium-cooled multi-functional experimental fusion-fission hybrid reactor named FDS (Fusion-Driven hybrid System)-MFX (Multi-Functional experimental) blanket. Three-stage tests will be carried out successively, in which the tritium breeding blanket, uranium-fueled blanket and spent-fuel-fueled blanket will be utilized respectively. In this contribution, the most significant and main goal of the FDS-MFX blanket is to achieve the PDmax of about 100 MW/m3 with self-sustaining tritium (TBR {>=} 1.05) based on the second-stage test with uranium-fueled blanket to check and validate themore » demonstrator reactor blanket relevant technologies based on the viable fusion and fission technologies. Four different enriched uranium materials were taken into account to evaluate PDmax in subcritical blanket: (i) natural uranium, (ii) 3.2% enriched uranium, (iii) 19.75% enriched uranium, and (iv) 64.4% enriched uranium carbide. These calculations and analyses were performed using a home-developed code VisualBUS and Hybrid Evaluated Nuclear Data Library (HENDL). The results showed that the performance of the blanket loaded with 64.4% enriched uranium was the most attractive and it could be promising to effectively obtain tritium self-sufficiency (TBR-1.05) and a high maximum average power density ({approx}100 MW/m{sup 3}) when the blanket was loaded with the mass of {sup 235}U about 1 ton. (authors)« less

Measurement of the Decay Constant fDs+ Using Ds+→l+ν

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artuso, M.; Blusk, S.; Butt, J.; Khalil, S.; Li, J.; Menaa, N.; Mountain, R.; Nisar, S.; Randrianarivony, K.; Sia, R.; Skwarnicki, T.; Stone, S.; Wang, J. C.; Bonvicini, G.; Cinabro, D.; Dubrovin, M.; Lincoln, A.; Asner, D. M.; Edwards, K. W.; Naik, P.; Briere, R. A.; Ferguson, T.; Tatishvili, G.; Vogel, H.; Watkins, M. E.; Rosner, J. L.; Adam, N. E.; Alexander, J. P.; Cassel, D. G.; Duboscq, J. E.; Ehrlich, R.; Fields, L.; Gibbons, L.; Gray, R.; Gray, S. W.; Hartill, D. L.; Heltsley, B. K.; Hertz, D.; Jones, C. D.; Kandaswamy, J.; Kreinick, D. L.; Kuznetsov, V. E.; Mahlke-Krüger, H.; Mohapatra, D.; Onyisi, P. U. E.; Patterson, J. R.; Peterson, D.; Pivarski, J.; Riley, D.; Ryd, A.; Sadoff, A. J.; Schwarthoff, H.; Shi, X.; Stroiney, S.; Sun, W. M.; Wilksen, T.; Athar, S. B.; Patel, R.; Yelton, J.; Rubin, P.; Cawlfield, C.; Eisenstein, B. I.; Karliner, I.; Kim, D.; Lowrey, N.; Selen, M.; White, E. J.; Wiss, J.; Mitchell, R. E.; Shepherd, M. R.; Besson, D.; Pedlar, T. K.; Cronin-Hennessy, D.; Gao, K. Y.; Hietala, J.; Kubota, Y.; Klein, T.; Lang, B. W.; Poling, R.; Scott, A. W.; Smith, A.; Zweber, P.; Dobbs, S.; Metreveli, Z.; Seth, K. K.; Tomaradze, A.; Ernst, J.; Ecklund, K. M.; Severini, H.; Love, W.; Savinov, V.; Aquines, O.; Lopez, A.; Mehrabyan, S.; Mendez, H.; Ramirez, J.; Huang, G. S.; Miller, D. H.; Pavlunin, V.; Sanghi, B.; Shipsey, I. P. J.; Xin, B.; Adams, G. S.; Anderson, M.; Cummings, J. P.; Danko, I.; Hu, D.; Moziak, B.; Napolitano, J.; He, Q.; Insler, J.; Muramatsu, H.; Park, C. S.; Thorndike, E. H.; Yang, F.

2007-08-01

We measure the decay constant fDs+ using the Ds+→ℓ+ν channel, where the ℓ+ designates either a μ+ or a τ+, when the τ+→π+ν¯. Using both measurements we find fDs+=274±13±7MeV. Combining with our previous determination of fD+, we compute the ratio fDs+/fD+=1.23±0.11±0.04. We compare with theoretical estimates.

A useful strategy based on chromatographic data combined with quality-by-design approach for food analysis applications. The case study of furanic derivatives in sugarcane honey.

PubMed

Silva, Pedro; Silva, Catarina L; Perestrelo, Rosa; Nunes, Fernando M; Câmara, José S

2017-10-20

Sugarcane honey (SCH) is one of the Madeira Island products par excellence and it is now popular worldwide. Its sui generis and peculiar sensory properties, explained by a variety of volatile compounds including furanic derivatives (FDs), arise mainly from manufacturing and storage conditions. A simple high-throughput approach based on semi-automatic microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) was developed and validated for identification and quantification of target FDs in sugarcane honey. A Quality-by-Design (QbD) approach was used as a powerful strategy to optimize analytical conditions for high throughput analysis of FDs in complex sugar-rich food matrices. The optimum point into MEPS-Method Operable Design: Region (MODR) was obtained with R-CX sorbent, acetonitrile (ACN) as elution solvent, three loading cycles and 500μL of sample volume. The optimum point into UHPLC-MODR was obtained with a CORTECS column operating at a temperature of 50°C, ACN as eluent and a flow rate of 125μLmin -1 . The robustness was demonstrated by Monte Carlo simulation and capability analysis for estimation of residual errors. The concentration-response relationship for all FDs were described by polynomial function models, being confirmed by Fisher variance (F-test). The% recoveries were in a range of 91.9-112.1%. Good method precision was observed, yielding relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 4.9% for repeatability and 8.8% for intermediate precision. The limits of quantitation for the analytes ranged from 30.6 to 737.7μgkg -1 . The MEPS R-CX /UHPLC CORTECS -PDA method revealed an effective and potential analytical tool for SCH authenticity control based on target analysis of FDs allowing a strict control and differentiation from other similar or adulterated products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Robust fault detection of wind energy conversion systems based on dynamic neural networks.

PubMed

Talebi, Nasser; Sadrnia, Mohammad Ali; Darabi, Ahmad

2014-01-01

Occurrence of faults in wind energy conversion systems (WECSs) is inevitable. In order to detect the occurred faults at the appropriate time, avoid heavy economic losses, ensure safe system operation, prevent damage to adjacent relevant systems, and facilitate timely repair of failed components; a fault detection system (FDS) is required. Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) have gained a noticeable position in FDSs and they have been widely used for modeling of complex dynamical systems. One method for designing an FDS is to prepare a dynamic neural model emulating the normal system behavior. By comparing the outputs of the real system and neural model, incidence of the faults can be identified. In this paper, by utilizing a comprehensive dynamic model which contains both mechanical and electrical components of the WECS, an FDS is suggested using dynamic RNNs. The presented FDS detects faults of the generator's angular velocity sensor, pitch angle sensors, and pitch actuators. Robustness of the FDS is achieved by employing an adaptive threshold. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme is capable to detect the faults shortly and it has very low false and missed alarms rate.

Robust Fault Detection of Wind Energy Conversion Systems Based on Dynamic Neural Networks

PubMed Central

Talebi, Nasser; Sadrnia, Mohammad Ali; Darabi, Ahmad

2014-01-01

Occurrence of faults in wind energy conversion systems (WECSs) is inevitable. In order to detect the occurred faults at the appropriate time, avoid heavy economic losses, ensure safe system operation, prevent damage to adjacent relevant systems, and facilitate timely repair of failed components; a fault detection system (FDS) is required. Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) have gained a noticeable position in FDSs and they have been widely used for modeling of complex dynamical systems. One method for designing an FDS is to prepare a dynamic neural model emulating the normal system behavior. By comparing the outputs of the real system and neural model, incidence of the faults can be identified. In this paper, by utilizing a comprehensive dynamic model which contains both mechanical and electrical components of the WECS, an FDS is suggested using dynamic RNNs. The presented FDS detects faults of the generator's angular velocity sensor, pitch angle sensors, and pitch actuators. Robustness of the FDS is achieved by employing an adaptive threshold. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme is capable to detect the faults shortly and it has very low false and missed alarms rate. PMID:24744774

Cinema Fire Modelling by FDS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glasa, J.; Valasek, L.; Weisenpacher, P.; Halada, L.

2013-02-01

Recent advances in computer fluid dynamics (CFD) and rapid increase of computational power of current computers have led to the development of CFD models capable to describe fire in complex geometries incorporating a wide variety of physical phenomena related to fire. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) for cinema fire modelling. FDS is an advanced CFD system intended for simulation of the fire and smoke spread and prediction of thermal flows, toxic substances concentrations and other relevant parameters of fire. The course of fire in a cinema hall is described focusing on related safety risks. Fire properties of flammable materials used in the simulation were determined by laboratory measurements and validated by fire tests and computer simulations

The Combined Use of Intraluminal and Intrasaccular Flow Diversion for the Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms: Report of 25 Cases

PubMed Central

AlMatter, Muhammad; Hellstern, Victoria; Ganslandt, Oliver; Bäzner, Hansjörg; Henkes, Hans; Aguilar-Pérez, Marta

2018-01-01

Purpose The Medina Embolic Device (MED) is a new intrasaccular device with promising early results. Previously we documented our initial experience of this device both alone and in combination with other devices including flow diverter stents (FDS). We sought to determine the effect of the MED + FDS strategy for the treatment of selected aneurysms. Materials and Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data to identify all patients with aneurysms treated using both the MED and intraluminal FDS. We present our technical success rate, early and mid-term angiographic follow-up, and clinical outcome data. Results We identified 25 non-consecutive patients. The treatment was staged in 9 patients and in a single session 16 patients. The average age was 61±12.8 years (range 40–82). The average fundus height was 11±3.6 mm and average fundus width was 10.1±3.4 mm. In the staged cohort (n=9) at delayed angiography (mean 10 mths) 8 aneurysms (89%) showed complete exclusion (mRRC 1) and in one patient there was a parent vessel occlusion. In the simultaneous cohort delayed angiography (n=10, mean 8.1 months) demonstrated complete occlusion (mRRC 1) in 6 aneurysms (60%), 3 neck remnants (mRRC 2) (30%) and 1 patient (10%) showed persistent aneurysmal filling (mRRC 3a). There were 5 complications with permanent morbidity (mRS >2) in two patients. There were no mortalities. Conclusion The MED can be successfully used in combination with intraluminal FDS and in selected aneurysms this may represent an alternative to FDS and adjunctive coiling. PMID:29535895

Fiber optic-based fluorescence detection system for in vivo studies of exogenous chromophore pharmacokinetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doiron, Daniel R.; Dunn, J. B.; Mitchell, W. L.; Dalton, Brian K.; Garbo, Greta M.; Warner, Jon A.

1995-05-01

The detection and quantification of the concentration of exogenous chromophores in-vivo by their fluorescence is complicated by many physical and geometrical parameters. Measurement of such signals is advantageous in determining the pharmacokinetics of photosensitizers such as those used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) or to assist in the diagnosis of tissue histological state. To overcome these difficulties a ratio based fiber optic contact fluorometer has been developed. This fluorescence detection system (FDS) uses the ratio of the fluorescence emission peak of the exogenous chromophore to that of endogenous chromophores, i.e. autofluorescence, to correct for a variety of parameters affecting the magnitude of the measured signals. By doing so it also minimizes the range of baseline measurements prior to exogenous drug injection, for various tissue types. Design of the FDS and results of its testing in animals and patients using the second generation photosensitizer Tin ethyletiopurpurin (SnET2) are presented. These results support the feasibility and usefulness of the Ratio FDS system.

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT COMPETENCY GAPS IN PRIMARY CARE IN ALBANIAN, POLISH AND SLOVENIAN CONTEXTS: A STUDY PROTOCOL

PubMed Central

Czabanowska, Katarzyna; Burazeri, Genc; Klemenc-Ketis, Zalika; Kijowska, Violetta; Tomasik, Tomasz; Brand, Helmut

2012-01-01

Background: Nowadays, general practitioners (GPs) and family doctors (FDs) face increasing demands, as a consequence of complex patients’ expectations, developments in science and technology, and limitations within healthcare systems which can result in competency gaps. Therefore, there is a need to identify which competencies in quality improvement (QI) are most important for GPs and FDs to possess in order to meet the demands of contemporary health care practice. To date, however, little information is available on the self-assessment of competencies related to QI among GPs and FDs. To deal with these issues, a project on QI in continuous medical education was launched in 2011. The project aims to broaden the GPs’/ FDs’ continuous education offer, its quality and attractiveness, as well as provide them with opportunities for vocational advancement and enable the development of common, European frame of reference for GPs’/FDs’ occupational competencies. The third work package of the project consists of the validation research of the questionnaire developed on the basis of the competency framework in QI for GPs/FDs in Europe. Methods: A cross-sectional study will be carried out using the self-assessment QI questionnaire which was originally developed in English and subsequently it was cross-culturally adapted in Slovenian, Albanian and Polish settings by use of a pilot study on a conveniently selected group of FDs/GPs (N=10) in each participating country. The final version of the questionnaire will be administered to large samples in each country involved in the survey. Two weeks after the first administration of the questionnaire, a second round, with the same procedure and including the same group of respondents, will follow. Psychometric tests will be conducted including internal consistency (after the initial and subsequent application of the instrument) and stability over time (two-week test-retest reliability). Discussion: This self-assessment study will demonstrate the complex environment in which general practice/family medicine operates and, eventually, this gap analysis will set out strategically important areas for collaborative efforts related to QI in primary care. The authors consider that the study should be extended to other European countries to help identify most required competencies that GPs/FDs should possess in Europe and thus stir system and educational debate around QI curricula and training for primary care in Europe. PMID:23378694

Can family or replacement blood donors become regular volunteer donors?

PubMed

Asenso-Mensah, Kwame; Achina, Gifty; Appiah, Rita; Owusu-Ofori, Shirley; Allain, Jean-Pierre

2014-03-01

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) confirmed viral marker prevalence between family donors (FDs) and first-time volunteer nonremunerated donors (VNRDs) is similar. In a blood service collecting 10 units/1000 inhabitants, a questionnaire examined FD donation conditions and willingness of becoming repeat VNRDs. Four areas were explored: circumstances of visit to hospital, external pressure, experience of donating, and potential repeat donation. After donation and consent, research assistants administered 25 questions and, according to literacy, helped with translation and completion. Of 513 FDs, three-fourths were males (median age, 27 years). Only 1.3% were unemployed and more than 50% were students or teachers. Ties with hospitalized patient were family (76%), friends (13%), colleagues, or sharing place of worship (10%). Donating blood was the reason for visiting in 16.8% and 20.9% had previously donated blood probably as FDs. In one-third of FDs, the family asked for donation of which 10% was pressured by the unjustified reason that not donating was endangering the patient's life. For two-thirds of FDs, donation was given "because individuals were asked." Donation was a positive experience for 77% of donors, 62% being interested in predonation testing. Repeating donation was acceptable for 99% of 79% FDs answering. FDs are active in the population, are willing to donate blood if asked, are submitted to little pressure, do not receive incentives, and accept repeat donation. Except for circumstances of donation, FDs are not different from VNRDs and more directly motivated. They constitute a legitimate and important source to improve the blood supply in SSA. © 2013 American Association of Blood Banks.

Marine Tactical Command and Control System (MTACCS) Field Development System-1 (FDS-1) assessment: Final report

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

Avery, L.W.; Hunt, S.T.; Savage, S.F.

1992-04-01

The United State Marine Corps (USMC) is continuing the development and fielding of the Marine Corps Tactical Command and Control System (MTACCS), a system which exists in varying states of development, fielding, or modernization. MTACCS is currently composed of the following components: Tactical Combat Operations System (TCO) for ground command and control (C2), Intelligence Analysis System (IAS) with a Genser terminal connected to a TCO workstation for intelligence C2, Marine Integrated Personnel System (MIPS) and a TCO workstation using the Marine Combat Personnel System (MCPERS) software for personnel C2, Marine Integrated Logistics System (MILOGS) which is composed of the Landingmore » Force Asset Distribution System (LFADS), the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) II, and a TCO terminal using the Marine Combat Logistics System (MCLOG) for logistics C2, Marine Corps Fire Support System (MCFSS) for fire support C2, and Advanced Tactical Air Command Central (ATACC) and the Improved Direct Air Support Central for aviation C2.« less

Pay for performance of Estonian family doctors and impact of different practice- and patient-related characteristics on a good outcome: A quantitative assessment.

PubMed

Merilind, Eero; Salupere, Rauno; Västra, Katrin; Kalda, Ruth

2016-01-01

Several practice- and patient-related characteristics are reported to have an influence on a good quality outcome. Estonia started the pay-for-performance (P4P) system for family doctors (FDs) in 2006. Every year the number of FDs participating in P4P has increased, but only half of the FDs achieved good outcome. The aim of this study was to find out which practice- and patient-related characteristics could have an impact on a good outcome. The study was conducted using the database from the Estonian Health Insurance Fund. All working FDs were divided into two groups (with "good" and "poor" outcomes) according their achievements in P4P. We chose characteristics which described structure (practice list size, number of doctors, composition of FDs list: age, number of chronically ill patients) during the observation period 2006-2012. During the observation period 2006-2012, the number of FDs with a good outcome in P4P increased from 6% (2006) to 53% (2012). The high number of FDs in primary care teams, longer experience of participation in P4P and the smaller number of patients on FDs' lists all have an impact on a good outcome. The number of chronically ill patients in FDs lists has no significant effect on an outcome, but P4P increases the number of disease-diagnosed patients. Different practice and patient-related characteristics have an impact on a good outcome. As workload increases, smaller lists of FDs patients or increased staff levels are needed in order to maintain a good outcome. Copyright © 2016 The Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

Heart rate variability (HRV) and muscular system activity (EMG) in cases of crash threat during simulated driving of a passenger car.

PubMed

Zużewicz, Krystyna; Roman-Liu, Danuta; Konarska, Maria; Bartuzi, Paweł; Matusiak, Krzysztof; Korczak, Dariusz; Lozia, Zbigniew; Guzek, Marek

2013-10-01

The aim of the study was to verify whether simultaneous responses from the muscular and circulatory system occur in the driver's body under simulated conditions of a crash threat. The study was carried out in a passenger car driving simulator. The crash was included in the driving test scenario developed in an urban setting. In the group of 22 young male subjects, two physiological signals - ECG and EMG were continuously recorded. The length of the RR interval in the ECG signal was assessed. A HRV analysis was performed in the time and frequency domains for 1-minute record segments at rest (seated position), during undisturbed driving as well as during and several minutes after the crash. For the left and right side muscles: m. trapezius (TR) and m. flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), the EMG signal amplitude was determined. The percentage of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) was compared during driving and during the crash. As for the ECG signal, it was found that in most of the drivers changes occurred in the parameter values reflecting HRV in the time domain. Significant changes were noted in the mean length of RR intervals (mRR). As for the EMG signal, the changes in the amplitude concerned the signal recorded from the FDS muscle. The changes in ECG and EMG were simultaneous in half of the cases. Such parameters as mRR (ECG signal) and FDS-L amplitude (EMG signal) were the responses to accident risk. Under simulated conditions, responses from the circulatory and musculoskeletal systems are not always simultaneous. The results indicate that a more complete driver's response to a crash in road traffic is obtained based on parallel recording of two physiological signals (ECG and EMG).

International Space Station Environmental Control and Life Support System Acceptance Testing for Node 1 Atmosphere Control and Supply Subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, David E.

2009-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) Node 1 Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System is comprised of five subsystems: Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS), Atmosphere Revitalization (AR), Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS), Temperature and Humidity Control (THC), and Water Recovery and Management (WRM). This paper provides a summary of the Node 1 ECLS ACS subsystem design and a detailed discussion of the ISS ECLS Acceptance Testing methodology utilized for that subsystem.

Antibacterial and antifungal activities from Siamese crocodile blood.

PubMed

Leelawongtawon, Ratree; Siruntawineti, Jindawan; Chaeychomsri, Win; Sattaponpan, Chisanucha

2010-12-01

To evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of the Siamese crocodile blood against bacteria and fungi. Thirty Siamese crocodile blood samples including freeze dried whole blood (FDWB), fresh serum (FS), and freeze dried serum (FDS) were evaluated for antimicrobial susceptibility and MIC values against ATCC-registered strains of nine bacterial species and two fungal species and one fungus isolated from a clinical specimen, by using the standard broth microdilution method and a modified resazurin microtiter plate assay. The result showed that FS (80 mg/ml) and FDS (100 mg/ml) inhibited Gram negative bacteria including Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 27736, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 13311 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 with the susceptibility rate at 23.30%, 10.00%, 40.00%, 70.00%, and 86.67%, respectively for FS, and 30.00%, 10.00%, 43.33%, 76.67% and 90.00%, respectively for FDS. The MIC and MBC were in the range of 12.50-100.00 mg/ml and 25.00-100.00 mg/m1 respectively. FS and FDS also inhibited Cryptococcus neoformans 250309 and Aspergillus niger with the susceptibility rate at 90.00% and 80.00%, respectively for FS and 100.00% and 83.33%, respectively for FDS. The MIC was in the range of 25.00-100.00 mg/ml. However, FS and FDS did not inhibit Gram positive bacteria and did not kill fungi. FDWB (100 mg/ml) could neither inhibit bacteria nor fungi. FS and FDS from Siamese crocodile exhibited potential antibacterial and antifungal activities.

Parametric Characterization of Flow Inside Cererbal Aneurysms Treated with Flow-Diverting Stents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbour, Michael; Levitt, Michael; Geindreau, Christian; Johnson, Luke; Chivukula, Keshav; Aliseda, Alberto

2017-11-01

Cerebral aneurysms are often treated with a flow-diverting stent (FDS) to reduce blood flow into the aneurysm sac, promoting the development of a stable thrombus. Successful treatment is highly dependent on the degree of flow reduction and the altered hemodynamics inside the aneurysm sac following treatment. Establishing a causal connection between hemodynamic metrics of FDS-treated CAs and long-term clinical outcomes requires a rigorous parametric characterization of this flow environment. We use 3D particle image velocimetry (PIV) to measure the flow inside idealized aneurysm models treated with FDS. Physiologically realistic Reynolds numbers and increasing levels of parent vessel curvature are analyzed to understand the effect of inertia on flow development. The flow velocity into the aneurysm and the topology of the flow inside the sac is shown to be highly dependent on parent vessel Dean number (De). The role of flow pulsatility is then added to the study via time-dependent waveforms. Velocity measurements at 2 values of parent vessel Womersley number (Wo) allow us to parameterize flow inside of CAs treated with FDS as a function of De, Re and Wo, improving the fundamental understanding of how FDS alter CA hemodynamics and aiding in the development of new treatments.

Hybrid Upwind Splitting (HUS) by a Field-by-Field Decomposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coquel, Frederic; Liou, Meng-Sing

1995-01-01

We introduce and develop a new approach for upwind biasing: the hybrid upwind splitting (HUS) method. This original procedure is based on a suitable hybridization of current prominent flux vector splitting (FVS) and flux difference splitting (FDS) methods. The HUS method is designed to naturally combine the respective strengths of the above methods while excluding their main deficiencies. Specifically, the HUS strategy yields a family of upwind methods that exhibit the robustness of FVS schemes in the capture of nonlinear waves and the accuracy of some FDS schemes in the resolution of linear waves. We give a detailed construction of the HUS methods following a general and systematic procedure directly performed at the basic level of the field by field (i.e. waves) decomposition involved in FDS methods. For such a given decomposition, each field is endowed either with FVS or FDS numerical fluxes, depending on the nonlinear nature of the field under consideration. Such a design principle is made possible thanks to the introduction of a convenient formalism that provides us with a unified framework for upwind methods. The HUS methods we propose bring significant improvements over current methods in terms of accuracy and robustness. They yield entropy-satisfying approximate solutions as they are strongly supported in numerical experiments. Field by field hybrid numerical fluxes also achieve fairly simple and explicit expressions and hence require a computational effort between that of the FVS and FDS. Several numerical experiments ranging from stiff 1D shock-tube to high speed viscous flows problems are displayed, intending to illustrate the benefits of the present approach. We assess in particular the relevance of our HUS schemes to viscous flow calculations.

Effects of two educational programmes aimed at improving the utilization of non-opioid analgesics in family medicine clinics in Mexico.

PubMed

Doubova, Svetlana Vladislavovna; Mino-León, Dolores; Reyes-Morales, Hortensia; Flores-Hernandez, Sergio; Torres-Arreola, Laura del Pilar; Pérez-Cuevas, Ricardo

2010-08-01

To develop and test two educational programmes (interactive and passive) aimed at improving family doctors' (FD) prescribing practices and patient's knowledge and use of non-opioid analgesics (NOA). The educational programmes were conducted in two family medicine clinics by using a three-stage approach: baseline evaluation, design, and implementation of educational activities, and post-programme evaluation. An interactive educational programme (IEP) was compared with a passive educational programme (PEP); both were participated by FDs and patients. The IEP for FDs comprised of workshops, discussion groups, in-service training and guidelines, while for patients the IEP consisted of an interactive session with a video, leaflets and a discussion. The PEP consisted in delivering the guidelines to the FDs and the leaflets to patients. The effect of the programmes on the FDs was measured through the appropriateness of prescriptions and analysed using the differences-in-differences estimator (D-in-D), and on patients through changes in self-medication and in their knowledge about the proper use and adverse events by analysing the inter- and intra-group differences before and after the programmes. The IEP obtained better results to improve appropriate FDs prescription of NOA than PEP (D-in-D = 15%). Regarding the patients, the PEP group reached higher reduction of self-medication than the IEP group (13.4% vs. 9.1%); the knowledge of proper NOA use increased by 8.5% in both groups, whereas knowledge of NOA-related adverse events was better in the IEP (39.6%) than in the PEP group (9.2%). The IEP was better to improve the doctors' abilities to prescribe NOAs, and both programmes improved patients' knowledge.

Modeling fire-induced smoke spread and carbon monoxide transportation in a long channel: Fire Dynamics Simulator comparisons with measured data.

PubMed

Hu, L H; Fong, N K; Yang, L Z; Chow, W K; Li, Y Z; Huo, R

2007-02-09

Smoke and toxic gases, such as carbon monoxide, are the most fatal factors in fires. This paper models fire-induced smoke spread and carbon monoxide transportation in an 88m long channel by Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) with large eddy simulation (LES). FDS is now a well-founded fire dynamics computational fluid dynamic (CFD) program, which was developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Two full scale experiments with fire sizes of 0.75 and 1.6MW were conducted in this channel to validate the program. The spread of the fire-induced smoke flow together with the smoke temperature distribution along the channel, and the carbon monoxide concentration at an assigned position were measured. The FDS simulation results were compared with experimental data with fairly good agreement demonstrated. The validation work is then extended to numerically study the carbon monoxide concentration distribution, both vertically and longitudinally, in this long channel. Results showed that carbon monoxide concentration increase linearly with the height above the floor and decreases exponentially with the distance away from the fire source.

International Space Station Atmosphere Control and Supply, Atmosphere Revitalization, and Water Recovery and Management Subsystem - Verification for Node 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, David E.

2007-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) Node 1 Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System is comprised of five subsystems: Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS), Atmosphere Revitalization (AR), Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS), Temperature and Humidity Control (THC), and Water Recovery and Management (WRM). This paper provides a summary of the nominal operation of the Node 1 ACS, AR, and WRM design and detailed Element Verification methodologies utilized during the Qualification phase for Node 1.

Biodistribution and Radiation Dosimetry of the Enterobacteriaceae-Specific Imaging Probe [(18)F]Fluorodeoxysorbitol Determined by PET/CT in Healthy Human Volunteers.

PubMed

Zhu, Wenjia; Yao, Shaobo; Xing, Haiqun; Zhang, Hui; Tai, Yuan-Chuan; Zhang, Yingqiang; Liu, Yimin; Ma, Yanru; Wu, Chenxi; Wang, Hongkai; Li, Zibo; Wu, Zhanhong; Zhu, Zhaohui; Li, Fang; Huo, Li

2016-10-01

[(18)F]fluorodeoxysorbitol ([(18)F]FDS) is the first radiopharmaceutical specific for a category of bacteria and has the potential to specifically detect Enterobacteriaceae infections. The purpose of this study was to testify the safety and investigate the biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of [(18)F]FDS in healthy human bodies. Six healthy subjects were intravenously injected with 320-520 MBq [(18)F]FDS. On each subject, 21 whole-body emission scans and a brain scan were conducted at settled time points within the next 4 h. Residence time for each source organ was determined by multi-exponential regression. Absorbed doses for target organs and effective dose were calculated via OLINDA/EXM. No adverse events due to [(18)F]FDS injection were observed in the study. The tracer was cleared rapidly from the blood pool through the urinary system. A small portion was cleared into the gut through the hepatobiliary system. The effective dose (ED) was estimated to be 0.021 ± 0.001 mSv/MBq. The organ receiving the highest absorbed dose was the urinary bladder wall (0.25 ± 0.03 mSv/MBq). [(18)F]FDS is safe and well tolerated. The effective dose was comparable to that of other F-18 labeled radiotracers. [(18)F]FDS is suitable for human use from a radiation dosimetry perspective.

Software conversion history of the Flight Dynamics System (FDS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, K.

1984-01-01

This report summarizes the overall history of the Flight Dynamics System (FDS) applications software conversion project. It describes the background and nature of the project; traces the actual course of conversion; assesses the process, product, and personnel involved; and offers suggestions for future projects. It also contains lists of pertinent reference material and examples of supporting data.

Determination of thorium (IV) using isophthalaldehyde-tetrapyrrole as probe by resonance light scattering, second-order scattering and frequency-doubling scattering spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jiao; Xue, Jinhua; Xiao, Xilin; Xu, Li; Jiang, Min; Peng, Pengcheng; Liao, Lifu

2017-12-01

The coordination reaction of thorium (IV) with a ditopic bidentate ligand to form supramolecular polymer was studied by resonance light scattering (RLS) spectra, second-order scattering (SOS) spectra and frequency-doubling scattering (FDS) spectra, respectively. The ditopic bidentate ligand is isophthalaldehyde-tetrapyrrole (IPTP). It was synthesized through a condensation reaction of isophthalaldehyde with pyrrole. The formation of supramolecular polymer results in remarkable intensity enhancements of the three light scattering signals. The maximum scattering wavelengths of RLS, FDS and SOS were 290, 568 and 340 nm, respectively. The reaction was used to establish new light scattering methods for the determination of thorium (IV) by using IPTP as probe. Under optimum conditions, the intensity enhancements of RLS, SOS and FDS were directly proportional to the concentration of thorium (IV) in the ranges of 0.01 to 1.2 μg mL- 1, 0.05 to 1.2 μg mL- 1 and 0.05 to 1.2 μg mL- 1, respectively. The detection limits were 0.003 μg mL- 1, 0.012 μg mL- 1 and 0.021 μg mL- 1, respectively. The methods were suitable for analyzing thorium (IV) in actual samples. The results show acceptable recoveries and precision compared with a reference method.

Measurement of B(Ds+→l+ν) and the decay constant fDS+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedlar, T. K.; Cronin-Hennessy, D.; Gao, K. Y.; Hietala, J.; Kubota, Y.; Klein, T.; Lang, B. W.; Poling, R.; Scott, A. W.; Smith, A.; Zweber, P.; Dobbs, S.; Metreveli, Z.; Seth, K. K.; Tomaradze, A.; Ernst, J.; Ecklund, K. M.; Severini, H.; Love, W.; Savinov, V.; Aquines, O.; Lopez, A.; Mehrabyan, S.; Mendez, H.; Ramirez, J.; Huang, G. S.; Miller, D. H.; Pavlunin, V.; Sanghi, B.; Shipsey, I. P. J.; Xin, B.; Adams, G. S.; Anderson, M.; Cummings, J. P.; Danko, I.; Hu, D.; Moziak, B.; Napolitano, J.; He, Q.; Insler, J.; Muramatsu, H.; Park, C. S.; Thorndike, E. H.; Yang, F.; Artuso, M.; Blusk, S.; Butt, J.; Khalil, S.; Li, J.; Menaa, N.; Mountain, R.; Nisar, S.; Randrianarivony, K.; Sia, R.; Skwarnicki, T.; Stone, S.; Wang, J. C.; Bonvicini, G.; Cinabro, D.; Dubrovin, M.; Lincoln, A.; Asner, D. M.; Edwards, K. W.; Naik, P.; Briere, R. A.; Ferguson, T.; Tatishvili, G.; Vogel, H.; Watkins, M. E.; Rosner, J. L.; Adam, N. E.; Alexander, J. P.; Cassel, D. G.; Duboscq, J. E.; Ehrlich, R.; Fields, L.; Gibbons, L.; Gray, R.; Gray, S. W.; Hartill, D. L.; Heltsley, B. K.; Hertz, D.; Jones, C. D.; Kandaswamy, J.; Kreinick, D. L.; Kuznetsov, V. E.; Mahlke-Krüger, H.; Mohapatra, D.; Onyisi, P. U. E.; Patterson, J. R.; Peterson, D.; Pivarski, J.; Riley, D.; Ryd, A.; Sadoff, A. J.; Schwarthoff, H.; Shi, X.; Stroiney, S.; Sun, W. M.; Wilksen, T.; Athar, S. B.; Patel, R.; Yelton, J.; Rubin, P.; Cawlfield, C.; Eisenstein, B. I.; Karliner, I.; Kim, D.; Lowrey, N.; Selen, M.; White, E. J.; Wiss, J.; Mitchell, R. E.; Shepherd, M. R.; Besson, D.

2007-10-01

We examine e+e-→Ds-Ds*+ and Ds*-Ds+ interactions at 4170 MeV using the CLEO-c detector in order to measure the decay constant fDs+. We use the Ds+→ℓ+ν channel, where the ℓ+ designates either a μ+ or a τ+, when the τ+→π+ν¯. Analyzing both modes independently, we determine B(Ds+→μ+ν)=(0.594±0.066±0.031)%, and B(Ds+→τ+ν)=(8.0±1.3±0.4)%. We also analyze them simultaneously to find an effective value of Beff(Ds+→μ+ν)=(0.638±0.059±0.033)% and extract fDs+=274±13±7MeV. Combining with our previous determination of B(D+→μ+ν), we also find the ratio fDs+/fD+=1.23±0.11±0.04. We compare to current theoretical estimates. Finally, we find B(Ds+→e+ν)<1.3×10-4 at 90% confidence level.

Opening a Window on ICME-driven GCR Modulation in the Inner Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winslow, Reka M.; Schwadron, Nathan A.; Lugaz, Noé; Guo, Jingnan; Joyce, Colin J.; Jordan, Andrew P.; Wilson, Jody K.; Spence, Harlan E.; Lawrence, David J.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F.; Mays, M. Leila

2018-04-01

Interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) often cause Forbush decreases (Fds) in the flux of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). We investigate how a single ICME, launched from the Sun on 2014 February 12, affected GCR fluxes at Mercury, Earth, and Mars. We use GCR observations from MESSENGER at Mercury, ACE/LRO at the Earth/Moon, and MSL at Mars. We find that Fds are steeper and deeper closer to the Sun, and that the magnitude of the magnetic field in the ICME magnetic ejecta as well as the “strength” of the ICME sheath both play a large role in modulating the depth of the Fd. Based on our results, we hypothesize that (1) the Fd size decreases exponentially with heliocentric distance, and (2) that two-step Fds are more common closer to the Sun. Both hypotheses will be directly verifiable by the upcoming Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter missions. This investigation provides the first systematic study of the changes in GCR modulation as a function of distance from the Sun using nearly contemporaneous observations at Mercury, Earth/Moon, and Mars, which will be critical for validating our physical understanding of the modulation process throughout the heliosphere.

Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) Flight Dynamics System (FDS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Good, Susan M.; Nicholson, Ann M.

2012-01-01

The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) will be launched in January 2013 to continue the legacy of Landsat land imagery collection that has been on-going for the past 40 years. While the overall mission and science goals are designed to produce the SAME data over the years, the ground systems designed to support the mission objectives have evolved immensely. The LDCM Flight Dynamics System (FDS) currently being tested and deployed for operations is highly automated and well integrated with the other ground system elements. The FDS encompasses the full suite of flight dynamics functional areas, including orbit and attitude determination and prediction, orbit and attitude maneuver planning and execution, and planning product generation. The integration of the orbit, attitude, maneuver, and products functions allows a very smooth flow for daily operations support with minimal input needed from the operator. The system also provides a valuable real-time component that monitors the on-board orbit and attitude during every ground contact and will autonomously alert the Flight Operations Team (FOT) personnel when any violations are found. This paper provides an overview of the LDCM Flight Dynamics System and a detailed description of how it is used to support space operations. For the first time on a Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)-managed mission, the ground attitude and orbits systems are fully integrated into a cohesive package. The executive engine of the FDS permits three levels of automation: low, medium, and high. The high-level, which will be the standard mode for LDCM, represents nearly lights-out operations. The paper provides an in-depth look at these processes within the FDS in support of LDCM in all mission phases.

Functional Renal Imaging with 2-Deoxy-2-18F-Fluorosorbitol PET in Rat Models of Renal Disorders.

PubMed

Werner, Rudolf A; Wakabayashi, Hiroshi; Chen, Xinyu; Hirano, Mitsuru; Shinaji, Tetsuya; Lapa, Constantin; Rowe, Steven P; Javadi, Mehrbod S; Higuchi, Takahiro

2018-05-01

Precise regional quantitative assessment of renal function is limited with conventional 99m Tc-labeled renal radiotracers. A recent study reported that the PET radiotracer 2-deoxy-2- 18 F-fluorosorbitol ( 18 F-FDS) has ideal pharmacokinetics for functional renal imaging. Furthermore, 18 F-FDS is available via simple reduction from routinely used 18 F-FDG. We aimed to further investigate the potential of 18 F-FDS PET as a functional renal imaging agent using rat models of kidney disease. Methods: Two different rat models of renal impairment were investigated: induction of acute renal failure by intramuscular administration of glycerol in the hind legs, and induction of unilateral ureteral obstruction by ligation of the left ureter. At 24 h after these procedures, dynamic 30-min 18 F-FDS PET data were acquired using a dedicated small-animal PET system. Urine 18 F-FDS radioactivity 30 min after radiotracer injection was measured together with coinjected 99m Tc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid urine activity. Results: Dynamic PET imaging demonstrated rapid 18 F-FDS accumulation in the renal cortex and rapid radiotracer excretion via the kidneys in healthy control rats. On the other hand, significantly delayed renal radiotracer uptake (continuous slow uptake) was observed in acute renal failure rats and unilateral ureteral obstruction kidneys. Measured urine radiotracer concentrations of 18 F-FDS and 99m Tc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid correlated well with each other ( R = 0.84, P < 0.05). Conclusion: 18 F-FDS PET demonstrated favorable kinetics for functional renal imaging in rat models of kidney diseases. 18 F-FDS PET imaging, with its advantages of high spatiotemporal resolution and simple tracer production, could potentially complement or replace conventional renal scintigraphy in select cases and significantly improve the diagnostic performance of renal functional imaging. © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Molecular weight dependence of permselectivity to rat small intestinal blood-lymph barrier for exogenous macromolecules absorbed from lumen.

PubMed

Yoshikawa, H; Takada, K; Muranishi, S

1984-01-01

The permselectivity to the small intestinal blood-lymph barrier for the exogenous macromolecules absorbed from the lumen was investigated using in situ rat closed loop experiment. We chose the fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled dextran (FD) as macromolecule and lipid-surfactant mixed micelles as an absorption promoter. The mean molecular weights of FDs used were 10500, 17500, 39000 and 64200 (abbreviated: FD10 , 20, 40 and 70). The lymph/plasma ratios of FDs concentrations during 5 h post administration were 0.2-1.2 ( FD10 ), 0.4-1.3 ( FD20 ), 1.3-7.2 ( FD40 ) and 2.6-11.9 ( FD70 ), respectively. The FD40 and FD70 levels in the lymph were significantly higher than those in the plasma. The cumulative amounts (% of the absorbed quantity) of FDs in the lymph from the lumen of the small intestine for 5 h after administration were 0.46% ( FD10 ), 0.51% ( FD20 ), 1.17% ( FD40 ) and 1.89% ( FD70 ), respectively. These findings suggest that the threshold molecular weight of FD for the transfer into the lymphatics with higher level compared to the blood concentration from the lumen across the small intestinal blood-lymph barrier exists between 17500 and 39000.

A cut-cell immersed boundary technique for fire dynamics simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanella, Marcos; McDermott, Randall; Forney, Glenn

2015-11-01

Fire simulation around complex geometry is gaining increasing attention in performance based design of fire protection systems, fire-structure interaction and pollutant transport in complex terrains, among others. This presentation will focus on our present effort in improving the capability of FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator, developed at the Fire Research Division, NIST. https://github.com/firemodels/fds-smv) to represent fire scenarios around complex bodies. Velocities in the vicinity of the bodies are reconstructed using a classical immersed boundary scheme (Fadlun and co-workers, J. Comput. Phys., 161:35-60, 2000). Also, a conservative treatment of scalar transport equations (i.e. for chemical species) will be presented. In our method, discrete conservation and no penetration of species across solid boundaries are enforced using a cut-cell finite volume scheme. The small cell problem inherent to the method is tackled using explicit-implicit domain decomposition for scalar, within the FDS time integration scheme. Some details on the derivation, implementation and numerical tests of this numerical scheme will be discussed.

Parenting skills and family support programs for drug-abusing mothers.

PubMed

Kumpfer, Karol L; Fowler, Melissa A

2007-04-01

Children born to drug-using mothers can suffer from fetal alcohol or drug syndrome (FAS/FDS) or fetal alcohol or drug effect (FAE/FDE). Such children have a greater likelihood of developing acute or chronic physical, cognitive and behavioral problems. In-utero exposure to tobacco, alcohol or drugs impact on the developing fetus and, after birth, the family environment and family system exert effects on the infants and children of substance-abusing parents. Evidence-based prevention and maternal drug treatment programs focus on enhancing parental childcaring abilities, supporting parent-child attachment and encouraging family support systems to improve children's health and cognitive outcomes. FAS/FDS prevention programs, as well as selective and indicated prenatal and postnatal interventions, can improve the support given both to mother and to child, and evidence-based, in-home parenting and family-skills-training approaches are particularly useful.

International Space Station Temperature and Humidity Control Subsystem Verification for Node 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, David E.

2007-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) Node 1 Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System is comprised of five subsystems: Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS), Atmosphere Revitalization (AR), Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS), Temperature and Humidity Control (THC), and Water Recovery and Management (WRM). This paper provides a summary of the nominal operation of the Node 1 THC subsystem design. The paper will also provide a discussion of the detailed Element Verification methodologies for nominal operation of the Node 1 THC subsystem operations utilized during the Qualification phase.

Study on the ternary mixed ligand complex of palladium(II)-aminophylline-fluorescein sodium by resonance Rayleigh scattering, second-order scattering and frequency doubling scattering spectrum and its analytical application.

PubMed

Chen, Peili; Liu, Shaopu; Liu, Zhongfang; Hu, Xiaoli

2011-01-01

The interaction between palladium(II)-aminophylline and fluorescein sodium was investigated by resonance Rayleigh scattering, second-order scattering and frequency doubling scattering spectrum. In pH 4.4 Britton-Robinson (BR) buffer medium, aminophylline (Ami) reacted with palladium(II) to form chelate cation([Pd(Ami)]2+), which further reacted with fluorescein sodium (FS) to form ternary mixed ligand complex [Pd(Ami)(FS)2]. As a result, resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS), second-order scattering (SOS) and frequency doubling scattering spectrum (FDS) were enhanced. The maximum scattering wavelengths of [Pd(Ami)(FS)2] were located at 300 nm (RRS), 650 nm (SOS) and 304 nm (FDS). The scattering intensities were proportional to the Ami concentration in a certain range and the detection limits were 7.3 ng mL(-1) (RRS), 32.9 ng mL(-1) (SOS) and 79.1 ng mL(-1) (FDS), respectively. Based on it, the new simple, rapid, and sensitive scattering methods have been proposed to determine Ami in urine and serum samples. Moreover, the formation mechanism of [Pd(Ami)(FS)2] and the reasons for enhancement of RRS were fully discussed. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sketching Designs Using the Five Design-Sheet Methodology.

PubMed

Roberts, Jonathan C; Headleand, Chris; Ritsos, Panagiotis D

2016-01-01

Sketching designs has been shown to be a useful way of planning and considering alternative solutions. The use of lo-fidelity prototyping, especially paper-based sketching, can save time, money and converge to better solutions more quickly. However, this design process is often viewed to be too informal. Consequently users do not know how to manage their thoughts and ideas (to first think divergently, to then finally converge on a suitable solution). We present the Five Design Sheet (FdS) methodology. The methodology enables users to create information visualization interfaces through lo-fidelity methods. Users sketch and plan their ideas, helping them express different possibilities, think through these ideas to consider their potential effectiveness as solutions to the task (sheet 1); they create three principle designs (sheets 2,3 and 4); before converging on a final realization design that can then be implemented (sheet 5). In this article, we present (i) a review of the use of sketching as a planning method for visualization and the benefits of sketching, (ii) a detailed description of the Five Design Sheet (FdS) methodology, and (iii) an evaluation of the FdS using the System Usability Scale, along with a case-study of its use in industry and experience of its use in teaching.

Very late ischemic complications in flow-diverter stents: a retrospective analysis of a single-center series.

PubMed

Guédon, Alexis; Clarençon, Frédéric; Di Maria, Federico; Rosso, Charlotte; Biondi, Alessandra; Gabrieli, Joseph; Rojas, Patricia; Chiras, Jacques; Sourour, Nader

2016-10-01

OBJECTIVE The authors evaluate the rate and discuss the pathomechanisms of very late (≥ 4-month) ischemic complications after flow-diverter stent (FDS) placement for intracranial aneurysms. METHODS The authors retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of the patients treated at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital between January 2010 and September 2014, who underwent FDS placement for intracranial aneurysm. The patients received dual-antiplatelet therapy (clopidogrel and aspirin) 5 days before and 3-6 months after the procedure and then aspirin alone for 6-9 months. An ischemic complication was defined as a sudden focal neurological deficit documented on diffusion-weighted images. RESULTS Eighty-six consecutive patients were included. Three (3.5%) patients treated with the Pipeline embolization device experienced a delayed acute ischemic stroke (2 cases of perforator/side-wall branch infarction and 1 case of thromboembolic stroke) with an average delay of 384 days (4 months, 20 months, and 13 months, respectively). The aneurysm locations were the left superior cerebellar artery, the right anterior choroid artery, and the left internal carotid artery (paraclinoid segment), respectively. The complications occurred after the patients had completed the antiaggregation protocol, except for Patient 1, who was receiving aspirin alone because of a spontaneous hematoma. At the acute phase, no in-stent thromboses were found on digital subtraction angiography. In Patient 2, the treated anterior choroid artery was occluded 20 months after the procedure. In Patient 3, a focal stenosis (approximately 40%) of the distal aspect of the FDS, probably caused by intimal hyperplasia, was seen. CONCLUSIONS Very late ischemic complications after FDS treatment were observed in 3.5% of the cases in the authors' series, some of which occurred as late as more than 1 year after placement.

Design of analytical failure detection using secondary observers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sisar, M.

1982-01-01

The problem of designing analytical failure-detection systems (FDS) for sensors and actuators, using observers, is addressed. The use of observers in FDS is related to the examination of the n-dimensional observer error vector which carries the necessary information on possible failures. The problem is that in practical systems, in which only some of the components of the state vector are measured, one has access only to the m-dimensional observer-output error vector, with m or = to n. In order to cope with these cases, a secondary observer is synthesized to reconstruct the entire observer-error vector from the observer output error vector. This approach leads toward the design of highly sensitive and reliable FDS, with the possibility of obtaining a unique fingerprint for every possible failure. In order to keep the observer's (or Kalman filter) false-alarm rate under a certain specified value, it is necessary to have an acceptable matching between the observer (or Kalman filter) models and the system parameters. A previously developed adaptive observer algorithm is used to maintain the desired system-observer model matching, despite initial mismatching or system parameter variations. Conditions for convergence for the adaptive process are obtained, leading to a simple adaptive law (algorithm) with the possibility of an a priori choice of fixed adaptive gains. Simulation results show good tracking performance with small observer output errors, while accurate and fast parameter identification, in both deterministic and stochastic cases, is obtained.

Circulating filarial antigen in the hydrocele fluid from individuals living in a bancroftian filariasis area - Recife, Brazil: detected by the monoclonal antibody Og4C3-assay.

PubMed

Rocha, Abraham; Lima, Guilherme; Medeiros, Zulma; Aguiar-Santos, Ana; Alves, Sandra; Montarroyos, Ulisses; Oliveira, Paula; Béliz, Fátima; Netto, Maria José; Furtado, André

2004-02-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the circulating filarial antigen (CFA) detected by the monoclonal antibody (mAb) Og4C3-ELISA in paired samples of serum and hydrocele fluid from 104 men with hydrocele, living in an endemic area of Wuchereria bancrofti. Nocturnal blood specimens were filtered and examined for microfilariae (MF) and ultrasound was used in order to identify the presence of adult worms (the filaria dance sign - FDS) in the lymphatic vessels of the scrotal area. Four groups were selected according to their parasitological status: group I - 71 MF- and FDS-; group II - 21 MF+ and FDS+; group III - 10 MF- and FDS+ and group IV- 2 MF+ and FDS-. CFA was identified simultaneously (fluid and serum) in 11 (15.5%), 21 (100%), 3 (30%), and 1 (50%) in groups I, II, III, and IV, respectively. In despite of high CFA+ level (antigen Og4C3) units/ml, the Geometrical Mean (GM) = 2696) in the sera of these 36/104 paired samples, when compared to the hydrocele fluid, (GM = 1079), showed a very good correlation between the CFA level in the serum and CFA level in the fluid (r = 0.731). CFA level in the serum of the 23 microfilaremics (groups II and IV) was extremely high (GM = 4189) and was correlated with MF density (r = 0.442). These findings report for the first time the potential alternative use of the hydrocele fluid to investigate CFA using the mAb Og4C3-ELISA.

Forward and Backward Digit Span Interaction With Race and IQ: Predictions from Jensen's Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Arthur R.; Figueroa, Richard A.

1975-01-01

From Jensen's two-level theory of mental abilities it was predicted that forward digit span (FDS) should correlate less with IQ than backward digit span (BDS), and age and race should interact with FDS-BDS, with FDS-BDS difference decreasing as a function of age and a greater white-black difference in BDS than in FDS. (Author/BJG)

Effects of Combined Treatment with Branched-Chain Amino Acids, Citric Acid, L-Carnitine, Coenzyme Q10, Zinc, and Various Vitamins in Tumor-Bearing Mice.

PubMed

Awa, Hiroko; Futamura, Akihiko; Higashiguchi, Takashi; Ito, Akihiro; Mori, Naoharu; Murai, Miyo; Ohara, Hiroshi; Chihara, Takeshi; Kaneko, Takaaki

2017-03-01

A functional dietary supplement (FDS) containing Coenzyme Q10, branched-chain amino acids and L-carnitine was administered to tumor-bearing mice, investigating its effects on tumor and muscle tissues. Experiment (A): B16 melanoma cells were implanted subcutaneously into the right side of the abdomen of 8- to 9-week-old C57BL/6J mice. The mice were divided into two groups: a FDS group that received oral administration of FDS (n=10), and a control group that received oral administration of glucose (n=10). The moribund condition was used as the endpoint, and median survival time was determined. Experiment (B): On day 21 after tumor implantation, tumors, soleus muscle, gastrocnemius muscle, and suprahyoid muscles were collected. Tumor and muscle weight and other aspects were evaluated in each group: FDS group (n=15) and control group (n=15). The median survival time was comparable (21 d in the FDS group vs. 18 d in the control group, p=0.30). However, cumulative food intake was significantly higher in the FDS group than the control group (p=0.011). Metastasis of melanoma to the lung was observed in the control group but not in the FDS group (p=0.043). The weight of the suprahyoid muscles was significantly higher in the FDS group than in the control group (p=0.0045). The weight of the tumor was significantly lower in the FDS group than in the control group (p=0.013). The results possibly suggest oral administration of FDS in tumor-bearing mice enhances the maintenance of suprahyoid muscles, resulting in an extended feeding period and suppression of tumor growth and metastasis.

Study of large Forbush decreases in cosmic-ray intensity observed during solar cycle 23 and 24

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Anand; Badruddin, B.

2016-07-01

Neutron monitors at different geomagnetic latitude and longitude of Earth measure the cosmic-ray intensity with high precision. Sudden decreases in cosmic-ray intensity within few hours and slow recovery to pre-decrease level within a few days (Forbush decreases) are observed in neutron monitor data. We identify large-amplitude Forbush decreases (FDs), using high counting rate neutron monitor data, that occurred during previous solar cycle 23 (1995-2009) and current solar cycle 24 (2010-2015). We then search for the solar sources and the interplanetary structures responsible for these decreases. We attempt to find the relative importance of various interplanetary plasma and field parameters and the physical mechanism(s) responsible for FDs of varying amplitudes. We analyze a number of interplanetary plasma and field parameters, during both the phases (main and recovery) of FDs. The interplanetary plasma and field data analyzed in this study are the solar-wind velocity, the interplanetary magnetic field, its fluctuations, interplanetary electric field and the time variation of interplanetary electric potential. For monitoring the changes in interplanetary plasma/field conditions during the development of FDs, we also utilize plasma density, temperature and plasma beta, dynamic pressure and Mach number during the passage of interplanetary structures responsible for FDs. In addition to their amplitude, we study the recovery of FDs in detail after determining the time constant during their recovery by exponential fit to the data. As the solar magnetic polarity reversed during the maximum phase of solar cycle 23 (in the year 2000), we study the differences in amplitude, time constant of recovery and plasma/field condition to search for the polarity dependent effects, if any, on the amplitude and recovery of FDs due to implication for the models suggested to explain the Forbush decrease phenomena. The implications of these results are discussed.

Functional Characterization of Novel Sesquiterpene Synthases from Indian Sandalwood, Santalum album

PubMed Central

Srivastava, Prabhakar Lal; Daramwar, Pankaj P.; Krithika, Ramakrishnan; Pandreka, Avinash; Shankar, S. Shiva; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.

2015-01-01

Indian Sandalwood, Santalum album L. is highly valued for its fragrant heartwood oil and is dominated by a blend of sesquiterpenes. Sesquiterpenes are formed through cyclization of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP), catalyzed by metal dependent terpene cyclases. This report describes the cloning and functional characterization of five genes, which encode two sesquisabinene synthases (SaSQS1, SaSQS2), bisabolene synthase (SaBS), santalene synthase (SaSS) and farnesyl diphosphate synthase (SaFDS) using the transcriptome sequencing of S. album. Using Illumina next generation sequencing, 33.32 million high quality raw reads were generated, which were assembled into 84,094 unigenes with an average length of 494.17 bp. Based on the transcriptome sequencing, five sesquiterpene synthases SaFDS, SaSQS1, SaSQS2, SaBS and SaSS involved in the biosynthesis of FPP, sesquisabinene, β-bisabolene and santalenes, respectively, were cloned and functionally characterized. Novel sesquiterpene synthases (SaSQS1 and SaSQS2) were characterized as isoforms of sesquisabinene synthase with varying kinetic parameters and expression levels. Furthermore, the feasibility of microbial production of sesquisabinene from both the unigenes, SaSQS1 and SaSQS2 in non-optimized bacterial cell for the preparative scale production of sesquisabinene has been demonstrated. These results may pave the way for in vivo production of sandalwood sesquiterpenes in genetically tractable heterologous systems. PMID:25976282

Functional Characterization of Novel Sesquiterpene Synthases from Indian Sandalwood, Santalum album.

PubMed

Srivastava, Prabhakar Lal; Daramwar, Pankaj P; Krithika, Ramakrishnan; Pandreka, Avinash; Shankar, S Shiva; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V

2015-05-15

Indian Sandalwood, Santalum album L. is highly valued for its fragrant heartwood oil and is dominated by a blend of sesquiterpenes. Sesquiterpenes are formed through cyclization of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP), catalyzed by metal dependent terpene cyclases. This report describes the cloning and functional characterization of five genes, which encode two sesquisabinene synthases (SaSQS1, SaSQS2), bisabolene synthase (SaBS), santalene synthase (SaSS) and farnesyl diphosphate synthase (SaFDS) using the transcriptome sequencing of S. album. Using Illumina next generation sequencing, 33.32 million high quality raw reads were generated, which were assembled into 84,094 unigenes with an average length of 494.17 bp. Based on the transcriptome sequencing, five sesquiterpene synthases SaFDS, SaSQS1, SaSQS2, SaBS and SaSS involved in the biosynthesis of FPP, sesquisabinene, β-bisabolene and santalenes, respectively, were cloned and functionally characterized. Novel sesquiterpene synthases (SaSQS1 and SaSQS2) were characterized as isoforms of sesquisabinene synthase with varying kinetic parameters and expression levels. Furthermore, the feasibility of microbial production of sesquisabinene from both the unigenes, SaSQS1 and SaSQS2 in non-optimized bacterial cell for the preparative scale production of sesquisabinene has been demonstrated. These results may pave the way for in vivo production of sandalwood sesquiterpenes in genetically tractable heterologous systems.

A comparative study of the Unified System for Orbit Computation and the Flight Design System. [computer programs for mission planning tasks associated with space shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maag, W.

1977-01-01

The Flight Design System (FDS) and the Unified System for Orbit Computation (USOC) are compared and described in relation to mission planning for the shuttle transportation system (STS). The FDS is designed to meet the requirements of a standardized production tool and the USOC is designed for rapid generation of particular application programs. The main emphasis in USOC is put on adaptability to new types of missions. It is concluded that a software system having a USOC-like structure, adapted to the specific needs of MPAD, would be appropriate to support planning tasks in the area unique to STS missions.

International Space Station (ISS) Node 1 Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System Keep Out Zone On-Orbit Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, David E.

2004-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) system performance can be impacted by operations on ISS. This is especially important for the Temperature and Humidity Control (THC) and for the Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS) subsystems. It is also more important for Node 1 since it has become a convenient area for many crew tasks and for stowing hardware prior to Shuttle arrival. This paper will discuss the current requirements for ECLS keep out zones in Node 1; the issues with stowage in Node 1 during Increment 7 and how they impacted the keep out zone requirements; and the solution during Increment 7 and 8 for maintaining the keep out zones in Node 1.

A dual spectroscopic fluorescence probe based on carbon dots for detection of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol/Fe (III) ion by fluorescence and frequency doubling scattering spectra and its analytical applications.

PubMed

Xu, Jinxia; Bai, Zhangjun; Zu, Fanlin; Yan, Fanyong; Wei, Junfu; Zhang, Saihui; Luo, Yunmei

2018-07-05

A convenient, highly sensitive and reliable assay for 2,4,6‑trinitrophenol (TNP) and Fe (III) ion (Fe 3+ ) in the dual spectroscopic manner is developed based on novel carbon dots (CDs). The CDs with highly blue emitting fluorescent were easily prepared via the one-step potassium hydroxide-assisted reflux method from dextrin. The as-synthesized CDs exhibited the high crystalline quality, the excellent fluorescence characteristics with a high quantum yield of ~13.1%, and the narrow size distribution with an average diameter of 6.3±0.5nm. Fluorescence and frequency doubling scattering (FDS) spectra of CDs show the unique changes in the presence of TNP/Fe 3+ by different mechanism. The fluorescence of CDs decreased apparently in the presence of TNP via electron-transfer. Thus, after the experimental conditions were optimized, the linear range for detection TNP is 0-50μM, the detection limit was 19.1nM. With the addition of Fe 3+ , the FDS of CDs appeared to be highly sensitive with a quick response to Fe 3+ as a result of the change concentration of the scattering particle. The emission peak for FDS at 450nm was enhanced under the excitation wavelength at 900nm. The fluorescence response changes linearly with Fe 3+ concentration in the range of 8-40μM, the detection limits were determined to be 44.1nM. The applications of CDs were extended for the detection of TNP, Fe 3+ in real water samples with a high recovery. The results reported here may become the potential tools for the fast response of TNP and Fe 3+ in the analysis of environmental pollutants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A dual-wavelength overlapping resonance Rayleigh scattering method for the determination of chondroitin sulfate with nile blue sulfate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Zhiping; Hu, Xiaoli; Liu, Shaopu; Liu, Zhongfang

2011-12-01

A dual-wavelength overlapping resonance Rayleigh scattering (DWO-RRS) method was developed to detect chondroitin sulfate (CS) with nile blue sulfate (NBS). At pH 3.0-4.0 Britton-Robinson (BR) buffer medium, CS interacted with NBS to form an ion-association complex. As a result, the new spectra of resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS), second order scattering (SOS) and frequence doubling scattering (FDS) appeared and their intensities were enhanced greatly. Their maximum wavelengths were located at 303 nm (RRS), 362 nm (RRS), 588 nm (SOS) and 350 nm (FDS), respectively. The scattering intensities of the three methods were proportional to the concentration of CS in certain ranges. The methods had high sensitivity and the detection limits were between 1.5 and 7.1 ng mL -1. The DWO-RRS method had the highest sensitivity with the detection limit being 1.5 ng mL -1. The characteristics of the spectra and optimal reaction conditions of RRS method were investigated. The effects of coexistent substances on the determination of CS were evaluated. Owing to the high sensitivity, RRS method had been applied to the determination of CS in eye drops with satisfactory results. The recovery range was between 99.4% and 104.6% and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was between 0.4% and 0.8%. In addition, the reasons for RRS enhancement were discussed and the shape of ion-association complex was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Coupling of Large Eddy Simulations with Meteorological Models to simulate Methane Leaks from Natural Gas Storage Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, K.

2017-12-01

Atmospheric transport is usually performed with weather models, e.g., the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model that employs a parameterized turbulence model and does not resolve the fine scale dynamics generated by the flow around buildings and features comprising a large city. The NIST Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) is a computational fluid dynamics model that utilizes large eddy simulation methods to model flow around buildings at length scales much smaller than is practical with models like WRF. FDS has the potential to evaluate the impact of complex topography on near-field dispersion and mixing that is difficult to simulate with a mesoscale atmospheric model. A methodology has been developed to couple the FDS model with WRF mesoscale transport models. The coupling is based on nudging the FDS flow field towards that computed by WRF, and is currently limited to one way coupling performed in an off-line mode. This approach allows the FDS model to operate as a sub-grid scale model with in a WRF simulation. To test and validate the coupled FDS - WRF model, the methane leak from the Aliso Canyon underground storage facility was simulated. Large eddy simulations were performed over the complex topography of various natural gas storage facilities including Aliso Canyon, Honor Rancho and MacDonald Island at 10 m horizontal and vertical resolution. The goal of these simulations included improving and validating transport models as well as testing leak hypotheses. Forward simulation results were compared with aircraft and tower based in-situ measurements as well as methane plumes observed using the NASA Airborne Visible InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) and the next generation instrument AVIRIS-NG. Comparison of simulation results with measurement data demonstrate the capability of the coupled FDS-WRF models to accurately simulate the transport and dispersion of methane plumes over urban domains. Simulated integrated methane enhancements will be presented and compared with results obtained from spectrometer data to estimate the temporally evolving methane flux during the Aliso Canyon blowout.

Study on the interaction between albendazole and eosin Y by fluorescence, resonance Rayleigh scattering and frequency doubling scattering spectra and their analytical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Fengling; Huang, Wei; Yang, Jidong; Li, Qin

In pH 3.25-3.35 Britton-Robinson (BR) buffer solution, albendazole (ABZ) could react with eosin Y (EY) to form a 1:1 ion-association complex, which not only results in the quenching of fluorescence, but also resulted in the great enhancement of resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) and frequency doubling scattering (FDS). Furthermore, a new RRS spectrum will appear, and the maximum RRS wavelength was located at about 356 nm. The detection limit for ABZ were 21.51 ng mL-1 for the fluorophotometry, 6.93 ng mL-1 for the RRS method and 12.89 ng mL-1 for the FDS method. Among them, the RRS method had the highest sensitivity. The experimental conditions were optimized and effects of coexisting substances were evaluated. Meanwhile, the influences of coexisting substances were tested. The methods have been successfully applied to the determination of ABZ in capsules and human urine samples. The composition and structure of the ion-association complex and the reaction mechanism were discussed.

Mechanical Strength of the Side-to-Side Versus Pulvertaft Weave Tendon Repair

PubMed Central

Brown, Stephen H. M.; Hentzen, Eric R.; Kwan, Alan; Ward, Samuel R.; Fridén, Jan; Lieber, Richard L.

2010-01-01

Purpose The side-to-side (SS) tendon suture technique was designed to function as a repair that permits immediate post-operative activation and mobilization of a transferred muscle. This study was designed to test the strength and stiffness of the SS technique against a variation of the Pulvertaft (PT) repair technique. Methods Flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendons were harvested from four fresh cadavers and used as a model system. Seven SS and six PT repairs were performed using the FDS as the donor and the FDP as the recipient tendon. For SS repairs, the FDS was woven through one incision in the FDP, and was joined with four cross-stitch running sutures down both sides, and one double-loop suture at each tendon free end; for PT repairs, FDS was woven through three incisions in FDP, joined with a double-loop suture at both ends of the overlap, and four evenly spaced mattress sutures between the ends. Tendon repairs were placed in a tensile testing machine, pre-conditioned and tested to failure. Results There were no statistically significant differences in cross-sectional area (p=0.99) or initial length (p=0.93) between SS and PT repairs. Therefore, all comparisons between methods were made using measures of loads and deformations, rather than stresses and strains.. All failures occurred in the repair region, rather than at the clamps. However, failure mechanisms were different between the two techniques—PT repairs failed by the suture knots either slipping or pulling through the tendon material, followed by the FDS tendon pulling through the FDP tendon; SS repairs failed by shearing of fibers within the FDS. Load at first failure (p < 0.01), ultimate load (p < 0.001), and repair stiffness (p < 0.05) were all significantly different between SS and PT techniques; in all cases the mean value for SS was higher than for PT. Discussion The SS repair, using a cross-stitch suture technique, was significantly stronger and stiffer compared to the PT repair using a mattress suture technique. This suggests that using SS repairs could enable patients to load the repair soon after surgery. Ultimately, this should reduce the risk of developing adhesions and result in improved functional outcome and fewer complications in the acute post-operative period. Future work will address the specific mechanisms (for example, suture-throw technique, tendon-weave technique) that underlie the improved strength and stiffness of the SS repair. PMID:20223604

33 CFR 147.833 - Na Kika FDS safety zone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Na Kika FDS safety zone. 147.833 Section 147.833 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITIES SAFETY ZONES § 147.833 Na Kika FDS safety zone. (a) Description. Na...

33 CFR 147.833 - Na Kika FDS safety zone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Na Kika FDS safety zone. 147.833 Section 147.833 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITIES SAFETY ZONES § 147.833 Na Kika FDS safety zone. (a) Description. Na...

Visualization and manipulating the image of a formal data structure (FDS)-based database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verdiesen, Franc; de Hoop, Sylvia; Molenaar, Martien

1994-08-01

A vector map is a terrain representation with a vector-structured geometry. Molenaar formulated an object-oriented formal data structure for 3D single valued vector maps. This FDS is implemented in a database (Oracle). In this study we describe a methodology for visualizing a FDS-based database and manipulating the image. A data set retrieved by querying the database is converted into an import file for a drawing application. An objective of this study is that an end-user can alter and add terrain objects in the image. The drawing application creates an export file, that is compared with the import file. Differences between these files result in updating the database which involves checks on consistency. In this study Autocad is used for visualizing and manipulating the image of the data set. A computer program has been written for the data exchange and conversion between Oracle and Autocad. The data structure of the FDS is compared to the data structure of Autocad and the data of the FDS is converted into the structure of Autocad equal to the FDS.

Building-Resolved CFD Simulations for Greenhouse Gas Transport and Dispersion over Washington DC / Baltimore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, K.; Lopez-Coto, I.; Ghosh, S.; Mueller, K.; Whetstone, J. R.

2015-12-01

The North-East Corridor project aims to use a top-down inversion methodology to quantify sources of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions over urban domains such as Washington DC / Baltimore with high spatial and temporal resolution. Atmospheric transport of tracer gases from an emission source to a tower mounted receptor are usually conducted using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. For such simulations, WRF employs a parameterized turbulence model and does not resolve the fine scale dynamics generated by the flow around buildings and communities comprising a large city. The NIST Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) is a computational fluid dynamics model that utilizes large eddy simulation methods to model flow around buildings at length scales much smaller than is practical with WRF. FDS has the potential to evaluate the impact of complex urban topography on near-field dispersion and mixing difficult to simulate with a mesoscale atmospheric model. Such capabilities may be important in determining urban GHG emissions using atmospheric measurements. A methodology has been developed to run FDS as a sub-grid scale model within a WRF simulation. The coupling is based on nudging the FDS flow field towards that computed by WRF, and is currently limited to one way coupling performed in an off-line mode. Using the coupled WRF / FDS model, NIST will investigate the effects of the urban canopy at horizontal resolutions of 10-20 m in a domain of 12 x 12 km. The coupled WRF-FDS simulations will be used to calculate the dispersion of tracer gases in the North-East Corridor and to evaluate the upwind areas that contribute to tower observations, referred to in the inversion community as influence functions. Results of this study will provide guidance regarding the importance of explicit simulations of urban atmospheric turbulence in obtaining accurate estimates of greenhouse gas emissions and transport.

Safety and efficiency of flow diverters for treating small intracranial aneurysms: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Yao, Xiyang; Ma, Junwei; Li, Haiying; Shen, Haitao; Lu, Xiaojun; Chen, Gang

2017-02-01

Background We evaluated the safety and efficiency of flow diverters (FDs) in treating small intracranial aneurysms (IAs). Materials and Methods We reviewed the literature published in PubMed and EMBASE. R for Project software was used to calculate the complete aneurysm occlusion rates, procedure-related neurologic mortality, procedure-related neurologic morbidity and procedure-related permanent morbidity. Results Ten observational studies were included in this analysis. The complete aneurysm occlusion rate was 84.23% (80.34%-87.76%), the procedure-related neurologic mortality was 0.87% (0.29%-1.74%), the procedure-related neurologic morbidity rate was 5.22% (3.62%-7.1%), the intracerebral haemorrhage rate was 1.42% (0.64%-2.49%), the ischemic rate was 2.35% (1.31%-3.68%), the subarachnoid haemorrhage rate was 0.03% (0%-0.32%) and the procedure-related permanent morbidity was 2.41% (0.81%-4.83%). Conclusions Treatment of small IAs with FDs may be correlated with high complete occlusion rates and low complication rates. Future long-term follow-up randomized trials will determine the optimal treatment for small IAs.

Field modeling of heat transfer in atrium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nedryshkin, Oleg; Gravit, Marina; Bushuev, Nikolay

2017-10-01

The results of calculating fire risk are an important element in the system of modern fire safety assessment. The article reviews the work on the mathematical modeling of fire in the room. A comparison of different calculation models in the programs of fire risk assessment and fire modeling was performed. The results of full-scale fire tests and fire modeling in the FDS program are presented. The analysis of empirical and theoretical data on fire modeling is made, a conclusion is made about the modeling accuracy in the FDS program.

An audit of cavity and crown preparations and two direct restorations carried out by foundation dentists in the Oxford and Wessex Deaneries.

PubMed

Burke, F J T; Mackenzie, L; Falcon, H; Priest, N; Palin, W M

2014-04-01

It is likely that many foundation dentists (FDs) will have completed only minimal amounts of restorative dentistry for a number of months immediately prior to commencing work as FDs. Thus this audit aimed to assess the performance of the FDs when they carried out a number of simulated clinical exercises: amalgam cavities and restoration; Class IV resin composite restorations; and full crown preparations for metal-ceramic restorations. A total of 67 FDs completed the assessments and some results did indicate a high level of concern and need for further evaluation of restorative practice.

Working memory span in Persian-speaking children with speech sound disorders and normal speech development.

PubMed

Afshar, Mohamad Reza; Ghorbani, Ali; Rashedi, Vahid; Jalilevand, Nahid; Kamali, Mohamad

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to compare working memory span in Persian-speaking preschool children with speech sound disorder (SSD) and their typically speaking peers. Additionally, the study aimed to examine Non-Word Repetition (NWR), Forward Digit Span (FDS) and Backward Digit Span (BDS) in four groups of children with varying severity levels of SSD. The participants in this study comprised 35 children with SSD and 35 typically developing (TD) children -matched for age and sex-as a control group. The participants were between the age range of 48 and 72 months. Two components of working memory including phonological loop and central executive were compared between two groups. We used two tasks (NWR and FDS) to assess phonological loop component, and one task (BDS) to assess central executive component. Percentage of correct consonants (PCC) was used to calculate the severity of SSD. Significant differences were observed between the two groups in all tasks that assess working memory (p < 0.001). In addition, the comparison of the phonological loop of working memory between the various severity groups indicated significant differences between different severities of both NWR and FDS tasks among the SSD children (p < 0.001). Nevertheless, comparison of the central executive between various severity groups, which was assessed with the BDS task, did not show any significant differences (p > 0.05). The result showed that PCC scores in TD children were associated with NWR (p < 0.001), FDS (p = 0.001), and BDS (p < 0.001). Furthermore, PCC scores in SSD children were associated with NWR and FDS (p < 0.001), but not with BDS (p > 0.05). The working memory skills were weaker in SSD children, in comparison to TD children. In addition, children with varying levels of severity of SSD differed in terms of NWR and FSD, but not BDS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

De novo transcriptomic analysis during Lentinula edodes fruiting body growth.

PubMed

Wang, Yingzhu; Zeng, Xianlu; Liu, Wenguang

2018-01-30

The fruiting body of Lentinula edodes is a popular edible mushroom, and extracts from the mycelium and the fruiting body of this species have diverse therapeutic potential. To gain insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the fruiting body growth of L. edodes from the early bud stage (EBS), through the intermediate developing stage (IDS), to the fully developed stage (FDS), we performed de novo transcriptomic analysis using high-throughput Illumina RNA-sequencing. First, we generated three cDNA libraries representative of the three respective stages. We then obtained 38,933,148, 44,594,472, and 37,905,646 high-quality reads from the respective libraries and assembled the reads into 25,104 transcriptional contigs, containing 15,199 unigenes. We found that only 9331 of the unigenes had been annotated in the NCBI non-redundant protein database, and we functionally annotated 4758 of them through Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and 2921 of them through Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COGs) analysis. We also assigned 3995 unigenes to metabolic pathways by using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). We further identified 399 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between EBS and IDS, 1428 between IDS and FDS, and 1830 between EBS and FDS, uncovering 769 DEGs in multiple metabolic and signaling pathways. Interestingly, there were a limited number of DEGs whose expression was dramatically associated with FDS. Finally, genes, whose expression was either highly up-regulated in FDS or remained at a high level during fruiting body growth, were annotated specifically in the pathways of purine metabolism, unsaturated fatty acid metabolism and meiosis, suggesting that these key molecular events were actively occurring in the fruiting body. Our work is the first high-throughput transcriptome study on the growth of L. edodes fruiting bodies, and the results uncovered candidate genes for future gene identification and utilization of this commercially and medically important mushroom. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurements of Forbush decreases at Mars: both by MSL on ground and by MAVEN in orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jingnan; Lillis, Robert; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F.; Zeitlin, Cary; Simonson, Patrick; Rahmati, Ali; Posner, Arik; Papaioannou, Athanasios; Lundt, Niklas; Lee, Christina O.; Larson, Davin; Halekas, Jasper; Hassler, Donald M.; Ehresmann, Bent; Dunn, Patrick; Böttcher, Stephan

2018-04-01

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD), on board Mars Science Laboratory's (MSL) Curiosity rover, has been measuring ground level particle fluxes along with the radiation dose rate at the surface of Mars since August 2012. Similar to neutron monitors at Earth, RAD sees many Forbush decreases (FDs) in the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) induced surface fluxes and dose rates. These FDs are associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and/or stream/corotating interaction regions (SIRs/CIRs). Orbiting above the Martian atmosphere, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft has also been monitoring space weather conditions at Mars since September 2014. The penetrating particle flux channels in the solar energetic particle (SEP) instrument onboard MAVEN can also be employed to detect FDs. For the first time, we study the statistics and properties of a list of FDs observed in-situ at Mars, seen both on the surface by MSL/RAD and in orbit detected by the MAVEN/SEP instrument. Such a list of FDs can be used for studying interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICME) propagation and SIR evolution through the inner heliosphere. The magnitudes of different FDs can be well-fitted by a power-law distribution. The systematic difference between the magnitudes of the FDs within and outside the Martian atmosphere may be mostly attributed to the energy-dependent modulation of the GCR particles by both the pass-by ICMEs/SIRs and the Martian atmosphere.

Coupling of WRF and Building-resolved CFD Simulations for Greenhouse Gas Transport and Dispersion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, K.; Hu, H.; McDermott, R.; Lopez-Coto, I.; Davis, K. J.; Whetstone, J. R.; Lauvaux, T.

2014-12-01

The Indianapolis Flux Experiment (INFLUX) aims to use a top-down inversion methodology to quantify sources of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions over an urban domain with high spatial and temporal resolution. Atmospheric transport of tracer gases from an emission source to a tower mounted receptor are usually conducted using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. WRF is used extensively in the atmospheric community to simulate mesoscale atmospheric transport. For such simulations, WRF employs a parameterized turbulence model and does not resolve the fine scale dynamics that are generated by the flow around buildings and communities that are part of a large city. Since the model domain includes the city of Indianapolis, much of the flow of interest is over an urban topography. The NIST Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) is a computational fluid dynamics model to perform large eddy simulations of flow around buildings, but it has not been nested within a larger-scale atmospheric transport model such as WRF. FDS has the potential to evaluate the impact of complex urban topography on near-field dispersion and mixing that cannot be simulated with a mesoscale atmospheric model, and which may be important to determining urban GHG emissions using atmospheric measurements. A methodology has been developed to run FDS as a sub-grid scale model within a WRF simulation. The coupling is based on nudging the FDS flow field towards the one computed by WRF, and is currently limited to one way coupling performed in an off-line mode. Using the coupled WRF / FDS model, NIST will investigate the effects of the urban canopy at horizontal resolutions of 2-10 m. The coupled WRF-FDS simulations will be used to calculate the dispersion of tracer gases in an urban domain and to evaluate the upwind areas that contribute to tower observations, referred to in the inversion community as influence functions. Predicted mixing ratios will be compared with tower measurements and WRF simulations, and FDS influence functions will be compared with those generated from WRF and the Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model. Results of this study will provide guidance regarding the importance of explicit simulations of urban atmospheric turbulence in obtaining accurate estimates of greenhouse gas emissions.

Consequences of repetitive toenail cutting by podiatric physicians on force production, endurance to fatigue, and the electromyogram of the flexor digitorum superficialis muscles.

PubMed

Vie, Bruno; Loffredo, Remy; Sanahdji, Farid; Weber, Jean-Paul; Jammes, Yves

2014-01-01

We hypothesized that the repetitive use of a toenail clipper by podiatric physicians could induce fatigue of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscle, reducing the accuracy of toenail cutting. We examined the consequences of cutting a plastic sheet, reproducing the resistance of thick toenails, with a podiatric medical clipper on the maximal handgrip force (Fmax) developed by the FDS muscle and an isometric handgrip sustained at 50% of Fmax, during which endurance to fatigue and changes in the power spectra of the surface FDS muscle electromyogram (root mean square and median frequency) were measured. The same participants randomly performed one or five runs of 30 successive cuttings, each on different days. After the first and fifth cutting runs, Fmax increased, suggesting a post-tetanic potentiation. During the handgrip sustained at 50% of Fmax, we measured a significant reduction in the tension-time index after the first cutting run. Moreover, after the fifth cutting run, the tension-time index decrease was significantly accentuated, and the decrease in FDS muscle median frequency was enhanced. No median frequency decline was measured during the cutting runs. These results suggest that the efficacy of occupational podiatric medical tasks progressively declines with the repetition of toenail cutting. We propose solutions to remedy this situation.

Effect of Electrical Stimulation of the Suprahyoid Muscles in Brain-Injured Patients with Dysphagia.

PubMed

Beom, Jaewon; Oh, Byung-Mo; Choi, Kyoung Hyo; Kim, Won; Song, Young Jin; You, Dae Sang; Kim, Sang Jun; Han, Tai Ryoon

2015-08-01

The purpose of this study is to determine whether neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the suprahyoid muscle is effective compared to that of the infrahyoid muscle in brain-injured patients with dysphagia. A total of 132 patients with stroke, traumatic brain injury, or brain tumor in 2 university hospitals were allocated to 2 groups: those who received electrical stimulation therapy (EST) on the suprahyoid muscles (SM group, n = 66) and those who received EST with one pair of electrodes on the suprahyoid muscle and the other pair on the infrahyoid muscle (SI group, n = 66). Patients received 11.2 ± 3.4 sessions of electrical stimulation in the SM group and 11.9 ± 3.4 sessions in the SI group. The functional dysphagia scale (FDS), swallow function score (SFS), supraglottic penetration, and subglottic aspiration were measured using videofluoroscopic swallowing study. FDS scores decreased from 42.0 ± 19.1 to 32.3 ± 17.8 in the SM group and from 44.8 ± 17.4 to 32.9 ± 18.8 in the SI group by per-protocol (PP) analysis, and those decreased from 41.2 ± 20.9 to 34.5 ± 20.3 in the SM group and from 44.3 ± 19.1 to 35.7 ± 20.5 in the SI group by intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, after electrical stimulation (p < 0.001 for each). SFSs increased from 3.3 ± 1.8 to 4.2 ± 1.6 in the SM group and from 2.8 ± 1.8 to 4.0 ± 1.8 in the SI group by PP analysis, and those increased from 3.3 ± 1.6 to 3.9 ± 1.6 in the SM group and from 2.8 ± 1.9 to 3.6 ± 2.0 in the SI group by ITT analysis, after electrical stimulation (p < 0.001, respectively). However, changes in FDS scores, SFSs, penetration, and aspiration were comparable between the SM and the SI groups. The results suggest that both SM and SI therapies induced similar improvements in swallowing function in brain-injured patients.

A wrist tendon travel assessment of hand movements associated with industrial repetitive activities.

PubMed

Ugbolue, U Chris; Nicol, Alexander C

2012-01-01

To investigate slow and fast paced industrial activity hand repetitive movements associated with carpal tunnel syndrome where movements are evaluated based on finger and wrist tendon travel measurements. Nine healthy subjects were recruited for the study aged between 23 and 33 years. Participants mimicked an industrial repetitive task by performing the following activities: wrist flexion and extension task, palm open and close task; and pinch task. Each task was performed for a period of 5 minutes at a slow (0.33 Hz) and fast (1 Hz) pace for a duration of 3 minutes and 2 minutes respectively. Tendon displacement produced higher flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) tendon travel when compared to the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendons. The left hand mean (SD) tendon travel for the FDS tendon and FDP tendon were 11108 (5188) mm and 9244 (4328) mm while the right hand mean tendon travel (SD) for the FDS tendon and FDP tendon were 9225 (3441) mm and 7670 (2856) mm respectively. Of the three tasks mimicking an industrial repetitive activity, the wrist flexion and extension task produced the most tendon travel. The findings may be useful to researchers in classifying the level of strenuous activity in relation to tendon travel.

Organizational structure of the Croatian family practice: a longitudinal study based on routinely collected data.

PubMed

Keglević, Mladenka Vrcić; Balint, Ines; Cvetković, Ivica; Gaćina, Ana

2014-12-01

This study was undertaken with the main aim of determining the trends in the number of family doctors' (FD), gender and educational structure, working status and the number of patients per FD between 1995 and 2013. As the main source of data collection served the Croatian Health Service Yearbooks and Croatian Health Insurance Fund (CHIF) databases on practices and FDs contracting in 2013. Obtained results indicated that the number of contracted FDs increased until 2007, then decreased, and again increased until 2350 in 2013. Average number of patients on FDs list was 1987 in 2012. Less than 50% FDs were specialist in family medicine, 70.3% of them were self-employed with the CHIF contract, and 81% were women. 123 practices planned by the Network did not have contracting FD in 2013. The lack of FDs, the huge number of patients over the standard number, and the location of the missing practices within the rural communities, together make Croatian FM practices less accessible.

FdC1 and Leaf-Type Ferredoxins Channel Electrons From Photosystem I to Different Downstream Electron Acceptors.

PubMed

Guan, Xiaoqian; Chen, Shuai; Voon, Chia Pao; Wong, Kam-Bo; Tikkanen, Mikko; Lim, Boon L

2018-01-01

Plant-type ferredoxins in Arabidopsis transfer electrons from the photosystem I to multiple redox-driven enzymes involved in the assimilation of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Leaf-type ferredoxins also modulate the switch between the linear and cyclic electron routes of the photosystems. Recently, two novel ferredoxin homologs with extra C-termini were identified in the Arabidopsis genome (AtFdC1, AT4G14890; AtFdC2, AT1G32550). FdC1 was considered as an alternative electron acceptor of PSI under extreme ferredoxin-deficient conditions. Here, we showed that FdC1 could interact with some, but not all, electron acceptors of leaf-type Fds, including the ferredoxin-thioredoxin reductase (FTR), sulfite reductase (SiR), and nitrite reductase (NiR). Photoreduction assay on cytochrome c and enzyme assays confirmed its capability to receive electrons from PSI and donate electrons to the Fd-dependent SiR and NiR but not to the ferredoxin-NADP + oxidoreductase (FNR). Hence, FdC1 and leaf-type Fds may play differential roles by channeling electrons from photosystem I to different downstream electron acceptors in photosynthetic tissues. In addition, the median redox potential of FdC1 may allow it to receive electrons from FNR in non-photosynthetic plastids.

FdC1 and Leaf-Type Ferredoxins Channel Electrons From Photosystem I to Different Downstream Electron Acceptors

PubMed Central

Guan, Xiaoqian; Chen, Shuai; Voon, Chia Pao; Wong, Kam-Bo; Tikkanen, Mikko; Lim, Boon L.

2018-01-01

Plant-type ferredoxins in Arabidopsis transfer electrons from the photosystem I to multiple redox-driven enzymes involved in the assimilation of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Leaf-type ferredoxins also modulate the switch between the linear and cyclic electron routes of the photosystems. Recently, two novel ferredoxin homologs with extra C-termini were identified in the Arabidopsis genome (AtFdC1, AT4G14890; AtFdC2, AT1G32550). FdC1 was considered as an alternative electron acceptor of PSI under extreme ferredoxin-deficient conditions. Here, we showed that FdC1 could interact with some, but not all, electron acceptors of leaf-type Fds, including the ferredoxin-thioredoxin reductase (FTR), sulfite reductase (SiR), and nitrite reductase (NiR). Photoreduction assay on cytochrome c and enzyme assays confirmed its capability to receive electrons from PSI and donate electrons to the Fd-dependent SiR and NiR but not to the ferredoxin-NADP+ oxidoreductase (FNR). Hence, FdC1 and leaf-type Fds may play differential roles by channeling electrons from photosystem I to different downstream electron acceptors in photosynthetic tissues. In addition, the median redox potential of FdC1 may allow it to receive electrons from FNR in non-photosynthetic plastids. PMID:29670639

Measurements of Forbush decreases at Mars: both by MSL on ground and by MAVEN in orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, J.; Lillis, R. J.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.; Posner, A.; Halekas, J. S.; Zeitlin, C.; Hassler, D.; Lundt, N.; Simonson, P.; Lee, C. O.; Appel, J. K.; Boehm, E.; Boettcher, S. I.; Burmeister, S.; Brinza, D. E.; Cucinotta, F.; Ehresmann, B.; Lohf, H.; Martin-Garcia, C.; Matthiae, D.; Rafkin, S. C.; Reitz, G.; weigle, G., II

2017-12-01

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD), on board Mars Science Laboratory's (MSL) rover Curiosity, has been measuring the ground level particle fluxes along with the radiation dose rate at the surface of Mars since August 2012. Similar to neutron monitors at Earth, RAD sees many Forbush decreases (FDs) in the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) induced surface fluxes and dose rates. These FDs are associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and/or streaming/corotating interaction regions (SIRs/CIRs). Orbiting above the Martian atmosphere, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft has also been monitoring space weather conditions at Mars since its arrival in September 2014. The penetrating particle flux channel in the Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) instrument aboard can also be employed to detect FDs. For the first time, we study the statistics and properties of a list of FDs observed in-situ at Mars, seen both on the surface by MSL/RAD and in orbit detected by the MAVEN/SEP instrument. Such a list of FDs can be used for studying ICME propagations and SIR evolutions through the inner-heliosphere. The magnitudes of different FDs can be well-fitted by a power-law distribution. The systematic difference between the magnitudes of the FDs within and outside the Martian atmosphere may be attributed to the energy-dependent modulation of the GCR particles by not only the pass-by ICMEs/SIRs but also the Martian atmosphere. Such an effect has been modeled via transporting particles of differently modulated GCR spectra through the Martian atmosphere.

Effect of Low-Frequency rTMS and NMES on Subacute Unilateral Hemispheric Stroke With Dysphagia

PubMed Central

Lim, Kil-Byung; Lee, Hong-Jae; Yoo, Jeehyun

2014-01-01

Objective To investigate the effect of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on post-stroke dysphagia. Methods Subacute (<3 months), unilateral hemispheric stroke patients with dysphagia were randomly assigned to the conventional dysphagia therapy (CDT), rTMS, or NMES groups. In rTMS group, rTMS was performed at 100% resting motor threshold with 1 Hz frequency for 20 minutes per session (5 days per week for 2 weeks). In NMES group, electrical stimulation was applied to the anterior neck for 30 minutes per session (5 days per week for 2 weeks). All three groups were given conventional dysphagia therapy for 4 weeks. We evaluated the functional dysphagia scale (FDS), pharyngeal transit time (PTT), the penetration-aspiration scale (PAS), and the American Speech-Language Hearing Association National Outcomes Measurement System (ASHA NOMS) swallowing scale at baseline, after 2 weeks, and after 4 weeks. Results Forty-seven patients completed the study; 15 in the CDT group, 14 in the rTMS group, and 18 in the NMES group. Mean changes in FDS and PAS for liquid during first 2 weeks in the rTMS and NMES groups were significantly higher than those in the CDT group, but no significant differences were found between the rTMS and NMES group. No significant difference in mean changes of FDS and PAS for semi-solid, PTT, and ASHA NOMS was observed among the three groups. Conclusion These results indicated that both low-frequency rTMS and NMES could induce early recovery from dysphagia; therefore, they both could be useful therapeutic options for dysphagic stroke patients. PMID:25379488

A de novo missense mutation of FGFR2 causes facial dysplasia syndrome in Holstein cattle.

PubMed

Agerholm, Jørgen S; McEvoy, Fintan J; Heegaard, Steffen; Charlier, Carole; Jagannathan, Vidhya; Drögemüller, Cord

2017-08-02

Surveillance for bovine genetic diseases in Denmark identified a hitherto unreported congenital syndrome occurring among progeny of a Holstein sire used for artificial breeding. A genetic aetiology due to a dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance or a mosaic germline mutation was suspected as all recorded cases were progeny of the same sire. Detailed investigations were performed to characterize the syndrome and to reveal its cause. Seven malformed calves were submitted examination. All cases shared a common morphology with the most striking lesions being severe facial dysplasia and complete prolapse of the eyes. Consequently the syndrome was named facial dysplasia syndrome (FDS). Furthermore, extensive brain malformations, including microencephaly, hydrocephalus, lobation of the cerebral hemispheres and compression of the brain were present. Subsequent data analysis of progeny of the sire revealed that around 0.5% of his offspring suffered from FDS. High density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping data of the seven cases and their parents were used to map the defect in the bovine genome. Significant genetic linkage was obtained for three regions, including chromosome 26 where whole genome sequencing of a case-parent trio revealed two de novo variants perfectly associated with the disease: an intronic SNP in the DMBT1 gene and a single non-synonymous variant in the FGFR2 gene. This FGFR2 missense variant (c.927G>T) affects a gene encoding a member of the fibroblast growth factor receptor family, where amino acid sequence is highly conserved between members and across species. It is predicted to change an evolutionary conserved tryptophan into a cysteine residue (p.Trp309Cys). Both variant alleles were proven to result from de novo mutation events in the germline of the sire. FDS is a novel genetic disorder of Holstein cattle. Mutations in the human FGFR2 gene are associated with various dominant inherited craniofacial dysostosis syndromes. Given the phenotypic similarities in FDS affected calves, the genetic mapping and absence of further high impact variants in the critical genome regions, it is highly likely that the missense mutation in the FGFR2 gene caused the FDS phenotype in a dominant mode of inheritance.

The Mariner Venus Mercury flight data subsystem.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitehead, P. B.

1972-01-01

The flight data subsystem (FDS) discussed handles both the engineering and scientific measurements performed on the MVM'73. It formats the data into serial data streams, and sends it to the modulation/demodulation subsystem for transmission to earth or to the data storage subsystem for storage on a digital tape recorder. The FDS is controlled by serial digital words, called coded commands, received from the central computer sequencer of from the ground via the modulation/demodulation subsystem. The eight major blocks of the FDS are: power converter, timing and control, engineering data, memory, memory input/output and control, nonimaging data, imaging data, and data output. The FDS incorporates some 4000 components, weighs 17 kg, and uses 35 W of power. General data on the mission and spacecraft are given.

24 CFR 902.33 - Financial reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... financial data to HUD on an annual basis. The financial information must be: (1) Prepared in accordance with...) Submitted electronically in the format prescribed by HUD using the Financial Data Schedule (FDS). (b) Annual... (a) of this section, a PHA shall provide one copy of the completed audit report package and the...

24 CFR 902.33 - Financial reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... financial data to HUD on an annual basis. The financial information must be: (1) Prepared in accordance with...) Submitted electronically in the format prescribed by HUD using the Financial Data Schedule (FDS). (b) Annual... (a) of this section, a PHA shall provide one copy of the completed audit report package and the...

24 CFR 902.33 - Financial reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... financial data to HUD on an annual basis. The financial information must be: (1) Prepared in accordance with...) Submitted electronically in the format prescribed by HUD using the Financial Data Schedule (FDS). (b) Annual... (a) of this section, a PHA shall provide one copy of the completed audit report package and the...

24 CFR 902.33 - Financial reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... financial data to HUD on an annual basis. The financial information must be: (1) Prepared in accordance with...) Submitted electronically in the format prescribed by HUD using the Financial Data Schedule (FDS). (b) Annual... (a) of this section, a PHA shall provide one copy of the completed audit report package and the...

Effects of flexor-pronator muscle loading on valgus stability of the elbow with an intact, stretched, and resected medial ulnar collateral ligament.

PubMed

Udall, John H; Fitzpatrick, Michael J; McGarry, Michelle H; Leba, Thu-Ba; Lee, Thay Q

2009-01-01

The medial ulnar collateral ligament (MUCL) is an important passive stabilizer to the valgus stresses that athletes experience during overhead throwing motion. However, the role of the flexor-pronator muscles as active stabilizers to valgus stress is not well defined in the literature. The objectives of this study were to quantify the relative contribution of the individual flexor-pronator muscles to valgus stability of the elbow and how this relationship was affected by ligament status. A custom elbow testing system and Microscribe 3DLX were used for biomechanical testing. Flexor-pronator muscles were loaded to simulate contraction, and the valgus angle of the elbow was measured in eight cadaveric specimens at 30 degrees , 60 degrees , and 90 degrees of elbow flexion with 3 different valgus torques applied to the forearm. Loads based on muscle cross-sectional area were applied to the flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU), flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), and pronator teres (PT). The effect of each muscle was evaluated by unloading the individual muscle while the other 2 remained loaded, resulting in 5 loading conditions: no muscles loaded, all muscles loaded, unloaded FCU, unloaded FDS, and unloaded PT. Valgus angle was measured for 3 MUCL ligament conditions: intact, stretched, and cut. The effect of muscle loading on valgus angle was similar for each ligament condition. Loading the flexor-pronator muscles significantly decreased valgus angle of the elbow in all testing conditions (P < .01). Unloading the FDS significantly increased valgus angle compared to all muscles loaded in all testing conditions (P < .016). Unloading the FCU and PT significantly increased valgus angle in less than half of the testing conditions. The FDS, PT, and FCU are all active stabilizers of the elbow to valgus stress. The FDS is the biggest contributor amongst the flexor-pronator muscles.

Analysis of Protein Interactions with Picomolar Binding Affinity by Fluorescence-Detected Sedimentation Velocity

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The study of high-affinity protein interactions with equilibrium dissociation constants (KD) in the picomolar range is of significant interest in many fields, but the characterization of stoichiometry and free energy of such high-affinity binding can be far from trivial. Analytical ultracentrifugation has long been considered a gold standard in the study of protein interactions but is typically applied to systems with micromolar KD. Here we present a new approach for the study of high-affinity interactions using fluorescence detected sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation (FDS-SV). Taking full advantage of the large data sets in FDS-SV by direct boundary modeling with sedimentation coefficient distributions c(s), we demonstrate detection and hydrodynamic resolution of protein complexes at low picomolar concentrations. We show how this permits the characterization of the antibody–antigen interactions with low picomolar binding constants, 2 orders of magnitude lower than previously achieved. The strongly size-dependent separation and quantitation by concentration, size, and shape of free and complex species in free solution by FDS-SV has significant potential for studying high-affinity multistep and multicomponent protein assemblies. PMID:24552356

Physiologically-relevant measurements of flow through coils and stents: towards improved modeling of endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbour, Michael; Levitt, Michael; Geindreau, Christian; Rolland Du Roscoat, Sabine; Johnson, Luke; Chivukula, Keshav; Aliseda, Alberto

2016-11-01

The hemodynamic environment in cerebral aneurysms undergoing flow-diverting stent (FDS) or coil embolization treatment plays a critical role in long-term outcomes. Standard modeling approaches to endovascular coils and FDS simplify the complex geometry into a homogenous porous volume or surface through the addition of a Darcy-Brinkman pressure loss term in the momentum equation. The inertial and viscous loss coefficients are typically derived from published in vitro studies of pressure loss across FDS and coils placed in a straight tube, where the only fluid path is across the treatment - an unrealistic representation of treatment apposition in vivo. The pressure drop across FDS and coils in side branch aneurysms located on curved parent vessels is measured. Using PIV, the velocity at the aneurysm neck plane is reconstructed and used to determine loss coefficients for better models of endovascular coils or FDS that account for physiological placement and vessel curvature. These improved models are incorporated into CFD simulations and validated against in vitro model PIV velocity, as well as compared to microCT-based coil/stent-resolving CFD simulations of patient-specific treated aneurysm flow.

Repositioning forelimb superficialis muscles: tendon attachment and muscle activity enable active relocation of functional myofibers.

PubMed

Huang, Alice H; Riordan, Timothy J; Wang, Lingyan; Eyal, Shai; Zelzer, Elazar; Brigande, John V; Schweitzer, Ronen

2013-09-16

The muscles that govern hand motion are composed of extrinsic muscles that reside within the forearm and intrinsic muscles that reside within the hand. We find that the extrinsic muscles of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) first differentiate as intrinsic muscles within the hand and then relocate as myofibers to their final position in the arm. This remarkable translocation of differentiated myofibers across a joint is dependent on muscle contraction and muscle-tendon attachment. Interestingly, the intrinsic flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) muscles of the foot are identical to the FDS in tendon pattern and delayed developmental timing but undergo limited muscle translocation, providing strong support for evolutionary homology between the FDS and FDB muscles. We propose that the intrinsic FDB pattern represents the original tetrapod limb and that translocation of the muscles to form the FDS is a mammalian evolutionary addition. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Re-positioning forelimb superficialis muscles: tendon attachment and muscle activity enable active relocation of functional myofibers

PubMed Central

Huang, Alice H.; Riordan, Timothy J.; Wang, Lingyan; Eyal, Shai; Zelzer, Elazar; Brigande, John V.; Schweitzer, Ronen

2013-01-01

Summary The muscles that govern hand motion are composed of extrinsic muscles that reside within the forearm and intrinsic muscles that reside within the hand. We find that the extrinsic muscles of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) first differentiate as intrinsic muscles within the hand and then relocate as myofibers to their final position in the arm. This unique translocation of differentiated myofibers across a joint is dependent on muscle contraction and muscle-tendon attachment. Interestingly, the intrinsic flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) muscles of the foot are identical to the FDS in tendon pattern and delayed developmental timing, but undergo limited muscle translocation, providing strong support for evolutionary homology between the FDS and FDB muscles. We propose that the intrinsic FDB pattern represents the original tetrapod limb and translocation of the muscles to form the FDS is a mammalian evolutionary addition. PMID:24044893

Bs and Ds decay constants in three-flavor lattice QCD.

PubMed

Wingate, Matthew; Davies, Christine T H; Gray, Alan; Lepage, G Peter; Shigemitsu, Junko

2004-04-23

Capitalizing on recent advances in lattice QCD, we present a calculation of the leptonic decay constants f(B(s)) and f(D(s)) that includes effects of one strange sea quark and two light sea quarks via an improved staggered action. By shedding the quenched approximation and the associated lattice scale uncertainty, lattice QCD greatly increases its predictive power. Nonrelativistic QCD is used to simulate heavy quarks with masses between 1.5m(c) and m(b). We arrive at the following results: f(B(s))=260+/-7+/-26+/-8+/-5 and f(D(s))=290+/-20+/-29+/-29+/-6 MeV. The first quoted error is the statistical uncertainty, and the rest estimate the sizes of higher order terms neglected in this calculation. All of these uncertainties are systematically improvable by including another order in the weak coupling expansion, the nonrelativistic expansion, or the Symanzik improvement program.

Symptoms of Fern Distortion Syndrome Resulting from Inoculation with Opportunistic Endophytic Fluorescent Pseudomonas spp.

PubMed Central

Kloepper, Joseph W.; McInroy, John A.; Liu, Ke; Hu, Chia-Hui

2013-01-01

Background Fern Distortion Syndrome (FDS) is a serious disease of Leatherleaf fern (Rumohra adiantiformis). The main symptom of FDS is distortion of fronds, making them unmarketable. Additional symptoms include stunting, irregular sporulation, decreased rhizome diameter, and internal discoloration of rhizomes. We previously reported an association of symptoms with increased endophytic rhizome populations of fluorescent pseudomonads (FPs). The aim of the current study was to determine if FPs from ferns in Costa Rica with typical FDS symptoms would recreate symptoms of FDS. Methodology and Findings Greenhouse tests were conducted over a 29-month period. Micro-propagated ferns derived from tissue culture were first grown one year to produce rhizomes. Then, using an 8×9 randomized complete block experimental design, 8 replicate rhizomes were inoculated by dipping into 9 different treatments before planting. Treatments included water without bacteria (control), and four different groups of FPs, each at a two concentrations. The four groups of FPs included one group from healthy ferns without symptoms (another control treatment), two groups isolated from inside rhizomes of symptomatic ferns, and one group isolated from inside roots of symptomatic ferns. Symptoms were assessed 12 and 17 months later, and populations of FPs inside newly formed rhizomes were determined after 17 months. Results showed that inoculation with mixtures of FPs from ferns with FDS symptoms, but not from healthy ferns, recreated the primary symptom of frond deformities and also the secondary symptoms of irregular sporulation, decreased rhizome diameter, and internal discoloration of rhizomes. Conclusions These results suggest a model of causation of FDS in which symptoms result from latent infections by multiple species of opportunistic endophytic bacteria containing virulence genes that are expressed when populations inside the plant reach a minimum level. PMID:23516499

Better control with less effort: The advantage of using focused-breathing strategy over focused-distraction strategy on thought suppression.

PubMed

Ju, Yu-Jeng; Lien, Yunn-Wen

2016-02-01

It has been suggested that unwanted thoughts usually intrude during mind wandering due to a shortage of mental resources. However, strategies for suppressing such thoughts have never been examined from a mind wandering perspective. Here, we compare the effectiveness of two types of attention distraction strategies that either redirect users' attention to their own breathing (focused-breathing strategy, FBS) or to a mental image (focused-distraction strategy, FDS) as related to working memory capacities. Eighty-two undergraduates were randomly assigned into a FBS or FDS group. They completed a concentration task and a thought suppression task, in which mind wandering and thought intrusions were each measured. Our results support the hypothesis that mind wandering is positively correlated to thought intrusions and shows that FBS is more effective than FDS in reducing mind wandering and thought intrusions. Moreover, in contrast to FDS, the effect of FBS is independent of users' mental resources. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental Study of Flow Through Carotid Aneurysms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masoomi, Faezeh; Mejia-Alvarez, Ricardo

2017-11-01

There is evidence that traditional endovascular techniques like coiling are not effective for treatment of wide-neck cerebral aneurysms. Flow Diverter Stents (FDS) have emerged as promising devices for treating complex aneurysms since they enable treatment of aneurysms that were considered untreatable before. Recent studies suggest a number of associated risks with FDS, including in-stent thrombosis, perianeurysmal edema, delayed hemorrhage, and perforator occlusions. Chong et al. simulated hemodynamic behavior using patient-specific data. From their study, it is possible to infer that the standard deviation of energy loss could be a good predictor for intervention success. The aim of this study is to investigate the flow in models of cerebral aneurysms before and after FDS insertion using PIV. These models will be based on actual clinical studies and will be fabricated with advanced additive manufacturing techniques. These data will then be used to explore flow parameters that could inform the likelihood of post-intervention aneurysm rupture, and help determine FDS designs that better suit any particular patient before its procedure.

Scale-free crystallization of two-dimensional complex plasmas: Domain analysis using Minkowski tensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Böbel, A.; Knapek, C. A.; Räth, C.

2018-05-01

Experiments of the recrystallization processes in two-dimensional complex plasmas are analyzed to rigorously test a recently developed scale-free phase transition theory. The "fractal-domain-structure" (FDS) theory is based on the kinetic theory of Frenkel. It assumes the formation of homogeneous domains, separated by defect lines, during crystallization and a fractal relationship between domain area and boundary length. For the defect number fraction and system energy a scale-free power-law relation is predicted. The long-range scaling behavior of the bond-order correlation function shows clearly that the complex plasma phase transitions are not of the Kosterlitz, Thouless, Halperin, Nelson, and Young type. Previous preliminary results obtained by counting the number of dislocations and applying a bond-order metric for structural analysis are reproduced. These findings are supplemented by extending the use of the bond-order metric to measure the defect number fraction and furthermore applying state-of-the-art analysis methods, allowing a systematic testing of the FDS theory with unprecedented scrutiny: A morphological analysis of lattice structure is performed via Minkowski tensor methods. Minkowski tensors form a complete family of additive, motion covariant and continuous morphological measures that are sensitive to nonlinear properties. The FDS theory is rigorously confirmed and predictions of the theory are reproduced extremely well. The predicted scale-free power-law relation between defect fraction number and system energy is verified for one more order of magnitude at high energies compared to the inherently discontinuous bond-order metric. It is found that the fractal relation between crystalline domain area and circumference is independent of the experiment, the particular Minkowski tensor method, and the particular choice of parameters. Thus, the fractal relationship seems to be inherent to two-dimensional phase transitions in complex plasmas. Minkowski tensor analysis turns out to be a powerful tool for investigations of crystallization processes. It is capable of revealing nonlinear local topological properties, however, still provides easily interpretable results founded on a solid mathematical framework.

Simultaneous determination of nickel and copper by H-point standard addition method-first-order derivative spectrophotometry in plant samples after separation and preconcentration on modified natural clinoptilolite as a new sorbent.

PubMed

Roohparvar, Rasool; Taher, Mohammad Ali; Mohadesi, Alireza

2008-01-01

For the simultaneous determination of nickel(ll) and copper(ll) in plant samples, a rapid and accurate method was developed. In this method, solid-phase extraction (SPE) and first-order derivative spectrophotometry (FDS) are combined, and the result is coupled with the H-point standard addition method (HPSAM). Compared with normal spectrophotometry, derivative spectrophotometry offers the advantages of increased selectivity and sensitivity. As there is no need for carrying out any pretreatment of the sample, the spectrophotometry method is easy, but because of a high detection limit, it is not so practical. In order to decrease the detection limit, it is suggested to combine spectrophotometry with a preconcentration method such as SPE. In the present work, after separation and preconcentration of Ni(ll) and Cu(ll) on modified clinoptilolite zeolite that is loaded with 2-[1-(2-hydroxy-5-sulforphenyl)-3-phenyl-5-formaza-no]-benzoic acid monosodium salt (zincon) as a selective chromogenic reagent, FDS-HPSAM, which is a simple and selective spectrophotometric method, has been applied for simultaneous determination of these ions. With optimum conditions, the detection limit in original solutions is 0.7 and 0.5 ng/mL, respectively, for nickel and copper. The linear concentration ranges in the proposed method for nickel and copper ions in original solutions are 1.1 to 3.0 x 10(3) and 0.9 to 2.0 x 10(3) ng/mL, respectively. The recommended procedure is applied to successful determination of Cu(ll) and Ni(ll) in standard and real samples.

A new numerical approach to solve Thomas-Fermi model of an atom using bio-inspired heuristics integrated with sequential quadratic programming.

PubMed

Raja, Muhammad Asif Zahoor; Zameer, Aneela; Khan, Aziz Ullah; Wazwaz, Abdul Majid

2016-01-01

In this study, a novel bio-inspired computing approach is developed to analyze the dynamics of nonlinear singular Thomas-Fermi equation (TFE) arising in potential and charge density models of an atom by exploiting the strength of finite difference scheme (FDS) for discretization and optimization through genetic algorithms (GAs) hybrid with sequential quadratic programming. The FDS procedures are used to transform the TFE differential equations into a system of nonlinear equations. A fitness function is constructed based on the residual error of constituent equations in the mean square sense and is formulated as the minimization problem. Optimization of parameters for the system is carried out with GAs, used as a tool for viable global search integrated with SQP algorithm for rapid refinement of the results. The design scheme is applied to solve TFE for five different scenarios by taking various step sizes and different input intervals. Comparison of the proposed results with the state of the art numerical and analytical solutions reveals that the worth of our scheme in terms of accuracy and convergence. The reliability and effectiveness of the proposed scheme are validated through consistently getting optimal values of statistical performance indices calculated for a sufficiently large number of independent runs to establish its significance.

Analysis of a Smartphone-Based Architecture with Multiple Mobility Sensors for Fall Detection

PubMed Central

Santoyo-Ramón, Jose Antonio; Cano-García, Jose Manuel

2016-01-01

During the last years, many research efforts have been devoted to the definition of Fall Detection Systems (FDSs) that benefit from the inherent computing, communication and sensing capabilities of smartphones. However, employing a smartphone as the unique sensor in a FDS application entails several disadvantages as long as an accurate characterization of the patient’s mobility may force to transport this personal device on an unnatural position. This paper presents a smartphone-based architecture for the automatic detection of falls. The system incorporates a set of small sensing motes that can communicate with the smartphone to help in the fall detection decision. The deployed architecture is systematically evaluated in a testbed with experimental users in order to determine the number and positions of the sensors that optimize the effectiveness of the FDS, as well as to assess the most convenient role of the smartphone in the architecture. PMID:27930736

Analysis of a Smartphone-Based Architecture with Multiple Mobility Sensors for Fall Detection.

PubMed

Casilari, Eduardo; Santoyo-Ramón, Jose Antonio; Cano-García, Jose Manuel

2016-01-01

During the last years, many research efforts have been devoted to the definition of Fall Detection Systems (FDSs) that benefit from the inherent computing, communication and sensing capabilities of smartphones. However, employing a smartphone as the unique sensor in a FDS application entails several disadvantages as long as an accurate characterization of the patient's mobility may force to transport this personal device on an unnatural position. This paper presents a smartphone-based architecture for the automatic detection of falls. The system incorporates a set of small sensing motes that can communicate with the smartphone to help in the fall detection decision. The deployed architecture is systematically evaluated in a testbed with experimental users in order to determine the number and positions of the sensors that optimize the effectiveness of the FDS, as well as to assess the most convenient role of the smartphone in the architecture.

Diagnostic Value of Isolated Mentalis Versus Mentalis Plus Upper Limb Electromyography in Idiopathic REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Patients Eventually Developing a Neurodegenerative Syndrome.

PubMed

Fernández-Arcos, Ana; Iranzo, Alex; Serradell, Mónica; Gaig, Carles; Guaita, Marc; Salamero, Manel; Santamaria, Joan

2017-04-01

To compare two electromyographic (EMG) montages, isolated mentalis muscle versus mentalis in combination with upper limb muscles in the baseline diagnostic video-polysomnography (V-PSG) of patients with idiopathic REM sleep behaviors disorder (IRBD) who eventually were diagnosed with a clinically defined neurodegenerative syndrome. Forty-nine patients were included. At baseline, diagnosis of RBD was based on a typical history of dream enactment behaviors plus V-PSG showing REM sleep with qualitative increased EMG activity and/or abnormal behaviors. Quantification of EMG activity (tonic, phasic and "any") in the mentalis and upper limb muscles (biceps brachii-BB, n = 36 or flexor digitorum superficialis-FDS, n = 13) was performed manually and compared with published cut-offs. Nine (18.4%) patients had either tonic or phasic EMG below the cut-offs for the isolated mentalis and four of them (11.1 %) also had values below the cut-off for the mentalis combined with BB. All 13 patients recorded with the FDS were above the mentalis combined with FDS cut-off. For the diagnosis of IRBD, sensitivity of isolated mentalis was 81.6% and of the combination of mentalis plus upper limb muscles was 91.8% (p = .03). Audiovisual analysis showed abnormal REM sleep behaviors in all nine patients with values below the cut-offs. Quantification of EMG activity in the upper limbs combined with the mentalis increases the ability to diagnose IRBD when compared with the isolated measurement of the mentalis. Detection of typical abnormal behaviors during REM sleep with audiovisual analysis is essential for the diagnosis of IRBD in patients with EMG values below the published cut-offs. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sleep disorders in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1.

PubMed

Boentert, Matthias; Knop, Katharina; Schuhmacher, Christine; Gess, Burkhard; Okegwo, Angelika; Young, Peter

2014-03-01

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and restless legs syndrome (RLS) have been reported in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) type 1A and axonal subtypes of CMT, respectively. The aim of this case-control study was to investigate both prevalence and severity of OSA, RLS and periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) in adult patients with genetically proven CMT1. 61 patients with CMT1 and 61 insomnic control subjects were matched for age, sex, and Body Mass Index. Neurological disability in patients with CMT was assessed using the Functional Disability Scale (FDS). RLS diagnosis was based on a screening questionnaire and structured clinical interviews. All participants underwent overnight polysomnography. OSA was present in 37.7% of patients with CMT1 and 4.9% of controls (p<0.0001). The mean Apnoea Hypoponea Index (AHI) was significantly higher in patients with CMT1 than in control individuals (9.1/h vs 1.2/h). RLS was present in 40.9% of patients with CMT1 and in 16.4% of controls (p<0.001). In the CMT1 group, OSA was significantly more common in men and RLS in women. The AHI correlated with both age and the FDS score, the latter being a significant independent predictor of OSA. PLMS were found in 41.0% of patients with CMT1, but were not correlated with measures of sleep quality. In addition to known risk factors, CMT may predispose to OSA. RLS is highly prevalent not only in axonal subtypes of CMT but also in primarily demyelinating subforms of CMT. PLMS are common in CMT1, but do not significantly impair sleep quality.

An Explicit Upwind Algorithm for Solving the Parabolized Navier-Stokes Equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korte, John J.

1991-01-01

An explicit, upwind algorithm was developed for the direct (noniterative) integration of the 3-D Parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) equations in a generalized coordinate system. The new algorithm uses upwind approximations of the numerical fluxes for the pressure and convection terms obtained by combining flux difference splittings (FDS) formed from the solution of an approximate Riemann (RP). The approximate RP is solved using an extension of the method developed by Roe for steady supersonic flow of an ideal gas. Roe's method is extended for use with the 3-D PNS equations expressed in generalized coordinates and to include Vigneron's technique of splitting the streamwise pressure gradient. The difficulty associated with applying Roe's scheme in the subsonic region is overcome. The second-order upwind differencing of the flux derivatives are obtained by adding FDS to either an original forward or backward differencing of the flux derivative. This approach is used to modify an explicit MacCormack differencing scheme into an upwind differencing scheme. The second order upwind flux approximations, applied with flux limiters, provide a method for numerically capturing shocks without the need for additional artificial damping terms which require adjustment by the user. In addition, a cubic equation is derived for determining Vegneron's pressure splitting coefficient using the updated streamwise flux vector. Decoding the streamwise flux vector with the updated value of Vigneron's pressure splitting improves the stability of the scheme. The new algorithm is applied to 2-D and 3-D supersonic and hypersonic laminar flow test cases. Results are presented for the experimental studies of Holden and of Tracy. In addition, a flow field solution is presented for a generic hypersonic aircraft at a Mach number of 24.5 and angle of attack of 1 degree. The computed results compare well to both experimental data and numerical results from other algorithms. Computational times required for the upwind PNS code are approximately equal to an explicit PNS MacCormack's code and existing implicit PNS solvers.

'These reforms killed me': doctors' perceptions of family medicine during the transition from communism to capitalism.

PubMed

Czachowski, Slawomir; Pawlikowska, Teresa

2011-08-01

The establishment of family medicine (FM) in Poland following political reform. To describe family doctors' (FD) experiences during the introduction of FM. A qualitative study of 25 FDs in Poland, using thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. Open-structured narrative-based interviews with five FDs were then used to deepen understanding of the major emergent themes. Fifteen of 25 had a different initial specialization to FM; 10 of 25 overseas work experience. Many doctors were driven by personal circumstances to engage with this new discipline, which provided a better fit with their life circumstances and a chance to escape from hierarchical structures characterizing the old regime. Personal experience of role models helped embrace FM, whereas adherence to ingrained biomedical approaches led to difficulty with exposure to common problems and could facilitate burnout. Shifting relationships in the reformed system caused tensions between primary and secondary care. While relationships with patients and specialists were being renegotiated, the concept of an independent FD practice surfaced. We observed that the most serious problems that the doctors encountered were circumstances related to the former health care system, in contrast to any lack of professional skills. This is a rare qualitative study exploring Polish doctors' perspectives of the health care reform after the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe. This analysis of newly qualified FDs has provided an insight into the authentic experiences, and motivation of grass roots FM pioneers in Poland.

Validation of an integrated software for the detection of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder.

PubMed

Frauscher, Birgit; Gabelia, David; Biermayr, Marlene; Stefani, Ambra; Hackner, Heinz; Mitterling, Thomas; Poewe, Werner; Högl, Birgit

2014-10-01

Rapid eye movement sleep without atonia (RWA) is the polysomnographic hallmark of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). To partially overcome the disadvantages of manual RWA scoring, which is time consuming but essential for the accurate diagnosis of RBD, we aimed to validate software specifically developed and integrated with polysomnography for RWA detection against the gold standard of manual RWA quantification. Academic referral center sleep laboratory. Polysomnographic recordings of 20 patients with RBD and 60 healthy volunteers were analyzed. N/A. Motor activity during REM sleep was quantified manually and computer assisted (with and without artifact detection) according to Sleep Innsbruck Barcelona (SINBAR) criteria for the mentalis ("any," phasic, tonic electromyographic [EMG] activity) and the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscle (phasic EMG activity). Computer-derived indices (with and without artifact correction) for "any," phasic, tonic mentalis EMG activity, phasic FDS EMG activity, and the SINBAR index ("any" mentalis + phasic FDS) correlated well with the manually derived indices (all Spearman rhos 0.66-0.98). In contrast with computerized scoring alone, computerized scoring plus manual artifact correction (median duration 5.4 min) led to a significant reduction of false positives for "any" mentalis (40%), phasic mentalis (40.6%), and the SINBAR index (41.2%). Quantification of tonic mentalis and phasic FDS EMG activity was not influenced by artifact correction. The computer algorithm used here appears to be a promising tool for REM sleep behavior disorder detection in both research and clinical routine. A short check for plausibility of automatic detection should be a basic prerequisite for this and all other available computer algorithms. © 2014 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Clinical outcomes of individualized botulinum neurotoxin type A injection techniques in patients with essential blepharospasm.

PubMed

Sung, Youngje; Nam, Sang Min; Lew, Helen

2015-04-01

To assess the clinical outcomes following botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) treatment with an individualized injection technique based on the types of spasms and to compare the results of the individualized injection technique with those of the conventional injection technique in the same patients. From November 2011 to July 2013, 77 BoNT-A injections were performed in 38 patients. Eighteen patients were treated with conventional BoNT-A injections before 2011, and 20 patients were referred to our hospital for unsatisfactory results after a conventional injection technique. We classified the patients by spasm-dominant sites: the lateral orbital area, representing the orbital orbicularis-dominant group (ODG); the glabella, representing the corrugator-dominant group (CDG); and the ptosis, representing the palpebral part of the orbicularis-dominant group (PDG). We increased the injection dose into the spasm-dominant sites of the blepharospasm groups. We assessed subjective symptom scores (functional disability score, FDS) after treatment. This study included 38 patients (26 women, 12 men; mean age, 60.6 ± 10.9 years). There were 21 patients in the ODG, 10 patients in the CDG, and 7 patients in the PDG. Mean ages were 59.7 ± 12.6, 59.8 ± 8.5, and 66.8 ± 9.0 years, and mean BoNT-A injection dose was 38.8 ± 11.2, 38.8 ± 11.2, and 38.8 ± 10.8 U in each group, respectively (p = 0.44, 0.82 Kruskal-Wallis test). Mean FDS after injection was 1.7 ± 0.7 in the ODG, 1.4 ± 0.8 in the CDG, and 1.2 ± 0.3 in the PDG. There were significant differences in reading and job scale among the three groups. In a comparison between the conventional and individualized injection techniques, there was a significant improvement in mean FDS and in the reading scale in the PDG with the individualized injection technique. The success rate was 92.1% in the conventional injection group and 94.1% in the individualized injection group. The individualized injection technique of BoNT-A according to the spasm-dominant site is an effective and safe treatment method for essential blepharospasm patients.

The Safety Analysis of Shipborne Ammunition in Fire Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Junpeng; Wang, Xudong; Yue, Pengfei

2017-12-01

The safety of Ammunition has always been the focus of national military science and technology issues. And fire is one of the major safety threats to the ship’s ammunition storage environment, In this paper, Mk-82 shipborne aviation bomb has been taken as the study object, simulated the whole process of fire by using the FDS (Fire Detection System) software. According to the simulation results of FDS, ANSYS software was used to simulate the temperature field of Mk-82 carrier-based aviation bomb under fire environment, and the safety of aviation bomb in fire environment was analyzed. The result shows that the aviation bombs under the fire environment can occur the combustion or explosion after 70s constant cook-off, and it was a huge threat to the ship security.

Numerical simulation of steady and unsteady asymmetric vortical flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kandil, Osama A.; Wong, Tin-Chee; Liu, C. H.

1992-01-01

The unsteady, compressible, thin-layer, Navier-Stokes (NS) equations are solved to simulate steady and unsteady, asymmetric, vortical laminar flow around cones at high incidences and supersonic Mach numbers. The equations are solved by using an implicit, upwind, flux-difference splitting (FDS), finite-volume scheme. The locally conical flow assumption is used and the solutions are obtained by forcing the conserved components of the flowfield vector to be equal at two axial stations located at 0.95 and 1.0. Computational examples cover steady and unsteady asymmetric flows around a circular cone and its control using side strakes. The unsteady asymmetric flow solution around the circular cone has also been validated using the upwind, flux-vector splitting (FVS) scheme with the thin-layer NS equations and the upwind FDS with the full NS equations. The results are in excellent agreement with each other. Unsteady asymmetric flows are also presented for elliptic- and diamond-section cones, which model asymmetric vortex shedding around round- and sharp-edged delta winds.

Development of a Competency Framework for Quality Improvement in Family Medicine: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Czabanowska, Katarzyna; Klemenc-Ketis, Zalika; Potter, Amanda; Rochfort, Andree; Tomasik, Tomasz; Csiszar, Judit; Van den Bussche, Piet

2012-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive framework of quality improvement competencies for use in continuing professional development (CPD) and continuing medical education (CME) for European general practice/family medicine physicians (GPs/FDs). Methods: The study was carried out in three phases: literature review,…

Automated selection of trabecular bone regions in knee radiographs.

PubMed

Podsiadlo, P; Wolski, M; Stachowiak, G W

2008-05-01

Osteoarthritic (OA) changes in knee joints can be assessed by analyzing the structure of trabecular bone (TB) in the tibia. This analysis is performed on TB regions selected manually by a human operator on x-ray images. Manual selection is time-consuming, tedious, and expensive. Even if a radiologist expert or highly trained person is available to select regions, high inter- and intraobserver variabilities are still possible. A fully automated image segmentation method was, therefore, developed to select the bone regions for numerical analyses of changes in bone structures. The newly developed method consists of image preprocessing, delineation of cortical bone plates (active shape model), and location of regions of interest (ROI). The method was trained on an independent set of 40 x-ray images. Automatically selected regions were compared to the "gold standard" that contains ROIs selected manually by a radiologist expert on 132 x-ray images. All images were acquired from subjects locked in a standardized standing position using a radiography rig. The size of each ROI is 12.8 x 12.8 mm. The automated method results showed a good agreement with the gold standard [similarity index (SI) = 0.83 (medial) and 0.81 (lateral) and the offset =[-1.78, 1.27]x[-0.65,0.26] mm (medial) and [-2.15, 1.59]x[-0.58, 0.52] mm (lateral)]. Bland and Altman plots were constructed for fractal signatures, and changes of fractal dimensions (FD) to region offsets calculated between the gold standard and automatically selected regions were calculated. The plots showed a random scatter and the 95% confidence intervals were (-0.006, 0.008) and (-0.001, 0.011). The changes of FDs to region offsets were less than 0.035. Previous studies showed that differences in FDs between non-OA and OA bone regions were greater than 0.05. ROIs were also selected by a second radiologist and then evaluated. Results indicated that the newly developed method could replace a human operator and produces bone regions with an accuracy that is sufficient for fractal analyses of bone texture.

The flare origin of Forbush decreases not associated with solar flares on the visible hemisphere of the Sun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iucci, N.; Parisi, M.; Signorini, C.; Storini, M.; Villoresi, G.

1985-01-01

Investigations have shown that Forbush decreases (Fds) are produced by the propagation into the interplanetary space of a strong perturbation originating from a solar flare (Sf) accompanied by Type IV radioemission. As the front of the perturbation propagates into the interplanetary space, the region in which the galactic cosmic rays are modulated (Fd-modulated region) rotates westward with the Sun and is generally included between two boundary streams; therefore the Fds not associated with observed type IV Sfs (N.Ass.Fds) are likely to be produced by type IV Sfs occurred on the Sun's backside: these vents can be observed when the Earth crosses the corotating Western boundary of the modulated region.

The flare origin of Forbush decreases not associated with solar flares on the visible hemisphere of the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iucci, N.; Parisi, M.; Signorini, C.; Storini, M.; Villoresi, G.

1985-08-01

Investigations have shown that Forbush decreases (Fds) are produced by the propagation into the interplanetary space of a strong perturbation originating from a solar flare (Sf) accompanied by Type IV radioemission. As the front of the perturbation propagates into the interplanetary space, the region in which the galactic cosmic rays are modulated (Fd-modulated region) rotates westward with the Sun and is generally included between two boundary streams; therefore the Fds not associated with observed type IV Sfs (N.Ass.Fds) are likely to be produced by type IV Sfs occurred on the Sun's backside: these vents can be observed when the Earth crosses the corotating Western boundary of the modulated region.

Flow Diverter Stents for the Treatment of Anterior Cerebral Artery Aneurysms: Safety and Effectiveness.

PubMed

Clarençon, F; Di Maria, F; Gabrieli, J; Shotar, E; Zeghal, C; Nouet, A; Chiras, J; Sourour, N-A

2017-03-01

Flow diverter stents (FDSs) are increasingly used for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Initially developed for the management of giant and large aneurysms, their indications have progressively expanded. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of FDSs for the treatment of anterior cerebral artery (ACA) aneurysms. Among the 94 consecutive patients treated for 100 intracranial aneurysms by means of FDSs in our institution from October 2010 to January 2015, eight aneurysms (8 %) in seven patients were located on the ACA. Three aneurysms were located on the A1 segment, three aneurysms on the anterior communicating artery (ACom) and two on the A2-A3 junction. In three cases, FDS was used for angiographic recurrence after coiling. Five patients were treated with a Pipeline embolization device, one with a NeuroEndograft and the last one with a Silk FDS. Treatment was feasible in all cases. No technical difficulty was reported. No acute or delayed clinical complication was recorded. Modified Rankin Scale was 0 for six patients and one for one patient. Mean angiographic follow-up was 9.7 ± 3.9 months (range 6-15). Total exclusion was observed in five aneurysms (71.4 %) and neck remnant in two (28.6 %) cases. One patient refused the control DSA. Our series shows the safety and effectiveness of FDSs for the treatment of ACA aneurysms.

Primary Motor Cortex Representation of Handgrip Muscles in Patients with Leprosy

PubMed Central

Rangel, Maria Luíza Sales; Sanchez, Tiago Arruda; Moreira, Filipe Azaline; Hoefle, Sebastian; Souto, Inaiacy Bittencourt; da Cunha, Antônio José Ledo Alves

2015-01-01

Background Leprosy is an endemic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae that predominantly attacks the skin and peripheral nerves, leading to progressive impairment of motor, sensory and autonomic function. Little is known about how this peripheral neuropathy affects corticospinal excitability of handgrip muscles. Our purpose was to explore the motor cortex organization after progressive peripheral nerve injury and upper-limb dysfunction induced by leprosy using noninvasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Methods In a cross-sectional study design, we mapped bilaterally in the primary motor cortex (M1) the representations of the hand flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), as well as of the intrinsic hand muscles abductor pollicis brevis (APB), first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and abductor digiti minimi (ADM). All participants underwent clinical assessment, handgrip dynamometry and motor and sensory nerve conduction exams 30 days before mapping. Wilcoxon signed rank and Mann-Whitney tests were performed with an alpha-value of p<0.05. Findings Dynamometry performance of the patients’ most affected hand (MAH), was worse than that of the less affected hand (LAH) and of healthy controls participants (p = 0.031), confirming handgrip impairment. Motor threshold (MT) of the FDS muscle was higher in both hemispheres in patients as compared to controls, and lower in the hemisphere contralateral to the MAH when compared to that of the LAH. Moreover, motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes collected in the FDS of the MAH were higher in comparison to those of controls. Strikingly, MEPs in the intrinsic hand muscle FDI had lower amplitudes in the hemisphere contralateral to MAH as compared to those of the LAH and the control group. Taken together, these results are suggestive of a more robust representation of an extrinsic hand flexor and impaired intrinsic hand muscle function in the hemisphere contralateral to the MAH due to leprosy. Conclusion Decreased sensory-motor function induced by leprosy affects handgrip muscle representation in M1. PMID:26203653

A dose-response evaluation of freeze-dried strawberries independent of fiber content on metabolic indices in abdominally obese individuals with insulin resistance in a randomized, single-blinded, diet-controlled crossover trial.

PubMed

Park, Eunyoung; Edirisinghe, Indika; Wei, Hequn; Vijayakumar, Lakshmi Prabha; Banaszewski, Katarzyna; Cappozzo, Jack C; Burton-Freeman, Britt

2016-05-01

This study evaluated the dose-response relationship of strawberries, an anthocyanin-rich fruit, on postprandial glucose and insulin concentrations in individuals with insulin resistance (IR), including changes in plasma anthocyanins, markers of oxidative stress, and inflammation. In a randomized controlled, four-arm, dose-response, crossover trial, 21 adults with IR consumed a high-carbohydrate, high-fat meal with one of four beverages containing 0 g freeze-dried whole strawberry powder (0g FDS, control), 10, 20, or 40 g FDS, controlled for fiber. Blood was collected at 0 min and at 30 min intervals postmeal until 2 h, then hourly until 6 h. Postmeal insulin concentrations (6 h) were significantly reduced after the 40-g FDS beverage compared to other beverages (p < 0.05). Postmeal 6 h glucose concentrations were not different, although mean insulin:glucose ratio was significantly different among beverages (p < 0.05). Pelargonidin-glucuronide was inversely associated with mean insulin concentrations after the 20 and 40 g FDS (p < 0.05). Oxidized low-density lipoprotein was reduced after 20 g FDS (p < 0.05) and IL-6 was not different among treatments. Strawberry intake reduced the insulin demand to manage postmeal glucose in obese individuals with IR, which was related to plasma anthocyanin/pelargonidin concentrations. The data support a role of strawberries in improving insulin sensitivity in people with IR. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Burnout in European family doctors: the EGPRN study.

PubMed

Soler, Jean Karl; Yaman, Hakan; Esteva, Magdalena; Dobbs, Frank; Asenova, Radost Spiridonova; Katic, Milica; Ozvacic, Zlata; Desgranges, Jean Pierre; Moreau, Alain; Lionis, Christos; Kotányi, Péter; Carelli, Francesco; Nowak, Pawel R; de Aguiar Sá Azeredo, Zaida; Marklund, Eva; Churchill, Dick; Ungan, Mehmet

2008-08-01

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of burnout, and of associated factors, amongst family doctors (FDs) in European countries. Methodology. A cross-sectional survey of FDs was conducted using a custom-designed and validated questionnaire which incorporated the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) as well as questions about demographic factors, working experience, health, lifestyle and job satisfaction. MBI-HSS scores were analysed in the three dimensions of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA). Almost 3500 questionnaires were distributed in 12 European countries, and 1393 were returned to give a response rate of 41%. In terms of burnout, 43% of respondents scored high for EE burnout, 35% for DP and 32% for PA, with 12% scoring high burnout in all three dimensions. Just over one-third of doctors did not score high for burnout in any dimension. High burnout was found to be strongly associated with several of the variables under study, especially those relative to respondents' country of residence and European region, job satisfaction, intention to change job, sick leave utilization, the (ab)use of alcohol, tobacco and psychotropic medication, younger age and male sex. Burnout seems to be a common problem in FDs across Europe and is associated with personal and workload indicators, and especially job satisfaction, intention to change job and the (ab)use of alcohol, tobacco and medication. The study questionnaire appears to be a valid tool to measure burnout in FDs. Recommendations for employment conditions of FDs and future research are made, and suggestions for improving the instrument are listed.

Frequency of palmaris longus absence and its association with other anatomical variations in the Egyptian population.

PubMed

Raouf, Hoda Abdel; Kader, Ghada Abdel; Jaradat, Ahmed; Dharap, Amol; Fadel, Raouf; Salem, Abdel Halim

2013-07-01

The palmaris longus (PL) is one of the most variable muscles in the human body. Racial differences in its variation have been documented. Several studies have attempted to correlate PL absence with other anatomical variations. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of absence of PL, correlate it with gender and body side and to determine its association with other anatomical variations in the Egyptian population. The presence of PL was clinically determined in 386 Egyptians using the standard technique. All subjects were examined for the presence of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) to the fifth finger. Allen's test was done to assess the completeness of the superficial palmar arch (SPA). The overall prevalence of absence of the PL in Egyptian subjects was 50.8%. There was no significant difference in PL absence with regard to the body side but a significant difference was seen as regards gender and when bilateral absence of PL was compared to its unilateral absence. Absence of FDS tendon to the fifth finger was seen in 1.3% subjects. There was no association between the absence of the FDS tendon to the fifth finger and either presence or absence of PL and also between the absence of PL and the incompleteness of SPA in both genders. In conclusion, the prevalence of absence of PL in the Egyptian population represents one of the highest rates of absence to be reported for this muscle, which is significantly different from that in other ethnic groups. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Does the gravity orientation of saccular aneurysms influence hemodynamics? An experimental study with and without flow diverter stent.

PubMed

Chodzyński, Kamil J; Eker, Omer F; Vanrossomme, Axel E; de Sousa, Daniel Ribeiro; Coussement, Grégory; Vanhamme, Luc; Dubois, Frank; Bonafé, Alain; Chopard, Bastien; Courbebaisse, Guy; Zouaoui Boudjeltia, Karim

2016-12-08

Most intracranial aneurysms morphologic studies focused on characterization of size, location, aspect ratio, relationship to the surrounding vasculature and hemodynamics. However, the spatial orientation with respect to the gravity direction has not been taken into account although it could trigger various hemodynamic conditions. The present work addresses this possibility. It was divided in two parts: 1) the orientations of 18, 3D time-of-flight MRI (3D TOF MRI), scans of saccular aneurysms were analyzed. This investigation suggested that there was no privileged orientation for cerebral aneurysms. The aneurysms were oriented in the brain as follows: 9 - down, 9 - up; 11 - right, 7 - left; 6 - front, 12 - back. 2) Based on these results, subsidiary in vitro experiments were performed, analyzing the behavior of red blood cells (RBCs) within a silicone model of aneurysm before and after flow diverter stent (FDS) deployment in the parent vessel. These experiments used a test bench that reproduces physiological pulsatile flow conditions for two orientations: an aneurysm sack pointing either up (opposite to gravitational force) and down (along the gravitational force). The results showed that the orientation of an aneurysm significantly affects the intra-aneurysmal RBCs behavior after stenting, and therefore that gravity can affect the intra-aneurysm behavior of RBCs. This suggests that the patient׳s aneurysm orientation could impact the outcome of the FDS treatment. The implementation of this effect in patient-specific numerical and preoperative decision support techniques could contribute to better understand the intrasaccular biological and hemodynamic events induced by FDS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flight design system level C requirements. Solid rocket booster and external tank impact prediction processors. [space transportation system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seale, R. H.

1979-01-01

The prediction of the SRB and ET impact areas requires six separate processors. The SRB impact prediction processor computes the impact areas and related trajectory data for each SRB element. Output from this processor is stored on a secure file accessible by the SRB impact plot processor which generates the required plots. Similarly the ET RTLS impact prediction processor and the ET RTLS impact plot processor generates the ET impact footprints for return-to-launch-site (RTLS) profiles. The ET nominal/AOA/ATO impact prediction processor and the ET nominal/AOA/ATO impact plot processor generate the ET impact footprints for non-RTLS profiles. The SRB and ET impact processors compute the size and shape of the impact footprints by tabular lookup in a stored footprint dispersion data base. The location of each footprint is determined by simulating a reference trajectory and computing the reference impact point location. To insure consistency among all flight design system (FDS) users, much input required by these processors will be obtained from the FDS master data base.

Development of a UAV-mounted Light Source for Fluorescence Detector Calibration of the Telescope Array Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Motoki; Tameda, Yuichiro; Tomida, Takayuki; Tsunesada, Yoshiki; Seki, Terutsugu; Saito, Yoshinori

We are developing a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which is called "Opt-copter", carrying a calibrated light source for fluorescence detector (FD) calibration of the Telescope Array (TA) experiment. Opt-copter is equipped with a high accuracy GPS device and a LED light source in the shape of a dodecahedron. A positioning accuracy of the GPS mounted on the UAV is 0.1 m, which meets the requirement for the calibration of the FDs at the distance of 100 m. The light source consists of 12 UV LEDs attached on each side of the dodecahedron, and it is covered with a spherical diffuser to improve the spatial uniformity of the light intensity. We report the status of Opt-copter development and the results of its test at the TA site.

Simplified Design Method for Tension Fasteners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olmstead, Jim; Barker, Paul; Vandersluis, Jonathan

2012-07-01

Tension fastened joints design has traditionally been an iterative tradeoff between separation and strength requirements. This paper presents equations for the maximum external load that a fastened joint can support and the optimal preload to achieve this load. The equations, based on linear joint theory, account for separation and strength safety factors and variations in joint geometry, materials, preload, load-plane factor and thermal loading. The strength-normalized versions of the equations are applicable to any fastener and can be plotted to create a "Fastener Design Space", FDS. Any combination of preload and tension that falls within the FDS represents a safe joint design. The equation for the FDS apex represents the optimal preload and load capacity of a set of joints. The method can be used for preliminary design or to evaluate multiple pre-existing joints.

Tissue Engineering Initiative

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-08-01

evaluate functionality, the FDP/SIS and FDS were independently pulled to determine the degree of distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint motion contributed by...each. In three digits the distal phalanx moved similarly whether pulling on the FDP/SIS or the FDS tendon. This suggests some scarring/adhesions between... pulled to determine the degree of distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint motion contributed by each. In three digits the distal phalanx moved similarly

Imaging Enterobacteriaceae infection in vivo with 18F-fluorodeoxysorbitol positron emission tomography

PubMed Central

Weinstein, Edward A.; Ordonez, Alvaro A.; DeMarco, Vincent P.; Murawski, Allison M.; Pokkali, Supriya; MacDonald, Elizabeth M.; Klunk, Mariah; Mease, Ronnie C.; Pomper, Martin G.; Jain, Sanjay K.

2015-01-01

The Enterobacteriaceae are a family of rod-shaped Gram-negative bacteria that normally inhabit the gastrointestinal tract and are the most common cause of Gram-negative bacterial infections in humans. In addition to causing serious multidrug-resistant, hospital-acquired infections, a number of Enterobacteriaceae species are also recognized as biothreat pathogens. As a consequence, new tools are urgently needed to specifically identify and localize infections due to Enterobacteriaceae and to monitor antimicrobial efficacy. In this report, we used commercially available 2-[18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) to produce 2-[18F]-fluorodeoxysorbitol (18F-FDS), a radioactive probe for Enterobacteriaceae, in 30 min. 18F-FDS selectively accumulated in Enterobacteriaceae, but not in Gram-positive bacteria or healthy mammalian or cancer cells in vitro. In a murine myositis model, 18F-FDS positron emission tomography (PET) rapidly differentiated true infection from sterile inflammation with a limit of detection of 6.2 ± 0.2 log10 colony-forming units (CFU) for Escherichia coli. Our findings were extended to models of mixed Gram-positive and Gram-negative thigh co-infections, brain infection, Klebsiella pneumonia, and mice undergoing immunosuppressive chemotherapy. This technique rapidly and specifically localized infections due to Enterobacteriaceae, providing a three-dimensional holistic view within the animal. Last, 18F-FDS PET monitored the efficacy of antimicrobial treatment, demonstrating a PET signal proportionate to the bacterial burden. Therapeutic failures associated with multidrug-resistant, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)–producing E. coli infections were detected in real time. Together, these data show that 18F-FDS is a candidate imaging probe for translation to human clinical cases of known or suspected infections owing to Enterobacteriaceae. PMID:25338757

AVERAGE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF COSMIC RAYS BEHIND THE INTERPLANETARY SHOCK—GLOBAL MUON DETECTOR NETWORK OBSERVATIONS

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

Kozai, M.; Munakata, K.; Kato, C.

2016-07-10

We analyze the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) density and its spatial gradient in Forbush Decreases (FDs) observed with the Global Muon Detector Network (GMDN) and neutron monitors (NMs). By superposing the GCR density and density gradient observed in FDs following 45 interplanetary shocks (IP-shocks), each associated with an identified eruption on the Sun, we infer the average spatial distribution of GCRs behind IP-shocks. We find two distinct modulations of GCR density in FDs, one in the magnetic sheath and the other in the coronal mass ejection (CME) behind the sheath. The density modulation in the sheath is dominant in themore » western flank of the shock, while the modulation in the CME ejecta stands out in the eastern flank. This east–west asymmetry is more prominent in GMDN data responding to ∼60 GV GCRs than in NM data responding to ∼10 GV GCRs, because of the softer rigidity spectrum of the modulation in the CME ejecta than in the sheath. The geocentric solar ecliptic- y component of the density gradient, G {sub y}, shows a negative (positive) enhancement in FDs caused by the eastern (western) eruptions, while G {sub z} shows a negative (positive) enhancement in FDs caused by the northern (southern) eruptions. This implies that the GCR density minimum is located behind the central flank of IP-shocks and propagating radially outward from the location of the solar eruption. We also confirmed that the average G {sub z} changes its sign above and below the heliospheric current sheet, in accord with the prediction of the drift model for the large-scale GCR transport in the heliosphere.« less

The Functional Dysphagia Scale Is a Useful Tool for Predicting Aspiration Pneumonia in Patients With Parkinson Disease.

PubMed

Lee, Jong Hwa; Lee, Kyeong Woo; Kim, Sang Beom; Lee, Sook Joung; Chun, Sang Myung; Jung, Sung Moon

2016-06-01

To describe the correlation between the functional dysphagia scale and aspiration pneumonia and which characteristics influence the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia in patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease. Fifty-three patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease were prospectively evaluated in this study. Disease severity and functional status were measured by modified Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) staging, Schwab and England activities of daily living (S-E ADL) scale and Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE). Swallowing function was evaluated by the functional dysphagia scale (FDS) and the penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) based on a videofluoroscopic swallowing study. The patients were followed up for 3 months and divided into two groups according to the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia. The correlation between the variables and aspiration pneumonia was analyzed. Eight patients of the 53 patients were allocated to the aspiration pneumonia group and 45 patients to the non-aspiration pneumonia group. The patients in the aspiration pneumonia group had significantly higher H&Y staging, and scored lower on S-E ADL scale and K-MMSE. The patients in the aspiration pneumonia group had significantly higher scores on FDS and PAS. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the S-E ADL scale and the FDS were associated with the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia in the patients with Parkinson disease. Given that the FDS can quantitatively assess the functional problems associated with dysphagia, it can be clinically effective in predicting the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia, and the FDS and the S-E ADL scale could be predictive variables for aspiration pneumonia in patients with Parkinson disease.

Processing of electronic waste in a counter current teeter-bed separator.

PubMed

Dey, Sujit Kumar; Ari, Vidyadhar; Das, Avimanyu

2012-09-30

Advanced gravity separation of ground electronic waste (e-waste) in a teeter-bed separator was investigated. It was established that the Floatex Density Seprator (FDS) is a promising device for wet processing of e-waste to recover metal values physically. It was possible to enrich the metal content from 23% in the feed to 37% in the product in a single stage operation using the FDS with over 95% recovery of the metals. A two-stage processing scheme was developed that enriched the metal content further to 48.2%. The influence of the operating variables, namely, teeter water flow rate, bed pressure and feed rate were quantified. Low bed pressures and low teeter water rates produced higher mass yields with poorer product grades. On the contrary, a high bed pressure and high teeter water rate combination led to a lower mass yield but better product quality. A high feed rate introduced en-masse settling leading to higher yield but at a poorer product grade. For an FDS with 230 mm × 230 mm cross section and a height of 530 mm, the process condition with 6.6l pm teeter water rate, 5.27 kPa bed pressure and 82 kg/hr feed rate maximized the yield for a target product grade of 37% metal in a single pass. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A qualitative evaluation of foundation dentists' and training programme directors' perceptions of clinical audit in general dental practice.

PubMed

Thornley, P; Quinn, A; Elley, K

2015-08-28

This study reports on an investigation into clinical audit (CA) educational and service delivery outcomes in a dental foundation training (DFT) programme. The aim was to investigate CA teaching, learning and practice from the perspective of foundation dentists (FDs) and to record suggestions for improvement. A qualitative research methodology was used. Audio recordings of focus group interviews with FDs were triangulated by an interview with a group of training programme directors (TPDs). The interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed using a 'Framework' approach within Nvivo Data Analysis Software. FDs report considerable learning and behaviour change. However, TPDs have doubts about the long-term effects on service delivery. There can be substantial learning in the clinical, managerial, communication and professionalism domains, and in the development of time management, organisational and team-working skills. Information is provided about use of resources and interaction with teachers and colleagues. CA provides learning opportunities not produced by other educational activities including 'awkward conversations' with team-members in the context of change management and providing feedback. This is relevant when applying the recommendations of the Francis report. This paper should be useful to any dentist conducting audit or team training. Suggestions are made for improvements to resources and support including right touch intervention. Trainers should teach in the 'Goldilocks Zone'.

Stable and low diffusive hybrid upwind splitting methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coquel, Frederic; Liou, Meng-Sing

1992-01-01

A new concept for upwinding is introduced, named the hybrid upwind splitting (HUS), which is achieved by combining the basically distinct flux vector splitting (FVS) and the flux difference splitting (FDS) approaches. The HUS approach yields upwind methods which share the robustness of the FVS schemes in the capture of nonlinear waves and the accuracy of some of the FDS schemes. Numerical illustrations are presented proving the relevance of the HUS methods for viscous calculations.

In vitro cavity and crown preparations and direct restorations: A comparison of performance at the start and end of the FD programme.

PubMed

Burke, F J T; Ravaghi, V; Mackenzie, L; Priest, N; Falcon, H C

2017-04-21

Aim To assess the performance and thereby the progress of the FDs when they carried out a number of simulated clinical exercises at the start and at the end of their FD year.Methods A standardised simulated clinical restorative dentistry training exercise was carried out by a group of 61 recently qualified dental graduates undertaking a 12 months' duration foundation training programme in England, at both the start and end of the programme. Participants completed a Class II cavity preparation and amalgam restoration, a Class IV composite resin restoration and two preparations for a porcelain-metal full crown. The completed preparations and restorations were independently assessed by an experienced consultant in restorative dentistry, using a scoring system based on previously validated criteria. The data were subjected to statistical analysis.Results There was wide variation in individual performance. Overall, there was a small but not statistically significant improvement in performance by the end of the programme. A statistically significant improvement was observed for the amalgam preparation and restoration, and, overall, for one of the five geographical sub-groups in the study. Possible reasons for the variable performance and improvement are discussed.Conclusions There was variability in the performance of the FDs. The operative performance of FDs at the commencement and end of their FD year indicated an overall moderately improved performance over the year and a statistically significant improvement in their performance with regard to amalgam restoration.

Environmental Control and Life Support System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Charles; Adams, Alan

1990-01-01

Viewgraphs on the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) for the space station are presented. The ECLSS is divided into six subsystems: temperature and humidity control (THC), atmosphere control and supply (ACS), atmosphere revitalization (AR), fire detection and suppression (FDS), water recovery management (WRM), and waste management (WM). Topics covered include: ECLSS subsystem functions; ECLSS distributed system; ECLSS functional distribution; CO2 removal; CO2 reduction; oxygen generation; urine processor; and potable water recovery.

Polymorphism at a mimicry supergene maintained by opposing frequency-dependent selection pressures.

PubMed

Chouteau, Mathieu; Llaurens, Violaine; Piron-Prunier, Florence; Joron, Mathieu

2017-08-01

Explaining the maintenance of adaptive diversity within populations is a long-standing goal in evolutionary biology, with important implications for conservation, medicine, and agriculture. Adaptation often leads to the fixation of beneficial alleles, and therefore it erodes local diversity so that understanding the coexistence of multiple adaptive phenotypes requires deciphering the ecological mechanisms that determine their respective benefits. Here, we show how antagonistic frequency-dependent selection (FDS), generated by natural and sexual selection acting on the same trait, maintains mimicry polymorphism in the toxic butterfly Heliconius numata Positive FDS imposed by predators on mimetic signals favors the fixation of the most abundant and best-protected wing-pattern morph, thereby limiting polymorphism. However, by using mate-choice experiments, we reveal disassortative mate preferences of the different wing-pattern morphs. The resulting negative FDS on wing-pattern alleles is consistent with the excess of heterozygote genotypes at the supergene locus controlling wing-pattern variation in natural populations of H. numata The combined effect of positive and negative FDS on visual signals is sufficient to maintain a diversity of morphs displaying accurate mimicry with other local prey, although some of the forms only provide moderate protection against predators. Our findings help understand how alternative adaptive phenotypes can be maintained within populations and emphasize the need to investigate interactions between selective pressures in other cases of puzzling adaptive polymorphism.

Polymorphism at a mimicry supergene maintained by opposing frequency-dependent selection pressures

PubMed Central

Chouteau, Mathieu; Llaurens, Violaine; Piron-Prunier, Florence; Joron, Mathieu

2017-01-01

Explaining the maintenance of adaptive diversity within populations is a long-standing goal in evolutionary biology, with important implications for conservation, medicine, and agriculture. Adaptation often leads to the fixation of beneficial alleles, and therefore it erodes local diversity so that understanding the coexistence of multiple adaptive phenotypes requires deciphering the ecological mechanisms that determine their respective benefits. Here, we show how antagonistic frequency-dependent selection (FDS), generated by natural and sexual selection acting on the same trait, maintains mimicry polymorphism in the toxic butterfly Heliconius numata. Positive FDS imposed by predators on mimetic signals favors the fixation of the most abundant and best-protected wing-pattern morph, thereby limiting polymorphism. However, by using mate-choice experiments, we reveal disassortative mate preferences of the different wing-pattern morphs. The resulting negative FDS on wing-pattern alleles is consistent with the excess of heterozygote genotypes at the supergene locus controlling wing-pattern variation in natural populations of H. numata. The combined effect of positive and negative FDS on visual signals is sufficient to maintain a diversity of morphs displaying accurate mimicry with other local prey, although some of the forms only provide moderate protection against predators. Our findings help understand how alternative adaptive phenotypes can be maintained within populations and emphasize the need to investigate interactions between selective pressures in other cases of puzzling adaptive polymorphism. PMID:28673971

Neptune - full ring system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

This pair of Voyager 2 images (FDS 11446.21 and 11448.10), two 591-s exposures obtained through the clear filter of the wide angle camera, show the full ring system with the highest sensitivity. Visible in this figure are the bright, narrow N53 and N63 rings, the diffuse N42 ring, and (faintly) the plateau outside of the N53 ring (with its slight brightening near 57,500 km).

Family's difficulty scale in end-of-life home care: a new measure of the family's difficulties in caring for patients with cancer at the end of life at home from bereaved family's perspective.

PubMed

Ishii, Yoko; Miyashita, Mitsunori; Sato, Kazuki; Ozawa, Taketoshi

2012-02-01

The aim of this study was to develop a tool to measure the family's difficulties in caring for cancer patients at the end of life at home: Family's Difficulty Scale in end-of-life home care (FDS). The draft of the FDS was derived from a pilot interview survey and literature reviews. The questionnaires were sent to 395 bereaved family caregivers whose family members were patients with terminal cancer receiving home service. We obtained 306 responses (response rate, 81%). Factor analysis resulted in 29 items and 8 factors: Burden of Care, Concerns about Home Care Doctor, Balance of Work and Care, Patient's Pain and Condition, Concerns about Visiting Nurse, Concerns about Home Care Service, Relationship between Family Caregivers and their Families, and Funeral Preparations. The cumulative rate of contribution was 71.8%. Cronbach coefficient α for the FDS was 0.73-0.75; the intraclass correlation coefficient in the test-retest examination was 0.75-0.85. Evidence for construct validity was confirmed by convergent and divergent validity. Concurrent validity was confirmed by significant correlations between identified factors and concurrent measures. The validity and reliability of this new instrument were confirmed. This scale should help home care providers to assess and focus on family difficulties and provide individualized care for the family who cares for a patient with terminal cancer at home.

Refinement of myotome values in the upper limb: Evidence from brachial plexus injuries.

PubMed

Bell, S W; Brown, M J C; Hems, T J

2017-02-01

We reviewed patients with partial supraclavicular brachial plexus injuries in order to refine the myotome values of the upper limb. Forty-two patients with defined partial injuries to the supraclavicular brachial plexus were reviewed from a prospective database. The injuries patterns covered C5, C5-6, C5-7, C5-8, C7-T1 and C8-T1 roots. Upper plexus injuries were classified on the basis of surgical exploration and intraoperative stimulation and lower plexus injuries from MRI. Flexor Carpi Radialis (FCR) was paralyzed in C5-7 injuries, in addition to paralysis of deltoid, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and biceps, when compared to C5-6 injuries. Complete paralysis of Flexor Digitorum Profundus (FDP) and Flexor Digitorum Superficialis (FDS) to all digits was identified in C7-T1 injuries. In C5-8 injuries weakness was noted in FDP of ulnar digits and intrinsics innervated by the ulnar nerve, while in C8-T1 injuries paralysis was noted in the FDP to the radial digits. All patients with C8-T1 injuries had paralysis of FDS and the thenar muscles. In upper plexus injuries paralysis of FCR indicated involvement of C7 root in addition to C5 and C6 roots. The results provide new detail of innervation of muscles acting on the hand. Flexor muscles and intrinsic muscles of the thumb and radial fingers (median nerve) have an important contribution from T1, while for those acting on the ulnar digits (ulnar nerve) the main contribution is from C8 with some input from C7. T1 also gives consistent innervation to extensor pollicis longus. A revised myotome chart for the upper limb is proposed. Copyright © 2015 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Scottish charity number SC005317) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Students' Perceptions of Foundation Degrees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ooms, A.; Burke, L. M.; Marks-Maran, D. J.; Webb, M.; Cooper, D.

2012-01-01

In 2008 there were 87,339 people enrolled on foundation degrees (FDs) in the UK (Foundation Degree Forward, 2009), and educational institutions in the UK offered 1700 different foundation degrees in over 25 subjects, with nearly 900 more in development (Action on Access, 2010). In addition, student views are seen to be of importance, as…

Paediatric interventional cardiology: flat detector versus image intensifier using a test object

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vano, E.; Ubeda, C.; Martinez, L. C.; Leyton, F.; Miranda, P.

2010-12-01

Entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) values and image quality parameters were measured and compared for two biplane angiography x-ray systems dedicated to paediatric interventional cardiology, one equipped with image intensifiers (II) and the other one with dynamic flat detectors (FDs). Polymethyl methacrylate phantoms of different thicknesses, ranging from 8 to 16 cm, and a Leeds TOR 18-FG test object were used. The parameters of the image quality evaluated were noise, signal-difference-to-noise ratio (SdNR), high contrast spatial resolution (HCSR) and three figures of merit combining entrance doses and signal-to-noise ratios or HCSR. The comparisons showed a better behaviour of the II-based system in the low contrast region over the whole interval of thicknesses. The FD-based system showed a better performance in HCSR. The FD system evaluated would need around two times more dose than the II system evaluated to reach a given value of SdNR; moreover, a better spatial resolution was measured (and perceived in conventional monitors) for the system equipped with flat detectors. According to the results of this paper, the use of dynamic FD systems does not lead to an automatic reduction in ESAK or to an automatic improvement in image quality by comparison with II systems. Any improvement also depends on the setting of the x-ray systems and it should still be possible to refine these settings for some of the dynamic FDs used in paediatric cardiology.

Numerical modeling of the effects of fire-induced convection and fire-atmosphere interactions on wildfire spread and fire plume dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Ruiyu

It is possible due to present day computing power to produce a fluid dynamical physically-based numerical solution to wildfire behavior, at least in the research mode. This type of wildfire modeling affords a flexibility and produces details that are not available in either current operational wildfire behavior models or field experiments. However before using these models to study wildfire, validation is necessary, and model results need to be systematically and objectively analyzed and compared to real fires. Plume theory and data from the Meteotron experiment, which was specially designed to provide results from measurements for the theoretical study of a convective plume produced by a high heat source at the ground, are used here to evaluate the fire plume properties simulated by two numerical wildfire models, the Fire Dynamics Simulator or FDS, and the Clark coupled atmosphere-fire model. The study indicates that the FDS produces good agreement with the plume theory and the Meteotron results. The study also suggests that the coupled atmosphere-fire model, a less explicit and ideally less computationally demanding model than the FDS; can produce good agreement, but that the agreement is sensitive to the method of putting the energy released from the fire into the atmosphere. The WFDS (Wildfire and wildland-urban interface FDS), an extension of the FDS to the vegetative fuel, and the Australian grass fire experiments are used to evaluate and improve the UULES-wildfire coupled model. Despite the simple fire parameterization in the UULES-wildfire coupled model, the fireline is fairly well predicted in terms of both shape and location in the simulation of Australian grass fire experiment F19. Finally, the UULES-wildfire coupled model is used to examine how the turbulent flow in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) affects the growth of the grass fires. The model fires showed significant randomness in fire growth: Fire spread is not deterministic in the ABL, and a probabilistic prediction method is warranted. Of the two contributors to the variability in fire growth in the grass fire simulations in the ABL, fire-induced convection, as opposed to the turbulent ABL wind, appears to be the more important one. One mechanism associated with enhanced fire-induced flow is the downdraft behind the frontal fireline. The downdraft is the direct result of the random interaction between the fire plume and the large eddies in the ABL. This study indicates a connection between fire variability in rate of spread and area burnt and so-called convective velocity scale, and it may be possible to use this boundary-layer scale parameter to account for the effects of ABL turbulence on fire spread and fire behavior in today's operational fire prediction systems.

Meeting report: ‘How do I incorporate research into my family practice?’: Reflections on experiences of and solutions for young family doctors

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Background Family doctors (FDs) focus on biopsychosocial components of health during consultations. However, much of the evidence employed by these doctors is produced by researchers who are not routinely involved in family practice. Family doctors competent in both clinical practice and research are essential to addressing this gap. With the growing recognition of family medicine as the specialty of choice for many young doctors, there is a scarcity of literature that describes their experiences in combining research and daily family practice. Aim Members from Young Doctor Movements (YDMs) under the auspices of the World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA) sought to address this knowledge gap by reflecting on their experiences towards becoming researchers. With the assistance of senior doctors, they explored solutions that can help young FDs incorporate research into their family practice. Methods Following an online YDM meeting, a summary of the experiences of young FDs as well as strategies useful for incorporating research into their everyday practice as FDs was prepared. Result Nine thematic areas were derived, including experiences and motivation towards regular research, culture and environment of practice, relevance and gains of research, teamwork and mentorship. Conclusion Family practices can incorporate research by promoting a personal and organisational research culture, highlighting gains and relevance of making it part of the profession and fostering teamwork, supportive networks and mentorship while making it enjoyable. PMID:29781695

Integrated Design Analysis and Optimisation of Aircraft Structures (L’Analyse pour la Conception Integree et l’Optimisation des Structures d’Aeronefs)

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-02-01

Division (Code RM) ONERA Office of Aeronautics & Space Technology 29 ave de la Division Leclerc NASA Hq 92320 Chfitillon Washington DC 20546 France United...Vector of thickness variables. V’ = [ t2 ........ tN Vector of thickness changes. AV ’= [rt, 5t2 ......... tNJ TI 7-9 Vector of strain derivatives. F...ds, ds, I d, 1i’,= dt, dr2 ........ dt--N Vector of buckling derivatives. dX d). , dt1 dt2 dtN Then 5F= Vs’i . AV and SX V,’. AV The linearised

Summary of Resources for the International Space Station Environmental Control and Life Support System For Core Complete Modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, David E.

2004-01-01

The Core Complete Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System for the International Space Station (ISS) will consist of components and subsystems in both the United States (U.S.) and International Partner elements which together will perform the functions of Temperature and Humidity Control (THC), Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS), Atmosphere Revitalization (AR), Water Recovery and Management (WRM), Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS), and Vacuum System (VS) for the station. Due to limited resources available on ISS, detailed attention is given to minimizing and tracking all resources associated with all systems, beginning with estimates during the hardware development phase through measured actuals when flight hardware is built and delivered. A summary of resources consumed by the addition of future U.S. ECLS system hardware to get to Core Complete is presented, including launch weight, average continuous and peak power loads, on-orbit volume and resupply logistics.

An Inviscid Decoupled Method for the Roe FDS Scheme in the Reacting Gas Path of FUN3D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Kyle B.; Gnoffo, Peter A.

2016-01-01

An approach is described to decouple the species continuity equations from the mixture continuity, momentum, and total energy equations for the Roe flux difference splitting scheme. This decoupling simplifies the implicit system, so that the flow solver can be made significantly more efficient, with very little penalty on overall scheme robustness. Most importantly, the computational cost of the point implicit relaxation is shown to scale linearly with the number of species for the decoupled system, whereas the fully coupled approach scales quadratically. Also, the decoupled method significantly reduces the cost in wall time and memory in comparison to the fully coupled approach. This work lays the foundation for development of an efficient adjoint solution procedure for high speed reacting flow.

Fractal dimension as an index of brain cortical changes throughout life.

PubMed

Kalmanti, Elina; Maris, Thomas G

2007-01-01

The fractal dimension (FD) of the cerebral cortex was measured in 93 individuals, aged from 3 months to 78 years, with normal brain MRI's in order to compare the convolutions of the cerebral cortex between genders and age groups. Image J, an image processing program, was used to skeletonize cerebral cortex and the box counting method applied. FDs on slices taken from left and right hemispheres were calculated. Our results showed a significant degree of lateralization in the left hemisphere. It appears that basal ganglia development, mainly in the left hemisphere, is heavily dependent upon age until puberty. In addition, both left and right cortex development equally depends on age until puberty, while the corresponding right hemisphere convolutions continue to develop until a later stage. An increased developmental activity appears between the ages of 1 and 15 years, indicating a significant brain remodelling during childhood and adolescence. In infancy, only changes in basal ganglia are observed, while the right hemisphere continues to remodel in adulthood.

NUTS and BOLTS: Applications of Fluorescence Detected Sedimentation

PubMed Central

Kroe, Rachel R.; Laue, Thomas M.

2008-01-01

Analytical ultracentrifugation is a widely used method for characterizing the solution behavior of macromolecules. However, the two commonly used detectors (absorbance and interference) impose some fundamental restrictions on the concentrations and complexity of the solutions that can be analyzed. The recent addition of a fluorescence detector for the XL-I analytical ultracentrifuge (AU-FDS) enables two different types of sedimentation experiments. First, the AU-FDS can detect picomolar concentrations of labeled solutes allowing the characterization of very dilute solutions of macromolecules, applications we call Normal Use Tracer Sedimentation (NUTS). The great sensitivity of NUTS analysis allows the characterization of small quantities of materials and high affinity interactions. Second, AU-FDS allows characterization of trace quantities of labeled molecules in solutions containing high concentrations and complex mixtures of unlabeled molecules, applications we call Biological On Line Tracer Sedimentation (BOLTS). The discrimination of BOLTS enables the size distribution of a labeled macromolecule to be determined in biological milieu such as cell lysates and serum. Examples are presented that embody features of both NUTS and BOLTS applications, along with our observations on these applications. PMID:19103145

Properties of duck meat sausages supplemented with cereal flours.

PubMed

Yang, H S; Ali, M S; Jeong, J Y; Moon, S H; Hwang, Y H; Park, G B; Joo, S T

2009-07-01

Duck meat sausages were prepared using 10% beef fat (FDS) and 10% hydrated cereal flours including rice (RDS), wheat, corn, millet, and barley to replace fat. Control duck sausages (DS) were also prepared only with duck meat and duck meat plus 10% beef fat. Results showed that protein and fat contents significantly decreased and total expressible fluid reduced with the addition of cereal flours in duck sausage batters. The FDS had higher fat content and lower pH compared with others. Duck sausages with 10% supplemented wheat flour showed the lowest cooking loss among sausages and had similar redness and chroma values to FDS and DS. Texture analysis indicated that hardness of duck sausage significantly decreased when cereal flours and beef fat were added. In particular, RDS showed the lowest values for all texture measurements compared with others. Result of moisture absorption capacity suggested that the decrease in hardness in RDS was due to higher moisture retention for rice flour treatment. Sensory evaluation indicated that DS had significantly lower overall acceptability than RDS, due to its off-flavor, whereas RDS had higher overall acceptability than DS.

Modeling and Analysis of Realistic Fire Scenarios in Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooker, J. E.; Dietrich, D. L.; Gokoglu, S. A.; Urban, D. L.; Ruff, G. A.

2015-01-01

An accidental fire inside a spacecraft is an unlikely, but very real emergency situation that can easily have dire consequences. While much has been learned over the past 25+ years of dedicated research on flame behavior in microgravity, a quantitative understanding of the initiation, spread, detection and extinguishment of a realistic fire aboard a spacecraft is lacking. Virtually all combustion experiments in microgravity have been small-scale, by necessity (hardware limitations in ground-based facilities and safety concerns in space-based facilities). Large-scale, realistic fire experiments are unlikely for the foreseeable future (unlike in terrestrial situations). Therefore, NASA will have to rely on scale modeling, extrapolation of small-scale experiments and detailed numerical modeling to provide the data necessary for vehicle and safety system design. This paper presents the results of parallel efforts to better model the initiation, spread, detection and extinguishment of fires aboard spacecraft. The first is a detailed numerical model using the freely available Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). FDS is a CFD code that numerically solves a large eddy simulation form of the Navier-Stokes equations. FDS provides a detailed treatment of the smoke and energy transport from a fire. The simulations provide a wealth of information, but are computationally intensive and not suitable for parametric studies where the detailed treatment of the mass and energy transport are unnecessary. The second path extends a model previously documented at ICES meetings that attempted to predict maximum survivable fires aboard space-craft. This one-dimensional model implies the heat and mass transfer as well as toxic species production from a fire. These simplifications result in a code that is faster and more suitable for parametric studies (having already been used to help in the hatch design of the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, MPCV).

Anomalous vibrational modes in acetanilide: a F.D.S. incoherent inelastic neutron scattering study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barthes, Mariette; Eckert, Juergen; Johnson, Susanna W.; Moret, Jacques; Swanson, Basil I.; Unkefer, Clifford J.

The origin of the anomalous infra-red and Raman modes in acetanilide (C6H5NHCOCH3, or ACN)(1) , remains a subject of considerable controversy. One family of theoretical models involves Davydov-like solitons (2) nonlinear vibrational coupling (3), or "polaronic" localized modes (4)(5). An alternative interpretation of the extra-bands in terms of a Fermi resonance was proposed (6) and recently the existence of slightly non-degenerate hydrogen atom configurations (7) in the H-bond was suggested as an explanation for the anomalies.

ARES Modeling of High-foot Implosions (NNSA Milestone #5466)

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

Hurricane, O. A.

ARES “capsule only” simulations demonstrated results of applying an ASC code to a suite of high-foot ICF implosion experiments. While a capability to apply an asymmetric FDS drive to the capsule-only model using add-on Python routines exists, it was not exercised here. The ARES simulation results resemble the results from HYDRA simulations documented in A. Kritcher, et al., Phys. Plasmas, 23, 052709 (2016); namely, 1D simulation and data are in reasonable agreement for the lowest velocity experiments, but diverge from each other at higher velocities.

Fatigue Damage Spectrum calculation in a Mission Synthesis procedure for Sine-on-Random excitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angeli, Andrea; Cornelis, Bram; Troncossi, Marco

2016-09-01

In many real-life environments, certain mechanical and electronic components may be subjected to Sine-on-Random vibrations, i.e. excitations composed of random vibrations superimposed on deterministic (sinusoidal) contributions, in particular sine tones due to some rotating parts of the system (e.g. helicopters, engine-mounted components,...). These components must be designed to withstand the fatigue damage induced by the “composed” vibration environment, and qualification tests are advisable for the most critical ones. In the case of an accelerated qualification test, a proper test tailoring which starts from the real environment (measured vibration signals) and which preserves not only the accumulated fatigue damage but also the “nature” of the excitation (i.e. sinusoidal components plus random process) is important to obtain reliable results. In this paper, the classic time domain approach is taken as a reference for the comparison of different methods for the Fatigue Damage Spectrum (FDS) calculation in case of Sine-on-Random vibration environments. Then, a methodology to compute a Sine-on-Random specification based on a mission FDS is proposed.

Monochromatic multicomponent fluorescence sedimentation velocity for the study of high-affinity protein interactions

PubMed Central

Zhao, Huaying; Fu, Yan; Glasser, Carla; Andrade Alba, Eric J; Mayer, Mark L; Patterson, George; Schuck, Peter

2016-01-01

The dynamic assembly of multi-protein complexes underlies fundamental processes in cell biology. A mechanistic understanding of assemblies requires accurate measurement of their stoichiometry, affinity and cooperativity, and frequently consideration of multiple co-existing complexes. Sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation equipped with fluorescence detection (FDS-SV) allows the characterization of protein complexes free in solution with high size resolution, at concentrations in the nanomolar and picomolar range. Here, we extend the capabilities of FDS-SV with a single excitation wavelength from single-component to multi-component detection using photoswitchable fluorescent proteins (psFPs). We exploit their characteristic quantum yield of photo-switching to imprint spatio-temporal modulations onto the sedimentation signal that reveal different psFP-tagged protein components in the mixture. This novel approach facilitates studies of heterogeneous multi-protein complexes at orders of magnitude lower concentrations and for higher-affinity systems than previously possible. Using this technique we studied high-affinity interactions between the amino-terminal domains of GluA2 and GluA3 AMPA receptors. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.17812.001 PMID:27436096

Summary of Resources for the International Space Station Environmental Control and Life Support System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, David E.

2003-01-01

The assembly complete Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) s ystem for the International Space Station (ISS) will consist of compo nents and subsystems in both the U.S. and International partner eleme nts which together will perform the functions of Temperature and Hum idity Control (THC), Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS), Atmosphere Revitalization (AR), Water Recovery and Management (WRM), Fire Detect ion and Suppression (FDS), and Vacuum System (VS) for the station. D ue to limited resources available on ISS, detailed attention is given to minimizing and tracking all resources associated with all systems , beginning with estimates during the hardware development phase thr ough measured actuals when flight hardware is built and delivered. A summary of resources consumed by the current on-orbit U.S. ECLS syste m hardware is presented, including launch weight, average continuous and peak power loads, on-orbit volume and resupply logistics. ..

Near and far field contamination modeling in a large scale enclosure: Fire Dynamics Simulator comparisons with measured observations.

PubMed

Ryder, Noah L; Schemel, Christopher F; Jankiewicz, Sean P

2006-03-17

The occurrence of a fire, no matter how small, often exposes objects to significant levels of contamination from the products of combustion. The production and dispersal of these contaminants has been an issue of relevance in the field of fire science for many years, though little work has been done to examine the contamination levels accumulated within an enclosure some time after an incident. This phenomenon is of great importance when considering the consequences associated with even low level contamination of sensitive materials, such as food, pharmaceuticals, clothing, electrical equipment, etc. Not only does such exposure present a localized hazard, but also the shipment of contaminated goods places distant recipients at risk. It is the intent of this paper to use a well-founded computational fluid dynamic (CFD) program, the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), a large eddy simulation (LES) code developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to model smoke dispersion in order to assess the subject of air contamination and post fire surface contamination in a warehouse facility. Measured results are then compared with the results from the FDS model. Two components are examined: the production rate of contaminates and the trajectory of contaminates caused by the forced ventilation conditions. Each plays an important role in determining the extent to which the products of combustion are dispersed and the levels to which products are exposed to the contaminants throughout the enclosure. The model results indicate a good first-order approximation to the measured surface contamination levels. The proper application of the FDS model can provide a cost and time efficient means of evaluating contamination levels within a defined volume.

Efficacy and tolerability of treatment with single doses of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) and DEC plus albendazole (ABZ) for three consecutive years in lymphatic filariasis: a field study in India.

PubMed

Kshirsagar, Nilima A; Gogtay, N J; Garg, B S; Deshmukh, P R; Rajgor, D D; Kadam, V S; Thakur, P A; Gupta, A; Ingole, N S; Lazdins-Helds, J K

2017-10-01

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) affects 73 countries, causes morbidity and impedes socioeconomic development. We had found no difference in safety and micro (Mf) and macro filarial action of single-dose diethylcarbamazine (DEC) and DEC + albendazole (ABZ) in an F01 study done in India (year 2000). There was a programmatic need to evaluate safety and efficacy of multiple annual treatments (F02). Subjects (155) from the F01 study, meeting inclusion-exclusion criteria, were enrolled in F02 and treated with further two annual doses of DEC or DEC + ABZ. Efficacy was evaluated for Mf positivity by peripheral smear (PS) and nucleopore (NP) filter, circulating filarial antigen (CFA) and filarial dance sign (FDS) positivity and Mf count at yearly follow-up. Safety was assessed for 5 days after drug administration. Total of 139 subjects evaluated for efficacy (69 DEC and 70 DEC + ABZ group). Mf positivity prevalence declined progressively by 95% (PS), 66% (NP), and 95% (PS) and 86% (NP); CFA positivity prevalence declined by 15% and 9%; FDS by 100% each; Mf count declined by 75.5 and 76.9% with three annual treatment of DEC and DEC + ABZ, respectively. Addition of ABZ did not show any advantage over DEC given as three annual rounds for LF. DEC and DEC + ABZ were well tolerated. There was no correlation between result of CFA and FDS, (both claimed to be indicative of adult worm). Analysis of published studies and our data indicate that macrofilaricidal effect of DEC/DEC + ABZ may be seen in children and not adults, with three or more annual dosing.

Selective recruitment of single motor units in human flexor digitorum superficialis muscle during flexion of individual fingers.

PubMed

Butler, T J; Kilbreath, S L; Gorman, R B; Gandevia, S C

2005-08-15

Flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) is an extrinsic multi-tendoned muscle which flexes the proximal interphalangeal joints of the four fingers. It comprises four digital components, each with a tendon that inserts onto its corresponding finger. To determine the degree to which these digital components can be selectively recruited by volition, we recorded the activity of a single motor unit in one component via an intramuscular electrode while the subject isometrically flexed each of the remaining fingers, one at a time. The finger on which the unit principally acted was defined as the 'test finger' and that which flexed isometrically was the 'active' finger. Activity in 79 units was recorded. Isometric finger flexion forces of 50% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) activated less than 50% of single units in components of FDS acting on fingers that were not voluntarily flexed. With two exceptions, the median recruitment threshold for all active-test finger combinations involving the index, middle, ring and little finger test units was between 49 and 60% MVC (60% MVC being the value assigned to those not recruited). The exceptions were flexion of the little finger while recording from ring finger units (median: 40% MVC), and vice versa (median: 2% MVC). For all active-test finger combinations, only 35/181 units were activated when the active finger flexed at less than 20% MVC, and the fingers were adjacent for 28 of these. Functionally, to recruit FDS units during grasping and lifting, relatively heavy objects were required, although systematic variation occurred with the width of the object. In conclusion, FDS components can be selectively activated by volition and this may be especially important for grasping at high forces with one or more fingers.

Equation Chapter 1 Section 1Sequence-To-Conformation Relationships of Disordered Regions Tethered to Folded Domains of Proteins.

PubMed

Mittal, Anuradha; Holehouse, Alex S; Cohan, Megan C; Pappu, Rohit V

2018-05-12

Intrinsically disordered proteins and regions (IDPs / IDRs) are characterized by well-defined sequence-to-conformation relationships (SCRs). These relationships refer to the sequence-specific preferences for average sizes, shapes, residue-specific secondary structure propensities, and amplitudes of multiscale conformational fluctuations. SCRs are discerned from the sequence-specific conformational ensembles of IDPs. A vast majority of IDPs are actually tethered to folded domains (FDs). This raises the question of whether or not SCRs inferred for IDPs are applicable to IDRs tethered to folded domains. Here, we use atomistic simulations based on a well-established forcefield paradigm and an enhanced sampling method to obtain comparative assessments of SCRs for thirteen archetypal IDRs modeled as autonomous units, as C-terminal tails connected to folded domains, and as linkers between pairs of folded domains. Our studies uncover a set of general observations regarding context-independent versus context-dependent SCRs of IDRs. SCRs are minimally perturbed upon tethering to folded domains if the IDRs are deficient in charged residues and for polyampholytic IDRs where the oppositely charged residues within the sequence of the IDR are separated into distinct blocks. In contrast, the interplay between IDRs and tethered folded domains has a significant modulatory effect on SCRs if the IDRs have intermediate fractions of charged residues or if they have sequence-intrinsic conformational preferences for canonical random coils. Our findings suggest that IDRs with context-independent SCRs might be independent evolutionary modules whereas IDRs with context-dependent intrinsic SCRs might co-evolve with the FDs to which they are tethered. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Psychometric properties of Frustration Discomfort Scale in a Turkish sample.

PubMed

Ozer, Bilge Uzun; Demir, Ayhan; Harrington, Neil

2012-08-01

The present study assessed the psychometric properties of the Frustration Discomfort Scale for Turkish college students. The Frustration Discomfort Scale (FDS), Procrastination Assessment Scale-Student, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were administered to a sample of 171 (98 women, 73 men) Turkish college students. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis yielded fit index values demonstrating viability of the four-dimensional solution as in the original. Findings also revealed that, as predicted, the Discomfort Intolerance subscale of Turkish FDS was most strongly correlated with procrastination. Overall results provided evidence for the factor validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the scale for use in a Turkish population.

Organic photochromics for spatial light modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirkby, C. J. G.; Bennion, I.

1986-02-01

The feasibility of using fulgide derivatives (FD), a class of thermally stable, fatigue-free photochromic materials (PM), as optically addressed spatial light modulators (SLIM) is analyzed. Photochromism is the property of a material that changes from one physicochemical state to another due to the impingement of light. The PMs are low-resolution but exhibit no granularity as photographic films do, therefore permitting the use of PMs as data or image recording media with direct-read-after-write capability. It is known that the properties of the FDs (of dimethyl succinic anhydride), i.e., the fatigue, thermal stability and absorption band location, can be tailored by control of the location of two of the oxygen links at two locations on the molecule. Manipulating the absorption spectra also allows manipulation of the refractive index, ergo the SLIM capability of the FDs. Molecular substitutions have proven effective for adjustments of the wavelength sensitivities of the FDs. Film thicknesses of 3-10 microns have been shown capable of supporting a practical resolution limit of 100-200 line pairs/mm, a 30 dB dynamic range, a Fourier plane SNR of 50, and an image recycle time of 40 msec.

A Partially-Stirred Batch Reactor Model for Under-Ventilated Fire Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDermott, Randall; Weinschenk, Craig

2013-11-01

A simple discrete quadrature method is developed for closure of the mean chemical source term in large-eddy simulations (LES) and implemented in the publicly available fire model, Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). The method is cast as a partially-stirred batch reactor model for each computational cell. The model has three distinct components: (1) a subgrid mixing environment, (2) a mixing model, and (3) a set of chemical rate laws. The subgrid probability density function (PDF) is described by a linear combination of Dirac delta functions with quadrature weights set to satisfy simple integral constraints for the computational cell. It is shown that under certain limiting assumptions, the present method reduces to the eddy dissipation concept (EDC). The model is used to predict carbon monoxide concentrations in direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a methane slot burner and in LES of an under-ventilated compartment fire.

Microprocessor Realization of a Linear Predictive Vocoder. Appendix C. LPCM Detail Drawings and Layouts

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-02-07

CHG12 1 Dr.%VC 8 DB ILA8 DC1II 29 FTLE: FDS TAPIRWLST Al 1/19/77 16:1~2 H.I.T. LINCOLN LAB3ORATORY 1 DB116 DB16 D11G12 1 DI)V8 DD V,"R DWl 1 DBV16 DBV...5 CD27 CA27 CDC.6 CAC6 "F23 CD25 CA25 CD%.4 CAt4 IN ,7 F2’ C!ൠ CA24 CDV3 CA.^ ELI 11 CI)22 CA23 CP,2 CA,2 1D1.. CA22 CDI CA. 1 "FH𔃼 CD39 CA38 CD17...FC17 FE22 ,26 FC19 UE24 1 ’P27 FC19 F21 1 IP 29 FA V7 EF21 1 !p33* FA10 FF12" I %P32 FG𔄀 EE1 1 IP3 FG ’i^7 EF15 1 ’P 34 FGF12 Ffl2 1 1115FG ’ 1 F12

The decision to extract or retain compromised teeth is not helped by the application of a scoring system.

PubMed

Palmer, Richard M

2010-06-01

A Novel Decision-Making Process for Tooth Retention or Extraction J Periodontol 2009;80:476-491. Avila G, Galindo-Moreno P, Soehren S, Misch CE, Morelli T, Wang H-L. Richard M. Palmer, PhD, BDS, FDS RCS PURPOSE/QUESTION: Is it possible to devise a system to help in the decision-making process of tooth extraction/retention based on a critical evaluation of the literature? University of Michigan Periodontal Graduate Student Research Fund Comprehensive literature review Level 3: Other evidence Not applicable.

Stable and low diffusive hybrid upwind splitting methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coquel, Frederic; Liou, Meng-Sing

1992-01-01

We introduce in this paper a new concept for upwinding: the Hybrid Upwind Splitting (HUS). This original strategy for upwinding is achieved by combining the two previous existing approaches, the Flux Vector (FVS) and Flux Difference Splittings (FDS), while retaining their own interesting features. Indeed, our approach yields upwind methods that share the robustness of FVS schemes in the capture of nonlinear waves and the accuracy of some FDS schemes in the capture of linear waves. We describe here some examples of such HUS methods obtained by hybridizing the Osher approach with FVS schemes. Numerical illustrations are displayed and will prove in particular the relevance of the HUS methods we propose for viscous calculations.

A snapshot of the organization and provision of primary care in Turkey

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background This WHO study aimed to support Turkey in its efforts to strengthen the primary care (PC) system by implementing the WHO Primary Care Evaluation Tool (PCET). This article provides an overview of the organization and provision of primary care in Turkey. Methods The WHO Primary Care Evaluation Tool was implemented in two provinces (Bolu and Eskişehir) in Turkey in 2007/08. The Tool consists of three parts: a national questionnaire concerning the organisation and financing of primary care; a questionnaire for family doctors; and a questionnaire for patients who visit a family health centre. Results Primary care has just recently become an official health policy priority with the introduction of a family medicine scheme. Although the supply of family doctors (FDs) has improved, they are geographically uneven distributed, and nationwide shortages of primary care staff remain. Coordination of care could be improved and quality control mechanisms were lacking. However, patients were very satisfied with the treatment by FDs. Conclusions The study provides an overview of the current state of PC in Turkey for two provinces with newly introduced family medicine, by using a structured approach to evaluate the essential functions of PC, including governance, financing, resource generation, as well as the characteristics of a "good" service delivery system (as being accessible, comprehensive, coordinated and continuous). PMID:21542904

Lifetime depression and anxiety increase prevalent psychological symptoms and worsen glycemic control in type 2 diabetes: The Fremantle Diabetes Study Phase II.

PubMed

Whitworth, S R; Bruce, D G; Starkstein, S E; Davis, W A; Davis, T M E; Bucks, R S

2016-12-01

To determine the contribution of lifetime major depressive disorder (L-MDD) and lifetime generalized anxiety disorder (L-GAD) to current psychological symptom severity, health behaviour and glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes. 1285 community-dwelling people with type 2 diabetes (Fremantle Diabetes Study Phase-II; FDS2) completed the PHQ-9 and Brief Life-Time Depression Scale (BLDS) to assess current and past MDD. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GADS) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-Lifetime (GAD-LT), designed for FDS2, assessed current and past anxiety. Data were analysed using analysis of covariance and multiple mediation models, controlling for age, gender, marital status, and diabetes duration. L-MDD and L-GAD were independently associated with more severe current depression (both P<0.001) and anxiety (both P<0.001) symptoms. Mediation models revealed that, through increasing the severity of current depressive symptoms, L-MDD was associated with higher HbA 1c and body mass index (BMI), greater likelihood of current smoking, and reduced self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) (indirect regression path ab, all P<0.001). In combination, L-MDD+L-GAD additionally elevated the risk of higher HbA 1c and worse diabetes management, by increasing the severity of current depressive symptoms (indirect regression path ab, all P<0.001). Lifetime depression and anxiety increase risk of more severe psychological symptoms, hyperglycaemia, and difficulties with health behaviour in type 2 diabetes. Early screening for these disorders at diabetes diagnosis may be warranted to maximize long-term health outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE SPITZER INFRARED SPECTROGRAPH SURVEY OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS IN ORION A. I. DISK PROPERTIES

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

Kim, K. H.; Watson, Dan M.; Manoj, P.

2016-09-01

We present our investigation of 319 Class II objects in Orion A observed by Spitzer /IRS. We also present the follow-up observations of 120 of these Class II objects in Orion A from the Infrared Telescope Facility/SpeX. We measure continuum spectral indices, equivalent widths, and integrated fluxes that pertain to disk structure and dust composition from IRS spectra of Class II objects in Orion A. We estimate mass accretion rates using hydrogen recombination lines in the SpeX spectra of our targets. Utilizing these properties, we compare the distributions of the disk and dust properties of Orion A disks with thosemore » of Taurus disks with respect to position within Orion A (Orion Nebular Cluster [ONC] and L1641) and with the subgroups by the inferred radial structures, such as transitional disks (TDs) versus radially continuous full disks (FDs). Our main findings are as follows. (1) Inner disks evolve faster than the outer disks. (2) The mass accretion rates of TDs and those of radially continuous FDs are statistically significantly displaced from each other. The median mass accretion rate of radially continuous disks in the ONC and L1641 is not very different from that in Taurus. (3) Less grain processing has occurred in the disks in the ONC compared to those in Taurus, based on analysis of the shape index of the 10 μ m silicate feature ( F {sub 11.3}/ F {sub 9.8}). (4) The 20–31 μ m continuum spectral index tracks the projected distance from the most luminous Trapezium star, θ {sup 1} Ori C. A possible explanation is UV ablation of the outer parts of disks.« less

Simultaneous Forbush decreases and associated geomagnetic storms during the last three solar cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okpala, K. C.

2013-12-01

Forbush decrease (FD) are observed reduction in galactic cosmic ray (GCR) intensity as measured by ground neutron monitors. FD is associated with increased activity of the sun as reflected in the size of the interplanetary coronal mass ejections passing around the Earth and the corotating regions in the Heliosphere. Since the interplanetary anisotropy evolves itself during a geomagnetic storm in addition to the reconfiguration of external magnetospheric currents, it is expected that changes in transmissivity of cosmic rays of glactic origin will occur during Geomagnetic storms. In this study we examine over one hundred and fifty (150) FD events and associated geomagnetic storms over the last three solar cycles from 1970 to 2003. The negative peaks of the FDs and the Dst coincided for most of the events (~70%). There was good correlation (>0.65) between the FDs and Dst. Fresh evidence of the influence of external magnetospheric currents on the count rates of the neutron monitors stations during periods of Forbush decreases (FDs) is provided. This evidence is observed as sudden increases in the count rates during the main phase of simultaneous FD. The magnitude of the sudden rise in the count rates of Neutron monitors and peak dst correlated well (>0.50) both for high latitude and mid latitude stations.

Development of Fractal Ultra-Hydrophobic Coating Films to Prevent Water Vapor Dewing and to Delay Frosting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quan, Yun-Yun; Jiang, Pei-Guo; Zhang, Li-Zhi

2014-09-01

Superhydrophobic films fabricated on copper and aluminum surfaces have potential applications to solve water condensation and frosting problems on chilled ceiling system. The rough surfaces of copper foils obtained by solution immersion method exhibit the existence of fractal structures. The hydrophobicity of copper surfaces is enhanced with fractal structures. The relationship between contact angles (CAs) and the fractal dimensions (FDs) for surface roughness of Cu samples with different etching time is investigated. Moisture condensation and frosting experiments on the two kinds of surfaces are conducted in natural environment under different chilling temperatures. During condensation, micro water condensate droplets drift down the surface like dust floating in the air. Several larger condensate droplets about 1-2 mm appear on the substrates after 3 h condensation. This continuous jumping motion of the condensate will be beneficial in delaying frosting. The results demonstrate that dense nanostructures on copper surfaces are superior to loose lattice-like microstructures on aluminum surfaces for preventing the formation of large droplets condensate and in delaying the icing. The large water droplets of 2-3 mm in diameter that would form on a common metal foil are sharply decreased to dozens of microns and small droplets are formed on a modified surface, which will then drift down like a fog.

The Dynamics of Voluntary Force Production in Afferented Muscle Influence Involuntary Tremor

PubMed Central

Laine, Christopher M.; Nagamori, Akira; Valero-Cuevas, Francisco J.

2016-01-01

Voluntary control of force is always marked by some degree of error and unsteadiness. Both neural and mechanical factors contribute to these fluctuations, but how they interact to produce them is poorly understood. In this study, we identify and characterize a previously undescribed neuromechanical interaction where the dynamics of voluntary force production suffice to generate involuntary tremor. Specifically, participants were asked to produce isometric force with the index finger and use visual feedback to track a sinusoidal target spanning 5–9% of each individual's maximal voluntary force level. Force fluctuations and EMG activity over the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscle were recorded and their frequency content was analyzed as a function of target phase. Force variability in either the 1–5 or 6–15 Hz frequency ranges tended to be largest at the peaks and valleys of the target sinusoid. In those same periods, FDS EMG activity was synchronized with force fluctuations. We then constructed a physiologically-realistic computer simulation in which a muscle-tendon complex was set inside of a feedback-driven control loop. Surprisingly, the model sufficed to produce phase-dependent modulation of tremor similar to that observed in humans. Further, the gain of afferent feedback from muscle spindles was critical for appropriately amplifying and shaping this tremor. We suggest that the experimentally-induced tremor may represent the response of a viscoelastic muscle-tendon system to dynamic drive, and therefore does not fall into known categories of tremor generation, such as tremorogenic descending drive, stretch-reflex loop oscillations, motor unit behavior, or mechanical resonance. Our findings motivate future efforts to understand tremor from a perspective that considers neuromechanical coupling within the context of closed-loop control. The strategy of combining experimental recordings with physiologically-sound simulations will enable thorough exploration of neural and mechanical contributions to force control in health and disease. PMID:27594832

SU-E-J-191: Motion Prediction Using Extreme Learning Machine in Image Guided Radiotherapy

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

Jia, J; Cao, R; Pei, X

Purpose: Real-time motion tracking is a critical issue in image guided radiotherapy due to the time latency caused by image processing and system response. It is of great necessity to fast and accurately predict the future position of the respiratory motion and the tumor location. Methods: The prediction of respiratory position was done based on the positioning and tracking module in ARTS-IGRT system which was developed by FDS Team (www.fds.org.cn). An approach involving with the extreme learning machine (ELM) was adopted to predict the future respiratory position as well as the tumor’s location by training the past trajectories. For themore » training process, a feed-forward neural network with one single hidden layer was used for the learning. First, the number of hidden nodes was figured out for the single layered feed forward network (SLFN). Then the input weights and hidden layer biases of the SLFN were randomly assigned to calculate the hidden neuron output matrix. Finally, the predicted movement were obtained by applying the output weights and compared with the actual movement. Breathing movement acquired from the external infrared markers was used to test the prediction accuracy. And the implanted marker movement for the prostate cancer was used to test the implementation of the tumor motion prediction. Results: The accuracy of the predicted motion and the actual motion was tested. Five volunteers with different breathing patterns were tested. The average prediction time was 0.281s. And the standard deviation of prediction accuracy was 0.002 for the respiratory motion and 0.001 for the tumor motion. Conclusion: The extreme learning machine method can provide an accurate and fast prediction of the respiratory motion and the tumor location and therefore can meet the requirements of real-time tumor-tracking in image guided radiotherapy.« less

Image based Monte Carlo Modeling for Computational Phantom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Mengyun; Wang, Wen; Zhao, Kai; Fan, Yanchang; Long, Pengcheng; Wu, Yican

2014-06-01

The evaluation on the effects of ionizing radiation and the risk of radiation exposure on human body has been becoming one of the most important issues for radiation protection and radiotherapy fields, which is helpful to avoid unnecessary radiation and decrease harm to human body. In order to accurately evaluate the dose on human body, it is necessary to construct more realistic computational phantom. However, manual description and verfication of the models for Monte carlo(MC)simulation are very tedious, error-prone and time-consuming. In addiation, it is difficult to locate and fix the geometry error, and difficult to describe material information and assign it to cells. MCAM (CAD/Image-based Automatic Modeling Program for Neutronics and Radiation Transport Simulation) was developed as an interface program to achieve both CAD- and image-based automatic modeling by FDS Team (Advanced Nuclear Energy Research Team, http://www.fds.org.cn). The advanced version (Version 6) of MCAM can achieve automatic conversion from CT/segmented sectioned images to computational phantoms such as MCNP models. Imaged-based automatic modeling program(MCAM6.0) has been tested by several medical images and sectioned images. And it has been applied in the construction of Rad-HUMAN. Following manual segmentation and 3D reconstruction, a whole-body computational phantom of Chinese adult female called Rad-HUMAN was created by using MCAM6.0 from sectioned images of a Chinese visible human dataset. Rad-HUMAN contains 46 organs/tissues, which faithfully represented the average anatomical characteristics of the Chinese female. The dose conversion coefficients(Dt/Ka) from kerma free-in-air to absorbed dose of Rad-HUMAN were calculated. Rad-HUMAN can be applied to predict and evaluate dose distributions in the Treatment Plan System (TPS), as well as radiation exposure for human body in radiation protection.

Cooking with Fire: The Mutagenicity- and PAH-Emission ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Emissions from solid fuels used for cooking cause ~4 million premature deaths per year. Advanced solid-fuel cookstoves are a potential solution, but they should be assessed by appropriate performance indicators, including biological effects. We evaluated two categories of solid-fuel cookstoves for 8 pollutant- and 4 mutagenicity-emission factors, correlated the mutagenicity-emission factors, and compared them to those of other combustion emissions. We burned red oak in a 3-stone fire (TSF), a natural-draft stove (NDS), and a forced-draft stove (FDS); we combusted propane as a liquified petroleum gas control fuel. We determined emission factors based on useful energy (megajoules delivered, MJd) for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), black carbon, methane, total hydrocarbons, 32 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PM2.5, levoglucosan (a wood-smoke marker), and mutagenicity in Salmonella. Other than NOx the emission factors per MJd correlated highly among each other (r2 ≥ 0.92); NOx correlated 0.58-0.76 with the other emission factors. Excluding NOx, the NDS and FDS reduced the emission factors on average 68 and 92%, respectively, relative to the TSF. Nonetheless, the mutagenicity-emission factor based on fuel energy used (MJthermal) for the most efficient stove (FDS) was intermediate to that of a large diesel bus engine and a small diesel generator. Both mutagenicity- and pollutant-emission factors may be informative for characterizing cookstove

The phenology of cherry blossom (Prunus yedoensis ``Somei-yoshino'') and the geographic features contributing to its flowering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohashi, Yukitaka; Kawakami, Hiroshi; Shigeta, Yoshinori; Ikeda, Hiroshi; Yamamoto, Nobuko

2012-09-01

We investigated relationships between the flowering phenology of Prunus yedoensis "Somei-yoshino" (cherry blossom) and the local temperatures in Japan. Our observations were carried out across the Okayama Plain, which included Okayama City (about 700,000 inhabitants), from the winter of 2008 to the spring of 2009. Local air temperature (AT) and the globe temperature (GT) were recorded at the tree height. The flowering dates (FDs) of P. yedoensis were earliest in the central commercial area (located at the center of the plain), followed by the north residential area (further inland), and finally the south residential area (seaward). The recorded FDs were related to the period-averaged daily maximum/minimum AT and GT, and the phenologically effective AT and GT defined in this study. Of these parameters, the phenologically effective GTs correlated most with the FDs. Since the GT is determined by AT, solar and infrared radiations, and wind speed, our previous result suggests that a combination of these three components surrounding the tree is more important for budding and flowering than is AT alone. The supposition is supported by the flowering of P. yedoensis being the latest at the coastal region of the Okayama Plain where the AT were higher than at the inland region, excluding the urban area; it is probably caused by stronger winds there than at the other sites.

Full spatial-field visualization of gas temperature in an air micro-glow discharge by calibrated Schlieren photography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Qing; Xu, Le; Wang, Xia; Xiong, Lin; Huang, Qinghua; Chen, Qiang; Wang, Jingang; Peng, Wenxiong; Li, Jiarui

2018-03-01

Gas temperature is an important basic parameter for both fundamental research and applications of plasmas. In this work, efforts were made to visualize the full spatial field of gas temperature (T g) in a microdischarge with sharp T g gradients by a method of calibrated Schlieren (CS) photography. Compared to other two typical diagnostic approaches, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and Rayleigh scattering, the proposed CS method exhibits the ability to capture the whole field of gas temperature using a single Schlieren image, even the discharge is of non-luminous zones like Faraday dark space (FDS). The image shows that the T g field in the studied micro-glow air discharge expands quickly with the increase of discharge currents, especially in the cathode region. The two-dimensional maps of gas temperature display a ‘W-shape’ with sharp gradients in both areas of negative and positive glows, slightly arched distributions in the positive column, and cooling zones in the FDS. The obtained T g fields show similar patterns to that of the discharge luminance. With an increase in discharge currents, more electric energy is dissipated by heating air gas and inducing constriction of the low-temperature FDS. Except in the vicinities of electrode boundaries, due to the interference from optical diffraction, the estimated gas temperature distributions are of acceptable accuracy, confirmed by the approaches of OES and UV Rayleigh scattering.

Analysis of a Smartphone-Based Architecture with Multiple Mobility Sensors for Fall Detection with Supervised Learning

PubMed Central

Santoyo-Ramón, José Antonio

2018-01-01

This paper describes a wearable Fall Detection System (FDS) based on a body-area network consisting of four nodes provided with inertial sensors and Bluetooth wireless interfaces. The signals captured by the nodes are sent to a smartphone which simultaneously acts as another sensing point. In contrast to many FDSs proposed by the literature (which only consider a single sensor), the multisensory nature of the prototype is utilized to investigate the impact of the number and the positions of the sensors on the effectiveness of the production of the fall detection decision. In particular, the study assesses the capability of four popular machine learning algorithms to discriminate the dynamics of the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and falls generated by a set of experimental subjects, when the combined use of the sensors located on different parts of the body is considered. Prior to this, the election of the statistics that optimize the characterization of the acceleration signals and the efficacy of the FDS is also investigated. As another important methodological novelty in this field, the statistical significance of all the results (an aspect which is usually neglected by other works) is validated by an analysis of variance (ANOVA). PMID:29642638

Technique of Dynamic Flexor Digitorum Superficialis Transfer to Lateral Bands for Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Deformity Correction in Severe Dupuytren Disease.

PubMed

Schreck, Michael J; Holbrook, Hayden S; Koman, L Andrew

2018-02-01

Pseudo-boutonniere deformity is an uncommon complication from long-standing proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint contracture in Dupuytren disease. Prolonged flexion contracture of the PIP joint can lead to central slip attenuation and resultant imbalances in the extensor mechanism. We present a technique of flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) tendon transfer to the lateral bands to correct pseudo-boutonniere deformity at the time of palmar fasciectomy for the treatment of Dupuytren disease. The FDS tendon is transferred from volar to dorsal through the lumbrical canal and sutured into the dorsally mobilized lateral bands. This technique presents an approach to the repair of pseudo-boutonniere deformity in Dupuytren disease. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparative study of three different synthesis routes for hydrophilic fluorophore-doped silica nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahabi, Shakiba; Treccani, Laura; Rezwan, Kurosch

2016-01-01

The synthesis of fluorophore-doped silica nanoparticles (FDS NPs) with two conventional approaches, Stöber and microemulsion, as well as a novel amino acid-catalyzed seeds regrowth technique (ACSRT) is presented. The efficiency of each applied synthesis route toward incorporation of selected hydrophilic fluorophores, including rhodamine B isothiocyanate and fluorescein isothiocyanate, without and with an amine-containing crosslinker, into silica matrix was systematically studied. Our results clearly highlight the advantages of ACSRT to obtain FDS NPs with a remarkable encapsulation efficiency, high quantum yield, and enhanced stability against bleaching and dye leaking due to efficient embedding of the dyes inside silica network even without the amine-containing silane reagent. Moreover, evaluation of photostability of FDNPs internalized in human bone cells demonstrates the merits of ACSRT.

Mutagenicity and Pollutant Emission Factors of Solid-Fuel Cookstoves: Comparison with Other Combustion Sources

PubMed Central

Mutlu, Esra; Warren, Sarah H.; Ebersviller, Seth M.; Kooter, Ingeborg M.; Schmid, Judith E.; Dye, Janice A.; Linak, William P.; Gilmour, M. Ian; Jetter, James J.; Higuchi, Mark; DeMarini, David M.

2016-01-01

Background: Emissions from solid fuels used for cooking cause ~4 million premature deaths per year. Advanced solid-fuel cookstoves are a potential solution, but they should be assessed by appropriate performance indicators, including biological effects. Objective: We evaluated two categories of solid-fuel cookstoves for eight pollutant and four mutagenicity emission factors, correlated the mutagenicity emission factors, and compared them to those of other combustion emissions. Methods: We burned red oak in a 3-stone fire (TSF), a natural-draft stove (NDS), and a forced-draft stove (FDS), and we combusted propane as a liquified petroleum gas control fuel. We determined emission factors based on useful energy (megajoules delivered, MJd) for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), black carbon, methane, total hydrocarbons, 32 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PM2.5, levoglucosan (a wood-smoke marker), and mutagenicity in Salmonella. Results: With the exception of NOx, the emission factors per MJd were highly correlated (r ≥ 0.97); the correlation for NOx with the other emission factors was 0.58–0.76. Excluding NOx, the NDS and FDS reduced the emission factors an average of 68 and 92%, respectively, relative to the TSF. Nevertheless, the mutagenicity emission factor based on fuel energy used (MJthermal) for the most efficient stove (FDS) was between those of a large diesel bus engine and a small diesel generator. Conclusions: Both mutagenicity and pollutant emission factors may be informative for characterizing cookstove performance. However, mutagenicity emission factors may be especially useful for characterizing potential health effects and should be evaluated in relation to health outcomes in future research. An FDS operated as intended by the manufacturer is safer than a TSF, but without adequate ventilation, it will still result in poor indoor air quality. Citation: Mutlu E, Warren SH, Ebersviller SM, Kooter IM, Schmid JE, Dye JA, Linak WP, Gilmour MI, Jetter JJ, Higuchi M, DeMarini DM. 2016. Mutagenicity and pollutant emission factors of solid-fuel cookstoves: comparison with other combustion sources. Environ Health Perspect 124:974–982; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509852 PMID:26895221

Global Lightning Response to Forbush Decreases in Short-term

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, H.; Wu, Q.; Wang, C.

2017-12-01

During the past three decades, particular scientific attention has been drawn to the potential link between solar activities and global climate change. How the sun modulates the climate has always been controversial. There are three relatively widely accepted mechanisms illustrating this process: the total solar irradiance (TSI), the solar ultraviolet radiation (SUR), and the space weather mechanisms. As for space weather mechanism, the sun influences the microphysical process in cloud by modulating the cosmic ray flux and thus changes the cloud cover, which finally affects the earth's radiation balance. Unfortunately, the lack of related observations and some opposite research results make this mechanism rather debatable. In order to provide possible evidence for space weather mechanism, we study the influence of Forbush decreases (FDs) of galactic cosmic ray on global lightning activities, which to some extent represents the basic process of cosmic ray-atmospheric coupling. We use the daily lightning counts from 1998 to 2014 observed by LIS sensor aboard the TRMM satellite. Considering the "diurnal distribution" (occurring more in the afternoon than in the morning) and the "seasonal distribution" (occurring more in summer than in winter) of lightning activities as well as the 49-day precession of TRMM satellite, the daily lightning counts show an intricate periodic fluctuation. We propose a 3-step approach - latitude zone limitation, orbit branch selection and local time normalization - to eliminate it. As for FDs, we select them by checking the hourly neutron counts variation of each month of 17 years obtained from the Oulu Cosmic Ray Station. During the selection, we choose the FDs which are "strong" (decrease more than 6%) and "standard" (strongly decrease in a few hours to one day and gradually recover in about one week) to diminish the meteorological influence and other possible disturbance. For both case study and temporal superposition of several cases, the results illustrate that there is a statistically significant positive correlation between FD and daily lightning count, and the latter reaches its minimum 2-3 days after the former onset. In addition, this response enhances if we only choose the stronger and the more standard FDs. This work has reached the 95% confidence level of Monte Carlo test.

Particle imaging velocimetry evaluation of intracranial stents in sidewall aneurysm: hemodynamic transition related to the stent design.

PubMed

Bouillot, Pierre; Brina, Olivier; Ouared, Rafik; Lovblad, Karl-Olof; Farhat, Mohamed; Pereira, Vitor Mendes

2014-01-01

We investigated the flow modifications induced by a large panel of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) intracranial stents in an idealized sidewall intracranial aneurysm (IA). Flow velocities in IA silicone model were assessed with and without stent implantation using particle imaging velocimetry (PIV). The use of the recently developed multi-time-lag method has allowed for uniform and precise measurements of both high and low velocities at IA neck and dome, respectively. Flow modification analysis of both regular (RSs) and flow diverter stents (FDSs) was subsequently correlated with relevant geometrical stent parameters. Flow reduction was found to be highly sensitive to stent porosity variations for regular stents RSs and moderately sensitive for FDSs. Consequently, two distinct IA flow change trends, with velocity reductions up to 50% and 90%, were identified for high-porosity RS and low-porosity FDS, respectively. The intermediate porosity (88%) regular braided stent provided the limit at which the transition in flow change trend occurred with a flow reduction of 84%. This transition occurred with decreasing stent porosity, as the driving force in IA neck changed from shear stress to differential pressure. Therefore, these results suggest that stents with intermediate porosities could possibly provide similar flow change patterns to FDS, favourable to curative thrombogenesis in IAs.

Smoke Detection for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sutin, Brian M.; Niu, William; Steiner, George; O'Hara, William; Lewis, John F.

2009-01-01

The Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) requires a smoke detector for the detection of particulate smoke products as part of the Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS) system. The smoke detector described in this paper is an adaptation of a mature commercial aircraft design for manned spaceflight. Changes made to the original design include upgrading the materials and electronic to space-qualified parts, and modifying the mechanical design to withstand launch and landing loads. The results of laboratory characterization of the response of the new design to test particles are presented.

Interpreting high time resolution galactic cosmic ray observations in a diffusive context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, A.; Spence, H. E.; Blake, J. B.; Shaul, D. A.

2009-12-01

We interpret galactic cosmic ray (GCR) variations near Earth within a diffusive context. The variations occur on time-/size-scales ranging from Forbush decreases (Fds), to substructure embedded within Fds, to smaller amplitude and shorter duration variations during relatively benign interplanetary conditions. We use high time resolution GCR observations from the High Sensitivity Telescope (HIST) on Polar and from the Spectrometer for INTEGRAL (SPI) and also use solar wind plasma and magnetic field observations from ACE and/or Wind. To calculate the coefficient of diffusion, we combine these datasets with a simple convection-diffusion model for relativistic charged particles in a magnetic field. We find reasonable agreement between our and previous estimates of the coefficient. We also show whether changes in the coefficient of diffusion are sufficient to explain the above GCR variations.

Warning signals are under positive frequency-dependent selection in nature

PubMed Central

Chouteau, Mathieu; Arias, Mónica; Joron, Mathieu

2016-01-01

Positive frequency-dependent selection (FDS) is a selection regime where the fitness of a phenotype increases with its frequency, and it is thought to underlie important adaptive strategies resting on signaling and communication. However, whether and how positive FDS truly operates in nature remains unknown, which hampers our understanding of signal diversity. Here, we test for positive FDS operating on the warning color patterns of chemically defended butterflies forming multiple coexisting mimicry assemblages in the Amazon. Using malleable prey models placed in localities showing differences in the relative frequencies of warningly colored prey, we demonstrate that the efficiency of a warning signal increases steadily with its local frequency in the natural community, up to a threshold where protection stabilizes. The shape of this relationship is consistent with the direct effect of the local abundance of each warning signal on the corresponding avoidance knowledge of the local predator community. This relationship, which differs from purifying selection acting on each mimetic pattern, indicates that predator knowledge, integrated over the entire community, is saturated only for the most common warning signals. In contrast, among the well-established warning signals present in local prey assemblages, most are incompletely known to local predators and enjoy incomplete protection. This incomplete predator knowledge should generate strong benefits to life history traits that enhance warning efficiency by increasing the effective frequency of prey visible to predators. Strategies such as gregariousness or niche convergence between comimics may therefore readily evolve through their effects on predator knowledge and warning efficiency. PMID:26858416

Anatomical considerations of fascial release in ulnar nerve transposition: a concept revisited.

PubMed

Mahan, Mark A; Gasco, Jaime; Mokhtee, David B; Brown, Justin M

2015-11-01

Surgical transposition of the ulnar nerve to alleviate entrapment may cause otherwise normal structures to become new sources of nerve compression. Recurrent or persistent neuropathy after anterior transposition is commonly attributable to a new distal compression. The authors sought to clarify the anatomical relationship of the ulnar nerve to the common aponeurosis of the humeral head of the flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) and flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscles following anterior transposition of the nerve. The intermuscular septa of the proximal forearm were explored in 26 fresh cadaveric specimens. The fibrous septa and common aponeurotic insertions of the flexor-pronator muscle mass were evaluated in relation to the ulnar nerve, with particular attention to the effect of transposition upon the nerve in this region. An intermuscular aponeurosis associated with the FCU and FDS muscles was present in all specimens. Transposition consistently resulted in angulation of the nerve during elbow flexion when this fascial septum was not released. The proximal site at which the nerve began to traverse this fascial structure was found to be an average of 3.9 cm (SD 0.7 cm) from the medial epicondyle. The common aponeurosis encountered between the FDS and FCU muscles represents a potential site of posttransposition entrapment, which may account for a subset of failed anterior transpositions. Exploration of this region with release of this structure is recommended to provide an unconstrained distal course for a transposed ulnar nerve.

Hemodynamic Changes Caused by Flow Diverters in Rabbit Aneurysm Models: Comparison of Virtual and Realistic FD Deployments Based on Micro-CT Reconstruction

PubMed Central

Fang, Yibin; Yu, Ying; Cheng, Jiyong; Wang, Shengzhang; Wang, Kuizhong; Liu, Jian-Min; Huang, Qinghai

2013-01-01

Adjusting hemodynamics via flow diverter (FD) implantation is emerging as a novel method of treating cerebral aneurysms. However, most previous FD-related hemodynamic studies were based on virtual FD deployment, which may produce different hemodynamic outcomes than realistic (in vivo) FD deployment. We compared hemodynamics between virtual FD and realistic FD deployments in rabbit aneurysm models using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. FDs were implanted for aneurysms in 14 rabbits. Vascular models based on rabbit-specific angiograms were reconstructed for CFD studies. Real FD configurations were reconstructed based on micro-CT scans after sacrifice, while virtual FD configurations were constructed with SolidWorks software. Hemodynamic parameters before and after FD deployment were analyzed. According to the metal coverage (MC) of implanted FDs calculated based on micro-CT reconstruction, 14 rabbits were divided into two groups (A, MC >35%; B, MC <35%). Normalized mean wall shear stress (WSS), relative residence time (RRT), inflow velocity, and inflow volume in Group A were significantly different (P<0.05) from virtual FD deployment, but pressure was not (P>0.05). The normalized mean WSS in Group A after realistic FD implantation was significantly lower than that of Group B. All parameters in Group B exhibited no significant difference between realistic and virtual FDs. This study confirmed MC-correlated differences in hemodynamic parameters between realistic and virtual FD deployment. PMID:23823503

Leptonic decays of charged D and Ds mesons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menaa, Nabil

Using 281 pb--1 of data taken on the psi(3770) resonance and 314 pb--1 of data near or at 4170 MeV collected with the CLEO-c detector, we present two analyses to study the purely leptonic decays of charmed and charmed strange charged mesons. In the first analysis, we extract a relatively precise value for the decay constant of the D+ meson by measuring B (D+ → mu+nu) = (4.40 +/- 0.66+0.09-0.12 ) x 10-4. We find fD + = (222.6 +/- 16.7+2.8-3.4 ) MeV, and compare with current theoretical calculations. We also set a 90% confidence upper limit on B (D+ → e +nu) < 2.4 x 10-5 which constrains new physics models. Finally with this data sample, we test whether or not the tau lepton manifests the same couplings as the mu lepton by investigating the relative decay rates in purely leptonic D+ meson decays. We limit B (D+ → tau+nu) < 2.1 x 10--3 at 90% confidence level (C. L.), thus allowing us to place the first upper limit on the ratio R = Gamma (D+ → tau+nu)/Gamma( D+ → mu+nu). The ratio of R to the Standard Model expectation of 2.65 then is <1.8 at 90% C. L., consistent with the prediction of lepton universality. In the second analysis, we examine e+ e-- → D-sD*+s and D-*sD+s interactions at 4170 MeV using the CLEO-c detector in order to measure the decay constant fD+s . We use the D+s → ℓ+nu channel, where the ℓ+ designates either a mu+ or a tau+, when the tau+ → pi+nu. Analyzing both modes independently, we determine B ( D+s → mu+nu) = (0.594 +/- 0.066 +/- 0.031)%, B ( D+s → tau+nu) = (8.0 +/- 1.3 +/- 0.4)%. We also analyze them simultaneously to find an effective value of B ( D+s → mu+nu) = (0.621 +/- 0.058 +/- 0.032)% and extract fD+s = 270 +/- 13 +/- 7 MeV. Combining with our previous determination of B (D+ → mu+nu), we also find the ratio fD+s/fD+ = 1.21 +/- 0.11 +/- 0.04. We compare with current theoretical estimates. Finally, we limit B ( D+s → e+nu) < 1.3 x 10 --4 at 90% confidence level.

Ventilation of Animal Shelters in Wildland Fire Scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bova, A. S.; Bohrer, G.; Dickinson, M. B.

2009-12-01

The effects of wildland fires on cavity-nesting birds and bats, as well as fossorial mammals and burrow-using reptiles, are of considerable interest to the fire management community. However, relatively little is known about the degree of protection afforded by various animal shelters in wildland fire events. We present results from our ongoing investigation, utilizing NIST’s Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) and experimental data, of the effectiveness of common shelter configurations in protecting animals from combustion products. We compare two sets of simulations with observed experimental results. In the first set, wind tunnel experiments on single-entry room ventilation by Larsen and Heiselberg (2008) were simulated in a large domain resolved into 10 cm cubic cells. The set of 24 simulations comprised all combinations of incident wind speeds of 1,3 and 5 m/s; angles of attack of 0, 45, 90 and 180 degrees from the horizontal normal to the entrance; and temperature differences of 0 and 10 degrees C between the building interior and exterior. Simulation results were in good agreement with experimental data, thus providing a validation of FDS code for further ventilation experiments. In the second set, a cubic simulation domain of ~1m on edge and resolved into 1 cm cubic cells, was set up to represent the experiments by Ar et al. (2004) of wind-induced ventilation of woodpecker cavities. As in the experiments, we simulated wind parallel and perpendicular to the cavity entrance with different mean forcing velocities, and monitored the rates of evacuation of a neutral-buoyancy tracer from the cavity. Simulated ventilation rates in many, though not all, cases fell within the range of experimental data. Reasons for these differences, which include vagueness in the experimental setup, will be discussed. Our simulations provide a tool to estimate the viability of an animal in a shelter as a function of the shelter geometry and the fire intensity. In addition to the above, we explore the role of turbulence and its effect on ventilation rates, especially in single-entrance shelters. The goal of this work is to provide engineering formulas to estimate the probable levels of harmful or irritating combustion products in animal shelters during wildland fires.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Fornax Deep Survey with VST. III. LSB galaxies (Venhola+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venhola, A.; Peletier, R.; Laurikainen, E.; Salo, H.; Lisker, T.; Iodice, E.; Capaccioli, M.; Verdoes Kleijn, G.; Valentijn, E.; Mieske, S.; Hilker, M.; Wittmann, C.; van de Ven, G.; Grado, A.; Spavone, M.; Cantiello, M.; Napolitano, N.; Paolillo, M.; Falcon-Barroso, J.

2018-02-01

We use the ongoing Fornax Deep Survey (FDS), which consists of the combined data of the Guaranteed Time Observation Surveys FOCUS (P.I. R. Peletier) and VEGAS (P.I. E. Iodice), dedicated to the Fornax cluster. Both surveys are performed with the ESO VLT Survey Telescope (VST), which is a 2.6-m diameter optical telescope located at Cerro Paranal, Chile. The imaging is done with the OmegaCAM instrument, using the u', g', r' and i'-bands, and 1°x1° field of view. The observations used in this work were gathered in visitor mode runs during November 2013, 2014 and 2015 (ESO P92, P94 and P96, respectively). All the observations were performed in clear (photometric variations <10%) or photometric conditions. The observations in u' and g'-bands were obtained in dark time, and those of the other bands in gray or dark time. (1 data file).

Fractal evaluation of drug amorphicity from optical and scanning electron microscope images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavriloaia, Bogdan-Mihai G.; Vizireanu, Radu C.; Neamtu, Catalin I.; Gavriloaia, Gheorghe V.

2013-09-01

Amorphous materials are metastable, more reactive than the crystalline ones, and have to be evaluated before pharmaceutical compound formulation. Amorphicity is interpreted as a spatial chaos, and patterns of molecular aggregates of dexamethasone, D, were investigated in this paper by using fractal dimension, FD. Images having three magnifications of D were taken from an optical microscope, OM, and with eight magnifications, from a scanning electron microscope, SEM, were analyzed. The average FD for pattern irregularities of OM images was 1.538, and about 1.692 for SEM images. The FDs of the two kinds of images are less sensitive of threshold level. 3D images were shown to illustrate dependence of FD of threshold and magnification level. As a result, optical image of single scale is enough to characterize the drug amorphicity. As a result, the OM image at a single scale is enough to characterize the amorphicity of D.

High-precision determination of the pi, K, D, and Ds decay constants from lattice QCD.

PubMed

Follana, E; Davies, C T H; Lepage, G P; Shigemitsu, J

2008-02-15

We determine D and D(s) decay constants from lattice QCD with 2% errors, 4 times better than experiment and previous theory: f(D(s))=241(3) MeV, f(D)=207(4) MeV, and fD(s))/f(D)=1.164(11). We also obtain f(K)/f(pi)=1.189(7) and (f(D(s))/f(D))/(f(K)/f(pi))=0.979(11). Combining with experiment gives V(us)=0.2262(14) and V(cs)/V(cd) of 4.43(41). We use a highly improved quark discretization on MILC gluon fields that include realistic sea quarks, fixing the u/d, s, and c masses from the pi, K, and eta(c) meson masses. This allows a stringent test against experiment for D and D(s) masses for the first time (to within 7 MeV).

Geological, geochemical and isotope diversity of 134 Ma dykes from the Florianópolis Dyke Swarm, Paraná Magmatic Province: Geodynamic controls on petrogenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florisbal, L. M.; Janasi, V. A.; Bitencourt, M. F.; Nardi, L. V. S.; Marteleto, N. S.

2018-04-01

The Florianópolis Dyke Swarm (FDS), one of the major dyke swarms belonging to the Early cretaceous (135-131 Ma) Paraná Magmatic Province, is largely dominated by high Sr-Ti-P basalts that are confirmed here as feeders of the unique Urubici (= Khumib) lavas of the Paraná and Edendeka lava piles on the basis of their age and geochemistry. Our study integrates field, petrographic, whole-rock geochemistry, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope geochemistry of representative samples from three main areas of exposition (Santa Catarina Island, Garopaba and Pinheira beaches), thus encompassing the whole extension of the FDS. Compared to the Urubici lavas, the dykes have usually higher contents of LILE and LREE, more radiogenic Sr and Pb, and more unradiogenic Nd, features attributed to a more pronounced interaction with melts derived from the country rocks registered in the basic magmas that remained in the conduits. Some of these dykes show strongly interactive contacts that must be part of a wider zone of crustal melting, probably more developed at greater depths. Small volumes of intermediate to acidic rocks form the cores of some composite dykes, and correspond to products of fractional crystallization from Urubici basalts contaminated with high Rb/Sr, and U/Th crustal melts (probably derived from Neoproterozoic granites), as indicated by geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope data. The chemical and isotope signatures of the less contaminated FDS basalts and related Urubici lavas do not show clear evidence of inputs from primitive mantle, and seem heavily influenced by enriched mantle. This suggests that the mantle wedge that was affected by subduction during the Neoproterozoic may have been frozen and coupled to the base of the lithospheric plate where the Early cretaceous magmatism occurred. A control of previous tectonic limits on the sources of the Urubici basalts seems evident, since they seem to be related to the younger lithosphere from the South Domain, related to the Florianópolis Batholith, and no influence from the older "cratonic" lithosphere of the Central Domain can be identified in their feeders.

Association between hemodynamic modifications and clinical outcome of intracranial aneurysms treated using flow diverters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paliwal, Nikhil; Damiano, Robert J.; Davies, Jason M.; Siddiqui, Adnan H.; Meng, Hui

2017-03-01

Treatment of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) has been revolutionized by the advent of endovascular Flow Diverters (FDs), which disrupt blood flow within the aneurysm to induce pro-thrombotic conditions, and serves as a scaffold for endothelial ingrowth and arterial remodeling. Despite good clinical success of FDs, complications like incomplete occlusion and post-treatment rupture leading to subarachnoid hemorrhage have been reported. In silico computational fluid dynamic analysis of the pre- and post-treated geometries of IA patients can shed light on the contrasting blood hemodynamics associated with different clinical outcomes. In this study, we analyzed hemodynamic modifications in 15 IA patients treated using a single FD; 10 IAs were completely occluded (successful) and 5 were partially occluded (unsuccessful) at 12-month follow-up. An in-house virtual stenting workflow was used to recapitulate the clinical intervention on these cases, followed by CFD to obtain pre- and post-treatment hemodynamics. Bulk hemodynamic parameters showed comparable reductions in both groups with average inflow rate and aneurysmal velocity reduction of 40.3% and 52.4% in successful cases, and 34.4% and 49.2% in unsuccessful cases. There was a substantial reduction in localized parameter like vortex coreline length and Energy Loss for successful cases, 38.2% and 42.9% compared to 10.1% and 10.5% for unsuccessful cases. This suggest that for successfully treated IAs, the localized complex blood flow is disrupted more prominently by the FD as compared to unsuccessful cases. These localized hemodynamic parameters can be potentially used in prediction of treatment outcome, thus aiding the clinicians in a priori assessment of different treatment strategies.

Association between hemodynamic modifications and clinical outcome of intracranial aneurysms treated using flow diverters.

PubMed

Paliwal, Nikhil; Damiano, Robert J; Davies, Jason M; Siddiqui, Adnan H; Meng, Hui

2017-02-11

Treatment of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) has been revolutionized by the advent of endovascular Flow Diverters (FDs), which disrupt blood flow within the aneurysm to induce pro-thrombotic conditions, and serves as a scaffold for endothelial ingrowth and arterial remodeling. Despite good clinical success of FDs, complications like incomplete occlusion and post-treatment rupture leading to subarachnoid hemorrhage have been reported. In silico computational fluid dynamic analysis of the pre- and post-treated geometries of IA patients can shed light on the contrasting blood hemodynamics associated with different clinical outcomes. In this study, we analyzed hemodynamic modifications in 15 IA patients treated using a single FD; 10 IAs were completely occluded (successful) and 5 were partially occluded (unsuccessful) at 12-month follow-up. An in-house virtual stenting workflow was used to recapitulate the clinical intervention on these cases, followed by CFD to obtain pre- and post-treatment hemodynamics. Bulk hemodynamic parameters showed comparable reductions in both groups with average inflow rate and aneurysmal velocity reduction of 40.3% and 52.4% in successful cases, and 34.4% and 49.2% in unsuccessful cases. There was a substantial reduction in localized parameter like vortex coreline length and Energy Loss for successful cases, 38.2% and 42.9% compared to 10.1% and 10.5% for unsuccessful cases. This suggest that for successfully treated IAs, the localized complex blood flow is disrupted more prominently by the FD as compared to unsuccessful cases. These localized hemodynamic parameters can be potentially used in prediction of treatment outcome, thus aiding the clinicians in a priori assessment of different treatment strategies.

GCR Modulation by Small-Scale Features in the Interplanetary Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, A. P.; Spence, H. E.; Blake, J. B.; Mulligan, T. L.; Shaul, D. N.; Galametz, M.

2007-12-01

In an effort to uncover the properties of structures in the interplanetary medium (IPM) that modulate galactic cosmic rays (GCR) on short time-scales (from hours to days), we study periods of differing conditions in the IPM. We analyze GCR variations from spacecraft both inside and outside the magnetosphere, using the High Sensitivity Telescope (HIST) on Polar and the Spectrometer for INTEGRAL (SPI). We seek causal correlations between the observed GCR modulations and structures in the solar wind plasma and interplanetary magnetic field, as measured concurrently with ACE and/or Wind. Our analysis spans time-/size-scale variations ranging from classic Forbush decreases (Fds), to substructure embedded within Fds, to much smaller amplitude and shorter duration variations observed during comparatively benign interplanetary conditions. We compare and contrast the conditions leading to the range of different GCR responses to modulating structures in the IPM.

International Space Station United States Laboratory Module Water Recovery Management Subsystem Verification from Flight 5A to Stage ULF2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, David E.; Labuda, Laura

2009-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) system comprises of seven subsystems: Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS), Atmosphere Revitalization (AR), Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS), Temperature and Humidity Control (THC), Vacuum System (VS), Water Recovery and Management (WRM), and Waste Management (WM). This paper provides a summary of the nominal operation of the United States (U.S.) Laboratory Module WRM design and detailed element methodologies utilized during the Qualification phase of the U.S. Laboratory Module prior to launch and the Qualification of all of the modification kits added to it from Flight 5A up and including Stage ULF2.

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of the Cooling Performance of Water Spraying Systems during a Fire

PubMed Central

Chen, YaoHan; Su, ChungHwei; Tseng, JoMing; Li, WunJie

2015-01-01

The water spray systems are effective protection systems in the confined or unconfined spaces to avoid the damage to building structures since the high temperature when fires occur. NFPA 15 and 502 have suggested respectively that the factories or vehicle tunnels install water spray systems to protect the machinery and structures. This study discussed the cooling effect of water spray systems in experimental and numerical analyses. The actual combustion of woods were compared with the numerical simulations. The results showed that although the flame continued, the cooling effects by water spraying process within 120 seconds were obvious. The results also indicated that the simulation results of the fifth version Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) overestimated the space temperature before water spraying in the case of the same water spray system. PMID:25723519

A Numerical Study of Forbush Decreases with a 3D Cosmic-Ray Modulation Model Based on an SDE Approach

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

Luo, Xi; Feng, Xueshang; Potgieter, Marius S.

Based on the reduced diffusion mechanism for producing Forbush decreases (Fds) in the heliosphere, we constructed a three-dimensional (3D) diffusion barrier, and by incorporating it into a stochastic differential equation (SDE) based time-dependent, cosmic-ray transport model, a 3D numerical model for simulating Fds is built and applied to a period of relatively quiet solar activity. This SDE model generally corroborates previous Fd simulations concerning the effects of the solar magnetic polarity, the tilt angle of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), and cosmic-ray particle energy. Because the modulation processes in this 3D model are multi-directional, the barrier’s geometrical features affect themore » intensity profiles of Fds differently. We find that both the latitudinal and longitudinal extent of the barrier have relatively fewer effects on these profiles than its radial extent and the level of decreased diffusion inside the disturbance. We find, with the 3D approach, that the HCS rotational motion causes the relative location from the observation point to the HCS to vary, so that a periodic pattern appears in the cosmic-ray intensity at the observing location. Correspondingly, the magnitude and recovery time of an Fd change, and the recovering intensity profile contains oscillation as well. Investigating the Fd magnitude variation with heliocentric radial distance, we find that the magnitude decreases overall and, additionally, that the Fd magnitude exhibits an oscillating pattern as the radial distance increases, which coincides well with the wavy profile of the HCS under quiet solar modulation conditions.« less

Retrospective Study of 383 Cases of Fibro-Osseous Lesions of the Jaws.

PubMed

Kato, Camila de Nazaré Alves de Oliveira; Nunes, Laiz Fernandes Mendes; Chalub, Loliza Luiz Figueiredo Houri; Etges, Adriana; Silva, Tarcília Aparecida; Mesquita, Ricardo Alves

2018-05-10

The aims of this study were to describe the clinical and radiologic features of 383 fibro-osseous lesions (FOLs) from an oral pathology reference service in Brazil and to compare the findings with previous studies. The hypothesis of the study was that the most common type of FOL would differ from other investigations. We conducted a descriptive and retrospective study with review of the records of the clinical and biopsy services (1990 to 2015). All records of the patients included showed a definitive diagnosis of FOL. The primary outcome variable was the type of FOL, and the predictor variables were gender, age, ethnicity, location, and clinical and radiologic characteristics. Descriptive analyses and χ 2 tests were performed. The P value was set at .05. From the 27,998 records available, 383 showed FOLs, with 187 (48.8%) being cemento-osseous dysplasias (CODs), 103 (26.9%) being fibrous dysplasias (FDs), and 93 (24.3%) being ossifying fibromas (OFs). The mean age of the patients was 38.5 ± 17.5 years. CODs presented a predilection for female gender (n = 314, 82.0%), African descent (n = 134, 71.6%), and the mandible (n = 248, 64.6%). The most common radiologic feature was a mixed radiolucent-radiopaque image (n = 149, 51.7%). FDs and OFs were commonly diagnosed during the first and second decades of life (P < .001), whereas CODs were more frequently diagnosed beyond the third decade (P < .001). Secondary osteomyelitis was more significantly observed in CODs (P < .001) than in FDs and OFs. Swelling was more frequently reported for FDs and OFs than for CODs (P < .001). CODs were the most frequently observed FOLs in this Brazilian population. Female patients, patients of African descent, and patients with mandibular localization were most commonly affected by these conditions. The most common type of FOL differed from that in similar case reports or series from various geographic locations. It is believed that the data source (clinical and/or biopsy services) can directly influence the outcome. Copyright © 2018 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Capabilities of current wildfire models when simulating topographical flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochanski, A.; Jenkins, M.; Krueger, S. K.; McDermott, R.; Mell, W.

2009-12-01

Accurate predictions of the growth, spread and suppression of wild fires rely heavily on the correct prediction of the local wind conditions and the interactions between the fire and the local ambient airflow. Resolving local flows, often strongly affected by topographical features like hills, canyons and ridges, is a prerequisite for accurate simulation and prediction of fire behaviors. In this study, we present the results of high-resolution numerical simulations of the flow over a smooth hill, performed using (1) the NIST WFDS (WUI or Wildland-Urban-Interface version of the FDS or Fire Dynamic Simulator), and (2) the LES version of the NCAR Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-LES) model. The WFDS model is in the initial stages of development for application to wind flow and fire spread over complex terrain. The focus of the talk is to assess how well simple topographical flow is represented by WRF-LES and the current version of WFDS. If sufficient progress has been made prior to the meeting then the importance of the discrepancies between the predicted and measured winds, in terms of simulated fire behavior, will be examined.

Quantitative computational infrared imaging of buoyant diffusion flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newale, Ashish S.

Studies of infrared radiation from turbulent buoyant diffusion flames impinging on structural elements have applications to the development of fire models. A numerical and experimental study of radiation from buoyant diffusion flames with and without impingement on a flat plate is reported. Quantitative images of the radiation intensity from the flames are acquired using a high speed infrared camera. Large eddy simulations are performed using fire dynamics simulator (FDS version 6). The species concentrations and temperature from the simulations are used in conjunction with a narrow-band radiation model (RADCAL) to solve the radiative transfer equation. The computed infrared radiation intensities rendered in the form of images and compared with the measurements. The measured and computed radiation intensities reveal necking and bulging with a characteristic frequency of 7.1 Hz which is in agreement with previous empirical correlations. The results demonstrate the effects of stagnation point boundary layer on the upstream buoyant shear layer. The coupling between these two shear layers presents a model problem for sub-grid scale modeling necessary for future large eddy simulations.

A Deep Look at the Fornax Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-04-01

Traditionally, dense cluster centers are cannibalistic environments, with larger galaxies stripping stars from smaller interlopers in minor mergers and dynamical harassment. A recent survey of the Fornax cluster, one example of such an environment, reveals how this cluster may have been built.Clues in HalosContext for the southern constellation Fornax (the furnace). The Fornax cluster is marked with a red circle. [ESO, IAU and Sky Telescope]Deep surveys of dense cluster environments are necessary because the imprint of mass assembly is hidden in galactic halos, the faint outer regions of galaxies. Deep observations can reveal answers to questions about how the galaxies in these extreme environments formed and evolved for instance, did the majority of the galaxies stars form in situ, or were they accreted from interactions with other galaxies?The Fornax Deep Survey (FDS) is just such a campaign. FDS uses the European Southern Observatorys VLT Survey Telescope to obtain deep photometry of the entire 26 square degrees of the Fornax cluster, a spectacular galaxy cluster located 65 million light-years away.Central ObservationsThe FDS team plans to release the full results from the survey soon. For now, in an initial study led by Enrichetta Iodice (INAFs Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte, Italy), the team presents their first findings from the two square degrees around NGC 1399, a supergiant elliptical galaxy in the cluster center.The two main results from this study are:The discovery of a faint stellar bridge between NGC 1399 and a nearby galaxy, NGC 1387.The characterization of NGC 1399s light profile, which shows that the galaxy consists of two main components separated by a strong break. The bright central galaxy is likely composed of stars that formed in situ, whereas the exponential outer component is a stellar halo composed of stars likely captured from accretion events.What do these points tell us about the history of the center of the Fornax cluster? These observations are indications that the Fornax cluster was built up by mergers and accretion events.A Violent PastThe light profile the authors found is consistent with those of simulated galaxies whose halos were formed through the multiple accretion of progenitors. This suggests that the stellar halo of NGC 1399 has been through a major merging event.This enlarged view of NGC 1399 and 1387 in the g band (top) and gi band (bottom) gives a better view of the faint stellar stream connecting the two galaxies. North is up and east is left. [Iodice et al. 2016]The faint stellar bridge is likely a sign of an ongoing interaction between NGC 1399 and NGC 1387, in which NGC 1387s outer envelope on its east side is being stripped away. But besides this indication, there is little evidence for recent merger activity, which would usually produce a significant number of luminous stellar streams and tidal tails.The authors argue that this means that any major mergers in the Fornax cluster center probably happened in an early formation epoch. The cluster is now in a more dynamically evolved stage, in which most of the gravitational interactions between galaxies have already taken place.Follow-up kinematics studies will be crucial to further interpreting these photometric observations from the center of the Fornax cluster. In the meantime, keep an eye out for future results from FDS!CitationE. Iodice et al 2016 ApJ 820 42. doi:10.3847/0004-637X/820/1/42

Comparison of dysphagia outcomes between rostral and caudal lateral medullary infarct patients.

PubMed

Chun, Min Ho; Kim, Daeha; Chang, Min Cheol

2017-11-01

A detailed knowledge of dysphagia outcomes in lateral medullary infarct (LMI) patients would enable proper establishment of swallowing therapy goals and strategies. However, little is known about the impact of infarct location on dysphagia outcomes in patients with LMI. Twenty patients with rostral LMI (rostral group) and 20 patients with caudal LMI (caudal group) participated in the study. All patients underwent swallowing therapy, which included compensatory treatments and strengthening exercises, for >3 months. Dysphagia evaluation was performed twice (during the subacute stage and six months after stroke onset) using videofluoroscopic swallowing studies. Dysphagia degree was assessed using the functional dysphagia scale (FDS), the penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) National Outcome Measurement System (NOMS) swallowing scale. In the subacute stage, the rostral group had significantly higher FDS and PAS scores and a significantly lower ASHA NOMS score than the caudal group. Patients from both groups showed significant improvement from the initial evaluation to the six-month evaluation. There were no significant differences in these scale scores between the two groups at the six-month evaluation. In the subacute stage, patients in the rostral group had more severe dysphagia than those in the caudal group. Dysphagia improved in both groups after 3-6 months of swallowing therapy. At six months after onset, there were no significant differences in dysphagia severity between the two groups. Recovery from dysphagia after LMI was observed regardless of the infarct location.

Modeling of fire smoke movement in multizone garments building using two open source platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khandoker, Md. Arifur Rahman; Galib, Musanna; Islam, Adnan; Rahman, Md. Ashiqur

2017-06-01

Casualty of garment factory workers from factory fire in Bangladesh is a recurring tragedy. Smoke, which is more fatal than fire itself, often propagates through different pathways from lower to upper floors during building fire. Among the toxic gases produced from a building fire, carbon monoxide (CO) can be deadly, even in small amounts. This paper models the propagation and transportation of fire induced smoke (CO) that resulted from the burning of synthetic polyester fibers using two open source platforms, CONTAM and Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). Smoke migration in a generic multistoried garment factory building in Bangladesh is modeled using CONTAM where each floor is compartmentalized by different zones. The elevator and stairway shafts are modeled by phantom zones to simulate contaminant (CO) transport from one floor to upper floors. FDS analysis involves burning of two different stacks of polyester jacket of six feet height and with a maximum heat release rate per unit area of 1500kw/m2 over a storage area 50m2 and 150m2, respectively. The resulting CO generation and removal rates from FDS are used in CONTAM to predict fire-borne CO propagation in different zones of the garment building. Findings of the study exhibit that the contaminant flow rate is a strong function of the position of building geometry, location of initiation of fire, amount of burnt material, presence of AHU and contaminant generation and removal rate of CO from the source location etc. The transport of fire-smoke in the building Hallways, stairways and lifts are also investigated in detail to examine the safe egress of the occupants in case of fire.

Field Demonstration for P-D-680 Solvent Replacement (Part II)

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-05-12

jo \\ Ji o < s NJ £. ° 8? Q- 3* £?. «" «< o Ö- 8" 03 O C O ~ e O 3 re *i re re w8 g 3 2> 8 = er ^ o 3 ^ fS Ni O...34 3 3. 3. n_ £ 2. O 2- e. re Z. 2 3 v! 3 oso,o,<f)( ji «s S?3re-t930.Q3^. «o.03rt3-3c"o=; 1 » < 3 -•■n O -t33^c«^3ga3 re...soWfirtH T^ skd uiEita, ox^fifk^. 4. KrflTjTS, SAFETY 0? ALTERATIVE F-D-S80 SOLVENT Have you, cr did you have knowledge of ethers

Novel Computational Protocols for Functionally Classifying and Characterising Serine Beta-Lactamases

PubMed Central

Das, Sayoni; Dawson, Natalie L.; Dobrijevic, Dragana; Orengo, Christine

2016-01-01

Beta-lactamases represent the main bacterial mechanism of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and are a significant challenge to modern medicine. We have developed an automated classification and analysis protocol that exploits structure- and sequence-based approaches and which allows us to propose a grouping of serine beta-lactamases that more consistently captures and rationalizes the existing three classification schemes: Classes, (A, C and D, which vary in their implementation of the mechanism of action); Types (that largely reflect evolutionary distance measured by sequence similarity); and Variant groups (which largely correspond with the Bush-Jacoby clinical groups). Our analysis platform exploits a suite of in-house and public tools to identify Functional Determinants (FDs), i.e. residue sites, responsible for conferring different phenotypes between different classes, different types and different variants. We focused on Class A beta-lactamases, the most highly populated and clinically relevant class, to identify FDs implicated in the distinct phenotypes associated with different Class A Types and Variants. We show that our FunFHMMer method can separate the known beta-lactamase classes and identify those positions likely to be responsible for the different implementations of the mechanism of action in these enzymes. Two novel algorithms, ASSP and SSPA, allow detection of FD sites likely to contribute to the broadening of the substrate profiles. Using our approaches, we recognise 151 Class A types in UniProt. Finally, we used our beta-lactamase FunFams and ASSP profiles to detect 4 novel Class A types in microbiome samples. Our platforms have been validated by literature studies, in silico analysis and some targeted experimental verification. Although developed for the serine beta-lactamases they could be used to classify and analyse any diverse protein superfamily where sub-families have diverged over both long and short evolutionary timescales. PMID:27332861

Assessing post-fire ground cover in Mediterranean shrublands with field spectrometry and digital photography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montorio Llovería, Raquel; Pérez-Cabello, Fernando; García-Martín, Alberto

2016-09-01

Fire severity can be assessed by identifying and quantifying the fractional abundance of post-fire ground cover types, an approach with great capacity to predict ecosystem response. Focused on shrubland formations of Mediterranean-type ecosystems, three burned areas (Ibieca and Zuera wildfires and Peñaflor experimental fire) were sampled in the summers of 2006 and 2007. Two different ground measurements were made for each of the 356 plots: (i) 3-band high spatial resolution photography (HSRP) and (ii) the hemispherical-conical reflectance factor (HCRF) in the visible to near-infrared spectral range (VNIR, 400-900 nm). Stepwise multiple lineal regression (SMLR) models were fitted to spectral variables (HCRF, first derivative spectra or FDS, and four absorption indices) to estimate the fractional cover of seven post-fire ground cover types (vegetation and soil - unburned and charred components - and ash - char and ash, individually and as a combined category). Models were developed and validated at the Peñaflor site (training, n = 217; validation, n = 88) and applied to the samples from the Ibieca and Zuera sites (n = 51). The best results were observed for the abundance estimations of green vegetation (Radj.20.70-0.90), unburned soil (Radj.20.40-0.75), and the combination of ashes (Radj.20.65-0.80). In comparison of spectral data, FDS outperforms reflectance or absorption data because of its higher accuracy levels and, importantly, its greater capacity to yield generalizable models. Future efforts should be made to improve the estimation of intermediate severity levels and upscaling the developed models. In the context of fire severity assessment, our study demonstrates the potential of hyperspectral data to estimate in a quick and objective manner post-fire ground cover fractions and thus provide valuable information to guide management responses.

Electrospinning of guar gum/corn starch blends

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this study, electrospun nanofibers were prepared for the first time from aqueous blends of guar gum (GG) and corn starch with amylose contents of 27.8% (CS28) and 50% (CS50). The fiber morphology and fiber diameter sizes (FDS) were correlated with solution rheology. The spinning solutions were pr...

Investigations of Forbush decreases in the PAMELA experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagoida, I. A.; Voronov, S. A.; Mikhailov, V. V.

2017-01-01

A phenomenon in cosmic ray physics now called Forbush decrease (FD), or Forbush effect was discovered by S. Forbush in 1937 [1], it is a sudden decrease of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) intensity near the Earth. However, despite of the long term investigations the nature of this phenomenon is still not completely understood. Today this effect is studied mostly by the neutron monitors and muon hodoscopes, which are located on the Earth’s surface. But these monitors can detect only products of GCR interaction with the Earth atmosphere. Satellite detectors allow to obtain more accurate information about the characteristics of FD. Examples of FDs registered by the PAMELA telescope and observed with Oulu neutron monitor are presented. About 10 events with amplitude more than 3% have been registered from 2006 till 2016 with the PAMELA experiment.

Development of a Moisture-in-Solid-Insulation Sensor for Power Transformers

PubMed Central

García, Belén; García, Diego; Robles, Guillermo

2015-01-01

Moisture is an important variable that must be kept under control to guarantee a safe operation of power transformers. Because of the hydrophilic character of cellulose, water mainly remains in the solid insulation, while just a few parts per million are dissolved in oil. The distribution of moisture between paper and oil is not static, but varies depending on the insulation temperature, and thus, water migration processes take place continuously during transformers operation. In this work, a sensor is presented that allows the determination of the moisture content of the transformer solid insulation in the steady state and during the moisture migration processes. The main objective of the design is that the electrodes of the sensor should not obstruct the movement of water from the solid insulation to the oil, so the proposed prototype uses a metallic-mesh electrode to do the measurements. The measurement setup is based on the characterization of the insulation dielectric response by means of the frequency dielectric spectroscopy (FDS) method. The sensitivity of the proposed sensor has been tested on samples with a moisture content within 1% to 5%, demonstrating the good sensitivity and repeatability of the measurements. PMID:25658393

Development of a moisture-in-solid-insulation sensor for power transformers.

PubMed

García, Belén; García, Diego; Robles, Guillermo

2015-02-04

Moisture is an important variable that must be kept under control to guarantee a safe operation of power transformers. Because of the hydrophilic character of cellulose, water mainly remains in the solid insulation, while just a few parts per million are dissolved in oil. The distribution of moisture between paper and oil is not static, but varies depending on the insulation temperature, and thus, water migration processes take place continuously during transformers operation. In this work, a sensor is presented that allows the determination of the moisture content of the transformer solid insulation in the steady state and during the moisture migration processes. The main objective of the design is that the electrodes of the sensor should not obstruct the movement of water from the solid insulation to the oil, so the proposed prototype uses a metallic-mesh electrode to do the measurements. The measurement setup is based on the characterization of the insulation dielectric response by means of the frequency dielectric spectroscopy (FDS) method. The sensitivity of the proposed sensor has been tested on samples with a moisture content within 1% to 5%, demonstrating the good sensitivity and repeatability of the measurements.

Zone specific fractal dimension of retinal images as predictor of stroke incidence.

PubMed

Aliahmad, Behzad; Kumar, Dinesh Kant; Hao, Hao; Unnikrishnan, Premith; Che Azemin, Mohd Zulfaezal; Kawasaki, Ryo; Mitchell, Paul

2014-01-01

Fractal dimensions (FDs) are frequently used for summarizing the complexity of retinal vascular. However, previous techniques on this topic were not zone specific. A new methodology to measure FD of a specific zone in retinal images has been developed and tested as a marker for stroke prediction. Higuchi's fractal dimension was measured in circumferential direction (FDC) with respect to optic disk (OD), in three concentric regions between OD boundary and 1.5 OD diameter from its margin. The significance of its association with future episode of stroke event was tested using the Blue Mountain Eye Study (BMES) database and compared against spectrum fractal dimension (SFD) and box-counting (BC) dimension. Kruskal-Wallis analysis revealed FDC as a better predictor of stroke (H = 5.80, P = 0.016, α = 0.05) compared with SFD (H = 0.51, P = 0.475, α = 0.05) and BC (H = 0.41, P = 0.520, α = 0.05) with overall lower median value for the cases compared to the control group. This work has shown that there is a significant association between zone specific FDC of eye fundus images with future episode of stroke while this difference is not significant when other FD methods are employed.

Implementation and Test of the Automatic Flight Dynamics Operations for Geostationary Satellite Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Sangwook; Lee, Young-Ran; Hwang, Yoola; Javier Santiago Noguero Galilea

2009-12-01

This paper describes the Flight Dynamics Automation (FDA) system for COMS Flight Dynamics System (FDS) and its test result in terms of the performance of the automation jobs. FDA controls the flight dynamics functions such as orbit determination, orbit prediction, event prediction, and fuel accounting. The designed FDA is independent from the specific characteristics which are defined by spacecraft manufacturer or specific satellite missions. Therefore, FDA could easily links its autonomous job control functions to any satellite mission control system with some interface modification. By adding autonomous system along with flight dynamics system, it decreases the operator’s tedious and repeated jobs but increase the usability and reliability of the system. Therefore, FDA is used to improve the completeness of whole mission control system’s quality. The FDA is applied to the real flight dynamics system of a geostationary satellite, COMS and the experimental test is performed. The experimental result shows the stability and reliability of the mission control operations through the automatic job control.

From Foundation to Honours Degree: The Student Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenbank, Paul

2007-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to examine how students from foundation degrees (FDs) run at local further education colleges coped (academically and to a lesser extent psychologically) with the transition to a final year honours degree at a university. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on the experience of FD graduates who joined the…

Long term spatial and temporal trends in frost day indices in Kansas, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Frost day indices such as number of frost days (nFDs), frost free days (nFFDs), last spring freeze (LSF), first fall freeze (FFF), and growing-season length (GSL), were calculated using daily minimum air temperature (Tmin) values from 23 centennial weather stations spread across Kansas during four t...

Foundation Degrees: A Case for Greater Institutional Autonomy?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenbank, Paul

2010-01-01

Foundation Degrees (FDs) were launched in 2000 by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). One of the key reasons for their introduction was a belief that this new work-based higher education (HE) qualification could help meet employer demand for people with higher technician/associate professional-level skills. According to the Higher…

Two-Dimensional Fluorescence Difference Spectroscopy of ZnO and Mg Composites in the Detection of Physiological Protein and RNA Interactions

PubMed Central

Hoffman, Amanda; Wu, Xiaotong; Wang, Jianjie; Brodeur, Amanda; Thomas, Rintu; Thakkar, Ravindra; Hadi, Halena; Glaspell, Garry P.; Duszynski, Molly; Wanekaya, Adam; DeLong, Robert K.

2017-01-01

Two-dimensional fluorescence difference spectroscopy (2-D FDS) was used to determine the unique spectral signatures of zinc oxide (ZnO), magnesium oxide (MgO), and 5% magnesium zinc oxide nanocomposite (5% Mg/ZnO) and was then used to demonstrate the change in spectral signature that occurs when physiologically important proteins, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and ribonuclease A (RNase A), interact with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). When RNase A is bound to 5% Mg/ZnO, the intensity is quenched, while the intensity is magnified and a significant shift is seen when torula yeast RNA (TYRNA) is bound to RNase A and 5% Mg/ZnO. The intensity of 5% Mg/ZnO is quenched also when thrombin and thrombin aptamer are bound to the nanocomposite. These data indicate that RNA–protein interaction can occur unimpeded on the surface of NPs, which was confirmed by gel electrophoresis, and importantly that the change in fluorescence excitation, emission, and intensity shown by 2-D FDS may indicate specificity of biomolecular interactions. PMID:29244716

STS-26 simulation activities in JSC Mission Control Center (MCC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

In JSC Mission Control Center (MCC) Bldg 30 Flight Control Room (FCR), flight directors (FDs) Lee Briscoe (left) and Charles W. Shaw, seated at FD console, view front visual display monitors during STS-26 simulations in progress between MCC and JSC Mission Simulation and Training Facility Bldg 5 fixed-base (FB) shuttle mission simulator (SMS).

Students' Perceptions of Undertaking Workplace Tasks within a Foundation Degree--Health and Social Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurgate, Claire; MacGregor, Janet

2009-01-01

Foundation degrees (FDs) involve the fusion of academic and vocational paths in higher education (HE) qualifications; the challenge for academics and employers is the credible assessment of the student's workplace learning. Focusing to the workplace enables participants to learn from their daily routines encountered at work. The challenge is to…

Fourier Descriptor Analysis and Unification of Voice Range Profile Contours: Method and Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pabon, Peter; Ternstrom, Sten; Lamarche, Anick

2011-01-01

Purpose: To describe a method for unified description, statistical modeling, and comparison of voice range profile (VRP) contours, even from diverse sources. Method: A morphologic modeling technique, which is based on Fourier descriptors (FDs), is applied to the VRP contour. The technique, which essentially involves resampling of the curve of the…

Foundation Degrees in Geography and Tourism: A Critical Reflection on Student Experiences and the Implications for Undergraduate Degree Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simm, David; Marvell, Alan; Schaaf, Rebecca; Winlow, Heather

2012-01-01

Over the last decade, some UK Geography Departments have diversified their range of courses to offer Foundation degrees (Fds), providing students with alternative routes through higher education (HE). These courses are delivered either offsite at further education colleges (FECs), embedded within an undergraduate programme at higher education…

Synergism of the method of characteristics and CAD technology for neutron transport calculation

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

Chen, Z.; Wang, D.; He, T.

2013-07-01

The method of characteristics (MOC) is a very popular methodology in neutron transport calculation and numerical simulation in recent decades for its unique advantages. One of the key problems determining whether the MOC can be applied in complicated and highly heterogeneous geometry is how to combine an effective geometry processing method with MOC. Most of the existing MOC codes describe the geometry by lines and arcs with extensive input data, such as circles, ellipses, regular polygons and combination of them. Thus they have difficulty in geometry modeling, background meshing and ray tracing for complicated geometry domains. In this study, amore » new idea making use of a CAD solid modeler MCAM which is a CAD/Image-based Automatic Modeling Program for Neutronics and Radiation Transport developed by FDS Team in China was introduced for geometry modeling and ray tracing of particle transport to remove these geometrical limitations mentioned above. The diamond-difference scheme was applied to MOC to reduce the spatial discretization error of the flat flux approximation in theory. Based on MCAM and MOC, a new MOC code was developed and integrated into SuperMC system, which is a Super Multi-function Computational system for neutronics and radiation simulation. The numerical testing results demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of the new idea for geometry treatment in SuperMC. (authors)« less

Evidence-based rules from family practice to inform family practice; the learning healthcare system case study on urinary tract infections.

PubMed

Soler, Jean K; Corrigan, Derek; Kazienko, Przemyslaw; Kajdanowicz, Tomasz; Danger, Roxana; Kulisiewicz, Marcin; Delaney, Brendan

2015-05-16

Analysis of encounter data relevant to the diagnostic process sourced from routine electronic medical record (EMR) databases represents a classic example of the concept of a learning healthcare system (LHS). By collecting International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) coded EMR data as part of the Transition Project from Dutch and Maltese databases (using the EMR TransHIS), data mining algorithms can empirically quantify the relationships of all presenting reasons for encounter (RfEs) and recorded diagnostic outcomes. We have specifically looked at new episodes of care (EoC) for two urinary system infections: simple urinary tract infection (UTI, ICPC code: U71) and pyelonephritis (ICPC code: U70). Participating family doctors (FDs) recorded details of all their patient contacts in an EoC structure using the ICPC, including RfEs presented by the patient, and the FDs' diagnostic labels. The relationships between RfEs and episode titles were studied using probabilistic and data mining methods as part of the TRANSFoRm project. The Dutch data indicated that the presence of RfE's "Cystitis/Urinary Tract Infection", "Dysuria", "Fear of UTI", "Urinary frequency/urgency", "Haematuria", "Urine symptom/complaint, other" are all strong, reliable, predictors for the diagnosis "Cystitis/Urinary Tract Infection" . The Maltese data indicated that the presence of RfE's "Dysuria", "Urinary frequency/urgency", "Haematuria" are all strong, reliable, predictors for the diagnosis "Cystitis/Urinary Tract Infection". The Dutch data indicated that the presence of RfE's "Flank/axilla symptom/complaint", "Dysuria", "Fever", "Cystitis/Urinary Tract Infection", "Abdominal pain/cramps general" are all strong, reliable, predictors for the diagnosis "Pyelonephritis" . The Maltese data set did not present any clinically and statistically significant predictors for pyelonephritis. We describe clinically and statistically significant diagnostic associations observed between UTIs and pyelonephritis presenting as a new problem in family practice, and all associated RfEs, and demonstrate that the significant diagnostic cues obtained are consistent with the literature. We conclude that it is possible to generate clinically meaningful diagnostic evidence from electronic sources of patient data.

Comparison of Interstitial Fluid pH, PCO2, PO2 with Venous Blood Values During Repetitive Handgrip Exercise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hagan, Ronald Donald; Soller, Babs R.; Shear, Michael; Walz, Matthias; Landry, Michelle; Heard, Stephen

2006-01-01

We evaluated the use of a small, fiber optic sensor to measure pH, PCO2 and PO2 from forearm muscle interstitial fluid (IF) during handgrip dynamometry. PURPOSE: Compare pH, PCO2 and PO2 values obtained from venous blood with those from the IF of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) during three levels of exercise intensity. METHODS: Six subjects (5M/1F), average age 29+/-5 yrs, participated in the study. A venous catheter was placed in the retrograde direction in the antecubital space and a fiber optic sensor (Paratrend, Diametrics Medical, Inc.) was placed through a 22 G catheter into the FDS muscle under ultrasound guidance. After a 45 min rest period, subjects performed three 5-min bouts of repetitive handgrip exercise (2s contraction/1 s relaxation) at attempted levels of 15%, 30% and 45% of maximal voluntary contraction. The order of the exercise bouts was random with the second and third bouts started after blood lactate had returned to baseline. Venous blood was sampled every minute during exercise and analyzed with an I-Stat CG-4+ cartridge, while IF fiber optic sensor measurements were obtained every 2 s. Change from pre-exercise baseline to end of exercise was computed for pH, PCO2 and PO2. Blood and IF values were compared with a paired t-test. RESULTS: Baseline values for pH, PCO2 and PO2 were 7.37+/-0.02, 46+/-4 mm Hg, and 36+/-6 mm Hg respectively in blood and 7.39+/-0.02, 44+/-6 mm Hg, and 35+/-14 mm Hg in IF. Average changes over all exercise levels are noted in the Table below. For each parameter the exercise-induced change was at least twice as great in IF as in blood. In blood and IF, pH and PCO2 increases were directly related to exercise intensity. Change in venous PO2 was unrelated to exercise intensity, while IF PO2 decreased with increases in exercise intensity. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of IF pH, PCO2 and PO2 is more sensitive to exercise intensity than measurement of the same parameters in venous blood and provides continuous assessment during and after exercise.

Towards a Pedagogy of Work-Based Learning: Perceptions of Work-Based Learning in Foundation Degrees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Linda; Marks-Maran, Diane J.; Ooms, Ann; Webb, Marion; Cooper, Denise

2009-01-01

One of the features of foundation degrees (FDs) is the incorporation of work-based learning (WBL) into the curriculum. WBL is seen as an important part of vocational programmes and is described by Foundation Degrees Forward (FDF) as a potentially radical approach to connecting work with learning. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), in its…

Fire Support Team Experiment.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-12-01

December 1984 APPROVED FOR PUBUC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. U_ US ARMY *’ HUMAN ENGINEERING LABORATORY US ARMY BALLISTIC RESEARCH LABORATORY ABERDEEN...INTRODUCTION A. Background In March 1982, the HELBAT ( Human Engineering Laboratory Battalion Artillery Test) Executive Committee agreed that the Ballistic...tactical equipment and its -. human operators. FOSCE mimicked the actions of the platoon forward observers that work for the FIST HQ while the FDS

Vortex-antivortex lattices in superconducting films with arrays of magnetic dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milosevic, M. V.; Peeters, F. M.

2004-03-01

Using the numerical approach within the phenomenological Ginzburg-Landau (GL) theory, we investigate the vortex structure of a thin superconducting film (SC) with a regular matrix of out-of-plane magnetized ferromagnetic dots (FD) deposited on top of it. The perturbation of the superconducting order parameter in the SC film as subject of the inhomogeneous magnetic field of the FDs is studied, and various vortex-antivortex configurations are observed, with net vorticity equal zero. In the case of a periodic array of magnetic disks, vortices are confined under the disks, while the antivortices form a rich spectra of lattice states. In the ground state, antivortices are arranged in the so-called matching configurations between the FDs, while other configurational varieties have higher energy. In the metastable regime, the states with fractional number of vortex-antivortex pairs per unit cell are found, some of which with strongly distorted vortex cores. The exact (anti)vortex structure depends on the size, thickness and magnetization of the magnetic dots, periodicity of the FD-rooster and the properties of the SC expressed through the effective Ginzburg-Landau parameter κ ^* . We discuss the further experimental implications, such as magnetic-field-induced superconductivity.

Fourier descriptor analysis and unification of voice range profile contours: method and applications.

PubMed

Pabon, Peter; Ternström, Sten; Lamarche, Anick

2011-06-01

To describe a method for unified description, statistical modeling, and comparison of voice range profile (VRP) contours, even from diverse sources. A morphologic modeling technique, which is based on Fourier descriptors (FDs), is applied to the VRP contour. The technique, which essentially involves resampling of the curve of the contour, is assessed and also is compared to density-based VRP averaging methods that use the overlap count. VRP contours can be usefully described and compared using FDs. The method also permits the visualization of the local covariation along the contour average. For example, the FD-based analysis shows that the population variance for ensembles of VRP contours is usually smallest at the upper left part of the VRP. To illustrate the method's advantages and possible further application, graphs are given that compare the averaged contours from different authors and recording devices--for normal, trained, and untrained male and female voices as well as for child voices. The proposed technique allows any VRP shape to be brought to the same uniform base. On this uniform base, VRP contours or contour elements coming from a variety of sources may be placed within the same graph for comparison and for statistical analysis.

Terahertz Frequency-Domain Spectroscopy of Low-Pressure Acetonitrile Gas by a Photomixing Terahertz Synthesizer Referenced to Dual Optical Frequency Combs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsieh, Yi-Da; Kimura, Hiroto; Hayashi, Kenta; Minamikawa, Takeo; Mizutani, Yasuhiro; Yamamoto, Hirotsugu; Iwata, Tetsuo; Inaba, Hajime; Minoshima, Kaoru; Hindle, Francis; Yasui, Takeshi

2016-09-01

A terahertz (THz) frequency synthesizer based on photomixing of two near-infrared lasers with a sub-THz to THz frequency offset is a powerful tool for spectroscopy of polar gas molecules due to its broad spectral coverage; however, its frequency accuracy and resolution are relatively low. To tune the output frequency continuously and widely while maintaining its traceability to a frequency standard, we developed a photomixing THz synthesizer phase-locked to dual optical frequency combs (OFCs). While the phase-locking to dual OFCs ensured continuous tuning within a spectral range of 120 GHz, in addition to the traceability to the frequency standard, use of a broadband uni-traveling carrier photodiode for photomixing enabled the generation of CW-THz radiation within a frequency range from 0.2 to 1.5 THz. We demonstrated THz frequency-domain spectroscopy of gas-phase acetonitrile CH3CN and its isotope CH3 13CN in the frequency range of 0.600-0.720 THz using this THz synthesizer. Their rotational transitions were assigned with a frequency accuracy of 8.42 × 10-8 and a frequency resolution of 520 kHz. Furthermore, the concentration of the CH3CN gas at 20 Pa was determined to be (5.41 ± 0.05) × 1014 molecules/cm3 by curve fitting analysis of the measured absorbance spectrum, and the mixture ratio of the mixed CH3CN/CH3 13CN gas was determined to be 1:2.26 with a gas concentration of 1014-1015 molecules/cm3. The developed THz synthesizer is highly promising for high-precision THz-FDS of low-pressure molecular gases and will enable the qualitative and quantitative analyses of multiple gases.

Bridging the education-action gap: a near-peer case-based undergraduate ethics teaching programme.

PubMed

Kong, Wing May; Knight, Selena

2017-10-01

Undergraduate ethics teaching has made significant progress in the past decade, with evidence showing that students and trainee doctors feel more confident in identifying and analysing ethical issues. There is general consensus that ethics education should enable students and doctors to take ethically appropriate actions, and nurture moral integrity. However, the literature reports that doctors continue to find it difficult to take action when faced with perceived unethical behaviour. This has been evident in recent healthcare scandals, in which care has fallen below acceptable ethical standards, despite the presence of professional ethical guidelines and competencies. The National Foundation Training Programme forms the first 2 years of training for new UK doctors. We designed a Foundation Doctor (FD)-led teaching programme in which medical students were invited to bring cases and experiences from clinical placements for small group discussion facilitated by FDs. The aim was to enable students to act ethically in practice through developing moral sensitivity and moral identity, together with skills in ethical reasoning and tools to address barriers to taking ethical action. FDs were chosen as facilitators, based on the evidence that near-peer is an effective form of teaching in medicine and may provide positive role models for students. This article reviews the background rationale for the programme and its design. Important themes emerging from the case discussions are explored. Student and FD facilitator feedbacks are evaluated, and practical challenges to the implementation of this type of programme are discussed. 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/.

Reliability Sensitivity Analysis and Design Optimization of Composite Structures Based on Response Surface Methodology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rais-Rohani, Masoud

2003-01-01

This report discusses the development and application of two alternative strategies in the form of global and sequential local response surface (RS) techniques for the solution of reliability-based optimization (RBO) problems. The problem of a thin-walled composite circular cylinder under axial buckling instability is used as a demonstrative example. In this case, the global technique uses a single second-order RS model to estimate the axial buckling load over the entire feasible design space (FDS) whereas the local technique uses multiple first-order RS models with each applied to a small subregion of FDS. Alternative methods for the calculation of unknown coefficients in each RS model are explored prior to the solution of the optimization problem. The example RBO problem is formulated as a function of 23 uncorrelated random variables that include material properties, thickness and orientation angle of each ply, cylinder diameter and length, as well as the applied load. The mean values of the 8 ply thicknesses are treated as independent design variables. While the coefficients of variation of all random variables are held fixed, the standard deviations of ply thicknesses can vary during the optimization process as a result of changes in the design variables. The structural reliability analysis is based on the first-order reliability method with reliability index treated as the design constraint. In addition to the probabilistic sensitivity analysis of reliability index, the results of the RBO problem are presented for different combinations of cylinder length and diameter and laminate ply patterns. The two strategies are found to produce similar results in terms of accuracy with the sequential local RS technique having a considerably better computational efficiency.

Thermal neutron flux measurement using self-powered neutron detector (SPND) at out-core locations of TRIGA PUSPATI Reactor (RTP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Nur Syazwani Mohd; Hamzah, Khaidzir; Mohamad Idris, Faridah; Hairie Rabir, Mohamad

2018-01-01

The thermal neutron flux measurement has been conducted at the out-core location using self-powered neutron detectors (SPNDs). This work represents the first attempt to study SPNDs as neutron flux sensor for developing the fault detection system (FDS) focusing on neutron flux parameters. The study was conducted to test the reliability of the SPND’s signal by measuring the neutron flux through the interaction between neutrons and emitter materials of the SPNDs. Three SPNDs were used to measure the flux at four different radial locations which located at the fission chamber cylinder, 10cm above graphite reflector, between graphite reflector and tank liner and fuel rack. The measurements were conducted at 750 kW reactor power. The outputs from SPNDs were collected through data acquisition system and were corrected to obtain the actual neutron flux due to delayed responses from SPNDs. The measurements showed that thermal neutron flux between fission chamber location near to the tank liner and fuel rack were between 5.18 × 1011 nv to 8.45 × 109 nv. The average thermal neutron flux showed a good agreement with those from previous studies that has been made using simulation at the same core configuration at the nearest irradiation facilities with detector locations.

Multiscale Information Transfer in Functional Corticomuscular Coupling Estimation Following Stroke: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Chen, Xiaoling; Xie, Ping; Zhang, Yuanyuan; Chen, Yuling; Yang, Fangmei; Zhang, Litai; Li, Xiaoli

2018-01-01

Recently, functional corticomuscular coupling (FCMC) between the cortex and the contralateral muscle has been used to evaluate motor function after stroke. As we know, the motor-control system is a closed-loop system that is regulated by complex self-regulating and interactive mechanisms which operate in multiple spatial and temporal scales. Multiscale analysis can represent the inherent complexity. However, previous studies in FCMC for stroke patients mainly focused on the coupling strength in single-time scale, without considering the changes of the inherently directional and multiscale properties in sensorimotor systems. In this paper, a multiscale-causal model, named multiscale transfer entropy, was used to quantify the functional connection between electroencephalogram over the scalp and electromyogram from the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) recorded simultaneously during steady-state grip task in eight stroke patients and eight healthy controls. Our results showed that healthy controls exhibited higher coupling when the scale reached up to about 12, and the FCMC in descending direction was stronger at certain scales (1, 7, 12, and 14) than that in ascending direction. Further analysis showed these multi-time scale characteristics mainly focused on the beta1 band at scale 11 and beta2 band at scale 9, 11, 13, and 15. Compared to controls, the multiscale properties of the FCMC for stroke were changed, the strengths in both directions were reduced, and the gaps between the descending and ascending directions were disappeared over all scales. Further analysis in specific bands showed that the reduced FCMC mainly focused on the alpha2 at higher scale, beta1 and beta2 across almost the entire scales. This study about multi-scale confirms that the FCMC between the brain and muscles is capable of complex and directional characteristics, and these characteristics in functional connection for stroke are destroyed by the structural lesion in the brain that might disrupt coordination, feedback, and information transmission in efferent control and afferent feedback. The study demonstrates for the first time the multiscale and directional characteristics of the FCMC for stroke patients, and provides a preliminary observation for application in clinical assessment following stroke. PMID:29765351

How Does the Political Nature of the Defense Acquisition Process Affect Cost Growth

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

using the following equations. 100*% k k k BCWP COCO = (5) Where: k = the kth year of DAES reporting and, kKk BCWPACWPCO −= (6) The...F-16 270 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) 6 FAAD C2I 64 FAAD NLOS Fiber Optic Guided-Missile 7 FBCB2 19 FDS 60 FFG-7 271 Future Aircraft Carrier

Masses and decay constants of D(s) * and B(s) * mesons with Nf=2 +1 +1 twisted mass fermions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubicz, V.; Melis, A.; Simula, S.; ETM Collaboration

2017-08-01

We present a lattice calculation of the masses and decay constants of D(s) * and B(s) * mesons using the gauge configurations produced by the European Twisted Mass Collaboration (ETMC) with Nf=2 +1 +1 dynamical quarks at three values of the lattice spacing a ˜(0.06 -0.09 ) fm . Pion masses are simulated in the range Mπ≃(210 - 450 ) MeV , while the strange and charm sea-quark masses are close to their physical values. We compute the ratios of vector to pseudoscalar masses and decay constants for various values of the heavy-quark mass mh in the range 0.7 mcphys≲mh≲3 mcphys . In order to reach the physical b -quark mass, we exploit the heavy quark effective theory prediction that, in the static limit of infinite heavy-quark mass, the considered ratios are equal to one. At the physical point our results are MD*/MD=1.0769 (79 ) , MDs*/MDs=1.0751(56 ), fD*/fD=1.078 (36 ), fDs*/fD s=1.087 (20 ), MB*/MB=1.0078 (15 ), MBs*/MBs=1.0083(10 ), fB*/fB=0.958 (22 ) and fBs*/fB s=0.974 (10 ). Combining them with the experimental values of the pseudoscalar meson masses (used as input to fix the quark masses) and the values of the pseudoscalar decay constants calculated by ETMC, we get MD*=2013 (14 ), MDs*=2116 (11 ), fD*=223.5 (8.4 ), fDs*=268.8 (6.6 ), MB*=5320.5 (7.6 ), MBs*=5411.36 (5.3 ), fB*=185.9 (7.2 ) and fBs*=223.1 (5.4 ) MeV .

Sex-Biased Temporal Gene Expression in Male and Female Floral Buds of Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides).

PubMed

Chawla, Aseem; Stobdan, Tsering; Srivastava, Ravi B; Jaiswal, Varun; Chauhan, Rajinder S; Kant, Anil

2015-01-01

Seabuckthorn is an economically important dioecious plant in which mechanism of sex determination is unknown. The study was conducted to identify seabuckthorn homologous genes involved in floral development which may have role in sex determination. Forty four putative Genes involved in sex determination (GISD) reported in model plants were shortlisted from literature survey, and twenty nine seabuckthorn homologous sequences were identified from available seabuckthorn genomic resources. Of these, 21 genes were found to differentially express in either male or female flower bud stages. HrCRY2 was significantly expressed in female flower buds only while HrCO had significant expression in male flowers only. Among the three male and female floral development stages (FDS), male stage II had significant expression of most of the GISD. Information on these sex-specific expressed genes will help in elucidating sex determination mechanism in seabuckthorn.

Sex-Biased Temporal Gene Expression in Male and Female Floral Buds of Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)

PubMed Central

Chawla, Aseem; Stobdan, Tsering; Srivastava, Ravi B.; Jaiswal, Varun; Chauhan, Rajinder S.; Kant, Anil

2015-01-01

Seabuckthorn is an economically important dioecious plant in which mechanism of sex determination is unknown. The study was conducted to identify seabuckthorn homologous genes involved in floral development which may have role in sex determination. Forty four putative Genes involved in sex determination (GISD) reported in model plants were shortlisted from literature survey, and twenty nine seabuckthorn homologous sequences were identified from available seabuckthorn genomic resources. Of these, 21 genes were found to differentially express in either male or female flower bud stages. HrCRY2 was significantly expressed in female flower buds only while HrCO had significant expression in male flowers only. Among the three male and female floral development stages (FDS), male stage II had significant expression of most of the GISD. Information on these sex-specific expressed genes will help in elucidating sex determination mechanism in seabuckthorn. PMID:25915052

Telescope Array measurement of UHECR composition from stereoscopic fluorescence detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroman, Thomas; Bergman, Douglas; Abu Zayyad, Tareq

2014-03-01

The chemical composition of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) is an important constraint on models of UHECR production and propagation, and must be determined experimentally. A UHECR-induced extensive air shower's longitudinal development is dictated by the energy per nucleon of the primary particle. The observed distribution of atmospheric slant depths (Xmax) is therefore sensitive to the composition, facilitating measurement of the relative abundances of ``light'' (proton-like) and ``heavy'' (iron-like) primary UHECR particles. The Telescope Array (TA) experiment, the northern hemisphere's largest UHECR detector, includes three fluorescence detector (FD) stations that record the longitudinal development of the extensive air showers produced by UHECR arrivals. ``Stereo'' observation of individual showers by multiple FDs tightly constrains the trajectory reconstruction, allowing a precise measurement of Xmax as well as energy. We will present the stereo TA data from six years of operation and progress toward a measurement of chemical composition.

Purification and Biochemical Properties of Phytochromobilin Synthase from Etiolated Oat Seedlings1

PubMed Central

McDowell, Michael T.; Lagarias, J. Clark

2001-01-01

Plant phytochromes are dependent on the covalent attachment of the linear tetrapyrrole chromophore phytochromobilin (PΦB) for photoactivity. In planta, biliverdin IXα (BV) is reduced by the plastid-localized, ferredoxin (Fd)-dependent enzyme PΦB synthase to yield 3Z-PΦB. Here, we describe the >50,000-fold purification of PΦB synthase from etioplasts from dark-grown oat (Avena sativa L. cv Garry) seedlings using traditional column chromatography and preparative electrophoresis. Thus, PΦB synthase is a very low abundance enzyme with a robust turnover rate. We estimate the turnover rate to be >100 s−1, which is similar to that of mammalian NAD(P)H-dependent BV reductase. Oat PΦB synthase is a monomer with a subunit mass of 29 kD. However, two distinct charged forms of the enzymes were identified by native isoelectric focusing. The ability of PΦB synthase to reduce BV is dependent on reduced 2Fe-2S Fds. A Km for spinach (Spinacea oleracea) Fd was determined to be 3 to 4 μm. PΦB synthase has a high affinity for its bilin substrate, with a sub-micromolar Km for BV. PMID:11500553

A numerical investigation of the influence of radiation and moisture content on pyrolysis and ignition of a leaf-like fuel element

Treesearch

B.L. Yashwanth; B. Shotorban; S. Mahalingam; C.W. Lautenberger; David Weise

2016-01-01

The effects of thermal radiation and moisture content on the pyrolysis and gas phase ignition of a solid fuel element containing high moisture content were investigated using the coupled Gpyro3D/FDS models. The solid fuel has dimensions of a typical Arctostaphylos glandulosa leaf which is modeled as thin cellulose subjected to radiative heating on...

Effects of mouse slant and desktop position on muscular and postural stresses, subject preference and performance in women aged 18-40 years.

PubMed

Gaudez, Clarisse; Cail, François

2016-11-01

This study compared muscular and postural stresses, performance and subject preference in women aged 18-40 years using a standard mouse, a vertical mouse and a slanted mouse in three different computer workstation positions. Four tasks were analysed: pointing, pointing-clicking, pointing-clicking-dragging and grasping-pointing the mouse after typing. Flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and extensor carpi radialis (ECR) activities were greater using the standard mouse compared to the vertical or slanted mouse. In all cases, the wrist position remained in the comfort zone recommended by standard ISO 11228-3. The vertical mouse was less comfortable and more difficult to use than the other two mice. FDS and ECR activities, shoulder abduction and wrist extension were greater when the mouse was placed next to the keyboard. Performance and subject preference were better with the unrestricted mouse positioning on the desktop. Grasping the mouse after typing was the task that caused the greatest stress. Practitioner Summary: In women, the slanted mouse and the unrestricted mouse positioning on the desktop provide a good blend of stresses, performance and preference. Unrestricted mouse positioning requires no keyboard, which is rare in practice. Placing the mouse in front of the keyboard, rather than next to it, reduced the physical load.

Studies on Batch Production of Bacterial Concentrates from Mixed Species Lactic Starters

PubMed Central

Pettersson, H. E.

1975-01-01

Optimum growth conditions for mixed species starter FDs 0172 at constant pH in skim milk, whey, and tryptone medium were investigated. Growth rate and maximum population were optimal at 30 C. pH values between 5.5 and 7.0 did not influence the growth rate and maximum population obtainable. Lactic acid-producing activity declined rapidly after reaching the end of the exponential growth phase. The bacterial balance was found to be influenced by the growth parameters: media, pH, temperature, and neutralizer. Skim milk or whey medium at 25 C, pH 6.5, and neutralized with 20% (vol/vol) NH4OH kept the bacterial balance almost constant throughout the cultivation. Grown in tryptone medium at constant pH, the changes in bacterial balance and other metabolic activities were striking compared to the other two media tested. The effect of lactate as an inhibitor was found to be complex, changing with the growth conditions. Concentrates made from mixed species starters FDs 0172, FD 0570, CH 0170, CHs 0170, and T 27 were comparable to controls when cultivated at the optimum conditions found and thereafter centrifuged. Aroma production, proteolytic activity, and CO2 production did not change significantly compared to controls when cultivated at optimum conditions in skim milk or whey medium. PMID:16350009

The effect of 630-nm light stimulation on the sEMG signal of forearm muscle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Dan D.; Hou, W. Sheng; Wu, Xiao Y.; Zheng, Xiao L.; Zheng, Jun; Jiang, Ying T.

2010-11-01

This study aimed to explore if the red light irradiation can affect the electrophysiology performance of flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and fatigue recovery. Four healthy volunteers were randomly divided into two groups. In the designed force-tracking tasks, all subjects performed the four fingertip isometric force production except thumb with a load of 30% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) force until exhaustion. Subsequently, for the red light group, red light irradiation (640 nm wavelength, 0.23J/cm2, 20 min) was used on the right forearm; for the control group, the subjects relaxed without red light irradiation. Then subjects were required to perform fatigue trail again, and sEMG signal was collected simultaneously from FDS during finger force production. Average rectified value (ARV) and median frequency (MF) of sEMG were calculated. Compared to the control group, the red light irradiation induced more smoother value of ARV between 30% and 40%, and the value of MF was obviously large and smooth. The above electrophysiological markers indicated that recovery from muscle fatigue may be positively affected by the red light irradiation, suggesting that sEMG would become a power tool for exploring the effect of red light irradiation on local muscle fatigue.

NF-κB inhibitors that prevent foam cell formation and atherosclerotic plaque accumulation.

PubMed

Plotkin, Jesse D; Elias, Michael G; Dellinger, Anthony L; Kepley, Christopher L

2017-08-01

The transformation of monocyte-derived macrophages into lipid-laden foam cells is one inflammatory process underlying atherosclerotic disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that fullerene derivatives (FDs) have inflammation-blunting properties. Thus, it was hypothesized that FD could inhibit the transformation process underlying foam cell formation. Fullerene derivatives inhibited the phorbol myristic acid/oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced differentiation of macrophages into foam cells as determined by lipid staining and morphology.Lipoprotein-induced generation of TNF-α, C5a-induced MC activation, ICAM-1 driven adhesion, and CD36 expression were significantly inhibited in FD treated cells compared to non-treated cells. Inhibition appeared to be mediated through the NF-κB pathway as FD reduced expression of NF-κB and atherosclerosis-associated genes. Compared to controls, FD dramatically inhibited plaque formation in arteries of apolipoprotein E null mice. Thus, FD may be an unrecognized therapy to prevent atherosclerotic lesions via inhibition of foam cell formation and MC stabilization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Credit Card Fraud Detection: A Realistic Modeling and a Novel Learning Strategy.

PubMed

Dal Pozzolo, Andrea; Boracchi, Giacomo; Caelen, Olivier; Alippi, Cesare; Bontempi, Gianluca

2017-09-14

Detecting frauds in credit card transactions is perhaps one of the best testbeds for computational intelligence algorithms. In fact, this problem involves a number of relevant challenges, namely: concept drift (customers' habits evolve and fraudsters change their strategies over time), class imbalance (genuine transactions far outnumber frauds), and verification latency (only a small set of transactions are timely checked by investigators). However, the vast majority of learning algorithms that have been proposed for fraud detection rely on assumptions that hardly hold in a real-world fraud-detection system (FDS). This lack of realism concerns two main aspects: 1) the way and timing with which supervised information is provided and 2) the measures used to assess fraud-detection performance. This paper has three major contributions. First, we propose, with the help of our industrial partner, a formalization of the fraud-detection problem that realistically describes the operating conditions of FDSs that everyday analyze massive streams of credit card transactions. We also illustrate the most appropriate performance measures to be used for fraud-detection purposes. Second, we design and assess a novel learning strategy that effectively addresses class imbalance, concept drift, and verification latency. Third, in our experiments, we demonstrate the impact of class unbalance and concept drift in a real-world data stream containing more than 75 million transactions, authorized over a time window of three years.

A determination of the spectra of Galactic components observed by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, R. D.; Dickinson, C.; Banday, A. J.; Jaffe, T. R.; Górski, K. M.; Davis, R. J.

2006-08-01

Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) data when combined with ancillary data on free-free, synchrotron and dust allow an improved understanding of the spectrum of emission from each of these components. Here, we examine the sky variation at intermediate latitudes using a cross-correlation technique. In particular, we compare the observed emission in 15 selected sky regions to three `standard' templates. The free-free emission of the diffuse ionized gas is fitted by a well-known spectrum at K and Ka band, but the derived emissivity corresponds to a mean electron temperature of ~4000-5000 K. This is inconsistent with estimates from Galactic HII regions although a variation in the derived ratio of Hα to free-free intensity by a factor of ~2 is also found from region to region. The origin of the discrepancy is unclear. The anomalous emission associated with dust is clearly detected in most of the 15 fields studied. The anomalous emission correlates well with the Finkbeiner, Davis & Schlegel model 8 predictions (FDS8) at 94 GHz, with an effective spectral index between 20 and 60 GHz, of β ~ -2.85. Furthermore, the emissivity varies by a factor of ~2 from cloud to cloud. A modestly improved fit to the anomalous dust at K band is provided by modulating the template by an estimate of the dust colour temperature, specifically FDS8 × Tn. We find a preferred value n ~ 1.6, although there is a scatter from region to region. Nevertheless, the preferred index drops to zero at higher frequencies where the thermal dust emission dominates. The synchrotron emission steepens between GHz frequencies and the WMAP bands. There are indications of spectral index variations across the sky but the current data are not precise enough to accurately quantify this from region to region. Our analysis of the WMAP data indicates strongly that the dust-correlated emission at the low WMAP frequencies has a spectrum which is compatible with spinning dust; we find no evidence for a synchrotron component correlated with dust. The importance of these results for the correction of cosmic microwave background data for Galactic foreground emission is discussed.

Temporal growth factor release from platelet-rich plasma, trehalose lyophilized platelets, and bone marrow aspirate and their effect on tendon and ligament gene expression.

PubMed

McCarrel, Taralyn; Fortier, Lisa

2009-08-01

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has generated substantial interest for tendon and ligament regeneration because of the high concentrations of growth factors in platelet alpha-granules. This study compared the temporal release of growth factors from bone marrow aspirate (BMA), PRP, and lyophilized platelet product (PP), and measured their effects on tendon and ligament gene expression. Blood and BMA were collected and processed to yield PRP and plasma. Flexor digitorum superficialis tendon (FDS) and suspensory ligament (SL) explants were cultured in 10% plasma in DMEM (control), BMA, PRP, or PP. TGF-beta1 and PDGF-BB concentrations were determined at 0, 24, and 96 h of culture using ELISA. Quantitative RT-PCR for collagen types I and III (COL1A1, COL3A1), cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), decorin, and matrix metalloproteinases-3 and 13 (MMP-3, MMP-13) was performed. TGF-beta1 and PDGF-BB concentrations were highest in PRP and PP. Growth factor quantity was unchanged in BMA, increased in PRP, and decreased in PP over 4 days. TGF-beta1 and platelet concentrations were positively correlated. Lyophilized PP and PRP resulted in increased COL1A1:COL3A1 ratio, increased COMP, and decreased MMP-13 expression. BMA resulted in decreased COMP and increased MMP-3 and MMP-13 gene expression. Platelet concentration was positively correlated with COL1A1, ratio of COL1A1:COL3A1, and COMP, and negatively correlated with COL3A1, MMP-13, and MMP-3. White blood cell concentration was positively correlated with COL3A1, MMP3, and MMP13, and negatively correlated with a ratio of COL1A1:COL3A1, COMP, and decorin. These findings support further in vivo investigation of PRP and PP for treatment of tendonitis and desmitis. Copyright 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

MARVEL: A knowledge-based productivity enhancement tool for real-time multi-mission and multi-subsystem spacecraft operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwuttke, Ursula M.; Veregge, John, R.; Angelino, Robert; Childs, Cynthia L.

1990-10-01

The Monitor/Analyzer of Real-time Voyager Engineering Link (MARVEL) is described. It is the first automation tool to be used in an online mode for telemetry monitoring and analysis in mission operations. MARVEL combines standard automation techniques with embedded knowledge base systems to simultaneously provide real time monitoring of data from subsystems, near real time analysis of anomaly conditions, and both real time and non-real time user interface functions. MARVEL is currently capable of monitoring the Computer Command Subsystem (CCS), Flight Data Subsystem (FDS), and Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem (AACS) for both Voyager spacecraft, simultaneously, on a single workstation. The goal of MARVEL is to provide cost savings and productivity enhancement in mission operations and to reduce the need for constant availability of subsystem expertise.

Application of CFD Modeling to Room Fire Growth on Walls

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-04-01

to each particle. For fires of other geometries, expressions must be available for representing the characteristic velocity and flame length , in the...burning time, z , is the flame length , ri,, is the selected particle rate. The velocity of the particles generally depends on their launch site. But if...over the characteristic flame length , We used R* = 0.05 or 20 cells over the characteristic flame length . In FDS 2.0 the stoichiometric mixture

B- and D-meson decay constants from three-flavor lattice QCD

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

Bazavov, A.; et al.

2012-06-01

We calculate the leptonic decay constants of B_{(s)} and D_{(s)} mesons in lattice QCD using staggered light quarks and Fermilab bottom and charm quarks. We compute the heavy-light meson correlation functions on the MILC asqtad-improved staggered gauge configurations which include the effects of three light dynamical sea quarks. We simulate with several values of the light valence- and sea-quark masses (down to ~m_s/10) and at three lattice spacings (a ~ 0.15, 0.12, and 0.09 fm) and extrapolate to the physical up and down quark masses and the continuum using expressions derived in heavy-light meson staggered chiral perturbation theory. We renormalizemore » the heavy-light axial current using a mostly nonperturbative method such that only a small correction to unity must be computed in lattice perturbation theory and higher-order terms are expected to be small. We obtain f_{B^+} = 196.9(8.9) MeV, f_{B_s} = 242.0(9.5) MeV, f_{D^+} = 218.9(11.3) MeV, f_{D_s} = 260.1(10.8) MeV, and the SU(3) flavor-breaking ratios f_{B_s}/f_{B} = 1.229(26) and f_{D_s}/f_{D} = 1.188(25), where the numbers in parentheses are the total statistical and systematic uncertainties added in quadrature.« less

Electron transfer to nitrogenase in different genomic and metabolic backgrounds.

PubMed

Poudel, Saroj; Colman, Daniel R; Fixen, Kathryn R; Ledbetter, Rhesa N; Zheng, Yanning; Pence, Natasha; Seefeldt, Lance C; Peters, John W; Harwood, Caroline S; Boyd, Eric S

2018-02-26

Nitrogenase catalyzes the reduction of dinitrogen (N 2 ) using low potential electrons from ferredoxin (Fd) or flavodoxin (Fld) through an ATP dependent process. Since its emergence in an anaerobic chemoautotroph, this oxygen (O 2 ) sensitive enzyme complex has evolved to operate in a variety of genomic and metabolic backgrounds including those of aerobes, anaerobes, chemotrophs, and phototrophs. However, whether pathways of electron delivery to nitrogenase are influenced by these different metabolic backgrounds is not well understood. Here, we report the distribution of homologs of Fds, Flds, and Fd/Fld-reducing enzymes in 359 genomes of putative N 2 fixers (diazotrophs). Six distinct lineages of nitrogenase were identified and their distributions largely corresponded to differences in the host cells' ability to integrate O 2 or light into energy metabolism. Predicted pathways of electron transfer to nitrogenase in aerobes, facultative anaerobes, and phototrophs varied from those in anaerobes at the level of Fds/Flds used to reduce nitrogenase, the enzymes that generate reduced Fds/Flds, and the putative substrates of these enzymes. Proteins that putatively reduce Fd with hydrogen or pyruvate were enriched in anaerobes, while those that reduce Fd with NADH/NADPH were enriched in aerobes, facultative anaerobes, and anoxygenic phototrophs. The energy metabolism of aerobic, facultatively anaerobic, and anoxygenic phototrophic diazotrophs often yields reduced NADH/NADPH that is not sufficiently reduced to drive N 2 reduction. At least two mechanisms have been acquired by these taxa to overcome this limitation and to generate electrons with potentials capable of reducing Fd. These include the bifurcation of electrons or the coupling of Fd reduction to reverse ion translocation. IMPORTANCE Nitrogen fixation supplies fixed nitrogen to cells from a variety of genomic and metabolic backgrounds including those of aerobes, facultative anaerobes, chemotrophs, and phototrophs. Here, using informatics approaches applied to genomic data, we show that pathways of electron transfer to nitrogenase in metabolically diverse diazotrophic taxa have diversified primarily in response to host cells' acquired ability to integrate O 2 or light into their energy metabolism. Acquisition of two key enzyme complexes enabled aerobic and facultatively anaerobic phototrophic taxa to generate electrons of sufficiently low potential to reduce nitrogenase: the bifurcation of electrons via the Fix complex or the coupling of Fd reduction to reverse ion translocation via the Rhodobacter nitrogen fixation (Rnf) complex. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Recurrent Renal Colic in a Patient with Munchausen Syndrome

PubMed Central

Miconi, Francesco; Rapaccini, Valentina; Savarese, Emanuela; Cabiati, Gabriele; Pasini, Augusto; Miconi, Giovanni; Principi, Nicola

2018-01-01

Background: In most of the cases regarding children, factitious disorders (FDs) are intentionally produced by parents. Less attention is paid to FDs in which a child or adolescent intentionally induces or falsifies the disease to attain a patient’s role. Case presentation: A 13-year-old immigrated and adopted boy previously underwent an operation for renal joint syndrome and was affected by recurrent episodes of renal colic. The boy was admitted reporting acute left flank pain with scars on the mucous face of his prepuce and had a recent previous hospitalization for the same reason. Laboratory tests and radiological findings did not reveal any morphological or functional alterations. Self-induced FD was suspected, and a psychiatric consultation was performed. After psychiatric consultation and remission of the symptoms with a placebo, a diagnosis of Munchausen syndrome was suspected. The patient’s uncle was not initially convinced of the diagnosis. Some videos clearly showed that the boy was handling his prepuce to excrete stones, explaining the scars. A therapeutic plan with psychiatrist support was later accepted with a positive outcome. No further signs and symptoms of renal colic were reported. Conclusions: It is recommended that paediatricians include FD in the differential diagnosis of a persistent and unexplained medical condition. If suspicion arises, confirmation and long-term therapy by a group of qualified specialists, including psychiatrists, should be planned. PMID:29596350

Directing an artificial zinc finger protein to new targets by fusion to a non-DNA-binding domain.

PubMed

Lim, Wooi F; Burdach, Jon; Funnell, Alister P W; Pearson, Richard C M; Quinlan, Kate G R; Crossley, Merlin

2016-04-20

Transcription factors are often regarded as having two separable components: a DNA-binding domain (DBD) and a functional domain (FD), with the DBD thought to determine target gene recognition. While this holds true for DNA bindingin vitro, it appears thatin vivoFDs can also influence genomic targeting. We fused the FD from the well-characterized transcription factor Krüppel-like Factor 3 (KLF3) to an artificial zinc finger (AZF) protein originally designed to target the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGF-A) gene promoter. We compared genome-wide occupancy of the KLF3FD-AZF fusion to that observed with AZF. AZF bound to theVEGF-Apromoter as predicted, but was also found to occupy approximately 25,000 other sites, a large number of which contained the expected AZF recognition sequence, GCTGGGGGC. Interestingly, addition of the KLF3 FD re-distributes the fusion protein to new sites, with total DNA occupancy detected at around 50,000 sites. A portion of these sites correspond to known KLF3-bound regions, while others contained sequences similar but not identical to the expected AZF recognition sequence. These results show that FDs can influence and may be useful in directing AZF DNA-binding proteins to specific targets and provide insights into how natural transcription factors operate. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Geoffrey Layton Slack OBE (Mil), CBE, TD, BDS DDS, FDSRCS, FDS Glas, FFDRCSI, Dip Bact (1912-1991).

PubMed

Gelbier, Stanley

2014-02-01

It is with some pride that the author worked in Geoffrey Slack's department from 1963 to 1967 and even retained a working relationship with him after that time. Slack was Professor of Dental Surgery (1959-1976) and later Professor of Community Dental Health (1976-1977) at The London Hospital Medical College, within the University of London. The change in titles came about as a result of recognition of his contribution to developments in public health and community dental care and services, for many of which he was directly responsible. He was Dental Dean from 1965 until 1969. Upon retirement in 1977 he became Emeritus Professor. In addition, he was Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England from 1974 to 1977.

Activity patterns of extrinsic finger flexors and extensors during movements of instructed and non-instructed fingers.

PubMed

van Beek, Nathalie; Stegeman, Dick F; van den Noort, Josien C; H E J Veeger, DirkJan; Maas, Huub

2018-02-01

The fingers of the human hand cannot be controlled fully independently. This phenomenon may have a neurological as well as a mechanical basis. Despite previous studies, the neuromechanics of finger movements are not fully understood. The aims of this study were (1) to assess the activation and coactivation patterns of finger specific flexor and extensor muscle regions during instructed single finger flexion and (2) to determine the relationship between enslaved finger movements and respective finger muscle activation. In 9 healthy subjects (age 22-29), muscle activation was assessed during single finger flexion using a 90 surface electromyography electrode grid placed over the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and the extensor digitorum (ED). We found (1) no significant differences in muscle activation timing between fingers, (2) considerable muscle activity in flexor and extensor regions associated with the non-instructed fingers and (3) no correlation between the muscle activations and corresponding movement of non-instructed fingers. A clear disparity was found between the movement pattern of the non-instructed fingers and the activity pattern of the corresponding muscle regions. This suggests that mechanical factors, such as intertendinous and myofascial connections, may also affect finger movement independency and need to be taken into consideration when studying finger movement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Domain retention in transcription factor fusion genes and its biological and clinical implications: a pan-cancer study

PubMed Central

Kim, Pora; Ballester, Leomar Y.; Zhao, Zhongming

2017-01-01

Genomic rearrangements involving transcription factors (TFs) can form fusion proteins resulting in either enhanced, weakened, or even loss of TF activity. Functional domain (FD) retention is a critical factor in the activity of transcription factor fusion genes (TFFGs). A systematic investigation of FD retention in TFFGs and their outcome (e.g. expression changes) in a pan-cancer study has not yet been completed. Here, we examined the FD retention status in 386 TFFGs across 13 major cancer types and identified 83 TFFGs involving 67 TFs that retained FDs. To measure the potential biological relevance of TFs in TFFGs, we introduced a Major Active Isofusion Index (MAII) and built a prioritized TFFG network using MAII scores and the observed frequency of fusion positive samples. Interestingly, the four TFFGs (PML-RARA, RUNX1-RUNX1T1, TMPRSS2-ERG, and SFPQ-TFE3) with the highest MAII scores showed 50 differentially expressed target genes (DETGs) in fusion-positive versus fusion-negative cancer samples. DETG analysis revealed that they were involved in tumorigenesis-related processes in each cancer type. PLAU, which encodes plasminogen activator urokinase and serves as a biomarker for tumor invasion, was found to be consistently activated in the samples with the highest MAII scores. Among the 50 DETGs, 21 were drug targetable genes. Fourteen of these 21 DETGs were expressed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) samples. Accordingly, we constructed an AML-specific TFFG network, which included 38 DETGs in RUNX1-RUNX1T1 or PML-RARA positive samples. In summary, this study revealed several TFFGs and their potential target genes, and provided insights into the clinical implications of TFFGs. PMID:29299133

Charmed-meson decay constants in three-flavor lattice QCD.

PubMed

Aubin, C; Bernard, C; Detar, C; Di Pierro, M; Freeland, E D; Gottlieb, Steven; Heller, U M; Hetrick, J E; El-Khadra, A X; Kronfeld, A S; Levkova, L; Mackenzie, P B; Menscher, D; Maresca, F; Nobes, M; Okamoto, M; Renner, D; Simone, J; Sugar, R; Toussaint, D; Trottier, H D

2005-09-16

We present the first lattice QCD calculation with realistic sea quark content of the D+-meson decay constant f(D+). We use the MILC Collaboration's publicly available ensembles of lattice gauge fields, which have a quark sea with two flavors (up and down) much lighter than a third (strange). We obtain f(D+)=201+/-3+/-17 MeV, where the errors are statistical and a combination of systematic errors. We also obtain f(Ds)=249+/-3+/-16 MeV for the Ds meson.

A Biomechanical Simulation of the Effect of the Extrinsic Flexor Muscles on Finger Joint Flexion

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-25

vol. 44, pp. 493-504, 1997. [8] A.B. Leger and T.E. Milner, “The effect of eccentric exercise on intrinsic and reflex stiffness in the human hand...line of action of the tendons and the effective moment arms. After a certain point, the FDP tendon became slack, while the FDS tendon remained...link chain with three revolute joints and four links was created to model the index finger. The tendons from the extrinsic flexor muscles were

Regional cerebral blood flow correlates of the severity of writer's cramp symptoms.

PubMed

Lerner, Alicja; Shill, Holly; Hanakawa, Takashi; Bushara, Khalaf; Goldfine, Andrew; Hallett, Mark

2004-03-01

Writer's cramp is a type of idiopathic focal dystonia with incompletely understood pathophysiology. Recent studies provide evidence that one element might be a sensory processing defect. We performed a PET study with O(15) H(2)O to find out in which brain areas activity correlates with the severity of writer's cramp symptoms. We studied 10 patients with writer's cramp and 10 age- and gender-matched control subjects. There were seven conditions, each repeated twice: rest, writing, tapping with index finger for 2, 3, 4, and 5 min. For each scan, we obtained EMG recordings from the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), extensor indicis proprius (EIP) muscles, and a subjective score of severity of dystonia. Scans were realigned, normalized, smoothed, and analyzed using SPM99. Analysis included both intra- and intergroup comparisons and a correlation analysis where we used EMG recordings and subjective dystonia score as covariates. Random effect analysis of the writing task showed overactivity of the primary sensory cortex and no significant underactivity. Correlation analysis of dystonia patients showed activation of SI when we used the subjective dystonia score as a covariate, and activation of both the SI and primary motor cortex when the normalized EMG score of FDS was used. While some overactivity of MI is not surprising, overactivity of SI is more dramatic and suggests a primary deficit in processing sensory feedback. Writer's cramp may arise in part as a dysfunction of sensory circuits, which causes defective sensorimotor integration resulting in co-contractions of muscles and overflow phenomena.

Surgical flow disruptions during robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy.

PubMed

Dru, Christopher J; Anger, Jennifer T; Souders, Colby P; Bresee, Catherine; Weigl, Matthias; Hallett, Elyse; Catchpole, Ken

2017-06-01

We sought to apply the principles of human factors research to robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy to understand where training and integration challenges lead to suboptimal and inefficient care. Thirty-four robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy and bilateral pelvic lymph node dissections over a 20 week period were observed for flow disruptions (FD) - deviations from optimal care that can compromise safety or efficiency. Other variables - physician experience, trainee involvement, robot model (S versus Si), age, body mass index (BMI), and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status - were used to stratify the data and understand the effect of context. Effects were studied across four operative phases - entry to insufflations, robot docking, surgical intervention, and undocking. FDs were classified into one of nine categories. An average of 9.2 (SD = 3.7) FD/hr were recorded, with the highest rates during robot docking (14.7 [SD = 4.3] FDs/hr). The three most common flow disruptions were disruptions of communication, coordination, and equipment. Physicians with more robotic experience were faster during docking (p < 0.003). Training cases had a greater FD rate (8.5 versus 10.6, p < 0.001), as did the Si model robot (8.2 versus 9.8, p = 0.002). Patient BMI and ASA classification yielded no difference in operative duration, but had phase-specific differences in FD. Our data reflects the demands placed on the OR team by the patient, equipment, environment and context of a robotic surgical intervention, and suggests opportunities to enhance safety, quality, efficiency, and learning in robotic surgery.

Fat cells reactivate quiescent neuroblasts via TOR and glial insulin relays in Drosophila.

PubMed

Sousa-Nunes, Rita; Yee, Lih Ling; Gould, Alex P

2011-03-24

Many stem, progenitor and cancer cells undergo periods of mitotic quiescence from which they can be reactivated. The signals triggering entry into and exit from this reversible dormant state are not well understood. In the developing Drosophila central nervous system, multipotent self-renewing progenitors called neuroblasts undergo quiescence in a stereotypical spatiotemporal pattern. Entry into quiescence is regulated by Hox proteins and an internal neuroblast timer. Exit from quiescence (reactivation) is subject to a nutritional checkpoint requiring dietary amino acids. Organ co-cultures also implicate an unidentified signal from an adipose/hepatic-like tissue called the fat body. Here we provide in vivo evidence that Slimfast amino-acid sensing and Target of rapamycin (TOR) signalling activate a fat-body-derived signal (FDS) required for neuroblast reactivation. Downstream of this signal, Insulin-like receptor signalling and the Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/TOR network are required in neuroblasts for exit from quiescence. We demonstrate that nutritionally regulated glial cells provide the source of Insulin-like peptides (ILPs) relevant for timely neuroblast reactivation but not for overall larval growth. Conversely, ILPs secreted into the haemolymph by median neurosecretory cells systemically control organismal size but do not reactivate neuroblasts. Drosophila thus contains two segregated ILP pools, one regulating proliferation within the central nervous system and the other controlling tissue growth systemically. Our findings support a model in which amino acids trigger the cell cycle re-entry of neural progenitors via a fat-body-glia-neuroblasts relay. This mechanism indicates that dietary nutrients and remote organs, as well as local niches, are key regulators of transitions in stem-cell behaviour.

Analysis of the Influence of Construction Insulation Systems on Public Safety in China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Guowei; Zhu, Guoqing; Zhao, Guoxiang

2016-01-01

With the Government of China’s proposed Energy Efficiency Regulations (GB40411-2007), the implementation of external insulation systems will be mandatory in China. The frequent external insulation system fires cause huge numbers of casualties and extensive property damage and have rapidly become a new hot issue in construction evacuation safety in China. This study attempts to reconstruct an actual fire scene and propose a quantitative risk assessment method for upward insulation system fires using thermal analysis tests and large eddy simulations (using the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) software). Firstly, the pyrolysis and combustion characteristics of Extruded polystyrene board (XPS panel), such as ignition temperature, combustion heat, limiting oxygen index, thermogravimetric analysis and thermal radiation analysis were studied experimentally. Based on these experimental data, large eddy simulation was then applied to reconstruct insulation system fires. The results show that upward insulation system fires could be accurately reconstructed by using thermal analysis test and large eddy simulation. The spread of insulation material system fires in the vertical direction is faster than that in the horizontal direction. Moreover, we also find that there is a possibility of flashover in enclosures caused by insulation system fires as the smoke temperature exceeds 600 °C. The simulation methods and experimental results obtained in this paper could provide valuable references for fire evacuation, hazard assessment and fire resistant construction design studies. PMID:27589774

Analysis of the Influence of Construction Insulation Systems on Public Safety in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Guowei; Zhu, Guoqing; Zhao, Guoxiang

2016-08-30

With the Government of China's proposed Energy Efficiency Regulations (GB40411-2007), the implementation of external insulation systems will be mandatory in China. The frequent external insulation system fires cause huge numbers of casualties and extensive property damage and have rapidly become a new hot issue in construction evacuation safety in China. This study attempts to reconstruct an actual fire scene and propose a quantitative risk assessment method for upward insulation system fires using thermal analysis tests and large eddy simulations (using the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) software). Firstly, the pyrolysis and combustion characteristics of Extruded polystyrene board (XPS panel), such as ignition temperature, combustion heat, limiting oxygen index, thermogravimetric analysis and thermal radiation analysis were studied experimentally. Based on these experimental data, large eddy simulation was then applied to reconstruct insulation system fires. The results show that upward insulation system fires could be accurately reconstructed by using thermal analysis test and large eddy simulation. The spread of insulation material system fires in the vertical direction is faster than that in the horizontal direction. Moreover, we also find that there is a possibility of flashover in enclosures caused by insulation system fires as the smoke temperature exceeds 600 °C. The simulation methods and experimental results obtained in this paper could provide valuable references for fire evacuation, hazard assessment and fire resistant construction design studies.

Field by field hybrid upwind splitting methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coquel, Frederic; Liou, Meng-Sing

1993-01-01

A new and general approach to upwind splitting is presented. The design principle combines the robustness of flux vector splitting schemes in the capture of nonlinear waves and the accuracy of some flux difference splitting schemes in the resolution of linear waves. The new schemes are derived following a general hybridization technique performed directly at the basic level of the field by field decomposition involved in FDS methods. The scheme does not use a spatial switch to be tuned up according to the local smoothness of the approximate solution.

VEGAS-SSS. II. Comparing the globular cluster systems in NGC 3115 and NGC 1399 using VEGAS and FDS survey data. The quest for a common genetic heritage of globular cluster systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cantiello, Michele; D'Abrusco, Raffaele; Spavone, Marilena; Paolillo, Maurizio; Capaccioli, Massimo; Limatola, Luca; Grado, Aniello; Iodice, Enrica; Raimondo, Gabriella; Napolitano, Nicola; Blakeslee, John P.; Brocato, Enzo; Forbes, Duncan A.; Hilker, Michael; Mieske, Steffen; Peletier, Reynier; van de Ven, Glenn; Schipani, Pietro

2018-04-01

We analyze the globular cluster (GC) systems in two very different galaxies, NGC 3115 and NGC 1399. With the papers of this series, we aim at highlighting common and different properties in the GC systems in galaxies covering a wide range of parameter space. We compare the GCs in NGC 3115 and NGC 1399 as derived from the analysis of one square degree u-, g-, and i-band images taken with the VST telescope as part of the VST early-type galaxy survey (VEGAS) and Fornax deep survey (FDS). We selected GC candidates using as reference the morpho-photometric and color properties of confirmed GCs. The surface density maps of GCs in NGC 3115 reveal a morphology similar to the light profile of field stars; the same is true when blue and red GCs are taken separately. The GC maps for NGC 1399 are richer in structure and confirm the existence of an intra-cluster GC component. We confirm the presence of a spatial offset in the NGC 1399 GC centroid and find that the centroid of the GCs for NGC 3115 coincides well with the galaxy center. Both GC systems show unambiguous color bimodality in (g - i) and (u - i); the color-color relations of the two GC systems are slightly different with NGC 3115 appearing more linear than NGC 1399. The azimuthal average of the radial density profiles in both galaxies reveals a larger spatial extent for the total GCs population with respect to the galaxy surface brightness profile. For both galaxies, the red GCs have radial density profiles compatible with the galaxy light profile, while the radial profiles for blue GCs are shallower. As for the specific frequency of GCs, SN, we find it is a factor of two higher in NGC 1399 than for NGC 3115; this is mainly the result of extra blue GCs. By inspecting the radial behavior of the specific frequency, SN(

Combined Effects of Flow Diverting Strategies and Parent Artery Curvature on Aneurysmal Hemodynamics: A CFD Study

PubMed Central

Yu, Ying; Lv, Nan; Wang, Shengzhang; Karmonik, Christof; Liu, Jian-Min; Huang, Qinghai

2015-01-01

Purpose Flow diverters (FD) are increasingly being considered for treating large or giant wide-neck aneurysms. Clinical outcome is highly variable and depends on the type of aneurysm, the flow diverting device and treatment strategies. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of different flow diverting strategies together with parent artery curvature variations on altering intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics. Methods Four ideal intracranial aneurysm models with different parent artery curvature were constructed. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the hemodynamics before and after applying five types of flow diverting strategies (single FD, single FD with 5% and 10% packing density of coils, two FDs with 25% and 50% overlapping rate) were performed. Changes in pressure, wall shear stress (WSS), relative residence time (RRT), inflow velocity and inflow volume rate were calculated and compared. Results Each flow diverting strategy resulted in enhancement of RRT and reduction of normalized mean WSS, inflow volume rate and inflow velocity in various levels. Among them, 50% overlapped FD induced most effective hemodynamic changes in RRT and inflow volume rate. The mean pressure only slightly decreased after treatment. Regardless of the kind of implantation of FD, the mean pressure, inflow volume rate and inflow velocity increased and the RRT decreased as the curvature of the parent artery increased. Conclusions Of all flow diverting strategies, overlapping FDs induced most favorable hemodynamic changes. Hemodynamics alterations post treatment were substantially influenced by parent artery curvature. Our results indicate the need of an individualized flow diverting strategy that is tailored for a specific aneurysm. PMID:26398847

Automation of closed environments in space for human comfort and safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The development of Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) for Space Station Freedom, future colonization of the Moon, and Mars missions presents new challenges for present technologies. ECLSS that operate during long-duration missions must be semi-autonomous to allow crew members environmental control without constant supervision. A control system for the ECLSS must address these issues as well as being reliable. The Kansas State University Advanced Design Team is in the process of researching and designing controls for the automation of the ECLSS for Space Station Freedom and beyond. The ECLSS for Freedom is composed of six subsystems. The temperature and humidity control (THC) subsystem maintains the cabin temperature and humidity at a comfortable level. The atmosphere control and supply (ACS) subsystem insures proper cabin pressure and partial pressures of oxygen and nitrogen. To protect the space station from fire damage, the fire detection and suppression (FDS) subsystem provides fire-sensing alarms and extinguishers. The waste management (WM) subsystem compacts solid wastes for return to Earth, and collects urine for water recovery. The atmosphere revitalization (AR) subsystem removes CO2 and other dangerous contaminants from the air. The water recovery and management (WRM) subsystem collects and filters condensate from the cabin to replenish potable water supplies, and processes urine and other waste waters to replenish hygiene water supplies. These subsystems are not fully automated at this time. Furthermore, the control of these subsystems is not presently integrated; they are largely independent of one another. A fully integrated and automated ECLSS would increase astronauts' productivity and contribute to their safety and comfort.

Assessment of silibinin as a potential antifungal agent and investigation of its mechanism of action.

PubMed

Yun, Dae Gyu; Lee, Dong Gun

2017-08-01

Silibinin, which is derived from Silybum marianum (milk thistle), has used as a traditional remedy for liver or biliary disorders and known to have superior antioxidant activity. In addition, silibinin was recently reported to have antifungal effect related to fungal apoptosis against Candida albicans and the interest in the therapeutic effect is increasing. In this study, we found another mode of antifungal action of silibinin and its antibiofilm activity on C. albicans. To investigate influence on fungal plasma membrane, propidium iodide and bis-(1, 3-dibutylbarbituric acid) trimethineoxonol [DiBAC 4 (3)] assay were primarily carried out. After 5-h incubation with silibinin (50, 100, 150, or 200 µg/mL), the propidium iodide fluorescent percentages increased by 11.90%, 28.50%, 34.10%, and 44.52%, respectively, and the DiBAC 4 (3) fluorescent percentages increased by 13.18%, 34.64%, 46.99%, and 57.15%, respectively. As a result, we thought that silibinin concentrations of more than 100 µg/mL have a membrane-damaging effect. Subsequently, to estimate the degree of membrane damage, we used Fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled dextrans (FDs) of various sizes and the results indicated that silibinin allowed penetration of molecules smaller than approximately FD20 (3.3 nm). In addition, silibinin inhibited the dimorphic transition of C. albicans and resulted in the inhibition of biofilm development at an early stage. In conclusion, we found membrane-damaging effect of silibinin and its antibiofilm effect in C. albicans. © 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(8):631-637, 2017. © 2017 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

A Qualitative Evaluation of Clinical Audit in UK Dental Foundation Training.

PubMed

Thornley, Peter; Quinn, Alyson

2017-11-10

Clinical Audit (CA) has been recognized as a useful tool for tool for improving service delivery, clinical governance, and the education and performance of the dental team. This study develops the discussion by investigating its use as an educational tool within UK Dental Foundation Training (DFT). The aim was to investigate the views of Foundation Dentists (FDs) and Training Programme Directors (TPDs) on the CA module in their FD training schemes, to provide insight and recommendations for those supervising and undertaking CA. A literature review was conducted followed by a qualitative research methodology, using group interviews. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed using NVIVO, a Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis tool. CA was found to be a useful tool for teaching management and professionalism and can bring some improvement to clinical practice, but TPDs have doubts about the long-term effects on service delivery. The role of the Educational Supervisor (ES) is discussed and recommendations are given for those supervising and conducting CA.

First US experience with Pipeline Flex with Shield Technology using aspirin as antiplatelet monotherapy.

PubMed

Hanel, Ricardo A; Aguilar-Salinas, Pedro; Brasiliense, Leonardo Bc; Sauvageau, Eric

2017-05-04

Flow diversion has revolutionised the treatment of intracranial aneurysms, and the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) remains the only flow diverter (FD) approved in the USA. However, thromboembolic events remain an issue for FDs. Attempting to minimise these incidents, a newer PED has been developed with the use of covalent bonding of phosphorylcholine onto the Pipeline device that has been known as Shield Technology (PED Shield), which in vitro has demonstrated a significant reduction in material thrombogenicity. We report the first US experience of the PED Shield in the treatment of a ruptured fusiform aneurysm located in the right vertebral artery in an attempt to mitigate complications related to the use of dual-antiplatelet therapy and discuss our rationale for using the new FD, using aspirin only as the antiplatelet regimen. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A Qualitative Evaluation of Clinical Audit in UK Dental Foundation Training

PubMed Central

Quinn, Alyson

2017-01-01

Clinical Audit (CA) has been recognized as a useful tool for tool for improving service delivery, clinical governance, and the education and performance of the dental team. This study develops the discussion by investigating its use as an educational tool within UK Dental Foundation Training (DFT). The aim was to investigate the views of Foundation Dentists (FDs) and Training Programme Directors (TPDs) on the CA module in their FD training schemes, to provide insight and recommendations for those supervising and undertaking CA. A literature review was conducted followed by a qualitative research methodology, using group interviews. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed using NVIVO, a Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis tool. CA was found to be a useful tool for teaching management and professionalism and can bring some improvement to clinical practice, but TPDs have doubts about the long-term effects on service delivery. The role of the Educational Supervisor (ES) is discussed and recommendations are given for those supervising and conducting CA. PMID:29563436

Large eddy simulation of fine water sprays: comparative analysis of two models and computer codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsoy, A. S.; Snegirev, A. Yu.

2015-09-01

The model and the computer code FDS, albeit widely used in engineering practice to predict fire development, is not sufficiently validated for fire suppression by fine water sprays. In this work, the effect of numerical resolution of the large scale turbulent pulsations on the accuracy of predicted time-averaged spray parameters is evaluated. Comparison of the simulation results obtained with the two versions of the model and code, as well as that of the predicted and measured radial distributions of the liquid flow rate revealed the need to apply monotonic and yet sufficiently accurate discrete approximations of the convective terms. Failure to do so delays jet break-up, otherwise induced by large turbulent eddies, thereby excessively focuses the predicted flow around its axis. The effect of the pressure drop in the spray nozzle is also examined, and its increase has shown to cause only weak increase of the evaporated fraction and vapor concentration despite the significant increase of flow velocity.

Measurement of the absolute branching fraction of Ds+ --> tau+ nutau decay.

PubMed

Ecklund, K M; Love, W; Savinov, V; Lopez, A; Mendez, H; Ramirez, J; Ge, J Y; Miller, D H; Shipsey, I P J; Xin, B; Adams, G S; Anderson, M; Cummings, J P; Danko, I; Hu, D; Moziak, B; Napolitano, J; He, Q; Insler, J; Muramatsu, H; Park, C S; Thorndike, E H; Yang, F; Artuso, M; Blusk, S; Khalil, S; Li, J; Mountain, R; Nisar, S; Randrianarivony, K; Sultana, N; Skwarnicki, T; Stone, S; Wang, J C; Zhang, L M; Bonvicini, G; Cinabro, D; Dubrovin, M; Lincoln, A; Rademacker, J; Asner, D M; Edwards, K W; Naik, P; Reed, J; Briere, R A; Ferguson, T; Tatishvili, G; Vogel, H; Watkins, M E; Rosner, J L; Alexander, J P; Cassel, D G; Duboscq, J E; Ehrlich, R; Fields, L; Gibbons, L; Gray, R; Gray, S W; Hartill, D L; Heltsley, B K; Hertz, D; Jones, C D; Kandaswamy, J; Kreinick, D L; Kuznetsov, V E; Mahlke-Krüger, H; Mohapatra, D; Onyisi, P U E; Patterson, J R; Peterson, D; Riley, D; Ryd, A; Sadoff, A J; Shi, X; Stroiney, S; Sun, W M; Wilksen, T; Athar, S B; Patel, R; Yelton, J; Rubin, P; Eisenstein, B I; Karliner, I; Mehrabyan, S; Lowrey, N; Selen, M; White, E J; Wiss, J; Mitchell, R E; Shepherd, M R; Besson, D; Pedlar, T K; Cronin-Hennessy, D; Gao, K Y; Hietala, J; Kubota, Y; Klein, T; Lang, B W; Poling, R; Scott, A W; Zweber, P; Dobbs, S; Metreveli, Z; Seth, K K; Tomaradze, A; Libby, J; Powell, A; Wilkinson, G

2008-04-25

Using a sample of tagged D(s)(+) decays collected near the D(s)(*+/-)D(s)(-/+) peak production energy in e(+)e(-) collisions with the CLEO-c detector, we study the leptonic decay D(s)(+)-->tau(+)nu(tau) via the decay channel tau(+)-->e(+)nu(e)nu(tau). We measure B(D(s)(+)-->tau(+)nu(tau))=(6.17+/-0.71+/-0.34)%, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. Combining this result with our measurements of D(s)(+)-->mu(+)nu(mu) and D(s)(+)-->tau(+)nu(tau) (via tau(+)-->pi(+)nu(tau)), we determine f(D(s))=(274+/-10+/-5) MeV.

A numerical study on the influence of slope and curvature on smoke flow in special section tunnel with natural ventilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wenzhou; Zhou, Xianping; Liu, Zhigang; Liu, Ya; Liu, Wanfu; Hong, Li

2017-09-01

In this study, a special section tunnel model was established by using FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator). The influences of lope and curvature on smoke flow under natural ventilation have been studied. The results showed that under the condition of natural ventilation, the slope has some influences on the smoke flow in special section tunnel. The smoke spreading speed is accelerated along the upstream direction and decrease along the downstream direction due to buoyancy effect of slope. The steeper the tunnel, the more obvious the buoyancy effect. The curvature has little effect on the flow of flue gas.

Energy spectrum of ultra-high energy cosmic rays observed with the Telescope Array using a hybrid technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abu-Zayyad, T.; Aida, R.; Allen, M.; Anderson, R.; Azuma, R.; Barcikowski, E.; Belz, J. W.; Bergman, D. R.; Blake, S. A.; Cady, R.; Cheon, B. G.; Chiba, J.; Chikawa, M.; Cho, E. J.; Cho, W. R.; Fujii, H.; Fujii, T.; Fukuda, T.; Fukushima, M.; Hanlon, W.; Hayashi, K.; Hayashi, Y.; Hayashida, N.; Hibino, K.; Hiyama, K.; Honda, K.; Iguchi, T.; Ikeda, D.; Ikuta, K.; Inoue, N.; Ishii, T.; Ishimori, R.; Ito, H.; Ivanov, D.; Iwamoto, S.; Jui, C. C. H.; Kadota, K.; Kakimoto, F.; Kalashev, O.; Kanbe, T.; Kasahara, K.; Kawai, H.; Kawakami, S.; Kawana, S.; Kido, E.; Kim, H. B.; Kim, H. K.; Kim, J. H.; Kim, J. H.; Kitamoto, K.; Kitamura, S.; Kitamura, Y.; Kobayashi, K.; Kobayashi, Y.; Kondo, Y.; Kuramoto, K.; Kuzmin, V.; Kwon, Y. J.; Lan, J.; Lim, S. I.; Lundquist, J. P.; Machida, S.; Martens, K.; Matsuda, T.; Matsuura, T.; Matsuyama, T.; Matthews, J. N.; Minamino, M.; Miyata, K.; Murano, Y.; Myers, I.; Nagasawa, K.; Nagataki, S.; Nakamura, T.; Nam, S. W.; Nonaka, T.; Ogio, S.; Ohnishi, M.; Ohoka, H.; Oki, K.; Oku, D.; Okuda, T.; Ono, M.; Oshima, A.; Ozawa, S.; Park, I. H.; Pshirkov, M. S.; Rodriguez, D. C.; Roh, S. Y.; Rubtsov, G.; Ryu, D.; Sagawa, H.; Sakurai, N.; Sampson, A. L.; Scott, L. M.; Shah, P. D.; Shibata, F.; Shibata, T.; Shimodaira, H.; Shin, B. K.; Shin, J. I.; Shirahama, T.; Smith, J. D.; Sokolsky, P.; Springer, R. W.; Stokes, B. T.; Stratton, S. R.; Stroman, T.; Suzuki, S.; Takahashi, Y.; Takeda, M.; Taketa, A.; Takita, M.; Tameda, Y.; Tanaka, H.; Tanaka, K.; Tanaka, M.; Thomas, S. B.; Thomson, G. B.; Tinyakov, P.; Tkachev, I.; Tokuno, H.; Tomida, T.; Troitsky, S.; Tsunesada, Y.; Tsutsumi, K.; Tsuyuguchi, Y.; Uchihori, Y.; Udo, S.; Ukai, H.; Urban, F.; Vasiloff, G.; Wada, Y.; Wong, T.; Yamakawa, Y.; Yamane, R.; Yamaoka, H.; Yamazaki, K.; Yang, J.; Yoneda, Y.; Yoshida, S.; Yoshii, H.; Zhou, X.; Zollinger, R.; Zundel, Z.

2015-02-01

We measure the spectrum of cosmic rays with energies greater than 1018.2 eV with the fluorescence detectors (FDs) and the surface detectors (SDs) of the Telescope Array Experiment using the data taken in our first 2.3-year observation from May 27, 2008 to September 7, 2010. A hybrid air shower reconstruction technique is employed to improve accuracies in determination of arrival directions and primary energies of cosmic rays using both FD and SD data. The energy spectrum presented here is in agreement with our previously published spectra and the HiRes results.

$B$- and $D$-meson leptonic decay constants from four-flavor lattice QCD

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

Bazavov, A.; Bernard, C.; Brown, N.

We calculate the leptonic decay constants of heavy-light pseudoscalar mesons with charm and bottom quarks in lattice quantum chromodynamics on four-flavor QCD gauge-field configurations with dynamicalmore » $u$, $d$, $s$, and $c$ quarks. We analyze over twenty isospin-symmetric ensembles with six lattice spacings down to $$a\\approx 0.03$$~fm and several values of the light-quark mass down to the physical value $$\\frac{1}{2}(m_u+m_d)$$. We employ the highly-improved staggered-quark (HISQ) action for the sea and valence quarks; on the finest lattice spacings, discretization errors are sufficiently small that we can calculate the $B$-meson decay constants with the HISQ action for the first time directly at the physical $b$-quark mass. We obtain the most precise determinations to-date of the $D$- and $B$-meson decay constants and their ratios, $$f_{D^+} = 212.6 (0.5)$$~MeV, $$f_{D_s} = 249.8(0.4)$$~MeV, $$f_{D_s}/f_{D^+} = 1.1749(11)$$, $$f_{B^+} = 189.4(1.4)$$~MeV, $$f_{B_s} = 230.7(1.2)$$~MeV, $$f_{B_s}/f_{B^+} = 1.2180(49)$$, where the errors include statistical and all systematic uncertainties. Our results for the $B$-meson decay constants are three times more precise than the previous best lattice-QCD calculations, and bring the QCD errors in the Standard-Model predictions for the rare leptonic decays $$\\overline{\\mathcal{B}}(B_s \\to \\mu^+\\mu^-) = 3.65(11) \\times 10^{-9}$$, $$\\overline{\\mathcal{B}}(B^0 \\to \\mu^+\\mu^-) = 1.00(3) \\times 10^{-11}$$, and $$\\overline{\\mathcal{B}}(B^0 \\to \\mu^+\\mu^-)/\\overline{\\mathcal{B}}(B_s \\to \\mu^+\\mu^-) = 0.00264(7)$$ to well below other sources of uncertainty. As a byproduct of our analysis, we also update our previously published results for the light-quark-mass ratios and the scale-setting quantities $$f_{p4s}$$, $$M_{p4s}$$, and $$R_{p4s}$$. We obtain the most precise lattice-QCD determination to date of the ratio $$f_{K^+}/f_{\\pi^+} = 1.1950(^{+15}_{-22})$$~MeV.« less

Consequence modeling using the fire dynamics simulator.

PubMed

Ryder, Noah L; Sutula, Jason A; Schemel, Christopher F; Hamer, Andrew J; Van Brunt, Vincent

2004-11-11

The use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and in particular Large Eddy Simulation (LES) codes to model fires provides an efficient tool for the prediction of large-scale effects that include plume characteristics, combustion product dispersion, and heat effects to adjacent objects. This paper illustrates the strengths of the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), an LES code developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), through several small and large-scale validation runs and process safety applications. The paper presents two fire experiments--a small room fire and a large (15 m diameter) pool fire. The model results are compared to experimental data and demonstrate good agreement between the models and data. The validation work is then extended to demonstrate applicability to process safety concerns by detailing a model of a tank farm fire and a model of the ignition of a gaseous fuel in a confined space. In this simulation, a room was filled with propane, given time to disperse, and was then ignited. The model yields accurate results of the dispersion of the gas throughout the space. This information can be used to determine flammability and explosive limits in a space and can be used in subsequent models to determine the pressure and temperature waves that would result from an explosion. The model dispersion results were compared to an experiment performed by Factory Mutual. Using the above examples, this paper will demonstrate that FDS is ideally suited to build realistic models of process geometries in which large scale explosion and fire failure risks can be evaluated with several distinct advantages over more traditional CFD codes. Namely transient solutions to fire and explosion growth can be produced with less sophisticated hardware (lower cost) than needed for traditional CFD codes (PC type computer verses UNIX workstation) and can be solved for longer time histories (on the order of hundreds of seconds of computed time) with minimal computer resources and length of model run. Additionally results that are produced can be analyzed, viewed, and tabulated during and following a model run within a PC environment. There are some tradeoffs, however, as rapid computations in PC's may require a sacrifice in the grid resolution or in the sub-grid modeling, depending on the size of the geometry modeled.

TRIPOLI-4® - MCNP5 ITER A-lite neutronic model benchmarking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaboulay, J.-C.; Cayla, P.-Y.; Fausser, C.; Lee, Y.-K.; Trama, J.-C.; Li-Puma, A.

2014-06-01

The aim of this paper is to present the capability of TRIPOLI-4®, the CEA Monte Carlo code, to model a large-scale fusion reactor with complex neutron source and geometry. In the past, numerous benchmarks were conducted for TRIPOLI-4® assessment on fusion applications. Experiments (KANT, OKTAVIAN, FNG) analysis and numerical benchmarks (between TRIPOLI-4® and MCNP5) on the HCLL DEMO2007 and ITER models were carried out successively. In this previous ITER benchmark, nevertheless, only the neutron wall loading was analyzed, its main purpose was to present MCAM (the FDS Team CAD import tool) extension for TRIPOLI-4®. Starting from this work a more extended benchmark has been performed about the estimation of neutron flux, nuclear heating in the shielding blankets and tritium production rate in the European TBMs (HCLL and HCPB) and it is presented in this paper. The methodology to build the TRIPOLI-4® A-lite model is based on MCAM and the MCNP A-lite model (version 4.1). Simplified TBMs (from KIT) have been integrated in the equatorial-port. Comparisons of neutron wall loading, flux, nuclear heating and tritium production rate show a good agreement between the two codes. Discrepancies are mainly included in the Monte Carlo codes statistical error.

Morphologic and Clinical Outcome of Intracranial Aneurysms after Treatment Using Flow Diverter Devices: Mid-Term Follow-Up

PubMed Central

Breu, Anna-Katharina; Hauser, Till-Karsten; Ebner, Florian H.; Bischof, Felix; Ernemann, Ulrike; Seeger, Achim

2016-01-01

Flow diverters (FDs) are designed for the endovascular treatment of complex intracranial aneurysm configurations. From February 2009 to March 2013 28 patients (22 females, 6 males) were treated with FD; mean age was 57 years. Data, including aneurysm features, clinical presentation, history of previous bleeding, treatment, and follow-up results, are presented. Early postinterventional neurological deficits (transient: n = 3/enduring: n = 1) appeared in 4/28 patients (14%), and early improvement of neurological symptoms was observed in 7 patients with previous restriction of cranial nerve function. The overall occlusion rate was 20/26 (77%; 59% after 3 months). 77% achieved best results according to O'Kelly-Marotta score grade D with no contrast material filling (70% of those after 3 months). In 4/6 patients who did not achieve grade D, proximal and/or distal stent overlapping ≥5 mm was not guaranteed sufficiently. During follow-up we did not detect any aneurysm recurrence or haemorrhage. In-stent stenosis emerged as the most frequent complication (4/27; 15%) followed by 2 cases of vascular obliteration (AICA/VA). In conclusion endovascular reconstruction using a FD represents a modern and effective treatment in those aneurysms that are not suitable for conventional interventional or surgical treatment. The appearance of severe complications was rare. PMID:27006830

Estimation of number of fatalities caused by toxic gases due to fire in road tunnels.

PubMed

Qu, Xiaobo; Meng, Qiang; Liu, Zhiyuan

2013-01-01

The quantitative risk assessment (QRA) is one of the explicit requirements under the European Union (EU) Directive (2004/54/EC). As part of this, it is essential to be able to estimate the number of fatalities in different accident scenarios. In this paper, a tangible methodology is developed to estimate the number of fatalities caused by toxic gases due to fire in road tunnels by incorporating traffic flow and the spread of fire in tunnels. First, a deterministic queuing model is proposed to calculate the number of people at risk, by taking into account tunnel geometry, traffic flow patterns, and incident response plans for road tunnels. Second, the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) is used to obtain the temperature and concentrations of CO, CO(2), and O(2). By taking advantage of the additivity of the fractional effective dose (FED) method, fatality rates for different locations in given time periods can be estimated. An illustrative case study is carried out to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methodology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Galactic Cosmic-Ray Anistropy During the Forbush Decrease Starting 2013 April 13

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tortermpun, U.; Ruffolo, D.; Bieber, J. W.

2018-01-01

The flux of Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) can undergo a Forbush decrease (FD) during the passage of a shock, sheath region, or magnetic flux rope associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME). Cosmic-ray observations during FDs can provide information complementary to in situ observations of the local plasma and magnetic field, because cosmic-ray distributions allow remote sensing of distant conditions. Here we develop techniques to determine the GCR anisotropy before and during an FD using data from the worldwide network of neutron monitors, for a case study of the FD starting on 2013 April 13. We find that at times with strong magnetic fluctuations and strong cosmic-ray scattering, there were spikes of high perpendicular anisotropy and weak parallel anisotropy. In contrast, within the CME flux rope there was a strong parallel anisotropy in the direction predicted from a theory of drift motions into one leg of the magnetic flux rope and out the other, confirming that the anisotropy can remotely sense a large-scale flow of GCRs through a magnetic flux structure.

Numerical Simulation on Smoke Spread and Temperature Distribution in a Corn Starch Explosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, CherngShing; Hsu, JuiPei

2018-01-01

It is discovered from dust explosion accidents in recent years that deep causes of the accidents lies in insufficient cognition of dust explosion danger, and no understanding on danger and information of the dust explosion. In the study, Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) evaluation tool is used aiming at Taiwan Formosa Fun Coast explosion accidents. The calculator is used for rebuilding the explosion situation. The factors affecting casualties under explosion are studied. The injured personnel participating in the party are evaluated according to smoke diffusion and temperature distribution for numerical simulation results. Some problems noted in the fire disaster after actual explosion are proposed, rational site analysis is given, thereby reducing dust explosion risk grade.

Measurement of the Absolute Branching Fraction of Ds+→τ+ντ Decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ecklund, K. M.; Love, W.; Savinov, V.; Lopez, A.; Mendez, H.; Ramirez, J.; Ge, J. Y.; Miller, D. H.; Shipsey, I. P. J.; Xin, B.; Adams, G. S.; Anderson, M.; Cummings, J. P.; Danko, I.; Hu, D.; Moziak, B.; Napolitano, J.; He, Q.; Insler, J.; Muramatsu, H.; Park, C. S.; Thorndike, E. H.; Yang, F.; Artuso, M.; Blusk, S.; Khalil, S.; Li, J.; Mountain, R.; Nisar, S.; Randrianarivony, K.; Sultana, N.; Skwarnicki, T.; Stone, S.; Wang, J. C.; Zhang, L. M.; Bonvicini, G.; Cinabro, D.; Dubrovin, M.; Lincoln, A.; Rademacker, J.; Asner, D. M.; Edwards, K. W.; Naik, P.; Reed, J.; Briere, R. A.; Ferguson, T.; Tatishvili, G.; Vogel, H.; Watkins, M. E.; Rosner, J. L.; Alexander, J. P.; Cassel, D. G.; Duboscq, J. E.; Ehrlich, R.; Fields, L.; Gibbons, L.; Gray, R.; Gray, S. W.; Hartill, D. L.; Heltsley, B. K.; Hertz, D.; Jones, C. D.; Kandaswamy, J.; Kreinick, D. L.; Kuznetsov, V. E.; Mahlke-Krüger, H.; Mohapatra, D.; Onyisi, P. U. E.; Patterson, J. R.; Peterson, D.; Riley, D.; Ryd, A.; Sadoff, A. J.; Shi, X.; Stroiney, S.; Sun, W. M.; Wilksen, T.; Athar, S. B.; Patel, R.; Yelton, J.; Rubin, P.; Eisenstein, B. I.; Karliner, I.; Mehrabyan, S.; Lowrey, N.; Selen, M.; White, E. J.; Wiss, J.; Mitchell, R. E.; Shepherd, M. R.; Besson, D.; Pedlar, T. K.; Cronin-Hennessy, D.; Gao, K. Y.; Hietala, J.; Kubota, Y.; Klein, T.; Lang, B. W.; Poling, R.; Scott, A. W.; Zweber, P.; Dobbs, S.; Metreveli, Z.; Seth, K. K.; Tomaradze, A.; Libby, J.; Powell, A.; Wilkinson, G.

2008-04-01

Using a sample of tagged Ds+ decays collected near the Ds*±Ds∓ peak production energy in e+e- collisions with the CLEO-c detector, we study the leptonic decay Ds+→τ+ντ via the decay channel τ+→e+νeν¯τ. We measure B(Ds+→τ+ντ)=(6.17±0.71±0.34)%, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. Combining this result with our measurements of Ds+→μ+νμ and Ds+→τ+ντ (via τ+→π+ν¯τ), we determine fDs=(274±10±5)MeV.

Gas Evolution Dynamics in Godunov-Type Schemes and Analysis of Numerical Shock Instability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, Kun

1999-01-01

In this paper we are going to study the gas evolution dynamics of the exact and approximate Riemann solvers, e.g., the Flux Vector Splitting (FVS) and the Flux Difference Splitting (FDS) schemes. Since the FVS scheme and the Kinetic Flux Vector Splitting (KFVS) scheme have the same physical mechanism and similar flux function, based on the analysis of the discretized KFVS scheme the weakness and advantage of the FVS scheme are closely observed. The subtle dissipative mechanism of the Godunov method in the 2D case is also analyzed, and the physical reason for shock instability, i.e., carbuncle phenomena and odd-even decoupling, is presented.

Involuntary Neuromuscular Coupling between the Thumb and Finger of Stroke Survivors during Dynamic Movement.

PubMed

Jones, Christopher L; Kamper, Derek G

2018-01-01

Finger-thumb coordination is crucial to manual dexterity but remains incompletely understood, particularly following neurological injury such as stroke. While being controlled independently, the index finger and thumb especially must work in concert to perform a variety of tasks requiring lateral or palmar pinch. The impact of stroke on this functionally critical sensorimotor control during dynamic tasks has been largely unexplored. In this study, we explored finger-thumb coupling during close-open pinching motions in stroke survivors with chronic hemiparesis. Two types of perturbations were applied randomly to the index with a novel Cable-Actuated Finger Exoskeleton: a sudden joint acceleration stretching muscle groups of the index finger and a sudden increase in impedance in selected index finger joint(s). Electromyographic signals for specific thumb and index finger muscles, thumb tip trajectory, and index finger joint angles were recorded during each trial. Joint angle perturbations invoked reflex responses in the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), first dorsal interossei (FDI), and extensor digitorum communis muscles of the index finger and heteronymous reflex responses in flexor pollicis brevis of the thumb ( p  < 0.017). Phase of movement played a role as a faster peak reflex response was observed in FDI during opening than during closing ( p  < 0.002) and direction of perturbations resulted in shorter reflex times for FDS and FDI ( p  < 0.012) for extension perturbations. Surprisingly, when index finger joint impedance was suddenly increased, thumb tip movement was substantially increased, from 2 to 10 cm ( p  < 0.001). A greater effect was seen during the opening phase ( p  < 0.044). Thus, involuntary finger-thumb coupling was present during dynamic movement, with perturbation of the index finger impacting thumb activity. The degree of coupling modulated with the phase of motion. These findings reveal a potential mechanism for direct intervention to improve poststroke hand mobility and provide insight on prospective neurologically oriented therapies.

Involuntary Neuromuscular Coupling between the Thumb and Finger of Stroke Survivors during Dynamic Movement

PubMed Central

Jones, Christopher L.; Kamper, Derek G.

2018-01-01

Finger–thumb coordination is crucial to manual dexterity but remains incompletely understood, particularly following neurological injury such as stroke. While being controlled independently, the index finger and thumb especially must work in concert to perform a variety of tasks requiring lateral or palmar pinch. The impact of stroke on this functionally critical sensorimotor control during dynamic tasks has been largely unexplored. In this study, we explored finger–thumb coupling during close–open pinching motions in stroke survivors with chronic hemiparesis. Two types of perturbations were applied randomly to the index with a novel Cable-Actuated Finger Exoskeleton: a sudden joint acceleration stretching muscle groups of the index finger and a sudden increase in impedance in selected index finger joint(s). Electromyographic signals for specific thumb and index finger muscles, thumb tip trajectory, and index finger joint angles were recorded during each trial. Joint angle perturbations invoked reflex responses in the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), first dorsal interossei (FDI), and extensor digitorum communis muscles of the index finger and heteronymous reflex responses in flexor pollicis brevis of the thumb (p < 0.017). Phase of movement played a role as a faster peak reflex response was observed in FDI during opening than during closing (p < 0.002) and direction of perturbations resulted in shorter reflex times for FDS and FDI (p < 0.012) for extension perturbations. Surprisingly, when index finger joint impedance was suddenly increased, thumb tip movement was substantially increased, from 2 to 10 cm (p < 0.001). A greater effect was seen during the opening phase (p < 0.044). Thus, involuntary finger–thumb coupling was present during dynamic movement, with perturbation of the index finger impacting thumb activity. The degree of coupling modulated with the phase of motion. These findings reveal a potential mechanism for direct intervention to improve poststroke hand mobility and provide insight on prospective neurologically oriented therapies. PMID:29545767

Quantitative interpretation of magnetic properties as a way to characterize biogeophysical signatures of biodegraded contaminated sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ustra, A.; Kessouri, P.; Leite, A.; Mendonça, C. A.; Bandeira, N.

2017-12-01

Magnetic minerals in soils and rocks are one way to study biogechemical and paleoenvironmental processes. The ultrafine fraction of these minerals (superparmagnetic (SP) and stable single domain (SSD)) are usually investigated in environmental magnetism studies, since changes in mineralogy, concentration, size and morphology of the magnetic grains can be related to biogeochemical processes. In this study, we use low-field frequency dependent susceptibility (FDS) and isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) to characterize the magnetic properties of materials in environmental magnetism. Magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements are frequently used as a proxy of magnetic minerals present in soils and rocks. MS is a complex function of magnetic mineralogy and grain size, as well as magnitude and frequency of the applied field. This work presents a method for inverting low-field FDS data. The inverted parameters can be interpreted in terms of grain size variations of magnetic particles on the SP-SSD transition. This work also presents a method for inverting IRM demagnetization curves, to obtain the saturation magnetization, the individual magnetic moment for an assemblage of ultrafine SP minerals and estimate the concentration of magnetic carriers. IRM magnetization curves can be interpreted as resulting from distinct contributions of different mineral phases, which can be described by Cummulative Log-Gaussian (CLG) distributions. Each acquisition curve provides fundamental parameters that are characteristic of the respective mineral phase. The CLG decomposition is widely used in an interpretation procedure named mineral unmixing. In this work we present an inversion method for mineral unmixing, implementing the genetic algorithm to find the parameters of distinct components. These methodologies have been tested by synthetic models and applied to data from environmental magnetism studies. In this work we apply the proposed methodologies to characterize the magnetic properties of samples from the former Brandywine MD Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO). The results from the magnetic properties characterization will provide additional information that may assist the interpretation of the biogeophysical signatures observed at the site.

The rhesus measurement system: A new instrument for space research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schonfeld, Julie E.; Hines, John W.

1993-01-01

The Rhesus Research Facility (RRF) is a research environment designed to study the effects of microgravity using rhesus primates as human surrogates. This experimental model allows investigators to study numerous aspects of microgravity exposure without compromising crew member activities. Currently, the RRF is slated for two missions to collect its data, the first mission is SLS-3, due to fly in late 1995. The RRF is a joint effort between the United States and France. The science and hardware portions of the project are being shared between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and France's Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). The RRF is composed of many different subsystems in order to acquire data, provide life support, environmental enrichment, computer facilities and measurement capabilities for two rhesus primates aboard a nominal sixteen day mission. One of these subsystems is the Rhesus Measurement System (RMS). The RMS is designed to obtain in-flight physiological measurements from sensors interfaced with the subject. The RMS will acquire, preprocess, and transfer the physiologic data to the Flight Data System (FDS) for relay to the ground during flight. The measurements which will be taken by the RMS during the first flight will be respiration, measured at two different sites; electromyogram (EMG) at three different sites; electroencephalogram (EEG); electrocardiogram (ECG); and body temperature. These measurements taken by the RMS will assist the research team in meeting the science objectives of the RRF project.

The Influence of Climate Change on CO2 and CH4 Concentration Near Closed Shaft - Numerical Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wrona, Paweł

2017-09-01

Given the scientific consensus pointing to climate change, the more extreme weather events associated with this will lead to deeper pressure drops. As has already been stated, pressure drops are the main cause of gas flow from underground sites to the surface. This article presents the results of numerical simulations of the change in distribution of CO2 and CH4 near a closed mining shaft under the predicted baric tendency. Simulations have been undertaken by means of the FDS software package with the Pyrosim graphical interface - a CFD tool for fire and ventilation analysis. Assumptions have been based on previous results of in-situ measurements. The results (determined for a height of 1m above the ground) were compared to the following levels (later in the text comparison levels): for CO2 0.1%vol. according to Pettenkoffer's scale and 2.5%vol. for CH4 as the half of Lower Explosive Limit (LEL). The results show that the deeper baric drops anticipated could lead to a wider spread of both greenhouse gases in the vicinity of the shaft, especially along the prevailing wind direction. According to the results obtained, CO2 and CH4 with concentrations above their comparison levels are expected at a distance greater than 50m from the shaft when wind is present for CO2 and at a distance of 4.5m for CH4. Subsequent analysis of the results enabled the determination of functions for describing the concentration of gases along the wind direction line under the projected pressure drop. The results relate to a particular case, although the model could easily be modified to any other example of gas emissions from underground sites.

Flame spread over thick polymethylmethacrylate samples in a simulated and actual microgravity environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, Tirthesh Jayesh

The NASA Burning and Suppression of Solids-II (BASS II) experiment examines the combustion of different solid materials and material geometries in microgravity. While flames in microgravity are driven by diffusion and weak advection due to crew movements and ventilation, the current NASA spacecraft material selection test method (NASA-STD- 6001 Test 1) is driven by buoyant forces as gravity is present. The overall goal of this project is to understand the burning of intermediate and thick fuels in microgravity, and devise a normal gravity test to apply to future materials. Clear cast polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) samples 10 cm long by 1 or 2 cm wide with thicknesses ranging from 1-5 mm were investigated. PMMA is the ideal choice since it is widely used and we know its stoichiometric chemistry. Tests included both one sided and two sided burns. Samples are ignited by heating a wire behind the sample. The samples are burned in a flow duct within the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) on the International Space Station (ISS) to ensure true microgravity conditions. The experiment takes place in opposed flow with varying Oxygen concentrations and flow velocities. Flames are recorded on two cameras and later tracked to determine spread rate. Currently we are modeling combustion of PMMA using Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS 5.5.3) and Smokeview. The entire modelling for BASS-II is done in DNS mode because of the laminar conditions and small domain. In DNS mode the Navier Stokes equations are solved without the Turbulence model. The model employs the same test sample and MSG geometry as the experiment; but in 2D. The experimental data gave upstream velocity at several points using an anemometer. A flow profile for the inlet velocity is obtained using Matlab and input into the model. The flame spread rates obtained after tracking are then compared with the experimental data and the results follow the trends but the spread rates are higher.

Ada (Trade Name) Compiler Validation Summary Report: International Business Machines Corporation. IBM Development System for the Ada Language System, Version 1.1.0, IBM 4381 under MVS.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-22

TITLE (andSubtile) 5. TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOD COVERED Ada Compler Validation Summary Report: 22 May 1987 to 22 May 1988 International Business Machines...IBM Development System for the Ada Language System, Version 1.1.0, International Business Machines Corporation, Wright-Patterson AFB. IBM 4381 under...SUMMARY REPORT: International Business Machines Corporation IBM Development System f’or the Ada Language System, Version 1.1.0 IBM 4381 under MVS

Electric Propulsion System Modeling for the Proposed Prometheus 1 Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fiehler, Douglas; Dougherty, Ryan; Manzella, David

2005-01-01

The proposed Prometheus 1 spacecraft would utilize nuclear electric propulsion to propel the spacecraft to its ultimate destination where it would perform its primary mission. As part of the Prometheus 1 Phase A studies, system models were developed for each of the spacecraft subsystems that were integrated into one overarching system model. The Electric Propulsion System (EPS) model was developed using data from the Prometheus 1 electric propulsion technology development efforts. This EPS model was then used to provide both performance and mass information to the Prometheus 1 system model for total system trades. Development of the EPS model is described, detailing both the performance calculations as well as its evolution over the course of Phase A through three technical baselines. Model outputs are also presented, detailing the performance of the model and its direct relationship to the Prometheus 1 technology development efforts. These EP system model outputs are also analyzed chronologically showing the response of the model development to the four technical baselines during Prometheus 1 Phase A.

Ada Compiler Validation Summary Report: Certificate Number: 890420W1. 10066 International Business Machines Corporation, IBM Development System for the Ada Language, AIX/RT Ada Compiler, Version 1.1.1, IBM RT PC 6150-125

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-20

International Business Machines Corporation, IBM Development System. for the Ada Language AIX/RT Ada Compiler, Version 1.1.1, Wright-Patterson APB...Certificate Number: 890420V1.10066 International Business Machines Corporation IBM Development System for the Ada Language AIX/RT Ada Compiler, Version 1.1.1...TEST INFORMATION The compiler was tested using command scripts provided by International Business Machines Corporation and reviewed by the validation

48 CFR 235.070-1 - Indemnification under research and development contracts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... research and development contracts. 235.070-1 Section 235.070-1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 235.070-1 Indemnification under research and development contracts. (a...

A Novel L-Probe Proximity Fed Patch Antenna With Parasitic Patch and Its Utilization in Antenna Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sláma, Libor; Dobeš, Josef; Boštík, Tomáš; Vejražka, František

2018-03-01

An analysis of the L-probe fed patch antenna with an extraordinary parasitic patch is described. The element of the antenna is fed by the L-probe partially implemented in PCB. An excellent impedance matching is obtained (< ‑26 dB in the design frequency band 4.4–5 GHz). The radiation characteristics are also very good (gain > 10 dBi). For the numerical analyses, the Full Wave—CST Microwave Studio software was used in both frequency and time domains, and a very good agreement between the Time Domain Solver (TDS) and Frequency Domain Solver (FDS) was obtained. Real antenna samples have been created and measured as well as eight-element antenna arrays designed by the Dolph-Chebyshev method.

Factitious Disorder Presenting with Stuttering in Two Adolescents: The Importance of Psychoeducation.

PubMed

Bolat, Nurullah; Yalçin, Özhan

2017-03-01

A factitious disorder (FD) is a diagnostic entity in which patients intentionally act physically or mentally ill without obvious benefits and without being consciously aware of a clear underlying motive. Most pediatric FD cases have been reported as Munchausen syndrome by Proxy; however, pediatric disease symptoms can also be intentionally falsified by child and adolescent patients. To our knowledge, in the medical literature, an FD patient presenting with stuttering has not been previously reported. In this case report, we aimed to discuss the diagnosis and treatment process of FDs in children and adolescents by reporting the cases of two FD patients presenting with stuttering according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition. Both patients improved with psychoeducation and early confrontation.

Design Validation Methodology Development for an Aircraft Sensor Deployment System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wowczuk, Zenovy S.

The OCULUS 1.0 Sensor Deployment concept design, was developed in 2004 at West Virginia University (WVU), outlined the general concept of a deployment system to be used on a C-130 aircraft. As a sequel, a new system, OCULUS 1.1, has been developed and designed. The new system transfers the concept system design to a safety of flight design, and also enhanced to a pre-production system to be used as the test bed to gain full military certification approval. The OCULUS 1.1 system has an implemented standard deployment system/procedure to go along with a design suited for military certification and implementation. This design process included analysis of the system's critical components and the generation of a critical component holistic model to be used as an analysis tool for future payload modification made to the system. Following the completion of the OCULUS 1.1 design, preparations and procedures for obtaining military airworthiness certification are described. The airworthiness process includes working with the agency overseeing all modifications to the normal operating procedures made to military C-130 aircraft and preparing the system for an experimental flight test. The critical steps in his process include developing a complete documentation package that details the analysis performed on the OCULUS 1.1 system and also the design of experiment flight test plan to analyze the system. Following the approval of the documentation and design of experiment an experimental flight test of the OCULUS 1.1 system was performed to verify the safety and airworthiness of the system. This test proved successfully that the OCULUS 1.1 system design was airworthy and approved for military use. The OCULUS 1.1 deployment system offers an open architecture design that is ideal for use as a sensor testing platform for developmental airborne sensors. The system's patented deployment methodology presents a simplistic approach to reaching the systems final operating position which offers the most robust field of view area of rear ramp deployment systems.

TA×4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagawa, Hiroyuki

How cosmic rays obtain energies of about 1020 eV and where they come from are big mysteries in physics. The Telescope Array (TA) is comprised of Surface Detectors (SDs) and Fluorescence Detectors (FDs) located in Utah, U.S.A., and aims to explore the origin of highest-energy cosmic rays. The SD array consists of 507 scintillation detectors arranged on a square grid of 1.2-km spacing, covering approximately 700 km2. The FD telescopes, located at three sites, look over the surface array. Using the first five years of data collected by the surface detectors, we found a cluster of cosmic rays with energies greater than 5.7 × 1019 eV that we call the hot spot. With enhanced statistics, we expect to observe the structure of that hot spot along with other possible excesses, and point sources along with the correlations with extreme phenomena in the nearby universe. We plan to make the area of the TA SD array four times larger to approximately 3,000 km2, by adding 500 SDs on a square grid of 2.08-km spacing. Two FD stations will be built viewing the new SD array. This TA extension that we call TA×4 will greatly accelerate the speed at which we will reach the goals mentioned above, and will enhance cosmic-ray energy spectrum measurement and composition study at the highest energies by TA. At this conference, we present our plan for TA×4.

The use of analytical sedimentation velocity to extract thermodynamic linkage.

PubMed

Cole, James L; Correia, John J; Stafford, Walter F

2011-11-01

For 25 years, the Gibbs Conference on Biothermodynamics has focused on the use of thermodynamics to extract information about the mechanism and regulation of biological processes. This includes the determination of equilibrium constants for macromolecular interactions by high precision physical measurements. These approaches further reveal thermodynamic linkages to ligand binding events. Analytical ultracentrifugation has been a fundamental technique in the determination of macromolecular reaction stoichiometry and energetics for 85 years. This approach is highly amenable to the extraction of thermodynamic couplings to small molecule binding in the overall reaction pathway. In the 1980s this approach was extended to the use of sedimentation velocity techniques, primarily by the analysis of tubulin-drug interactions by Na and Timasheff. This transport method necessarily incorporates the complexity of both hydrodynamic and thermodynamic nonideality. The advent of modern computational methods in the last 20 years has subsequently made the analysis of sedimentation velocity data for interacting systems more robust and rigorous. Here we review three examples where sedimentation velocity has been useful at extracting thermodynamic information about reaction stoichiometry and energetics. Approaches to extract linkage to small molecule binding and the influence of hydrodynamic nonideality are emphasized. These methods are shown to also apply to the collection of fluorescence data with the new Aviv FDS. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The use of analytical sedimentation velocity to extract thermodynamic linkage

PubMed Central

Cole, James L.; Correia, John J.; Stafford, Walter F.

2011-01-01

For 25 years, the Gibbs Conference on Biothermodynamics has focused on the use of thermodynamics to extract information about the mechanism and regulation of biological processes. This includes the determination of equilibrium constants for macromolecular interactions by high precision physical measurements. These approaches further reveal thermodynamic linkages to ligand binding events. Analytical ultracentrifugation has been a fundamental technique in the determination of macromolecular reaction stoichiometry and energetics for 85 years. This approach is highly amenable to the extraction of thermodynamic couplings to small molecule binding in the overall reaction pathway. In the 1980’s this approach was extended to the use of sedimentation velocity techniques, primarily by the analysis of tubulin-drug interactions by Na and Timasheff. This transport method necessarily incorporates the complexity of both hydrodynamic and thermodynamic nonideality. The advent of modern computational methods in the last 20 years has subsequently made the analysis of sedimentation velocity data for interacting systems more robust and rigorous. Here we review three examples where sedimentation velocity has been useful at extracting thermodynamic information about reaction stoichiometry and energetics. Approaches to extract linkage to small molecule binding and the influence of hydrodynamic nonideality are emphasized. These methods are shown to also apply to the collection of fluorescence data with the new Aviv FDS. PMID:21703752

The Application of a Jet Fan for the Control of Air and Methane Streams Mixing at the Excavations Cross - The Results of Numerical Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wrona, Paweł; Różański, Zenon; Pach, Grzegorz; Domagała, Lech

2016-09-01

The paper presents the results of numerical simulations into the distribution of methane concentration at the intersection of two excavations with a fan (turned on) giving the air stream to the area of the crossing. Assumed case represents emergency situation related to the unexpected flow of methane from an excavation and its mixing with fresh air. It is possible when sudden gas outburst takes place, methane leaks from methane drainage system or gas leaks out the pipelines of underground coal gasification devices. Three options were considered - corresponding to three different speeds of the jet fan. They represent three stages of fan work. First - low air speed is forced by a pneumatic fan, when electricity is cut off after high methane concentration detection. Medium speed can be forced by pneumatic-electric device when methane concentration allows to turn on the electricity. Third, the highest speed is for electric fans. Simulations were carried out in the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) belongs to the group of programs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The governing equations are being solved in a numerical way. It was shown that proposed solution allows partial dilution of methane in every variant of speed what should allow escape of the miners from hazardous area.

Ada Compiler Validation Summary Report: Certificate Number 89020W1. 10073: International Business Machines Corporation, IBM Development System for the Ada Language, VM/CMS Ada Compiler, Version 2.1.1, IBM 3083 (Host and Target)

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-20

International Business Machines Corporation) IBM Development System for the Ada Language, VN11/CMS Ada Compiler, Version 2.1.1, Wright-Patterson AFB, IBM 3083...890420W1.10073 International Business Machines Corporation IBM Development System for the Ada Language VM/CMS Ada Compiler Version 2.1.1 IBM 3083... International Business Machines Corporation and reviewed by the validation team. The compiler was tested using all default option settings except for the

Ada Compiler Validation Summary Report. Certificate Number: 891129W1. 10198 International Business Machines Corporation, the IBM Development System for the Ada Language AIX/RT Follow-on, Version 1.1 IBM RT Follow-on. Completion of On-Site Testing: 29 November 1989

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-11-29

nvmbe’j International Business Machines Corporation Wright-Patterson AFB, The IBM Development System for the Ada Language AIX/RT follow-on, Version 1.1...Certificate Number: 891129W1.10198 International Business Machines Corporation The IBM Development System for the Ada Language AIX/RT Follow-on, Version 1.1 IBM...scripts provided by International Business Machines Corporation and reviewed by the validation team. The compiler was tested using all the following

[Treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with acquired immnodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán].

PubMed

Uriarte-Duque, Juan; Hernández-Riverab, Gabriela

2006-01-01

Survival in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) related non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma has improved with the use of High Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) and less toxic chemotherapy. Clinical characteristics and outcome among patients treated for AIDS related non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma are described. Nine patients were studied retrospectively. Overall survival (OS) and Free Disease Survival (FDS) using a Kaplan-Meier model were analyzed. Patients received (DA-EPOCH) etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide. The overall Survival was 18 months and 13 month Free Disease Survival with a median follow-up of 16 months showing full response in 8/9 patients was observed. A very satisfactory treatment response in this group of patients expressed as an increased Overall Survival was noted.

Ada Compiler Validation Summary Report: Certificate Number: 900121S1. 10251 Computer Sciences Corporation MC Ada V1.2.Beta/Concurrent Computer Corporation Concurrent/Masscomp 5600 Host To Concurrent/Masscomp 5600 (Dual 68020 Processor Configuration) Target

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-23

developed Ada Real - Time Operating System (ARTOS) for bare machine environments(Target), ACW 1.1I0. " ; - -M.UIECTTERMS Ada programming language, Ada...configuration) Operating System: CSC developed Ada Real - Time Operating System (ARTOS) for bare machine environments Memory Size: 4MB 2.2...Test Method Testing of the MC Ado V1.2.beta/ Concurrent Computer Corporation compiler and the CSC developed Ada Real - Time Operating System (ARTOS) for

HIV-1 Proteins, Tat and gp120, Target the Developing Dopamine System

PubMed Central

Fitting, Sylvia; Booze, Rosemarie M.; Mactutus, Charles F.

2015-01-01

In 2014, 3.2 million children (< 15 years of age) were estimated to be living with HIV and AIDS worldwide, with the 240,000 newly infected children in the past year, i.e., another child infected approximately every two minutes [1]. The primary mode of HIV infection is through mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), occurring either in utero, intrapartum, or during breastfeeding. The effects of HIV-1 on the central nervous system (CNS) are putatively accepted to be mediated, in part, via viral proteins, such as Tat and gp120. The current review focuses on the targets of HIV-1 proteins during the development of the dopamine (DA) system, which appears to be specifically susceptible in HIV-1-infected children. Collectively, the data suggest that the DA system is a clinically relevant target in chronic HIV-1 infection, is one of the major targets in pediatric HIV-1 CNS infection, and may be specifically susceptible during development. The present review discusses the development of the DA system, follows the possible targets of the HIV-1 proteins during the development of the DA system, and suggests potential therapeutic approaches. By coupling our growing understanding of the development of the CNS with the pronounced age-related differences in disease progression, new light may be shed on the neurological and neurocognitive deficits that follow HIV-1 infection. PMID:25613135

SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE DEVELOPING IMMUNE SYSTEM OF THE RAT TO IMMUNOSUPPRESSION BY THE PESTICIDE HEPTACHLOR

EPA Science Inventory

Determination of the Potential Susceptibility of the Developing Immune System of the Rat to Immunosuppression by the Pesticide Heptachlor
R.J. Smialowicz1 W.C. Williams1, C.B. Copeland1, and R.A. Matulka2
1Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environment...

Solid-state coherent laser radar wind shear measuring systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huffaker, R. Milton

1992-01-01

Coherent Technologies, Inc. (CTI) was established in 1984 to engage in the development of coherent laser radar systems and subsystems with applications in atmospheric remote sensing, and in target tracking, ranging and imaging. CTI focuses its capabilities in three major areas: (1) theoretical performance and design of coherent laser radar system; (2) development of coherent laser radar systems for government agencies such as DoD and NASA; and (3) development of coherent laser radar systems for commercial markets. The topics addressed are: (1) 1.06 micron solid-state coherent laser radar system; (2) wind measurement using 1.06 micron system; and flashlamp-pumped 2.09 micron solid-state coherent laser radar system.

Optimization measurement of muscle oxygen saturation under isometric studies using FNIRS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halim, A. A. A.; Laili, M. H.; Salikin, M. S.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Development of functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technologies has advanced quantification signal using multiple wavelength and detector to investigate hemodynamic response in human muscle. These non-invasive technologies have been widely used to solve the propagation of light inside the tissues including the absorption, scattering coefficient and to quantify the oxygenation level of haemoglobin and myoglobin in human muscle. The goal of this paper is to optimize the measurement of muscle oxygen saturation during isometric exercise using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The experiment was carried out on 15 sedentary healthy male volunteers. All volunteers are required to perform an isometric exercise at three assessment of muscular fatigue's level on flexor digitalis (FDS) muscle in the human forearm using fNIRS. The slopes of the signals have been highlighted to evaluate the muscle oxygen saturation of regional muscle fatigue. As a result, oxygen saturation slope from 10% exercise showed steeper than the first assessment at 30%-50% of fatigues level. The hemodynamic signal response showed significant value (p=0.04) at all three assessment of muscular fatigue's level which produce a p-value (p<0.05) measured by fNIRS. Thus, this highlighted parameter could be used to estimate fatigue's level of human and could open other possibilities to study muscle performance diagnosis.

Ada Compiler Validation Summary Report: Certificate Number: 890420W1. 10075 International Business Machines Corporation. IBM Development System, for the Ada Language CMS/MVS Ada Cross Compiler, Version 2.1.1 IBM 3083 Host and IBM 4381 Target

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-20

International business Machines Corporati,:i IBM Development System for the Ada Language, CMS/MVS Ada Cross Compiler, Version 2.1.1, Wright-Patterson AFB, IBM...VALIDATION SUMMARY REPORT: Certificate Number: 890420W1.10075 International Business Machines Corporation IBM Development System for the Ada Language CMS...command scripts provided by International Business Machines Corporation and reviewed by the validation team. The compiler was tested using all default

Compact Closed Cycle Brayton System Feasibility Study. Volume II.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-08-01

62 3.5.3 Feasibility with Respect to Other Considerations 3-69 3.6 References 3-89 4.0 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 4-1 4.1 Overall CCCBS 4-1 4.1.1 System... Development Program 4-59 1 4.4 References 4-63 5.0 APPLICATIONS OF CCCBS RESULTS 5-1 5.1 Applications 5-2 5.1.1 Advantages of CCCBS 5-2 m 5.1.2...52 9.4.6 Summary of Results 9-59 9.5 Recommended Materials Test Program for Development 9-59 of the CCCBS 9.6 References 9-62 vi I! I I FIGURES g Page

Architecture, Design, and System; Performance Assessment and Development Methodology for Computer-Based Systems. Volume 1. Methodology Description, Discussion, and Assessment,

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-12-30

AD-Ri46 57? ARCHITECTURE DESIGN AND SYSTEM; PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT i/i AND DEVELOPMENT ME..(U) NAVAL SURFACE WEAPONS CENTER SILYER SPRING MD J...AD-A 146 577 NSIWC TR 83-324 ARCHITECTURE , DESIGN , AND SYSTEM; PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT AND DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY...REPORT NUMBER 12. GOVT ACCESSION NO.3. RECIPIENT’S CATALOG NUMBER NSWC TR 83-324 10- 1 1 51’ 4. ?ITLE (and subtitle) ARCHITECTURE , DESIGN , AND SYSTEM; S

The design and application of a Transportable Inference Engine (TIE1)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mclean, David R.

1986-01-01

A Transportable Inference Engine (TIE1) system has been developed by the author as part of the Interactive Experimenter Planning System (IEPS) task which is involved with developing expert systems in support of the Spacecraft Control Programs Branch at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Unlike traditional inference engines, TIE1 is written in the C programming language. In the TIE1 system, knowledge is represented by a hierarchical network of objects which have rule frames. The TIE1 search algorithm uses a set of strategies, including backward chaining, to obtain the values of goals. The application of TIE1 to a spacecraft scheduling problem is described. This application involves the development of a strategies interpreter which uses TIE1 to do constraint checking.

UAS C2 Radio System - Final Phase 1 Development and Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerczewski, Robert; Shalkhauser, Kurt

2017-01-01

Phase 1 of the Command and Control Communications (C2) Subproject of NASA's UAS Integration in the National Airspace System Project included the development and testing of prototype C2 radio systems. This information paper provides an overview of the functionality and testing of the fifth and final Phase 1 generation of the prototype radio system.

Role of Systemic Therapy in the Development of Lung Sequelae After Conformal Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients

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

Varga, Zoltan; Cserhati, Adrienn; Kelemen, Gyoengyi

2011-07-15

Purpose: To analyze the risk of radiogenic lung damage in breast cancer patients after conformal radiotherapy and different forms of systemic treatment. Methods and Materials: In 328 patients receiving sequential taxane-based chemotherapy, concomitant hormone therapy (tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors), or no adjuvant systemic therapy, symptomatic and asymptomatic lung sequelae were prospectively evaluated via the detection of visible CT abnormalities, 3 months or 1 year after the completion of the radiotherapy. Results: Significant positive associations were detected between the development of both pneumonitis and fibrosis of Grade 1 and patient age, ipsilateral mean lung dose, volume of the ipsilateral lung receivingmore » 20 Gy, and irradiation of the regional lymph nodes. In multivariate analysis, age and mean lung dose proved to be independent predictors of early (odds ratio [OR] = 1.035, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.011-1.061 and OR = 1.113, 95% CI 1.049-1.181, respectively) and late (OR = 1.074, 95% CI 1.042-1.107 and OR = 1.207, 95% CI 1.124-1.295, respectively) radiogenic lung damage, whereas the role of systemic therapy was significant in the development of Grade 1 lung fibrosis (p = 0.01). Among the various forms of systemic therapy, tamoxifen increased the risk of late lung sequelae (OR = 2.442, 95% CI 1.120-5.326, p = 0.025). No interaction was demonstrated between the administration of systemic therapy and the other above-mentioned parameters as regards the risk of radiogenic lung damage. Conclusions: Our analyses demonstrate the independent role of concomitant tamoxifen therapy in the development of radiogenic lung fibrosis but do not suggest such an effect for the other modes of systemic treatment.« less

Expression pattern of Anosmin-1 during pre- and postnatal rat brain development.

PubMed

Clemente, Diego; Esteban, Pedro F; Del Valle, Ignacio; Bribián, Ana; Soussi-Yanicostas, Nadia; Silva, Augusto; De Castro, Fernando

2008-09-01

Anosmin-1 participates in the development of the olfactory and GnRH systems. Defects in this protein are responsible for both the anosmia and the hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism found in Kallmann's syndrome patients. Sporadically, these patients also manifest some neurological symptoms that are not explained in terms of the developmental defects in the olfactory system. We describe the pattern of Anosmin-1 expression in the central nervous system during rat development using a novel antibody raised against Anosmin-1 (Anos1). The areas with Anos1-stained neurons and glial cells were classified into three groups: (1) areas with immunoreactivity from embryonic day 16 to postnatal day (P) 15; (2) areas with Anosmin-1 expression only at postnatal development; (3) nuclei with immunoreactivity only at P15. Our data show that Anos1 immunoreactivity is detected in projecting neurons and interneurons within areas of the brain that may be affected in patients with Kallmann's syndrome that develop both the principal as well as sporadic symptoms.

Morphological changes on development of Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in rearing room system, free air CO2 enrichment system and open roof ventilation system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramli, Nur Hasyimah; Yaakop, Salmah

2018-04-01

Tenebrio molitor known as darkling beetle is burrowing insects and can be found all over the world. Tenebrio molitor samples were put in Open Roof Ventilation System, Free Air CO2 Enrichment and Rearing Room system. The development of Tenebrio molitor adult parents (P) and first generation (F1) that more exposed to high level of CO2 were studied. As the results, parent and first generation (F1) of T. molitor shows that there are no significant effects of CO2 on their development. But, decreased development pattern showed between parent and F1 can be used to estimate that prolonged exposure of CO2 will change their development. The highest development of parent showed by OFVSP (0.1708±0.0013) mm, while the lowest showed by FACEP (0.1686±0.0013) mm. For F1, the highest development showed by OFVS F1 (0.1705±0.0015) mm, while RR F1 becomes the lowest (0.1649±0.0023) mm. No significant difference shown by ANOVA test. Unfortunately, the data cannot be used to prove that the development of parent and F1 were affected by CO2 because no significant difference recorded between them. Correlation coefficient analysis of OFVSP and OFVS F1 presented to support the results. It shows that the correlation coefficient among characters from parents and F1 are different. Further study should be done in future to increase our knowledge of the climate change on insects.

The Thermal Flash Protection System, low pass filter JN175666A1

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

Washington, L.A.

1987-06-01

This report discusses the development of the JN175666A1 Low Pass Filter used in the B1-B Thermal Flash Protection System. It also discusses problems encountered during development of the ceramic capacitors and how they were resolved. Included in this report is a description of the filter, the electrical and environmental tests, why they were performed and data accumulated during the development testing. After completing the evaluation of this device, it is concluded that the JN175666A1 filter is a usable component for the B1-B system.

Discovery of novel selenium derivatives as Pin1 inhibitors by high-throughput screening

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

Subedi, Amit; Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570; Shimizu, Takeshi

2016-06-03

Peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerization by Pin1 regulates various oncogenic signals during cancer progression, and its inhibition through multiple approaches has established Pin1 as a therapeutic target. However, lack of simplified screening systems has limited the discovery of potent Pin1 inhibitors. We utilized phosphorylation-dependent binding of Pin1 to its specific substrate to develop a screening system for Pin1 inhibitors. Using this system, we screened a chemical library, and identified a novel selenium derivative as Pin1 inhibitor. Based on structure-activity guided chemical synthesis, we developed more potent Pin1 inhibitors that inhibited cancer cell proliferation. -- Highlights: •Novel screening for Pin1 inhibitors basedmore » on Pin1 binding is developed. •A novel selenium compound is discovered as Pin1 inhibitor. •Activity guided chemical synthesis of selenium derivatives resulted potent Pin1 inhibitors.« less

Creep deformation and rupture behavior of CLAM steel at 823 K and 873 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Boyu; Huang, Bo; Li, Chunjing; Liu, Shaojun; Xu, Gang; Zhao, Yanyun; Huang, Qunying

2014-12-01

China Low Activation Martensitic (CLAM) steel is selected as the candidate structural material in Fusion Design Study (FDS) series fusion reactor conceptual designs. The creep property of CLAM steel has been studied in this paper. Creep tests have been carried out at 823 K and 873 K over a stress range of 150-230 MPa. The creep curves showed three creep regimes, primary creep, steady-state creep and tertiary creep. The relationship between minimum creep rate (ε˙min) and the applied stress (σ) could be described by Norton power law, and the stress exponent n was decreased with the increase of the creep temperature. The creep mechanism was analyzed with the fractographes of the rupture specimens which were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The coarsening of precipitates observed with transmission electron microscope (TEM) indicated the microstructural degradation after creep test.

48 CFR 1.603-4 - Termination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Termination. 1.603-4 Section 1.603-4 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION GENERAL FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM Career Development, Contracting Authority, and Responsibilities 1.603-4...

Analysis of Public Datasets for Wearable Fall Detection Systems.

PubMed

Casilari, Eduardo; Santoyo-Ramón, José-Antonio; Cano-García, José-Manuel

2017-06-27

Due to the boom of wireless handheld devices such as smartwatches and smartphones, wearable Fall Detection Systems (FDSs) have become a major focus of attention among the research community during the last years. The effectiveness of a wearable FDS must be contrasted against a wide variety of measurements obtained from inertial sensors during the occurrence of falls and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). In this regard, the access to public databases constitutes the basis for an open and systematic assessment of fall detection techniques. This paper reviews and appraises twelve existing available data repositories containing measurements of ADLs and emulated falls envisaged for the evaluation of fall detection algorithms in wearable FDSs. The analysis of the found datasets is performed in a comprehensive way, taking into account the multiple factors involved in the definition of the testbeds deployed for the generation of the mobility samples. The study of the traces brings to light the lack of a common experimental benchmarking procedure and, consequently, the large heterogeneity of the datasets from a number of perspectives (length and number of samples, typology of the emulated falls and ADLs, characteristics of the test subjects, features and positions of the sensors, etc.). Concerning this, the statistical analysis of the samples reveals the impact of the sensor range on the reliability of the traces. In addition, the study evidences the importance of the selection of the ADLs and the need of categorizing the ADLs depending on the intensity of the movements in order to evaluate the capability of a certain detection algorithm to discriminate falls from ADLs.

Analysis of Public Datasets for Wearable Fall Detection Systems

PubMed Central

Santoyo-Ramón, José-Antonio; Cano-García, José-Manuel

2017-01-01

Due to the boom of wireless handheld devices such as smartwatches and smartphones, wearable Fall Detection Systems (FDSs) have become a major focus of attention among the research community during the last years. The effectiveness of a wearable FDS must be contrasted against a wide variety of measurements obtained from inertial sensors during the occurrence of falls and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). In this regard, the access to public databases constitutes the basis for an open and systematic assessment of fall detection techniques. This paper reviews and appraises twelve existing available data repositories containing measurements of ADLs and emulated falls envisaged for the evaluation of fall detection algorithms in wearable FDSs. The analysis of the found datasets is performed in a comprehensive way, taking into account the multiple factors involved in the definition of the testbeds deployed for the generation of the mobility samples. The study of the traces brings to light the lack of a common experimental benchmarking procedure and, consequently, the large heterogeneity of the datasets from a number of perspectives (length and number of samples, typology of the emulated falls and ADLs, characteristics of the test subjects, features and positions of the sensors, etc.). Concerning this, the statistical analysis of the samples reveals the impact of the sensor range on the reliability of the traces. In addition, the study evidences the importance of the selection of the ADLs and the need of categorizing the ADLs depending on the intensity of the movements in order to evaluate the capability of a certain detection algorithm to discriminate falls from ADLs. PMID:28653991

ALTERED PHALANX FORCE DIRECTION DURING POWER GRIP FOLLOWING STROKE

PubMed Central

Enders, Leah R.

2015-01-01

Many stroke survivors with severe impairment can grasp only with a power grip. Yet, little knowledge is available on altered power grip after stroke, other than reduced power grip strength. This study characterized stroke survivors’ static power grip during 100% and 50% maximum grip. Each phalanx force’s angular deviation from the normal direction and its contribution to total normal force was compared for 11 stroke survivors and 11 age-matched controls. Muscle activities and skin coefficient of friction (COF) were additionally compared for another 20 stroke and 13 age-matched control subjects. The main finding was that stroke survivors gripped with a 34% greater phalanx force angular deviation of 19±2° compared to controls of 14±1° (p<.05). Stroke survivors’ phalanx force angular deviation was closer to the 23° threshold of slippage between the phalanx and grip surface, which may explain increased likelihood of object dropping in stroke survivors. In addition, this altered phalanx force direction decreases normal grip force by tilting the force vector, indicating a partial role of phalanx force angular deviation in reduced grip strength post stroke. Greater phalanx force angular deviation may biomechanically result from more severe underactivation of stroke survivors’ first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and extensor digitorum communis (EDC) muscles compared to their flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) or somatosensory deficit. While stroke survivors’ maximum power grip strength was approximately half of the controls’, the distribution of their remaining strength over the fingers and phalanges did not differ, indicating evenly distributed grip force reduction over the entire hand. PMID:25795079

48 CFR 1.103 - Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Authority. 1.103 Section 1... REGULATIONS SYSTEM Purpose, Authority, Issuance 1.103 Authority. (a) The development of the FAR System is in..., National Aeronautics and Space Administration, under their several statutory authorities. [48 FR 42103...

Enhancement and Utilization of Airborne Magnetometry for the Detection, Characterization, and Identification of Unexploded Ordance (UXO)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

measurement system is based on four GPS antennas rather than a fluxgate magnetometer measurement used in previous generation systems. For the ORAGS...hardware 1 $36,500 Orientation system 1 $16,600 Fluxgate magnetometer 1 $5,300 Navigation system 1 $5,200 Laser altimeter 1 $7,300 Data...1 iii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. Schematic for the ORAGS-Arrowhead Airborne Total Field Magnetometer System Developed for this Project

The role of the immune system in neurofibromatosis type 1-associated nervous system tumors.

PubMed

Karmakar, Souvik; Reilly, Karlyne M

2017-01-01

With the recent development of new anticancer therapies targeting the immune system, it is important to understand which immune cell types and cytokines play critical roles in suppressing or promoting tumorigenesis. The role of mast cells in promoting neurofibroma growth in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients was hypothesized decades ago. More recent experiments in mouse models have demonstrated the causal role of mast cells in neurofibroma development and of microglia in optic pathway glioma development. We review here what is known about the role of NF1 mutation in immune cell function and the role of immune cells in promoting tumorigenesis in NF1. We also review the therapies targeting immune cell pathways and their promise in NF1 tumors.

48 CFR 1.602-1 - Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Authority. 1.602-1 Section... ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM Career Development, Contracting Authority, and Responsibilities 1.602-1 Authority. (a) Contracting officers have authority to enter into, administer, or terminate contracts and...

Department of Defense In-House RDT and E Activities Report for Fiscal Year 1990

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-01

equipment systems. Advanced personnel and cargo airdrop system. 1FUNCTIONS/EQUIPMENT!/FACI LITIES Biotechnology lab, materials characterization lab...4 Airworthines. Qualification Test Directorate ..... .................................... 5 Armament Rrsearch . Developaent & Eaguiecring Center...1), exploratory development (6.2), advanced development (6.3), engineering development (6.4), management support (6.5), operational systems support

Ada Compiler Validation Summary Report: Certificate Number: 880318W1. 09041, International Business Machines Corporation, IBM Development System for the Ada Language, Version 2.1.0, IBM 4381 under VM/HPO, Host and Target

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-28

International Business Machines Corporation IBM Development System for the Ada Language, Version 2.1.0 IBM 4381 under VM/HPO, host and target DTIC...necessary and identify by block number) International Business Machines Corporation, IBM Development System for the Ada Language, Version 2.1.0, IBM...in the compiler listed in this declaration. I declare that International Business Machines Corporation is the owner of record of the object code of the

RSL genes are sufficient for rhizoid system development in early diverging land plants.

PubMed

Jang, Geupil; Yi, Keke; Pires, Nuno D; Menand, Benoît; Dolan, Liam

2011-06-01

Land plants are anchored to their substratum from which essential inorganic nutrients are taken up. These functions are carried out by a system of rhizoids in early diverging groups of land plants, such as mosses, liverworts and hornworts. Physcomitrella patens RHD SIX-LIKE1 (PpRSL1) and PpRSL2 transcription factors are necessary for rhizoid development in mosses. Similar proteins, AtRHD6 and AtRSL1, control the development of root hairs in Arabidopsis thaliana. Auxin positively regulates root hair development independently of AtRHD6 and AtRSL1 in A. thaliana but the regulatory interactions between auxin and PpRSL1 and PpRSL2 are unknown. We show here that co-expression of PpRSL1 and PpRSL2 is sufficient for the development of the rhizoid system in the moss P. patens; constitutive expression of PpRSL1 and PpRSL2 converts developing leafy shoot axes (gametophores) into rhizoids. During wild-type development, PpRSL1 and PpRSL2 are expressed in the specialized cells that develop rhizoids, indicating that cell-specific expression of PpRSL1 and PpRSL2 is sufficient to promote rhizoid differentiation during wild-type P. patens development. In contrast to A. thaliana, auxin promotes rhizoid development by positively regulating PpRSL1 and PpRSL2 activity in P. patens. This indicates that even though the same genes control the development of root hairs and rhizoids, the regulation of this transcriptional network by auxin is different in these two species. This suggests that auxin might have controlled the development of the first land plant soil anchoring systems that evolved 465 million years ago by regulating the expression of RSL genes and that this regulatory network has changed since mosses and angiosperms last shared a common ancestor.

LCRE and SNAP 50-DR-1 programs. Engineering and progress report, April 1, 1963--June 30, 1963

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

None

BS>Declassified 6 Sep 1973. Information is presented concerning the LCRE kinetics, auxiliary systems, fuel, primary cooling system components, instrumentation, secondary cooling system, materials development, and fabrication; and SNAP-50/SPUR kinetics, fuel, primary system pump, steam generator, and materials development. (DCC)

Phase 1 of the First Small Power System Experiment (engineering Experiment No. 1). Volume 4: Commercial System Definition. [development and testing of a solar thermal power plant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holl, R. J.

1979-01-01

The development and design of a modular solar thermal power system for application in the 1 to 10 MWe range is described. The system is used in remote utility applications, small communities, rural areas, and for industrial uses. The operational reliability, the minimum risk of failure, and the maintenance and repair characteristics are determined and the commercial system design is defined.

Implementing Embedded Training (ET): Volume 4. Identifying ET Requirements

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-11-01

procedures that support the effective co::sidet·;,tion, definition, development , and integration of e::1 11cddcd trzd;Li:1r; (ET) ;~.:1p:1bilities...an effective ET compo- nent would be impossible or have undesired schedule or cost impacts. Iteration Two: Early System Development Once the new...ET. These needs can sometimes have a significant effect on the design of the prime item system. It is critical that materiel developers be made aware

Irxl1 mutant mice show reduced tendon differentiation and no patterning defects in musculoskeletal system development.

PubMed

Kimura, Wataru; Machii, Masashi; Xue, XiaoDong; Sultana, Nishat; Hikosaka, Keisuke; Sharkar, Mohammad T K; Uezato, Tadayoshi; Matsuda, Masashi; Koseki, Haruhiko; Miura, Naoyuki

2011-01-01

Irxl1 (Iroquois-related homeobox like-1) is a newly identified three amino-acid loop extension (TALE) homeobox gene, which is expressed in various mesoderm-derived tissues, particularly in the progenitors of the musculoskeletal system. To analyze the roles of Irxl1 during embryonic development, we generated mice carrying a null allele of Irxl1. Mice homozygous for the targeted allele were viable, fertile, and showed reduced tendon differentiation. Skeletal morphology and skeletal muscle weight in Irxl1-knockout mice appeared normal. Expression patterns of several marker genes for cartilage, tendon, and muscle progenitors in homozygous mutant embryos were unchanged. These results suggest that Irxl1 is required for the tendon differentiation but dispensable for the patterning of the musculoskeletal system in development. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Description and evaluation of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system version 5.1

EPA Science Inventory

The Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model is a comprehensive multipollutant air quality modeling system developed and maintained by the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD). Recently, version 5.1 of the CMAQ model (v5.1) was ...

48 CFR 2801.603-1 - Department of Justice Acquisition Career Management Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Representatives, or equivalent positions. (c) The program shall include: (1) Management information system... acquisition workforce management information system. (2) Individual assessments and development plans for... Acquisition Career Management Program. 2801.603-1 Section 2801.603-1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System...

Enhancements for a Dynamic Data Warehousing and Mining System for Large-scale HSCB Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-20

YouTube Data Collection ................................................................................. 2 1.1.1 Scraawl YouTube Data Collection API...Development ............................... 2 1.1.2 Scraawl UI Development for YouTube Searches ....................................... 3 2 Current...following tasks.  Developed automated YouTube data collection capabilities. We have developed automated YouTube video metadata collection capabilities and

Asynchronous discrete control of continuous processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaliski, M. E.; Johnson, T. L.

1984-07-01

The research during this second contract year continued to deal with the development of sound theoretical models for asynchronous systems. Two criteria served to shape the research pursued: the first, that the developed models extend and generalize previously developed research for synchronous discrete control; the second, that the models explicitly address the question of how to incorporate system transition times into themselves. The following sections of this report concisely delineate this year's work. Our original proposal for this research identified four general tasks of investigation: (1.1) Analysis of Qualitative Properties of Asynchronous Hybrid Systems; (1.2) Acceptance and Control for Asynchronous Hybrid Systems.

Phase 1 of the First Small Power System Experiment (engineering Experiment No. 1). Volume 1: Executive Summary. [development and testing of a solar thermal power plant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holl, R. J.

1979-01-01

The development of a modular solar thermal power system for application in the 1 to 10 MWe range is presented. The system is used in remote utility applications, small communities, rural areas, and for industrial uses. Investigations are performed on the energy storage requirements and type of energy storage, concentrator design and field optimization, energy transport, and power conversion subsystems. The system utilizes a Rankine cycle, an axial flow steam turbine for power conversion, and heat transfer sodium for collector fluid.

The fault monitoring and diagnosis knowledge-based system for space power systems: AMPERES, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, S. C.

1989-01-01

The objective is to develop a real time fault monitoring and diagnosis knowledge-based system (KBS) for space power systems which can save costly operational manpower and can achieve more reliable space power system operation. The proposed KBS was developed using the Autonomously Managed Power System (AMPS) test facility currently installed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), but the basic approach taken for this project could be applicable for other space power systems. The proposed KBS is entitled Autonomously Managed Power-System Extendible Real-time Expert System (AMPERES). In Phase 1 the emphasis was put on the design of the overall KBS, the identification of the basic research required, the initial performance of the research, and the development of a prototype KBS. In Phase 2, emphasis is put on the completion of the research initiated in Phase 1, and the enhancement of the prototype KBS developed in Phase 1. This enhancement is intended to achieve a working real time KBS incorporated with the NASA space power system test facilities. Three major research areas were identified and progress was made in each area. These areas are real time data acquisition and its supporting data structure; sensor value validations; development of inference scheme for effective fault monitoring and diagnosis, and its supporting knowledge representation scheme.

[A comparison of paying patients in private practice and in public dental service--found from the Harstad-study 1974].

PubMed

Heloe, L A; Heloe, B

1975-09-01

Since 1950, the Public Dental Service (PDS) has gradually been developed in Norway. In addition to rendering free and systematic treatment to children aged 6--17 years, which has priority, the PDS also offers treatment to other categories of patients at fixed fees, generally lower than those in private practice. The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the impact made by PDS on the dental treatment pattern within one particular area (the district of Harstad with a population of approximately 29,000). Furthermore, the study included a description of the clientele in the PDS, excluding the "free clientele" aged 6--17, in relation to that treated in private practice. During a limited period in February--March 1974, all the 9 dentists in the PDS treating "paying clientele" and all the 9 private practitioners in the district, filled in a questionnaire by each patient visit (course of treatment) (Fig. 1). In addition to the information on social and demographic characteristics, data were also collected on dental treatment pattern, the treatment presently rendered, and the presence of teeth and possible dentures (Fig. 1). Four--fifths of the visits made by "paying clientele" were made in private practice, only one--fifth in the PDS. In private practice, rural people, women and people of young age were underrepresented. Children under 6 years of age comprised 3% of the clientele in private practice and 9% in the PDS. No significant difference was found between the two types of practice regarding the social class composition of the clientele. Dental status as measured by the occurrence of teeth and dentures was generally poorer among the PDS patients, seemingly due to the overweight of rural people and of those with an irregular or occasional treatment pattern. Totally 40% of all visits were made by regular treatment attenders. 20% of the services delivered were prophylaxes and/or periodontics, 56% were conservative and/or endodontic treatments. The introduction of the FDS in the district some 10--15 years ago has conceivably contributed to an overall increase in the demand for dental services, and to an improvement of denial treatment patterns. During this period, the number of public dentists has increased from 2--3 to a total of 12. Correspondingly, the number of private practitioners has increased from 5 to 9, of whom 2 work part time. The treatment attendance of some population subgroups is, however, still lagging behind: rural people, small children and persons over 50 years of age, and particularly people belonging to lower socio-economic brackets.

Space station systems analysis study. Part 1, volume 1: Executive study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Potential space station system options were examined for a permanent, manned, orbital space facility and to provide data to NASA program planners and decision makers for their use in future program planning. There were ten space station system objectives identified. These were categorized into five major objectives and five supporting objectives. The major objectives were to support the development of: (1) satellite power systems, (2) nuclear energy plants in space, (3) space processing, (4) earth services, and (5) space cosmological research and development. The five supporting objectives, to define space facilities which would be basic building blocks for future systems, were: (1) a multidiscipline science laboratory, (2) an orbital depot to maintain, fuel, and service orbital transfer vehicles, (3) cluster support systems to provide power and data processing for multiple orbital elements, (4) a sensor development facility, and (5) the facilities necessary to enhance man's living and working in space.

The Human Side of Cyber Conflict: Organizing, Training, and Equipping the Air Force Cyber Workforce

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

Breakdown of the 17D community as of 31 March 2014. (Reproduced from 17D Officer Assignment Team, Cyberspace Operations “Spread the Word” briefing, 9– 11 ...surety 3D0X4 Computer systems programs 3D1X1 Client systems 3D1X2 Cyber transport 3D1X3 Radio frequency transport 3D1X4 Spectrum operations 3D1X5 Radar...Computer systems programs 3D1X1 Client systems 3D1X2 Cyber transport systems 3D1X3 Radio frequency transmissionsystems FORCE DEVELOPMENT │ 123 Table 8

Thermal Development Test of the NEXT PM1 Ion Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, John R.; Snyder, John S.; VanNoord, Jonathan L.; Soulas, George C.

2010-01-01

NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) is a next-generation high-power ion propulsion system under development by NASA as a part of the In-Space Propulsion Technology Program. NEXT is designed for use on robotic exploration missions of the solar system using solar electric power. Potential mission destinations that could benefit from a NEXT Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) system include inner planets, small bodies, and outer planets and their moons. This range of robotic exploration missions generally calls for ion propulsion systems with deep throttling capability and system input power ranging from 0.6 to 25 kW, as referenced to solar array output at 1 Astronomical Unit (AU). Thermal development testing of the NEXT prototype model 1 (PM1) was conducted at JPL to assist in developing and validating a thruster thermal model and assessing the thermal design margins. NEXT PM1 performance prior to, during and subsequent to thermal testing are presented. Test results are compared to the predicted hot and cold environments expected missions and the functionality of the thruster for these missions is discussed.

48 CFR 1301.602-1 - Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Authority. 1301.602-1 Section 1301.602-1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GENERAL DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM Career Development, Contracting Authority, and Responsibilities...

48 CFR 1301.602-1 - Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Authority. 1301.602-1 Section 1301.602-1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GENERAL DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM Career Development, Contracting Authority, and Responsibilities...

Development of ECT/UT inspection system for bottom mounted instrumentation nozzle of PWR reactor vessels

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

Tanaka, H.; Fukui, S.; Iwahashi, Y.

1994-12-31

The development of inspection technique and tool for Bottom Mounted Instrument (BMI) nozzle of PWR plant was performed for countermeasure of leakage accident at incore instrument nozzle of Hamaoka-1 (BWR). MHI achieved the following development, of which object was PWR Plant R/V: (1) development of ECT/UT Multi-sensored Probe; (2) development of Inspection System (3) development of Data Processing System. The Inspection System had been functionally tested using full scale mock-up. As the result of the functional test, this system was confirmed to be very effective, and assumed to be hopeful for the actual application on site.

Intelligent Integrated System Health Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Figueroa, Fernando

2012-01-01

Intelligent Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) is the management of data, information, and knowledge (DIaK) with the purposeful objective of determining the health of a system (Management: storage, distribution, sharing, maintenance, processing, reasoning, and presentation). Presentation discusses: (1) ISHM Capability Development. (1a) ISHM Knowledge Model. (1b) Standards for ISHM Implementation. (1c) ISHM Domain Models (ISHM-DM's). (1d) Intelligent Sensors and Components. (2) ISHM in Systems Design, Engineering, and Integration. (3) Intelligent Control for ISHM-Enabled Systems

Potential development of an intercity passenger transit system in Texas : report on tasks 1-5.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-11-01

This report summarizes the results of Tasks 1 through 5 of TxDOT Research Project 0-5930: Potential : Development of an Intercity Passenger Transit System in Texas. Rather than focus on any regional : commuter or light rail systems within or radiatin...

The JINR Tier1 Site Simulation for Research and Development Purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korenkov, V.; Nechaevskiy, A.; Ososkov, G.; Pryahina, D.; Trofimov, V.; Uzhinskiy, A.; Voytishin, N.

2016-02-01

Distributed complex computing systems for data storage and processing are in common use in the majority of modern scientific centers. The design of such systems is usually based on recommendations obtained via a preliminary simulated model used and executed only once. However big experiments last for years and decades, and the development of their computing system is going on, not only quantitatively but also qualitatively. Even with the substantial efforts invested in the design phase to understand the systems configuration, it would be hard enough to develop a system without additional research of its future evolution. The developers and operators face the problem of the system behaviour predicting after the planned modifications. A system for grid and cloud services simulation is developed at LIT (JINR, Dubna). This simulation system is focused on improving the effciency of the grid/cloud structures development by using the work quality indicators of some real system. The development of such kind of software is very important for making a new grid/cloud infrastructure for such big scientific experiments like the JINR Tier1 site for WLCG. The simulation of some processes of the Tier1 site is considered as an example of our application approach.

Ncam1a and Ncam1b: two carriers of polysialic acid with different functions in the developing zebrafish nervous system.

PubMed

Langhauser, Melanie; Ustinova, Jana; Rivera-Milla, Eric; Ivannikov, Darja; Seidl, Carmen; Slomka, Christin; Finne, Jukka; Yoshihara, Yoshihiro; Bastmeyer, Martin; Bentrop, Joachim

2012-02-01

Polysialic acid (polySia) is mainly described as a glycan modification of the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM1. PolySia-NCAM1 has multiple functions during the development of vertebrate nervous systems including axon extension and fasciculation. Phylogenetic analyses reveal the presence of two related gene clusters, NCAM1 and NCAM2, in tetrapods and fishes. Within the ncam1 cluster, teleost fishes express ncam1a (ncam) and ncam1b (pcam) as duplicated paralogs which arose from a second round of ray-finned fish-specific genome duplication. Tetrapods, in contrast, express a single NCAM1 gene. Using the zebrafish model, we identify Ncam1b as a novel major carrier of polySia in the nervous system. PolySia-Ncam1a is expressed predominantly in rostral regions of the developing nervous system, whereas polySia-Ncam1b prevails caudally. We show that ncam1a and ncam1b have different expression domains which only partially overlap. Furthermore, Ncam1a and Ncam1b and their polySia modifications serve different functions in axon guidance. Formation of the posterior commissure at the forebrain/midbrain junction requires polySia-Ncam1a on the axons for proper fasciculation, whereas Ncam1b, expressed by midbrain cell bodies, serves as an instructive guidance cue for the dorso-medially directed growth of axons. Spinal motor axons, on the other hand, depend on axonally expressed Ncam1b for correct growth toward their target region. Collectively, these findings suggest that the genome duplication in the teleost lineage has provided the basis for a functional diversification of polySia carriers in the nervous system.

Towards an operational fault isolation expert system for French telecommunication satellite Telecom 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haziza, M.

1990-10-01

The DIAMS satellite fault isolation expert system shell concept is described. The project, initiated in 1985, has led to the development of a prototype Expert System (ES) dedicated to the Telecom 1 attitude and orbit control system. The prototype ES has been installed in the Telecom 1 satellite control center and evaluated by Telecom 1 operations. The development of a fault isolation ES covering a whole spacecraft (the French telecommunication satellite Telecom 2) is currently being undertaken. Full scale industrial applications raise stringent requirements in terms of knowledge management and software development methodology. The approach used by MATRA ESPACE to face this challenge is outlined.

Innovative Technology Reduces Power Plant Emissions - Commercialization Success

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrish, Clyde

2004-01-01

Emission control system development includes: (1) Development of new oxidizer scrubber system to eliminate NOx waste and produce fertilizer (2) Technology licensed and a 1 to 3 MWatt-scale prototype installed on. power plant (3) Development of method to oxidize NO. to N02 (4) Experience gained from licensing NASA technology

Cost Estimation Techniques for C3I System Software.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-07-01

opment manmonth have been determined for maxi, midi , and mini .1 type computers. Small to median size timeshared developments used 0.2 to 1.5 hours...development schedule 1.23 1.00 1.10 2.1.3 Detailed Model The final codification of the COCOMO regressions was the development of separate effort...regardless of the software structure level being estimated: D8VC -- the expected development computer (maxi. midi . mini, micro) MODE -- the expected

The standards process: X3 information processing systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emard, Jean-Paul

1993-01-01

The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: International Organization for Standards (ISO); International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC); ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee 1 (JTC-1); U.S. interface to JTC-1; ANSI; national organizations; U.S. standards development processes; national and international standards developing organizations; regional organizations; and X3 information processing systems.

A novel subset of enteric neurons revealed by ptf1a:GFP in the developing zebrafish enteric nervous system.

PubMed

Uribe, Rosa A; Gu, Tiffany; Bronner, Marianne E

2016-03-01

The enteric nervous system, the largest division of the peripheral nervous system, is derived from vagal neural crest cells that invade and populate the entire length of the gut to form diverse neuronal subtypes. Here, we identify a novel population of neurons within the enteric nervous system of zebrafish larvae that express the transgenic marker ptf1a:GFP within the midgut. Genetic lineage analysis reveals that enteric ptf1a:GFP(+) cells are derived from the neural crest and that most ptf1a:GFP(+) neurons express the neurotransmitter 5HT, demonstrating that they are serotonergic. This transgenic line, Tg(ptf1a:GFP), provides a novel neuronal marker for a subpopulation of neurons within the enteric nervous system, and highlights the possibility that Ptf1a may act as an important transcription factor for enteric neuron development. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evolvement of transgenic male-sterility and fertility-restoration system in rice for production of hybrid varieties.

PubMed

Rao, Gundra Sivakrishna; Deveshwar, Priyanka; Sharma, Malini; Kapoor, Sanjay; Rao, Khareedu Venkateswara

2018-01-01

We have developed a unique male-sterility and fertility-restoration system in rice by combining Brassica napus cysteine-protease gene (BnCysP1) with anther-specific P12 promoter of rice for facilitating production of hybrid varieties. In diverse crop plants, male-sterility has been exploited as a useful approach for production of hybrid varieties to harness the benefits of hybrid vigour. The promoter region of Os12bglu38 gene of rice has been isolated from the developing panicles and was designated as P12. The promoter was fused with gusA reporter gene and was expressed in Arabidopsis and rice systems. Transgenic plants exhibited GUS activity in tapetal cells and pollen of the developing anthers indicating anther/pollen-specific expression of the promoter. For engineering nuclear male sterility, the coding region of Brassica napus cysteine protease1 (BnCysP1) was isolated from developing seeds and fused to P12 promoter. Transgenic rice plants obtained with P12-BnCysP1 failed to produce functional pollen grains. The F 1 seeds obtained from BnCysP1 male-sterile plants and untransformed controls showed 1:1 (tolerant:sensitive) ratio when germinated on the MS medium supplemented with phosphinothricin (5 mg/l), confirming that the male sterility has been successfully engineered in rice. For male fertility restoration, transgenic rice plants carrying BnCysP1Si silencing system were developed. The pollination of BnCysP1 male-sterile (female-fertile) plants with BnCysP1Si pollen resulted in normal grain filling. The F 1 seeds of BnCysP1 × BnCysP1Si when germinated on the MS basal medium containing PPT (5 mg/l) and hygromycin (70 mg/l) exhibited 1:1 (tolerant:sensitive) ratio and the tolerant plants invariably showed normal grain filling. The overall results clearly suggest that the customized male-sterility & fertility-restoration system can be exploited for quality hybrid seed production in various crops.

Dynamic System Coupler Program (DYSCO 4.1). Volume 1. Theoretical Manual

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-01

present analysis is as follows: 1. Triplet X, Y, Z represents an inertia frame, R. The R system coordinates are the rotor shaft axes when there is...small perturbation analysis . 2.5 3-D MODAL STRUCTURE - CFM3 A three-dimensional structure is represented as a linear combination of orth­ ogonal modes...Include rotor blade damage modeling, Elgen analysis development, general time history solution development, frequency domain solution development

Development of a Locomotion Interface for Portable Virtual Environment Systems Using an Inertial/Magnetic Sensor-Based System and a Ranging Measurement System

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

56 1. Motivation ...83 1. Motivation ...........................................................................................83 2. Environment Requirements...ENVIRONMENT SYSTEMS ......................................................97 A. BACKGROUND AND MOTIVATION

The relationship between hypomagnesemia, metformin therapy and cardiovascular disease complicating type 2 diabetes: the Fremantle Diabetes Study.

PubMed

Peters, Kirsten E; Chubb, S A Paul; Davis, Wendy A; Davis, Timothy M E

2013-01-01

Low serum magnesium concentrations have been associated with cardiovascular disease risk and outcomes in some general population studies but there are no equivalent studies in diabetes. Metformin may have cardiovascular benefits beyond blood glucose lowering in type 2 diabetes but its association with hypomagnesemia appears paradoxical. The aim of this study was to examine relationships between metformin therapy, magnesium homoeostasis and cardiovascular disease in well-characterized type 2 patients from the community. We studied 940 non-insulin-treated patients (mean ± SD age 63.4 ± 11.6 years, 49.0% males) from the longitudinal observational Fremantle Diabetes Study Phase I (FDS1) who were followed for 12.3 ± 5.3 years. Baseline serum magnesium was measured using stored sera. Multivariate methods were used to determine associates of prevalent and incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) as ascertained from self-report and linked morbidity/mortality databases. 19% of patients were hypomagnesemic (serum magnesium <0.70 mmol/L). Patients on metformin, alone or combined with a sulfonylurea, had lower serum magnesium concentrations than those on diet alone (P<0.05). There were no independent associations between serum magnesium or metformin therapy and either CHD or CVD at baseline. Incident CVD, but not CHD, was independently and inversely associated with serum magnesium (hazard ratio (95% CI) 0.28 (0.11-0.74); P=0.010), but metformin therapy was not a significant variable in these models. Since hypomagnesemia appears to be an independent risk factor for CVD complicating type 2 diabetes, the value of replacement therapy should be investigated further, especially in patients at high CVD risk.

An international comparative family medicine study of the Transition Project data from the Netherlands, Malta and Serbia. Is family medicine an international discipline? Comparing incidence and prevalence rates of reasons for encounter and diagnostic titles of episodes of care across populations.

PubMed

Soler, Jean K; Okkes, Inge; Oskam, Sibo; van Boven, Kees; Zivotic, Predrag; Jevtic, Milan; Dobbs, Frank; Lamberts, Henk

2012-06-01

This is a study of the epidemiology of family medicine (FM) in three practice populations from the Netherlands, Malta and Serbia. Incidence and prevalence rates, especially of reasons for encounter (RfEs) and episode labels, are compared. Participating family doctors (FDs) recorded details of all their patient contacts in an episode of care (EoC) structure using electronic patient records based on the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC), collecting data on all elements of the doctor-patient encounter. RfEs presented by the patient, all FD interventions and the diagnostic labels (EoCs labels) recorded for each encounter were classified with ICPC (ICPC-2-E in Malta and Serbia and ICPC-1 in the Netherlands). The content of family practice in the three population databases, incidence and prevalence rates of the common top 20 RfEs and EoCs in the three databases are given. Data that are collected with an episode-based model define incidence and prevalence rates much more precisely. Incidence and prevalence rates reflect the content of the doctor-patient encounter in FM but only from a superficial perspective. However, we found evidence of an international FM core content and a local FM content reflected by important similarities in such distributions. FM is a complex discipline, and the reduction of the content of a consultation into one or more medical diagnoses, ignoring the patient's RfE, is a coarse reduction, which lacks power to fully characterize a population's health care needs. In fact, RfE distributions seem to be more consistent between populations than distributions of EoCs are, in many respects.

User Instructions for the Systems Assessment Capability, Rev. 1, Computer Codes Volume 3: Utility Codes

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

Eslinger, Paul W.; Aaberg, Rosanne L.; Lopresti, Charles A.

2004-09-14

This document contains detailed user instructions for a suite of utility codes developed for Rev. 1 of the Systems Assessment Capability. The suite of computer codes for Rev. 1 of Systems Assessment Capability performs many functions.

[Human resources for local health systems].

PubMed

Linger, C

1989-01-01

The economic and social crises affecting Latin America have had a profound social and political effect on its structures. This paper analyzes this impact from 2 perspectives: 1) the impact on the apparatus of the state, in particular on its health infra-structures; and 2) the direction of the democratic process in the continent and the participatory processes of civil societies. The institutionalization of the Local Health Systems (SILOS) is an effort to analyze the problem from within the health sector and propose solutions. This paper discusses the issues of human resource development in health systems; training in human resource development and human resource development in local health care systems. There are 3 strategies used to change health systems: 1) The judicial-political system: The state's apparatus 2) The political-administrative system: the national health care system; and 3) the political-operative system: local health care systems. To assure implementation of SILOS there are 4 steps to be followed: 1) create political conditions that allow the transformation and development of local health systems; 2) development of high-level institutional and political initiatives to develop health care networks; 3) offer key players institutional space and social action to develop the SILOS process; 4) rapidly develop SILOS in regions to assure its integration with other development efforts. The labor force in the health sector and organized communities play critical roles in proposing and institutionalizing health programs.

Early Childhood Technology Integrated Instructional System (EC-TIIS) Phase 1: A Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutinger, Patricia; Robinson, Linda; Schneider, Carol

2004-01-01

The Early Childhood Technology Integrated Instructional System (EC-TIIS), a Steppingstones of Technology Innovation Phase 1--Development project, was developed by the Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood (the Center) at Western Illinois University as an online instructional system. EC-TIIS' ultimate goal was to improve technology services…

ASSESSMENT OF MODELS OF GALACTIC THERMAL DUST EMISSION USING COBE /FIRAS AND COBE /DIRBE OBSERVATIONS

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

Odegard, N.; Kogut, A.; Miller, N. J.

2016-09-01

Accurate modeling of the spectrum of thermal dust emission at millimeter wavelengths is important for improving the accuracy of foreground subtraction for cosmic microwave background (CMB) measurements, for improving the accuracy with which the contributions of different foreground emission components can be determined, and for improving our understanding of dust composition and dust physics. We fit four models of dust emission to high Galactic latitude COBE /FIRAS and COBE /DIRBE observations from 3 mm to 100 μ m and compare the quality of the fits. We consider the two-level systems (TLS) model because it provides a physically motivated explanation formore » the observed long wavelength flattening of the dust spectrum and the anti-correlation between emissivity index and dust temperature. We consider the model of Finkbeiner et al. because it has been widely used for CMB studies, and the generalized version of this model that was recently applied to Planck data by Meisner and Finkbeiner. For comparison we have also fit a phenomenological model consisting of the sum of two graybody components. We find that the two-graybody model gives the best fit and the FDS model gives a significantly poorer fit than the other models. The Meisner and Finkbeiner model and the TLS model remain viable for use in Galactic foreground subtraction, but the FIRAS data do not have a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio to provide a strong test of the predicted spectrum at millimeter wavelengths.« less

Preliminary neutronics design of china lead-alloy cooled demonstration reactor (CLEAR-III) for nuclear waste transmutation

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

Chen, Z.; Southwest Science and Technology Univ., No.350 Shushanhu Road, Shushan District, Hefei, Anhui, 230031; Chen, Y.

2012-07-01

China Lead-Alloy cooled Demonstration Reactor (CLEAR-III), which is the concept of lead-bismuth cooled accelerator driven sub-critical reactor for nuclear waste transmutation, was proposed and designed by FDS team in China. In this study, preliminary neutronics design studies have primarily focused on three important performance parameters including Transmutation Support Ratio (TSR), effective multiplication factor and blanket thermal power. The constraint parameters, such as power peaking factor and initial TRU loading, were also considered. In the specific design, uranium-free metallic dispersion fuel of (TRU-Zr)-Zr was used as one of the CLEAR-III fuel types and the ratio between MA and Pu was adjustedmore » to maximize transmutation ratio. In addition, three different fuel zones differing in the TRU fraction of the fuel were respectively employed for this subcritical reactor, and the zone sizes and TRU fractions were determined such that the linear powers of these zones were close to each other. The neutronics calculations and analyses were performed by using Multi-Functional 4D Neutronics Simulation System named VisualBUS and nuclear data library HENDL (Hybrid Evaluated Nuclear Data Library). In the preliminary design, the maximum TSRLLMA was {approx}11 and the blanket thermal power was {approx}1000 MW when the effective multiplication factor was 0.98. The results showed that good performance of transmutation could be achieved based on the subcritical reactor loaded with uranium-free fuel. (authors)« less

Assessment of Models of Galactic Thermal Dust Emission Using COBE/FIRAS and COBE/DIRBE Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Odegard, N.; Kogut, A.; Chuss, D. T.; Miller, N. J.

2016-01-01

Accurate modeling of the spectrum of thermal dust emission at millimeter wavelengths is important for improving the accuracy of foreground subtraction for cosmic microwave background (CMB) measurements, for improving the accuracy with which the contributions of different foreground emission components can be determined, and for improving our understanding of dust composition and dust physics. We fit four models of dust emission to high Galactic latitude COBE/FIRAS and COBE/DIRBE observations from 3 mm to 100m and compare the quality of the fits. We consider the two-level systems (TLS) model because it provides a physically motivated explanation for the observed long wavelength flattening of the dust spectrum and the anti-correlation between emissivity index and dust temperature. We consider the model of Finkbeiner et al. because it has been widely used for CMB studies, and the generalized version of this model that was recently applied to Planck data by Meisner and Finkbeiner. For comparison we have also fit a phenomenological model consisting of the sum of two-graybody components. We find that the two-graybody model gives the best fit and the FDS model gives a significantly poorer fit than the othermodels. The Meisner and Finkbeiner model and the TLS model remain viable for use in Galactic foreground subtraction, but the FIRAS data do not have a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio to provide a strong test of the predicted spectrum at millimeter wavelengths.

JANNAF Airbreathing Propulsion Subcommittee and 35th Combustion Subcommittee Meeting. Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fry, Ronald S. (Editor); Gannaway, Mary T. (Editor); Rognan, Melanie (Editor)

1998-01-01

This document, CPIA Publication 682, Volume 1, is a compilation of 5 unclassified/unlimited technical papers (approved for public release) which were presented at the 1 998 meeting of the Joint Army-Navy-NASA-Air Force (JANNAF) Airbreathing Propulsion Subcommittee (APS) and Combustion Subcommittee (CS) held jointly with the Propulsion Systems Hazards Subcommittee (PSHS). The meeting was held on 7-11 December 1998 at Raytheon Systems Company and the Marriott Hotel, Tucson, AZ. Topics covered include HyTech technology development, hydrocarbon fuel development for hypersonic applications, pulse detonation propulsion system development and arc heaters for direct-connect scramjet testing.

Innovative Technology Reduces Power Plant Emissions-Commercialization Success

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrish, Clyde; Chung, Landy

2004-01-01

Overview of emission control system development: (1) Development of new oxidizer scrubber system to eliminate NOx waste and produce fertilizer (2) Technology licensed and a 1 to 3 MWatt-scale prototype installed on power plant (3) Development of method to oxidize NO to NO2 (4) Experience gained from licensing NASA technology.

Reader Architectures for Wireless Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors.

PubMed

Lurz, Fabian; Ostertag, Thomas; Scheiner, Benedict; Weigel, Robert; Koelpin, Alexander

2018-05-28

Wireless surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors have some unique features that make them promising for industrial metrology. Their decisive advantage lies in their purely passive operation and the wireless readout capability allowing the installation also at particularly inaccessible locations. Furthermore, they are small, low-cost and rugged components on highly stable substrate materials and thus particularly suited for harsh environments. Nevertheless, a sensor itself does not carry out any measurement but always requires a suitable excitation and interrogation circuit: a reader. A variety of different architectures have been presented and investigated up to now. This review paper gives a comprehensive survey of the present state of reader architectures such as time domain sampling (TDS), frequency domain sampling (FDS) and hybrid concepts for both SAW resonators and reflective SAW delay line sensors. Furthermore, critical performance parameters such as measurement accuracy, dynamic range, update rate, and hardware costs of the state of the art in science and industry are presented, compared and discussed.

Using fire dynamics simulator to reconstruct a hydroelectric power plant fire accident.

PubMed

Chi, Jen-Hao; Wu, Sheng-Hung; Shu, Chi-Min

2011-11-01

The location of the hydroelectric power plant poses a high risk to occupants seeking to escape in a fire accident. Calculating the heat release rate of transformer oil as 11.5 MW/m(2), the fire at the Taiwan Dajia-River hydroelectric power plant was reconstructed using the fire dynamics simulator (FDS). The variations at the escape route of the fire hazard factors temperature, radiant heat, carbon monoxide, and oxygen were collected during the simulation to verify the causes of the serious casualties resulting from the fire. The simulated safe escape time when taking temperature changes into account is about 236 sec, 155 sec for radiant heat changes, 260 sec for carbon monoxide changes, and 235-248 sec for oxygen changes. These escape times are far less than the actual escape time of 302 sec. The simulation thus demonstrated the urgent need to improve escape options for people escaping a hydroelectric power plant fire. © 2011 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

An electromyographic study of the effect of hand grip sizes on forearm muscle activity and golf performance.

PubMed

Sorbie, Graeme G; Hunter, Henry H; Grace, Fergal M; Gu, Yaodong; Baker, Julien S; Ugbolue, Ukadike Chris

2016-01-01

The study describes the differences in surface electromyography (EMG) activity of two forearm muscles in the lead and trail arm at specific phases of the golf swing using a 7-iron with three different grip sizes among amateur and professional golfers. Fifteen right-handed male golfers performed five golf swings using golf clubs with three different grip sizes. Surface EMG was used to measure muscle activity of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) and flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) on both forearms. There were no significant differences in forearm muscle activity when using the three golf grips within the group of 15 golfers (p > 0.05). When using the undersize grip, club head speed significantly increased (p = 0.044). During the backswing and downswing phases, amateurs produced significantly greater forearm muscle activity with all three grip sizes (p < 0.05). In conclusion, forearm muscle activity is not affected by grip sizes. However, club head speed increases when using undersize grips.

48 CFR 706.303-1 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Requirements. 706.303-1 Section 706.303-1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 706.303-1 Requirements. (a)-(c...

48 CFR 706.303-1 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Requirements. 706.303-1 Section 706.303-1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Other Than Full and Open Competition 706.303-1 Requirements. (a)-(c...

Development of Spreadsheet-Based Integrated Transaction Processing Systems and Financial Reporting Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ariana, I. M.; Bagiada, I. M.

2018-01-01

Development of spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems is intended to optimize the capabilities of spreadsheet in accounting data processing. The purpose of this study are: 1) to describe the spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems; 2) to test its technical and operational feasibility. This study type is research and development. The main steps of study are: 1) needs analysis (need assessment); 2) developing spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems; and 3) testing the feasibility of spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems. The technical feasibility include the ability of hardware and operating systems to respond the application of accounting, simplicity and ease of use. Operational feasibility include the ability of users using accounting applications, the ability of accounting applications to produce information, and control applications of the accounting applications. The instrument used to assess the technical and operational feasibility of the systems is the expert perception questionnaire. The instrument uses 4 Likert scale, from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). Data were analyzed using percentage analysis by comparing the number of answers within one (1) item by the number of ideal answer within one (1) item. Spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems integrate sales, purchases, and cash transaction processing systems to produce financial reports (statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity, statement of financial position, and statement of cash flows) and other reports. Spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems is feasible from the technical aspects (87.50%) and operational aspects (84.17%).

The influence of prehospital systemic corticosteroid use on development of acute respiratory distress syndrome and hospital outcomes.

PubMed

Karnatovskaia, Lioudmila V; Lee, Augustine S; Gajic, Ognjen; Festic, Emir

2013-07-01

The role of systemic corticosteroids in pathophysiology and treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome is controversial. Use of prehospital systemic corticosteroid therapy may prevent the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome and improve hospital outcomes. This is a preplanned retrospective subgroup analysis of the prospectively identified cohort from a trial by the U.S. Critical Illness and Injury Trials Group designed to validate the Lung Injury Prediction Score. Twenty-two acute care hospitals. : Five thousand eighty-nine patients with at least one risk factor for acute respiratory distress syndrome at the time of hospitalization. Propensity-based analysis of previously recorded data. Three hundred sixty-four patients were on systemic corticosteroids. Prevalence of acute respiratory distress syndrome was 7.7% and 6.9% (odds ratio, 1.1 [95% CI, 0.8-1.7]; p = 0.54) for patients on systemic corticosteroid and not on systemic corticosteroids, respectively. A propensity for being on systemic corticosteroids was derived through logistic regression by using all available covariates. Subsequently, 354 patients (97%) on systemic corticosteroids were matched to 1,093 not on systemic corticosteroids by their propensity score for a total of 1,447 patients in the matched set. Adjusted risk for acute respiratory distress syndrome (odds ratio, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.54-1.38]), invasive ventilation (odds ratio, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.62-1.12]), and in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.63-1.49]) was then calculated from the propensity-matched sample using conditional logistic regression model. No significant associations were present. Prehospital use of systemic corticosteroids neither decreased the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome among patients hospitalized with at one least risk factor, nor affected the need for mechanical ventilation or hospital mortality.

Thermal Development Test of the NEXT PM1 ION Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, John R.; Snyder, John Steven; Van Noord, Jonathan L.; Soulas, George C.

2007-01-01

NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) is a next-generation high-power ion thruster under development by NASA as a part of the In-Space Propulsion Technology Program. NEXT is designed for use on robotic exploration missions of the solar system using solar electric power. Potential mission destinations that could benefit from a NEXT Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) system include inner planets, small bodies, and outer planets and their moons. This range of robotic exploration missions generally calls for ion propulsion systems with deep throttling capability and system input power ranging from 0.6 to 25 kW, as referenced to solar array output at 1 Astronomical Unit (AU). Thermal development testing of the NEXT prototype model 1 (PM1) was conducted at JPL to assist in developing and validating a thruster thermal model and assessing the thermal design margins. NEXT PM1 performance prior to, during and subsequent to thermal testing are presented. Test results are compared to the predicted hot and cold environments expected missions and the functionality of the thruster for these missions is discussed.

Reduced polyspermic fertilization of porcine oocytes utilizing elevated bicarbonate and reduced calcium concentrations in a single-medium system.

PubMed

Herrick, J R; Conover-Sparman, M L; Krisher, R L

2003-01-01

The development of efficient systems for in vitro production of porcine embryos has been hampered by a high incidence of polyspermic fertilization. A recently developed single-medium system for porcine in vitro maturation (IVM), IVF and in vitro embryo culture (IVC) (Purdue Porcine Medium; PPM) was modified with elevated bicarbonate (44 mM) and reduced calcium concentrations (1.7 mM) for IVF (PPMfert.2). Oocyte penetration was evaluated after maturation in PPMmat (0.5 mg mL(-1) hyaluronan, 0.6 mM cysteine, 10 ng mL(-1) epidermal growth factor (EGF), 0.1 U mL(-1) porcine LH and FSH, and 1 x Minimal Essential Medium (MEM) vitamins) and fertilization (5 h with 5 x 10(5) sperm mL(-1)) in either PPMfert.2 or mTBM (20 mM Tris, 0.0 mM bicarbonate, 7.5 mM calcium). Embryonic development (cleavage and blastocyst stages) was assessed after culture in PPM1 and PPM2. Although penetration was lower in PPMfert.2 (69.9%) compared with mTBM (83.9%), 48.8% of penetrated oocytes were fertilized normally in PPMfert.2 compared with only 27.8% normal fertilization in mTBM. More oocytes cleaved in PPMfert.2 (77.9% v. 53.7%), but development to the blastocyst stage was not different between treatments (14.1% v. 14.3%). Further work is needed to improve embryonic development, but reduced polyspermic penetration is an important step in the optimization of the PPM system for in vitro porcine embryo production.

Large space antenna communications systems: Integrated Langley Research Center/Jet Propulsion Laboratory technology development activities. 1: Introduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, T. G.

1983-01-01

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Langley Research Center have been developing technology related to large space antennas (LSA) during the past several years. The need for a communication system research program became apparent during the recent studies for the Land Mobile Satellite System. This study indicated the need for additional research in (1) electromagnetic analysis methods, (2) design and development of multiple beam feed systems, and (3) the measurement methods for LSA reflectors.

48 CFR 701.602-1 - Authority of contracting officers in resolving audit recommendations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Authority of contracting officers in resolving audit recommendations. 701.602-1 Section 701.602-1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GENERAL FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SYSTEM Career...

KDB-1 LOW-LEVEL AIRCRAFT SAMPLING SYSTEM

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

Plagge, H.J.

1961-03-01

Use of KDB-1 drone aircraft appears feasible for the sampling of atomic debris at altitudes from 1000 to 40,000 feet. Further development would be necessary for precision control below 1000 feet. Further development and testing remains to be done on the sampling devices before the system can become operational. This system would be approximately one-seventh as expensive as present systems using manned aircraft. (auth)

Identification of New Cocrystal Systems with Stoichiometric Diversity of Salicylic Acid Using Thermal Methods.

PubMed

Zhou, Zhengzheng; Chan, Hok Man; Sung, Herman H-Y; Tong, Henry H Y; Zheng, Ying

2016-04-01

The purpose of this work was to develop thermal methods to identify cocrystal systems with stoichiometric diversity. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and hot stage microscopy (HSM) have been applied to study the stoichiometric diversity phenomenon on cocrystal systems of the model compound salicylic acid (SA) with different coformers (CCFs). The DSC method was particularly useful in the identification of cocrystal re-crystallization, especially to improve the temperature resolution using a slower heating rate. HSM was implemented as a complementary protocol to confirm the DSC results. The crystal structures were elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD). Two new cocrystal systems consisting of salicylic acid-benzamide (SA-BZD, 1:1, 1:2) and salicylic acid-isonicotinamide (SA-ISN, 1:1, 2:1) have been identified in the present work. The chemical structures of the newly discovered cocrystals SA-BZD (1:2) and SA-ISN (2:1) have been elucidated using X-ray single crystal and powder diffraction methods. The developed thermal methods could rapidly identify cocrystal systems with stoichiometric diversity, with the potential to discover new pharmaceutical cocrystals in the future.

Phase 1 of the First Small Power System Experiment (engineering Experiment No. 1). Volume 5: Supporting Analyses and Trade Studies. [development and testing of a solar thermal power plant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holl, R. J.

1979-01-01

The development and design of a modular solar thermal power system for application in the 1 to 10 MWe range is described. The system is used in remote utility applications, small communities, rural areas, and for industrial uses. Thermal and stress analyses are performed on the collector subsystem, energy storage subsystem, energy transport subsystem, the power conversion subsystem, and the plant control subsystem.

Experimental Results from the Thermal Energy Storage-1 (TES-1) Flight Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wald, Lawrence W.; Tolbert, Carol; Jacqmin, David

1995-01-01

The Thermal Energy Storage-1 (TES-1) is a flight experiment that flew on the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-62), in March 1994, as part of the OAST-2 mission. TES-1 is the first experiment in a four experiment suite designed to provide data for understanding the long duration microgravity behavior of thermal energy storage fluoride salts that undergo repeated melting and freezing. Such data have never been obtained before and have direct application for the development of space-based solar dynamic (SD) power systems. These power systems will store solar energy in a thermal energy salt such as lithium fluoride or calcium fluoride. The stored energy is extracted during the shade portion of the orbit. This enables the solar dynamic power system to provide constant electrical power over the entire orbit. Analytical computer codes have been developed for predicting performance of a spaced-based solar dynamic power system. Experimental verification of the analytical predictions is needed prior to using the analytical results for future space power design applications. The four TES flight experiments will be used to obtain the needed experimental data. This paper will focus on the flight results from the first experiment, TES-1, in comparison to the predicted results from the Thermal Energy Storage Simulation (TESSIM) analytical computer code. The TES-1 conceptual development, hardware design, final development, and system verification testing were accomplished at the NASA lewis Research Center (LeRC). TES-1 was developed under the In-Space Technology Experiment Program (IN-STEP), which sponsors NASA, industry, and university flight experiments designed to enable and enhance space flight technology. The IN-STEP Program is sponsored by the Office of Space Access and Technology (OSAT).

Systems Engineering of Unmanned DoD Systems: Following the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System/Defense Acquisition System Process to Develop an Unmanned Ground Vehicle System

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

Manual D-A-1). APAs are “Performance attributes of a system not important enough to be considered KPPs or KSAs, but still appropriate to include in...the CDD or CPD are designated as APAs ” (JCIDS Manual D-A-1). The requirements are expressed using Thresholds (T) and Objectives (O). “Performance...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA SYSTEMS ENGINEERING CAPSTONE PROJECT REPORT Approved for public release; distribution is

Ada Compiler Validation Summary Report: Certificate Number: 890420W1. 10074 International Business Machines Corporation, IBM Development System for the Ada Language MVS Ada Compiler, Version 2.1.1 IBM 4381 (Host and Target)

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-20

20. ARS1AAI . (Contimne on reverse side olnetessary *rwenPtif) by bfoci nur~be’) International Business Machines Corporation, IBM Development System...Number: AVF-VSR-261.0789 89-01-26-TEL Ada COMPILER VALIDATION SUMMARY REPORT: Certificate Number: 890420W1.10074 International Business Machines...computer. The compiler was tested using command scripts provided by International Business Machines Corporation and reviewed by the validation team. The

Exploring the Use of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) to Develop Systems Architectures in Naval Ship Design

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

data such as the NSMB B-series, or be based on hydrodynamic (lifting line) predict ions. The power including still air drag and any margin that is...Provide Fuel Function 3.6 Fuel Oil System Component REQ.1.4 Fuel Efficiency Requirement 1.1 Generate Mechanical En... Function 1.1 Prime Mover Component...3.3 Provide Lubrication Function 3.7 Lube Oil System Component 3.4 Provide Cooling Water Function 3.3 Cooling System Component 3.5 Provide Combust ion

College Is Just the Beginning: Employers' Role in the $1.1 Trillion Postsecondary Education and Training System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carnevale, Anthony P.; Strohl, Jeff; Gulish, Artem

2015-01-01

"College Is Just the Beginning: The Employer Role in $1.1 Trillion Postsecondary Education and Training System" focuses on employer investment in formal training for workers in the context of the broader postsecondary education and training system and the primary institutions involved in skill development in the United States. Along with…

Production of recombinant gG-1 protein of herpes simplex virus type 1 in a prokaryotic system in order to develop a type-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.

PubMed

Zandi, Keivan; Roostaee, Mohammad Hassan; Sadeghizadeh, Majid; Rasaee, Mohammad Javad; Sajedi, Reza Hassan; Soleimanjahi, Hoorieh

2007-08-01

The herpes simplex viruses are important causes of disease worldwide. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is the primary cause of oral-facial and pharyngeal infections and may cause herpetic whitlow, eye infections as well as severe and sometimes dangerous infections of the eyes and brain. HSV-1 also accounts for 10-15% of all genital herpetic infections. Therefore, laboratory diagnosis of this virus and development of diagnostic serological techniques for HSV-1 is of particular importance. In the present study, pTrc His2A-gG1 plasmid, containing the full-length glycoprotein G (gG) protein, was produced in a prokaryotic system for the first time. Upon confirmation of a 37-kDa gG-1 protein production in a prokaryotic system based on western blotting and monoclonal antibodies, the protein was produced at a large scale and purified by ion-exchange chromatography using DEAE-sepharose. An HSV-1 type-specific diagnostic kit was designed and developed and the specificity and sensitivity of this kit were demonstrated to be 89.5% and 100%, respectively, as compared with a commercially available kit. A significant correlation was shown between the developed kit and the commercial kit.

Shock Test Program. Shock Isolation Design Manual for SAFEGUARD TSE Systems and Equipment.

DTIC Science & Technology

1973-08-01

under the direction of the Huntsville Division, Corps of Engineers. Much of the information in Part I and Part II is extracted from " Development of...49 3.2.2 Configuration Development 1-50 3.2.3 Suspension Arrangements 1-51 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page 3.2.4 Platform Design 1-56 3.2.5 Elastic...shock isolation systems were considered in the design of the early NIKE-X facilities. As more descriptive prediction methods were developed and employed

Numerical Hydrodynamic Study of Hypothetical Levee Setback Scenarios

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-01

ER D C /C HL T R- 18 -1 Flood and Coastal Systems Research and Development Program Numerical Hydrodynamic Study of Hypothetical Levee...default. Flood and Coastal Systems Research and Development Program ERDC/CHL TR-18-1 January 2018 Numerical Hydrodynamic Study of Hypothetical...Reduction” ERDC/CHL TR-18-1 ii Abstract A numerical hydrodynamic study was conducted to compare multiple levee setback alternatives to the base

Army Systems Engineering Career Development Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-30

Army Systems Engineering Career Development Model Interim Technical Report SERC -2014-TR-042-1 January 30, 2014 Principal Investigators Dr. Val...Gavito, Stevens Institute of Technology Dr. Michael Pennotti, Stevens Institute of Technology Task Order 004, RT 104 Report No. SERC -2014-TR-042-1...Institute of Technology 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER SERC -2014-TR-042-1 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) DASD

Development of oral CTL vaccine using a CTP-integrated Sabin 1 poliovirus-based vector system.

PubMed

Han, Seung-Soo; Lee, Jinjoo; Jung, Yideul; Kang, Myeong-Ho; Hong, Jung-Hyub; Cha, Min-Suk; Park, Yu-Jin; Lee, Ezra; Yoon, Cheol-Hee; Bae, Yong-Soo

2015-09-11

We developed a CTL vaccine vector by modification of the RPS-Vax system, a mucosal vaccine vector derived from a poliovirus Sabin 1 strain, and generated an oral CTL vaccine against HIV-1. A DNA fragment encoding a cytoplasmic transduction peptide (CTP) was integrated into the RPS-Vax system to generate RPS-CTP, a CTL vaccine vector. An HIV-1 p24 cDNA fragment was introduced into the RPS-CTP vector system and a recombinant poliovirus (rec-PV) named vRPS-CTP/p24 was produced. vRPS-CTP/p24 was genetically stable and efficiently induced Th1 immunity and p24-specific CTLs in immunized poliovirus receptor-transgenic (PVR-Tg) mice. In challenge experiments, PVR-Tg mice that were pre-immunized orally with vRPS-CTP/p24 were resistant to challenge with a lethal dose of p24-expressing recombinant vaccinia virus (rMVA-p24). These results suggested that the RPS-CTP vector system had potential for developing oral CTL vaccines against infectious diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and validation of a house finch interleukin-1β (HfIL-1β) ELISA system.

PubMed

Kim, Sungwon; Park, Myeongseon; Leon, Ariel E; Adelman, James S; Hawley, Dana M; Dalloul, Rami A

2017-08-30

A unique clade of the bacterium Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), which causes chronic respiratory disease in poultry, has resulted in annual epidemics of conjunctivitis in North American house finches since the 1990s. Currently, few immunological tools have been validated for this songbird species. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a prototypic multifunctional cytokine and can affect almost every cell type during Mycoplasma infection. The overall goal of this study was to develop and validate a direct ELISA assay for house finch IL-1β (HfIL-1β) using a cross-reactive chicken antibody. A direct ELISA approach was used to develop this system using two different coating methods, carbonate and dehydration. In both methods, antigens (recombinant HfIL-1b or house finch plasma) were serially diluted in carbonate-bicarbonate coating buffer and either incubated at 4 °C overnight or at 60 °C on a heating block for 2 hr. To generate the standard curve, rHfIL-1b protein was serially diluted at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 ng/mL. Following blocking and washing, anti-chicken IL-1b polyclonal antibody was added, plates were later incubated with detecting antibodies, and reactions developed with tetramethylbenzidine solution. A commercially available anti-chicken IL-1β (ChIL-1β) polyclonal antibody (pAb) cross-reacted with house finch plasma IL-1β as well as bacterially expressed recombinant house finch IL-1β (rHfIL-1β) in immunoblotting assays. In a direct ELISA system, rHfIL-1β could not be detected by an anti-ChIL-1β pAb when the antigen was coated with carbonate-bicarbonate buffer at 4°C overnight. However, rHfIL-1β was detected by the anti-ChIL-1β pAb when the antigen was coated using a dehydration method by heat (60°C). Using the developed direct ELISA for HfIL-1β with commercial anti-ChIL-1β pAb, we were able to measure plasma IL-1β levels from house finches. Based on high amino acid sequence homology, we hypothesized and demonstrated cross-reactivity of anti-ChIL-1β pAb and HfIL-1β. Then, we developed and validated a direct ELISA system for HfIL-1β using a commercial anti-ChIL-1β pAb by measuring plasma HfIL-1β in house finches.

48 CFR 702.170-1 - USAID.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false USAID. 702.170-1 Section 702.170-1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GENERAL DEFINITIONS OF WORDS AND TERMS Definitions 702.170-1 USAID. USAID means the U.S. Agency for International...

Perinatal treatment of rats with opiates affects the development of the blood-brain barrier transport system PTS-1.

PubMed

Banks, W A; Kastin, A J; Harrison, L M; Zadina, J E

1996-01-01

Previous results have shown that treatment of rats with morphine during the neonatal period can influence development of peptide transport system-1 (PTS-1), the blood-brain barrier transport system for Tyr-MIF-1 and methionine enkephalin. Previous work has suggested that the activity level of PTS-1 correlates with the concentration of methionine enkephalin in the brain. We show here that rats treated peripherally with morphine sulfate (MS) in both the prenatal and neonatal periods have enhanced activity of PTS-1. The degree of enhancement increases with age to reach a 66% increase in comparison with controls at age 9 weeks. The mu agonist MS was more powerful than the kappa agonist ethylketocyclazocine (EKC) or the delta agonist [D-Pen2.5,pCl-Phe4]enkephalin (pCl-DPDPE) in producing this effect. Opiate antagonists had complex effects with methylnaltrexone blocking the action of MS on PTS-1. These results show that the level of PTS-1 activity in adult rats can be modified by perinatal events that affect opiate tone during development.

Development of a new dynamic gas flow-control system in the pressure range of 1 Pa-133 Pa

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

Hong, S. S.; Chung, J. W.; Khan, Wakil

2011-12-15

A new flow-control system (FCS-705) has been developed at Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science. The system is intended for calibration of vacuum gauges in the pressure range of 1 Pa-133 Pa by comparison method. This paper describes some basic characteristics of the system including; (1) the design and construction of the system, (2) the generation of stable pressures in the chamber, (3) achieving high upstream pressure limit by installing a short duct in the by-pass pumping line, and (4) investigation of the gas flow regimes within the short duct.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory Electric and Hybrid Vehicle System Research and Development Project, 1977-1984: A Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurtz, D.; Roan, V.

1985-01-01

The JPL Electric and Hybrid Vehicle System Research and Development Project was established in the spring of 1977. Originally administered by the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) and later by the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Division of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the overall Program objective was to decrease this nation's dependence on foreign petroleum sources by developing the technologies and incentives necessary to bring electric and hybrid vehicles successfully into the marketplace. The ERDA/DOE Program structure was divided into two major elements: (1) technology research and system development and (2) field demonstration and market development. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has been one of several field centers supporting the former Program element. In that capacity, the specific historical areas of responsibility have been: (1) Vehicle system developments (2) System integration and test (3) Supporting subsystem development (4) System assessments (5) Simulation tool development.

5 CFR 430.204 - Agency performance appraisal system(s).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Agency performance appraisal system(s... Other Employees § 430.204 Agency performance appraisal system(s). (a) Each agency as defined at section 4301(1) of title 5, United States Code, shall develop one or more performance appraisal systems for...

Robo1/2 regulate follicle atresia through manipulating granulosa cell apoptosis in mice

PubMed Central

Li, Jiangchao; Ye, Yuxiang; Zhang, Renli; Zhang, Lili; Hu, Xiwen; Han, Dong; Chen, Jiayuan; He, Xiaodong; Wang, Guang; Yang, Xuesong; Wang, Lijing

2015-01-01

Secreted Slit proteins and their Roundabout (Robo) receptors act as a repulsive cue to preventaxons from migrating to inappropriate locations during the development of the nervous system. Slit/Robo has also been implicated in reproductive system development, but the molecular mechanism of the Slit/Robo pathway in the reproductive system remains poorly understood. Using a transgenic mouse model, we investigated the function of the Slit/Robo pathway on ovarian follicle development and atresia. We first demonstrated that more offspring were born to mice with a partial knockout of the Robo1/2 genes in mice. We next showed that Robo1 and Robo2 are strongly expressed in ovarian granulosacells. Apoptosis in granulosa cells was reduced when Robo1/2 were partially knocked out, and this observation was further verified by in vitro Robo1/2 knockout experiments in mouse and human granulosa cells. We also found that ovarian angiogenesis wasenhanced by a partial lack of Robo1/2 genes. In summary, our data suggest that the Slit/Robo pathway can impact follicle development and atresia by influencinggranulosa cell apoptosis. PMID:25988316

Development of a fuzzy logic expert system for pile selection. Master's thesis

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

Ulshafer, M.L.

1989-01-01

This thesis documents the development of prototype expert system for pile selection for use on microcomputers. It concerns the initial selection of a pile foundation taking into account the parameters such as soil condition, pile length, loading scenario, material availability, contractor experience, and noise or vibration constraints. The prototype expert system called Pile Selection, version 1 (PS1) was developed using an expert system shell FLOPS. FLOPS is a shell based on the AI language OPS5 with many unique features. The system PS1 utilizes all of these unique features. Among the features used are approximate reasoning with fuzzy set theory, themore » blackboard architecture, and the emulated parallel processing of fuzzy production rules. A comprehensive review of the parameters used in selecting a pile was made, and the effects of the uncertainties associated with the vagueness of these parameters was examined in detail. Fuzzy set theory was utilized to deal with such uncertainties and provides the basis for developing a method for determining the best possible choice of piles for a given situation. Details of the development of PS1, including documenting and collating pile information for use in the expert knowledge data bases, are discussed.« less

Simulation of wind-driven dispersion of fire pollutants in a street canyon using FDS.

PubMed

Pesic, Dusica J; Blagojevic, Milan Dj; Zivkovic, Nenad V

2014-01-01

Air quality in urban areas attracts great attention due to increasing pollutant emissions and their negative effects on human health and environment. Numerous studies, such as those by Mouilleau and Champassith (J Loss Prevent Proc 22(3): 316-323, 2009), Xie et al. (J Hydrodyn 21(1): 108-117, 2009), and Yassin (Environ Sci Pollut Res 20(6): 3975-3988, 2013) focus on the air pollutant dispersion with no buoyancy effect or weak buoyancy effect. A few studies, such as those by Hu et al. (J Hazard Mater 166(1): 394-406, 2009; J Hazard Mater 192(3): 940-948, 2011; J Civ Eng Manag (2013)) focus on the fire-induced dispersion of pollutants with heat buoyancy release rate in the range from 0.5 to 20 MW. However, the air pollution source might very often be concentrated and intensive, as a consequence of the hazardous materials fire. Namely, transportation of fuel through urban areas occurs regularly, because it is often impossible to find alternative supply routes. It is accompanied with the risk of fire accident occurrences. Accident prevention strategies require analysis of the worst scenarios in which fire products jeopardize the exposed population and environment. The aim of this article is to analyze the impact of wind flow on air pollution and human vulnerability to fire products in a street canyon. For simulation of the gasoline tanker truck fire as a result of a multivehicle accident, computational fluid dynamics large eddy simulation method has been used. Numerical results show that the fire products flow vertically upward, without touching the walls of the buildings in the absence of wind. However, when the wind velocity reaches the critical value, the products touch the walls of the buildings on both sides of the street canyon. The concentrations of carbon monoxide and soot decrease, whereas carbon dioxide concentration increases with the rise of height above the street canyon ground level. The longitudinal concentration of the pollutants inside the street increases with the rise of the wind velocity at the roof level of the street canyon.

Development of an ultrasensitive interferometry system as a key to precision metrology applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gohlke, Martin; Schuldt, Thilo; Weise, Dennis; Johann, Ulrich; Peters, Achim; Braxmaier, Claus

2009-06-01

We present a symmetric heterodyne interferometer as a prototype of a highly sensitive translation and tilt measurement system. This compact optical metrology system was developed over the past several years by EADS Astrium (Friedrichshafen) in cooperation with the Humboldt-University (Berlin) and the university of applied science Konstanz (HTWG-Konstanz). The noise performance was tested at frequencies between 10-4 and 3 Hz, the noise levels are below 1 nm/Hz 1/2 for translation and below 1 μrad/Hz1/2, for tilt measurements. For frequencies higher than 10 mHz noise levels below 5pm/Hz1/2 and 4 nrad/Hz1/2 respectively, were demonstrated. Based on this highly sensitive metrology system we also developed a dilatometer for the characterization of the CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) of various materials, i.e. CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) or Zerodur. The currently achieved sensitivity of these measurements is better than 10-7 K-1. Future planned applications of the interferometer include ultra-high-precision surface profiling and characterization of actuator noise in low-noise opto-mechanics setups. We will give an overview of the current experimental setup and the latest measurement results.

Inferior turbinate classification system, grades 1 to 4: development and validation study.

PubMed

Camacho, Macario; Zaghi, Soroush; Certal, Victor; Abdullatif, Jose; Means, Casey; Acevedo, Jason; Liu, Stanley; Brietzke, Scott E; Kushida, Clete A; Capasso, Robson

2015-02-01

To develop a validated inferior turbinate grading scale. Development and validation study. Phase 1 development (alpha test) consisted of a proposal of 10 different inferior turbinate grading scales (>1,000 clinic patients). Phase 2 validation (beta test) utilized 10 providers grading 27 standardized endoscopic photos of inferior turbinates using two different classification systems. Phase 3 validation (pilot study) consisted of 100 live consecutive clinic patients (n = 200 inferior turbinates) who were each prospectively graded by 18 different combinations of two independent raters, and grading was repeated by each of the same two raters, two separate times for each patient. In the development phase, 25% (grades 1-4) and 33% (grades 1-4) were the most useful systems. In the validation phase, the 25% classification system was found to be the best balance between potential clinical utility and ability to grade; the photo grading demonstrated a Cohen's kappa (κ) = 0.4671 ± 0.0082 (moderate inter-rater agreement). Live-patient grading with the 25% classification system demonstrated an overall inter-rater reliability of 71.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 64.8-77.3), with overall substantial agreement (κ = 0.704 ± 0.028). Intrarater reliability was 91.5% (95% CI: 88.7-94.3). Distribution for the 200 inferior turbinates was as follows: 25% quartile = grade 1, 50% quartile (median) = grade 2, 75% quartile = grade 3, and 90% quartile = grade 4. Mean turbinate size was 2.22 (95% CI: 2.07-2.34; standard deviation 1.02). Categorical κ was as follows: grade 1, 0.8541 ± 0.0289; grade 2, 0.7310 ± 0.0289; grade 3, 0.6997 ± 0.0289, and grade 4, 0.7760 ± 0.0289. The 25% (grades 1-4) inferior turbinate classification system is a validated grading scale with high intrarater and inter-rater reliability. This system can facilitate future research by tracking the effect of interventions on inferior turbinates. 2c. © 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Department of the Navy Supporting Data for Fiscal Year 1983 Budget Estimates Descriptive Summaries Submitted to Congress February 1982. Research, Development, Test & Evaluation, Navy. Book 1 of 3. Technology Base, Advanced Technology Development, Strategic Programs.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-02-01

optimization methods have been developed for problems in production and distribution modeling including design and evaluation of storage alternatives under...and winds using high frequency , X-band doppler, pulse -limited, and Delta-K radars. Development of millimeter-wave radiometric imaging systems and...generic system design concept for a system capable of defending the Fleet from the high angle threat 1.4 The first model of the drive system for a

The expression of heme oxygenase-1 and inducible nitric oxide synthase in aorta during the development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

PubMed

Cheng, Pao-Yun; Chen, Jin-Jer; Yen, Mao-Hsiung

2004-12-01

The aim of this study was to observe the time-course changes of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induction in aorta during the development of hypertension, as well as the relationship of HO-1/carbon monoxide (CO) system and iNOS/nitric oxide (NO) system in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The systolic blood pressure (SBP) was determined in conscious rats by the tail-cuff method. The tissue HO-1 and iNOS mRNA and protein levels were estimated with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot method. The expression of HO-1 and iNOS in aorta increased with the SBP elevation during the development of SHR and was attenuated when the hypertension was lowered with the vasodilator hydralazine. At 8 weeks, only HO-1 was induced, whereas at 12 and 16 weeks, both HO-1 and iNOS were observed. The level of plasma nitrite/nitrate was associated with the change in iNOS expression in SHR. In addition, the SBP of 8-week-old SHR was significantly increased after pretreatment with zinc protoporphyrin IX for 7 consecutive days. Chronic blockade of iNOS activity by aminoguanidine resulted in significant up-regulation of HO-1, but the pressor effect was blunt. These results suggest that the up-regulation of HO-1 and iNOS in aorta is a compensatory mechanism for the elevation of SBP during the development of hypertension in SHR. The expression of HO-1 is earlier than that of iNOS. Our data suggest that the HO-1/CO system takes over and acts as a major modulator for the regulation of SBP when the iNOS/NO system is suppressed.

Development of optical fiber frequency and time distribution systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lutes, G.

1982-01-01

The development of ultra stable optical fiber distribution systems for the dissemination of frequency and timing references is reported. The ultimate design goals for these systems are a frequency stability of 10 to the -17 power for tau or = 100 sec and time stability of + or - 0.1 ns for 1 year and operation over distances or = 30 km. A prototype system is reviewed and progress is discussed.

The evolution and practical application of machine translation system (1)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tominaga, Isao; Sato, Masayuki

This paper describes a development, practical applicatioin, problem of a system, evaluation of practical system, and development trend of machine translation. Most recent system contains next four problems. 1) the vagueness of a text, 2) a difference of the definition of the terminology between different language, 3) the preparing of a large-scale translation dictionary, 4) the development of a software for the logical inference. Machine translation system is already used practically in many industry fields. However, many problems are not solved. The implementation of an ideal system will be after 15 years. Also, this paper described seven evaluation items detailedly. This English abstract was made by Mu system.

Thermal power systems, small power systems application project. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marriott, A. T.

1979-01-01

Current small power system technology as applied to power plants up to 10 MWe in size was assessed. Markets for small power systems were characterized and cost goals were established. Candidate power plant system design concepts were selected for evaluation and preliminary performance and cost assessments were made. Economic studies were conducted and breakeven capital costs were determined for leading contenders among the candidate systems. An application study was made of the potential use of small power systems in providing part of the demand for pumping power by the extensive aqueduct system of California, estimated to be 1000 MWe by 1985. Criteria and methodologies were developed for application to the ranking of candidate power plant system design concepts. Experimental power plants concepts of 1 MWe rating were studied leading toward the definition of a power plant configuration for subsequent detail design, construction, testing and evaluation as Engineering Experiment No. 1 (EE No. 1). Site selection criteria and ground rules for the solicitation of EE No. 1 site participation proposals by DOE were developed.

Study on a PEFC propulsion system for surface ships

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

Ono, Ryuta; Tsuchiyama, Syozo

1996-12-31

This Abstract summarizes a series of presentations to the present Seminar, covering various aspects of a 1,000 kW PEFC system envisaged as propulsion system to equip a 1,500 DWT Cargo vessel, reported under the following titles: (1) Performance Evaluation of 1kW PEFC (2) Performance of Catalysts for CO Removal by Methanation Reaction (3) Development of a Selective Oxidation CO Removal Reactor for Methanol Reformate Gas (4) Experimental Investigation on a Turbine Compressor for Air Supply System of a Fuel Cell (5) Dynamic Simulator for PEFC Propulsion Plant (6) Power Feature Required for PEFC Powered Electric Propulsion Ship The purpose ofmore » this study is to identify subjects requiring further development toward the realization of a practical fuel cell system to power ships.« less

Navy Acquisition: Development of the AN/BSY-1 Combat System

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

AN/BSY-1, a computer-based combat system, is designed to detect, classify, track, and launch weapons at enemy surface, subsurface, and land targets. The Navy expects the AN/BSY-1 system to locate targets sooner than previous systems, allow operators to perform multiple tasks and address multiple targets concurrently, and reduce the time between detecting a target and launching weapons. The Navy has contracted with the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation for 23 AN/BSY-1 systems, maintenance and operational trainers, and a software

Orion Pad Abort 1 GN and C Design and Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Medina, Edgar A.; Stachowiak, Susan J.

2010-01-01

The first flight test of the Orion Abort Flight Test project is scheduled to launch in Spring 2010. This flight test is known as Pad Abort 1 (PA-1) and it is intended to accomplish a series of flight test objectives, including demonstrating the capability of the Launch Abort System (LAS) to propel the Crew Module (CM) to a safe distance from a launch vehicle during a pad abort. The PA-1 Flight Test Article (FTA) is actively controlled by a guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) system for much of its flight. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design, development, and analysis of the PA-1 GN&C system. A description of the technical solutions that were developed to meet the challenge of satisfying many competing requirements is presented. A historical perspective of how the Orion LAV compares to the Apollo Launch Escape Vehicle (LEV) design will also be included.

48 CFR 703.104-10.1 - Violations or possible violations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Violations or possible violations. 703.104-10.1 Section 703.104-10.1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GENERAL IMPROPER BUSINESS PRACTICES AND PERSONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST Safeguards 703.104-10.1...

48 CFR 703.104-10.1 - Violations or possible violations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Violations or possible violations. 703.104-10.1 Section 703.104-10.1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GENERAL IMPROPER BUSINESS PRACTICES AND PERSONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST Safeguards 703.104-10.1...

Dependable Real-Time Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-30

0196 or 413 545-0720 PI E-mail Address: krithi@nirvan.cs.umass.edu, stankovic(ocs.umass.edu Grant or Contract Title: Dependable Real - Time Systems Grant...Dependable Real - Time Systems " Grant or Contract Number: N00014-85-k-0398 L " Reporting Period: 1 Oct 87 - 30 Sep 91 , 2. Summary of Accomplishments ’ 2.1 Our...in developing a sound approach to scheduling tasks in complex real - time systems , (2) developed a real-time operating system kernel, a preliminary

48 CFR 750.7106-1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false General. 750.7106-1 Section 750.7106-1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONTRACT MANAGEMENT EXTRAORDINARY CONTRACTUAL ACTIONS Extraordinary Contractual Actions To Protect Foreign Policy...

Planning assistance for the 30/20 GHz program, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Al-Kinani, G.; Frankfort, M.; Kaushal, D.; Markham, R.; Siperko, C.; Wall, M.

1981-01-01

In the baseline concept development the communications payload on Flight 1 was specified to consist of on-board trunking and emergency communications systems (ECS). On Flight 2 the communications payloads consisted of trunking and CPS on-board systems, the CPS capability replacing the Flight 1 ECS. No restriction was placed on the launch vehicle size. Constraints placed on multiple concept development effort were that launch vehicle size for Concept 1 was restricted to SUSS-D and for Concept 2 a SUSS-A. The design concept development was based on satisfying the baseline requirements set forth in the SOW for a single demonstration flight system. Key constraints on contractors were cost and launch vehicle size. Five major areas of new technology development were reviewed: (1) 30 GHz low noise receivers; (2) 20 GHz Power Amplifiers; (3) SS-TDMA switch; (4) Baseband Processor; (5) Multibeam Antennas.

Combat Service Support Model Development: BRASS - TRANSLOG - Army 21

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-07-01

throughout’the system. Transitional problems may address specific hardware and related software , such as the Standard Army Ammunition System ( SAAS ...FILE. 00 Cabat Service Support Model Development .,PASS TRANSLOG -- ARMY 21 0 Contract Number DAAK11-84-D-0004 Task Order #1 DRAFT REPOkT July 1984 D...Armament Systems, Inc. 211 West Bel Air Avenue P.O. Box 158 Aberdeen, MD 21001 8 8 8 2 1 S CORMIT SERVICE SUPPORT MODEL DEVELOPMENT BRASS -- TRANSLOG

Phase 1 of the First Small Power System Experiment (engineering Experiment No. 1). Volume 2: System Concept Selection. [development and testing of a solar thermal power plant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holl, R. J.

1979-01-01

The development of a modular solar thermal power system for application in the 1 to 10 MWe range is presented. The system is used in remote utility applications, small communities, rural areas, and for industrial uses. Systems design and systems optimization studies are conducted which consider plant size, annual capacity factors, and startup time as variables. Investigations are performed on the energy storage requirements and type of energy storage, concentrator design and field optimization, energy transport, and power conversion subsystems. The system utilizes a Rankine cycle, an axial flow steam turbine for power conversion, and heat transfer sodium for collector fluid.

Development of Neutron Imaging System for Neutron Tomography at Thai Research Reactor TRR-1/M1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wonglee, S.; Khaweerat, S.; Channuie, J.; Picha, R.; Liamsuwan, T.; Ratanatongchai, W.

2017-09-01

The neutron imaging is a powerful non-destructive technique to investigate the internal structure and provides the information which is different from the conventional X-ray/Gamma radiography. By reconstruction of the obtained 2-dimentional (2D) images from the taken different angle around the specimen, the tomographic image can be obtained and it can provide the information in more detail. The neutron imaging system at Thai Research Reactor TRR-1/M1 of Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (Public Organization) has been developed to conduct the neutron tomography since 2014. The primary goal of this work is to serve the investigation of archeological samples, however, this technique can also be applied to various fields, such as investigation of industrial specimen and others. This research paper presents the performance study of a compact neutron camera manufactured by Neutron Optics such as speed and sensitivity. Furthermore, the 3-dimentional (3D) neutron image was successfully reconstructed at the developed neutron imaging system of TRR-1/M1.

Developing a Framework for Control of Agile Aircraft Platforms in Autonomous Hover

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

profiles. Two dynamical systems are considered, a scale YAK -54 aerobatic remote control aircraft and the Flexrotor concept developed by Aerovel. Both models...System [28]. . . . . . . 2 1.2 A YAK -54 in hover in the Real Flight RC Simulator [24]. . . . . . . . 3 1.3 The Aerovel Flexrotor concept...17 3.1 A three-view of the YAK -54 showing all geometry and dimensions (in mm) [15

Endocannabinoid signaling is required for development and critical period plasticity of the whisker map in somatosensory cortex

PubMed Central

Li, Lu; Bender, Kevin J.; Drew, Patrick J.; Jadhav, Shantanu P.; Sylwestrak, Emily; Feldman, Daniel E.

2009-01-01

Summary Type 1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptors mediate widespread synaptic plasticity, but how this contributes to systems-level plasticity and development in vivo is unclear. We tested whether CB1 signaling is required for development and plasticity of the whisker map in rat somatosensory cortex. Treatment with the CB1 antagonist AM251 during an early critical period for layer (L) 2/3 development (beginning postnatal day [P] 12–16) disrupted whisker map development, leading to inappropriate whisker tuning in L2/3 column edges and a blurred map. Early AM251 treatment also prevented experience-dependent plasticity in L2/3, including deprivation-induced synapse weakening and weakening of deprived whisker responses. CB1 blockade after P25 did not disrupt map development or plasticity. AM251 had no acute effect on sensory-evoked spiking, and only modestly affected field potentials, suggesting that plasticity effects were not secondary to gross activity changes. These findings implicate CB1-dependent plasticity in systems-level development and early postnatal plasticity of the whisker map. PMID:19945395

Dynamic mobility applications open source application development portal task 6.1a : architecture and high-level design task 6.1b : list of requirements included in initial architecture and high-level design.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-12

This document offers a detailed discussion of the systems functionality that was planned to be implemented. However, following the Agile Development methodology, during the course of system development, diligent decisions were made based on the la...

New integrated information system for pusan national university hospital.

PubMed

Kim, Hyung Hoi; Cho, Kyung-Won; Kim, Hye Sook; Kim, Ju-Sim; Kim, Jung Hyun; Han, Sang Pil; Park, Chun Bok; Kim, Seok; Chae, Young Moon

2011-03-01

This study presents the information system for Pusan National University Hospital (PNUH), evaluates its performance qualitatively, and conducts economic analysis. Information system for PNUH was designed by component-based development and developed by internet technologies. Order Communication System, Electronic Medical Record, and Clinical Decision Support System were newly developed. The performance of the hospital information system was qualitatively evaluated based on the performance reference model in order to identify problem areas for the old system. The Information Economics approach was used to analyze the economic feasibility of hospital information system in order to account for the intangible benefits. Average performance scores were 3.16 for input layer, 3.35 for process layer, and 3.57 for business layer. In addition, the cumulative benefit to cost ratio was 0.50 in 2011, 1.73 in 2012, 1.76 in 2013, 1.71 in 2014, and 1.71 in 2015. The B/C ratios steadily increase as value items are added. While overall performance scores were reasonably high, doctors were less satisfied with the system, perhaps due to the weak clinical function in the systems. The information economics analysis demonstrated the economic profitability of the information systems if all intangible benefits were included. The second qualitative evaluation survey and economic analysis were proposed to evaluate the changes in performance of the new system.

C-Band Airport Surface Communications System Standards Development. Phase II Final Report. Volume 1: Concepts of Use, Initial System Requirements, Architecture, and AeroMACS Design Considerations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Edward; Isaacs, James; Henriksen, Steve; Zelkin, Natalie

2011-01-01

This report is provided as part of ITT s NASA Glenn Research Center Aerospace Communication Systems Technical Support (ACSTS) contract NNC05CA85C, Task 7: New ATM Requirements-Future Communications, C-Band and L-Band Communications Standard Development and was based on direction provided by FAA project-level agreements for New ATM Requirements-Future Communications. Task 7 included two subtasks. Subtask 7-1 addressed C-band (5091- to 5150-MHz) airport surface data communications standards development, systems engineering, test bed and prototype development, and tests and demonstrations to establish operational capability for the Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System (AeroMACS). Subtask 7-2 focused on systems engineering and development support of the L-band digital aeronautical communications system (L-DACS). Subtask 7-1 consisted of two phases. Phase I included development of AeroMACS concepts of use, requirements, architecture, and initial high-level safety risk assessment. Phase II builds on Phase I results and is presented in two volumes. Volume I (this document) is devoted to concepts of use, system requirements, and architecture, including AeroMACS design considerations. Volume II describes an AeroMACS prototype evaluation and presents final AeroMACS recommendations. This report also describes airport categorization and channelization methodologies. The purposes of the airport categorization task were (1) to facilitate initial AeroMACS architecture designs and enable budgetary projections by creating a set of airport categories based on common airport characteristics and design objectives, and (2) to offer high-level guidance to potential AeroMACS technology and policy development sponsors and service providers. A channelization plan methodology was developed because a common global methodology is needed to assure seamless interoperability among diverse AeroMACS services potentially supplied by multiple service providers.

A Systems Engineering Approach to Aircraft Kinetic Kill Countermeasures Technology: Development of an Active Aircraft Defense System for the C/KC-135 Aircraft. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-12-01

comparison among all candidate systems , the reliability of each aircraft defense would evenly affect the evaluation of each system , and would have the...more reliable data. Obviously the more reliable and accurate the data evaluated though the hierarchy chart, the better the results. 29 IV. System ...1.3.5 System Evaluation ................................................................ 6 1.3.6 Decision M aking

Laminated Object Manufacturing-Based Design Ceramic Matrix Composites

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-04-01

components for DoD applications. Program goals included the development of (1) a new LOM based design methodology for CMC, (2) optimized preceramic polymer ...3.1.1-20 3.1.1-12 Detail of LOM Composites Forming System w/ glass fiber/ polymer laminate................ 3.1.1-21 3.1.1-13...such as polymer matrix composites have faced similar barriers to implementation. These barriers have been overcome through the development of suitable

Ada (Trade Name) Compiler Validation Summary Report: IBM Corporation. IBM Development System for the Ada Language System, Version 1.1.0, IBM 4381 under VM/SP CMS, Release 3.6.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-19

System for the Ada Language System, Version 1.1.0, 1.% International Business Machines Corporation, Wright-Patterson AFB. IBM 4381 under VM/SP CMS...THIS PAGE (When Data Enre’ed) AVF Control Number: AVF-VSR-82.1087 87-03-10-TEL ! Ada® COMPILER VALIDATION SUMMARY REPORT: International Business Machines...Organization (AVO). On-site testing was conducted from !8 May 1987 through 19 May 1987 at International Business Machines -orporation, San Diego CA. 1.2

48 CFR 31.205-18 - Independent research and development and bid and proposal costs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., (2) applied research, (3) development, and (4) systems and other concept formulation studies. The... costs. (a) Definitions. As used in this subsection— Applied research means that effort which (1... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Independent research and...

A growth stage and heat unit model for Hedysarum Boreale

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A system for staging sweetvetch (Hedysarum boreale Nutt. [Fabaceae]) through vegetative and reproductive plant development was developed that corresponds with a heat-unit or growing degree day (GDD) model. This system designates 14 finite stages, V1 through V6 (pre-flowering or vegetative), and R1 ...

Bilateral Activity-Dependent Interactions in the Developing Corticospinal System

PubMed Central

Friel, Kathleen M.; Martin, John H.

2009-01-01

Activity-dependent competition between the corticospinal (CS) systems in each hemisphere drives postnatal development of motor skills and stable CS tract connections with contralateral spinal motor circuits. Unilateral restriction of motor cortex (M1) activity during an early postnatal critical period impairs contralateral visually guided movements later in development and in maturity. Silenced M1 develops aberrant connections with the contralateral spinal cord whereas the initially active M1, in the other hemisphere, develops bilateral connections. In this study, we determined whether the aberrant pattern of CS tract terminations and motor impairments produced by early postnatal M1 activity restriction could be abrogated by reducing activity-dependent synaptic competition from the initially active M1 later in development. We first inactivated M1 unilaterally between postnatal weeks 5–7. We next inactivated M1 on the other side from weeks 7–11 (alternate inactivation), to reduce the competitive advantage that this side may have over the initially inactivated side. Alternate inactivation redirected aberrant contralateral CS tract terminations from the initially silenced M1 to their normal spinal territories and reduced the density of aberrant ipsilateral terminations from the initially active side. Normal movement endpoint control during visually guided locomotion was fully restored. This reorganization of CS terminals reveals an unsuspected late plasticity after the critical period for establishing the pattern of CS terminations in the spinal cord. Our findings show that robust bilateral interactions between the developing CS systems on each side are important for achieving balance between contralateral and ipsilateral CS tract connections and visuomotor control. PMID:17928450

Robust control of burst suppression for medical coma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westover, M. Brandon; Kim, Seong-Eun; Ching, ShiNung; Purdon, Patrick L.; Brown, Emery N.

2015-08-01

Objective. Medical coma is an anesthetic-induced state of brain inactivation, manifest in the electroencephalogram by burst suppression. Feedback control can be used to regulate burst suppression, however, previous designs have not been robust. Robust control design is critical under real-world operating conditions, subject to substantial pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameter uncertainty and unpredictable external disturbances. We sought to develop a robust closed-loop anesthesia delivery (CLAD) system to control medical coma. Approach. We developed a robust CLAD system to control the burst suppression probability (BSP). We developed a novel BSP tracking algorithm based on realistic models of propofol pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. We also developed a practical method for estimating patient-specific pharmacodynamics parameters. Finally, we synthesized a robust proportional integral controller. Using a factorial design spanning patient age, mass, height, and gender, we tested whether the system performed within clinically acceptable limits. Throughout all experiments we subjected the system to disturbances, simulating treatment of refractory status epilepticus in a real-world intensive care unit environment. Main results. In 5400 simulations, CLAD behavior remained within specifications. Transient behavior after a step in target BSP from 0.2 to 0.8 exhibited a rise time (the median (min, max)) of 1.4 [1.1, 1.9] min; settling time, 7.8 [4.2, 9.0] min; and percent overshoot of 9.6 [2.3, 10.8]%. Under steady state conditions the CLAD system exhibited a median error of 0.1 [-0.5, 0.9]%; inaccuracy of 1.8 [0.9, 3.4]%; oscillation index of 1.8 [0.9, 3.4]%; and maximum instantaneous propofol dose of 4.3 [2.1, 10.5] mg kg-1. The maximum hourly propofol dose was 4.3 [2.1, 10.3] mg kg-1 h-1. Performance fell within clinically acceptable limits for all measures. Significance. A CLAD system designed using robust control theory achieves clinically acceptable performance in the presence of realistic unmodeled disturbances and in spite of realistic model uncertainty, while maintaining infusion rates within acceptable safety limits.

Robust control of burst suppression for medical coma

PubMed Central

Westover, M Brandon; Kim, Seong-Eun; Ching, ShiNung; Purdon, Patrick L; Brown, Emery N

2015-01-01

Objective Medical coma is an anesthetic-induced state of brain inactivation, manifest in the electroencephalogram by burst suppression. Feedback control can be used to regulate burst suppression, however, previous designs have not been robust. Robust control design is critical under real-world operating conditions, subject to substantial pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameter uncertainty and unpredictable external disturbances. We sought to develop a robust closed-loop anesthesia delivery (CLAD) system to control medical coma. Approach We developed a robust CLAD system to control the burst suppression probability (BSP). We developed a novel BSP tracking algorithm based on realistic models of propofol pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. We also developed a practical method for estimating patient-specific pharmacodynamics parameters. Finally, we synthesized a robust proportional integral controller. Using a factorial design spanning patient age, mass, height, and gender, we tested whether the system performed within clinically acceptable limits. Throughout all experiments we subjected the system to disturbances, simulating treatment of refractory status epilepticus in a real-world intensive care unit environment. Main results In 5400 simulations, CLAD behavior remained within specifications. Transient behavior after a step in target BSP from 0.2 to 0.8 exhibited a rise time (the median (min, max)) of 1.4 [1.1, 1.9] min; settling time, 7.8 [4.2, 9.0] min; and percent overshoot of 9.6 [2.3, 10.8]%. Under steady state conditions the CLAD system exhibited a median error of 0.1 [−0.5, 0.9]%; inaccuracy of 1.8 [0.9, 3.4]%; oscillation index of 1.8 [0.9, 3.4]%; and maximum instantaneous propofol dose of 4.3 [2.1, 10.5] mg kg−1. The maximum hourly propofol dose was 4.3 [2.1, 10.3] mg kg−1 h−1. Performance fell within clinically acceptable limits for all measures. Significance A CLAD system designed using robust control theory achieves clinically acceptable performance in the presence of realistic unmodeled disturbances and in spite of realistic model uncertainty, while maintaining infusion rates within acceptable safety limits. PMID:26020243

Spacesuit Portable Life Support System Breadboard (PLSS 1.0) Development and Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vogel, Matt R.; Watts, Carly

2011-01-01

A multi-year effort has been carried out at NASA-JSC to develop an advanced Extravehicular Activity (EVA) PLSS design intended to further the current state of the art by increasing operational flexibility, reducing consumables, and increasing robustness. Previous efforts have focused on modeling and analyzing the advanced PLSS architecture, as well as developing key enabling technologies. Like the current International Space Station (ISS) Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) PLSS, the advanced PLSS comprises of three subsystems required to sustain the crew during EVA including the Thermal, Ventilation, and Oxygen Subsystems. This multi-year effort has culminated in the construction and operation of PLSS 1.0, a test rig that simulates full functionality of the advanced PLSS design. PLSS 1.0 integrates commercial off the shelf hardware with prototype technology development components, including the primary and secondary oxygen regulators, ventilation loop fan, Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) swingbed, and Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator (SWME). Testing accumulated 239 hours over 45 days, while executing 172 test points. Specific PLSS 1.0 test objectives assessed during this testing include: confirming key individual components perform in a system level test as they have performed during component level testing; identifying unexpected system-level interactions; operating PLSS 1.0 in nominal steady-state EVA modes to baseline subsystem performance with respect to metabolic rate, ventilation loop pressure and flow rate, and environmental conditions; simulating nominal transient EVA operational scenarios; simulating contingency EVA operational scenarios; and further evaluating individual technology development components. Successful testing of the PLSS 1.0 provided a large database of test results that characterize system level and component performance. With the exception of several minor anomalies, the PLSS 1.0 test rig performed as expected; furthermore, many system responses trended in accordance with pre-test predictions.

48 CFR 750.7109-1 - Filing requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Filing requests. 750.7109-1 Section 750.7109-1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONTRACT MANAGEMENT EXTRAORDINARY CONTRACTUAL ACTIONS Extraordinary Contractual Actions To Protect Foreign...

48 CFR 917.7301-1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Section 917.7301-1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES SPECIAL CONTRACTING METHODS Program Research and Development Announcements 917.7301-1... in entering into arrangements for research, development, and related projects in specified areas of...

RETRACTED: Relationship between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T1DN susceptibility/risk of T1DM developing into T1DN in the Caucasian population.

PubMed

Zhou, Tian-Biao; Guo, Xue-Feng; Jiang, Zongpei; Li, Hong-Yan

2015-12-01

The following article has been included in a multiple retraction: Tian-Biao Zhou, Xue-Feng Guo, Zongpei Jiang, and Hong-Yan Li Relationship between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T1DN susceptibility/risk of T1DM developing into T1DN in the Caucasian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563425, first published on February 1, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563425 This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors and the Publisher. After conducting a thorough investigation, SAGE found that the submitting authors of a number of papers published in the Journal of the Renin-Angiotensin Aldosterone System ( JRAAS) (listed below) had supplied fabricated contact details for their nominated reviewers. The Editors accepted these papers based on the reports supplied by the individuals using these fake reviewer email accounts. After concluding that the peer review process was therefore seriously compromised, SAGE and the journal Editors have decided to retract all affected articles. Online First articles (these articles will not be published in an issue) Wenzhuang Tang, Tian-Biao Zhou, and Zongpei Jiang Association of the angiotensinogen M235T gene polymorphism with risk of diabetes mellitus developing into diabetic nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563426, first published on December 18, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563426 Tian-Biao Zhou, Hong-Yan Li, Zong-Pei Jiang, Jia-Fan Zhou, Miao-Fang Huang, and Zhi-Yang Zhou Role of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors in radiation nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563424, first published on December 18, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563424 Weiqiang Zhong, Zongpei Jiang, and Tian-Biao Zhou Association between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T2DN susceptibility: The risk of T2DM developing into T2DN in the Asian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314566019, first published on January 26, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314566019 Tian-Biao Zhou, Xue-Feng Guo, Zongpei Jiang, and Hong-Yan Li Relationship between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T1DN susceptibility/risk of T1DM developing into T1DN in the Caucasian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563425, first published on February 1, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563425 Chun-Hua Yang and Tian-Biao Zhou Relationship between the angiotensinogen A1166C gene polymorphism and the risk of diabetes mellitus developing into diabetic nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314566221, first published on February 1, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314566221 Chun-Hua Yang and Tian-Biao Zhou Association of the ACE I/D gene polymorphism with sepsis susceptibility and sepsis progression Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314568521, first published on February 3, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314568521 Articles published in an issue Guohui Liu, Tian-Biao Zhou, Zongpei Jiang, and Dongwen Zheng Association of ACE I/D gene polymorphism with T2DN susceptibility and the risk of T2DM developing into T2DN in a Caucasian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System March 2015 16: 165-171, first published on November 14, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314557849 Weiqiang Zhong, Zhongliang Huang, Yong Wu, Zongpei Jiang, and Tian-Biao Zhou Association of aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene polymorphism with IgA nephropathy risk and progression of IgA nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System September 2015 16: 660-665, first published on August 20, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314524011.

Creating objective and measurable postgraduate year 1 residency graduation requirements.

PubMed

Starosta, Kaitlin; Davis, Susan L; Kenney, Rachel M; Peters, Michael; To, Long; Kalus, James S

2017-03-15

The process of developing objective and measurable postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) residency graduation requirements and a progress tracking system is described. The PGY1 residency accreditation standard requires that programs establish criteria that must be met by residents for successful completion of the program (i.e., graduation requirements), which should presumably be aligned with helping residents to achieve the purpose of residency training. In addition, programs must track a resident's progress toward fulfillment of residency goals and objectives. Defining graduation requirements and establishing the process for tracking residents' progress are left up to the discretion of the residency program. To help standardize resident performance assessments, leaders of an academic medical center-based PGY1 residency program developed graduation requirement criteria that are objective, measurable, and linked back to residency goals and objectives. A system for tracking resident progress relative to quarterly progress targets was instituted. Leaders also developed a focused, on-the-spot skills assessment termed "the Thunderdome," which was designed for objective evaluation of direct patient care skills. Quarterly data on residents' progress are used to update and customize each resident's training plan. Implementation of this system allowed seamless linkage of the training plan, the progress tracking system, and the specified graduation requirement criteria. PGY1 residency requirements that are objective, that are measurable, and that attempt to identify what skills the resident must demonstrate in order to graduate from the program were developed for use in our residency program. A system for tracking the residents' progress by comparing residents' performance to predetermined quarterly benchmarks was developed. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Directional fractal signature methods for trabecular bone texture in hand radiographs: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

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

Wolski, M., E-mail: marcin.wolski@curtin.edu.au; Podsiadlo, P.; Stachowiak, G. W.

Purpose: To develop directional fractal signature methods for the analysis of trabecular bone (TB) texture in hand radiographs. Problems associated with the small size of hand bones and the orientation of fingers were addressed. Methods: An augmented variance orientation transform (AVOT) and a quadrant rotating grid (QRG) methods were developed. The methods calculate fractal signatures (FSs) in different directions. Unlike other methods they have the search region adjusted according to the size of bone region of interest (ROI) to be analyzed and they produce FSs defined with respect to any chosen reference direction, i.e., they work for arbitrary orientation ofmore » fingers. Five parameters at scales ranging from 2 to 14 pixels (depending on image size and method) were derived from rose plots of Hurst coefficients, i.e., FS in dominating roughness (FS{sub Sta}), vertical (FS{sub V}) and horizontal (FS{sub H}) directions, aspect ratio (StrS), and direction signatures (StdS), respectively. The accuracy in measuring surface roughness and isotropy/anisotropy was evaluated using 3600 isotropic and 800 anisotropic fractal surface images of sizes between 20 × 20 and 64 × 64 pixels. The isotropic surfaces had FDs ranging from 2.1 to 2.9 in steps of 0.1, and the anisotropic surfaces had two dominating directions of 30° and 120°. The methods were used to find differences in hand TB textures between 20 matched pairs of subjects with (cases: approximate Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade ≥2) and without (controls: approximate KL grade <2) radiographic hand osteoarthritis (OA). The OA Initiative public database was used and 20 × 20 pixel bone ROIs were selected on 5th distal and middle phalanges. The performance of the AVOT and QRG methods was compared against a variance orientation transform (VOT) method developed earlier [M. Wolski, P. Podsiadlo, and G. W. Stachowiak, “Directional fractal signature analysis of trabecular bone: evaluation of different methods to detect early osteoarthritis in knee radiographs,” Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng., Part H 223, 211–236 (2009)]. Results: The AVOT method correctly quantified the isotropic and anisotropic surfaces for all image sizes and scales. Values of FS{sub Sta} were significantly different (P < 0.05) between the isotropic surfaces. Using the VOT and QRG methods no differences were found at large scales for the isotropic surfaces that are smaller than 64 × 64 and 48 × 48 pixels, respectively, and at some scales for the anisotropic surfaces with size 48 × 48 pixels. Compared to controls, using the AVOT and QRG methods the authors found that OA TB textures were less rough (P < 0.05) in the dominating and horizontal directions (i.e., lower FS{sub Sta} and FS{sub H}), rougher in the vertical direction (i.e., higher FS{sub V}) and less anisotropic (i.e., higher StrS) than controls. No differences were found using the VOT method. Conclusions: The AVOT method is well suited for the analysis of bone texture in hand radiographs and it could be potentially useful for early detection and prediction of hand OA.« less

Development of Life Prediction Capabilities for Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines. Task 3. Sensor Data Validation and Reconstruction. Phase 1. System Architecture Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-06-01

Validation And Reconstruction -~ Phase 1: System Architecture Study i ".- Contract NAS 3 -25883 I - _ CR-187124 -4 Phase I Final Report,, " , I Prepared for...131 NAS 3 -25883 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 2.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 3.0 TECHNICAL DISCUSSION 8 3.1 Review of SSME Test Data and Validation Procedure 8 3.1.1...NAS 3 -25883 FIGURES FigureNo. e 1 Elements The Sensor Data Validation and Signal Reconstuction System 7 3 Current NASA MSFC Data Review Process 12 4

ESRI applications of GIS technology: Mineral resource development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Derrenbacher, W.

1981-01-01

The application of geographic information systems technology to large scale regional assessment related to mineral resource development, identifying candidate sites for related industry, and evaluating sites for waste disposal is discussed. Efforts to develop data bases were conducted at scales ranging from 1:3,000,000 to 1:25,000. In several instances, broad screening was conducted for large areas at a very general scale with more detailed studies subsequently undertaken in promising areas windowed out of the generalized data base. Increasingly, the systems which are developed are structured as the spatial framework for the long-term collection, storage, referencing, and retrieval of vast amounts of data about large regions. Typically, the reconnaissance data base for a large region is structured at 1:250,000 scale, data bases for smaller areas being structured at 1:25,000, 1:50,000 or 1:63,360. An integrated data base for the coterminous US was implemented at a scale of 1:3,000,000 for two separate efforts.

SCALE: A modular code system for performing Standardized Computer Analyses for Licensing Evaluation. Volume 1, Part 2: Control modules S1--H1; Revision 5

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

NONE

SCALE--a modular code system for Standardized Computer Analyses Licensing Evaluation--has been developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory at the request of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The SCALE system utilizes well-established computer codes and methods within standard analysis sequences that (1) allow an input format designed for the occasional user and/or novice, (2) automated the data processing and coupling between modules, and (3) provide accurate and reliable results. System development has been directed at problem-dependent cross-section processing and analysis of criticality safety, shielding, heat transfer, and depletion/decay problems. Since the initial release of SCALE in 1980, the code system hasmore » been heavily used for evaluation of nuclear fuel facility and package designs. This revision documents Version 4.3 of the system.« less

Zebrafish E-cadherin: expression during early embryogenesis and regulation during brain development.

PubMed

Babb, S G; Barnett, J; Doedens, A L; Cobb, N; Liu, Q; Sorkin, B C; Yelick, P C; Raymond, P A; Marrs, J A

2001-06-01

Zebrafish E-cadherin (cdh1) cell adhesion molecule cDNAs were cloned. We investigated spatial and temporal expression of cdh1 during early embryogenesis. Expression was observed in blastomeres, the anterior mesoderm during gastrulation, and developing epithelial structures. In the developing nervous system, cdh1 was detected at the pharyngula stage (24 hpf) in the midbrain-hindbrain boundary (MHB). Developmental regulation of MHB formation involves wnt1 and pax2.1. wnt1 expression preceded cdh1 expression during MHB formation, and cdh1 expression in the MHB was dependent on normal development of this structure. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

[Assessment system for watershed ecological health in the United States: development and application].

PubMed

Zhang, Hua; Luo, Yong-Ming

2013-07-01

To meet the water quality goals of the Clean Water Act, the environmental agencies in the United States (U.S.) have developed a comprehensive ecological assessment system of watershed health in the last two decades. The system employs a watershed approach, and includes a large set of hydrological, chemical, and biological indices, having become an essential part of the watershed water quality management system in the U.S. and provided strong support for the protection of water environment and the restoration of aquatic system. In this paper, the development and application of the ecological assessment system of watershed health by the U.S. environmental regulators, especially the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), were overviewed from the aspects of related laws and regulations, ecosystem function analysis, ecological health indicators, comprehensive assessment system, and monitoring and data management systems, and the health assessment systems for the rivers, lakes, estuaries, coasts, and wetlands adopted by the National$t1-1-1 Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) were introduced. Some suggestions for the future development of the scientific ecological assessment system of watershed health in China were put forward based on the understanding of the protection and remediation practices of our water environment.

48 CFR 1401.602-1 - Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Authority. 1401.602-1... THE INTERIOR ACQUISITION REGULATION SYSTEM Career Development, Contracting Authority, and Responsibilities 1401.602-1 Authority. Information on the limits of CO's authority shall be maintained by the HCA...

48 CFR 1301.602-1 - Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Authority. 1301.602-1... COMMERCE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM Career Development, Contracting Authority, and Responsibilities 1301.602-1 Authority. In accordance with CAM 1301.70, only individuals who have been certified as...

Career Development: A Systems Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slavenski, Lynn

1987-01-01

The author describes a comprehensive career development system implemented by Coca-Cola USA. The system's objectives are (1) to promote from within, (2) to develop talent for the future, (3) to make managers responsible for development efforts, and (4) to make individuals ultimately responsible for their development. (CH)

A light weight multichannel analyser and γ -ray spectroscopy system: Application to estimate ^{40}K content in some potassium salts and building materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkataramanan, S.; Ajith kumar, B. P.; Kurup, Kiran K.; Varier, K. M.

2018-01-01

A γ -ray spectroscopy system based on a 1^' ' }× 1^' ' } NaI(Tl) detector and 1.5^' ' } photomultiplier tube has been developed at IUAC for teaching laboratory applications involving radioactive sources. Following along the lines of the Phoenix and Expeyes hardware developed in the laboratory earlier, a low-cost, light weight multichannel analyser also has been developed. Here the details about the same are presented. The detector-analyser system has been used as a part of the postgraduate curriculum for measuring ^{40}K content in some potassium salts and common building materials like brick, cement, concrete and sand.

A system to evaluate the scientific quality of biological and restoration objectives using National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plans as a case study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schroeder, R.L.

2006-01-01

It is widely accepted that plans for restoration projects should contain specific, measurable, and science-based objectives to guide restoration efforts. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is in the process of developing Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCPs) for more than 500 units in the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS). These plans contain objectives for biological and ecosystem restoration efforts on the refuges. Based on USFWS policy, a system was developed to evaluate the scientific quality of such objectives based on three critical factors: (1) Is the objective specific, measurable, achievable, results-oriented, and time-fixed? (2) What is the extent of the rationale that explains the assumptions, logic, and reasoning for the objective? (3) How well was available science used in the development of the objective? The evaluation system scores each factor on a scale of 1 (poor) to 4 (excellent) according to detailed criteria. The biological and restoration objectives from CCPs published as of September 2004 (60 total) were evaluated. The overall average score for all biological and restoration objectives was 1.73. Average scores for each factor were: Factor 1-1.97; Factor 2-1.86; Factor 3-1.38. The overall scores increased from 1997 to 2004. Future restoration efforts may benefit by using this evaluation system during the process of plan development, to ensure that biological and restoration objectives are of the highest scientific quality possible prior to the implementation of restoration plans, and to allow for improved monitoring and adaptive management.

Practical Approaches to Curriculum Development. A Management Handbook. Project HIRE: A Curriculum Management System for Instructing the Handicapped. Final Report, Volume 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, David C.; Beatty, Grace Joely

Within the context of the major objectives of developing, field testing, and refining the curriculum materials described in volume 1 of this final report (CE 024 117), Volume 2 describes and critiques the management system used by Project HIRE in that development process. (See Note for availability of curriculum materials.) Chapter 1 introduces…

Flight Validation of a Metrics Driven L(sub 1) Adaptive Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dobrokhodov, Vladimir; Kitsios, Ioannis; Kaminer, Isaac; Jones, Kevin D.; Xargay, Enric; Hovakimyan, Naira; Cao, Chengyu; Lizarraga, Mariano I.; Gregory, Irene M.

2008-01-01

The paper addresses initial steps involved in the development and flight implementation of new metrics driven L1 adaptive flight control system. The work concentrates on (i) definition of appropriate control driven metrics that account for the control surface failures; (ii) tailoring recently developed L1 adaptive controller to the design of adaptive flight control systems that explicitly address these metrics in the presence of control surface failures and dynamic changes under adverse flight conditions; (iii) development of a flight control system for implementation of the resulting algorithms onboard of small UAV; and (iv) conducting a comprehensive flight test program that demonstrates performance of the developed adaptive control algorithms in the presence of failures. As the initial milestone the paper concentrates on the adaptive flight system setup and initial efforts addressing the ability of a commercial off-the-shelf AP with and without adaptive augmentation to recover from control surface failures.

Organic Rankine Kilowatt Isotope Power System. Final phase I report

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

Not Available

1978-07-15

On 1 August 1975 under Department of Energy Contract EN-77-C-02-4299, Sundstrand Energy Systems commenced development of a Kilowatt Isotope Power System (KIPS) directed toward satisfying the higher power requirements of satellites of the 1980s and beyond. The KIPS is a /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ fueled organic Rankine cycle turbine power system which will provide design output power in the range of 500 to 2000 W/sub (e)/ with a minimum of system changes. The principal objectives of the Phase 1 development effort were to: conceptually design a flight system; design a Ground Demonstration System (GDS) that is prototypic of the flight systemmore » in order to prove the feasibility of the flight system design; fabricate and assemble the GDS; and performance and endurance test the GDS using electric heaters in lieu of the isotope heat source. Results of the work performed under the Phase 1 contract to 1 July 1978 are presented.« less

Development of a Visual System Interface to Support a Domain-Oriented Application Composition System

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-03-23

Austin Texas, 1990. 25. Kang, Kyo C. and others. Feature-Oriented Domain Analysis ( FODA ) Feasibility Study. Tech- nical Report CMU/SEI-90-TR-21, Software...Validation and Analysis of the Architect Visual System. .. .. .. .. .... ....... 5-1 5.1 Validation Domain...5-2 5.3 Analysis .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .... .... .. .... .... .. ....... 5-2 5.3.1 The REFINE Environment

Intestinal and Systemic Immune Development and Response to Vaccination Are Unaffected by Dietary (1,3/1,6)-β-d-Glucan Supplementation in Neonatal Piglets

PubMed Central

Hester, Shelly N.; Comstock, Sarah S.; Thorum, Shannon C.; Monaco, Marcia H.; Pence, Brandt D.; Woods, Jeffrey A.

2012-01-01

Infants are susceptible to infections in early life and must rely on their innate immune system for protection. β-Glucans potentiate immune responses. Therefore, we evaluated the influence of purified yeast (1,3/1,6)-β-d-glucan (Wellmune WGP, here referred to as WGP) on the development of the gastrointestinal tract and the intestinal and systemic immune systems in neonatal piglets. Piglets were fed formula containing 0 (control), 1.8, 18, or 90 mg WGP/kg body weight (BW) and were vaccinated against human influenza. Piglets were euthanized at 7 or 21 days of age. Piglet weight and small intestinal length and weight were unaffected by dietary WGP. In addition, WGP did not affect ileal crypt depth, villus height, or ascending colon cuff depth. Immune parameters not affected by WGP supplementation included T cell phenotypes, cytokine gene expression, and cell proliferation. However, vaccination and developmental effects were seen. Overall, the doses of 1.8, 18, and 90 mg/kg BW of dietary WGP had no effect on intestinal or immune development and did not improve the antibody response to vaccination in neonatal piglets. PMID:22815151

Cost analysis of life support systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yakut, M. M.

1973-01-01

A methodology was developed to predict realistic relative cost of Life Support Systems (LSS) and to define areas of major cost impacts in the development cycle. Emphasis was given to tailoring the cost data for usage by program planners and designers. The equipment classifications used based on the degree of refinement were as follows: (1) Working model; (2) low-fidelity prototype; (3) high-fidelity prototype; and (4) flight-qualified system. The major advanced LSS evaluated included the following: (1) Carbon dioxide removal; (2) oxygen recovery systems; (3) water recovery systems; (4) atmosphere analysis system.

Specification Technology Guidebook.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-08-01

1. General Aspects A. Identification JSD - Jackson System Development -. Michael Jackson Systems Limited 17 Conduit Street London, England WIROTD Tel...USER MANAGER ORGANIZATION ə X _ _ _ _ 1-3__ 3-6 X > 6 _ _ D. Primary Source of Document ation Michael Jackson Systems Limited Also see: References

Divvy Economies Based On (An Abstract) Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Dennis G.

2004-04-01

The Leontief Input-Output economic system can provide a model for a one-parameter family of economic systems based on an abstract temperature T. In particular, given a normalized input-output matrix R and taking R= R(1), a family of economic systems R(1/T)=R(α) is developed that represents heating (T>1) and cooling (T<1) of the economy relative to T=1. .The economy for a given value of T represents the solution of a constrained maximum entropy problem.

Expression and purification of biologically active recombinant human paraoxonase 1 from inclusion bodies of Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Bajaj, Priyanka; Tripathy, Rajan K; Aggarwal, Geetika; Pande, Abhay H

2015-11-01

Human PON1 (h-PON1) is a Ca(2+)-dependent serum enzyme and can hydrolyze (and inactivate) a wide range of substrates. It is a multifaceted enzyme and exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-atherogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, and organophosphate (OP)-detoxifying properties. Thus, h-PON1 is a strong candidate for the development of therapeutic intervention against these conditions in humans. Insufficient hydrolyzing activity of native h-PON1 against desirable substrate affirms the urgent need to develop improved variant(s) of h-PON1 having enhanced activity. Production of recombinant h-PON1 (rh-PON1) using an Escherichia coli expression system is a key to develop such variant(s). However, generation of rh-PON1 using E. coli expression system has been elusive until now because of the aggregation of over-expressed rh-PON1 protein in inactive form as inclusion bodies (IBs) in the bacterial cells. In this study, we have over-expressed rh-PON1(wt) and rh-PON1(H115W;R192K) proteins as IBs in E. coli, and refolded the inactive enzymes present in the IBs to their active form using in vitro refolding. The active enzymes were isolated from the refolding mixture by ion-exchange chromatography. The catalytic properties of the refolded enzymes were similar to their soluble counterparts. Our results show that the pure and the active variant of rh-PON1 enzyme having enhanced hydrolyzing activity can be produced in large quantities using E. coli expression system. This method can be used for the industrial scale production of rh-PON1 enzymes and will aid in developing h-PON1 as a therapeutic candidate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Career development needs of vice chairs for education in departments of surgery.

PubMed

Sanfey, Hilary; Boehler, Margaret; Darosa, Debra; Dunnington, Gary L

2012-01-01

To identify the career development needs Vice Chair for Education in Surgery Departments (VCESDs). In all, 33 VCESDs were invited to complete an online survey to identify the scope of duties, scholarly activity, job satisfaction, and career development needs. A total of 29/33 (88%) VCESDs responded. Time constraints were the most frequent impediment for MDs vs. PhDs (p < 0.05). Dominant faculty development needs were conducting educational research (2.0 ± 0.78 for MDs, 1.33 ± 0.76 for PhDs), developing resident selection systems (1.68 ± 0.73), and mentorship programs (1.95 ± 0.77) for MDs, and developing teach the teacher programs (1 ± 0), and program performance evaluation systems (1.33 ± 0.76) for PhDs. The skills deemed to be of greatest importance were ability to communicate effectively (1.27 ± 0.55), resolve personnel conflicts (1.32 ± 0.57), and introduce change (1.41 ± 0.59). PhDs revealed a greater need to learn strategies for dealing with disruptive faculty (1.0 ± 0 vs 2.15 ± 0.87). This information will inform the future career development of VCESDs and will assist Department Chairs who wish to recruit and retain VCESDs. Copyright © 2012 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Robo2 determines subtype-specific axonal projections of trigeminal sensory neurons

PubMed Central

Pan, Y. Albert; Choy, Margaret; Prober, David A.; Schier, Alexander F.

2012-01-01

How neurons connect to form functional circuits is central to the understanding of the development and function of the nervous system. In the somatosensory system, perception of sensory stimuli to the head requires specific connections between trigeminal sensory neurons and their many target areas in the central nervous system. Different trigeminal subtypes have specialized functions and downstream circuits, but it has remained unclear how subtype-specific axonal projection patterns are formed. Using zebrafish as a model system, we followed the development of two trigeminal sensory neuron subtypes: one that expresses trpa1b, a nociceptive channel important for sensing environmental chemicals; and a distinct subtype labeled by an islet1 reporter (Isl1SS). We found that Trpa1b and Isl1SS neurons have overall similar axon trajectories but different branching morphologies and distributions of presynaptic sites. Compared with Trpa1b neurons, Isl1SS neurons display reduced branch growth and synaptogenesis at the hindbrain-spinal cord junction. The subtype-specific morphogenesis of Isl1SS neurons depends on the guidance receptor Robo2. robo2 is preferentially expressed in the Isl1SS subset and inhibits branch growth and synaptogenesis. In the absence of Robo2, Isl1SS afferents acquire many of the characteristics of Trpa1b afferents. These results reveal that subtype-specific activity of Robo2 regulates subcircuit morphogenesis in the trigeminal sensory system. PMID:22190641

Environmentally friendly driving feedback systems research and development for heavy duty trucks.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-03-31

In this research project, the research team developed an environmentally-friendly driving feedback system for heavy-duty trucks, which was : adapted from a similar system previously developed for light-duty cars. The system consists of: 1) Eco-Routin...

A Risk-Scoring System for Predicting Methicillin Resistance in Community-Onset Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in Korea.

PubMed

Suh, Hyeon Jeong; Park, Wan Beom; Jung, Sook-In; Song, Kyoung-Ho; Kwak, Yee Gyung; Kim, Kye-Hyung; Hwang, Jeong-Hwan; Yun, Na Ra; Jang, Hee-Chang; Kim, Young Keun; Kim, Nak-Hyun; Park, Kyung-Hwa; Kang, Seung Ji; Lee, Shinwon; Kim, Eu Suk; Kim, Hong Bin

2018-06-01

We aimed to develop a simple scoring system to predict risk for methicillin resistance in community-onset Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (CO-SAB) by identifying the clinical and epidemiological risk factors for community-onset methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). We retrospectively analyzed data from three multicenter cohort studies in Korea in which patient information was prospectively collected and risk factors for methicillin resistance in CO-SAB were identified. We then developed and validated a risk-scoring system. To analyze the 1,802 cases of CO-SAB, we included the four most powerful predictors of methicillin resistance that we identified in the scoring system: underlying hematologic disease (-1 point), endovascular infection as the primary site of infection (-1 point), history of hospitalization or surgery in ≤1 year (+0.5 points), and previous isolation of MRSA in ≤6 months (+1.5 points). With this scoring system, cases were classified into low (less than -0.5), intermediate (-0.5-1.5), and high (≥1.5) risk groups. The proportions of MRSA cases in each group were 24.7% (22/89), 39.0% (607/1,557), and 78.8% (123/156), respectively, and 16.7% (1/6), 33.8% (112/331), and 76.9% (10/13) in a validation set. This risk-scoring system for methicillin resistance in CO-SAB may help physicians select appropriate empirical antibiotics more quickly.

Expression analysis of Egr-1 ortholog in metamorphic brain of honeybee (Apis mellifera L.): Possible evolutionary conservation of roles of Egr in eye development in vertebrates and insects.

PubMed

Ugajin, Atsushi; Watanabe, Takayuki; Uchiyama, Hironobu; Sasaki, Tetsuhiko; Yajima, Shunsuke; Ono, Masato

2016-09-16

Specific genes quickly transcribed after extracellular stimuli without de novo protein synthesis are known as immediate early genes (IEGs) and are thought to contribute to learning and memory processes in the mature nervous system of vertebrates. A recent study revealed that the homolog of Early growth response protein-1 (Egr-1), which is one of the best-characterized vertebrate IEGs, shared similar properties as a neural activity-dependent gene in the adult brain of insects. With regard to the roles of vertebrate Egr-1 in neural development, the contribution to the development and growth of visual systems has been reported. However, in insects, the expression dynamics of the Egr-1 homologous gene during neural development remains poorly understood. Our expression analysis demonstrated that AmEgr, a honeybee homolog of Egr-1, was transiently upregulated in the developing brain during the early to mid pupal stages. In situ hybridization and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemistry revealed that AmEgr was mainly expressed in post-mitotic cells in optic lobes, the primary visual center of the insect brain. These findings suggest the evolutionarily conserved role of Egr homologs in the development of visual systems in vertebrates and insects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Space Suit Portable Life Support System Test Bed (PLSS 1.0) Development and Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watts, Carly; Campbell, Colin; Vogel, Matthew; Conger, Bruce

2012-01-01

A multi-year effort has been carried out at NASA-JSC to develop an advanced extra-vehicular activity Portable Life Support System (PLSS) design intended to further the current state of the art by increasing operational flexibility, reducing consumables, and increasing robustness. Previous efforts have focused on modeling and analyzing the advanced PLSS architecture, as well as developing key enabling technologies. Like the current International Space Station Extra-vehicular Mobility Unit PLSS, the advanced PLSS comprises three subsystems required to sustain the crew during extra-vehicular activity including the Thermal, Ventilation, and Oxygen Subsystems. This multi-year effort has culminated in the construction and operation of PLSS 1.0, a test bed that simulates full functionality of the advanced PLSS design. PLSS 1.0 integrates commercial off the shelf hardware with prototype technology development components, including the primary and secondary oxygen regulators, Ventilation Subsystem fan, Rapid Cycle Amine swingbed carbon dioxide and water vapor removal device, and Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator heat rejection device. The overall PLSS 1.0 test objective was to demonstrate the capability of the Advanced PLSS to provide key life support functions including suit pressure regulation, carbon dioxide and water vapor removal, thermal control and contingency purge operations. Supplying oxygen was not one of the specific life support functions because the PLSS 1.0 test was not oxygen rated. Nitrogen was used for the working gas. Additional test objectives were to confirm PLSS technology development components performance within an integrated test bed, identify unexpected system level interactions, and map the PLSS 1.0 performance with respect to key variables such as crewmember metabolic rate and suit pressure. Successful PLSS 1.0 testing completed 168 test points over 44 days of testing and produced a large database of test results that characterize system level and component performance. With the exception of several minor anomalies, the PLSS 1.0 test rig performed as expected; furthermore, many system responses trended in accordance with pre-test predictions.

Design and pilot evaluation of a system to develop computer-based site-specific practice guidelines from decision models.

PubMed

Sanders, G D; Nease, R F; Owens, D K

2000-01-01

Local tailoring of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) requires experts in medicine and evidence synthesis unavailable in many practice settings. The authors' computer-based system enables developers and users to create, disseminate, and tailor CPGs, using normative decision models (DMs). ALCHEMIST, a web-based system, analyzes a DM, creates a CPG in the form of an annotated algorithm, and displays for the guideline user the optimal strategy. ALCHEMIST'S interface enables remote users to tailor the guideline by changing underlying input variables and observing the new annotated algorithm that is developed automatically. In a pilot evaluation of the system, a DM was used to evaluate strategies for staging non-small-cell lung cancer. Subjects (n = 15) compared the automatically created CPG with published guidelines for this staging and critiqued both using a previously developed instrument to rate the CPGs' usability, accountability, and accuracy on a scale of 0 (worst) to 2 (best), with higher scores reflecting higher quality. The mean overall score for the ALCHEMIST CPG was 1.502, compared with the published-CPG score of 0.987 (p = 0.002). The ALCHEMIST CPG scores for usability, accountability, and accuracy were 1.683, 1.393, and 1.430, respectively; the published CPG scores were 1.192, 0.941, and 0.830 (each comparison p < 0.05). On a scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best), users' mean ratings of ALCHEMIST'S ease of use, usefulness of content, and presentation format were 4.76, 3.98, and 4.64, respectively. The results demonstrate the feasibility of a web-based system that automatically analyzes a DM and creates a CPG as an annotated algorithm, enabling remote users to develop site-specific CPGs. In the pilot evaluation, the ALCHEMIST guidelines met established criteria for quality and compared favorably with national CPGs. The high usability and usefulness ratings suggest that such systems can be a good tool for guideline development.

After-action review of the 2009-10 H1N1 Influenza Outbreak Response: Ohio's Public Health System's performance.

PubMed

Mase, William A; Bickford, Beth; Thomas, Casey L; Jones, Shamika D; Bisesi, Michael

In early 2009, H1N1 influenza was identified within the human population. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials responded with focused assessment, policy development, and assurances. The response was mobilized through efforts including procurement of adequate vaccine supply, local area span of control, materials acquisition, and facilities and resource identification. Qualitative evaluation of the assurance functions specific to the system's ability to assure safe and healthy conditions are reported. The methodology mirrors the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program used to assess system capability. Findings demonstrate the effectiveness of community responsive disease prevention efforts in partnership with the public health systems mission to unify traditional public sector systems, for-profit systems, and local area systems was accomplished. As a result of this response pharmaceutical industries, healthcare providers, healthcare agencies, police/safety, colleges, and health and human service agencies were united. Findings demonstrate the effectiveness of community response strategies utilizing feedback from system stakeholders. After-action review processes are critical in all-hazards preparedness. This analysis of local health district response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak informs future public health service delivery. Results provide a synthesis of local health department's emergency response strategies, challenges encountered, and future-focused emergency response strategy implementation. A synthesis is provided as to policy and practice developments which have emerged over the past seven years with regard to lessons learned from the 2009-10 H1N1 influenza outbreak and response.

Implementation and evaluation of a web based system for pharmacy stock management in rural Haiti.

PubMed

Berger, Elisabeth J; Jazayeri, Darius; Sauveur, Marcel; Manasse, Jean Joel; Plancher, Inel; Fiefe, Marquise; Laurat, Guerline; Joseph, Samahel; Kempton, Kathryn; Fraser, Hamish S F

2007-10-11

Managing the stock and supply of medication is essential for the provision of health care, especially in resource poor areas of the world. We have developed an innovative, web-based stock management system to support nine clinics in rural Haiti. Building on our experience with a web-based EMR system for our HIV patients, we developed a comprehensive stock tracking system that is modeled on the appearance of standardized WHO stock cards. The system allows pharmacy staff at all clinics to enter stock levels and also to request drugs and track shipments. Use of the system over the last 2 years has increased rapidly and we now track 450 products supporting care for 1.78 million patient visits annually. Over the last year drug stockouts have fallen from 2.6% to 1.1% and 97% of stock requests delivered were shipped within 1 day. We are now setting up this system in our clinics in rural Rwanda.

Replication of the BANK1 genetic association with systemic lupus erythematosus in a European-Derived Population

PubMed Central

Guo, Ling; Deshmukh, Harshal; Lu, Rufei; Vidal, Gabriel S; Kelly, Jennifer A; Kaufman, Kenneth M; Dominguez, Nicolas; Klein, Wendy; Kim-Howard, Xana; Bruner, Gail R; Scofield, R Hal; Moser, Kathy L; Gaffney, Patrick M; Dozmorov, Igor M; Gilkeson, Gary S; Wakeland, Edward K; Li, Quan-Zhen; Langefeld, Carl D; Marion, Miranda C; Williams, Adrienne H; Divers, Jasmin; Alarcón, Graciela S; Brown, Elizabeth E; Kimberly, Robert P; Edberg, Jeffery C; Ramsey-Goldman, Rosalind; Reveille, John D; McGwin, Gerald; Vilá, Luis M; Petri, Michelle A; Vyse, Timothy J; Merrill, Joan T; James, Judith A; Nath, Swapan K; Harley, John B; Guthridge, Joel M

2009-01-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with highly variable clinical presentation. Patients suffer from immunological abnormalities that target T cell, B cell and accessory cell functions. B cells are hyperactive in SLE patients. An adaptor protein expressed in B cells called BANK1 (B-cell scaffold protein with ankyrin repeats) was reported in a previous study to be associated with SLE in a European population. The objective of this study is to assess the BANK1 genotype-phenotype association in an independent replication sample. We genotyped 38 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in BANK1 on 1892 European-derived SLE patients and 2652 European-derived controls. The strongest associations with SLE and BANK1 were at rs17266594 (corrected p-value=1.97 × 10−5, OR=1.22, 95% C.I.(1.12–1.34)) and rs10516487 (corrected p-value=2.59 × 10−5, OR=1.22, 95% C.I.(1.11–1.34)). Our findings suggest that the association is explained by these two SNPs, confirming previous reports that these polymorphisms contribute to the risk of developing lupus. Analysis of patient subsets enriched for hematological, immunological and renal ACR criteria or the levels of autoantibodies, such as anti-RNP A and anti-SmRNP, uncovers additional BANK1 associations. Our results suggest that BANK1 polymorphisms alter immune system development and function to increase the risk for developing lupus. PMID:19339986

Instructional System Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC.

The manual presents a technology of instructional design and a model for developing and conducting efficient and cost effective Air Force instructional systems. Chapter 1 provides an overview of Instructional System Development (ISD). Chapters 2-6 each focus on a step of the process: analysis of system requirements; definition of…

Enhancing Malaria Vaccine Development by the Naval Medical Research Center

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-03-01

optimized in Milestone 1 of this Phase II project. Reduction in particle size of the biopolymeric carrier was sufficient for intramuscular administration of...glycolide) (PLGA) with incorporated DNA plasmid were developed for systemic administration of DNA plasmids for use as a malaria vaccine. Objectives in...with incorporated DNA plasmid were developed for systemic administration of DNA plasmids for use as a malaria vaccine. Objectives in Milestone 1

The role of MACF1 in nervous system development and maintenance.

PubMed

Moffat, Jeffrey J; Ka, Minhan; Jung, Eui-Man; Smith, Amanda L; Kim, Woo-Yang

2017-09-01

Microtubule-actin crosslinking factor 1 (MACF1), also known as actin crosslinking factor 7 (ACF7), is essential for proper modulation of actin and microtubule cytoskeletal networks. Most MACF1 isoforms are expressed broadly in the body, but some are exclusively found in the nervous system. Consequentially, MACF1 is integrally involved in multiple neural processes during development and in adulthood, including neurite outgrowth and neuronal migration. Furthermore, MACF1 participates in several signaling pathways, including the Wnt/β-catenin and GSK-3 signaling pathways, which regulate key cellular processes, such as proliferation and cell migration. Genetic mutation or dysregulation of the MACF1 gene has been associated with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, specifically schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. MACF1 may also play a part in neuromuscular disorders and have a neuroprotective role in the optic nerve. In this review, the authors seek to synthesize recent findings relating to the roles of MACF1 within the nervous system and explore potential novel functions of MACF1 not yet examined. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shuttle cryogenic supply system optimization study. Volume 1: Management supply, sections 1 - 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

An analysis of the cryogenic supply system for use on space shuttle vehicles was conducted. The major outputs of the analysis are: (1) evaluations of subsystem and integrated system concepts, (2) selection of representative designs, (3) parametric data and sensitivity studies, (4) evaluation of cryogenic cooling in environmental control subsystems, and (5) development of mathematical model.

The Systemic Acquired Resistance Regulator OsNPR1 Attenuates Growth by Repressing Auxin Signaling through Promoting IAA-Amido Synthase Expression1[OPEN

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Systemic acquired resistance is a long-lasting and broad-spectrum disease resistance to pathogens. Our previous study demonstrated that overexpression of NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES1 (OsNPR1), a master gene for systemic acquired resistance in rice (Oryza sativa), greatly enhanced resistance to bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae. However, the growth and development of the OsNPR1 overexpression (OsNPR1-OX) plants were restrained, and the mechanism remained elusive. In this study, we dissected the OsNPR1-induced growth inhibition. We found that the OsNPR1-OX lines displayed phenotypes mimicking auxin-defective mutants, with decreases in root system, seed number and weight, internode elongation, and tiller number. Whole-genome expression analysis revealed that genes related to the auxin metabolism and signaling pathway were differentially expressed between the OsNPR1-OX and wild-type plants. Consistently, the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content was decreased and the auxin distribution pattern was altered in OsNPR1-OX plants. Importantly, we found that some GH3 family members, in particular OsGH3.8 coding IAA-amido synthetase, were constitutively up-regulated in OsNPR1-OX plants. Decreased OsGH3.8 expression by RNA interference could partially restore IAA level and largely rescue the restrained growth and development phenotypes but did not affect the disease resistance of OsNPR1-OX plants. Taken together, we revealed that OsNPR1 affects rice growth and development by disrupting the auxin pathway at least partially through indirectly up-regulating OsGH3.8 expression. PMID:27378815

CRISPR-Cas9 and CRISPR-Cpf1 mediated targeting of a stomatal developmental gene EPFL9 in rice.

PubMed

Yin, Xiaojia; Biswal, Akshaya K; Dionora, Jacqueline; Perdigon, Kristel M; Balahadia, Christian P; Mazumdar, Shamik; Chater, Caspar; Lin, Hsiang-Chun; Coe, Robert A; Kretzschmar, Tobias; Gray, Julie E; Quick, Paul W; Bandyopadhyay, Anindya

2017-05-01

CRISPR-Cas9/Cpf1 system with its unique gene targeting efficiency, could be an important tool for functional study of early developmental genes through the generation of successful knockout plants. The introduction and utilization of systems biology approaches have identified several genes that are involved in early development of a plant and with such knowledge a robust tool is required for the functional validation of putative candidate genes thus obtained. The development of the CRISPR-Cas9/Cpf1 genome editing system has provided a convenient tool for creating loss of function mutants for genes of interest. The present study utilized CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR-Cpf1 technology to knock out an early developmental gene EPFL9 (Epidermal Patterning Factor like-9, a positive regulator of stomatal development in Arabidopsis) orthologue in rice. Germ-line mutants that were generated showed edits that were carried forward into the T2 generation when Cas9-free homozygous mutants were obtained. The homozygous mutant plants showed more than an eightfold reduction in stomatal density on the abaxial leaf surface of the edited rice plants. Potential off-target analysis showed no significant off-target effects. This study also utilized the CRISPR-LbCpf1 (Lachnospiracae bacterium Cpf1) to target the same OsEPFL9 gene to test the activity of this class-2 CRISPR system in rice and found that Cpf1 is also capable of genome editing and edits get transmitted through generations with similar phenotypic changes seen with CRISPR-Cas9. This study demonstrates the application of CRISPR-Cas9/Cpf1 to precisely target genomic locations and develop transgene-free homozygous heritable gene edits and confirms that the loss of function analysis of the candidate genes emerging from different systems biology based approaches, could be performed, and therefore, this system adds value in the validation of gene function studies.

DATABASE AND ANALYTICAL TOOL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF DATA DERIVED FROM US DOE (NETL) FUNDED FINE PARTICULATE (PM2.5) RESEARCH

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

Robinson P. Khosah; Charles G. Crawford

Advanced Technology Systems, Inc. (ATS) was contracted by the U. S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE-NETL) to develop a state-of-the-art, scalable and robust web-accessible database application to manage the extensive data sets resulting from the DOE-NETL-sponsored ambient air monitoring programs in the upper Ohio River valley region. The data management system was designed to include a web-based user interface that will allow easy access to the data by the scientific community, policy- and decision-makers, and other interested stakeholders, while providing detailed information on sampling, analytical and quality control parameters. In addition, the system will provide graphical analyticalmore » tools for displaying, analyzing and interpreting the air quality data. The system will also provide multiple report generation capabilities and easy-to-understand visualization formats that can be utilized by the media and public outreach/educational institutions. The project is being conducted in two phases. Phase 1, which is currently in progress and will take twelve months to complete, will include the following tasks: (1) data inventory/benchmarking, including the establishment of an external stakeholder group; (2) development of a data management system; (3) population of the database; (4) development of a web-based data retrieval system, and (5) establishment of an internal quality assurance/quality control system on data management. In Phase 2, which will be completed in the second year of the project, a platform for on-line data analysis will be developed. Phase 2 will include the following tasks: (1) development of a sponsor and stakeholder/user website with extensive online analytical tools; (2) development of a public website; (3) incorporation of an extensive online help system into each website; and (4) incorporation of a graphical representation (mapping) system into each website. The project is now into its eleventh month of Phase 1 development activities.« less

LCRE and SNAP 50-DR-1 programs. Engineering progress report, January 1, 1963--March 31, 1963

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

None

Declassified 5 Sep 1973. Information is presented concerning LCRE specifications, primary coolant circuit, aaxiliary systems, fuel elements, instrumentation, materials development, and fabrication; and SNAP-50DR-1 specifications, fuel elements, pumps, steam generator, and materials development. (DCC)

Control Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

Boeing Commercial Airplane Company's Flight Control Department engineers relied on Langley developed software package known as ORACLS to develop an advanced control synthesis package for both continuous and discrete control system. Package was used by Boeing for computerized analysis of new system designs. Resulting applications include a multiple input/output control system for the terrain-following navigation equipment of the Air Forces B-1 Bomber, and another for controlling in flight changes of wing camber on an experimental airplane. ORACLS is one of 1,300 computer programs available from COSMIC.

Flight simulator for hypersonic vehicle and a study of NASP handling qualities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ntuen, Celestine A.; Park, Eui H.; Deeb, Joseph M.; Kim, Jung H.

1992-01-01

The research goal of the Human-Machine Systems Engineering Group was to study the existing handling quality studies in aircraft with sonic to supersonic speeds and power in order to understand information requirements needed for a hypersonic vehicle flight simulator. This goal falls within the NASA task statements: (1) develop flight simulator for hypersonic vehicle; (2) study NASP handling qualities; and (3) study effects of flexibility on handling qualities and on control system performance. Following the above statement of work, the group has developed three research strategies. These are: (1) to study existing handling quality studies and the associated aircraft and develop flight simulation data characterization; (2) to develop a profile for flight simulation data acquisition based on objective statement no. 1 above; and (3) to develop a simulator and an embedded expert system platform which can be used in handling quality experiments for hypersonic aircraft/flight simulation training.

Destabilization of Atoh1 by E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Huwe1 and Casein Kinase 1 Is Essential for Normal Sensory Hair Cell Development*

PubMed Central

Cheng, Yen-Fu; Tong, Mingjie; Edge, Albert S. B.

2016-01-01

Proneural basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, Atoh1, plays a key role in the development of sensory hair cells. We show here that the level of Atoh1 must be accurately controlled by degradation of the protein in addition to the regulation of Atoh1 gene expression to achieve normal cellular patterning during development of the cochlear sensory epithelium. The stability of Atoh1 was regulated by the ubiquitin proteasome system through the action of Huwe1, a HECT-domain, E3 ubiquitin ligase. An interaction between Huwe1 and Atoh1 could be visualized by a proximity ligation assay and was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry. Transfer of a lysine 48-linked polyubiquitin chain to Atoh1 by Huwe1 could be demonstrated both in intact cells and in a cell-free system, and proteasome inhibition or Huwe1 silencing increased Atoh1 levels. The interaction with Huwe1 and polyubiquitylation were blocked by disruption of casein kinase 1 (CK1) activity, and mass spectrometry and mutational analysis identified serine 334 as an important phosphorylation site for Atoh1 ubiquitylation and subsequent degradation. Phosphorylation by CK1 thus targeted the protein for degradation. Development of an extra row of inner hair cells in the cochlea and an approximate doubling in the number of afferent synapses was observed after embryonic or early postnatal deletion of Huwe1 in cochlear-supporting cells, and hair cells died in the early postnatal period when Huwe1 was knocked out in the developing cochlea. These data indicate that the regulation of Atoh1 by the ubiquitin proteasome pathway is necessary for hair cell fate determination and survival. PMID:27542412

SIRU development. Volume 1: System development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilmore, J. P.; Cooper, R. J.

1973-01-01

A complete description of the development and initial evaluation of the Strapdown Inertial Reference Unit (SIRU) system is reported. System development documents the system mechanization with the analytic formulation for fault detection and isolation processing structure; the hardware redundancy design and the individual modularity features; the computational structure and facilities; and the initial subsystem evaluation results.

Development of Physical Therapy Practical Assessment System by Using Multisource Feedback

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hengsomboon, Ninwisan; Pasiphol, Shotiga; Sujiva, Siridej

2017-01-01

The purposes of the research were (1) to develop the physical therapy practical assessment system by using the multisource feedback (MSF) approach and (2) to investigate the effectiveness of the implementation of the developed physical therapy practical assessment system. The development of physical therapy practical assessment system by using MSF…

Development of Effective Academic Affairs Administration System in Thai Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thongnoi, Niratchakorn; Srisa-ard, Boonchom; Sri-ampai, Anan

2013-01-01

This research aimed to: 1) study current situations and problems of academic affairs administration system in Primary Schools. 2) develop an effective academic affairs administration system, and 3) evaluate the implementation of the developed system in the primary school, Thailand. Research and Development (R&D) was employed which consisted of…

SSCR Automated Manager (SAM) release 1. 1 reference manual

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

Not Available

1988-10-01

This manual provides instructions for using the SSCR Automated Manager (SAM) to manage System Software Change Records (SSCRs) online. SSCRs are forms required to document all system software changes for the Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Central computer systems. SAM, a program developed at Energy Systems, is accessed through IDMS/R (Integrated Database Management System) on an IBM system.

Bifunctional role of ephrin A1-Eph system in stimulating cell proliferation and protecting cells from cell death through the attenuation of ER stress and inflammatory responses in bovine mammary epithelial cells.

PubMed

Kang, Minkyung; Jeong, Wooyoung; Bae, Hyocheol; Lim, Whasun; Bazer, Fuller W; Song, Gwonhwa

2018-03-01

Structural and functional development of the mammary gland is constant in the mammary gland life cycle. Eph receptors and their ligands, ephrins, control events through cell-to-cell interactions during embryonic development, and adult tissue homeostasis; however, little information on participation of ephrin A1, a representative ligand of the Eph receptor, in the development and function of normal mammary glands is known. In this study, we demonstrated functional effects of the ephrin A1-Eph system and mechanisms of its action on bovine mammary epithelial (MAC-T) cells. The in vitro cultured MAC-T cells expressed the ephrin A1 ligand and EphA1, A2, A4, A7, and A8 among the eight members of the Eph A family. Our results revealed that ephrin A1 induced MAC-T cell cycle progression and stimulated cell proliferation with abundant expression of nucleic PCNA and cyclin D1 proteins. Additionally, ephrin A1 induced activation of intracellular signaling molecules involved in PI3 K/AKT and MAPK signaling, and the proliferation-stimulating effect of ephrin A1 was mediated by activation of these pathways. Furthermore, ephrin A1 influenced expression and activation of various ER stress-related proteins and protected MAC-T cells from stress-induced cell death. Finally, ephrin A1 alleviated LPS-induced cell death through down-regulation of inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the Eph A-ephrin A1 system is a positive factor in the increase and maintenance of epithelial cells in mammary glands of cows; the signaling system contributes to development, remodeling, and functionality of normal mammary glands and could overcome mastitis in cows and other mammals. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ada (Tradename) Compiler Validation Summary Report. International Business Machines Corporation. IBM Development System for the Ada Language for VM/CMS, Version 1.0. IBM 4381 (IBM System/370) under VM/CMS.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-04-29

COMPILER VALIDATION SUMMARY REPORT: International Business Machines Corporation IBM Development System for the Ada Language for VM/CMS, Version 1.0 IBM 4381...tested using command scripts provided by International Business Machines Corporation. These scripts were reviewed by the validation team. Test.s were run...s): IBM 4381 (System/370) Operating System: VM/CMS, release 3.6 International Business Machines Corporation has made no deliberate extensions to the

Automation of closed environments in space for human comfort and safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) for the Space Station Freedom and future colonization of the Moon and Mars presents new challenges for present technologies. Current plans call for a crew of 8 to live in a safe, shirt-sleeve environment for 90 days without ground support. Because of these requirements, all life support systems must be self-sufficient and reliable. The ECLSS is composed of six subsystems. The temperature and humidity control (THC) subsystem maintains the cabin temperature and humidity at a comfortable level. The atmosphere control and supply (ACS) subsystem insures proper cabin pressure and partial pressures of oxygen and nitrogen. To protect the space station from fire damage, the fire detection and suppression (FDS) subsystem provides fire sensing alarms and extinguishers. The waste management (WM) subsystem compacts solid wastes for return to Earth, and collects urine for water recovery. Because it is impractical, if not impossible, to supply the station with enough fresh air and water for the duration of the space station's extended mission, these elements are recycled. The atmosphere revitalization (AR) subsystem removes CO2 and other dangerous contaminants from the air. The water recovery and management (WRM) subsystem collects and filters condensate from the cabin to replenish potable water supplies, and processes urine and other waste waters to replenish hygiene water supplies. These subsystems are not fully automated at this time. Furthermore, the control of these subsystems is not presently integrated; they are largely independent of one another. A fully integrated and automated ECLSS would increase astronauts' productivity and contribute to their safety and comfort. The Kansas State University Advanced Design Team is in the process of researching and designing controls for the automation of the ECLSS for Space Station Freedom and beyond. The approach chosen to solve this problem is to divide the design into three phases. The first phase is to research the ECLSS as a whole system and then concentrate efforts on the automation of a single subsystem. The AR subsystem was chosen for our focus. During the second phase, the system control process will then be applied to the AR subsystem.

SBexpert users guide (version 1.0): a knowledge-based decision-support system for spruce beetle management.

Treesearch

Keith M. Reynolds; Edward H. Holsten; Richard A. Werner

1994-01-01

SBexpert version 1.0 is a knowledge-based decision-support system for spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rutipennis (Kby.)) management developed for use in Microsoft Windows with the KnowledgePro Windows development language. The SBexpert users guide provides detailed instructions on the use of all SBexpert features. SBexpert has four main topics (...

Development of Quasi-3DOF upper limb rehabilitation system using ER brake: PLEMO-P1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikuchi, T.; Fukushima, K.; Furusho, J.; Ozawa, T.

2009-02-01

In recent years, many researchers have studied the potential of using robotics technology to assist and quantify the motor functions for neuron-rehabilitation. Some kinds of haptic devices have been developed and evaluated its efficiency with clinical tests, for example, upper limb training for patients with spasticity after stroke. However, almost all the devices are active-type (motor-driven) haptic devices and they basically require high-cost safety system compared to passive-type (brake-based) devices. In this study, we developed a new practical haptic device 'PLEMO-P1'; this system adopted ER brakes as its force generators. In this paper, the mechanism of PLEMO-P1 and its software for a reaching rehabilitation are described.

Integrated alternative energy systems for use in small communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thornton, J.

1982-01-01

This paper summarizes the principles and conceptual design of an integrated alternative energy system for use in typical farming communities in developing countries. A system is described that, utilizing the Sun and methane produced from crop waste, would supply sufficient electric and thermal energy to meet the basic needs of villagers for water pumping, lighting, and cooking. The system is sized to supply enough pumping capacity to irrigate 101 ha (249 acres) sufficiently to optimize annual crop yields for the community. Three economic scenarios were developed, showing net benefits to the community of $3,578 to $15,547 anually, payback periods of 9.5 to 20 years, and benefit-to-cost ratios of 1.1 to 1.9.

Systems Engineering and Project Management for Product Development: Optimizing Their Working Interfaces

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction...Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1 . AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE... 1   A.  BACKGROUND ................................................................................... 1   B.  PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

The determination of operational and support requirements and costs during the conceptual design of space systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ebeling, Charles

1991-01-01

The primary objective is to develop a methodology for predicting operational and support parameters and costs of proposed space systems. The first phase consists of: (1) the identification of data sources; (2) the development of a methodology for determining system reliability and maintainability parameters; (3) the implementation of the methodology through the use of prototypes; and (4) support in the development of an integrated computer model. The phase 1 results are documented and a direction is identified to proceed to accomplish the overall objective.

[THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMMUNE ENZYME AND IMMUNE CHROMATOGRAPHIC MONOCLONAL TEST-SYSTEM FOR DETECTING TULAREMIA AGENT].

PubMed

Eremkin, A V; Elagin, G D; Petchenkin, D V; Fomenkov, O O; Bogatcheva, N V; Kitmanov, A A; Kuklina, G V; Tikhvinskaya, O V

2016-03-01

The immune enzyme and immunochromatographic test-systems for detecting tularemia agent were developed on the basis of selected set of monoclonal antibodies having immunochemical activity to antigens Francisella tularensis. The evaluation of sensitivity and specificity of developed test-systems demonstrated that samples provided detection of strains of F. tularensis in concentration from 5.0 x 105 mkxcm-3 to 1.0 x 106 mkxcm-3 and gave no false positive results in analysis of heterologous microorganisms in concentration of 1.0 x 108 mkxcm-3.

The Program Manager’s Support System (PMSS). An Executive Overview and System Description,

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-01

process. The PMSS tool will, when completed, support the program management process in all stages of program nanagement; that is, birth of the...module, developed as a template on LOTUS 1-2-3, is an application of the Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO) developed by B. Boehm. The DSMC SWCE module, a...developed for a specific program office but can be modified for use by others. It is a "template" system designed to operate on a Zenith Z-150 using Lotus 1

BmRobo1a and BmRobo1b control axon repulsion in the silkworm Bombyx mori.

PubMed

Li, Xiao-Tong; Yu, Qi; Zhou, Qi-Sheng; Zhao, Xiao; Liu, Zhao-Yang; Cui, Wei-Zheng; Liu, Qing-Xin

2016-02-15

The development of the nervous system is based on the growth and connection of axons, and axon guidance molecules are the dominant regulators during this course. Robo, as the receptor of axon guidance molecule Slit, plays a key role as a conserved repellent cue for axon guidance during the development of the central nervous system. However, the function of Robo in the silkworm Bombyx mori is unknown. In this study, we cloned two novel robo genes in B. mori (Bmrobo1a and Bmrobo1b). BmRobo1a and BmRobo1b lack an Ig and a FNIII domain in the extracellular region and the CC0 and CC2 motifs in the intracellular region. BmRobo1a and BmRobo1b were colocalized with BmSlit in the neuropil. Knock-down of Bmrobo1a and Bmrobo1b by RNA interference (RNAi) resulted in abnormal development of axons. Our results suggest that BmRobo1a and BmRobo1b have repulsive function in axon guidance, even though their structures are different from Robo1 of other species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Decentralized Control and Multicriterion Decision Making.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-01

stabilizable and detectable? ’V L 42 Theorem 3.1: Existence of stabilizing solution. We assume that the system is jointly controllable R1 (0...a leader’s control that will make the system stabilizable for the follower and that in order for J to be finite the leader must choose F such1 1 that...a stabilizing solution will be developed. We restrict our attention to a formulation dealing with a linear continuous time system and in which