37 CFR 256.2 - Royalty fee for compulsory license for secondary transmission by cable systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... receipts for the first distant signal equivalent; (3) .668 of 1 per centum of such gross receipts for each of the second, third and fourth distant signal equivalents; and (4) .314 of 1 per centum of such gross receipts for the fifth distant signal equivalent and each additional distant signal equivalent...

37 CFR 256.2 - Royalty fee for compulsory license for secondary transmission by cable systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... receipts for the first distant signal equivalent; (3) .668 of 1 per centum of such gross receipts for each of the second, third and fourth distant signal equivalents; and (4) .314 of 1 per centum of such gross receipts for the fifth distant signal equivalent and each additional distant signal equivalent...

37 CFR 256.2 - Royalty fee for compulsory license for secondary transmission by cable systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... gross receipts for the first distant signal equivalent; (3) .668 of 1 per centum of such gross receipts for each of the second, third and fourth distant signal equivalents; and (4) .314 of 1 per centum of such gross receipts for the fifth distant signal equivalent and each additional distant signal...

37 CFR 256.2 - Royalty fee for compulsory license for secondary transmission by cable systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... receipts for the first distant signal equivalent; (3) .668 of 1 per centum of such gross receipts for each of the second, third and fourth distant signal equivalents; and (4) .314 of 1 per centum of such gross receipts for the fifth distant signal equivalent and each additional distant signal equivalent...

So what exactly are social-ecological network studies? Findings from a literature review

EPA Science Inventory

To solve most environmental management problems academics and practitioners must work across traditionally compartmentalized management arenas (e.g., food, water, and wildlife) and among spatially distant ecosystems and resource users. Managing interdependent ecosystem services, ...

Relative Positions of Distant Spacecraft

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-29

This graphic shows the relative positions of NASA most distant spacecraft in early 2011, looking at the solar system from the side. Voyager 1 is the most distant spacecraft, 10.9 billion miles away from the sun at a northward angle.

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

Liu, Jianguo; Hull, Vanessa; Batistella, Mateus

Interactions between distant places are increasingly widespread and influential, often leading to unexpected outcomes with profound implications for sustainability. Numerous sustainability studies have been conducted within a particular place with little attention to the impacts of distant interactions on sustainability in multiple places. Although distant forces have been studied, they are usually treated as exogenous variables and feedbacks have been rarely considered. To understand and integrate various distant interactions better, we propose an integrated framework based on telecoupling – an umbrella concept that refers to socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances. The concept of telecoupling is a logical extension ofmore » research on coupled human and natural systems, in which human and natural systems interact within particular places. The telecoupling framework contains five major interrelated components (coupled human and natural systems, agents, flows, causes, and effects). We illustrate the framework using two examples of distant interactions, highlight the implications of the framework, and discuss research needs and approaches to move research on telecouplings forward. The framework can help better analyze system components and their interrelationships, identify research gaps, detect hidden costs and untapped benefits, provide a useful means to incorporate feedbacks as well as trade-offs and synergies across multiple places (sending, receiving, and spillover systems), and improve the understanding of distant interactions and the effectiveness of policies for socioeconomic and environmental sustainability from local to global levels.« less

Using geospatial techniques to develop an emergency referral transport system for suspected sepsis patients in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Haider, Rafiqul; Abdullah, Abu Yousuf Md; Christou, Aliki; Ali, Nabeel Ashraf; Rahman, Ahmed Ehsnaur; Iqbal, Afrin; Bari, Sanwarul; Hoque, D. M. Emdadul; Arifeen, Shams El; Kissoon, Niranjan; Larson, Charles P.

2018-01-01

Background A geographic information system (GIS)-based transport network within an emergency referral system can be the key to reducing health system delays and increasing the chances of survival, especially during an emergency. We employed a GIS to design an emergency transport system for the rapid transfer of pregnant or early post-partum women, newborns, and children under 5 years of age with suspected sepsis under the Interrupting Pathways to Sepsis Initiative (IPSI) project. Methods A GIS database was developed by mapping the villages, roads, and relevant physical features of the study area. A travel-time algorithm was developed to incorporate the time taken by different modes of local transport to reach the health complexes. These were used in a network analysis to identify the shortest routes to the hospitals from the villages, which were categorized into green, yellow, and red zones based on their proximity to the nearest hospitals to provide transport facilities. An emergency call-in centre established for the project managed the transport system, and its data was used to assess the uptake of this transport system amongst distant communities. Results Fifteen pre-existing and two new routes were identified as the shortest routes to the health complexes. The call-in centre personnel used this route information to direct both patients and transport drivers to the nearest transport hubs or pick-up points. Adherence with referral advice was high in areas where the IPSI transport operated. Over the study period, the utilisation of the project’s transport doubled and referral compliance from distant zones similarly increased. Conclusions The GIS system created for this study facilitated rapid referral of patients in emergency from distant zones, using locally available transport and resources. The methodology described in this study to develop and implement an emergency transport system can be applied in similar, rural, low-income country settings. PMID:29338012

Using geospatial techniques to develop an emergency referral transport system for suspected sepsis patients in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Atique Iqbal; Haider, Rafiqul; Abdullah, Abu Yousuf Md; Christou, Aliki; Ali, Nabeel Ashraf; Rahman, Ahmed Ehsnaur; Iqbal, Afrin; Bari, Sanwarul; Hoque, D M Emdadul; Arifeen, Shams El; Kissoon, Niranjan; Larson, Charles P

2018-01-01

A geographic information system (GIS)-based transport network within an emergency referral system can be the key to reducing health system delays and increasing the chances of survival, especially during an emergency. We employed a GIS to design an emergency transport system for the rapid transfer of pregnant or early post-partum women, newborns, and children under 5 years of age with suspected sepsis under the Interrupting Pathways to Sepsis Initiative (IPSI) project. A GIS database was developed by mapping the villages, roads, and relevant physical features of the study area. A travel-time algorithm was developed to incorporate the time taken by different modes of local transport to reach the health complexes. These were used in a network analysis to identify the shortest routes to the hospitals from the villages, which were categorized into green, yellow, and red zones based on their proximity to the nearest hospitals to provide transport facilities. An emergency call-in centre established for the project managed the transport system, and its data was used to assess the uptake of this transport system amongst distant communities. Fifteen pre-existing and two new routes were identified as the shortest routes to the health complexes. The call-in centre personnel used this route information to direct both patients and transport drivers to the nearest transport hubs or pick-up points. Adherence with referral advice was high in areas where the IPSI transport operated. Over the study period, the utilisation of the project's transport doubled and referral compliance from distant zones similarly increased. The GIS system created for this study facilitated rapid referral of patients in emergency from distant zones, using locally available transport and resources. The methodology described in this study to develop and implement an emergency transport system can be applied in similar, rural, low-income country settings.

A General Model of Distant Hybridization Reveals the Conditions for Extinction in Atlantic Salmon and Brown Trout

PubMed Central

Quilodrán, Claudio S.; Currat, Mathias; Montoya-Burgos, Juan I.

2014-01-01

Interspecific hybridization is common in nature but can be increased in frequency or even originated by human actions, such as species introduction or habitat modification, which may threaten species persistence. When hybridization occurs between distantly related species, referred to as “distant hybridization,” the resulting hybrids are generally infertile or fertile but do not undergo chromosomal recombination during gametogenesis. Here, we present a model describing this frequent but poorly studied interspecific hybridization to assess its consequences on parental species and to anticipate the conditions under which they can reach extinction. Our general model fully incorporates three important processes: density-dependent competition, dominance/recessivity inheritance of traits and assortative mating. We demonstrate its use and flexibility by assessing population extinction risk between Atlantic salmon and brown trout in Norway, whose interbreeding has recently increased due to farmed fish releases into the wild. We identified the set of conditions under which hybridization may threaten salmonid species. Thanks to the flexibility of our model, we evaluated the effect of an additional risk factor, a parasitic disease, and showed that the cumulative effects dramatically increase the extinction risk. The consequences of distant hybridization are not genetically, but demographically mediated. Our general model is useful to better comprehend the evolution of such hybrid systems and we demonstrated its importance in the field of conservation biology to set up management recommendations when this increasingly frequent type of hybridization is in action. PMID:25003336

A general model of distant hybridization reveals the conditions for extinction in Atlantic salmon and brown trout.

PubMed

Quilodrán, Claudio S; Currat, Mathias; Montoya-Burgos, Juan I

2014-01-01

Interspecific hybridization is common in nature but can be increased in frequency or even originated by human actions, such as species introduction or habitat modification, which may threaten species persistence. When hybridization occurs between distantly related species, referred to as "distant hybridization," the resulting hybrids are generally infertile or fertile but do not undergo chromosomal recombination during gametogenesis. Here, we present a model describing this frequent but poorly studied interspecific hybridization to assess its consequences on parental species and to anticipate the conditions under which they can reach extinction. Our general model fully incorporates three important processes: density-dependent competition, dominance/recessivity inheritance of traits and assortative mating. We demonstrate its use and flexibility by assessing population extinction risk between Atlantic salmon and brown trout in Norway, whose interbreeding has recently increased due to farmed fish releases into the wild. We identified the set of conditions under which hybridization may threaten salmonid species. Thanks to the flexibility of our model, we evaluated the effect of an additional risk factor, a parasitic disease, and showed that the cumulative effects dramatically increase the extinction risk. The consequences of distant hybridization are not genetically, but demographically mediated. Our general model is useful to better comprehend the evolution of such hybrid systems and we demonstrated its importance in the field of conservation biology to set up management recommendations when this increasingly frequent type of hybridization is in action.

Preoperative staging of rectal cancer.

PubMed

Yeung, Justin Mc; Ferris, Nicholas J; Lynch, A Craig; Heriot, Alexander G

2009-10-01

Preoperative staging is now an essential factor in the multidisciplinary management of rectal cancer because tumor stage is the strongest predictive factor for recurrence. Preoperative staging of rectal cancer can be divided into either local or distant staging. Local staging incorporates the assessment of mural wall invasion, circumferential resection margin involvement, as well as the nodal status for metastasis. Distant staging assesses for evidence of metastatic disease. The aim of this review is to consider the indications and limitations of the current preoperative imaging modalities for rectal cancer staging including clinical examination, endorectal ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography and positron emission tomography-computed tomography, with respect to local and distant disease.

Surgical Management of Metastatic Disease.

PubMed

Keung, Emily Z; Fairweather, Mark; Raut, Chandrajit P

2016-10-01

Sarcomas are rare cancers of mesenchymal cell origin that include many histologic subtypes and molecularly distinct entities. For primary resectable sarcoma, surgery is the mainstay of treatment. Despite treatment, approximately 50% of patients with soft tissue sarcoma are diagnosed with or develop distant metastases, significantly affecting their survival. Although systemic therapy with conventional chemotherapy remains the primary treatment modality for those with metastatic sarcoma, increased survival has been achieved in select patients who receive multimodality therapy, including surgery, for their metastatic disease. This article provides an overview of the literature on surgical management of pulmonary and hepatic sarcoma metastases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Is neoadjuvant chemoradiation with dose-escalation and consolidation chemotherapy sufficient to increase surgery-free and distant metastases-free survival in baseline cT3 rectal cancer?

PubMed

São Julião, Guilherme Pagin; Habr-Gama, Angelita; Vailati, Bruna Borba; Aguilar, Patricia Bailão; Sabbaga, Jorge; Araújo, Sérgio Eduardo Alonso; Mattacheo, Adrian; Alexandre, Flavia Andrea; Fernandez, Laura Melina; Gomes, Diogo Bugano; Gama-Rodrigues, Joaquim; Perez, Rodrigo Oliva

2018-01-01

Patients with cT3 rectal cancer are less likely to develop complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) and still face significant risk for systemic relapse. In this setting, radiation (RT) dose-escalation and consolidation chemotherapy in "extended" nCRT regimens have been suggested to improve primary tumor response and decrease the risks of systemic recurrences. For these reasons we compared surgery-free and distant-metastases free survival among cT3 patients undergoing standard or extended nCRT. Patients with distal and non-metastatic T3 rectal cancer managed by nCRT were retrospectively reviewed. Patients undergoing standard CRT (50.4 Gy and 2 cycles of 5FU-based chemotherapy) were compared to those undergoing extended CRT (54 Gy and 6 cycles of 5FU-based chemotherapy). Patients were assessed for tumor response at 8-10 weeks. Patients with complete clinical response (cCR) underwent organ-preservation strategy (Watch & Wait). Patients were referred to salvage surgery in the event of local recurrence during follow-up. Cox's logistic regression was performed to identify independent features associated with improved surgery-free survival after cCR and distant-metastases-free survival. 155 patients underwent standard and 66 patients extended CRT. Patients undergoing extended CRT were more likely to harbor larger initial tumor size (p = 0.04), baseline nodal metastases (cN+; p < 0.001) and higher tumor location (p = 0.02). Cox-regression analysis revealed that the type of nCRT regimen was not independently associated with distinct surgery-free survival after cCR or distant-metastases-free survival (p > 0.05). Dose-escalation and consolidation chemotherapy are insufficient to increase long-term surgery-free survival among cT3 rectal cancer patients and provides no advantage in distant metastases-free survival. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.

Study and Application of Remote Data Moving Transmission under the Network Convergence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhiguo, Meng; Du, Zhou

The data transmission is an important problem in remote applications. Advance of network convergence has help to select and use data transmission model. The embedded system and data management platform is a key of the design. With communication module, interface technology and the transceiver which has independent intellectual property rights connected broadband network and mobile network seamlessly. Using the distribution system of mobile base station to realize the wireless transmission, using public networks to implement the data transmission, making the distant information system break through area restrictions and realizing transmission of the moving data, it has been fully recognized in long-distance medical care applications.

Re-thinking incentives and penalties: economic aspects of waste management in Italy.

PubMed

Cossu, R; Masi, S

2013-11-01

This paper focuses on the dynamics the formation of operational costs of waste management in Italy and the effect of economic measures. Currently incentives and penalties have been internalized by the system no differently from other cost items and revenues. This has greatly influenced the system directing it towards solutions that are often distant from the real environmental objectives. Based on an analysis of disaggregated costs of collection treatment and recovery, we provide the basic elements to compose a picture of economic management in various technical-organizational scenarios. In the light of the considerations contained in the paper it is proposed, e.g. for controlled landfills, that the ecotax, currently based on weight, could be replaced by one based on the volume consumption. Likewise, for tax reduction on disposal system, instead a pre-treatment might ask an environmental balance of the overall system. The article presents a reflection on the last hidden costs associated with the consumption of goods and packaging, and how to reduce waste production is the necessary path to be followed in ecological and economic perspectives. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantum predictions for an unmeasured system cannot be simulated with a finite-memory classical system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tavakoli, Armin; Cabello, Adán

2018-03-01

We consider an ideal experiment in which unlimited nonprojective quantum measurements are sequentially performed on a system that is initially entangled with a distant one. At each step of the sequence, the measurements are randomly chosen between two. However, regardless of which measurement is chosen or which outcome is obtained, the quantum state of the pair always remains entangled. We show that the classical simulation of the reduced state of the distant system requires not only unlimited rounds of communication, but also that the distant system has infinite memory. Otherwise, a thermodynamical argument predicts heating at a distance. Our proposal can be used for experimentally ruling out nonlocal finite-memory classical models of quantum theory.

Management of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Current Practice and Future Perspective.

PubMed

Lee, Anne W M; Ma, Brigette B Y; Ng, Wai Tong; Chan, Anthony T C

2015-10-10

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma of the undifferentiated subtype is endemic to southern China, and patient prognosis has improved significantly over the past three decades because of advances in disease management, diagnostic imaging, radiotherapy technology, and broader application of systemic therapy. Despite the excellent local control with modern radiotherapy, distant failure remains a key challenge. Advances in molecular technology have helped to decipher the molecular pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma as well as its etiologic association with the Epstein-Barr virus. This in turn has led to the discovery of novel biomarkers and drug targets, rendering this cancer site a current focus for new drug development. This article reviews and appraises the key literature on the current management of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and future directions in clinical research. © 2015 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Libraries Without Walls 4: The Delivery of Library Services to Distant Users. Proceedings of an International Conference Organized by the Centre for Research in Library and Information Management (CERLIM), Manchester Metropolitan University (Manchester, England, September 14-18, 2001).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brophy, Peter, Ed.; Fisher, Shelagh, Ed.; Clarke, Zoe, Ed.

This proceedings of the fourth Libraries Without Walls Conference addresses key strategic issues arising from international, regional, and cross-sectoral approaches to the provision of library services to distant users. The following papers are included: Theme 1: Libraries and Virtual Learning Environments: "Introduction" (Peter Brophy,…

Automatic Camera Control System for a Distant Lecture with Videoing a Normal Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suganuma, Akira; Nishigori, Shuichiro

The growth of a communication network technology enables students to take part in a distant lecture. Although many lectures are conducted in universities by using Web contents, normal lectures using a blackboard are still held. The latter style lecture is good for a teacher's dynamic explanation. A way to modify it for a distant lecture is to…

Collaborative Accounting Problem Solving via Group Support Systems in a Face-to-Face versus Distant Learning Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Jacqueline A.

2001-01-01

Accounting students (n=128) used either face-to-face or distant Group support systems to complete collaborative tasks. Participation and social presence perceptions were significantly higher face to face. Task difficulty did not affect participation in either environment. (Contains 54 references.) (JOW)

The “Minimizing Antibiotic Resistance in Colorado” Project: Impact of Patient Education in Improving Antibiotic Use in Private Office Practices

PubMed Central

Gonzales, Ralph; Corbett, Kitty K; Leeman-Castillo, Bonnie A; Glazner, Judith; Erbacher, Kathleen; Darr, Carol A; Wong, Shale; Maselli, Judith H; Sauaia, Angela; Kafadar, Karen

2005-01-01

Objective To assess the marginal impact of patient education on antibiotic prescribing to children with pharyngitis and adults with acute bronchitis in private office practices. Data Sources/Study Setting Antibiotic prescription rates based on claims data from four managed care organizations in Colorado during baseline (winter 2000) and study (winter 2001) periods. Study Design A nonrandomized controlled trial of a household and office-based patient educational intervention was performed. During both periods, Colorado physicians were mailed antibiotic prescribing profiles and practices guidelines as part of an ongoing quality improvement program. Intervention practices (n=7) were compared with local and distant control practices. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Office visits were extracted by managed care organizations using International Classification of Diseases-9-Clinical Modification codes for acute respiratory tract infections, and merged with pharmacy claims data based on visit and dispensing dates coinciding within 2 days. Principal Findings Adjusted antibiotic prescription rates during baseline and study periods increased from 38 to 39 percent for pediatric pharyngitis at the distant control practices, and decreased from 39 to 37 percent at the local control practices, and from 34 to 30 percent at the intervention practices (p=.18 compared with distant control practices). Adjusted antibiotic prescription rates decreased from 50 to 44 percent for adult bronchitis at the distant control practices, from 55 to 45 percent at the local control practices, and from 60 to 36 percent at the intervention practices (p<.002 and p=.006 compared with distant and local control practices, respectively). Conclusions In office practices, there appears to be little room for improvement in antibiotic prescription rates for children with pharyngitis. In contrast, patient education helps reduce antibiotic use for adults with acute bronchitis beyond that achieved by physician-directed efforts. PMID:15663704

Strategies for distant speech recognitionin reverberant environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delcroix, Marc; Yoshioka, Takuya; Ogawa, Atsunori; Kubo, Yotaro; Fujimoto, Masakiyo; Ito, Nobutaka; Kinoshita, Keisuke; Espi, Miquel; Araki, Shoko; Hori, Takaaki; Nakatani, Tomohiro

2015-12-01

Reverberation and noise are known to severely affect the automatic speech recognition (ASR) performance of speech recorded by distant microphones. Therefore, we must deal with reverberation if we are to realize high-performance hands-free speech recognition. In this paper, we review a recognition system that we developed at our laboratory to deal with reverberant speech. The system consists of a speech enhancement (SE) front-end that employs long-term linear prediction-based dereverberation followed by noise reduction. We combine our SE front-end with an ASR back-end that uses neural networks for acoustic and language modeling. The proposed system achieved top scores on the ASR task of the REVERB challenge. This paper describes the different technologies used in our system and presents detailed experimental results that justify our implementation choices and may provide hints for designing distant ASR systems.

The fates of Solar system analogues with one additional distant planet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veras, Dimitri

2016-12-01

The potential existence of a distant planet (`Planet Nine') in the Solar system has prompted a re-think about the evolution of planetary systems. As the Sun transitions from a main-sequence star into a white dwarf, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are currently assumed to survive in expanded but otherwise unchanged orbits. However, a sufficiently distant and sufficiently massive extra planet would alter this quiescent end scenario through the combined effects of Solar giant branch mass-loss and Galactic tides. Here, I estimate bounds for the mass and orbit of a distant extra planet that would incite future instability in systems with a Sun-like star and giant planets with masses and orbits equivalent to those of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. I find that this boundary is diffuse and strongly dependent on each of the distant planet's orbital parameters. Nevertheless, I claim that instability occurs more often than not when the planet is as massive as Jupiter and harbours a semimajor axis exceeding about 300 au, or has a mass of a super-Earth and a semimajor axis exceeding about 3000 au. These results hold for orbital pericentres ranging from 100 to at least 400 au. This instability scenario might represent a common occurrence, as potentially evidenced by the ubiquity of metal pollution in white dwarf atmospheres throughout the Galaxy.

Cutaneous resurfacing with CO2 and erbium: YAG lasers: preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative considerations.

PubMed

Alster, T S

1999-02-01

The development and integration of pulsed and scanned CO2 and erbium:YAG laser systems into mainstream surgical practice over the past years has revolutionized cutaneous resurfacing. These lasers are capable of delivering to skin high peak fluences to effect controlled tissue vaporization, while leaving an acceptably narrow zone of residual thermal damage. The inherent technological differences that exist between the two distant laser systems in terms of ablation depths, degree of thermal coagulation, and postoperative side-effects and complications guide patient selection and management. This article reviews the basic principles of CO2 and erbium:YAG laser resurfacing, including preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative patient considerations. Side-effects and complications encountered after laser resurfacing are discussed with specific guidelines provided on their appropriate management. Anticipated future developments and cutting-edge research endeavors in cutaneous laser resurfacing are also briefly outlined.

18F-Choline PET/CT scan in staging and biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer patients: Changes in classification and radiotherapy planning.

PubMed

Cardona Arboniés, J; Rodríguez Alfonso, B; Mucientes Rasilla, J; Martínez Ballesteros, C; Zapata Paz, I; Prieto Soriano, A; Carballido Rodriguez, J; Mitjavila Casanovas, M

To evaluate the role of the 18 F-Choline PET/CT in prostate cancer management when detecting distant disease in planning radiotherapy and staging and to evaluate the therapy changes guided by PET/TC results. A retrospective evaluation was performed on 18 F-Choline PET/CT scans of patients with prostate cancer. Staging and planning radiotherapy scans were selected in patients with at least 9 months follow up. There was a total of 56 studies, 33 (58.93%) for staging, and 23 (41.07%) for planning radiotherapy. All scans were obtained using a hybrid PET/CT scanner. The PET/CT acquisition protocol consisted of a dual-phase procedure after the administration of an intravenous injection of 296-370MBq of 18 F-Choline. There were 43 out of 56 (76.8%) scans considered as positive, and 13 (23.2%) were negative. The TNM staging was changed in 13 (23.2%) scans. The PET/CT findings ruled out distant disease in 4 out of 13 scans, and unknown distant disease was detected in 9 (69.3%) scans. 18 F-Choline PET/CT is a useful technique for detecting unknown distant disease in prostate cancer when staging and planning radiotherapy. The inclusion of 18 F-choline PET/CT should be considered in prostate cancer management protocols. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMNIM. All rights reserved.

Preablation 131-I scans with SPECT/CT contribute to thyroid cancer risk stratification and 131-I therapy planning.

PubMed

Avram, Anca M; Esfandiari, Nazanene H; Wong, Ka Kit

2015-05-01

The use of preablation diagnostic radioiodine scans for risk stratification and radioiodine therapy planning for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) remains controversial. The objective was to assess the contribution of preablation diagnostic 131-I scans with SPECT/CT (Dx 131-I scan) to (1) the risk stratification and (2) the postoperative management of DTC. The study was designed as a prospective sequential patient series. The study was conducted at a University hospital. Three hundred twenty patients (pts) with DTC (219F; 101M, mean age 47.3 ± 16.4 y, range 10-90) were studied. Using clinical and histopathology information an endocrinologist performed risk stratification and determined postoperative management with respect to radioiodine therapy (RAI) planning. The decision to withhold or to administer RAI, and the recommended low, medium or high therapeutic 131-I activity were recorded. Dx 131-I scans were performed and interpreted by two nuclear medicine physicians as showing thyroid remnant, cervical nodal, or distant metastases. The endocrinologist then reperformed risk stratification and reformulated management after consideration of Dx 131-I scans and stimulated thyroglobulin (Tg) information. Main outcome measures were changes in risk stratification and management after Dx 131-I scans. Detection of unsuspected nodal and distant metastases and elevated stimulated Tg levels resulted in a change in the estimated risk of recurrence in 15% of patients, and management in 31% of patients, as compared to initial risk stratification and management based on histopathology alone. Both imaging data and stimulated thyroglobulin levels acquired at the time of Dx 131-I scans are consequential for 131-I therapy planning, providing information that changes risk stratification in 15% of patients as compared to recurrence risk estimation based on histopathology alone. Dx 131-I scans contribute to risk stratification by defining residual nodal and distant metastatic disease, changing clinical management in 29.4% of patients.

Merkel cell carcinoma: An algorithm for multidisciplinary management and decision-making.

PubMed

Prieto, Isabel; Pérez de la Fuente, Teresa; Medina, Susana; Castelo, Beatriz; Sobrino, Beatriz; Fortes, Jose R; Esteban, David; Cassinello, Fernando; Jover, Raquel; Rodríguez, Nuria

2016-02-01

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive neuroendocrine tumor of the skin. Therapeutic approach is often unclear, and considerable controversy exists regarding MCC pathogenesis and optimal management. Due to its rising incidence and poor prognosis, it is imperative to establish the optimal therapy for both the tumor and the lymph node basin, and for treatment to include sentinel node biopsy. Sentinel node biopsy is currently the most consistent predictor of survival for MCC patients, although there are conflicting views and a lack of awareness regarding node management. Tumor and node management involve different specialists, and their respective decisions and interventions are interrelated. No effective systemic treatment has been made available to date, and therefore patients continue to experience distant failure, often without local failure. This review aims to improve multidisciplinary decision-making by presenting scientific evidence of the contributions of each team member implicated in MCC management. Following this review of previously published research, the authors conclude that multidisciplinary team management is beneficial for care, and propose a multidisciplinary decision algorithm for managing this tumor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers calibrate a tracking telescope, part of the Distant Object Attitude Measurement System (DOAMS), located in Cocoa Beach, Fla. The telescope provides optical support for launches from KSC and Cape Canaveral.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-03

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers calibrate a tracking telescope, part of the Distant Object Attitude Measurement System (DOAMS), located in Cocoa Beach, Fla. The telescope provides optical support for launches from KSC and Cape Canaveral.

Two Women with Multiple Disabilities Communicate with Distant Partners via a Special Text Messaging System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancioni, Giulio E.; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Singh, Nirbhay N.; Sigafoos, Jeff; Green, Vanessa A.; Oliva, Doretta; Alberti, Gloria; Carrella, Luigina

2013-01-01

This study extended the research on a special text messaging system, which allows persons with multiple disabilities to (a) write and send messages to distant partners and (b) have messages from those partners read out to them. The study involved two women with multiple disabilities (including blindness or minimal residual vision). The system…

Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography-computed Tomography Evaluation of an Interesting Case of Uterine Carcinosarcoma with Isolated Appendicular Skeletal Metastases.

PubMed

Harisankar, Chidambaram Natrajan Balasubramanian

2018-01-01

Uterine carcinosarcomas, also known as malignant mixed mullerian tumors, are one of the rare and most aggressive neoplasms of the uterus. They have an aggressive course and can spread to distant organs. Owing to the low incidence of these tumors, the optimal adjuvant management after surgery is not well established. Many patients develop distant metastases during follow-up. An interesting case of uterine carcinosarcoma who developed metastases to the femur, tibia, and calcaneum during follow is presented.

The Enduring Challenges in Public Management: Surviving and Excelling in a Changing World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halachmi, Arie, Ed.; Bouckaert, Geert, Ed.

This book addresses in different ways the prospect of improving the performance of government and nonprofit organizations. The chapters are clustered around enduring management challenges that may influence productivity in the public sector. Fifteen chapters discuss the challenges to productivity posed by immediate and distant changes in the…

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker calibrates a tracking telescope, part of the Distant Object Attitude Measurement System (DOAMS), located in Cocoa Beach, Fla. The telescope provides optical support for launches from KSC and Cape Canaveral.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-03

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker calibrates a tracking telescope, part of the Distant Object Attitude Measurement System (DOAMS), located in Cocoa Beach, Fla. The telescope provides optical support for launches from KSC and Cape Canaveral.

Preablation 131-I scans with SPECT/CT in postoperative thyroid cancer patients: what is the impact on staging?

PubMed

Avram, Anca M; Fig, Lorraine M; Frey, Kirk A; Gross, Milton D; Wong, Ka Kit

2013-03-01

The utility of preablation radioiodine scans for the management of differentiated thyroid cancer remains controversial. To determine the contribution of preablation Iodine 131 (131-I) planar with single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT; diagnostic [Dx] scans) to differentiated thyroid cancer staging. Prospective sequential series at university clinic. Using American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) staging, seventh edition 320 patients post-total thyroidectomy were initially staged based on clinical and pathology data (pTN) and then restaged after imaging (TNM). The impact of Dx scans with SPECT/CT on N and M scores, and TNM stage, was assessed in younger, age <45 years, n = 138 (43%), and older, age ≥ 45 years, n = 182 (57%) patients, with subgroup analysis for T1a and T1b tumors. In younger patients Dx scans detected distant metastases in 5 of 138 patients (4%), and nodal metastases in 61 of 138 patients (44%), including unsuspected nodal metastases in 24 of 63 (38%) patients initially assigned pathologic (p) N0 or pNx. In older patients distant metastases were detected in 18 of 182 patients (10%), and nodal metastases in 51 of 182 patients (28%), including unsuspected nodal metastases in 26 of 108 (24%) patients initially assigned pN0 or pNx. Dx scans detected distant metastases in 2 of 49 (4%) T1a, and 3 of 67 (4.5%) T1b patients. Dx scans detected regional metastases in 35% of patients, and distant metastases in 8% of patients. Information acquired with Dx scans changed staging in 4% of younger, and 25% of older patients. Preablation scans with SPECT/CT contribute to staging of thyroid cancer. Identification of regional and distant metastases prior to radioiodine therapy has significant potential to alter patient management.

Influence of road network and population demand assumptions in evacuation modeling for distant tsunamis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Henry, Kevin; Wood, Nathan J.; Frazier, Tim G.

2017-01-01

Tsunami evacuation planning in coastal communities is typically focused on local events where at-risk individuals must move on foot in a matter of minutes to safety. Less attention has been placed on distant tsunamis, where evacuations unfold over several hours, are often dominated by vehicle use and are managed by public safety officials. Traditional traffic simulation models focus on estimating clearance times but often overlook the influence of varying population demand, alternative modes, background traffic, shadow evacuation, and traffic management alternatives. These factors are especially important for island communities with limited egress options to safety. We use the coastal community of Balboa Island, California (USA), as a case study to explore the range of potential clearance times prior to wave arrival for a distant tsunami scenario. We use a first-in–first-out queuing simulation environment to estimate variations in clearance times, given varying assumptions of the evacuating population (demand) and the road network over which they evacuate (supply). Results suggest clearance times are less than wave arrival times for a distant tsunami, except when we assume maximum vehicle usage for residents, employees, and tourists for a weekend scenario. A two-lane bridge to the mainland was the primary traffic bottleneck, thereby minimizing the effect of departure times, shadow evacuations, background traffic, boat-based evacuations, and traffic light timing on overall community clearance time. Reducing vehicular demand generally reduced clearance time, whereas improvements to road capacity had mixed results. Finally, failure to recognize non-residential employee and tourist populations in the vehicle demand substantially underestimated clearance time.

Interactive videoconsultation is a feasible method for neurological in-patient assessment.

PubMed

Craig, J; Patterson, V; Russell, C; Wootton, R

2000-11-01

To evaluate the feasibility of interactive videoconsultation (IATV) as a means by which neurologists might assess patients admitted with neurological symptoms to hospitals distant from a neurological centre, we studied 25 unselected patients using interactive videoconsultation (IATV) and then validated the IATV diagnoses and management plans at a later face-to-face consultation. IATV consultation led to an eventual diagnosis in 23 out of 25 patients, with one diagnosis being changed and one remaining uncertain. The IATV management plans were felt to be appropriate for all patients in study. Twelve patients were able to be discharged from hospital on the same day as IATV on the advice of the neurologist. It is therefore practical to assess patients admitted with neurological symptoms to distant hospitals using IATV and this may result in more efficient use of in-patient resources.

Leadership Theory Taught in Air Force Distant Learning Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM...be considered critical components. Reward power comes from compliance based on the control of a precious commodity such as pay, promotion, and...managers monitor and staff its progress. Lastly, management controls and leadership motivates.22 Managers are there to ensure the goals are

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

Cossu, R.; Masi, S., E-mail: salvatore.masi@unibas.it

Highlights: • We focused on the dynamics the formation of operational costs of waste management. • We provide the basic elements to compose a picture of economic management. • We present a reflection on the last hidden costs associated with the consumption of goods and packaging. • Reduction of waste production. - Abstract: This paper focuses on the dynamics the formation of operational costs of waste management in Italy and the effect of economic measures. Currently incentives and penalties have been internalized by the system no differently from other cost items and revenues. This has greatly influenced the system directingmore » it towards solutions that are often distant from the real environmental objectives. Based on an analysis of disaggregated costs of collection treatment and recovery, we provide the basic elements to compose a picture of economic management in various technical–organizational scenarios. In the light of the considerations contained in the paper it is proposed, e.g. for controlled landfills, that the ecotax, currently based on weight, could be replaced by one based on the volume consumption. Likewise, for tax reduction on disposal system, instead a pre-treatment might ask an environmental balance of the overall system. The article presents a reflection on the last hidden costs associated with the consumption of goods and packaging, and how to reduce waste production is the necessary path to be followed in ecological and economic perspectives.« less

[Distant mental influence on living organisms].

PubMed

Bonilla, Ernesto

2013-12-01

This article reviews studies of distant mental influence on living organisms, including mental suggestions of sleeping and awakening, mental influence at long distances, mental interactions with remote biological systems, mental effects on physiological activity and the sense of being stared at. Significant effects of distant mental influence have been shown in several randomized controlled trials in humans, animals, plants, bacteria and cells in the laboratory. Although distant mental influence on living organisms appears to contradict our ordinary sense of reality and the laws defined by conventional science, several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the observed effects; they include skeptical, signal transfer, field, multidimensional space/time and quantum mechanics hypotheses. In conclusion, as the progress of physics continues to expand our comprehension of reality, a rational explanation for distant mind-matter interaction will emerge and, as history has shown repeatedly, the supernatural events will evolve into paranormal and then, into normal ones, as the scientific frontiers expand.

The future of stellar occultations by distant solar system bodies: Perspectives from the Gaia astrometry and the deep sky surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camargo, J. I. B.; Desmars, J.; Braga-Ribas, F.; Vieira-Martins, R.; Assafin, M.; Sicardy, B.; Bérard, D.; Benedetti-Rossi, G.

2018-05-01

Distant objects in the solar system are crucial to better understand the history and evolution of its outskirts. The stellar occultation technique allows the determination of their sizes and shapes with kilometric accuracy, a detailed investigation of their immediate vicinities, as well as the detection of tenuous atmospheres. The prediction of such events is a key point in this study, and yet accurate enough predictions are available to a handful of objects only. In this work, we briefly discuss the dramatic impact that both the astrometry from the Gaia space mission and the deep sky surveys - the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope in particular - will have on the prediction of stellar occultations and how they may influence the future of the study of distant small solar system bodies through this technique.

One-step resonant controlled-phase gate on distant transmon qutrits in different 1D superconducting resonators

PubMed Central

Hua, Ming; Tao, Ming-Jie; Deng, Fu-Guo; Lu Long, Gui

2015-01-01

We propose a scheme to construct the controlled-phase (c-phase) gate on distant transmon qutrits hosted in different resonators inter-coupled by a connected transmon qutrit. Different from previous works for entanglement generation and information transfer on two distant qubits in a dispersive regime in the similar systems, our gate is constructed in the resonant regime with one step. The numerical simulation shows that the fidelity of our c-phase gate is 99.5% within 86.3 ns. As an interesting application of our c-phase gate, we propose an effective scheme to complete a conventional square lattice of two-dimensional surface code layout for fault-tolerant quantum computing on the distant transmon qutrits. The four-step coupling between the nearest distant transmon qutrits, small coupling strengths of the distant transmon qutrits, and the non-population on the connection transmon qutrit can reduce the interactions among different parts of the layout effectively, which makes the layout be integrated with a large scale in an easier way. PMID:26486426

CATV and the Broadcasters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flanagan, Bill

Competition between cable television systems (CATV) and regular broadcast stations concerns pay-TV and distant signal importation. The pay-TV that CATV provides competes with the networks by "siphoning" away sports and feature films, while the distant signals that CATV imports to a local market "fragment" the local audience and…

New architectural paradigms for multi-petabyte distributed storage systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Richard R.

1994-01-01

In the not too distant future, programs such as NASA's Earth Observing System, NSF/ARPA/NASA's Digital Libraries Initiative and Intelligence Community's (NSA, CIA, NRO, etc.) mass storage system upgrades will all require multi-petabyte (petabyte: 1015 bytes of bitfile data) (or larger) distributed storage solutions. None of these requirements, as currently defined, will meet their objectives utilizing either today's architectural paradigms or storage solutions. Radically new approaches will be required to not only store and manage veritable 'mountain ranges of data', but to make the cost of ownership affordable, much less practical in today's (and certainly the future's) austere budget environment! Within this paper we will explore new architectural paradigms and project systems performance benefits and dollars per petabyte of information stored. We will discuss essential 'top down' approaches to achieving an overall systems level performance capability sufficient to meet the challenges of these major programs.

Securing water for the cities.

PubMed

Satterthwaite, D

1993-01-01

Many cities in developing countries have grown so much that they can no longer provide adequate, sustainable water. Over pumping in Dakar and Mexico City has forced those cities to obtain water from ever more distant sources. In Dakar, the result has been saltwater intrusion. Overpumping has caused Mexico City to sink, in some areas by as much as 9 m, resulting in serious damage to buildings and sewage and drainage pipes. Other cities facing similar water problems are coastal cities in Peru (e.g., Lima), La Rioja and Catamarca in Argentina, cities in Northern Mexico, and cities in dry areas of Africa. For some cities, the problem is not so much ever more distant water supplies but insufficient funds to expand supplies. Bangkok and Jakarta both face saltwater intrusion into their overdrawn aquifers. Even through agriculture is the dominant user of water in most countries, demand concentrated in a small area exhausts local and regional sources and pollutes rivers, lakes, and coasts with untreated human and industrial waste. Most cities in Africa and Asia do not have a sewerage system. Further, most cities do not have the drains to deal with storm water and external floodwater, causing frequent, seasonal flooding. The resulting stagnant water provides breeding grounds for insect vectors of diseases (e.g., malaria). The problems in most cities are a result of poor management, not lack of water. Reducing leaks in existing piped distribution systems from the usual 60% loss of water to leaks to 12% would increase the available water 2-fold. Another way to address water shortages would be commercial, industrial, and recreational use of minimally treated waste water, such as is the case in Madras and Mexico City. Political solutions are needed to resolve inadequate water supply and waste management.

Use of an intuitive telemanipulator system for remote trauma surgery: an experimental study.

PubMed

Bowersox, J C; Cordts, P R; LaPorta, A J

1998-06-01

Death from battlefield trauma occurs rapidly. Potentially salvageable casualties generally exsanguinate from truncal hemorrhage before operative intervention is possible. An intuitive telemanipulator system that would allow distant surgeons to remotely treat injured patients could improve the outcome from severe injuries. We evaluated a prototype, four-degree-of-freedom, telesurgery system that provides a surgeon with a stereoscopic video display of a remote operative field. Using dexterous robotic manipulators, surgical instruments at the remote site can be precisely controlled, enabling operative procedures to be performed remotely. Surgeons (n = 3) used the telesurgery system to perform organ excision, hemorrhage control, suturing, and knot tying on anesthetized swine. The ability to complete tasks, times required, technical quality, and subjective impressions were recorded. Surgeons using the telesurgery system were able to close gastrotomies remotely, although times required were 2.7 times as long as those performed by conventional techniques (451 +/- 83 versus 1,235 +/- 165 seconds, p < 0.002). Cholecystectomies, hemorrhage control from liver lacerations, and enterotomy closures were successfully completed in all attempts. Force feedback and stereoscopic video display were important for achieving intuitive performance with the telesurgery system, although tasks were completed adequately in the absence of these sensory cues. We demonstrated the feasibility of performing standard surgical procedures remotely, with the operating surgeon linked to the distant field only by electronic cabling. Complex manipulations were possible, although the times required were much longer. The capabilities of the system used would not support resuscitative surgery. Telesurgery is unlikely to play a role in early trauma management, but may be a unique research tool for acquiring basic knowledge of operative surgery.

Do Facilities with Distant Headquarters Pollute More? How Civic Engagement Conditions the Environmental Performance of Absentee Managed Plants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Don; Jones, Andrew W.; Trautner, Mary Nell

2004-01-01

Scholars agree that due to advances in transportation and communication technologies, firms can extend their reach and more easily externalize their pollution by setting up plants in far-flung, less regulated areas. They also concur that absentee managed plants or facilities with remote headquarters are rapidly becoming the modal type of…

A Distant Solar System Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-12-09

This artist concept depicts a distant hypothetical solar system, similar in age to our own. Looking inward from the system outer fringes, a ring of dusty debris can be seen, and within it, planets circling a star the size of our Sun. This debris is all that remains of the planet-forming disk from which the planets evolved. Planets are formed when dusty material in a large disk surrounding a young star clumps together. Leftover material is eventually blown out by solar wind or pushed out by gravitational interactions with planets. Billions of years later, only an outer disk of debris remains. These outer debris disks are too faint to be imaged by visible-light telescopes. They are washed out by the glare of the Sun. However, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope can detect their heat, or excess thermal emission, in infrared light. This allows astronomers to study the aftermath of planet building in distant solar systems like our own. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07096

The Biggest Loser Thinks Long-Term: Recency as a Predictor of Success in Weight Management.

PubMed

Koritzky, Gilly; Rice, Chantelle; Dieterle, Camille; Bechara, Antoine

2015-01-01

Only a minority of participants in behavioral weight management lose weight significantly. The ability to predict who is likely to benefit from weight management can improve the efficiency of obesity treatment. Identifying predictors of weight loss can also reveal potential ways to improve existing treatments. We propose a neuro-psychological model that is focused on recency: the reliance on recent information at the expense of time-distant information. Forty-four weight-management patients completed a decision-making task and their recency level was estimated by a mathematical model. Impulsivity and risk-taking were also measured for comparison. Weight loss was measured in the end of the 16-week intervention. Consistent with our hypothesis, successful dieters (n = 12) had lower recency scores than unsuccessful ones (n = 32; p = 0.006). Successful and unsuccessful dieters were similar in their demographics, intelligence, risk taking, impulsivity, and delay of gratification. We conclude that dieters who process time-distant information in their decision making are more likely to lose weight than those who are high in recency. We argue that having low recency facilitates future-oriented thinking, and thereby contributes to behavior change treatment adherence. Our findings underline the importance of choosing the right treatment for every individual, and outline a way to improve weight-management processes for more patients.

An Architecture to Enable Autonomous Control of Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

May, Ryan D.; Dever, Timothy P.; Soeder, James F.; George, Patrick J.; Morris, Paul H.; Colombano, Silvano P.; Frank, Jeremy D.; Schwabacher, Mark A.; Wang, Liu; LawLer, Dennis

2014-01-01

Autonomy is required for manned spacecraft missions distant enough that light-time communication delays make ground-based mission control infeasible. Presently, ground controllers develop a complete schedule of power modes for all spacecraft components based on a large number of factors. The proposed architecture is an early attempt to formalize and automate this process using on-vehicle computation resources. In order to demonstrate this architecture, an autonomous electrical power system controller and vehicle Mission Manager are constructed. These two components are designed to work together in order to plan upcoming load use as well as respond to unanticipated deviations from the plan. The communication protocol was developed using "paper" simulations prior to formally encoding the messages and developing software to implement the required functionality. These software routines exchange data via TCP/IP sockets with the Mission Manager operating at NASA Ames Research Center and the autonomous power controller running at NASA Glenn Research Center. The interconnected systems are tested and shown to be effective at planning the operation of a simulated quasi-steady state spacecraft power system and responding to unexpected disturbances.

Mobile robot knowledge base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heath Pastore, Tracy; Barnes, Mitchell; Hallman, Rory

2005-05-01

Robot technology is developing at a rapid rate for both commercial and Department of Defense (DOD) applications. As a result, the task of managing both technology and experience information is growing. In the not-to-distant past, tracking development efforts of robot platforms, subsystems and components was not too difficult, expensive, or time consuming. To do the same today is a significant undertaking. The Mobile Robot Knowledge Base (MRKB) provides the robotics community with a web-accessible, centralized resource for sharing information, experience, and technology to more efficiently and effectively meet the needs of the robot system user. The resource includes searchable information on robot components, subsystems, mission payloads, platforms, and DOD robotics programs. In addition, the MRKB website provides a forum for technology and information transfer within the DOD robotics community and an interface for the Robotic Systems Pool (RSP). The RSP manages a collection of small teleoperated and semi-autonomous robotic platforms, available for loan to DOD and other qualified entities. The objective is to put robots in the hands of users and use the test data and fielding experience to improve robot systems.

Management of Mediastinal Relapse after Treatment with Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy or Accelerated Hypofractionated Radiotherapy for Stage I/II Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

PubMed Central

Kilburn, Jeremy M.; Lester, Scott C.; Lucas, John T.; Soike, Michael H.; Blackstock, A. William; Kearns, William T.; Hinson, William H.; Miller, Antonius A.; Petty, William J.; Munley, Michael T.; Urbanic, James J.

2014-01-01

Purpose/Objective(s) Regional failures occur in up to 15% of patients treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for stage I/II lung cancer. This report focuses on the management of the unique scenario of isolated regional failures. Methods Patients treated initially with SBRT or accelerated hypo-fractionated radiotherapy were screened for curative intent treatment of isolated mediastinal failures (IMFs). Local control, regional control, progression-free survival, and distant control were estimated from the date of salvage treatment using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results Among 160 patients treated from 2002 to 2012, 12 suffered IMF and were amenable to salvage treatment. The median interval between treatments was 16 months (2–57 mo). Median salvage dose was 66 Gy (60–70 Gy). With a median follow-up of 10 months, the median overall survival was 15 months (95% confidence interval, 5.8–37 mo). When estimated from original treatment, the median overall survival was 38 months (95% confidence interval, 17–71 mo). No subsequent regional failures occurred. Distant failure was the predominant mode of relapse following salvage for IMF with a 2-year distant control rate of 38%. At the time of this analysis, three patients have died without recurrence while four are alive and no evidence of disease. High-grade toxicity was uncommon. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is first analysis of salvage mediastinal radiation after SBRT or accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy in lung cancer. Outcomes appear similar to stage III disease at presentation. Distant failures were common, suggesting a role for concurrent or sequential chemotherapy. A standard full course of external beam radiotherapy is advisable in this unique clinical scenario. PMID:24736084

Integrated Systems Health Management for Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uckun, Serdar

2005-01-01

Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) is a system engineering discipline that addresses the design, development, operation, and lifecycle management of components, subsystems, vehicles, and other operational systems with the purpose of maintaining nominal system behavior and function and assuring mission safety and effectiveness under off-nominal conditions. NASA missions are often conducted in extreme, unfamiliar environments of space, using unique experimental spacecraft. In these environments, off-nominal conditions can develop with the potential to rapidly escalate into mission- or life-threatening situations. Further, the high visibility of NASA missions means they are always characterized by extraordinary attention to safety. ISHM is a critical element of risk mitigation, mission safety, and mission assurance for exploration. ISHM enables: In-space maintenance and repair; a) Autonomous (and automated) launch abort and crew escape capability; b) Efficient testing and checkout of ground and flight systems; c) Monitoring and trending of ground and flight system operations and performance; d) Enhanced situational awareness and control for ground personnel and crew; e) Vehicle autonomy (self-sufficiency) in responding to off-nominal conditions during long-duration and distant exploration missions; f) In-space maintenance and repair; and g) Efficient ground processing of reusable systems. ISHM concepts and technologies may be applied to any complex engineered system such as transportation systems, orbital or planetary habitats, observatories, command and control systems, life support systems, safety-critical software, and even the health of flight crews. As an overarching design and operational principle implemented at the system-of-systems level, ISHM holds substantial promise in terms of affordability, safety, reliability, and effectiveness of space exploration missions.

Phase-Tuned Entangled State Generation between Distant Spin Qubits.

PubMed

Stockill, R; Stanley, M J; Huthmacher, L; Clarke, E; Hugues, M; Miller, A J; Matthiesen, C; Le Gall, C; Atatüre, M

2017-07-07

Quantum entanglement between distant qubits is an important feature of quantum networks. Distribution of entanglement over long distances can be enabled through coherently interfacing qubit pairs via photonic channels. Here, we report the realization of optically generated quantum entanglement between electron spin qubits confined in two distant semiconductor quantum dots. The protocol relies on spin-photon entanglement in the trionic Λ system and quantum erasure of the Raman-photon path information. The measurement of a single Raman photon is used to project the spin qubits into a joint quantum state with an interferometrically stabilized and tunable relative phase. We report an average Bell-state fidelity for |ψ^{(+)}⟩ and |ψ^{(-)}⟩ states of 61.6±2.3% and a record-high entanglement generation rate of 7.3 kHz between distant qubits.

Phase-Tuned Entangled State Generation between Distant Spin Qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stockill, R.; Stanley, M. J.; Huthmacher, L.; Clarke, E.; Hugues, M.; Miller, A. J.; Matthiesen, C.; Le Gall, C.; Atatüre, M.

2017-07-01

Quantum entanglement between distant qubits is an important feature of quantum networks. Distribution of entanglement over long distances can be enabled through coherently interfacing qubit pairs via photonic channels. Here, we report the realization of optically generated quantum entanglement between electron spin qubits confined in two distant semiconductor quantum dots. The protocol relies on spin-photon entanglement in the trionic Λ system and quantum erasure of the Raman-photon path information. The measurement of a single Raman photon is used to project the spin qubits into a joint quantum state with an interferometrically stabilized and tunable relative phase. We report an average Bell-state fidelity for |ψ(+)⟩ and |ψ(-)⟩ states of 61.6 ±2.3 % and a record-high entanglement generation rate of 7.3 kHz between distant qubits.

How Planet Nine could change the fate of the Solar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veras, D.

2017-09-01

The potential existence of a distant planet ('Planet Nine') in the Solar system has prompted a re-think about the evolution of planetary systems. As the Sun transitions from a main-sequence star into a white dwarf, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are currently assumed to survive in expanded but otherwise unchanged orbits. However, a sufficiently distant and sufficiently massive extra planet would alter this quiescent end scenario through the combined effects of Solar giant branch mass-loss and Galactic tides. Here I estimate bounds for the mass and orbit of a distant extra planet that would incite future instability in systems with a Sun-like star and giant planets with masses and orbits equivalent to those of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. I find that this boundary is diffuse and strongly dependent on each of the distant planet's orbital parameters. Nevertheless, I claim that instability occurs more often than not when the planet is as massive as Jupiter and harbours a semimajor axis exceeding about 300 au, or has a mass of a super-Earth and a semimajor axis exceeding about 3000 au. These results hold for orbital pericentres ranging from 100 to at least 400 au. This instability scenario might represent a common occurrence, as potentially evidenced by the ubiquity of metal pollution in white dwarf atmospheres throughout the Galaxy.

The Fit between School Board Control and Behaviour of Middle Managers, Team Leaders and Teachers in Dutch Colleges for Vocational Education and Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honingh, Marlies; van Genugten, Marieke

2017-01-01

The inspectorate's judgements about a school's educational quality in the Netherlands are to a large extent based on sophisticated desk research, risk analyses and analyses of the school's self-evaluation reports. This relatively distant mode of inspecting schools relies on rational ideas about organizational management and control while aspects…

Process safety improvement--quality and target zero.

PubMed

Van Scyoc, Karl

2008-11-15

Process safety practitioners have adopted quality management principles in design of process safety management systems with positive effect, yet achieving safety objectives sometimes remain a distant target. Companies regularly apply tools and methods which have roots in quality and productivity improvement. The "plan, do, check, act" improvement loop, statistical analysis of incidents (non-conformities), and performance trending popularized by Dr. Deming are now commonly used in the context of process safety. Significant advancements in HSE performance are reported after applying methods viewed as fundamental for quality management. In pursuit of continual process safety improvement, the paper examines various quality improvement methods, and explores how methods intended for product quality can be additionally applied to continual improvement of process safety. Methods such as Kaizen, Poke yoke, and TRIZ, while long established for quality improvement, are quite unfamiliar in the process safety arena. These methods are discussed for application in improving both process safety leadership and field work team performance. Practical ways to advance process safety, based on the methods, are given.

Management of Breast Sarcoma.

PubMed

Hsu, Cary; McCloskey, Susan A; Peddi, Parvin F

2016-10-01

Breast sarcomas are exceptionally rare mesenchymal neoplasms composed of many histologic subtypes. Therapy is guided by principles established in the management of extremity sarcomas. The anatomic site does influence treatment decisions, particularly the surgical management. Surgery should be undertaken with the aim of achieving a widely negative margin. Selected patients can be managed with breast-conserving surgery. Breast reconstruction is increasingly being undertaken for selected patients. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are used selectively for large, high-grade sarcomas for which there is significant concern for local and distant recurrence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

TNFRSF10C copy number variation is associated with metastatic colorectal cancer

PubMed Central

Tanenbaum, Daniel G.; Hall, William A.; Colbert, Lauren E.; Bastien, Amanda J.; Brat, Daniel J.; Kong, Jun; Kim, Sungjin; Dwivedi, Bhakti; Kowalski, Jeanne; Landry, Jerome C.

2016-01-01

Background Genetic markers for distant metastatic disease in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) are not well defined. Identification of genetic alterations associated with metastatic CRC could help to guide systemic and local treatment strategies. We evaluated the association of tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 10C (TNFRSF10C) copy number variation (CNV) with distant metastatic disease in patients with CRC using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Methods Genetic sequencing data and clinical characteristics were obtained from TCGA for all available patients with CRC. There were 515 CRC patient samples with CNV and clinical outcome data, including a subset of 144 rectal adenocarcinoma patient samples. Using the TCGA CRC dataset, CNV of TNFRSF10C was evaluated for association with distant metastatic disease (M1 vs. M0). Multivariate logistic regression analysis with odds ratio (OR) using a 95% confidence interval (CI) was performed adjusting for age, T stage, N stage, adjuvant chemotherapy, gender, microsatellite instability (MSI), location, and surgical margin status. Results TNFRSF10C CNV in patients with CRC was associated with distant metastatic disease [OR 4.81 (95% CI, 2.13–10.85) P<0.001] and positive lymph nodes [OR 18.83 (95% CI, 8.42–42.09)]; P<0.001) but not MSI (OR P=0.799). On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for pathologic T stage, N stage, adjuvant chemotherapy, gender, and MSI, TNFRSF10C CNV remained significantly associated with distant metastatic disease (OR P=0.018). Subset analysis revealed that TNFRSF10C CNV was also significantly associated with distant metastatic disease in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma (OR P=0.016). Conclusions TNFRSF10C CNV in patients with CRC is associated with distant metastatic disease. With further validation, such genetic profiles could be used clinically to support optimal systemic treatment strategies versus more aggressive local therapies in patients with CRC, including radiation therapy for rectal adenocarcinoma. PMID:27284460

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The master assembler, crane crew, removes a five-meter telescope in Cocoa Beach, Fla., for repair. The tracking telescope is part of the Distant Object Attitude Measurement System (DOAMS) that provides optical support for launches from KSC and Cape Canaveral.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The master assembler, crane crew, removes a five-meter telescope in Cocoa Beach, Fla., for repair. The tracking telescope is part of the Distant Object Attitude Measurement System (DOAMS) that provides optical support for launches from KSC and Cape Canaveral.

Satisfaction Clustering Analysis of Distance Education Computer Programming Students: A Sample of Karadeniz Technical University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozyurt, Hacer

2014-01-01

In line with recently developing technology, distant education systems based on information technologies are started to be commonly used within higher education. Students' satisfaction is one of the vital aspects in order to maintain distant education efficiently and achieving its goal. As a matter of the fact, previous studies proved that student…

Atypical Distant Metastasis of Breast Malignant Phyllodes Tumors: A Case Report and Literature Review.

PubMed

de Foucher, Tiphaine; Roussel, Hélène; Hivelin, Mikael; Rossi, Léa; Cornou, Caroline; Bats, Anne-Sophie; Deloménie, Myriam; Lécuru, Fabrice; Ngô, Charlotte

2017-01-01

Malignant phyllodes tumors (MPT) are rare breast neoplasms. Preoperative diagnosis is often challenging due to the unspecific clinical, radiological, and histological characteristics of the tumor. Dissemination pathways are local with chest wall invasion, regional with lymph nodes metastasis, and distant, hematogenous, mostly to the lungs, bones, and brain. Distant metastasis (DM) can be synchronous or appear months to years after the diagnosis and initial management. The current report describes the case of a 57-year-old woman presenting with a giant/neglected MPT of the breast, with no DM at initial staging, treated by radical modified mastectomy. Motor disorders due to medullar compression by a paravertebral mass appeared at short follow-up, also treated surgically. The patient died from several DM of rapid evolution. To our knowledge, this is the only case described of MPT with metastases to soft tissue causing medullar compression. We present a literature review on unusual metastatic localizations of MPT.

The Biggest Loser Thinks Long-Term: Recency as a Predictor of Success in Weight Management

PubMed Central

Koritzky, Gilly; Rice, Chantelle; Dieterle, Camille; Bechara, Antoine

2015-01-01

Only a minority of participants in behavioral weight management lose weight significantly. The ability to predict who is likely to benefit from weight management can improve the efficiency of obesity treatment. Identifying predictors of weight loss can also reveal potential ways to improve existing treatments. We propose a neuro-psychological model that is focused on recency: the reliance on recent information at the expense of time-distant information. Forty-four weight-management patients completed a decision-making task and their recency level was estimated by a mathematical model. Impulsivity and risk-taking were also measured for comparison. Weight loss was measured in the end of the 16-week intervention. Consistent with our hypothesis, successful dieters (n = 12) had lower recency scores than unsuccessful ones (n = 32; p = 0.006). Successful and unsuccessful dieters were similar in their demographics, intelligence, risk taking, impulsivity, and delay of gratification. We conclude that dieters who process time-distant information in their decision making are more likely to lose weight than those who are high in recency. We argue that having low recency facilitates future-oriented thinking, and thereby contributes to behavior change treatment adherence. Our findings underline the importance of choosing the right treatment for every individual, and outline a way to improve weight-management processes for more patients. PMID:26696930

Ranking Medical Terms to Support Expansion of Lay Language Resources for Patient Comprehension of Electronic Health Record Notes: Adapted Distant Supervision Approach

PubMed Central

Jagannatha, Abhyuday N; Fodeh, Samah J; Yu, Hong

2017-01-01

Background Medical terms are a major obstacle for patients to comprehend their electronic health record (EHR) notes. Clinical natural language processing (NLP) systems that link EHR terms to lay terms or definitions allow patients to easily access helpful information when reading through their EHR notes, and have shown to improve patient EHR comprehension. However, high-quality lay language resources for EHR terms are very limited in the public domain. Because expanding and curating such a resource is a costly process, it is beneficial and even necessary to identify terms important for patient EHR comprehension first. Objective We aimed to develop an NLP system, called adapted distant supervision (ADS), to rank candidate terms mined from EHR corpora. We will give EHR terms ranked as high by ADS a higher priority for lay language annotation—that is, creating lay definitions for these terms. Methods Adapted distant supervision uses distant supervision from consumer health vocabulary and transfer learning to adapt itself to solve the problem of ranking EHR terms in the target domain. We investigated 2 state-of-the-art transfer learning algorithms (ie, feature space augmentation and supervised distant supervision) and designed 5 types of learning features, including distributed word representations learned from large EHR data for ADS. For evaluating ADS, we asked domain experts to annotate 6038 candidate terms as important or nonimportant for EHR comprehension. We then randomly divided these data into the target-domain training data (1000 examples) and the evaluation data (5038 examples). We compared ADS with 2 strong baselines, including standard supervised learning, on the evaluation data. Results The ADS system using feature space augmentation achieved the best average precision, 0.850, on the evaluation set when using 1000 target-domain training examples. The ADS system using supervised distant supervision achieved the best average precision, 0.819, on the evaluation set when using only 100 target-domain training examples. The 2 ADS systems both performed significantly better than the baseline systems (P<.001 for all measures and all conditions). Using a rich set of learning features contributed to ADS’s performance substantially. Conclusions ADS can effectively rank terms mined from EHRs. Transfer learning improved ADS’s performance even with a small number of target-domain training examples. EHR terms prioritized by ADS were used to expand a lay language resource that supports patient EHR comprehension. The top 10,000 EHR terms ranked by ADS are available upon request. PMID:29089288

Adaptive management for subsurface pressure and plume control in application to geological CO2 storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Nicolas, A.; Cihan, A.; Birkholzer, J. T.; Petrusak, R.; Zhou, Q.; Riestenberg, D. E.; Trautz, R. C.; Godec, M.

2016-12-01

Industrial-scale injection of CO2 into the subsurface can cause reservoir pressure increases that must be properly controlled to prevent any potential environmental impact. Excessive pressure buildup in reservoir may result in ground water contamination stemming from leakage through conductive pathways, such as improperly plugged abandoned wells or distant faults, and the potential for fault reactivation and possibly seal breaching. Brine extraction is a viable approach for managing formation pressure, effective stress, and plume movement during industrial-scale CO2 injection projects. The main objectives of this study are to investigate suitable different pressure management strategies involving active brine extraction and passive pressure relief wells. Adaptive optimized management of CO2 storage projects utilizes the advanced automated optimization algorithms and suitable process models. The adaptive management integrates monitoring, forward modeling, inversion modeling and optimization through an iterative process. In this study, we employ an adaptive framework to understand primarily the effects of initial site characterization and frequency of the model update (calibration) and optimization calculations for controlling extraction rates based on the monitoring data on the accuracy and the success of the management without violating pressure buildup constraints in the subsurface reservoir system. We will present results of applying the adaptive framework to test appropriateness of different management strategies for a realistic field injection project.

Robust distant-entanglement generation using coherent multiphoton scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Ching-Kit; Sham, L. J.

2013-03-01

The generation and controllability of entanglement between distant quantum states have been the heart of quantum computation and quantum information processing. Existing schemes for solid state qubit entanglement are based on the single-photon spectroscopy that has the merit of a high fidelity entanglement creation, but with a very limited efficiency. This severely restricts the scalability for a qubit network system. Here, we describe a new distant entanglement protocol using coherent multiphoton scattering. The scheme makes use of the postselection of large and distinguishable photon signals, and has both a high success probability and a high entanglement fidelity. Our result shows that the entanglement generation is robust against photon fluctuations, and has an average entanglement duration within the decoherence time in various qubit systems, based on existing experimental parameters. This research was supported by the U.S. Army Research Office MURI award W911NF0910406 and by NSF grant PHY-1104446.

A pilot study of sphincter-sparing management of adenocarcinoma of the rectum.

PubMed

Steele, G; Busse, P; Huberman, M S; LeClair, J M; Falchuk, Z M; Mayer, R J; Bothe, A; Ravikumar, T S; Stone, M; Jessup, J M

1991-06-01

After analysis of 26 prospectively accrued patients with distal rectal adenocarcinomas who underwent sphincter preservation treatment, we have concluded that tumors that invade only the submucosa can safely be treated with surgery alone and that tumors that invade the muscularis or further can be safely treated with surgery combined with chemoradiotherapy. None of the patients had either local or distant recurrence, with a median follow-up of 21 months. All patients have been fully continent. The results, although preliminary, imply that resection of distal rectal adenocarcinoma with sphincter preservation, and adjuvant therapy when appropriate, have achieved local and distant control equal to the conventional Miles' abdominoperineal resection, but without the need for a permanent colostomy.

Cavity Mediated Manipulation of Distant Spin Currents Using a Cavity-Magnon-Polariton.

PubMed

Bai, Lihui; Harder, Michael; Hyde, Paul; Zhang, Zhaohui; Hu, Can-Ming; Chen, Y P; Xiao, John Q

2017-05-26

Using electrical detection of a strongly coupled spin-photon system comprised of a microwave cavity mode and two magnetic samples, we demonstrate the long distance manipulation of spin currents. This distant control is not limited by the spin diffusion length, instead depending on the interplay between the local and global properties of the coupled system, enabling systematic spin current control over large distance scales (several centimeters in this work). This flexibility opens the door to improved spin current generation and manipulation for cavity spintronic devices.

Driving many distant atoms into high-fidelity steady state entanglement via Lyapunov control.

PubMed

Li, Chuang; Song, Jie; Xia, Yan; Ding, Weiqiang

2018-01-22

Based on Lyapunov control theory in closed and open systems, we propose a scheme to generate W state of many distant atoms in the cavity-fiber-cavity system. In the closed system, the W state is generated successfully even when the coupling strength between the cavity and fiber is extremely weak. In the presence of atomic spontaneous emission or cavity and fiber decay, the photon-measurement and quantum feedback approaches are proposed to improve the fidelity, which enable efficient generation of high-fidelity W state in the case of large dissipation. Furthermore, the time-optimal Lyapunov control is investigated to shorten the evolution time and improve the fidelity in open systems.

Hybrid 3D reconstruction and image-based rendering techniques for reality modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sequeira, Vitor; Wolfart, Erik; Bovisio, Emanuele; Biotti, Ester; Goncalves, Joao G. M.

2000-12-01

This paper presents a component approach that combines in a seamless way the strong features of laser range acquisition with the visual quality of purely photographic approaches. The relevant components of the system are: (i) Panoramic images for distant background scenery where parallax is insignificant; (ii) Photogrammetry for background buildings and (iii) High detailed laser based models for the primary environment, structure of exteriors of buildings and interiors of rooms. These techniques have a wide range of applications in visualization, virtual reality, cost effective as-built analysis of architectural and industrial environments, building facilities management, real-estate, E-commerce, remote inspection of hazardous environments, TV production and many others.

Meninges in cancer imaging

PubMed Central

Chong, V.

2009-01-01

Abstract Primary malignant tumours arising from the meninges are distinctly uncommon, and when they occur, they are usually sarcomas. In contrast, metastatic meningeal involvement is increasingly seen as advances in cancer therapy have changed the natural history of malignant disease and prolonged the life span of cancer patients. The meninges can either be infiltrated by contiguous extension of primary tumours of the central nervous system, paranasal sinuses and skull base origin or can be diffusely infiltrated from haematogenous dissemination from distant primary malignancies. Imaging in these patients provides crucial information in planning management. This article reviews the pertinent anatomy that underlies imaging findings, discusses the mechanism of meningeal metastasis and highlights different imaging patterns of meningeal carcinomatosis and the pitfalls. PMID:19965290

Meninges in cancer imaging.

PubMed

Mahendru, G; Chong, V

2009-10-02

Primary malignant tumours arising from the meninges are distinctly uncommon, and when they occur, they are usually sarcomas. In contrast, metastatic meningeal involvement is increasingly seen as advances in cancer therapy have changed the natural history of malignant disease and prolonged the life span of cancer patients. The meninges can either be infiltrated by contiguous extension of primary tumours of the central nervous system, paranasal sinuses and skull base origin or can be diffusely infiltrated from haematogenous dissemination from distant primary malignancies. Imaging in these patients provides crucial information in planning management. This article reviews the pertinent anatomy that underlies imaging findings, discusses the mechanism of meningeal metastasis and highlights different imaging patterns of meningeal carcinomatosis and the pitfalls.

Management of primary and metastasized melanoma in Germany in the time period 1976-2005: an analysis of the Central Malignant Melanoma Registry of the German Dermatological Society.

PubMed

Schwager, Silke S; Leiter, Ulrike; Buettner, Petra G; Voit, Christiane; Marsch, Wolfgang; Gutzmer, Ralf; Näher, Helmut; Gollnick, Harald; Bröcker, Eva Bettina; Garbe, Claus

2008-04-01

This study analysed the changes of excision margins in correlation with tumour thickness as recorded over the last three decades in Germany. The study also evaluated surgical management in different geographical regions and treatment options for metastasized melanoma. A total of 42 625 patients with invasive primary cutaneous melanoma, recorded by the German Central Malignant Melanoma Registry between 1976 and 2005 were included. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate time trends of excision margins adjusted for tumour thickness. Excision margins of 5.0 cm were widely used in the late 1970s but since then have been replaced by smaller margins that are dependent on tumour thickness. In the case of primary melanoma, one-step surgery dominated until 1985 and was mostly replaced by two-step excisions since the early 1990s. In eastern Germany, one-step management remained common until the late 1990s. During the last three decades loco-regional metastases were predominantly treated by surgery (up to 80%), whereas systemic therapy decreased. The primary treatment of distant metastases has consistently been systemic chemotherapy. This descriptive retrospective study revealed a significant decrease in excision margins to a maximum of 2.00 cm. A significant trend towards two-step excisions in primary cutaneous melanoma was observed throughout Germany. Management of metastasized melanoma showed a tendency towards surgical procedures in limited disease and an ongoing trend to systemic treatment in advanced disease.

How do external companions affect spin-orbit misalignment of hot Jupiters?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Dong; Anderson, Kassandra R.; Pu, Bonan

2018-04-01

Consider a planet with its orbital angular momentum axis aligned with the spin axis of its host star. To what extent does an inclined distant companion (giant planet or binary star) affect this alignment? We provide an analytic, quantitative answer and apply it to hot Jupiter systems, for which misalignments between the orbital axis and the stellar spin axis have been detected. We also show how similar consideration can be applied to multiplanet systems with distant companions (such as Kepler-56). The result of this paper provides a simple method to assess the dynamical role played by external companions on spin-orbit misalignments in exoplanetary systems.

Automating Individualized Formative Feedback in Large Classes Based on a Directed Concept Graph

PubMed Central

Schaffer, Henry E.; Young, Karen R.; Ligon, Emily W.; Chapman, Diane D.

2017-01-01

Student learning outcomes within courses form the basis for course completion and time-to-graduation statistics, which are of great importance in education, particularly higher education. Budget pressures have led to large classes in which student-to-instructor interaction is very limited. Most of the current efforts to improve student progress in large classes, such as “learning analytics,” (LA) focus on the aspects of student behavior that are found in the logs of Learning Management Systems (LMS), for example, frequency of signing in, time spent on each page, and grades. These are important, but are distant from providing help to the student making insufficient progress in a course. We describe a computer analytical methodology which includes a dissection of the concepts in the course, expressed as a directed graph, that are applied to test questions, and uses performance on these questions to provide formative feedback to each student in any course format: face-to-face, blended, flipped, or online. Each student receives individualized assistance in a scalable and affordable manner. It works with any class delivery technology, textbook, and learning management system. PMID:28293202

The public hospital of the future.

PubMed

Zajac, Jeffrey D

2003-09-01

Public hospitals designed for the past are not changing rapidly enough to meet the needs of the future. Changing work practices, increased pressure on bed occupancy, and greater numbers of patients with complex diseases and comorbidities will determine the functions of future hospitals. To maximise the use of resources, hospital "down times" on weekends and public holidays will be a distant memory. Elective surgery will increase in the traditionally "quiet times", such as summer, and decrease in the busy winter period. The patient will be the focus of an efficient information flow, streamlining patient care in hospital and enhancing communication between hospitals and community-based health providers. General and specialty units will need to work more efficiently together, as general physicians take on the role of patient case managers for an increasing proportion of patients. Funding needs to be adequate, and system management should involve clinicians. Safety will be enshrined in hospital systems and procedures, as well as in the minds of hospital staff. If these changes are not implemented successfully, public hospitals will not survive in the future.

The multiple values of wilderness and the future of the national wilderness preservation system

Treesearch

H. Ken Cordell; John C. Bergstrom; J. Michael Bowker

2005-01-01

American society and its landscapes are changing dramatically. Then again, this country has always been a place of change. Both its population and landscapes are very different now than they were in the past, particularly when compared to the distant past. In that more distant past, even as early European settlement was occurring, there was an abundance of natural land...

Review of the leafhopper genus Penthimia Germar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from the Indian subcontinent with description of seven new species.

PubMed

Shobharani, M; Viraktamath, C A; Webb, M D

2018-01-02

Species of the leafhopper genus Penthimia Germar known from the Indian subcontinent are reviewed based on the examination of type specimens. Seven new species of the genus, Penthimia curvata sp. nov. (Karnataka: Bandipur), P. meghalayensis sp. nov. (Meghalaya: Nangpoh), P. neoattenuata sp. nov. (India: Tamil Nadu), P. ribhoi sp. nov. (India: Meghalaya), P. sahyadrica sp. nov. (Karnataka: Dharmasthala, Agumbe; Kerala: Thekkady), P. spiculata sp. nov. (Karnataka: Nagarahole) and P. tumida sp. nov. (Tamil Nadu: Ootacamund; Kerala: Munnar) are described. The following nomenclatorial changes are proposed: Penthimia alba Zahniser, McKamey Dmitriev, 2012 (replacement name for P. thoracica Distant, 1918, nec Panzer, 1799), syn. nov. of P. quadrinotata Distant, 1918; Neodartus scutellatus Distant, 1908 syn. nov. of Penthimia ereba Distant 1908; P. nilgiriensis Distant, 1918 syn. nov. of P. montana Distant, 1918; P. scutellata (Distant) comb. nov. (from genus Neodartus); a lectotype is designated for P. maculosa Distant, stat. revived, thereby removing its synonymy with P. scapularis Distant. The following other lectotypes are designated: P. attenuata Distant, P. subniger Distant, P. scapularis Distant, P. distanti Baker, P. ereba Distant, N. scutellatus Distant, P. fraterna Distant, P. funebris Distant, P. juno Distant, P. maculosa Distant, P. montana Distant, P. noctua Distant, P. quadrinotata Distant, P. alba Zahniser, McKamey Dmitriev. Examination of types of Penthimia rufopunctata Motschulsky revealed that it belongs to Penthimia and hence it is transferred back to that genus from Neodartus, revised placement. The following species previously included in the genus Penthimia are transferred to the genera Tambila Distant and Vulturnus Kirkaldy: Tambila badia (Distant) comb. nov., T. majuscula (Distant) comb. nov., T. vittatifrons (Distant) comb. nov., T. variabilis (Distant) comb. nov. and Vulturnus flavocapitata (Distant) comb. nov. Three species are treated in a new Penthimia compacta Walker complex, i.e., Penthimia compacta Walker 1851, Penthimia subniger Distant 1908 and Penthimia scapularis Distant 1908. All taxa are described and a key to Penthimiini genera found in the subcontinent and also a key to species of Penthimia are included.

Practitioner Perspectives on a Disaster Management Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moe, K.; Evans, J. D.

2012-12-01

The Committee on Earth Observing Satellites (CEOS) Working Group on Information Systems and Services (WGISS) is constructing a high-level reference model for the use of satellites, sensors, models, and associated data products from many different global data and service providers in disaster response and risk assessment. To help streamline broad, effective access to satellite information, the reference model provides structured, shared, holistic views of distributed systems and services - in effect, a common vocabulary describing the system-of-systems building blocks and how they are composed for disaster management. These views are being inferred from real-world experience, by documenting and analyzing how practitioners have gone about using or providing satellite data to manage real disaster events or to assess or mitigate hazard risks. Crucial findings and insights come from case studies of three kinds of experience: - Disaster response and recovery (such as the 2008 Sichuan/Wenchuan earthquake in China; and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan); - Technology pilot projects (such as NASA's Flood Sensor Web pilot in Namibia, or the interagency Virtual Mission Operation Center); - Information brokers (such as the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters, or the U.K.-based Disaster Management Constellation). Each of these experiences sheds light on the scope and stakeholders of disaster management; the information requirements for various disaster types and phases; and the services needed for effective access to information by a variety of users. They also highlight needs and gaps in the supply of satellite information for disaster management. One need stands out: rapid and effective access to complex data from multiple sources, across inter-organizational boundaries. This is the near-real-time challenge writ large: gaining access to satellite data resources from multiple organizationally distant and geographically disperse sources, to meet an urgent need. The case studies and reference model will highlight gaps in data supply and data delivery technologies, and suggest recommended priorities for satellite missions, ground data systems, and third-party service providers.

Application of software for automated canal management (SacMan) to the WM lateral canal

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Simulation studies have demonstrated that automatic control of canals is more effective when feedforward scheduling, or routing of know demand changes, is combined with centralized, automatic, distant, downstream-water-level control. In practice, few canals use this approach. To help further develop...

The infrared imaging spectrograph (IRIS) for TMT: latest science cases and simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Shelley A.; Walth, Gregory; Do, Tuan; Marshall, Daniel; Larkin, James E.; Moore, Anna M.; Adamkovics, Mate; Andersen, David; Armus, Lee; Barth, Aaron; Cote, Patrick; Cooke, Jeff; Chisholm, Eric M.; Davidge, Timothy; Dunn, Jennifer S.; Dumas, Christophe; Ellerbroek, Brent L.; Ghez, Andrea M.; Hao, Lei; Hayano, Yutaka; Liu, Michael; Lopez-Rodriguez, Enrique; Lu, Jessica R.; Mao, Shude; Marois, Christian; Pandey, Shashi B.; Phillips, Andrew C.; Schoeck, Matthias; Subramaniam, Annapurni; Subramanian, Smitha; Suzuki, Ryuji; Tan, Jonathan C.; Terai, Tsuyoshi; Treu, Tommaso; Simard, Luc; Weiss, Jason L.; Wincentsen, James; Wong, Michael; Zhang, Kai

2016-07-01

The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) first light instrument IRIS (Infrared Imaging Spectrograph) will complete its preliminary design phase in 2016. The IRIS instrument design includes a near-infrared (0.85 - 2.4 micron) integral field spectrograph (IFS) and imager that are able to conduct simultaneous diffraction-limited observations behind the advanced adaptive optics system NFIRAOS. The IRIS science cases have continued to be developed and new science studies have been investigated to aid in technical performance and design requirements. In this development phase, the IRIS science team has paid particular attention to the selection of filters, gratings, sensitivities of the entire system, and science cases that will benefit from the parallel mode of the IFS and imaging camera. We present new science cases for IRIS using the latest end-to-end data simulator on the following topics: Solar System bodies, the Galactic center, active galactic nuclei (AGN), and distant gravitationally-lensed galaxies. We then briefly discuss the necessity of an advanced data management system and data reduction pipeline.

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

Ng, Sweet Ping, E-mail: sweet.ng@petermac.org; David, Steven; Alamgeer, Muhammad

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic performance of pretreatment {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ({sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT) and its impact on radiation therapy treatment decisions in patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Methods and Materials: Patients with LABC with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status <2 and no contraindication to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and adjuvant radiation therapy were enrolled on a prospective trial. All patients had pretreatment conventional imaging (CI) performed, including bilateral breast mammography and ultrasound, bone scan, and CT chest, abdomen, and pelvis scans performed. Informed consent was obtained before enrolment. Pretreatment whole-body {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT scansmore » were performed on all patients, and results were compared with CI findings. Results: A total of 154 patients with LABC with no clinical or radiologic evidence of distant metastases on CI were enrolled. Median age was 49 years (range, 26-70 years). Imaging with PET/CT detected distant metastatic disease and/or locoregional disease not visualized on CI in 32 patients (20.8%). Distant metastatic disease was detected in 17 patients (11.0%): 6 had bony metastases, 5 had intrathoracic metastases (pulmonary/mediastinal), 2 had distant nodal metastases, 2 had liver metastases, 1 had pulmonary and bony metastases, and 1 had mediastinal and distant nodal metastases. Of the remaining 139 patients, nodal disease outside conventional radiation therapy fields was detected on PET/CT in 15 patients (10.8%), with involvement of ipsilateral internal mammary nodes in 13 and ipsilateral level 5 cervical nodes in 2. Conclusions: Imaging with PET/CT provides superior diagnostic and staging information in patients with LABC compared with CI, which has significant therapeutic implications with respect to radiation therapy management. Imaging with PET/CT should be considered in all patients undergoing primary staging for LABC.« less

Ranking Medical Terms to Support Expansion of Lay Language Resources for Patient Comprehension of Electronic Health Record Notes: Adapted Distant Supervision Approach.

PubMed

Chen, Jinying; Jagannatha, Abhyuday N; Fodeh, Samah J; Yu, Hong

2017-10-31

Medical terms are a major obstacle for patients to comprehend their electronic health record (EHR) notes. Clinical natural language processing (NLP) systems that link EHR terms to lay terms or definitions allow patients to easily access helpful information when reading through their EHR notes, and have shown to improve patient EHR comprehension. However, high-quality lay language resources for EHR terms are very limited in the public domain. Because expanding and curating such a resource is a costly process, it is beneficial and even necessary to identify terms important for patient EHR comprehension first. We aimed to develop an NLP system, called adapted distant supervision (ADS), to rank candidate terms mined from EHR corpora. We will give EHR terms ranked as high by ADS a higher priority for lay language annotation-that is, creating lay definitions for these terms. Adapted distant supervision uses distant supervision from consumer health vocabulary and transfer learning to adapt itself to solve the problem of ranking EHR terms in the target domain. We investigated 2 state-of-the-art transfer learning algorithms (ie, feature space augmentation and supervised distant supervision) and designed 5 types of learning features, including distributed word representations learned from large EHR data for ADS. For evaluating ADS, we asked domain experts to annotate 6038 candidate terms as important or nonimportant for EHR comprehension. We then randomly divided these data into the target-domain training data (1000 examples) and the evaluation data (5038 examples). We compared ADS with 2 strong baselines, including standard supervised learning, on the evaluation data. The ADS system using feature space augmentation achieved the best average precision, 0.850, on the evaluation set when using 1000 target-domain training examples. The ADS system using supervised distant supervision achieved the best average precision, 0.819, on the evaluation set when using only 100 target-domain training examples. The 2 ADS systems both performed significantly better than the baseline systems (P<.001 for all measures and all conditions). Using a rich set of learning features contributed to ADS's performance substantially. ADS can effectively rank terms mined from EHRs. Transfer learning improved ADS's performance even with a small number of target-domain training examples. EHR terms prioritized by ADS were used to expand a lay language resource that supports patient EHR comprehension. The top 10,000 EHR terms ranked by ADS are available upon request. ©Jinying Chen, Abhyuday N Jagannatha, Samah J Fodeh, Hong Yu. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 31.10.2017.

Epicenters of dynamic connectivity in the adaptation of the ventral visual system.

PubMed

Prčkovska, Vesna; Huijbers, Willem; Schultz, Aaron; Ortiz-Teran, Laura; Peña-Gomez, Cleofe; Villoslada, Pablo; Johnson, Keith; Sperling, Reisa; Sepulcre, Jorge

2017-04-01

Neuronal responses adapt to familiar and repeated sensory stimuli. Enhanced synchrony across wide brain systems has been postulated as a potential mechanism for this adaptation phenomenon. Here, we used recently developed graph theory methods to investigate hidden connectivity features of dynamic synchrony changes during a visual repetition paradigm. Particularly, we focused on strength connectivity changes occurring at local and distant brain neighborhoods. We found that connectivity reorganization in visual modal cortex-such as local suppressed connectivity in primary visual areas and distant suppressed connectivity in fusiform areas-is accompanied by enhanced local and distant connectivity in higher cognitive processing areas in multimodal and association cortex. Moreover, we found a shift of the dynamic functional connections from primary-visual-fusiform to primary-multimodal/association cortex. These findings suggest that repetition-suppression is made possible by reorganization of functional connectivity that enables communication between low- and high-order areas. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1965-1976, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Using a Distant Abdominal Skin Flap to Treat Digital Constriction Bands: A Case Report for Vohwinkel Syndrome.

PubMed

Zhang, Mingzi; Song, Kexin; Ding, Ning; Shu, Chang; Wang, Youbin

2016-02-01

In this study, a Vohwinkel syndrome case is presented where in 5th digit constriction bands in the right hand were reconstructed using a distant abdominal skin flap. Vohwinkel syndrome, or keratoderma hereditarium mutilans, is a rare, autosomal dominant genetic skin condition that causes palmoplantar hyperkeratosis and constricts finger and/or toe bands. In a typical manifestation, the finger and toe constriction bands lead to progressive strangulation and autoamputation, which requires immediate clinical treatment. Topical keratolytics and systemic retinoids have been used to treat hyperkeratosis but without consistent results. Only 1 effective approach for autoamputation has been accepted, reconstructive surgery.Applying a distant abdominal skin flap produced satisfying postoperative effects at the 18-month follow-up.

Intercellular communication in plants: evidence for two rapidly transmitted systemic signals generated in response to electromagnetic field stimulation in tomato.

PubMed

Beaubois, Elisabeth; Girard, Sebastien; Lallechere, Sebastien; Davies, Eric; Paladian, Françoise; Bonnet, Pierre; Ledoigt, Gerard; Vian, Alain

2007-07-01

Exposing all of a wild-type tomato plant to electromagnetic radiation evoked rapid and substantial accumulation of basic leucine-zipper transcription factor (bZIP) mRNA in the terminal leaf (#4) with kinetics very similar to that seen in response to wounding, while in the abscisic acid (ABA) mutant (Sitiens), the response was more rapid, but transient. Submitting just the oldest leaf (#1) of a wild-type plant to irradiation evoked bZIP mRNA accumulation both locally in the exposed leaf and systemically in the unexposed (distant) leaf #4, although systemic accumulation was delayed somewhat. Accumulation of Pin2 mRNA was less than bZIP in both the exposed and distant leaves in wild type, but there was no delay in the systemic response. In Sitiens, bZIP mRNA accumulation was far less than in wild type in both local and distant leaves, while Pin2 mRNA accumulation was stronger in the exposed leaf, but totally prevented in the systemic leaf. In the jasmonic acid (JA) mutant (JL-5) and in wild-type plants treated with the ABA biosynthesis inhibitor, naproxen, responses were similar to those in the ABA mutant, while treatment of the exposed leaf with calcium antagonists totally abolished both local and systemic increases in bZIP transcript accumulation.

Lemierre's Syndrome – A rare cause of disseminated sepsis requiring multi-organ support

PubMed Central

Misselbrook, Katie

2017-01-01

Lemierre's syndrome is a rare complication of acute pharyngitis characterised by septicaemia with infective thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein, most commonly due to Fusobacterium necrophorum. It characteristically affects healthy young adults causing persistent pyrexia and systemic sepsis presenting several days after an initial pharyngitis. Septic emboli seed via the bloodstream to distant sites including the lung, joints, skin, liver, spleen and brain. Prolonged antimicrobial therapy is required and admission to intensive care common. This once rare condition is increasing in incidence but awareness amongst clinicians is low. We present a classic case in a young man who developed multi-organ failure requiring intensive care support and describe the epidemiology, pathophysiology, microbiology, clinical features and management of the disease. PMID:29123565

Nex-Gen Space Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-10-26

U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), third from right, cuts the yellow ribbon presenting the James Webb Space Telescope permanent exhibit at the Maryland Science Center on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011 in Baltimore. Mikulski is joined by NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, far left; Adam Reiss, recipient of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics and professor of astronomy and physics at Johns Hopkins University; Jeffrey Grant, VP and General Manager of the Space Systems Division, Northrop Grumman; Van Reiner, President and CEO of the Maryland Science Center, Baltimore and Dr. John Grunsfeld, former astronaut and Deputy Director, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), Baltimore. The Webb telescope will provide images of the first galaxies ever formed and explore planets around distant stars. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Urban School Restructuring and Teacher Burnout. ERIC/CUE Digest, Number 75.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farber, Barry; Ascher, Carol

Urban school restructuring, although it can break down bureaucracy and empower teachers, can also seem distant from the day-to-day problems of most teachers, and even increase teacher burnout. Many of the following initiatives of the school restructuring movement may intensify a teacher's frustration: (1) school-based management may raise the…

41 CFR 101-25.101-5 - Supply through local purchase.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... will not permit delay incident to shipment from distant points; (c) The local purchase is within... purchase. 101-25.101-5 Section 101-25.101-5 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property...-General Policies § 101-25.101-5 Supply through local purchase. The following criteria shall govern in...

Update on primary head and neck mucosal melanoma

PubMed Central

López, Fernando; Rodrigo, Juan P.; Cardesa, Antonio; Triantafyllou, Asterios; Devaney, Kenneth O.; Mendenhall, William M.; Haigentz, Missak; Strojan, Primož; Pellitteri, Phillip K.; Bradford, Carol R.; Shaha, Ashok R.; Hunt, Jennifer L.; de Bree, Remco; Takes, Robert P.; Rinaldo, Alessandra; Ferlito, Alfio

2016-01-01

Primary mucosal melanomas (PMMs) of the head and neck are uncommon malignancies that arise mainly in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, followed by the oral cavity. The mainstay of treatment is radical surgical resection followed by adjuvant radiotherapy in selected patients with high-risk features. Multimodality therapy has not been well studied and is not standardized. Adjuvant radiotherapy seems to improve locoregional control but does not improve overall survival (OS). Elective neck dissection is advocated in patients with oral PMM. Systemic therapy should be considered only for patients with metastatic or unresectable locoregional disease. Despite improvements in the field of surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic therapy, patients with PMM still face a very unfavorable prognosis (5-year disease-free survival [DFS] <20%) with high rates of locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis. The present review aims to summarize the current state of knowledge on the molecular biology, pathological diagnosis, and management of this disease. PMID:25242350

Effects of a Hypertension Management Program by Seongcheon Primary Health Care Post in South Korea: An Analysis of Changes in the Level of Knowledge of Hypertension in the Period from 2004 to 2009

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, In Han; Kim, Sang-A; Park, Woong-Sub

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a hypertension management program provided by a primary health care post located in a distant rural area in South Korea on the level of knowledge of hypertension. The panel data consisted of a total of 319 people or the entire population aged above 40 years of five villages located in…

Method and System for Gamma-Ray Localization Induced Spacecraft Navigation Using Celestial Gamma-Ray Sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hisamoto, Chuck (Inventor); Arzoumanian, Zaven (Inventor); Sheikh, Suneel I. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A method and system for spacecraft navigation using distant celestial gamma-ray bursts which offer detectable, bright, high-energy events that provide well-defined characteristics conducive to accurate time-alignment among spatially separated spacecraft. Utilizing assemblages of photons from distant gamma-ray bursts, relative range between two spacecraft can be accurately computed along the direction to each burst's source based upon the difference in arrival time of the burst emission at each spacecraft's location. Correlation methods used to time-align the high-energy burst profiles are provided. The spacecraft navigation may be carried out autonomously or in a central control mode of operation.

Distant touch hydrodynamic imaging with an artificial lateral line.

PubMed

Yang, Yingchen; Chen, Jack; Engel, Jonathan; Pandya, Saunvit; Chen, Nannan; Tucker, Craig; Coombs, Sheryl; Jones, Douglas L; Liu, Chang

2006-12-12

Nearly all underwater vehicles and surface ships today use sonar and vision for imaging and navigation. However, sonar and vision systems face various limitations, e.g., sonar blind zones, dark or murky environments, etc. Evolved over millions of years, fish use the lateral line, a distributed linear array of flow sensing organs, for underwater hydrodynamic imaging and information extraction. We demonstrate here a proof-of-concept artificial lateral line system. It enables a distant touch hydrodynamic imaging capability to critically augment sonar and vision systems. We show that the artificial lateral line can successfully perform dipole source localization and hydrodynamic wake detection. The development of the artificial lateral line is aimed at fundamentally enhancing human ability to detect, navigate, and survive in the underwater environment.

Multiple distant origins for green sea turtles aggregating off Gorgona Island in the Colombian eastern Pacific.

PubMed

Amorocho, Diego F; Abreu-Grobois, F Alberto; Dutton, Peter H; Reina, Richard D

2012-01-01

Mitochondrial DNA analyses have been useful for resolving maternal lineages and migratory behavior to foraging grounds (FG) in sea turtles. However, little is known about source rookeries and haplotype composition of foraging green turtle aggregations in the southeastern Pacific. We used mitochondrial DNA control region sequences to identify the haplotype composition of 55 green turtles, Chelonia mydas, captured in foraging grounds of Gorgona National Park in the Colombian Pacific. Amplified fragments of the control region (457 bp) revealed the presence of seven haplotypes, with haplotype (h) and nucleotide (π) diversities of h = 0.300±0.080 and π = 0.009±0.005 respectively. The most common haplotype was CMP4 observed in 83% of individuals, followed by CMP22 (5%). The genetic composition of the Gorgona foraging population primarily comprised haplotypes that have been found at eastern Pacific rookeries including Mexico and the Galapagos, as well as haplotypes of unknown stock origin that likely originated from more distant western Pacific rookeries. Mixed stock analysis suggests that the Gorgona FG population is comprised mostly of animals from the Galapagos rookery (80%). Lagrangian drifter data showed that movement of turtles along the eastern Pacific coast and eastward from distant western and central Pacific sites was possible through passive drift. Our results highlight the importance of this protected area for conservation management of green turtles recruited from distant sites along the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Multiple Distant Origins for Green Sea Turtles Aggregating off Gorgona Island in the Colombian Eastern Pacific

PubMed Central

Amorocho, Diego F.; Abreu-Grobois, F. Alberto; Dutton, Peter H.; Reina, Richard D.

2012-01-01

Mitochondrial DNA analyses have been useful for resolving maternal lineages and migratory behavior to foraging grounds (FG) in sea turtles. However, little is known about source rookeries and haplotype composition of foraging green turtle aggregations in the southeastern Pacific. We used mitochondrial DNA control region sequences to identify the haplotype composition of 55 green turtles, Chelonia mydas, captured in foraging grounds of Gorgona National Park in the Colombian Pacific. Amplified fragments of the control region (457 bp) revealed the presence of seven haplotypes, with haplotype (h) and nucleotide (π) diversities of h = 0.300±0.080 and π = 0.009±0.005 respectively. The most common haplotype was CMP4 observed in 83% of individuals, followed by CMP22 (5%). The genetic composition of the Gorgona foraging population primarily comprised haplotypes that have been found at eastern Pacific rookeries including Mexico and the Galapagos, as well as haplotypes of unknown stock origin that likely originated from more distant western Pacific rookeries. Mixed stock analysis suggests that the Gorgona FG population is comprised mostly of animals from the Galapagos rookery (80%). Lagrangian drifter data showed that movement of turtles along the eastern Pacific coast and eastward from distant western and central Pacific sites was possible through passive drift. Our results highlight the importance of this protected area for conservation management of green turtles recruited from distant sites along the eastern Pacific Ocean. PMID:22319635

"Going solid": a model of system dynamics and consequences for patient safety

PubMed Central

Cook, R; Rasmussen, J

2005-01-01



 Rather than being a static property of hospitals and other healthcare facilities, safety is dynamic and often on short time scales. In the past most healthcare delivery systems were loosely coupled—that is, activities and conditions in one part of the system had only limited effect on those elsewhere. Loose coupling allowed the system to buffer many conditions such as short term surges in demand. Modern management techniques and information systems have allowed facilities to reduce inefficiencies in operation. One side effect is the loss of buffers that previously accommodated demand surges. As a result, situations occur in which activities in one area of the hospital become critically dependent on seemingly insignificant events in seemingly distant areas. This tight coupling condition is called "going solid". Rasmussen's dynamic model of risk and safety can be used to formulate a model of patient safety dynamics that includes "going solid" and its consequences. Because the model addresses the dynamic aspects of safety, it is particularly suited to understanding current conditions in modern healthcare delivery and the way these conditions may lead to accidents. PMID:15805459

Distant asteroids and Chiron

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

French, Linda M.; Vilas, Faith; Hartmann, William K.; Tholen, David J.

1989-01-01

Knowledge of the physical properties of distant asteroids (a greater than 3.3 AU) has grown dramatically over the past five years, due to systematic compositional and lighcurve studies. Most of these objects have red, dark surfaces, and their spectra show a reddening in spectral slope with heliocentric distance, implying a change in surface composition. Trojans for which near-opposition phase curve information is available appear to show little or no opposition effect, unlike any other dark solar system objects. The lightcurve amplitudes of Trojan and Hilda asteroids imply significantly more elongated shapes for these groups than for main-belt asteroids of comparable size. These recent observations are reviewed in the context of their implications for the formationan and subsequent evolution of the distant asteroids, and their interrelations with the main belt, Chiron, and comets.

Caprine herpesvirus 2-associated malignant catarrhal fever of captive sika deer (Cervus nippon) in an intensive management system.

PubMed

Zhu, Hongwei; Huang, Qingrong; Hu, Xiaoliang; Chu, Wenhui; Zhang, Jianlong; Jiang, Linlin; Yu, Xin; Zhang, Xingxiao; Cheng, Shipeng

2018-02-01

Caprine herpesvirus 2 (CpHV-2) infection usually induces chronic malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) in sika deer (Cervus nippon), with the primary signs of weight loss, dermatitis and alopecia. Here, we report a case of CpHV-2-associated acute MCF in a sika deer herd raised in an intensive management system distant to the reservoir goats. Affected deer developed clinical signs of high fever (41 °C) followed by nasal discharge and lameness. Severe lesions of hemorrhage, necrosis and infiltration of lymphoid cells could readily be observed in the lung, kidney, heart valves and subcutaneous tissue surrounding a tendon. Etiologically, identical CpHV-2 specific DNA sequences were detected in peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) from the affected deer and reservoir goats. In summary, domestic goats were the reservoir of the CpHV-2, which is the causative agent of the outbreak of MCF in the three hinds. The disease was probably transmitted via aerosol infection. In addition, necrosis and inflammation in subcutaneous tissue surrounding a tendon was the reason for lameness. Therefore, MCF should be put into a differential diagnostic list when similar disease occurs in sika deer herds.

Phyllodes tumours

PubMed Central

Parker, S; Harries, S

2001-01-01

Phyllodes tumours are rare fibroepithelial lesions that account for less than 1% of all breast neoplasms. With the non-operative management of fibroadenomas widely adopted, the importance of phyllodes tumours today lies in the need to differentiate them from other benign breast lesions. All breast lumps should be triple assessed and the diagnosis of a phyllodes tumour considered in women, particularly over the age of 35 years, who present with a rapidly growing "benign" breast lump. Treatment can be by either wide excision or mastectomy provided histologically clear specimen margins are ensured. Nodal metastases are rare and routine axillary dissection is not recommended. Few reliable clinical and histological prognostic factors have been identified. Local recurrence occurs in approximately 15% of patients and is more common after incomplete excision. It can usually be controlled by further surgery. Repeated local recurrence has been reported without the development of distant metastases or reduced survival. Approximately 20% of patients with malignant phyllodes tumours develop distant metastases. Long term survival with distant metastases is rare. The role of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormonal manipulation in both the adjuvant and palliative settings remain to be defined.


Keywords: benign breast disease; fibroadenoma; phyllodes tumour PMID:11423590

Hot Ion Flows in the Distant Magnetotail: ARTEMIS Observations From Lunar Orbit to ˜-200 RE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artemyev, A. V.; Angelopoulos, V.; Runov, A.; Vasko, I. Y.

2017-10-01

Plasma energization in Earth's magnetotail is supported by acceleration processes in (and around) magnetic reconnection regions. Hot plasma flows and strong electromagnetic waves, generated by magnetic energy release during reconnection, transport energy necessary for current system intensification and particle acceleration in the inner magnetosphere. Earth's magnetotail configuration includes two main reconnection regions (X lines): the near-Earth X line, which has been well studied by several multispacecraft missions, and the distant X line, which has been much less investigated. In this paper, we utilize the unique data set gathered by two ARTEMIS spacecraft in 2010 at radial distances between lunar orbit and ˜200 RE (Earth radii). We identify an X line at around ˜80 RE and collect statistics on hot plasma flows observed around and beyond this distance. Ion spectra within these flows are well fitted by a power law with the exponential tail starting above an energy ɛ0˜ 2-5 keV. Assuming that these spectra are originated at the distant X line, we examine the characteristics of the acceleration at the distant tail reconnection region.

Axillary migration of Nexplanon®: Case report.

PubMed

Diego, Daniela; Tappy, Erryn; Carugno, Jose

2017-02-01

A 19-year-old patient presented to the clinic, and we inserted a single rod subdermal etonogestrel implant (Nexplanon ®), which subsequently migrated to the ipsilateral axilla. Distant Nexplanon® migration is a rare serious complication that should be considered when a device is nonpalpable. Management options are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Existence of ``free will'' as a problem of physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peres, Asher

1986-06-01

The proof of Bell's inequality is based on the assumption that distant observers can freely and independently choose their experiments. As Bell's inequality is experimentally violated, it appears that distant physical systems may behave as a single, nonlocal, indivisible entity. This apparent contradiction is resolved. It is shown that the “free will” assumption is, under usual circumstances, an excellent approximation. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life.... — Deuteronomy XXX, 19

CD44 increases the efficiency of distant metastasis of breast cancer

PubMed Central

McFarlane, Suzanne; Coulter, Jonathan A.; Tibbits, Paul; O'Grady, Anthony; McFarlane, Cheryl; Montgomery, Nicola; Hill, Ashleigh; McCarthy, Helen O.; Young, Leonie S.; Kay, Elaine W.; Isacke, Clare M.; Waugh, David J.J.

2015-01-01

Metastasis is the predominant cause of death from cancer yet we have few biomarkers to predict patients at increased risk of metastasis and are unable to effectively treat disseminated disease. Analysis of 448 primary breast tumors determined that expression of the hylauronan receptor CD44 associated with high grade (p = 0.046), ER- (p = 0.001) and PR-negative tumors (p = 0.029), and correlated with increased distant recurrence and reduced disease-free survival in patients with lymph-node positive or large tumors. To determine its functional role in distant metastasis, CD44 was knocked-down in MDA-MB-231 cells using two independent shRNA sequences. Loss of CD44 attenuated tumor cell adhesion to endothelial cells and reduced cell invasion but did not affect proliferation in vitro. To verify the importance of CD44 to post-intravasation events, tumor formation was assessed by quantitative in vivo imaging and post-mortem tissue analysis following an intra-cardiac injection of transfected cells. CD44 knock-down increased survival and decreased overall tumor burden at multiple sites, including the skeleton in vivo. We conclude that elevated CD44 expression on tumour cells within the systemic circulation increases the efficiency of post-intravasation events and distant metastasis in vivo, consistent with its association with increased distant recurrence and reduced disease-free survival in patients. PMID:25888636

INTERMARS: User-controlled international management system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmitt, Harrison H.

1986-01-01

Existing international space law as well as the best interest of all nations are consistent with the establishment of a user-based international organization, herein called INTERMARS. INTERMARS would provide access to facilities and services at a Martian base which would be of high functional potential, quality, safety, and reliability. These opportunities would be available on an open and nondiscriminatory basis to all peaceful users and investors. INTERMARS is a model organization concept tailored to provide cooperative international management of a Martian base for the benefit of its members, users, and investors. Most importantly, INTERMARS would provide such management through a sharing of both sovereignty and opportunity rather then unilateral control by any one nation or set of competing nations. Through an Assembly of Parties, a Board of Governors, a Board of Users and Investors, and a Director General, INTERMARS would meet its primary goal as it would be in the self-interest of all members, users, and investors to do so. The internal structure and philosophy of INTERMARS would provide not only for all participants to have representation in decisions affecting its activities, but also would insure effective and responsive management. Surely this is the precedent wished for, to establish for mankind at the now not-so-distant shores of the new ocean of space.

From early family systems to internalizing symptoms: The role of emotion regulation and peer relations.

PubMed

Lindblom, Jallu; Vänskä, Mervi; Flykt, Marjo; Tolvanen, Asko; Tiitinen, Aila; Tulppala, Maija; Punamäki, Raija-Leena

2017-04-01

Research has demonstrated the importance of early family characteristics, such as the quality of caregiving, on children's later mental health. Information is, however, needed about the role of more holistic family systems and specific child-related socioemotional mechanisms. In this study, we conceptualize families as dynamic family system types, consisting of both marital and parenting trajectories over the transition to parenthood. First, we examine how early family system types predict children's anxiety, depression, peer exclusion, and emotion regulation. Second, we test whether couples' infertility history and other family related contextual factors moderate the effects of family system types on child outcomes. Third, we test whether children's emotion regulation and peer exclusion mediate the effects of family system types on anxiety and depression. The participants were 452 families representing cohesive, distant, authoritative, enmeshed, and discrepant family types, identified on the basis of relationship autonomy and intimacy from pregnancy to the child's age of 2 and 12 months. Children's anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, and peer exclusion were assessed at the age of 7-8 years. Structural equation modeling showed that distant, enmeshed, and discrepant families similarly predicted children's heightened anxiety and depression. Infertility history, parental education, and parity moderated the associations between certain family system types and child outcomes. Finally, emotion regulation, but not peer exclusion, was a common mediating mechanism between distant and enmeshed families and children's depression. The results emphasize the importance of early family environments on children's emotion regulation development and internalizing psychopathology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

[Hemodynamics studies with the new generation portable systems: cost-benefit analysis].

PubMed

Vergara, G

2001-01-01

Coronary angiography facilities are usually available only in major medical centers despite an increasing utilization in managing patients with ischemic heart disease. In recent years portable fluoroscopic imaging systems have been developed to reduce costs and bring coronary angiography services closer to patients. Our experience with the OEC Medical System 9600 demonstrates that the portable systems of new generation are reliable both regarding the quality of coronary angiograms and the routine use in a multipurpose cardiac catheterization laboratory. This statement is based on our 1-year experience (1999) with a caseload of 740 studies or procedures: 342 coronary angiographic studies, 159 electrophysiological studies, 74 radiofrequency catheter ablations, 126 pacemaker implantations/replacements, 16 cardioverter-defibrillator implantations/replacements, and 23 other studies or procedures. The mean cost of a coronary angiography was Itl 512,000 (265 Euro) in the in-house laboratory; it would have been Itl 694,000 (359 Euro) in the historical scenario, i.e. with referral to a 25 km distant laboratory, with Itl 182,000 (94 Euro) saved. Our experience is consistent with the accepted criteria of good laboratory performance and cost-effectiveness.

Clinical stage, therapy, and prognosis in canine anal sac gland carcinoma.

PubMed

Polton, Gerry A; Brearley, Malcolm J

2007-01-01

Reports of canine anal sac gland carcinoma (ASGC) describe varied clinical presentations and management and differing responses to therapy. A unifying approach to clinical stage determination and management of this disease has yet to be presented. An ordinal clinical staging scheme for canine ASGC can be devised on the basis of responses to therapy for a retrospective cohort of affected dogs. 130 dogs with naturally occurring ASGC. A simplified clinical stage system and a management algorithm for canine ASGC were derived from retrospective evaluation of a cohort of 80 dogs; applicability of both was then prospectively evaluated in a cohort of 50 dogs. Retrospective evaluation revealed 4 statistically significant negative prognostic indicators for survival: lack of therapy, presence of distant metastases, presence of lymph node metastases, and primary tumor size. Lymph node extirpation was a statistically significant positive prognostic indicator by bivariate analysis. In both retrospective and prospective analyses, the modified clinical stage scheme revealed a significant association with survival time. The clinical staging scheme permits differentiation between groups in terms of prognosis and, therefore, decisions on therapy. This will facilitate application of appropriate therapy and enhanced communication and collaboration in further investigations of ASGC.

Everglades Landscape Model: Integrated Assessment of Hydrology, Biogeochemistry, and Biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitz, H. C.; Wang, N.; Sklar, F. H.

2002-05-01

Water management infrastructure and operations have fragmented the greater Everglades into separate, impounded basins, altering flows and hydropatterns. A significant area of this managed system has experienced anthropogenic eutrophication. This combination of altered hydrology and water quality has interacted to degrade vegetative habitats and other ecological characteristics of the Everglades. One of the modeling tools to be used in developing restoration alternatives is the Everglades Landscape Model (ELM), a process-based, spatially explicit simulation of ecosystem dynamics across a heterogeneous, 10,000 km2 region. The model has been calibrated to capture hydrologic and surface water quality dynamics across most of the Everglades landscape over decadal time scales. We evaluated phosphorus loading throughout the Everglades system under two base scenarios. The 1995 base case assumed current management operations, with phosphorus inflow concentrations fixed at their long term, historical average. The 2050 base case assumed future modifications in water and nutrient management, with all managed inflows to the Everglades having reduced phosphorus concentrations. In an example indicator subregion that currently is highly eutrophic, the 31-yr simulations predicted that desirable periphyton and macrophyte communities were maintained under the 2050 base case, whereas in the 1995 base case, periphyton biomass and production decreased to negligible levels and macrophytes became extremely dense. The negative periphyton response in the 1995 base case was due to high phosphorus loads and rapid macrophyte growth that shaded this algal community. Along an existing 11 km eutrophication gradient, the model indicated that the 2050 base case had ecologically significant reductions in phosphorus accumulation compared to the 1995 base case. Indicator regions (in Everglades National Park) distant from phosphorus inflow points also exhibited reductions in phosphorus accumulation under the 2050 base case, albeit to a lesser extent due to its distance from phosphorus inflows. The ELM fills a critical information need in Everglades management, and has become an accepted tool in evaluating scenarios of potential restoration of the natural system.

Opposite Effects of Coinjection and Distant Injection of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Breast Tumor Cell Growth.

PubMed

Zheng, Huilin; Zou, Weibin; Shen, Jiaying; Xu, Liang; Wang, Shu; Fu, Yang-Xin; Fan, Weimin

2016-09-01

: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) usually promote tumor growth and metastasis. By using a breast tumor 4T1 cell-based animal model, this study determined that coinjection and distant injection of allogeneic bone marrow-derived MSCs with tumor cells could exert different effects on tumor growth. Whereas the coinjection of MSCs with 4T1 cells promoted tumor growth, surprisingly, the injection of MSCs at a site distant from the 4T1 cell inoculation site suppressed tumor growth. We further observed that, in the distant injection model, MSCs decreased the accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T cells in tumor tissues by enhancing proinflammatory factors such as interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, Toll-like receptor (TLR)-3, and TLR-4, promoting host antitumor immunity and inhibiting tumor growth. Unlike previous reports, this is the first study reporting that MSCs may exert opposite roles on tumor growth in the same animal model by modulating the host immune system, which may shed light on the potential application of MSCs as vehicles for tumor therapy and other clinical applications. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely investigated for their potential roles in tissue engineering, autoimmune diseases, and tumor therapeutics. This study explored the impact of coinjection and distant injection of allogeneic bone marrow-derived MSCs on mouse 4T1 breast cancer cells. The results showed that the coinjection of MSCs and 4T1 cells promoted tumor growth. MSCs might act as the tumor stromal precursors and cause immunosuppression to protect tumor cells from immunosurveillance, which subsequently facilitated tumor metastasis. Interestingly, the distant injection of MSCs and 4T1 cells suppressed tumor growth. Together, the results of this study revealed the dual functions of MSCs in immunoregulation. ©AlphaMed Press.

Regional lymph node metastases are a strong risk factor for venous thromboembolism: results from the Vienna Cancer and Thrombosis Study

PubMed Central

Dickmann, Boris; Ahlbrecht, Jonas; Ay, Cihan; Dunkler, Daniela; Thaler, Johannes; Scheithauer, Werner; Quehenberger, Peter; Zielinski, Christoph; Pabinger, Ingrid

2013-01-01

Advanced cancer is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism. However, lymph node metastases are usually not considered an established risk factor. In the framework of the prospective, observational Vienna Cancer and Thrombosis Study we investigated the association between local (N0), regional (N1–3), and distant (M1) cancer stages and the occurrence of venous thromboembolism. Furthermore, we were specifically interested in the relationship between stage and biomarkers that have been reported to be associated with venous thromboembolism. We followed 832 patients with solid tumors for a median of 527 days. The study end-point was symptomatic venous thromboembolism. At study inclusion, 241 patients had local, 138 regional, and 453 distant stage cancer. The cumulative probability of venous thromboembolism after 6 months in patients with local, regional and distant stage cancer was 2.1%, 6.5% and 6.0%, respectively (P=0.002). Compared to patients with local stage disease, patients with regional and distant stage disease had a significantly higher risk of venous thromboembolism in multivariable Cox-regression analysis including age, newly diagnosed cancer (versus progression of disease), surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy (regional: HR=3.7, 95% CI: 1.5–9.6; distant: HR=5.4, 95% CI: 2.3–12.9). Furthermore, patients with regional or distant stage disease had significantly higher levels of D-dimer, factor VIII, and platelets, and lower hemoglobin levels than those with local stage disease. These results demonstrate an increased risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with regional disease. Elevated levels of predictive biomarkers in patients with regional disease underpin the results and are in line with the activation of the hemostatic system in the early phase of metastatic dissemination. PMID:23585523

Elderly postmenopausal patients with breast cancer are at increased risk for distant recurrence: a tamoxifen exemestane adjuvant multinational study analysis.

PubMed

van de Water, Willemien; Seynaeve, Caroline; Bastiaannet, Esther; Markopoulos, Christos; Jones, Steve E; Rea, Daniel; Hasenburg, Annette; Putter, Hein; Hille, Elysée T M; Paridaens, Robert; de Craen, Anton J M; Westendorp, Rudi G J; van de Velde, Cornelis J H; Liefers, Gerrit-Jan

2013-01-01

For postmenopausal patients with hormone-sensitive breast cancer, outcome is worse with increasing age at diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of breast cancer recurrence (locoregional and distant), and contralateral breast cancer by age at diagnosis. Patients enrolled in the Tamoxifen Exemestane Adjuvant Multinational (TEAM) trial were included. Primary endpoints were locoregional recurrence, distant recurrence, and contralateral breast cancer. Age at diagnosis was categorized as younger than 65 years, 65-74 years, and 75 years or older. Overall, 9,766 patients were included, of which 5,349 were younger than 65 years (reference group), 3,060 were 65-74 years, and 1,357 were 75 years or older. With increasing age, a decreased administration of radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery (94%, 92%, and 88%, respectively) and adjuvant chemotherapy (51%, 23%, and 5%, respectively) was observed. Risk of distant recurrence increased with age at diagnosis; multivariable hazard ratio for patients aged 65-74 years was 1.20 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-1.44), hazard ratio for patients aged 75 years or older was 1.39 (95% CI: 1.08-1.79). Risks of locoregional recurrence and contralateral breast cancer were not significantly different across age groups. Elderly patients with breast cancer were at increased risk for distant recurrence. Other studies have shown that the risk of distant recurrence is mainly affected by adjuvant systemic therapy. All TEAM patients received adjuvant endocrine treatment; however, chemotherapy was administered less often in elderly patients. These findings are suggestive for consideration of chemotherapy in relatively fit elderly breast cancer patients with hormone-sensitive disease.

Elderly Postmenopausal Patients With Breast Cancer Are at Increased Risk for Distant Recurrence: A Tamoxifen Exemestane Adjuvant Multinational Study Analysis

PubMed Central

van de Water, Willemien; Seynaeve, Caroline; Bastiaannet, Esther; Markopoulos, Christos; Jones, Steve E.; Rea, Daniel; Hasenburg, Annette; Putter, Hein; Hille, Elysée T.M.; Paridaens, Robert; de Craen, Anton J.M.; Westendorp, Rudi G.J.; Liefers, Gerrit-Jan

2013-01-01

Introduction. For postmenopausal patients with hormone-sensitive breast cancer, outcome is worse with increasing age at diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of breast cancer recurrence (locoregional and distant), and contralateral breast cancer by age at diagnosis. Methods. Patients enrolled in the Tamoxifen Exemestane Adjuvant Multinational (TEAM) trial were included. Primary endpoints were locoregional recurrence, distant recurrence, and contralateral breast cancer. Age at diagnosis was categorized as younger than 65 years, 65–74 years, and 75 years or older. Results. Overall, 9,766 patients were included, of which 5,349 were younger than 65 years (reference group), 3,060 were 65–74 years, and 1,357 were 75 years or older. With increasing age, a decreased administration of radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery (94%, 92%, and 88%, respectively) and adjuvant chemotherapy (51%, 23%, and 5%, respectively) was observed. Risk of distant recurrence increased with age at diagnosis; multivariable hazard ratio for patients aged 65–74 years was 1.20 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00–1.44), hazard ratio for patients aged 75 years or older was 1.39 (95% CI: 1.08–1.79). Risks of locoregional recurrence and contralateral breast cancer were not significantly different across age groups. Conclusion. Elderly patients with breast cancer were at increased risk for distant recurrence. Other studies have shown that the risk of distant recurrence is mainly affected by adjuvant systemic therapy. All TEAM patients received adjuvant endocrine treatment; however, chemotherapy was administered less often in elderly patients. These findings are suggestive for consideration of chemotherapy in relatively fit elderly breast cancer patients with hormone-sensitive disease. PMID:23263290

Fiber optic video monitoring system for remote CT/MR scanners clinically accepted

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tecotzky, Raymond H.; Bazzill, Todd M.; Eldredge, Sandra L.; Tagawa, James; Sayre, James W.

1992-07-01

With the proliferation of CT travel to distant scanners to review images before their patients can be released. We designed a fiber-optic broadband video system to transmit images from seven scanner consoles to fourteen remote monitoring stations in real time. This system has been used clinically by radiologists for over one years. We designed and conducted a user survey to categorize the levels of system use by section (Chest, GI, GU, Bone, Neuro, Peds, etc.), to measure operational utilization and acceptance of the system into the clinical environment, to clarify the system''s importance as a clinical tool for saving radiologists travel-time to distant CT the system''s performance and limitations as a diagnostic tool. The study was administered directly to radiologists using a printed survey form. The results of the survey''s compiled data show a high percentage of system usage by a wide spectrum of radiologists. Clearly, this system has been accepted into the clinical environment as a highly valued diagnostic tool in terms of time savings and functional flexibility.

Discovery, Orbit and Orbital Evolution of the Distant Object (463368) 2012 VU85

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wlodarczyk, I.; Černis, K.; Boyle, R. P.

2017-03-01

We present the discovery and time evolution of orbital elements of the distant Centaur-type object (463368) 2012 VU85. From all 2135 distant objects listed in the Minor Planet Center we select all 347 numbered distant object and integrate their equations of motion in the 1 Gyr forward and backward integration. The asteroid (463368) 2012 VU85 lies on the border of the group of 347 distant objects, which have a semimajor axis about 44 a.u., eccentricity 0.1 and inclination between 0° and 30°. We show that after 1 Gyr of forward integration, about half of the objects are expelled from the Solar System, \\ie their median lifetime is about 1 Gyr. We note that the long-lived distant objects are mainly located between the regions where Neptune controls aphelia of asteroids and the asteroids are in the mean motion resonance 2/3 with Neptune. We find eight almost regular approaches of clones of the asteroid (463368) 2012 VU85 to Neptune and several generally shorter in time regular approaches to Uranus. For other outer planets we did not detect any approaches below 5 a.u. for a period of 15 000 yr in forward and backward integrations. In our calculations we find eight episodes, each lasting about 3000 yr when the value of inclination oscillates around its average. These changes look similar to the changes of semimajor axis during the occurrence of orbital mean motion resonance with a planet. We find that half of the clones of the asteroid (463368) 2012 VU85 remain in the Solar System for a forward integration of 44 Myr, and for a backward integration of 34 Myr. This is a significantly shorter escape time as compared to the group of distant objects. Almost all long-lived clones have value of Tisserand parameter with respect to Neptune smaller than 3 during the whole 1 Gyr forward and backward integrations. This implies that there are several clones of the asteroid (463368) 2012 VU85 that cross the orbits of Neptune and Uranus. We find many orbital mean motion resonances lasting up to several Myr in the motion of the asteroid (463368) 2012 VU85. According to our computations the presence of the Kozai resonance protects the asteroid from the close approaches with Uranus and Neptune. The Lyapunov time for the asteroid (463368) 2012 VU85 is equal to 4260 years.

Shrub removal in reforested post-fire areas increases native plant species richness

Treesearch

Gabrielle N. Bohlman; Malcolm North; Hugh D. Safford

2016-01-01

Large, high severity fires are becoming more prevalent in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests, largely due to heavy fuel loading and forest densification caused by past and current management practices. In post-fire areas distant from seed trees, conifers are often planted to re-establish a forest and to prevent a potential type-conversion to shrub fields. Typical...

STS-52 MS Shepherd during camera equipment training on JSC's Bldg 1 rooftop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

STS-52 Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, Mission Specialist (MS) William M. Shepherd aims a 35mm camera at a distant subject from his vantage point atop the roof of JSC's nine-story Project Management Building Bldg 1. The training session familiarized Shepherd with camera equipment to be used in Earth observation documentation during STS-52.

It Can Be Ordinary: Help Children Manage--And Even Benefit--When They Encounter Evil

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvey, Michael A.

2004-01-01

People cannot protect their children--hard of hearing, deaf, or hearing--from exposure to evil. The prevalence of evil, perhaps especially ordinary evil, is particularly high for those with disabilities, including hard of hearing and deaf people. Everybody bears witness to ordinary evil, or will do so in the not-too-distant future, despite good…

What Successful School Principals Do and What Unsuccessful Ones Fail to Do

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ponomareva, G. M.

2015-01-01

School administration is a special process from the standpoint of management; it is no wonder that it is called both a science and an art. The chief distinguishing characteristic of the process of administration in education is that quite often in the not too distant past, school principals had been teachers in the collective they supervised.…

Learner's Satisfaction: A Case Study on IGNOU's Engineering Diploma Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Venkateshwarlu, Neelam; Agarwal, Ashish

2016-01-01

Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system is different from conventional education system. ODL system imparts education through multiple media and techniques to equalize the class room education. Unlike the conventional system, the distant learners (students, adults, employed persons, etc.) may face some problems during their course of study. In…

V773 Cas, QS Aql, AND BR Ind: ECLIPSING BINARIES AS PARTS OF MULTIPLE SYSTEMS

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

Zasche, P.; Juryšek, J.; Nemravová, J.

2017-01-01

Eclipsing binaries remain crucial objects for our understanding of the universe. In particular, those that are components of multiple systems can help us solve the problem of the formation of these systems. Analysis of the radial velocities together with the light curve produced for the first time precise physical parameters of the components of the multiple systems V773 Cas, QS Aql, and BR Ind. Their visual orbits were also analyzed, which resulted in slightly improved orbital elements. What is typical for all these systems is that their most dominant source is the third distant component. The system V773 Cas consists of two similarmore » G1-2V stars revolving in a circular orbit and a more distant component of the A3V type. Additionally, the improved value of parallax was calculated to be 17.6 mas. Analysis of QS Aql resulted in the following: the inner eclipsing pair is composed of B6V and F1V stars, and the third component is of about the B6 spectral type. The outer orbit has high eccentricity of about 0.95, and observations near its upcoming periastron passage between the years 2038 and 2040 are of high importance. Also, the parallax of the system was derived to be about 2.89 mas, moving the star much closer to the Sun than originally assumed. The system BR Ind was found to be a quadruple star consisting of two eclipsing K dwarfs orbiting each other with a period of 1.786 days; the distant component is a single-lined spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of about 6 days. Both pairs are moving around each other on their 148 year orbit.« less

Fishery management, development and food security in the Western and Central Pacific in the context of climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weng, Kevin C.; Glazier, Ed; Nicol, Simon J.; Hobday, Alistair J.

2015-03-01

In the coming decades, fishery resource managers and policy-makers in Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) will be increasingly challenged by the need to ensure food security in the context of a changing climate, increasing human pressure on the marine environment, and limited understanding of marine ecosystems and associated resources. These decision-makers must address a pressing and overarching question - how will pelagic resources and pressures on such resources change over time and space? Answering this question requires ongoing inquiry into critical dimensions of pelagic species and systems, for both the commercial tuna species that are managed by Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs), as well as nearshore pelagic fishes that support many small-scale fisheries and are managed at national and local levels. Research priorities include generating further insight into life history and physiology, oceanographic context, movement and migration, food webs, ecosystem dynamics and stock status. Concurrently, socioeconomic research is needed to tailor fisheries management strategies to local, national and regional conditions; and improve understanding of incentive structures among players in RFMOs such as the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. PICT-based scientists and managers are ideally situated to generate new fisheries-relevant data; however, investments are needed to expand the capacity for research, management, and sustainable fisheries development within PICTs. Such capacity building can be accelerated through collaboration between PICTs, RFMOs, and scientific centers of excellence in Distant Water Fishing Nations. Without increased capacity development, this region will be adversely affected by the impacts of climate change and less able to take advantage of opportunities for economic development.

Use of a "secure room" and a security guard in the management of the violent, aggressive or suicidal patient in a rural hospital: a 3-year audit.

PubMed

Brock, Gordon; Gurekas, Vydas; Gelinas, Anne-Fredrique; Rollin, Karina

2009-01-01

Little has been published on the management of psychiatric crises in rural areas, and little is known of the security needs or use of "secure rooms" in rural hospitals. We conducted a 3-year retrospective chart audit on the use of our secure room/security guard system at a rural hospital in a town of 3500, located 220 km from our psychiatric referral centre. Use of our secure room/security guard system occurred at the rate of 1.1 uses/1000 emergency department visits, with the most common indication being physician perception of risk of patient suicide or self-harm. Concern for staff safety was a factor in 10% of uses. Eighty percent of patients were treated locally, with most being released from the secure room after 2 days or less. Fourteen percent of patients required ultimate transfer to our psychiatric referral centre and 6% to a detoxification centre. The average annual cost of security was $16 259.61. A secure room can provide the opportunity for close observation of a potentially self-harming patient, additional security for staff and early warning if a patient flees the hospital. Most admissions were handled locally, obviating the need for transfer to distant psychiatric referral centres. Most patients who were admitted were already known as having a psychiatric illness and 80% of the patients required the use of the secure room/security guard system for less than a 2-night stay, suggesting that most rural mental health crises pass quickly. Most patients admitted to a rural hospital with a mental health crisis can be managed locally if an adequate secure room/security guard system is available.

African Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Relevance of Higher Education in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaya, Hassan O.; Seleti, Yonah N.

2013-01-01

The higher education system in Africa and South Africa in particular, is still too academic and distant from the developmental challenges of African local communities. The integration of African indigenous knowledge systems (AIKS) into the higher educational system could improve its relevance. This is due to the holistic, community-based nature…

Distant stereoacuity in children with anisometropic amblyopia.

PubMed

Chung, Yeon Woong; Park, Shin Hae; Shin, Sun Young

2017-09-01

To characterize changes in distant stereoacuity using Frisby-Davis Distance test (FD2) and Distant Randot test (DR) during treatment for anisometropic amblyopia, to determine factors that influence posttreatment stereoacuity and to compare the two distant stereotests. Fifty-eight anisometropic amblyopic patients with an interocular difference of ≥1.00 diopter who achieved the visual acuity 20/20 following amblyopia treatment were retrospectively included. Stereoacuity using FD2 and DR for distant and Titmus test for near measurement were assessed and compared at the initial, intermediate, and final visit. Multivariate regression models were used to identify factors associated with initial and final stereoacuity. The two distant stereotests revealed a significant improvement in distant stereoacuity after successful amblyopia treatment. Distant stereoacuity using FD2 showed the greatest improvement during the follow up period. The number of nil scores was higher in DR than FD2 at each period. In multivariate analysis, better final stereoacuity was associated with better initial amblyopic eye acuity in both distant stereotests, but not in the Titmus test. Comparing the two distant stereotests, final stereoacuity using FD2 was associated with initial stereoacuity and was moderately related with the Titmus test at each period, but final stereoacuity using DR was not. Distant stereoacuity measured with both FD2 and DR showed significant improvement when the visual acuity of the amblyopic eye achieved 20/20. Changes in distant stereoacuity by FD2 and DR during the amblyopia treatment were somewhat different.

Reducing vertices in property graphs

PubMed Central

Pąk, Karol

2018-01-01

Graph databases are constantly growing, and, at the same time, some of their data is the same or similar. Our experience with the management of the existing databases, especially the bigger ones, shows that certain vertices are particularly replicated there numerous times. Eliminating repetitive or even very similar data speeds up the access to database resources. We present a modification of this approach, where similarly we group together vertices of identical properties, but then additionally we join together groups of data that are located in distant parts of a graph. The second part of our approach is non-trivial. We show that the search for a partition of a given graph where each member of the partition has only pairwise distant vertices is NP-hard. We indicate a group of heuristics that try to solve our difficult computational problems and then we apply them to check the the effectiveness of our approach. PMID:29444127

The new psychology of strategic leadership.

PubMed

Gavetti, Giovanni

2011-01-01

Firms in an industry typically cluster around a few strategic positions, and the intense competition on those occupied "mountaintops" makes it hard for firms to gain attractive returns. Superior opportunities lie on unoccupied mountaintops. Yet because those opportunities are "cognitively distant"--far from the status quo--strategists have trouble recognizing and acting on them. Competition, therefore, is weak. Most managers are trained to analyze economic forces when they want to identify new opportunities. But that approach usually won't uncover the kinds of ideas that overturn the status quo. Recent research on human cognition suggests that leaders would do better to use associative thinking to spot, act on, and legitimize distant opportunities. They should learn to make analogies with businesses in other industries, for example. For example, Charles Merrill launched an extraordinarily successful business when he reimagined banking as a "financial supermarket." This article explores ways to jump-start associational thinking--and to bring stakeholders along on the journey.

Snake Envenomation Causing Distant Tracheal Myonecrosis

PubMed Central

Khimani, Amina; Mcnierney, Afton; Surani, Sara; Surani, Salim

2013-01-01

Snakebites are often believed to be poisonous. However, this is not always the case. In fact, each bite differs from snake to snake, depending on if the snake is poisonous and if there is envenomation. Venom in pit viper snakebites is often associated with local necrosis. The abundant literature selections and research articles justify local myonecrosis due to envenomation, but there is not much in the literature regarding myonecrosis at a site distant from the snakebite. We hereby present a case of a 42-year-old man who was transferred to our emergency department after a rattlesnake bit him twice. The patient, besides developing local myonecrosis at the site of the snakebite, developed necrosis of the scrotum as well as tracheal pressure myonecrosis at the site of the endotracheal tube balloon. In this review, we will attempt to discuss the myonecrosis pathophysiology and management related to the rattle snakebite. PMID:24083047

A HEL Testbed for High Accuracy Beam Pointing and Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-01

Control by Dojong Kim, Duane Frist, Jae Jun Kim, Brij Agrawal 01 July 2009 Approved for......distant targets immediately. The issues of the technology on the HEL system include various types of high energy laser devices, beam control systems

Chandra Finds Most Distant X-ray Galaxy Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-02-01

The most distant X-ray cluster of galaxies yet has been found by astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Approximately 10 billion light years from Earth, the cluster 3C294 is 40 percent farther than the next most distant X-ray galaxy cluster. The existence of such a distant galaxy cluster is important for understanding how the universe evolved. "Distant objects like 3C294 provide snapshots to how these galaxy clusters looked billions of years ago," said Andrew Fabian of the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, England and lead author of the paper accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of Britain’s Royal Astronomical Society. "These latest results help us better understand what the universe was like when it was only 20 percent of its current age." Chandra’s image reveals an hourglass-shaped region of X-ray emission centered on the previously known central radio source. This X-ray emission extends outward from the central galaxy for at least 300,000 light years and shows that the known radio source is in the central galaxy of a massive cluster. Scientists have long suspected that distant radio-emitting galaxies like 3C294 are part of larger groups of galaxies known as "clusters." However, radio data provides astronomers with only a partial picture of these distant objects. Confirmation of the existence of clusters at great distances - and, hence, at early stages of the universe - requires information from other wavelengths. Optical observations can be used to pinpoint individual galaxies, but X-ray data are needed to detect the hot gas that fills the space within the cluster. "Galaxy clusters are the largest gravitationally bound structures in the universe," said Fabian. "We do not expect to find many massive objects, such as the 3C294 cluster, in early times because structure is thought to grow from small scales to large scales." The vast clouds of hot gas that envelope galaxies in clusters are thought to be heated by collapse toward the center of the cluster. Until Chandra, X-ray telescopes have not had the needed sensitivity to identify and measure hot gas clouds in distant clusters. Carolin Crawford, Stefano Ettori and Jeremy Sanders of the Institute of Astronomy were also members of the team that observed 3C294 for 5.4 hours on October 29, 2000 with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS). The ACIS X-ray camera was developed for NASA by Pennsylvania State University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, manages the Chandra program for the Office of Space Science in Washington, DC. The Smithsonian's Chandra X-ray Center controls science and flight operations from Cambridge, MA. Images associated with this release are available on the World Wide Web at: http://chandra.harvard.edu AND http://chandra.nasa.gov

PACS-based model for telemedicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastos de Figueiredo, Julio C.; Furuie, Sergio S.; Gutierrez, Marco A.; Melo, Candido P.

2001-08-01

In this work we present a practical model of telemedicine usage based on a HIS/PACS system that was developed and is being tested at the Heart Institute of Sao Paulo, Brazil). The objective of this project is to allow hospitals that are distant of specialized medical centers to have access to the services of other medical institutions using a low cost telemedicine solution supported by an appropriate architecture of storage and management of medical information. The services that can be accessed using this solution are, for example, second medical opinion, medical images databases and reports of clinical exams. With a simple architecture and easy operation, this project showed to be an efficient way to make a bridge between modern medicine centers and others, localized in places not provided by specialized medical assistance. The system described is still a prototype in experimental phase operating at the Heart Institute of Sao Paulo with good results and will shortly equip other hospitals (auxiliary units of the Heart Institute).

Distant testing in laboratory hematology and flow cytometry--the Indian experience.

PubMed

Das Gupta, Amar

2012-06-01

Outsourcing or sending out of patients' samples to other laboratories for hematologic investigations is a common practice these days. Preanalytic variables that alter cellular parameters and levels of analytes in transit and on storage can significantly and adversely affect interpretation of test results in hematology. Awareness of these changes is necessary to avoid misinterpretation of results that in turn could influence medical management decisions.

Increasing the Interaction with Distant Learners on an Interactive Telecommunications System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlenker, Jon

1994-01-01

Suggests a variety of ways to increase interaction with distance learners on an interactive telecommunications system, based on experiences at the University of Maine at Augusta. Highlights include establishing the proper environment; telephone systems; voice mail; fax; electronic mail; computer conferencing; postal mail; printed materials; and…

The Generation of the Distant Kuiper Belt by Planet Nine from an Initially Broad Perihelion Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khain, Tali; Batygin, Konstantin; Brown, Michael E.

2018-04-01

The observation that the orbits of long-period Kuiper Belt objects are anomalously clustered in physical space has recently prompted the Planet Nine hypothesis - the proposed existence of a distant and eccentric planetary member of our Solar System. Within the framework of this model, a Neptune-like perturber sculpts the orbital distribution of distant Kuiper Belt objects through a complex interplay of resonant and secular effects, such that the surviving orbits get organized into apsidally aligned and anti-aligned configurations with respect to Planet Nine's orbit. We present results on the role of Kuiper Belt initial conditions on the evolution of the outer Solar System using numerical simulations. Intriguingly, we find that the final perihelion distance distribution depends strongly on the primordial state of the system, and demonstrate that a bimodal structure corresponding to the existence of both aligned and anti-aligned clusters is only reproduced if the initial perihelion distribution is assumed to extend well beyond 36 AU. The bimodality in the final perihelion distance distribution is due to the permanently stable objects, with the lower perihelion peak corresponding to the anti-aligned orbits and the higher perihelion peak corresponding to the aligned orbits. We identify the mechanisms that enable the persistent stability of these objects and locate the regions of phase space in which they reside. The obtained results contextualize the Planet Nine hypothesis within the broader narrative of solar system formation, and offer further insight into the observational search for Planet Nine.

Survival was Significantly Better with Surgical/Medical/Radiation Co-interventions in a Single-Institution Practice Audit of Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

PubMed

Taggar, Amandeep; MacKenzie, Joanna; Li, Haocheng; Lau, Harold; Lim, Gerald; Nordal, Robert; Hudson, Alana; Khan, Rao; Spencer, David; Voroney, Jon-Paul

2016-05-17

To audit outcomes after introducing frameless stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for brain metastases, including co-interventions: neurosurgery, systemic therapy, and whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). We report median overall survival (MS), local failure, and distant brain failure. We hypothesized patients treated with SRS would have clinically meaningful improved MS compared with historic institutional values. We further hypothesized that patients treated with co-interventions would have clinically meaningful improved MS compared with patients treated with SRS alone. One hundred twenty patients (N = 120) with limited intracranial disease underwent 130 frameless SRS sessions from April 2010 to May 2013. Median follow-up was 11 months. MS was measured from brain metastases diagnosis, local failure, and distant brain failure from the time of first SRS. Practice pattern during the first year of the study favored upfront WBRT (79%) over SRS (21%) while upfront SRS (45%) was almost as common as upfront WBRT (55%) in the last year of the study. MS was 18 months; 37% received SRS alone as initial radiotherapy (MS 12 months); 63% received WBRT prior to SRS (MS 19 months); 50% received systemic therapy post-SRS (MS 21 months); and 26% had tumor resection then SRS to the surgical cavity (MS 42 months). Local failure occurred in 10% of lesions and radio-necrosis occurred in 4%. Differences in distant brain failure among patients treated with upfront SRS (40% rate), WBRT followed by SRS (33% rate) or systemic therapy post-SRS (37% rate) were not statistically significant. Frameless SRS effectively treats surgical cavities, persistent tumors post-WBRT, and can be used as an upfront treatment of brain metastases. Surgery, systemic therapy, and WBRT are associated with longer MS. Patients can live for years while receiving multiple therapies. Systemic therapy for patients with brain metastases is increasingly common, palliative care occurs earlier and improves survival, and WBRT use is not routine. Modern series sometimes produce unexpectedly good results. Classification and treatment protocols are evolving. This practice audit is note-worthy for (i) high median overall survival, (ii) systemic therapy after radiosurgery for patients with tumors treated by radiosurgery, (iii) distant brain failure not significantly related to WBRT, and (iv) neurosurgery, systemic therapy, and WBRT are independently associated with improved MS.

Clinical correlates and prognostic value of different metastatic sites in patients with malignant melanoma of the skin: a SEER database analysis.

PubMed

Abdel-Rahman, Omar

2018-03-01

Population-based data on the clinical correlates and prognostic value of the pattern of metastases among patients with cutaneous melanoma are needed. Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (2010-2013) has been explored through SEER*Stat program. For each of six distant metastatic sites (bone, brain, liver, lung, distant lymph nodes, and skin/subcutaneous), relevant correlation with baseline characteristics were reported. Survival analysis has been conducted through Kaplan-Meier analysis, and multivariate analysis has been conducted through a Cox proportional hazard model. A total of 2691 patients with metastatic cutaneous melanoma were identified in the period from 2010 to 2013. Patients with isolated skin/subcutaneous metastases have the best overall and melanoma-specific survival (MSS) followed by patients with isolated distant lymph node metastases followed by patients with isolated lung metastases. Patients with isolated liver, bone, or brain metastases have the worst overall and MSS (p < .0001 for both end points). Multivariate analysis revealed that age more than 70 at diagnosis (p = .012); multiple sites of metastases (p <.0001), no surgery to the primary tumor (p <.0001), and no surgery to the metastatic disease (p < .0001) were associated with worse overall survival (OS). For MSS, nodal positivity (p = .038), multiple sites of metastases (p < .0001), no surgery to the primary tumor (p < .0001), and no surgery to the metastatic disease (p < .0001) were associated with worse survival. The prognosis of metastatic cutaneous melanoma patients differs considerably according to the site of distant metastases. Further prospective studies are required to evaluate the role of local treatment in the management of metastatic disease.

Clinical management and outcomes in patients with hyperfunctioning distant metastases from differentiated thyroid cancer after total thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine therapy.

PubMed

Qiu, Zhong-Ling; Shen, Chen-Tian; Luo, Quan-Yong

2015-02-01

Hyperfunctioning distant metastasis (HFDM) from differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is a rare entity. This study aimed to assess the outcomes of DTC patients presenting with HFDM after total thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine therapy. A total of 5367 DTC patients treated with (131)I after total thyroidectomy were analyzed retrospectively from January 1991 to June 2013. Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated based on changes in serum thyroglobulin (Tg) and anatomical imaging changes in metastatic lesions. The relationships between survival time and several variables were assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox's proportional hazards model respectively. Thirty-eight patients with HFDM from DTC were diagnosed, including four with hyperthyroidism, four with subclinical hyperthyroidism, and three with subclinical hypothyroidism. The remaining 27 were euthyroid. Of 25 patients with lung metastases, 84% (21/25) showed disappearance or shrinkage of lung nodules; of 24 patients with bone metastases, 66.67% (16/24) exhibited no obvious imaging changes in metastatic bone lesions after (131)I therapy. Serum Tg decreased significantly in 81.58% (31/38) and increased in 18.42% (7/38) after (131)I therapy. The 10-year survival rate of DTC patients with HFDM was 65.79% (25/38). Multivariate analyses identified age at occurrence of distant metastases (<45 years), only lung metastases, and papillary thyroid cancer (PTC; p=0.032, NA, and 0.043) as independent predictors of survival. The response of hyperfunctioning lung metastases to (131)I treatment was better than that of non-hyperfunctioning lung metastases in DTC, while hyperfunctioning bone metastases responded similarly compared to non-hyperfunctioning bone metastases. Patients younger than 45 years at occurrence of distant metastases, those with only lung metastases, and patients with PTC had better prognoses.

Poor Prognosis after Second Locoregional Recurrences in the CALOR Trial

PubMed Central

Wapnir, Irene L.; Gelber, Shari; Anderson, Stewart J.; Mamounas, Eleftherios P.; Robidoux, André; Martín, Miguel; Nortier, Johan W.R.; Geyer, Charles E.; Paterson, Alexander H.G.; Láng, István; Price, Karen N.; Coates, Alan S.; Gelber, Richard D.; Rastogi, Priya; Regan, Meredith M.; Wolmark, Norman; Aebi, Stefan

2016-01-01

Purpose Isolated locoregional recurrences (ILRR) of breast cancer confer a significant risk of developing distant metastasis. Management practices and second-ILRR events in the CALOR trial are investigated. Methods 162 patients with ILRR were randomly assigned to receive post-operative chemotherapy, or no chemotherapy. Descriptive statistics characterize outcomes according to local therapy and the influence of hormone receptor status on subsequent recurrences. Competing risk regression models, Kaplan-Meier estimates, and Cox proportional hazards models evaluate associations between treatment, site of second recurrence and outcome. Results The median follow-up was 4.9 years. Of the 98 patients who received breast-conserving primary surgery (BCS), 89 had an ipsilateral-breast tumor recurrence (IBTR); salvage mastectomy was performed in 73 and repeat lumpectomy in 16. Another 8 had nodal-ILRR and 1 chest wall-ILRR. Among 64 whose primary surgery was mastectomy, 52 had chest wall/skin-ILRR and 12 nodal-ILRR. Fifteen patients developed a second-ILRR at a median time from ILRR of 1.6 years (range: 0.08–4.8). All second-ILRR occurred in patients with PR-negative ILRR. Seven (47%) of 15 patients with second-ILRR, and 19 (51%) of 37 with a distant recurrence have died. On multivariable analysis, chemotherapy for the primary cancer (HR 3.55, 95% CI 1.15–10.9, p=0.03) and time interval (continuous) from primary surgery (HR 0.87 95% CI 0.75–1.00, p=0.05) were significant predictors of survival following either a second-ILRR or distant recurrence. Conclusions Second-ILRRs represented about one-third of all recurrence events after ILRR and all were PR negative. These second-ILRRs, as well as distant metastases, portend an unfavorable outcome. PMID:27663567

Implementing a low-cost web-based clinical trial management system for community studies: a case study.

PubMed

Geyer, John; Myers, Kathleen; Vander Stoep, Ann; McCarty, Carolyn; Palmer, Nancy; DeSalvo, Amy

2011-10-01

Clinical trials with multiple intervention locations and a single research coordinating center can be logistically difficult to implement. Increasingly, web-based systems are used to provide clinical trial support with many commercial, open source, and proprietary systems in use. New web-based tools are available which can be customized without programming expertise to deliver web-based clinical trial management and data collection functions. To demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing low-cost configurable applications to create a customized web-based data collection and study management system for a five intervention site randomized clinical trial establishing the efficacy of providing evidence-based treatment via teleconferencing to children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The sites are small communities that would not usually be included in traditional randomized trials. A major goal was to develop database that participants could access from computers in their home communities for direct data entry. Discussed is the selection process leading to the identification and utilization of a cost-effective and user-friendly set of tools capable of customization for data collection and study management tasks. An online assessment collection application, template-based web portal creation application, and web-accessible Access 2007 database were selected and customized to provide the following features: schedule appointments, administer and monitor online secure assessments, issue subject incentives, and securely transmit electronic documents between sites. Each tool was configured by users with limited programming expertise. As of June 2011, the system has successfully been used with 125 participants in 5 communities, who have completed 536 sets of assessment questionnaires, 8 community therapists, and 11 research staff at the research coordinating center. Total automation of processes is not possible with the current set of tools as each is loosely affiliated, creating some inefficiency. This system is best suited to investigations with a single data source e.g., psychosocial questionnaires. New web-based applications can be used by investigators with limited programming experience to implement user-friendly, efficient, and cost-effective tools for multi-site clinical trials with small distant communities. Such systems allow the inclusion in research of populations that are not usually involved in clinical trials.

X makes nine: a distant ice giant in the solar system.

PubMed

van den Berg, Hugo A

2016-06-01

Ever since Pluto lost its status as one of the main planets of our solar system and was demoted to just another frozen denizen of the Kuiper belt, we have had to make do with eight, albeit in a pleasing symmetry, with four rocky ones this side of the asteroid belt and four giants on the far side. Now it looks like number nine is back on the slate: the existence of a large planet, about ten times as massive as Earth and hundreds of times more distant from the Sun than Earth itself, has been postulated to explain the curiously bunched-up orbits of several small celestial bodies, far beyond the orbit of Neptune. To date, we have only "proof by simulation" and we are yet to observe this massive planet in the backyard of our solar system by more direct means. However, powerful new telescopes should provide visual evidence within the next few decades.

Beaming into the News: A System for and Case Study of Tele-Immersive Journalism.

PubMed

Kishore, Sameer; Navarro, Xavi; Dominguez, Eva; de la Pena, Nonny; Slater, Mel

2016-05-25

We show how a combination of virtual reality and robotics can be used to beam a physical representation of a person to a distant location, and describe an application of this system in the context of journalism. Full body motion capture data of a person is streamed and mapped in real time, onto the limbs of a humanoid robot present at the remote location. A pair of cameras in the robot's 'eyes' stream stereoscopic video back to the HMD worn by the visitor, and a two-way audio connection allows the visitor to talk to people in the remote destination. By fusing the multisensory data of the visitor with the robot, the visitor's 'consciousness' is transformed to the robot's body. This system was used by a journalist to interview a neuroscientist and a chef 900 miles distant, about food for the brain, resulting in an article published in the popular press.

Beaming into the News: A System for and Case Study of Tele-Immersive Journalism.

PubMed

Kishore, Sameer; Navarro, Xavi; Dominguez, Eva; De La Pena, Nonny; Slater, Mel

2018-03-01

We show how a combination of virtual reality and robotics can be used to beam a physical representation of a person to a distant location, and describe an application of this system in the context of journalism. Full body motion capture data of a person is streamed and mapped in real time, onto the limbs of a humanoid robot present at the remote location. A pair of cameras in the robots eyes stream stereoscopic video back to the HMD worn by the visitor, and a two-way audio connection allows the visitor to talk to people in the remote destination. By fusing the multisensory data of the visitor with the robot, the visitors consciousness is transformed to the robots body. This system was used by a journalist to interview a neuroscientist and a chef 900 miles distant, about food for the brain, resulting in an article published in the popular press.

Exploration Mission Benefits From Logistics Reduction Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broyan, James Lee, Jr.; Schlesinger, Thilini; Ewert, Michael K.

2016-01-01

Technologies that reduce logistical mass, volume, and the crew time dedicated to logistics management become more important as exploration missions extend further from the Earth. Even modest reductions in logical mass can have a significant impact because it also reduces the packing burden. NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems' Logistics Reduction Project is developing technologies that can directly reduce the mass and volume of crew clothing and metabolic waste collection. Also, cargo bags have been developed that can be reconfigured for crew outfitting and trash processing technologies to increase habitable volume and improve protection against solar storm events are under development. Additionally, Mars class missions are sufficiently distant that even logistics management without resupply can be problematic due to the communication time delay with Earth. Although exploration vehicles are launched with all consumables and logistics in a defined configuration, the configuration continually changes as the mission progresses. Traditionally significant ground and crew time has been required to understand the evolving configuration and locate misplaced items. For key mission events and unplanned contingencies, the crew will not be able to rely on the ground for logistics localization assistance. NASA has been developing a radio frequency identification autonomous logistics management system to reduce crew time for general inventory and enable greater crew self-response to unplanned events when a wide range of items may need to be located in a very short time period. This paper provides a status of the technologies being developed and there mission benefits for exploration missions.

Exploration Mission Benefits From Logistics Reduction Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broyan, James Lee, Jr.; Ewert, Michael K.; Schlesinger, Thilini

2016-01-01

Technologies that reduce logistical mass, volume, and the crew time dedicated to logistics management become more important as exploration missions extend further from the Earth. Even modest reductions in logistical mass can have a significant impact because it also reduces the packaging burden. NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems' Logistics Reduction Project is developing technologies that can directly reduce the mass and volume of crew clothing and metabolic waste collection. Also, cargo bags have been developed that can be reconfigured for crew outfitting, and trash processing technologies are under development to increase habitable volume and improve protection against solar storm events. Additionally, Mars class missions are sufficiently distant that even logistics management without resupply can be problematic due to the communication time delay with Earth. Although exploration vehicles are launched with all consumables and logistics in a defined configuration, the configuration continually changes as the mission progresses. Traditionally significant ground and crew time has been required to understand the evolving configuration and to help locate misplaced items. For key mission events and unplanned contingencies, the crew will not be able to rely on the ground for logistics localization assistance. NASA has been developing a radio-frequency-identification autonomous logistics management system to reduce crew time for general inventory and enable greater crew self-response to unplanned events when a wide range of items may need to be located in a very short time period. This paper provides a status of the technologies being developed and their mission benefits for exploration missions.

Optimizing Patient Surgical Management Using WhatsApp Application in the Italian Healthcare System.

PubMed

Nardo, Bruno; Cannistrà, Marco; Diaco, Vincenzo; Naso, Agostino; Novello, Matteo; Zullo, Alessandra; Ruggiero, Michele; Grande, Raffaele; Sacco, Rosario

2016-09-01

Smartphones changed the method by which doctors communicate with each other, offer modern functionalities sensitive to the context of use, and can represent a valuable ally in the healthcare system. Studies have shown that WhatsApp™ application can facilitate communication within the healthcare team and provide the attending physician a constant oversight of activities performed by junior team members. The aim of the study was to use WhatsApp between two distant surgical teams involved in a program of elective surgery to verify if it facilitates communication, enhances learning, and improves patient care preserving their privacy. We conducted a focused group of surgeons over a 28-month period (from March 2013 to July 2015), and from September 2014 to July 2015, a group of selected specialists communicated healthcare matters through the newly founded "WhatsApp Surgery Group." Each patient enrolled in the study signed a consent form to let the team communicate his/her clinical data using WhatsApp. Communication between team members, response times, and types of messages were evaluated. Forty six (n = 46) patients were enrolled in the study. A total of 1,053 images were used with an average of 78 images for each patient (range 41-143). 125 h of communication were recorded, generating 354 communication events. The expert surgeon had received the highest number of questions (P, 0.001), while the residents asked clinical questions (P, 0.001) and were the fastest responders to communications (P, 0.001). Our study investigated how two distant clinical teams may exploit such a communication system and quantifies both the direction and type of communication between surgeons. WhatsApp is a low cost, secure, and fast technology and it offers the opportunity to facilitate clinical and nonclinical communications, enhance learning, and improve patient care preserving their privacy.

Cancer Salivary Biomarkers for Tumours Distant to the Oral Cavity

PubMed Central

Rapado-González, Óscar; Majem, Blanca; Muinelo-Romay, Laura; López-López, Rafa; Suarez-Cunqueiro, María Mercedes

2016-01-01

The analysis of saliva as a diagnostic approach for systemic diseases was proposed just two decades ago, but recently great interest in the field has emerged because of its revolutionary potential as a liquid biopsy and its usefulness as a non-invasive sampling method. Multiple molecules isolated in saliva have been proposed as cancer biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, drug monitoring and pharmacogenetic studies. In this review, we focus on the current status of the salivary diagnostic biomarkers for different cancers distant to the oral cavity, noting their potential use in the clinic and their applicability in personalising cancer therapies. PMID:27626410

Martin Brasier (1947-2014): astrobiologist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMahon, Sean; Cockell, Charles

2015-10-01

How did life on Earth begin? What does the search for life in the distant past tell us about the search for life on distant planets? How should the most ancient and ambiguous putative biosignatures be critically evaluated? How did the Earth-life system evolve through the dramatic upheavals of the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary? When and why did eukaryotes begin to produce mineralized skeletons? These are among the astrobiological questions to which palaeobiologist Martin Brasier made profound contributions in a career spanning nearly half a century and tragically cut short late last year. Here, we summarize and celebrate Martin's contributions to astrobiology.

Networking the Home and University: How Families Can Be Integrated into Proximate/Distant Computer Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, J. Allen; And Others

1989-01-01

Describes study that was conducted to determine the feasibility of networking home microcomputers with a university mainframe system in order to investigate a new family process research paradigm, as well as the design and function of the microcomputer/mainframe system. Test instrumentation is described and systems' reliability and validity are…

[Functional state of vision system under chronic mercury intoxication].

PubMed

Iablonskaia, D A; Mishchenko, T S; Lakhman, O L; Rukavishnikov, V S; Malyshev, V V

2010-01-01

Examination of chronic mercury intoxication patients in distant (post-contact) period revealed marked vision disorders and inhibited neuro-conductivity--inhibited neuronal structures of retina and optic nerve.

Relationships between U.S. Naval Observatory, LORAN-C and the Defense Satellite Communication System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Charron, L. G.

1982-01-01

The methods used in forming time scales for distant sites monitoring LORAN-C are addressed. The time transfers obtained via the defense satellite communication system (DSCS) and the data provided by this system used to calibrate these remote time scales are emphasized. The errors involved are discussed.

Remote Access to CD-ROM for the Distant Learner.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutright, Patricia; Girrard, Kenneth M.

1991-01-01

A dial-access, multiuser, multiaccess CD-ROM search system with end-user capability was developed to provide Eastern Oregon State College distance education students with access to the information required by their studies. Based on UNIX, the system provides students with access to 12 databases, an e-mail system for messaging, interlibrary loan…

Exploring the Trans-Neptunian Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-01-01

A profound question for scientists, philosophers and, indeed, all humans concerns how the solar system originated and subsequently evolved. To understand the solar system's formation, it is necessary to document fully the chemical and physical makeup of its components today, particularly those parts thought to retain clues about primordial conditions and processes.] In the past decade, our knowledge of the outermost, or trans-neptunian, region of the solar system has been transformed as a result of Earth-based observations of the Pluto-Charon system, Voyager 2's encounter with Neptune and its satellite Triton, and recent discoveries of dozens of bodies near to or beyond the orbit of Neptune. As a class, these newly detected objects, along with Pluto, Charon, and Triton, occupy the inner region of a hitherto unexplored component of the solar system, the Kuiper Belt. The Kuiper Belt is believed to be a reservoir of primordial objects of the type that formed in the solar nebula and eventually accreted to form the major planets. The Kuiper Belt is also thought to be the source of short-period comets and a population of icy bodies, the Centaurs, with orbits among the giant planets. Additional components of the distant outer solar system, such as dust and the Oort comet cloud, as well as the planet Neptune itself, are not discussed in this report. Our increasing knowledge of the trans-neptunian solar system has been matched by a corresponding increase in our capabilities for remote and in situ observation of these distant regions. Over the next 10 to 15 years, a new generation of ground- and space-based instruments, including the Keck and Gemini telescopes and the Space Infrared Telescope Facility, will greatly expand our ability to search for and conduct physical and chemical studies on these distant bodies. Over the same time span, a new generation of lightweight spacecraft should become available and enable the first missions designed specifically to explore the icy bodies that orbit 30 astronomical units (AU) or more from the Sun. The combination of new knowledge, plus the technological capability to greatly expand this knowledge over the next decade or so, makes this a particularly opportune time to review current understanding of the trans-neptunian solar system and to begin planning for the future exploration of this distant realm. Based on current knowledge, studies of trans-neptunian objects are important for a variety of reasons that can be summarized under five themes: (1) Exploration of new territory; (2) reservoirs of primitive materials; (3) Processes that reveal the solar system's origin and evolution; (4) Links to extrasolar planets; and (5) prebiotic chemistry. These five themes are not on an equal footing. The first three are well-established areas of scientific investigation and are backed up by a substantial body of observational and theoretical understanding. The last two, however are more speculative. They are included here because they raise a number of interesting possibilities that seem particularly suited to an interdisciplinary approach uniting planetary scientists with their colleagues in the astrophysical and life science communities. Although not considered in any detail in this report, the distant outer solar system also has direct relevance to Earth and the other terrestrial planets because it is the source of comets that bring volatiles into the inner solar system. The resulting inevitable impacts between comets and other planetary bodies can play major roles in the evolution of life as suggested by, for example, the Cretaceous-tertiary boundary bolide and the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Spatial Vertical Directionality and Correlation of Low-Frequency Ambient Noise in Deep Ocean Direct-Arrival Zones.

PubMed

Yang, Qiulong; Yang, Kunde; Cao, Ran; Duan, Shunli

2018-01-23

Wind-driven and distant shipping noise sources contribute to the total noise field in the deep ocean direct-arrival zones. Wind-driven and distant shipping noise sources may significantly and simultaneously affect the spatial characteristics of the total noise field to some extent. In this work, a ray approach and parabolic equation solution method were jointly utilized to model the low-frequency ambient noise field in a range-dependent deep ocean environment by considering their calculation accuracy and efficiency in near-field wind-driven and far-field distant shipping noise fields. The reanalysis databases of National Center of Environment Prediction (NCEP) and Volunteer Observation System (VOS) were used to model the ambient noise source intensity and distribution. Spatial vertical directionality and correlation were analyzed in three scenarios that correspond to three wind speed conditions. The noise field was dominated by distant shipping noise sources when the wind speed was less than 3 m/s, and then the spatial vertical directionality and vertical correlation of the total noise field were nearly consistent with those of distant shipping noise field. The total noise field was completely dominated by near field wind generated noise sources when the wind speed was greater than 12 m/s at 150 Hz, and then the spatial vertical correlation coefficient and directionality pattern of the total noise field was approximately consistent with that of the wind-driven noise field. The spatial characteristics of the total noise field for wind speeds between 3 m/s and 12 m/s were the weighted results of wind-driven and distant shipping noise fields. Furthermore, the spatial characteristics of low-frequency ambient noise field were compared with the classical Cron/Sherman deep water noise field coherence function. Simulation results with the described modeling method showed good agreement with the experimental measurement results based on the vertical line array deployed near the bottom in deep ocean direct-arrival zones.

Spatial Vertical Directionality and Correlation of Low-Frequency Ambient Noise in Deep Ocean Direct-Arrival Zones

PubMed Central

Yang, Qiulong; Yang, Kunde; Cao, Ran; Duan, Shunli

2018-01-01

Wind-driven and distant shipping noise sources contribute to the total noise field in the deep ocean direct-arrival zones. Wind-driven and distant shipping noise sources may significantly and simultaneously affect the spatial characteristics of the total noise field to some extent. In this work, a ray approach and parabolic equation solution method were jointly utilized to model the low-frequency ambient noise field in a range-dependent deep ocean environment by considering their calculation accuracy and efficiency in near-field wind-driven and far-field distant shipping noise fields. The reanalysis databases of National Center of Environment Prediction (NCEP) and Volunteer Observation System (VOS) were used to model the ambient noise source intensity and distribution. Spatial vertical directionality and correlation were analyzed in three scenarios that correspond to three wind speed conditions. The noise field was dominated by distant shipping noise sources when the wind speed was less than 3 m/s, and then the spatial vertical directionality and vertical correlation of the total noise field were nearly consistent with those of distant shipping noise field. The total noise field was completely dominated by near field wind generated noise sources when the wind speed was greater than 12 m/s at 150 Hz, and then the spatial vertical correlation coefficient and directionality pattern of the total noise field was approximately consistent with that of the wind-driven noise field. The spatial characteristics of the total noise field for wind speeds between 3 m/s and 12 m/s were the weighted results of wind-driven and distant shipping noise fields. Furthermore, the spatial characteristics of low-frequency ambient noise field were compared with the classical Cron/Sherman deep water noise field coherence function. Simulation results with the described modeling method showed good agreement with the experimental measurement results based on the vertical line array deployed near the bottom in deep ocean direct-arrival zones. PMID:29360793

Implementation of the Intelligent Voice System for Kazakh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yessenbayev, Zh; Saparkhojayev, N.; Tibeyev, T.

2014-04-01

Modern speech technologies are highly advanced and widely used in day-to-day applications. However, this is mostly concerned with the languages of well-developed countries such as English, German, Japan, Russian, etc. As for Kazakh, the situation is less prominent and research in this field is only starting to evolve. In this research and application-oriented project, we introduce an intelligent voice system for the fast deployment of call-centers and information desks supporting Kazakh speech. The demand on such a system is obvious if the country's large size and small population is considered. The landline and cell phones become the only means of communication for the distant villages and suburbs. The system features Kazakh speech recognition and synthesis modules as well as a web-GUI for efficient dialog management. For speech recognition we use CMU Sphinx engine and for speech synthesis- MaryTTS. The web-GUI is implemented in Java enabling operators to quickly create and manage the dialogs in user-friendly graphical environment. The call routines are handled by Asterisk PBX and JBoss Application Server. The system supports such technologies and protocols as VoIP, VoiceXML, FastAGI, Java SpeechAPI and J2EE. For the speech recognition experiments we compiled and used the first Kazakh speech corpus with the utterances from 169 native speakers. The performance of the speech recognizer is 4.1% WER on isolated word recognition and 6.9% WER on clean continuous speech recognition tasks. The speech synthesis experiments include the training of male and female voices.

Clear cell sarcoma: the Roswell Park experience.

PubMed

Finley, J W; Hanypsiak, B; McGrath, B; Kraybill, W; Gibbs, J F

2001-05-01

Clear cell sarcoma of the tendons and aponeuroses (CCSTA) is an aggressive, rare soft-tissue tumor with approximately 300 reported cases. Although it appears to be histogenetically related to melanoma, its clinical behavior resembles soft tissue sarcoma with a propensity for lymph node metastases. We report our experience at a tertiary cancer center. Eight cases of CCSTA evaluated at Roswell Park Cancer Institute between 1970 and 1998 were reviewed retrospectively. Patient data analyzed included patient age, gender, anatomic location, size of tumor, development of local, regional and distant recurrence, and patient status at last follow up. Six of eight patients were alive at 2 years, while three of seven patients were alive at 5 years. Of the patients alive with no evidence of recurrence, two had tumors of less than 2 cm, and the remaining patient had incomplete information regarding tumor size. Five patients recurred within 2 years of definitive surgical management. Four had tumors > 5 cm. All five patients progressed to metastatic disease at a median follow up of 20 months (range 1-108 months) following definitive surgical management and all eventually died of their disease at a median of 3 months (range 0-24 months) from presentation with metastatic disease. Four of five patients with lesions > 5 cm received adjuvant chemotherapy with intent to cure, but all eventually died of disease at 4, 22, 34, and 41 months from initial presentation. CCSTA is an aggressive tumor of the soft tissues. Early recognition and management are associated with an excellent long-term prognosis. Tumors greater than 5 cm warrant aggressive surgical management and treatment, and are at high risk of the development of distant disease. Aggressive multiagent chemotherapy appeared to have no impact on outcome. Other adjuvant therapeutic options including immunotherapy should be investigated. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The role of FDG PET/CT in patients with locoregional breast cancer recurrence: a comparison to conventional imaging techniques.

PubMed

Aukema, T S; Rutgers, E J Th; Vogel, W V; Teertstra, H J; Oldenburg, H S; Vrancken Peeters, M T F D; Wesseling, J; Russell, N S; Valdés Olmos, R A

2010-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) on clinical management in patients with locoregional breast cancer recurrence amenable for locoregional treatment and to compare the PET/CT results with the conventional imaging data. From January 2006 to August 2008, all patients with locoregional breast cancer recurrence underwent whole-body PET/CT. PET/CT findings were compared with results of the conventional imaging techniques and final pathology. The impact of PET/CT results on clinical management was evaluated based on clinical decisions obtained from patient files. 56 patients were included. In 32 patients (57%) PET/CT revealed additional tumour localisations. Distant metastases were detected in 11 patients on conventional imaging and in 23 patients on PET/CT images (p < 0.01). In 25 patients (45%), PET/CT detected additional lesions not visible on conventional imaging. PET/CT had an impact on clinical management in 27 patients (48%) by detecting more extensive locoregional disease or distant metastases. In 20 patients (36%) extensive surgery was prevented and treatment was changed to palliative treatment. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values of FDG PET/CT were respectively 97%, 92%, 95%, 94% and 96%. PET/CT, in addition to conventional imaging techniques, plays an important role in staging patients with locoregional breast cancer recurrence since its result changed the clinical management in almost half of the patients. PET/CT could potentially replace conventional staging imaging in patients with a locoregional breast cancer recurrence. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rectal cancer: An evidence-based update for primary care providers

PubMed Central

Gaertner, Wolfgang B; Kwaan, Mary R; Madoff, Robert D; Melton, Genevieve B

2015-01-01

Rectal adenocarcinoma is an important cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and key anatomic differences between the rectum and the colon have significant implications for management of rectal cancer. Many advances have been made in the diagnosis and management of rectal cancer. These include clinical staging with imaging studies such as endorectal ultrasound and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging, operative approaches such as transanal endoscopic microsurgery and laparoscopic and robotic assisted proctectomy, as well as refined neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies. For stage II and III rectal cancers, combined chemoradiotherapy offers the lowest rates of local and distant relapse, and is delivered neoadjuvantly to improve tolerability and optimize surgical outcomes, particularly when sphincter-sparing surgery is an endpoint. The goal in rectal cancer treatment is to optimize disease-free and overall survival while minimizing the risk of local recurrence and toxicity from both radiation and systemic therapy. Optimal patient outcomes depend on multidisciplinary involvement for tailored therapy. The successful management of rectal cancer requires a multidisciplinary approach, with the involvement of enterostomal nurses, gastroenterologists, medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and surgeons. The identification of patients who are candidates for combined modality treatment is particularly useful to optimize outcomes. This article provides an overview of the diagnosis, staging and multimodal therapy of patients with rectal cancer for primary care providers. PMID:26167068

Solar System, in Perspective

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-24

This artist's concept puts solar system distances in perspective. The scale bar is in astronomical units, with each set distance beyond 1 AU representing 10 times the previous distance. One AU is the distance from the sun to the Earth, which is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. Neptune, the most distant planet from the sun, is about 30 AU. Informally, the term "solar system" is often used to mean the space out to the last planet. Scientific consensus, however, says the solar system goes out to the Oort Cloud, the source of the comets that swing by our sun on long time scales. Beyond the outer edge of the Oort Cloud, the gravity of other stars begins to dominate that of the sun. The inner edge of the main part of the Oort Cloud could be as close as 1,000 AU from our sun. The outer edge is estimated to be around 100,000 AU. NASA's Voyager 1, humankind's most distant spacecraft, is around 125 AU. Scientists believe it entered interstellar space, or the space between stars, on Aug. 25, 2012. Much of interstellar space is actually inside our solar system. It will take about 300 years for Voyager 1 to reach the inner edge of the Oort Cloud and possibly about 30,000 years to fly beyond it. Alpha Centauri is currently the closest star to our solar system. But, in 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will be closer to the star AC +79 3888 than to our own sun. AC +79 3888 is actually traveling faster toward Voyager 1 than the spacecraft is traveling toward it. The Voyager spacecraft were built and continue to be operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, Calif. Caltech manages JPL for NASA. The Voyager missions are a part of NASA's Heliophysics System Observatory, sponsored by the Heliophysics Division of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. For more information about Voyager, visit: www.nasa.gov/voyager and voyager.jpl.nasa.gov . Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Metastatic patterns and metastatic sites in mucosal melanoma: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Grözinger, Gerd; Mann, Steven; Mehra, Tarun; Klumpp, Bernhard; Grosse, Ulrich; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Garbe, Claus; Clasen, Stephan

2016-06-01

Melanomas arising from mucosa are rare and associated with a poor prognosis. This study aims to provide an analysis of metastatic pathways, time intervals, factors influencing metastatic spread and organs for distant metastases. A total of 116 patients with mucosal melanomas of different sites were included. The mean follow-up interval was 47 ± 52 months. Patients were assigned to two different metastatic pathways, either presenting loco-regional lymph node metastases as first spread or direct distant metastases. The distribution of distant metastases was assessed. Twenty-six patients presented with a pre-existing metastatic spread and were not assigned to pathways. Of the included patients, 44 developed metastases after treatment of the primary tumour; 25 patients directly developed distant metastases; 16 patients developed regional lymph node metastases prior to distant metastases. Location of the primary tumour in the upper airway or GI tract and advanced T stage were significant risk factors of direct distant metastases. Distant metastases are mainly located in the lung, the liver and non-regional lymph nodes. Mucosal melanomas show a high rate of direct distant metastases rather than regional lymph node metastases. Thus the follow-up should always include a whole-body cross-sectional imaging in high-risk tumours. • Mucosal melanomas show a high rate of direct distant metastases. • T stage and primary location are predictors for direct distant metastases. • Distant metastases were mainly found in lung, liver and lymph nodes. • Follow-up of a high-risk mucosal melanoma should include whole-body imaging.

Radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors in combination with local OK-432 injection prolongs survival and suppresses distant tumor growth in the rabbit model with intra- and extrahepatic VX2 tumors.

PubMed

Kageyama, Ken; Yamamoto, Akira; Okuma, Tomohisa; Hamamoto, Shinichi; Takeshita, Toru; Sakai, Yukimasa; Nishida, Norifumi; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Miki, Yukio

2013-10-01

To evaluate survival and distant tumor growth after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and local OK-432 injection at a single tumor site in a rabbit model with intra- and extrahepatic VX2 tumors and to examine the effect of this combination therapy, which we termed immuno-radiofrequency ablation (immunoRFA), on systemic antitumor immunity in a rechallenge test. Our institutional animal care committee approved all experiments. VX2 tumors were implanted to three sites: two in the liver and one in the left ear. Rabbits were randomized into four groups of seven to receive control, RFA alone, OK-432 alone, and immunoRFA treatments at a single liver tumor at 1 week after implantation. Untreated liver and ear tumor volumes were measured after the treatment. As the rechallenge test, tumors were reimplanted into the right ear of rabbits, which survived the 35 weeks and were followed up without additional treatment. Statistical significance was examined by log-rank test for survival and Student's t test for tumor volume. Survival was significantly prolonged in the immunoRFA group compared to the other three groups (P < 0.05). Untreated liver and ear tumor sizes became significantly smaller after immunoRFA compared to controls (P < 0.05). In the rechallenge test, the reimplanted tumors regressed without further therapy compared to the ear tumors of the control group (P < 0.05). ImmunoRFA led to improved survival and suppression of distant untreated tumor growth. Decreases in size of the distant untreated tumors and reimplanted tumors suggested that systemic antitumor immunity was enhanced by immunoRFA.

"Spooky actions at a distance": physics, psi, and distant healing.

PubMed

Leder, Drew

2005-10-01

Over decades, consciousness research has accumulated evidence of the real and measureable existence of "spooky actions at a distance"--modes of telepathy, telekinesis, clairvoyance, and the like. More recently scientists have begun rigorous study of the effects of distant healing intention and prayer vis-a-vis nonhuman living systems and patients in clinical trials. A barrier to taking such work seriously may be the belief that it is fundamentally incompatible with the scientific world view. This article suggests that it need not be; contemporary physics has generated a series of paradigms that can be used to make sense of, interpret, and explore "psi" and distant healing. Four such models are discussed, two drawn from relativity theory and two from quantum mechanics. First is the energetic transmission model, presuming the effects of conscious intention to be mediated by an as-yet unknown energy signal. Second is the model of path facilitation. As gravity, according to general relativity, "warps" space-time, easing certain pathways of movement, so may acts of consciousness have warping and facilitating effects on the fabric of the surrounding world. Third is the model of nonlocal entanglement drawn from quantum mechanics. Perhaps people, like particles, can become entangled so they behave as one system with instantaneous and unmediated correlations across a distance. Last discussed is a model involving actualization of potentials. The act of measurement in quantum mechanics collapses a probabilistic wave function into a single outcome. Perhaps conscious healing intention can act similarly, helping to actualize one of a series of possibilities; for example, recovery from a potentially lethal tumor. Such physics-based models are not presented as explanatory but rather as suggestive. Disjunctions as well as compatibilities between the phenomena of modern physics and those of psi and distant healing are explored.

Radiofrequency Ablation of Liver Tumors in Combination with Local OK-432 Injection Prolongs Survival and Suppresses Distant Tumor Growth in the Rabbit Model with Intra- and Extrahepatic VX2 Tumors

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

Kageyama, Ken, E-mail: kageyamaken0112@gmail.com; Yamamoto, Akira, E-mail: loveakirayamamoto@gmail.com; Okuma, Tomohisa, E-mail: o-kuma@msic.med.osaka-cu.ac.jp

Purpose: To evaluate survival and distant tumor growth after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and local OK-432 injection at a single tumor site in a rabbit model with intra- and extrahepatic VX2 tumors and to examine the effect of this combination therapy, which we termed immuno-radiofrequency ablation (immunoRFA), on systemic antitumor immunity in a rechallenge test. Methods: Our institutional animal care committee approved all experiments. VX2 tumors were implanted to three sites: two in the liver and one in the left ear. Rabbits were randomized into four groups of seven to receive control, RFA alone, OK-432 alone, and immunoRFA treatments at amore » single liver tumor at 1 week after implantation. Untreated liver and ear tumor volumes were measured after the treatment. As the rechallenge test, tumors were reimplanted into the right ear of rabbits, which survived the 35 weeks and were followed up without additional treatment. Statistical significance was examined by log-rank test for survival and Student's t test for tumor volume. Results: Survival was significantly prolonged in the immunoRFA group compared to the other three groups (P < 0.05). Untreated liver and ear tumor sizes became significantly smaller after immunoRFA compared to controls (P < 0.05). In the rechallenge test, the reimplanted tumors regressed without further therapy compared to the ear tumors of the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: ImmunoRFA led to improved survival and suppression of distant untreated tumor growth. Decreases in size of the distant untreated tumors and reimplanted tumors suggested that systemic antitumor immunity was enhanced by immunoRFA.« less

Distant Site Effects of Ingested Prebiotics

PubMed Central

Collins, Stephanie; Reid, Gregor

2016-01-01

The gut microbiome is being more widely recognized for its association with positive health outcomes, including those distant to the gastrointestinal system. This has given the ability to maintain and restore microbial homeostasis a new significance. Prebiotic compounds are appealing for this purpose as they are generally food-grade substances only degraded by microbes, such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, from which beneficial short-chain fatty acids are produced. Saccharides such as inulin and other fructo-oligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, and polydextrose have been widely used to improve gastrointestinal outcomes, but they appear to also influence distant sites. This review examined the effects of prebiotics on bone strength, neural and cognitive processes, immune functioning, skin, and serum lipid profile. The mode of action is in part affected by intestinal permeability and by fermentation products reaching target cells. As the types of prebiotics available diversify, so too will our understanding of the range of microbes able to degrade them, and the extent to which body sites can be impacted by their consumption. PMID:27571098

Distant Site Effects of Ingested Prebiotics.

PubMed

Collins, Stephanie; Reid, Gregor

2016-08-26

The gut microbiome is being more widely recognized for its association with positive health outcomes, including those distant to the gastrointestinal system. This has given the ability to maintain and restore microbial homeostasis a new significance. Prebiotic compounds are appealing for this purpose as they are generally food-grade substances only degraded by microbes, such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, from which beneficial short-chain fatty acids are produced. Saccharides such as inulin and other fructo-oligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, and polydextrose have been widely used to improve gastrointestinal outcomes, but they appear to also influence distant sites. This review examined the effects of prebiotics on bone strength, neural and cognitive processes, immune functioning, skin, and serum lipid profile. The mode of action is in part affected by intestinal permeability and by fermentation products reaching target cells. As the types of prebiotics available diversify, so too will our understanding of the range of microbes able to degrade them, and the extent to which body sites can be impacted by their consumption.

Two-step frequency conversion for connecting distant quantum memories by transmission through an optical fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamura, Shuhei; Ikeda, Kohei; Okamura, Kotaro; Yoshii, Kazumichi; Hong, Feng-Lei; Horikiri, Tomoyuki; Kosaka, Hideo

2018-06-01

Long-distance quantum communication requires entanglement between distant quantum memories. For this purpose, photon transmission is necessary to connect the distant memories. Here, for the first time, we develop a two-step frequency conversion process (from a visible wavelength to a telecommunication wavelength and back) involving the use of independent two-frequency conversion media where the target quantum memories are nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds (with an emission/absorption wavelength of 637.2 nm), and experimentally characterize the performance of this process acting on light from an attenuated CW laser. A total conversion efficiency of approximately 7% is achieved. The noise generated in the frequency conversion processes is measured, and the signal-to-noise ratio is estimated for a single photon signal emitted by a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center. The developed frequency conversion system has future applications via transmission through a long optical fiber channel at a telecommunication wavelength for a quantum repeater network.

The Generation of the Distant Kuiper Belt by Planet Nine from an Initially Broad Perihelion Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khain, Tali; Batygin, Konstantin; Brown, Michael E.

2018-06-01

The observation that the orbits of long-period Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) are anomalously clustered in physical space has recently prompted the Planet Nine hypothesis—the proposed existence of a distant and eccentric planetary member of our solar system. Within the framework of this model, a Neptune-like perturber sculpts the orbital distribution of distant KBOs through a complex interplay of resonant and secular effects, such that in addition to perihelion-circulating objects, the surviving orbits get organized into apsidally aligned and anti-aligned configurations with respect to Planet Nine’s orbit. In this work, we investigate the role of Kuiper Belt initial conditions on the evolution of the outer solar system using numerical simulations. Intriguingly, we find that the final perihelion distance distribution depends strongly on the primordial state of the system, and we demonstrate that a bimodal structure corresponding to the existence of both aligned and anti-aligned clusters is only reproduced if the initial perihelion distribution is assumed to extend well beyond ∼36 au. The bimodality in the final perihelion distance distribution is due to the existence of permanently stable objects, with the lower perihelion peak corresponding to the anti-aligned orbits and the higher perihelion peak corresponding to the aligned orbits. We identify the mechanisms that enable the persistent stability of these objects and locate the regions of phase space in which they reside. The obtained results contextualize the Planet Nine hypothesis within the broader narrative of solar system formation and offer further insight into the observational search for Planet Nine.

Odontogenic infections. Complications. Systemic manifestations.

PubMed

Jiménez, Yolanda; Bagán, José Vicente; Murillo, Judith; Poveda, Rafael

2004-01-01

The term, odontogenic infection refers to an infection that originates in the tooth proper or in the tissues that closely surround it; said infection then progresses along the periodontia down to the apex, involving periapical bone and from this area, it then spreads through the bone and periosteum towards near-by or more distant structures. The relevance of this type of infection lies in that it can cause infections that compromise more distant structures (via direct spread and distant spread), for example, intracraneal, retropharyngeal and pulmonary pleural infections. Dissemination by means of the bloodstream can lead to rheumatic problems and deposits on the valves of the heart (endocarditis), etc. The conditions or factors that influence the spread of infection are dependent on the balance between patient-related conditions and microorganism-related conditions. The virulence of the affecting germs is dependent upon their quality and quantity and is one of the microbiological conditions that influences the infection. It is this virulence that promotes infectious invasion and the deleterious effects the microbe will have on the host. Patient-related conditions include certain systemic factors that determine host resistance, which may be impaired in situations such as immunodeficiency syndrome or in brittle diabetes, as well as local factors that will also exert their impact on the spread of the infection.

[Sex differences of spatial-temporal organization of biopotentials of the brain in adults and child 5-6 years old].

PubMed

Panasevich, E A; Tsitseroshin, M N

2011-01-01

Research of topical features of spatial structure of EEG distant relationships has been performed with correlation and coherent analyses of EEG for 26 children of 5-6 years old (12 boys and 14 girls) in comparison to the data at 33 adult subjects (15 men and 18 women). Men have much higher level of EEG intrahemispherical relations of posttemporal and frontal regions of the left hemisphere whereas women have the higher level prevalence of interhemispheric interactions, especially of bilateral-symmetrical arials of both hemispheres. Preschoolers have another character of sex differences in the system organization of inter-regional interactions of brain biopotentials than adults. In particularly the girls have exceeding of EEG distant relations in the same zones of left hemispheres, where at men such relations have exceeding in comparison with woman. The obtained data shows that the pronounced sexual dimorphism of inter-regional interactions of cortical biopotentials at adults and at children is formed, first of all, owing to of EEG distant relations topology differing in males and females subject. Investigation sex differences of spatial-temporal organization of biopotentials of the brain in children can promote forming of more hole and deep understanding of role of sex factor in development of human brain system activity.

The Living Cosmos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Impey, Chris

2011-06-01

Preface; 1. The unfinished revolution; 2. Life's origins; 3. Extreme life; 4. Shaping evolution; 5. Living in the Solar System; 6. Distant worlds; 7. Are we alone?; Notes; Glossary; Reading list; Media resources; Illustration credits; Index.

Power System Observation by using Synchronized Phasor Measurements as a Smart Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitani, Yasunori

Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) is an apparatus which detects the absolute value of phase angle in sinusoidal signal. When more than two units are located distantly apart from each other, and they are synchronized with GPS signal which tells us the information on exact time, it becomes ready to get phase differences between two distant places. Thus, PMU with GPS receiver is applied to the monitoring of AC power system dynamics and usually installed at substations of transmission lines. The states of power network are uniquely determined by the active and reactive power and the magnitude and phase angle of voltage in each node. Among these values the phase angle had not been easily obtained until the scheme of time synchronism with GPS appeared. In this report, the history of GPS and PMU, and the current status of the applications in power systems in the world are presented. In Japan we are developing a power system monitoring system with PMUs installed at University's campuses with 100V outlets, which is called Campus WAMS. This report also introduces some results from the Campus WAMS briefly.

Evaluation of Distant Education Programs with Regards to Various Shareholder Opinions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tonbuloglu, Betül; Gürol, Aysun

2016-01-01

The strong demand and rapid increase in the number of programs concerning distant education programs has put the quality problem of distant education services into the agenda. It is crucial to determine the strengths and weaknesses of distant education programs, the problems encountered by these programs and making the required improvements. The…

Development of Distant Learning Laboratory and Creation of Educational Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Considine, Michelle

1995-01-01

The Office of Education's fundamental goal is to disseminate information, mostly that which relates to science and technology. In this attempt, as I have observed, the office has many programs bringing both students and teachers to NASA Langley to expose them to the facilities and to teach them some about the scientific theory and about available modern technology. As a way of expanding the audience that can be reached, as the expense of bringing people in is limiting, Marchelle Canright has proposed establishing a center dedicated to researching and producing distant learning videos. Although distant learning through telecommunications is not a new concept, as many universities, colleges, and precollege level schools offer televised courses, the research in this field has been limited. Many of the standing distant learning broadcasts are simply recordings of teachers in classrooms giving lectures to their own students; they are not aimed at the television audience. In some cases the videos are produced without a Live-lecture atmosphere, but are still only classroom lectures. In either case, however, the full range of capabilities of video production are not being fully utilized. Methods for best relaying educational material have not been explored. Possibilities for including computerized images and video clips for the purpose of showing diagrams and processes, as well as examples in fitting cases, may add considerably to the educational value of these videos. Also, through Internet and satellite links, it is possible for remote students to interact with the teachers during televised sessions. These possibilities might, also, add to the effectiveness of distant learning programs. Ms. Canright's proposed center will be dedicated to researching these possibilities and eventually spreading the results to distant learning program managers. This is the project I was involved in over the summer. As implied, the center is still at the foundation stages. Ms. Canright has proposed four or five possible series that could be developed, each one aimed at a specific age group of students, or group of teachers. I was involved in the design of the series aimed at the youngest children, the Picture Book Science series. My involvement included proposing and researching topics, writing a lesson for the first show, writing the latter portion of the picture book story (the part including the scientific lesson), and illustrating the story. I also designed and collected the materials for the Learning Center's television studio set as well as finished the painting of the main backdrop panels.

Prospects in nasal vaccination against clinically relevant pathogens and select agents

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Intranasal immunization induces mucosal immune responses in both the respiratory system and at other distant mucosal surfaces, as well as systemic immune responses. However, most vaccines are still given via the parenteral route, and to date, the only intranasal vaccine that is available to the publ...

75 FR 61116 - Refunds Under the Cable Statutory License

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-04

... where it has failed to pay for the carriage of distant signals on a system-wide basis under the...''). Cable systems that retransmit broadcast signals in accordance with the provisions governing the... television signals under the Section 111 statutory license. The royalties are based on a percentage of gross...

Low-Thrust Transfers from Distant Retrograde Orbits to L2 Halo Orbits in the Earth-Moon System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrish, Nathan L.; Parker, Jeffrey S.; Hughes, Steven P.; Heiligers, Jeannette

2016-01-01

This paper presents a study of transfers between distant retrograde orbits (DROs) and L2 halo orbits in the Earth-Moon system that could be flown by a spacecraft with solar electric propulsion (SEP). Two collocation-based optimal control methods are used to optimize these highly-nonlinear transfers: Legendre pseudospectral and Hermite-Simpson. Transfers between DROs and halo orbits using low-thrust propulsion have not been studied previously. This paper offers a study of several families of trajectories, parameterized by the number of orbital revolutions in a synodic frame. Even with a poor initial guess, a method is described to reliably generate families of solutions. The circular restricted 3-body problem (CRTBP) is used throughout the paper so that the results are autonomous and simpler to understand.

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

Jackson, D.M.; Geshay, R.J.

In 1980, Phillips Petroleum Company faced a situation that was to typify similar experiences by many in the industry. An EPA Certified waste disposal firm, with whom Phillips had contracted for disposal of hazardous waste material, had failed to comply with applicable regulations and entered bankruptcy. Phillips, while fortunate in being able to identify and retrieve the waste it had sent to this facility, did have to help pay for the cleanup of a superfund site. The incident served as a clear reminder of the potential liabilities and risks that large, responsible corporations are exposed to when sending hazardous wastemore » off to distant third parties. Faced with this concern, Phillips Petroleum Company decided to embark on a program to develop the technology and expertise necessary to manage its own hazardous waste in a safe and responsible manner. The result is their rotary kiln incinerator system which is presented in this book.« less

Road map to esophagectomy for nurses.

PubMed

Logue, Barbara; Griffin, Scott

2011-08-01

Esophageal cancer, although considered uncommon in the United States, continues to exhibit increased incidence. Esophageal cancer now ranks seventh among cancers in mortality for men in the United States. Even as treatment continues to advance, the mortality rate remains high, with a 5-year survival rate less than 35%. Esophageal cancer typically is discovered in advanced stages, which reduces the treatment options. When disease is locally advanced, esophagectomy remains the standard for treatment. Surgery remains challenging and complicated. Multiple surgical approaches are available, with the choice determined by tumor location and stage of disease. Recovery is often fraught with complications-both physical and emotional. Nursing care revolves around complex care managing multiple body systems and providing effective education and emotional support for both patients and patients' families. Even after recovery, local recurrence and distant metastases are common. Early diagnosis, surgical advancement, and improvements in postoperative care continue to improve outcomes.

Family caregivers, patients and physicians: ethical guidance to optimize relationships.

PubMed

Mitnick, Sheryl; Leffler, Cathy; Hood, Virginia L

2010-03-01

Family caregivers play a major role in maximizing the health and quality of life of more than 30 million individuals with acute and chronic illness. Patients depend on family caregivers for assistance with daily activities, managing complex care, navigating the health care system, and communicating with health care professionals. Physical, emotional and financial stress may increase caregiver vulnerability to injury and illness. Geographically distant family caregivers and health professionals in the role of family caregivers may suffer additional burdens. Physician recognition of the value of the caregiver role may contribute to a positive caregiving experience and decrease rates of patient hospitalization and institutionalization. However, physicians may face ethical challenges in partnering with patients and family caregivers while preserving the primacy of the patient-physician relationship. The American College of Physicians in conjunction with ten other professional societies offers ethical guidance to physicians in developing mutually supportive patient-physician-caregiver relationships.

KSC-99pp0901

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Yvonne Cagle (left); Jennifer Harris (center); the Mars 2001 Operations System Development Manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory; and Astronaut Ellen Ochoa (right) participate in a panel about "Past, Present and Future of Space," held at a women's forum in the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The forum included a welcome by Center Director Roy Bridges and remarks by Donna Shalala, secretary of Department of Health and Human Services. The attendees are planning to view the launch of STS-93 at the Banana Creek viewing site. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. Liftoff is scheduled for July 20 at 12:36 a.m. EDT

[Web-ring of sites for pathologists in the internet: a computer-mediated communication environment].

PubMed

Khramtsov, A I; Isianov, N N; Khorzhevskiĭ, V A

2009-01-01

The recently developed Web-ring of pathology-related Web-sites has transformed computer-mediated communications for Russian-speaking pathologists. Though the pathologists may be geographically dispersed, the network provides a complex of asynchronous and synchronous conferences for the purposes of diagnosis, consultations, education, communication, and collaboration in the field of pathology. This paper describes approaches to be used by participants of the pathology-related Web-ring. The approaches are analogous to the tools employed in telepathology and digital microscopy. One of the novel methodologies is the use of Web-based conferencing systems, in which the whole slide digital images of tissue microarrays were jointly reviewed online by pathologists at distant locations. By using ImageScope (Aperio Technologies) and WebEx connect desktop management technology, they shared presentations and images and communicated in realtime. In this manner, the Web-based forums and conferences will be a powerful addition to a telepathology.

Active Tobacco Smoking and Distant Metastasis in Patients With Oropharyngeal Cancer

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

McBride, Sean M.; Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Ali, Nawal N.

Purpose: Distant metastasis is the site of first relapse in approximately one-third of patients with locally advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma, irrespective of human papillomavirus status. Yet the risk factors associated with distant metastasis are not well characterized. We sought to characterize the relationship between smoking status and distant metastasis. Methods and Materials: We evaluated the association between tobacco smoking status and distant metastasis in a retrospective cohort study of 132 patients who underwent definitive radiation therapy and chemotherapy for Stage III-IVA/B oropharyngeal cancer. Information on tobacco smoking was prospectively collected by patient questionnaires and physician notes at the time of diagnosis.more » Thirty-three percent of the patients were nonsmokers, 51% were former smokers, 16% were active smokers. The cumulative lifetime tobacco smoking in pack-years was 20 (range, 0-150). Results: With a median follow-up time of 52 months, the overall rate of distant metastasis at 4 years was 8%. Distant metastasis was the most common first site of relapse, occurring in 56% of the patients with recurrences. Active smokers had higher rates of distant metastasis than non-active smokers (including never- and former smokers; 31% vs. 4%, p < 0.001) and former smokers (31% vs. 3%, p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the risk of distant metastasis for patients with lifetime cumulative pack-years >20 and {<=}20 (10% vs. 4%, p = 0.19). In univariate analysis, active smoking (p = 0.0004) and N category (p = 0.009) were predictive of increased risk of distant metastasis. In multivariate analysis, active smoking was the most significant predictive factor for increased risk of distant metastasis (hazard ratio, 12.7, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: This study identified a strong association between active smoking and distant metastasis in patients with oropharyngeal cancer.« less

Negative and positive life events are associated with small but lasting change in neuroticism.

PubMed

Jeronimus, B F; Ormel, J; Aleman, A; Penninx, B W J H; Riese, H

2013-11-01

High neuroticism is prospectively associated with psychopathology and physical health. However, within-subject changes in neuroticism due to life experiences (LEs) or state effects of current psychopathology are largely unexplored. In this 2-year follow-up study, four hypotheses were tested: (1) positive LEs (PLEs) decrease and negative LEs (NLEs) increase neuroticism; (2) LE-driven change in neuroticism is partly long-lasting; and (3) partly independent of LE-driven changes in anxiety/depression; and (4) childhood adversity (before age 16 years) moderates the influence of NLEs/PLEs on neuroticism scores in adult life. Data came from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety [NESDA, n = 2981, mean age 41.99 years (s.d. = 13.08), 66.6% women]. At follow-up (T₂) we assessed PLEs/NLEs with the List of Threatening Experiences (LTE) over the prior 24 months and categorized them over recent and distant PLE/NLE measures (1-3 and 4-24 months prior to T₂ respectively) to distinguish distant NLE/PLE-driven change in trait neuroticism (using the Dutch version of the Neuroticism-Extroversion-Openness Five Factor Inventory, NEO-FFI) from state deviations due to changes in symptoms of depression (self-rated version of the 30-item Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, IDS-SR30) and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory, BAI). Distant NLEs were associated with higher and distant PLEs with lower neuroticism scores. The effects of distant LEs were weak but long-lasting, especially for distant PLEs. Distant NLE-driven change in neuroticism was associated with change in symptoms of anxiety/depression whereas the effect of distant PLEs on neuroticism was independent of any such changes. Childhood adversity weakened the impact of distant NLEs but enhanced the impact of distant PLEs on neuroticism. Distant PLEs are associated with small but long-lasting decreases in neuroticism regardless of changes in symptom levels of anxiety/depression. Long-lasting increases in neuroticism associated with distant NLEs are mediated by anxiety/depression.

Review: circulating tumor cells in the practice of breast cancer oncology.

PubMed

Ramos-Medina, R; Moreno, F; Lopez-Tarruella, S; Del Monte-Millán, M; Márquez-Rodas, I; Durán, E; Jerez, Y; Garcia-Saenz, J A; Ocaña, I; Andrés, S; Massarrah, T; González-Rivera, M; Martin, M

2016-08-01

The primary cause of tumor-related death in breast cancer is still represented by distant metastasization. The dissemination of tumor cells from the primary tumor to distant sites through bloodstream cannot be early detected by standard imaging methods. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a major role in the metastatic spread of breast cancer. Different analytical systems for CTCs isolation and detection have been developed and novel areas of research are directed towards developing assays for CTCs molecular characterization. This review describes the current state of art on CTCs detection techniques and the present and future clinical implications of CTCs enumeration and characterization.

Investigating potential transferability of place-based research in land system science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Václavík, Tomáš; Langerwisch, Fanny; Cotter, Marc; Fick, Johanna; Häuser, Inga; Hotes, Stefan; Kamp, Johannes; Settele, Josef; Spangenberg, Joachim H.; Seppelt, Ralf

2016-09-01

Much of our knowledge about land use and ecosystem services in interrelated social-ecological systems is derived from place-based research. While local and regional case studies provide valuable insights, it is often unclear how relevant this research is beyond the study areas. Drawing generalized conclusions about practical solutions to land management from local observations and formulating hypotheses applicable to other places in the world requires that we identify patterns of land systems that are similar to those represented by the case study. Here, we utilize the previously developed concept of land system archetypes to investigate potential transferability of research from twelve regional projects implemented in a large joint research framework that focus on issues of sustainable land management across four continents. For each project, we characterize its project archetype, i.e. the unique land system based on a synthesis of more than 30 datasets of land-use intensity, environmental conditions and socioeconomic indicators. We estimate the transferability potential of project research by calculating the statistical similarity of locations across the world to the project archetype, assuming higher transferability potentials in locations with similar land system characteristics. Results show that areas with high transferability potentials are typically clustered around project sites but for some case studies can be found in regions that are geographically distant, especially when values of considered variables are close to the global mean or where the project archetype is driven by large-scale environmental or socioeconomic conditions. Using specific examples from the local case studies, we highlight the merit of our approach and discuss the differences between local realities and information captured in global datasets. The proposed method provides a blueprint for large research programs to assess potential transferability of place-based studies to other geographical areas and to indicate possible gaps in research efforts.

Chinese Methods of Interpersonal Conflict Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-24

Cross-National Differences,” 734. 77Fan and Zigang, “Cross-Cultural Challenges when Doing Business in China,” 87. 78Kwang- Kuo Hwang, “Guanzi and...abandons what is nearby to plan for what is distant will labor without success.” from Huang Shih -kung; “being victorious in battle is easy, but...cultural elements presented in chapter 4 and reflect the differences between relationship types. Recently Ting- Toomey, Oetzel, and Yee- Jung identified

Characterization and Management of Mandibular Fractures: Lessons Learned from Iraq and Afghanistan

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

Anatomic reduction is the goal. In complex fractures, maintain large segments of bone and obtain soft tissue coverage. Atlas Oral Maxillofacial Surg...conflicts of Iraq and Afghanistan. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2010;68(1):3e7; with permission.) Fig. 2 Complex facial injury with avulsive tissue loss...a point distant from the site of injury Complicated (complex)dfracture with considerable injury to the adjacent soft tissue or adjacent parts, may

Updated efficacy of avelumab in patients with previously treated metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma after ≥1 year of follow-up: JAVELIN Merkel 200, a phase 2 clinical trial.

PubMed

Kaufman, Howard L; Russell, Jeffery S; Hamid, Omid; Bhatia, Shailender; Terheyden, Patrick; D'Angelo, Sandra P; Shih, Kent C; Lebbé, Céleste; Milella, Michele; Brownell, Isaac; Lewis, Karl D; Lorch, Jochen H; von Heydebreck, Anja; Hennessy, Meliessa; Nghiem, Paul

2018-01-19

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive skin cancer associated with poor survival outcomes in patients with distant metastatic disease (mMCC). In an initial analysis from JAVELIN Merkel 200, a phase 2, prospective, open-label, single-arm trial in mMCC, avelumab-a human anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) monoclonal antibody-showed promising efficacy and a safety profile that was generally manageable and tolerable. Here, we report the efficacy of avelumab after ≥1 year of follow-up in patients with distant mMCC that had progressed following prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Patients received avelumab 10 mg/kg by 1-h intravenous infusion every 2 weeks until confirmed disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal. The primary endpoint was best overall response. Secondary endpoints included duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Patients (N = 88) were followed for a minimum of 12 months. The confirmed objective response rate was 33.0% (95% CI, 23.3%-43.8%; complete response: 11.4%). An estimated 74% of responses lasted ≥1 year, and 72.4% of responses were ongoing at data cutoff. Responses were durable, with the median DOR not yet reached (95% CI, 18.0 months-not estimable), and PFS was prolonged; 1-year PFS and OS rates were 30% (95% CI, 21%-41%) and 52% (95% CI, 41%-62%), respectively. Median OS was 12.9 months (95% CI, 7.5-not estimable). Subgroup analyses suggested a higher probability of response in patients receiving fewer prior lines of systemic therapy, with a lower baseline disease burden, and with PD-L1-positive tumors; however, durable responses occurred irrespective of baseline factors, including tumor Merkel cell polyomavirus status. With longer follow-up, avelumab continues to show durable responses and promising survival outcomes in patients with distant mMCC whose disease had progressed after chemotherapy. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02155647.

Managing diversity: Domestication and gene flow in Stenocereus stellatus Riccob. (Cactaceae) in Mexico

PubMed Central

Cruse-Sanders, Jennifer M; Parker, Kathleen C; Friar, Elizabeth A; Huang, Daisie I; Mashayekhi, Saeideh; Prince, Linda M; Otero-Arnaiz, Adriana; Casas, Alejandro

2013-01-01

Microsatellite markers (N = 5) were developed for analysis of genetic variation in 15 populations of the columnar cactus Stenocereus stellatus, managed under traditional agriculture practices in central Mexico. Microsatellite diversity was analyzed within and among populations, between geographic regions, and among population management types to provide detailed insight into historical gene flow rates and population dynamics associated with domestication. Our results corroborate a greater diversity in populations managed by farmers compared with wild ones (HE = 0.64 vs. 0.55), but with regional variation between populations among regions. Although farmers propagated S. stellatus vegetatively in home gardens to diversify their stock, asexual recruitment also occurred naturally in populations where more marginal conditions have limited sexual recruitment, resulting in lower genetic diversity. Therefore, a clear-cut relationship between the occurrence of asexual recruitment and genetic diversity was not evident. Two managed populations adjacent to towns were identified as major sources of gene movement in each sampled region, with significant migration to distant as well as nearby populations. Coupled with the absence of significant bottlenecks, this suggests a mechanism for promoting genetic diversity in managed populations through long distance gene exchange. Cultivation of S. stellatus in close proximity to wild populations has led to complex patterns of genetic variation across the landscape that reflects the interaction of natural and cultural processes. As molecular markers become available for nontraditional crops and novel analysis techniques allow us to detect and evaluate patterns of genetic diversity, genetic studies provide valuable insights into managing crop genetic resources into the future against a backdrop of global change. Traditional agriculture systems play an important role in maintaining genetic diversity for plant species. PMID:23762520

Developing Advanced Human Support Technologies for Planetary Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berdich, Debra P.; Campbell, Paul D.; Jernigan, J. Mark

2004-01-01

The United States Vision for Space Exploration calls for sending robots and humans to explore the Earth's moon, the planet Mars, and beyond. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing a set of design reference missions that will provide further detail to these plans. Lunar missions are expected to provide a stepping stone, through operational research and evaluation, in developing the knowledge base necessary to send crews on long duration missions to Mars and other distant destinations. The NASA Exploration Systems Directorate (ExSD), in its program of bioastronautics research, manages the development of technologies that maintain human life, health, and performance in space. Using a system engineering process and risk management methods, ExSD's Human Support Systems (HSS) Program selects and performs research and technology development in several critical areas and transfers the results of its efforts to NASA exploration mission/systems development programs in the form of developed technologies and new knowledge about the capabilities and constraints of systems required to support human existence beyond Low Earth Orbit. HSS efforts include the areas of advanced environmental monitoring and control, extravehicular activity, food technologies, life support systems, space human factors engineering, and systems integration of all these elements. The HSS Program provides a structured set of deliverable products to meet the needs of exploration programs. These products reduce the gaps that exist in our knowledge of and capabilities for human support for long duration, remote space missions. They also reduce the performance gap between the efficiency of current space systems and the greater efficiency that must be achieved to make human planetary exploration missions economically and logistically feasible. In conducting this research and technology development program, it is necessary for HSS technologists and program managers to develop a common currency for decision making and the allocation of funding. A high level assessment is made of both the knowledge gaps and the system performance gaps across the program s technical project portfolio. This allows decision making that assures proper emphasis areas and provides a key measure of annual technological progress, as exploration mission plans continue to mature.

Developing Advanced Support Technologies for Planetary Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berdich, Debra P.; Campbel, Paul D.; Jernigan, J. Mark

2004-01-01

The United States Vision for Space Exploration calls for sending robots and humans to explore the Earth s moon, the planet Mars, and beyond. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing a set of design reference missions that will provide further detail to these plans. Lunar missions are expected to provide a stepping stone, through operational research and evaluation, in developing the knowledge base necessary to send crews on long duration missions to Mars and other distant destinations. The NASA Exploration Systems Directorate (ExSD), in its program of bioastronautics research, manages the development of technologies that maintain human life, health, and performance in space. Using a systems engineering process and risk management methods, ExSD s Human Support Systems (HSS) Program selects and performs research and technology development in several critical areas and transfers the results of its efforts to NASA exploration mission/systems development programs in the form of developed technologies and new knowledge about the capabilities and constraints of systems required to support human existence beyond Low Earth Orbit. HSS efforts include the areas of advanced environmental monitoring and control, extravehicular activity, food technologies, life support systems, space human factors engineering, and systems integration of all these elements. The HSS Program provides a structured set of deliverable products to meet the needs of exploration programs. these products reduce the gaps that exist in our knowledge of and capabilities for human support for long duration, remote space missions. They also reduce the performance gap between the efficiency of current space systems and the greater efficiency that must be achieved to make human planetary exploration missions economically and logistically feasible. In conducting this research and technology development program, it is necessary for HSS technologists and program managers to develop a common currency for decision making and the allocation of funding. A high level assessment is made of both the knowledge gaps and the system performance gaps across the program s technical project portfolio. This allows decision making that assures proper emphasis areas and provides a key measure of annual technological progress, as exploration mission plans continue to mature.

Web-based remote sensing of building energy performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, William; Nassiopoulos, Alexandre; Le Cam, Vincent; Kuate, Raphaël; Bourquin, Frédéric

2013-04-01

The present paper describes the design and the deployment of an instrumentation system enabling the energy monitoring of a building in a smart-grid context. The system is based on a network of wireless low power IPv6 sensors. Ambient temperature and electrical power for heating are measured. The management, storage, visualisation and treatment of the data is done through a web-based application that can be deployed as an online web service. The same web-based framework enables the acquisition of distant measured data such as those coming from a nearby weather station. On-site sensor and weather station data are then adequately treated based on inverse identification methods. The algorithms aim at determining the parameters of a numerical model suitable for a short-time horizon prediction of indoor climate. The model is based on standard multi-zone modelling assumptions and takes into account solar, airflow and conductive transfers. It was specially designed to render accurately inertia effects that are used in a demand-response strategy. All the hardware or software technologies that are used in the system are open and low cost so that they comply with the constraints of on-site deployment in buildings. The measured data as well as the model predictions can be accessed ubiquously through the web. This feature enables to consider a wide range of energy management applications at the disctrict, city or national level. The entire system has been deployed and tested in an experimental office building in Angers, France. It demonstrates the potential of ICT technologies to enable remotely controlled monitoring and surveillance in real time.

Nicephor[e]: a web-based solution for teaching forensic and scientific photography.

PubMed

Voisard, R; Champod, C; Furrer, J; Curchod, J; Vautier, A; Massonnet, G; Buzzini, P

2007-04-11

Nicephor[e] is a project funded by "Swiss Virtual Campus" and aims at creating a distant or mixed web-based learning system in forensic and scientific photography and microscopy. The practical goal is to organize series of on-line modular courses corresponding to the educational requirements of undergraduate academic programs. Additionally, this program could be used in the context of continuing educational programs. The architecture of the project is designed to guarantee a high level of knowledge in forensic and scientific photographic techniques, and to have an easy content production and the ability to create a number of different courses sharing the same content. The e-learning system Nicephor[e] consists of three different parts. The first one is a repository of learning objects that gathers all theoretical subject matter of the project such as texts, animations, images, and films. This repository is a web content management system (Typo3) that permits creating, publishing, and administrating dynamic content via a web browser as well as storing it into a database. The flexibility of the system's architecture allows for an easy updating of the content to follow the development of photographic technology. The instructor of a course can decide which modular contents need to be included in the course, and in which order they will be accessed by students. All the modular courses are developed in a learning management system (WebCT or Moodle) that can deal with complex learning scenarios, content distribution, students, tests, and interaction with instructor. Each course has its own learning scenario based on the goals of the course and the student's profile. The content of each course is taken from the content management system. It is then structured in the learning management system according to the pedagogical goals defined by the instructor. The modular courses are created in a highly interactive setting and offer autoevaluating tests to the students. The last part of the system is a digital assets management system (Extensis Portfolio). The practical portion of each course is to produce images of different marks or objects. The collection of all this material produced, indexed by the students and corrected by the instructor is essential to the development of a knowledge base of photographic techniques applied to a specific forensic subject. It represents also an extensible collection of different marks from known sources obtained under various conditions. It allows to reuse these images for creating image-based case files.

Teleoperator systems for manned space missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Interian, A.

1972-01-01

The development of remote mechanical systems to augment man's capabilities in our manned space effort is considered. A teleoperator system extends man's innate intelligence and sensory capabilities to distant hostile and hazardous environments through a manipulator-equipped spacecraft and an RF link. Examined are space teleoperator system applications in the space station/space shuttle program, which is where the most immediate need exists and the potential return is greatest.

Long term evolution of distant retrograde orbits in the Earth-Moon system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bezrouk, Collin; Parker, Jeffrey S.

2017-09-01

This work studies the evolution of several Distant Retrograde Orbits (DROs) of varying size in the Earth-Moon system over durations up to tens of millennia. This analysis is relevant for missions requiring a completely hands off, long duration quarantine orbit, such as a Mars Sample Return mission or the Asteroid Redirect Mission. Four DROs are selected from four stable size regions and are propagated for up to 30,000 years with an integrator that uses extended precision arithmetic techniques and a high fidelity dynamical model. The evolution of the orbit's size, shape, orientation, period, out-of-plane amplitude, and Jacobi constant are tracked. It has been found that small DROs, with minor axis amplitudes of approximately 45,000 km or less decay in size and period largely due to the Moon's solid tides. Larger DROs (62,000 km and up) are more influenced by the gravity of bodies external to the Earth-Moon system, and remain bound to the Moon for significantly less time.

A Herschel-Resolved Debris Disk Around the Nearby G Star HIP 32480

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stapelfeldt, K.

2011-01-01

The Herschel Space Observatory is providing unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution in the far-infrared. The DUNES Key Project (DUst around NEarby Stars, PI Carlos Eiroa) has finished its survey of 133 FGK stars within 25 pc of the Sun using the PACS photometer at 100 and 160 microns. We report the detection of a resolved debris ring around HIP 32480, a G0 star 16.5 parsecs distant. The ring is almost 300 AU in diameter and inclined 30 degrees from edge-on. We present a thermal emission model for the system that fits the Spitzer spectroscopy and Herschel images of the system. We find a minimum grainsize of approximately 4 microns in the main ring and a distinct warm dust population interior to it. Faint detached emission features just outside the ring may trace a separate, more distant ring in the system. The non-detection of the ring in archival HST/ACS coronagraphic images limits the dust grain albedo in the ring to be no more than 10%.

A Resolved Debris Disk Around the Nearby G Star HIP 32480

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stapelfeldt, K. R.; Bryden, G. C.; Marshall, J.; Eiroa, C.; Absil, O.; Mora, A.; Krist, J. E.; Su, K. Y. L.

2012-01-01

The Herschel Space Observatory is providing unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution in the far-infrared. The DUNES Key Project (DUst around NEarby Stars, PI Carlos Eiroa) has finished its survey of 133 FGK stars within 25 pc of the Sun using the PACS photometer at 100 and 160 microns. We report the detection of a resolved debris ring around HIP 32480, a GO star 16.5 parsecs distant. The ring is almost 300 AU in diameter and inclined 30 degrees from edge-on. We present a thermal emission model for the system that fits the Spitzer spectroscopy and Herschel images of the system. We find a minimum grain-size of 4 microns in the main ring and a distinct warm dust population interior to it. Faint detached emission features just outside the ring may trace a separate, more distant ring in the system. The non-detection of the ring in archival HST/ACS coronagraphic images limits the dust grain albedo in the ring to be no more than 10%.

On the Significance of Fuzzification of the N and M in Cancer Staging

PubMed Central

Yones, Sara A; Moussa, Ahmed S; Hassan, Hesham; Alieldin, Nelly H

2014-01-01

The tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) staging system has been regarded as one of the most widely used staging systems for solid cancer. The “T” is assigned a value according to the primary tumor size, whereas the “N” and “M” are dependent on the number of regional lymph nodes and the presence of distant metastasis, respectively. The current TNM model classifies stages into five crisp classes. This is unrealistic since the drastic modification in treatment that is based on a change in one class may be based on a slight shift around the class boundary. Moreover, the system considers any tumor that has distant metastasis as stage 4, disregarding the metastatic lesion concentration and size. We had handled the problem of T staging in previous studies using fuzzy logic. In this study, we focus on the fuzzification of N and M staging for more accurate and realistic modeling which may, in turn, lead to better treatment and medical decisions. PMID:25089089

Integrated oncology and palliative care: five years experience at the National Cancer Institute of Mexico.

PubMed

Allende-Pérez, Silvia; Verástegui-Avilés, Emma; Mohar-Betancourt, Alejandro; Meneses-García, Abelardo; Herrera-Gómez, Angel

2016-04-01

Under the national plan for addressing cancer, prevention and detection play important roles. However, the cost of treatments and late diagnosis represent a significant burden on health services. At the National Cancer Institute, more than half of patients present with tumors in advanced stages, and approximately 10% of patients seen for the first time exhibit terminal-stage malignancies, where there are no feasible cancer treatment options, and the patients are instead admitted to the hospital exclusively for palliative symptomatic management. In 2010, the National Cancer Plan began implementing a model of integrative management of palliative care in oncology that has gradually come to include symptomatic palliative care, involving ambulatory, distant and hospitalized management of patients with cancer, in its final stages and, more recently, in earlier stages.

Management of penoscrotal extramammary Paget disease: case series and review of the literature

PubMed Central

Moretto, P.; Nair, V.J.; Hallani, S. El; Malone, S.; Belanger, E.; Morash, C.; Canil, C.M.

2013-01-01

Extramammary Paget disease (empd) is a rare, slow-growing neoplasm, considered to be an adenocarcinoma of the apocrine glands. In men, the penoscrotal region is the most commonly affected area. The disease can present as carcinoma in situ or as invasive disease that can subsequently metastasize to lymph nodes and distant sites. Because of the rarity of empd, the medical literature available to guide management of the disease is limited, particularly in patients with metastases. In addition, metastatic disease may pose a diagnostic challenge, because invasive cancer of the genitourinary or gastrointestinal tract can occur in association with empd. In the present case series, we describe our experience in treating penoscrotal empd with multimodality therapy, and we review the existing literature concerning its diagnosis and management. PMID:23904770

Algorithm to find distant repeats in a single protein sequence

PubMed Central

Banerjee, Nirjhar; Sarani, Rangarajan; Ranjani, Chellamuthu Vasuki; Sowmiya, Govindaraj; Michael, Daliah; Balakrishnan, Narayanasamy; Sekar, Kanagaraj

2008-01-01

Distant repeats in protein sequence play an important role in various aspects of protein analysis. A keen analysis of the distant repeats would enable to establish a firm relation of the repeats with respect to their function and three-dimensional structure during the evolutionary process. Further, it enlightens the diversity of duplication during the evolution. To this end, an algorithm has been developed to find all distant repeats in a protein sequence. The scores from Point Accepted Mutation (PAM) matrix has been deployed for the identification of amino acid substitutions while detecting the distant repeats. Due to the biological importance of distant repeats, the proposed algorithm will be of importance to structural biologists, molecular biologists, biochemists and researchers involved in phylogenetic and evolutionary studies. PMID:19052663

Vulnerability of supply basins to demand from multiple cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padowski, J. C.; Gorelick, S.

2013-12-01

Humans have appropriated more than half of the world's available water resources, and continued population growth and climate change threaten to put increasing pressure on remaining supplies. Many cities have constructed infrastructure to collect, transport from and store water at distant locations. Supply basins can become vulnerable if there are multiple users depending on the same supply system or network. Basin vulnerability assessments often only report the impacts of local demands on system health, but rarely account future stress from multi-urban demands. This study presents a global assessment of urban impacts on supply basins. Specifically, hydrologic and regulatory information are used to quantify the level of supply basin stress created by demand from multiple cities. The aim is to identify at-risk basins. This study focuses on large urban areas (generally over 1 million people) that use surface water (n=412). The stress on supply water basins by urban demand was based on three parameters: 1) the number of cities using a basin for water supply, 2) the number of alternative urban sources (e.g. lakes, reservoirs, rivers) within the supply basin, and 3) the percent of available surface water in each basin that is required to meet the total of urban and environmental demands. The degree of management within each basin is assessed using information on federal water policies and local basin management plans.

Topological Proximity Effect: A Gauge Influence from Distant Fields on Planar Quantum-Coherent Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moulopoulos, K.

2015-06-01

A quantum system that lies nearby a magnetic or time-varying electric field region, and that is under periodic boundary conditions parallel to the interface, is shown to exhibit a "hidden" Aharonov-Bohm effect (magnetic or electric), caused by fluxes that are not enclosed by, but are merely neighboring to our system - its origin being the absence of magnetic monopoles in 3D space (with corresponding spacetime generalizations). Novel possibilities then arise, where a field-free system can be dramatically affected by manipulating fields in an adjacent or even distant land, provided that these nearby fluxes are not quantized (i.e. they are fractional or irrational parts of the flux quantum). Topological effects (such as Quantum Hall types of behaviors) can therefore be induced from outside our system (that is always field-free and can even reside in simply-connected space). Potential novel applications are outlined, and exotic consequences in solid state physics are pointed out (i.e. the possibility of field-free quantum periodic systems that violate Bloch's theorem), while formal analogies with certain high energy physics phenomena and with some rather under-explored areas in mechanics and thermodynamics are noted.

The role of whole brain radiation therapy in the management of melanoma brain metastases

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Brain metastases are common in patients with melanoma, and optimal management is not well defined. As melanoma has traditionally been thought of as “radioresistant,” the role of whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) in particular is unclear. We conducted this retrospective study to identify prognostic factors for patients treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for melanoma brain metastases and to investigate the role of additional up-front treatment with whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT). Methods We reviewed records of 147 patients who received SRS as part of initial management of their melanoma brain metastases from January 2000 through June 2010. Overall survival (OS) and time to distant intracranial progression were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results WBRT was employed with SRS in 27% of patients and as salvage in an additional 22%. Age at SRS > 60 years (hazard ratio [HR] 0.64, p = 0.05), multiple brain metastases (HR 1.90, p = 0.008), and omission of up-front WBRT (HR 2.24, p = 0.005) were associated with distant intracranial progression on multivariate analysis. Extensive extracranial metastases (HR 1.86, p = 0.0006), Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) ≤ 80% (HR 1.58, p = 0.01), and multiple brain metastases (HR 1.40, p = 0.06) were associated with worse OS on univariate analysis. Extensive extracranial metastases (HR 1.78, p = 0.001) and KPS (HR 1.52, p = 0.02) remained significantly associated with OS on multivariate analysis. In patients with absent or stable extracranial disease, multiple brain metastases were associated with worse OS (multivariate HR 5.89, p = 0.004), and there was a trend toward an association with worse OS when up-front WBRT was omitted (multivariate HR 2.56, p = 0.08). Conclusions Multiple brain metastases and omission of up-front WBRT (particularly in combination) are associated with distant intracranial progression. Improvement in intracranial disease control may be especially important in the subset of patients with absent or stable extracranial disease, where the competing risk of death from extracranial disease is low. These results are hypothesis generating and require confirmation from ongoing randomized trials. PMID:24954062

Incidence and sites of distant metastases from head and neck cancer.

PubMed

Ferlito, A; Shaha, A R; Silver, C E; Rinaldo, A; Mondin, V

2001-01-01

The incidence of distant metastases in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is relatively small in comparison to other malignancies. Distant metastases adversely impact survival and may significantly affect treatment planning. The incidence of distant metastases is influenced by location of the primary tumor, initial T and N stage of the neoplasm, and the presence or absence of regional control above the clavicle. Patients with advanced nodal disease have a high incidence of distant metastases, particularly in the presence of jugular vein invasion or extensive soft tissue disease in the neck. Primary tumors of advanced T stages in the hypopharynx, oropharynx and oral cavity are associated with the highest incidence of distant metastases. Pulmonary metastases are the most frequent in SCC, accounting for 66% of distant metastases. It may be difficult to distinguish pulmonary metastasis from a new primary tumor, particularly if solitary. Other metastatic sites include bone (22%), liver (10%), skin, mediastinum and bone marrow. An important question remains as to how intensely pre- and postoperative screening for distant metastases should be performed. Preoperative chest X-ray is warranted in all cases. If the primary tumor and nodal status place the patient at high risk for pulmonary metastasis, then preoperative computed tomography scan of the chest should be done. Screening for distant metastases at other sites is usually not indicated in SCC of the upper aerodigestive tract. Postoperatively, annual X-rays of the chest are usually sufficient, but in high-risk situations a chest X-ray performed every 3-6 months may be beneficial. Certain histologic types of primary tumor have greater or lesser propensity to metastasize distantly, and have a different natural history. Adenoid cystic carcinoma metastasizes frequently, even in the absence of extensive local or regional disease. Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinomas also metastasize widely. Extensive evaluation for distant metastases is justified for these tumors. Knowledge of the natural history of various neoplasms and the factors that contribute to distant metastases as well as good judgement are essential for cost-effective treatment planning and decision-making with regard to pre- and postoperative evaluation for distant metastases in cancer of the head and neck. Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel

78 FR 50113 - Distribution of 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 Cable Royalty Funds

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-16

... allowing distant retransmission of over-the-air television and radio broadcast signals by cable system operators. The funds to be distributed are those relating to broadcast years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2006... Twice each calendar year, cable system operators must deposit royalty payments with the Copyright Office...

An overview of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the multimodality treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

PubMed

Pasello, G; Ceresoli, G L; Favaretto, A

2013-02-01

Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive tumour with poor prognosis and increasing incidence in industrialized countries because of the previous widespread exposure to asbestos fibres and to the long lag period from time of exposure and the diagnosis of the disease. MPM shows high refractoriety to systemic treatment, single-modality treatment was generally ineffective and did not achieve higher results than supportive care. The incidence of local and distant recurrences after surgery remains high and that was the reason for many centres to perform combined treatments. In the attempt of reducing the incidence of local recurrences, a multimodality approach with surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy was explored. Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) allows higher doses of radiotherapy to the whole hemithorax by avoiding pulmonary toxicity and the results of this approach is a significant reduction of loco-regional relapses; although, extrathoracic metastasis represent a major problem in the management of the disease because of the impact on overall survival. The success with surgical resection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in stage IIIA lung cancer has been the impetus for several groups to apply this strategy in MPM aiming at reducing the incidence of distant relapse after surgery. Platinum-based chemotherapy plus gemcitabine or pemetrexed for 3-4 cycles followed by surgery and postoperative high-dose radiotherapy showed the best results in terms of overall and progression free survival. This review will focus on the main clinical studies and overview the results of different chemotherapy regimens in the neoadjuvant treatment of MPM. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Off-stage ecosystem service burdens: A blind spot for global sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pascual, Unai; Palomo, Ignacio; Adams, William M.; Chan, Kai M. A.; Daw, Tim M.; Garmendia, Eneko; Gómez-Baggethun, Erik; de Groot, Rudolf S.; Mace, Georgina M.; Martín-López, Berta; Phelps, Jacob

2017-07-01

The connected nature of social-ecological systems has never been more apparent than in today’s globalized world. The ecosystem service framework and associated ecosystem assessments aim to better inform the science-policy response to sustainability challenges. Such assessments, however, often overlook distant, diffuse and delayed impacts that are critical for global sustainability. Ecosystem-services science must better recognise the off-stage impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services of place-based ecosystem management, which we term ‘ecosystem service burdens’. These are particularly important since they are often negative, and have a potentially significant effect on ecosystem management decisions. Ecosystem-services research can better recognise these off-stage burdens through integration with other analytical approaches, such as life cycle analysis and risk-based approaches that better account for the uncertainties involved. We argue that off-stage ecosystem service burdens should be incorporated in ecosystem assessments such as those led by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Taking better account of these off-stage burdens is essential to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of cross-scale interactions, a pre-requisite for any sustainability transition.

Pressure wave injuries to the nervous system caused by high-energy missile extremity impact: Part II. Distant effects on the central nervous system--a light and electron microscopic study on pigs.

PubMed

Suneson, A; Hansson, H A; Seeman, T

1990-03-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate if distant effects could be detected within the central nervous system after impact of a high-energy missile in the left thigh of young pigs. Pressure transducers implanted in various parts of the body of the animal, including the brain, recorded a short-lasting burst of oscillating pressure waves with high frequencies and large amplitudes, traversing the body tissue with a velocity of about that of sound in water (1,460 m/s). The distance between the point of impact and the brain and cervical spinal cord is in the range of 0.5 m. Macroscopic examination revealed that there was no gross brain tissue disruption or visible blood-brain barrier dysfunction. Light microscopic examination demonstrated myelin invaginations in the largest axons and shrinkage of axoplasm. Electron microscopic examination revealed a reduction in the number of microtubules, especially in the larger axons in the brainstem. Disintegration of Nissl substance, i.e., chromatolysis, was noticed after 48 hr in many Purkinje nerve cells in the cerebellum, concomitantly with the appearance of an increased frequency of association between lamellar bodies and mitochondria. Changes could also be observed in the cervical spinal cord and, at reduced frequency and extent, in the optic nerve and in other parts of the brain. These effects were evident within a few minutes after the trauma and persisted even 48 hr after the extremity injury. It is concluded that distant effects, likely to be caused by the oscillating high-frequency pressure waves, appear in the central nervous system after a high-energy missile extremity impact.

Scales of Natural Flood Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicholson, Alex; Quinn, Paul; Owen, Gareth; Hetherington, David; Piedra Lara, Miguel; O'Donnell, Greg

2016-04-01

The scientific field of Natural flood Management (NFM) is receiving much attention and is now widely seen as a valid solution to sustainably manage flood risk whilst offering significant multiple benefits. However, few examples exist looking at NFM on a large scale (>10km2). Well-implemented NFM has the effect of restoring more natural catchment hydrological and sedimentological processes, which in turn can have significant flood risk and WFD benefits for catchment waterbodies. These catchment scale improvements in-turn allow more 'natural' processes to be returned to rivers and streams, creating a more resilient system. Although certain NFM interventions may appear distant and disconnected from main stem waterbodies, they will undoubtedly be contributing to WFD at the catchment waterbody scale. This paper offers examples of NFM, and explains how they can be maximised through practical design across many scales (from feature up to the whole catchment). New tools to assist in the selection of measures and their location, and to appreciate firstly, the flooding benefit at the local catchment scale and then show a Flood Impact Model that can best reflect the impacts of local changes further downstream. The tools will be discussed in the context of our most recent experiences on NFM projects including river catchments in the north east of England and in Scotland. This work has encouraged a more integrated approach to flood management planning that can use both traditional and novel NFM strategies in an effective and convincing way.

Clinical usefulness of blood metal measurements to assess the failure of metal-on-metal hip implants

PubMed Central

Sampson, Barry; Hart, Alister

2012-01-01

In April 2010, a Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency safety alert concerning all metal-on-metal (MOM) hip replacements recommended measuring chromium and cobalt concentrations when managing patients with painful prostheses. The need for this review is illustrated by the recent surge in requests for these blood tests from orthopaedic surgeons following this alert. The aim is to provide guidance to laboratories in assessing these requests and advising clinicians on interpretation. First, we summarize the basic terminology regarding the types of hip replacements, with emphasis on the MOM type. Second, we describe the clinical concerns over implant-derived wear debris in the local tissues and distant sites. Analytical aspects of the measurement of the relevant metal ions and what factors affect the levels measured are discussed. The application of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry techniques to the measurement of these metals is considered in detail. The biological effects of metal wear products are summarized with local toxicity and systemic biological effects considered, including carcinogenicity, genotoxicity and systemic toxicity. Clinical cases are used to illustrate pertinent points. PMID:22155921

Exploration at the Edge of the Solar System: The Pluto-Kuiper Express Mission (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terrile, R. J.

1999-09-01

The Pluto-Kuiper Express mission is one component of the Outer Planets/Solar Probe Project which is part of the exploration strategy laid out in the Solar System Exploration Roadmap. The first three missions of this project are the Europa Orbiter, Pluto-Kuiper Express and the Solar Probe. All require challenging new technologies and the ability to operate in deep space and at Jupiter. Use of common management and design approaches, avionics, and mission software is planned to reduce the costs of the three missions. The Pluto-Kuiper Express mission is planned to launch in 2004 and is designed to provide the first reconnaissance of the Solar System's most distant planet, Pluto, and it, moon Charon. A gravity assist from Jupiter will allow an 8-year flight time to Pluto and the possibility of encountering one or more Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt objects after the Pluto encounter. The primary science objectives for the mission include characterizing the global geology and geomorphology of Pluto and Charon, mapping their surface composition and characterizing Pluto's neutral atmosphere and its escape rate. This mission is currently soliciting scientific investigations through a NASA Announcement of Opportunity.

Virtual Water Scarcity Risk to the Global Trade System.

PubMed

Qu, Shen; Liang, Sai; Konar, Megan; Zhu, Zeqi; Chiu, Anthony S F; Jia, Xiaoping; Xu, Ming

2018-01-16

Local water scarcity risk (LWSR, meaning potential economic output losses in water-using sectors due to physical water scarcity) can be transmitted to downstream economies through the globalized supply chains. To understand the vulnerability of the global economy to water scarcity, we examine the impacts of local water scarcity risk on the global trade system from 1995 to 2009. We observe increasingly intensified geographical separation between physical water scarcity and production losses due to water scarcity. We identify top nation-sectors in virtual water scarcity risk (VWSR) exports (indicating local water scarcity risk in each nation transmitted to foreign nations through its exports), including agriculture and utilities in major economies such as China, India, Spain, France, and Turkey. These nation-sectors are critical to the resilience of the global economy to water scarcity. We also identify top nation-sectors in virtual water scarcity risk imports (indicating each nation's vulnerability to foreign water scarcity risk through the global trade system), highlighting their vulnerability to distant water scarcity. Our findings reveal the need for nations to collaboratively manage and conserve water resources, and lay the foundation for firms in high VWSR-importing sectors to develop strategies to mitigate such risk.

Sharing lattice QCD data over a widely distributed file system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amagasa, T.; Aoki, S.; Aoki, Y.; Aoyama, T.; Doi, T.; Fukumura, K.; Ishii, N.; Ishikawa, K.-I.; Jitsumoto, H.; Kamano, H.; Konno, Y.; Matsufuru, H.; Mikami, Y.; Miura, K.; Sato, M.; Takeda, S.; Tatebe, O.; Togawa, H.; Ukawa, A.; Ukita, N.; Watanabe, Y.; Yamazaki, T.; Yoshie, T.

2015-12-01

JLDG is a data-grid for the lattice QCD (LQCD) community in Japan. Several large research groups in Japan have been working on lattice QCD simulations using supercomputers distributed over distant sites. The JLDG provides such collaborations with an efficient method of data management and sharing. File servers installed on 9 sites are connected to the NII SINET VPN and are bound into a single file system with the GFarm. The file system looks the same from any sites, so that users can do analyses on a supercomputer on a site, using data generated and stored in the JLDG at a different site. We present a brief description of hardware and software of the JLDG, including a recently developed subsystem for cooperating with the HPCI shared storage, and report performance and statistics of the JLDG. As of April 2015, 15 research groups (61 users) store their daily research data of 4.7PB including replica and 68 million files in total. Number of publications for works which used the JLDG is 98. The large number of publications and recent rapid increase of disk usage convince us that the JLDG has grown up into a useful infrastructure for LQCD community in Japan.

Accessible Information for Equally-Distant Partially-Entangled Alphabet State Resource

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, San-Ru; Hou, Bo-Yu; Xi, Xiao-Qiang; Yue, Rui-Hong

2002-02-01

We have proposed a quantum system with equally-distant partially-entangled alphabet states which has the minimal mutual overlap and the highly distinguishability, these quantum states are used as the "signal states" of the quantum communication. We have also constructed the positive operator-valued measure for these "signal states" and discussed their entanglement properties and measurement of entanglement. We calculate the accessible information for these alphabet states and show that the accessible information is closely related to the entanglement of the "signal states": the higher the entanglement of the "signal states", the better the accessible information of the quantum system, and the accessible information reaches its maximal value when the alphabet states have their maximal entanglement. The project supported in part by Foundation of the Science and Technology Committee of China, and Foundation of the Science and Technology Committee of Hunan Province of China under the contract FSTCH-21000205

Finding the optical axis of a distant object using an optical alignment system based on a holographic marker

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuk, D. I.; Denisyuk, I. Yu.; Gutner, I. E.

2015-07-01

A way to construct a holographic indicator of the position of the central axis of a distant object based on recording a transmission hologram in a layer of photosensitive material and forming a remote real image before a light source is considered. A light source with a holographically formed marker designed for visual guidance to the object axis; it can be used to simplify aircraft landing on a glide path, preliminary visual alignment of large coaxial details of various machines, etc. Specific features of the scheme of recording a holographic marker and the reconstruction of its image are considered. The possibility of forming a remote holographic image marker, which can be aligned with a simultaneously operating reference laser system for determining the direction to an object and its optical axis, has been demonstrated experimentally.

Migratory and misleading abscess of oro-facial region.

PubMed

ArunKumar, Kubsad Veerabhadrappa; Deepa, Dhruvakumar

2015-01-01

Acute pericoronitis usually presents with severe localized pain, swelling and sometimes trismus. However, chronic pericoronitis and periodontal abscess produce a dull pain, moderate swelling and are occasionally seen migrating into distant sites producing fistulae intra-orally and/or extra-orally. This may quite often cause diagnostic dilemmas necessitating thorough medical and dental history, careful clinical examination and sometimes special investigations to confirm the etiology and or origin of infection. Here, we present three such cases and their management.

Judging near and distant virtue and vice ☆

PubMed Central

Eyal, Tal; Liberman, Nira; Trope, Yaacov

2009-01-01

We propose that people judge immoral acts as more offensive and moral acts as more virtuous when the acts are psychologically distant than near. This is because people construe more distant situations in terms of moral principles, rather than attenuating situation-specific considerations. Results of four studies support these predictions. Study 1 shows that more temporally distant transgressions (e.g., eating one's dead dog) are construed in terms of moral principles rather than contextual information. Studies 2 and 3 further show that morally offensive actions are judged more severely when imagined from a more distant temporal (Study 2) or social (Study 3) perspective. Finally, Study 4 shows that moral acts (e.g., adopting a disabled child) are judged more positively from temporal distance. The findings suggest that people more readily apply their moral principles to distant rather than proximal behaviors. PMID:19554217

The Use of Re-irradiation in Locally Recurrent, Non-metastatic Rectal Cancer.

PubMed

Susko, Matthew; Lee, Jason; Salama, Joseph; Thomas, Samantha; Uronis, Hope; Hsu, David; Migaly, John; Willett, Christopher; Czito, Brian; Palta, Manisha

2016-10-01

The optimal approach to patients with locally recurrent, non-metastatic rectal cancer is unclear. This study evaluates the outcomes and toxicity associated with pelvic re-irradiation. Patients undergoing re-irradiation for locally recurrent, non-metastatic, rectal cancer between 2000 and 2014 were identified. Acute and late toxicities were assessed using common terminology criteria for adverse events version 4.0. Disease-related endpoints included palliation of local symptoms, surgical outcomes, and local progression-free survival (PFS), distant PFS and overall survival (OS) using the Kaplan-Meier method. Thirty-three patients met the criteria for inclusion in this study. Two (6 %) experienced early grade 3+ toxicity and seven (21 %) experienced late grade 3+ toxicity. Twenty-three patients presented with symptomatic local recurrence and 18 (78 %) reported symptomatic relief. Median local PFS was 8.7 (95 % CI 3.8-15.2) months, with a 2-year rate of 15.7 % (4.1-34.2), and median time to distant progression was 4.4 (2.2-33.3) months, with a 2-year distant PFS rate of 38.9 % (20.1-57.3). Median OS time for patients was 23.1 (11.1-33.0) months. Of the 14 patients who underwent surgery, median survival was 32.3 (13.8-48.0) months compared with 13.3 (2.2-33.0) months in patients not undergoing surgery (p = 0.10). A margin-negative (R0) resection was achieved in 10 (71 %) of the surgeries. Radiation treatment modality (intensity-modulated radiation therapy, three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, intraoperative radiation therapy) did not influence local or distant PFS or OS. Re-irradiation is a beneficial treatment modality for the management of locally recurrent, non-metastatic rectal cancer. It is associated with symptom improvement, low rates of toxicity, and similar benefits among radiation modalities.

Migratory neighbors and distant invaders: tumor-associated niche cells

PubMed Central

Wels, Jared; Kaplan, Rosandra N.; Rafii, Shahin; Lyden, David

2008-01-01

The cancer environment is comprised of tumor cells as well as a wide network of stromal and vascular cells participating in the cellular and molecular events necessary for invasion and metastasis. Tumor secretory factors can activate the migration of host cells, both near to and far from the primary tumor site, as well as promote the exodus of cells to distant tissues. Thus, the migration of stromal cells and tumor cells among specialized microenvironments takes place throughout tumor and metastatic progression, providing evidence for the systemic nature of a malignancy. Investigations of the tumor–stromal and stromal–stromal cross-talk involved in cellular migration in cancer may lead to the design of novel therapeutic strategies. PMID:18316475

Pyridostigmine for reversal of severe sequelae from botulinum toxin injection.

PubMed

Young, David L; Halstead, Lucinda A

2014-11-01

Botulinum toxin is used to treat a wide range of dystonias in the head and neck. Occasionally, patients receiving laryngeal botulinum toxin experience severe dysphagia, dyspnea, or even distant and autonomic symptoms. Rarely, these patients may require hospitalization with possible intubation and placement of nasogastric tubes. Botulinum antitoxin is not readily available and ineffective once symptoms have progressed, so patients must wait until the toxin wears off over weeks to months. Pyridostigmine prevents the breakdown of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, thus making more neurotransmitter available for the muscles. A retrospective case study of patients receiving botulinum toxin for dystonia in the head and neck from 1998 to 2012 who experienced adverse effects that were successfully treated with pyridostigmine. Twenty cases were selected and reviewed to demonstrate how pyridostigmine was used to modulate severe dysphagia, breathiness, dyspnea, and some distant/autonomic symptoms. Pyridostigmine was well tolerated and resulted in significant symptom improvement. Only one significant adverse effect, bradycardia, occurred in a patient with severe cardiac disease. Given the safety and efficacy of this medication, pyridostigmine should be considered to modulate severe sequelae of botulinum toxin in select patients when conservative management is deemed insufficient. Also, physicians should be aware that patient complaints of symptoms at distant sites and temporally delayed from the injection may be a result of the botulinum toxin and relieved with pyridostigmine. Copyright © 2014 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Video-mediated communication to support distant family connectedness.

PubMed

Furukawa, Ryoko; Driessnack, Martha

2013-02-01

It can be difficult to maintain family connections with geographically distant members. However, advances in computer-human interaction (CHI) systems, including video-mediated communication (VMC) are emerging. While VMC does not completely substitute for physical face-to-face communication, it appears to provide a sense of virtual copresence through the addition of visual and contextual cues to verbal communication between family members. The purpose of this study was to explore current patterns of VMC use, experiences, and family functioning among self-identified VMC users separated geographically from their families. A total of 341 participants (ages 18 to above 70) completed an online survey and Family APGAR. Ninty-six percent of the participants reported that VMC was the most common communication method used and 60% used VMC at least once/week. The most common reason cited for using VMC over other methods of communication was the addition of visual cues. A significant difference between the Family APGAR scores and the number of positive comments about VMC experience was also found. This exploratory study provides insight into the acceptance of VMC and its usefulness in maintaining connections with distant family members.

Molecular Composition Analysis of Distant Targets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, Gary B.; Lubin, Philip

2017-01-01

This document is the Final Report for NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase I Grant 15-NIAC16A-0145, titled Molecular Composition Analysis of Distant Targets. The research was focused on developing a system concept for probing the molecular composition of cold solar system targets, such as Asteroids, Comets, Planets and Moons from a distant vantage, for example from a spacecraft that is orbiting the target (Hughes et al., 2015). The orbiting spacecraft is equipped with a high-power laser, which is run by electricity from photovoltaic panels. The laser is directed at a spot on the target. Materials on the surface of the target are heated by the laser beam, and begin to melt and then evaporate, forming a plume of asteroid molecules in front of the heated spot. The heated spot glows, producing blackbody illumination that is visible from the spacecraft, via a path through the evaporated plume. As the blackbody radiation from the heated spot passes through the plume of evaporated material, molecules in the plume absorb radiation in a manner that is specific to the rotational and vibrational characteristics of the specific molecules. A spectrometer aboard the spacecraft is used to observe absorption lines in the blackbody signal. The pattern of absorption can be used to estimate the molecular composition of materials in the plume, which originated on the target. Focusing on a single spot produces a borehole, and shallow subsurface profiling of the targets bulk composition is possible. At the beginning of the Phase I research, the estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the system was TRL-1. During the Phase I research, an end-to-end theoretical model of the sensor system was developed from first principles. The model includes laser energy and optical propagation, target heating, melting and evaporation of target material, plume density, thermal radiation from the heated spot, molecular cross section of likely asteroid materials, and estimation of the absorption profile at a distant spectrometer. Results obtained by executing simulations based on the model provide compelling evidence that the concept of remote laser evaporative molecular absorption spectroscopy is feasible. In this document, technical details of the model are presented, and results of simulations are described that indicate the utility of the proposed sensor system. Additionally, an asteroid rendezvous mission is analyzed, with a survey of system requirements to accomplish molecular composition analysis of the asteroid. Based on positive theoretical results obtained during Phase I, the estimated TRL of the system is now TRL-2. This document also describes potential future research and experimentation that could push the system to TRL-4 within 2 years. Steps required for construction of a laboratory prototype are described. An experiment to test predictions of the theory is described, based on the laboratory prototype setup.

Differences in patterns of survival in metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck.

PubMed

van Weert, Stijn; Reinhard, Rinze; Bloemena, Elisabeth; Buter, Jan; Witte, Birgit I; Vergeer, Marije R; Leemans, C René

2017-03-01

We examined the assumption in conventional teaching about metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) being an indolent type of disease. A single center analysis of 105 cases of ACC was performed. Radiographs were reviewed and tumor response to chemotherapy was measured. Distant disease-free survival (DDFS) and time to death since distant metastases diagnosis were analyzed. Forty-two percent of the patients were diagnosed with distant metastases. DDFS showed significant negative associations with advanced T classification, N+ classification, solid type tumor, and positive surgical margins. Distant metastases (91%) developed in the first 5 years after presentation. Median distant metastatic survival was 13.8 months. The most frequent organ sited was the lung. Solid type ACC showed a preponderance for multiorgan metastases (17/28; 61%). Distant metastases seemed not to occur in case of clear surgical margins. Solid type ACC had a significant poorer survival after development of distant metastases. Metastatic ACC is not always an indolent disease. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 456-463, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Designing for International Teletraining.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chute, Alan G.; Shatzer, Linda S.

The ability to bridge together geographically-distant populations for training is made possible through teletraining, a human performance system which integrates telecommunications into the planning, design, and delivery of training programs. Typically, teletraining uses standard telephone lines or digital communication services to provide…

New Opportunities for Outer Solar System Science using Radioisotope Electric Propulsion

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

Noble, Robert J.; /SLAC; Amini, Rashied

Today, our questions and hypotheses about the Solar System's origin have surpassed our ability to deliver scientific instruments to deep space. The moons of the outer planets, the Trojan and Centaur minor planets, the trans-Neptunian objects (TNO), and distant Kuiper Belt objects (KBO) hold a wealth of information about the primordial conditions that led to the formation of our Solar System. Robotic missions to these objects are needed to make the discoveries, but the lack of deep-space propulsion is impeding this science. Radioisotope electric propulsion (REP) will revolutionize the way we do deep-space planetary science with robotic vehicles, giving themmore » unprecedented mobility. Radioisotope electric generators and lightweight ion thrusters are being developed today which will make possible REP systems with specific power in the range of 5 to 10 W/kg. Studies have shown that this specific power range is sufficient to perform fast rendezvous missions from Earth to the outer Solar System and fast sample return missions. This whitepaper discusses how mobility provided by REP opens up entirely new science opportunities for robotic missions to distant primitive bodies. We also give an overview of REP technology developments and the required next steps to realize REP.« less

An Analysis of the Cost Effectiveness of Various Electronic Alternatives for Delivering Distance Education Compared to the Travel Costs for Live Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caffarella, Edward; And Others

The feasibility and relative costs of four telecommunication systems for delivering university courses to distant locations in Colorado were compared. The four systems were compressed video, vertical blanking interval video, satellite video, and audiographic systems. Actual costs to install and operate each for a 5-year period were determined,…

Holographic Location of Distant Points (PREPRINT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

respects and the nonimaging systems have significant advantages. This paper shows how to use holograms to construct a flat, solid, small, accurate, small... nonimaging point location system. 15. SUBJECT TERMS imagery, holographic 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT: SAR 18...respects and the nonimaging systems we have discussed earlier (1, 2) have significant advantages. This paper shows how to use holograms to construct a

Facial Gunshot Wounds: Trends in Management

PubMed Central

Kaufman, Yoav; Cole, Patrick; Hollier, Larry H.

2009-01-01

Facial gunshot wounds, often comprising significant soft and bone tissue defects, pose a significant challenge for reconstructive surgeons. Whether resulting from assault, accident, or suicide attempt, a thorough assessment of the defects is essential for devising an appropriate tissue repair and replacement with a likely secondary revision. Immediately after injury, management is centered on advanced trauma life support with patient stabilization as the primary goal. Thorough examination along with appropriate imaging is critical for identifying any existing defects. Whereas past surgical management advocated delayed definitive treatment using serial debridement, today’s management favors use of more immediate reconstruction. Recent advances in microsurgical technique have shifted favor from local tissue advancement to distant free flap transfers, which improve cosmesis and function. This has resulted in a lower number of surgeries required to achieve reconstruction. Because of the diversity of injury and the complexity of facial gunshot injuries, a systematic algorithm is essential to help manage the different stages of healing and to ensure that the best outcome is achieved. PMID:22110801

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

1980-12-17

Voyager 1 passed the Saturnian system in November 1980; nine months later Voyager 2 passed through this same system. The ensuing scientific discoveries were unprecedented with regards to the rings around Saturn and its satellite's chemical makeup. Pictured are: Saturn (shown with rings), Dione (forefront), Tethys and Mimas (lower right), Enceladus and Rhea (upper left) and Titan in distant orbit (upper right).

Hubble’s cross-section of the cosmos

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-04-17

This new Hubble image showcases a remarkable variety of objects at different distances from us, extending back over halfway to the edge of the observable Universe. The galaxies in this image mostly lie about five billion light-years from Earth but the field also contains other objects, both significantly closer and far more distant. Studies of this region of the sky have shown that many of the objects that appear to lie close together may actually be billions of light-years apart. This is because several groups of galaxies lie along our line of sight, creating something of an optical illusion. Hubble’s cross-section of the Universe is completed by distorted images of galaxies in the very distant background. These objects are sometimes distorted due to a process called gravitational lensing, an extremely valuable technique in astronomy for studying very distant objects [1]. This lensing is caused by the bending of the space-time continuum by massive galaxies lying close to our line of sight to distant objects. One of the lens systems visible here is called CLASS B1608+656, which appears as a small loop in the centre of the image. It features two foreground galaxies distorting and amplifying the light of a distant quasar the known as QSO-160913+653228. The light from this bright disc of matter, which is currently falling into a black hole, has taken nine billion years to reach us — two thirds of the age of the Universe. As well as CLASS B1608+656, astronomers have identified two other gravitational lenses within this image. Two galaxies, dubbed Fred and Ginger by the researchers who studied them, contain enough mass to visibly distort the light from objects behind them. Fred, also known more prosaically as [FMK2006] ACS J160919+6532, lies near the lens galaxies in CLASS B1608+656, while Ginger ([FMK2006] ACS J160910+6532) is markedly closer to us. Despite their different distances from us, both can be seen near to CLASS B1608+656 in the central region of this Hubble image. To capture distant and dim objects like these, Hubble required a long exposure. The image is made up of visible and infrared observations with a total exposure time of 14 hours. More info: www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1408/ Credit: NASA/ESA/Hubble NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatt, H. C.

2002-06-01

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

Learning in professionally 'distant' contexts: opportunities and challenges.

PubMed

Mausz, Justin; Tavares, Walter

2017-08-01

The changing nature of healthcare education and delivery is such that clinicians will increasingly find themselves practicing in contexts that are physically and/or conceptually different from the settings in which they were trained, a practice that conflicts on some level with socio-cultural theories of learning that emphasize learning in context. Our objective was therefore to explore learning in 'professionally distant' contexts. Using paramedic education, where portions of training occur in hospital settings despite preparing students for out-of-hospital work, fifty-three informants (11 current students, 13 recent graduates, 16 paramedic program faculty and 13 program coordinators/directors) took part in five semi-structured focus groups. Participants reflected on the value and role of hospital placements in paramedic student development. All sessions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. In this context six educational advantages and two challenges were identified when using professionally distant learning environments. Learning could still be associated with features such as (a) engagement through "authenticity", (b) technical skill development, (c) interpersonal skill development, (d) psychological resilience, (e) healthcare system knowledge and (f) scaffolding. Variability in learning and misalignment with learning goals were identified as potential threats. Learning environments that are professionally distant from eventual practice settings may prove meaningful by providing learners with foundational and preparatory learning experiences for competencies that may be transferrable. This suggests that where learning occurs may be less important than how the experience contributes to the learner's development and the meaning or value he/she derives from it.

Chaotic Dynamics of Trans-Neptunian Objects Perturbed by Planet Nine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadden, Sam; Li, Gongjie; Payne, Matthew J.; Holman, Matthew J.

2018-06-01

Observations of clustering among the orbits of the most distant trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) has inspired interest in the possibility of an undiscovered ninth planet lurking in the outskirts of the solar system. Numerical simulations by a number of authors have demonstrated that, with appropriate choices of planet mass and orbit, such a planet can maintain clustering in the orbital elements of the population of distant TNOs, similar to the observed sample. However, many aspects of the rich underlying dynamical processes induced by such a distant eccentric perturber have not been fully explored. We report the results of our investigation of the dynamics of coplanar test-particles that interact with a massive body on an circular orbit (Neptune) and a massive body on a more distant, highly eccentric orbit (the putative Planet Nine). We find that a detailed examination of our idealized simulations affords tremendous insight into the rich test-particle dynamics that are possible. In particular, we find that chaos and resonance overlap plays an important role in particles’ dynamical evolution. We develop a simple mapping model that allows us to understand, in detail, the web of overlapped mean-motion resonances explored by chaotically evolving particles. We also demonstrate that gravitational interactions with Neptune can have profound effects on the orbital evolution of particles. Our results serve as a starting point for a better understanding of the dynamical behavior observed in more complicated simulations that can be used to constrain the mass and orbit of Planet Nine.

Nodal Lymphangiogenesis and Metastasis

PubMed Central

Hirakawa, Satoshi; Detmar, Michael; Kerjaschki, Dontscho; Nagamatsu, Shogo; Matsuo, Keitaro; Tanemura, Atsushi; Kamata, Nobuyuki; Higashikawa, Koichiro; Okazaki, Hidenori; Kameda, Kenji; Nishida-Fukuda, Hisayo; Mori, Hideki; Hanakawa, Yasushi; Sayama, Koji; Shirakata, Yuji; Tohyama, Mikiko; Tokumaru, Sho; Katayama, Ichiro; Hashimoto, Koji

2009-01-01

Nodal lymphangiogenesis promotes distant lymph node (LN) metastasis in experimental cancer models. However, the role of nodal lymphangiogenesis in distant metastasis and in the overall survival of cancer patients remains unknown. Therefore, we investigated mechanisms that might facilitate regional and distant LN metastasis in extramammary Paget’s disease (EMPD). We retrospectively analyzed the impact of tumor-induced lymphatic vessel activation on the survival of 116 patients, the largest cohort with EMPD studied to date. Nodal lymphangiogenesis was significantly increased in metastatic, compared with tumor-free, LNs (P = 0.022). Increased lymphatic invasion within regional LNs was significantly associated with distant metastasis in LN (P = 0.047) and organs (P = 0.003). Thus, invasion within regional LNs is a powerful indicator of systemic tumor spread and reduced patient survival in EMPD (P = 0.0004). Lymphatic vessels associated with tumors expressed stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), whereas CXCR4 was expressed on invasive Paget cells undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like process. A431 cells overexpressing Snail expressed increased levels of CXCR4 in the presence of transforming growth factor-β1. Haptotactic migration assays confirmed that Snail-induced EMT-like process promotes tumor cell motility via the CXCR4-SDF-1 axis. Sinusoidal lymphatic endothelial cells and macrophages expressed SDF-1 in subcapsular sinuses of lymph nodes before Paget cell arrival. Our findings reveal that EMT-related features likely promote lymphatic metastasis of EMPD by activating the CXCR4-SDF-1 axis. PMID:19815713

Behind the Periscope: Leadership in China’s Navy

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

Spring Festival Distant Sea Voyage: A Complete Account of the North Sea Fleet’s Distant Seas Training Vessel Formation” (zhongguo haijun de ‘chunjie...staff VADM Du Jingchen.596 During the expedition, Yin convened a political working group which created a musical piece called “Song of the Gulf of Aden...Spring Festival Distant Sea Voyage: A Complete Account of the North Sea Fleet’s Distant Seas Training Vessel Formation” (zhongguo haijun de ‘chunjie

Systemic siRNA Nanoparticle-Based Drugs Combined with Radiofrequency Ablation for Cancer Therapy

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Muneeb; Kumar, Gaurav; Navarro, Gemma; Wang, Yuanguo; Gourevitch, Svetlana; Moussa, Marwan H.; Rozenblum, Nir; Levchenko, Tatyana; Galun, Eithan; Torchilin, Vladimir P.; Goldberg, S. Nahum

2015-01-01

Purpose Radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFA) of hepatic and renal tumors can be accompanied by non-desired tumorigenesis in residual, untreated tumor. Here, we studied the use of micelle-encapsulated siRNA to suppress IL-6-mediated local and systemic secondary effects of RFA. Methods We compared standardized hepatic or renal RFA (laparotomy, 1 cm active tip at 70±2°C for 5 min) and sham procedures without and with administration of 150nm micelle-like nanoparticle (MNP) anti-IL6 siRNA (DOPE-PEI conjugates, single IP dose 15 min post-RFA, C57Bl mouse:3.5 ug/100ml, Fisher 344 rat: 20ug/200ul), RFA/scrambled siRNA, and RFA/empty MNPs. Outcome measures included: local periablational cellular infiltration (α-SMA+ stellate cells), regional hepatocyte proliferation, serum/tissue IL-6 and VEGF levels at 6-72hr, and distant tumor growth, tumor proliferation (Ki-67) and microvascular density (MVD, CD34) in subcutaneous R3230 and MATBIII breast adenocarcinoma models at 7 days. Results For liver RFA, adjuvant MNP anti-IL6 siRNA reduced RFA-induced increases in tissue IL-6 levels, α-SMA+ stellate cell infiltration, and regional hepatocyte proliferation to baseline (p<0.04, all comparisons). Moreover, adjuvant MNP anti-IL6- siRNA suppressed increased distant tumor growth and Ki-67 observed in R3230 and MATBIII tumors post hepatic RFA (p<0.01). Anti-IL6 siRNA also reduced RFA-induced elevation in VEGF and tumor MVD (p<0.01). Likewise, renal RFA-induced increases in serum IL-6 levels and distant R3230 tumor growth was suppressed with anti-IL6 siRNA (p<0.01). Conclusions Adjuvant nanoparticle-encapsulated siRNA against IL-6 can be used to modulate local and regional effects of hepatic RFA to block potential unwanted pro-oncogenic effects of hepatic or renal RFA on distant tumor. PMID:26154425

Mucosal melanoma: pathogenesis, clinical behavior, and management.

PubMed

Postow, Michael A; Hamid, Omid; Carvajal, Richard D

2012-10-01

Mucosal melanoma represents a rare subtype of melanoma with distinct biological, clinical, and management considerations. Knowledge regarding optimal treatment strategies for mucosal melanoma is limited and based primarily upon small case series and single-institution, retrospective analyses. Surgery remains the standard of care for loco-regional management, but the common presence of multifocal disease and the high rate of distant recurrence should be considered before pursuing aggressive surgical interventions associated with inherent significant morbidity. The role of sentinel lymph node biopsy and lymph node dissection remains unclear. Radiotherapy has not been shown to improve overall survival but may reduce the rate of local recurrence. Significant advances in the treatment of metastatic disease have been made with novel immunotherapeutic agents, the discovery of KIT and BRAF mutations and the development of targeted agents that inhibit these oncogenic pathways.

The ISACA Business Model for Information Security: An Integrative and Innovative Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Roessing, Rolf

In recent years, information security management has matured into a professional discipline that covers both technical and managerial aspects in an organisational environment. Information security is increasingly dependent on business-driven parameters and interfaces to a variety of organisational units and departments. In contrast, common security models and frameworks have remained largely technical. A review of extant models ranging from [LaBe73] to more recent models shows that technical aspects are covered in great detail, while the managerial aspects of security are often neglected.Likewise, the business view on organisational security is frequently at odds with the demands of information security personnel or information technology management. In practice, senior and executive level management remain comparatively distant from technical requirements. As a result, information security is generally regarded as a cost factor rather than a benefit to the organisation.

Frequency and Correlates of Distant Visual Impairment in Patients with Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder.

PubMed

Zheng, W; Tang, L R; Correll, C U; Ungvari, G S; Chiu, H F K; Xiang, Y Q; Xiang, Y T

2015-09-01

Distant visual impairment in the severely mentally ill is under-researched. This study aimed to assess the frequency and correlates of distant visual impairment in a cohort of Chinese psychiatric patients, including its effect on their quality of life. Adult psychiatric inpatients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder consecutively admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Beijing, China underwent assessments of psychopathology (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology [Self-Report]), quality of life (12-item Short-Form Medical Outcomes Study [SF-12], 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire [NEI-VFQ25]), adverse effects (Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser Side Effect Rating Scale), and presenting (as opposed to uncorrected) distant visual acuity (Logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution [LogMAR] chart with patients wearing spectacles, if they owned them). Distant visual impairment was defined as binocular distant visual acuity of a LogMAR score of ≥ 0.5 (< 6/18 Snellen acuity). Among 356 patients who met the study criteria, the frequency of distant visual impairment was 12.6% (15.2% with schizophrenia, 11.9% with bipolar disorder, 8.8% with major depressive disorder). In multiple logistic regression analysis, distant visual impairment was significantly associated with ocular disease only (p = 0.002, odds ratio = 3.2, 95% confidence interval = 1.5-6.7). Controlling for the confounding effect of ocular disease, patients with distant visual impairment had a lower quality of life in the general vision domain of the NEI-VFQ25 (F[2, 353] = 9.5, p = 0.002) compared with those without. No differences in the physical and mental domains of the SF-12 and in other domains of the NEI-VFQ25 were noted in these 2 groups. One-eighth of middle-aged severely mentally ill patients had distant visual impairment. Considering the impact of distant visual impairment on daily functioning, severely mentally ill patients need to be screened for impaired eyesight as part of their comprehensive health assessment.

Addressing tomorrow's DMO technical challenges today

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milligan, James R.

2009-05-01

Distributed Mission Operations (DMO) is essentially a type of networked training that pulls in participants from all the armed services and, increasingly, allies to permit them to "game" and rehearse highly complex campaigns, using a mix of local, distant, and virtual players. The United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is pursuing Science and Technology (S&T) solutions to address technical challenges associated with distributed communications and information management as DMO continues to progressively scale up the number, diversity, and geographic dispersal of participants in training and rehearsal exercises.

The usefulness of Wi-Fi based digital chest drainage system in the post-operative care of pneumothorax.

PubMed

Cho, Hyun Min; Hong, Yoon Joo; Byun, Chun Sung; Hwang, Jung Joo

2016-03-01

Chest drainage systems are usually composed of chest tube and underwater-seal bottle. But this conventional system may restrict patients doing exercise and give clinicians obscure data about when to remove tubes because there is no objective indicator. Recently developed digital chest drainage systems may facilitate interpretation of the grade of air leak and make it easy for clinicians to decide when to remove chest tubes. In addition, with combination of wireless internet devices, monitoring and managing of drainage system distant from the patient is possible. Sixty patients of primary pneumothorax were included in a prospective randomized study and divided into two groups. Group I (study) consisted of digital chest drainage system while in group II (control), conventional underwater-seal chest bottle system was used. Data was collected from January, 2012 to September, 2013 in Eulji University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea. There was no difference in age, sex, smoking history and postoperative pain between two groups. But the average length of drainage was 2.2 days in group I and 3.1 days in group II (P<0.006). And more, about 90% of the patients in group I was satisfied with using new device for convenience. Digital system was beneficial on reducing the length of tube drainage by real time monitoring. It also had advantage in portability, loudness and gave more satisfaction than conventional system. Moreover, internet based digital drainage system will be a good method in thoracic telemedicine area in the near future.

A Ninth Planet in Our Solar System?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-01-01

The recent discovery that the orbits of some Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) share properties has proved puzzling. A pair of scientists have now proposed a bold explanation: there may be a planet-sized object yet undetected in our solar system.Mysterious ClusteringKBOs, the population of mainly small objects beyond Neptune, have proven an especially interesting subject of study in the last decade as many small, distant bodies (such as Eris, the object that led to the demotion of Pluto to dwarf planet) have been discovered.Previous studies have recently discovered that some especially distant KBOs those that orbit with semimajor axes of a 150 AU, nearly four times that of Pluto all cross the ecliptic at a similar phase in their elliptical trajectories. This is unexpected, since gravitational tugs from the giant planets should have randomized this parameter over our solar systems multi-billion-year lifespan.Physical alignment of the orbits of Kuiper belt objects with a 250 AU (and two objects with a 150 AU that are dynamically stable). [Batygin Brown 2016]Two scientists at California Institute of Technology, Konstantin Batygin and Michael Brown (you might recognize Brown as the man who killed Pluto) have now increased the mystery. In a recently published a study, they demonstrate that for KBOs that have orbits with a 250 AU, the orbits are actually physically aligned.To explain this unexpected alignment which Batygin and Brown calculate has only a 0.007% probability of having occurred by chance the authors ask an exciting question: could this be caused by the presence of an unseen, large, perturbing body further out in the solar system?Simulating a Ninth PlanetThe authors test this hypothesis by carrying out both analytical calculations and numerical N-body simulations designed to determine if the gravitational influence of a distant, planetary-mass companion can explain the behavior we observe from the large-orbit KBOs.Simulation of the effect of a distant planet (M = 10 M, a = 700 AU, and e = 0.6) on KBOs; click for a better look! The perihelion position of KBOs with a 250 AU clusters around 180 from the perihelion position of the perturbing planet. More-transparent points are less observable. [Batygin Brown 2016]The result? It turns out that such a distant planet can cause the orbits of KBOs with a 250 AU to all align in the opposite direction of the orbit of the planet. Whats more, the gravitational pull of this planet can also explain other unresolved puzzles about the Kuiper belt, such as the presence of high-perihelion Sedna-like objects, as well as a population of KBOs weve observed that have misaligned orbits.Unfortunately, Batygin and Brown found it isnt possible to exactly determine the properties of the possible planet, since multiple combinations of its mass, eccentricity, and semimajor axis can create the same observational results. That said, they believe the distant perturbers orbit is highly eccentric, its orbital inclination is low, and its fairly massive (since anything less than an Earth-mass wont create the observed clustering of KBO orbits within the age of the solar system).As an example, one possible set of parameters that approximately reproduces the observed KBO orbits is the following:planet mass of 10 Earth-massessemi-major axis of a = 700 AUeccentricity of e = 0.6This would correspond to a perihelion distance of 280 AU and an aphelion distance of 1,120 AU.The authors speculate such a planet might have been formed closer in to the Sun, but it was ejected later on during our solar systems evolution. Interactions with the Suns birth cluster could have then caused the planet to be retained in a bound orbit.Future TestsOur solar system on a logarithmic scale (click for the full view). KBOs with a semimajor axis of a 250 AU may be being aligned by a planetary-mass body with an even more distant orbit. [NASA]How can we test this hypothesis of a ninth planet? Obviously, directly observing the planet would confirm its presence. But the authors model has an additional testable hypothesis: if its correct, there should be a population of high-perihelion Kuiper belt objects that dont exhibit the same alignment of their orbits as the KBOs we know about, but instead have opposite-aligned orbits. If we discover such a collection of objects, that would be an excellent confirmation of this model.The authors caution that their work is preliminary, and additional investigation will be required to better understand the possibilities presented here. But with any luck, future theoretical work, as well as observational tests of this models predictions, will help us determine whether there might be a distant ninth planet in our solar system!BonusCheck out this video (created with WWT!), which walks us first through a view of the six aligned KBO orbits, then shows a possible orbit for the hypothesized planet, and then shows an additional population of already-discovered objects (also predicted by the model) that have orbits perpendicular both to the plane of the solar system and to the planets orbit. [Caltech/Robert Hurt]http://aasnova.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Planet9_anim_720.m4vCitationKonstantin Batygin and Michael E. Brown 2016 AJ 151 22. doi:10.3847/0004-6256/151/2/22

Autonomous Spacecraft Communication Interface for Load Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dever, Timothy P.; May, Ryan D.; Morris, Paul H.

2014-01-01

Ground-based controllers can remain in continuous communication with spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) with near-instantaneous communication speeds. This permits near real-time control of all of the core spacecraft systems by ground personnel. However, as NASA missions move beyond LEO, light-time communication delay issues, such as time lag and low bandwidth, will prohibit this type of operation. As missions become more distant, autonomous control of manned spacecraft will be required. The focus of this paper is the power subsystem. For present missions, controllers on the ground develop a complete schedule of power usage for all spacecraft components. This paper presents work currently underway at NASA to develop an architecture for an autonomous spacecraft, and focuses on the development of communication between the Mission Manager and the Autonomous Power Controller. These two systems must work together in order to plan future load use and respond to unanticipated plan deviations. Using a nominal spacecraft architecture and prototype versions of these two key components, a number of simulations are run under a variety of operational conditions, enabling development of content and format of the messages necessary to achieve the desired goals. The goals include negotiation of a load schedule that meets the global requirements (contained in the Mission Manager) and local power system requirements (contained in the Autonomous Power Controller), and communication of off-plan disturbances that arise while executing a negotiated plan. The message content is developed in two steps: first, a set of rapid-prototyping "paper" simulations are preformed; then the resultant optimized messages are codified for computer communication for use in automated testing.

Method and apparatus for determining return stroke polarity of distant lightning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blakeslee, Richard J. (Inventor); Brook, Marx (Inventor)

1992-01-01

A method is described for determining the return stroke polarity of distant lightning for distances beyond 600 km by detecting the electric field associated with a return stroke of distant lightning, and processing the electric field signal to determine the polarity of the slow tail of the VLF waveform signal associated with the detected electric field. The polarity of the return stroke of distant lightning is determined based upon the polarity of the slow tail portion of the waveform.

Method and apparatus for determining return stroke polarity of distant lightning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blakeslee, Richard J. (Inventor); Brook, Marx (Inventor)

1990-01-01

A method is described for determining the return stroke polarity of distant lightning for distances beyond 600 km by detecting the electric field associated with a return stroke of distant lightning, and processing the electric field signal to determine the polarity of the slow tail of the VLF waveform signal associated with the detected electric field. The polarity of the return stroke of distant lightning is determined based upon the polarity of the slow tail portion of the waveform.

A hospital microwave system for library telecommunication.

PubMed Central

Hempel, R M; Ward, B A

1988-01-01

The medical library of the Olin E. Teague Veterans' Center needed access to an online integrated library system at a site eighty miles away. The center already operated a tower-to-tower microwave for teleconferencing and the library was able to use this as a temporary means of communication with the distant online system. The microwave link performed satisfactorily, leading to consideration of its use for other library applications. PMID:3224225

A close-pair binary in a distant triple supermassive black hole system.

PubMed

Deane, R P; Paragi, Z; Jarvis, M J; Coriat, M; Bernardi, G; Fender, R P; Frey, S; Heywood, I; Klöckner, H-R; Grainge, K; Rumsey, C

2014-07-03

Galaxies are believed to evolve through merging, which should lead to some hosting multiple supermassive black holes. There are four known triple black hole systems, with the closest black hole pair being 2.4 kiloparsecs apart (the third component in this system is at 3 kiloparsecs), which is far from the gravitational sphere of influence (about 100 parsecs for a black hole with mass one billion times that of the Sun). Previous searches for compact black hole systems concluded that they were rare, with the tightest binary system having a separation of 7 parsecs (ref. 10). Here we report observations of a triple black hole system at redshift z = 0.39, with the closest pair separated by about 140 parsecs and significantly more distant from Earth than any other known binary of comparable orbital separation. The effect of the tight pair is to introduce a rotationally symmetric helical modulation on the structure of the large-scale radio jets, which provides a useful way to search for other tight pairs without needing extremely high resolution observations. As we found this tight pair after searching only six galaxies, we conclude that tight pairs are more common than hitherto believed, which is an important observational constraint for low-frequency gravitational wave experiments.

Etonogestrel implant migration to the vasculature, chest wall, and distant body sites: cases from a pharmacovigilance database.

PubMed

Kang, Sarah; Niak, Ali; Gada, Neha; Brinker, Allen; Jones, S Christopher

2017-12-01

To describe clinical outcomes of etonogestrel implant patients with migration to the vasculature, chest wall and other distant body sites spontaneously reported to the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. We performed a standardized Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) query in the FAERS database (through November 15, 2015), with reports coded with one or more MedDRA preferred terms that indicate complications with device placement or migration of the device from the original site of insertion to the vasculature, chest wall and other distant body sites. We excluded any cases previously described in the medical literature. We identified 38 cases of pronounced etonogestrel implant migration. Migration locations included the lung/pulmonary artery (n=9), chest wall (n=1), vasculature at locations other than the lung/pulmonary artery (n=14) and extravascular migrations (n=14) to other body sites (e.g., the axilla and clavicle/neck line/shoulder). The majority of cases were asymptomatic and detected when the patient desired implant removal; however, seven cases reported symptoms such as pain, discomfort and dyspnea in association with implant migration. Three cases also describe pulmonary fibrosis and skin reactions as a result of implant migration to the vasculature, chest wall and other distant body sites. Sixteen cases reported surgical removal in an operating room setting. Our FAERS case series demonstrates etonogestrel implant migration to the vasculature, chest wall and other body sites distant from the site of original insertion. As noted by the sponsor in current prescribing information, a key determinant in the risk for etonogestrel contraceptive implant migration appears to be improper insertion technique. Although migration of etonogestrel implants to the vasculature is rare, awareness of migration and education on proper insertion technique may reduce the risk. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Speaker diarization system on the 2007 NIST rich transcription meeting recognition evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Hanwu; Nwe, Tin Lay; Koh, Eugene Chin Wei; Bin, Ma; Li, Haizhou

2007-09-01

This paper presents a speaker diarization system developed at the Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) for NIST Rich Transcription 2007 (RT-07) evaluation task. We describe in details our primary approaches for the speaker diarization on the Multiple Distant Microphones (MDM) conditions in conference room scenario. Our proposed system consists of six modules: 1). Least-mean squared (NLMS) adaptive filter for the speaker direction estimate via Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), 2). An initial speaker clustering via two-stage TDOA histogram distribution quantization approach, 3). Multiple microphone speaker data alignment via GCC-PHAT Time Delay Estimate (TDE) among all the distant microphone channel signals, 4). A speaker clustering algorithm based on GMM modeling approach, 5). Non-speech removal via speech/non-speech verification mechanism and, 6). Silence removal via "Double-Layer Windowing"(DLW) method. We achieves error rate of 31.02% on the 2006 Spring (RT-06s) MDM evaluation task and a competitive overall error rate of 15.32% for the NIST Rich Transcription 2007 (RT-07) MDM evaluation task.

Long-term allergic dermatitis caused by sevoflurane: a clinical report.

PubMed

Lloréns Herrerias, J; Delgado Navarro, C; Ballester Luján, M T; Izquierdo Palomares, A

2014-10-01

Allergy to volatile anaesthetics is extremely rare, but capable of damaging the professional career. This article presents the case of a 60-year-old surgeon who developed a skin rash on the reverse of hands, which progressively worsened and extended to distant fold areas. Blood tests were normal but for eosinophilia and risen total IgE, with normal specific globulins and skin prick tests for common allergens. After 8 years, a malfunction in the anaesthetic gas scavenging system was found, and symptoms remitted within a week following its replacement. Repeated open application test with sevoflurane led to the appearance of the same lesions in the tested areas and in distant body folds. We hypothesize that the most probable mechanism for the reaction in our patient is systemic allergic contact dermatitis, which is caused by repeated systemic exposure to a hapten that reaches the skin through haematogenous transport in a sensitized patient. The report aims to warn about the potential aetiological relationship between exposure to inhaled anaesthetics and allergic manifestations with cutaneous symptoms. © 2014 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Deterministic Teleportation of Multi-qudit States in a Network via Various Probabilistic Channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ti-Hang; Jiang, Min; Huang, Xu; Wan, Min

2014-04-01

In this paper, we present a generalized approach to faithfully teleport an unknown state of a multi-qudit system involving multi spatially remote agents via various probabilistic channels. In a quantum teleportation network, there are generally multi spatially remote relay agents between a sender and a distant receiver. With the assistance of the relay agents, it is possible to directly construct a deterministic channel between the sender and the distant receiver. In our scheme, different from previous probabilistic teleportation protocols, the integrity of the unknown multi-qudit state could be maintained even when the construction of faithful channel fails. Our results also show that the required auxiliary particle resources, local operations and classical communications are considerably reduced for the present purpose.

Compressive Sensing for DoD Sensor Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-01

Schmidt (1963) [45] indicated a cosmologically distant, extremely luminous object, the first example of a quasar - an accretion-powered black hole at...evaluating cosmological models and for determining key cos- mological parameters. Sparsity up to the m-degeneracy is independent of the choice of

Development of a Probabilistic Decision-Support Model to Forecast Coastal Resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, K.; Safak, I.; Brenner, O.; Lentz, E. E.; Hapke, C. J.

2016-02-01

Site-specific forecasts of coastal change are a valuable management tool in preparing for and assessing storm-driven impacts in coastal areas. More specifically, understanding the likelihood of storm impacts, recovery following events, and the alongshore variability of both is central in evaluating vulnerability and resiliency of barrier islands. We introduce a probabilistic modeling framework that integrates hydrodynamic, anthropogenic, and morphologic components of the barrier system to evaluate coastal change at Fire Island, New York. The model is structured on a Bayesian network (BN), which utilizes observations to learn statistical relationships between system variables. In addition to predictive ability, probabilistic models convey the level of confidence associated with a prediction, an important consideration for coastal managers. Our model predicts the likelihood of morphologic change on the upper beach based on several decades of beach monitoring data. A coupled hydrodynamic BN combines probabilistic and deterministic modeling approaches; by querying nearly two decades of nested-grid wave simulations that account for both distant swells and local seas, we produce scenarios of event and seasonal wave climates. The wave scenarios of total water level - a sum of run up, surge and tide - and anthropogenic modification are the primary drivers of morphologic change in our model structure. Preliminary results show the hydrodynamic BN is able to reproduce time series of total water levels, a critical validation process before generating scenarios, and forecasts of geomorphic change over three month intervals are up to 70% accurate. Predictions of storm-induced change and recovery are linked to evaluate zones of persistent vulnerability or resilience and will help managers target restoration efforts, identify areas most vulnerable to habitat degradation, and highlight resilient zones that may best support relocation of critical infrastructure.

What Is the Impact of Video Conferencing on the Teaching and Learning of a Foreign Language in Primary Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gruson, Brigitte; Barnes, Francoise

2012-01-01

Under the French national project "1000 video conferencing systems for primary schools", a growing number of schools are being equipped of video conferencing systems. The assumption underlying this project is that, by putting students in a position to communicate with distant native speakers, it will enable them to improve their oral and…

Analysis of Funding Issues Related to Distance Learning in the North Carolina Community College System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Brenda

The enrollment in North Carolina Community College System's (NCCCS) distant-learning courses in 1999-2000 totaled 44,349, an increase of 11,000 compared with 1998-99. During its 2000 legislative session, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a special provision requiring the NCCCS to conduct a study of funding methods and delivery of distance…

Periodontitis: from microbial immune subversion to systemic inflammation

PubMed Central

Hajishengallis, George

2014-01-01

Periodontitis is a dysbiotic inflammatory disease with an adverse impact on systemic health. Recent studies have provided insights into the emergence and persistence of dysbiotic oral microbial communities, which can mediate inflammatory pathology at local as well as distant sites. This Review discusses mechanisms of microbial immune subversion that tip the balance from homeostasis to disease in oral or extraoral sites. PMID:25534621

A Demonstration Setup to Simulate Detection of Planets outside the Solar System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choopan, W.; Ketpichainarong, W.; Laosinchai, P.; Panijpan, B.

2011-01-01

We constructed a simple demonstration setup to simulate an extrasolar planet and its star revolving around the system's centre of mass. Periodic dimming of light from the star by the transiting planet and the star's orbital revolution simulate the two major ways of deducing the presence of an exoplanet near a distant star. Apart from being a…

Long-term effects of musical training and functional plasticity in salience system.

PubMed

Luo, Cheng; Tu, Shipeng; Peng, Yueheng; Gao, Shan; Li, Jianfu; Dong, Li; Li, Gujing; Lai, Yongxiu; Li, Hong; Yao, Dezhong

2014-01-01

Musicians undergoing long-term musical training show improved emotional and cognitive function, which suggests the presence of neuroplasticity. The structural and functional impacts of the human brain have been observed in musicians. In this study, we used data-driven functional connectivity analysis to map local and distant functional connectivity in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 28 professional musicians and 28 nonmusicians. Compared with nonmusicians, musicians exhibited significantly greater local functional connectivity density in 10 regions, including the bilateral dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, and anterior temporoparietal junction. A distant functional connectivity analysis demonstrated that most of these regions were included in salience system, which is associated with high-level cognitive control and fundamental attentional process. Additionally, musicians had significantly greater functional integration in this system, especially for connections to the left insula. Increased functional connectivity between the left insula and right temporoparietal junction may be a response to long-term musical training. Our findings indicate that the improvement of salience network is involved in musical training. The salience system may represent a new avenue for exploration regarding the underlying foundations of enhanced higher-level cognitive processes in musicians.

Complexity and spectral analysis of the heart rate variability dynamics for distant prediction of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with artificial intelligence methods.

PubMed

Chesnokov, Yuriy V

2008-06-01

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is a serious arrhythmia associated with morbidity and mortality. We explore the possibility of distant prediction of PAF by analyzing changes in heart rate variability (HRV) dynamics of non-PAF rhythms immediately before PAF event. We use that model for distant prognosis of PAF onset with artificial intelligence methods. We analyzed 30-min non-PAF HRV records from 51 subjects immediately before PAF onset and at least 45min distant from any PAF event. We used spectral and complexity analysis with sample (SmEn) and approximate (ApEn) entropies and their multiscale versions on extracted HRV data. We used that features to train the artificial neural networks (ANNs) and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers to differentiate the subjects. The trained classifiers were further tested for distant PAF event prognosis on 16 subjects from independent database on non-PAF rhythm lasting from 60 to 320 min before PAF onset classifying the 30-min segments as distant or leading to PAF. We found statistically significant increase in 30-min non-PAF HRV recordings from 51 subjects in the VLF, LF, HF bands and total power (p<0.0001) before PAF event compared to PAF distant ones. The SmEn and ApEn analysis provided significant decrease in complexity (p<0.0001 and p<0.001) before PAF onset. For training ANN and SVM classifiers the data from 51 subjects were randomly split to training, validation and testing. ANN provided better results in terms of sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp) and positive predictivity (Pp) compared to SVM which became biased towards positive case. The validation results of the ANN classifier we achieved: Se 76%, Sp 93%, Pp 94%. Testing ANN and SVM classifiers on 16 subjects with non-PAF HRV data preceding PAF events we obtained distant prediction of PAF onset with SVM classifier in 10 subjects (58+/-18 min in advance). ANN classifier provided distant prediction of PAF event in 13 subjects (62+/-21 min in advance). From the results of distant PAF prediction we conclude that ANN and SVM classifiers learned the changes in the HRV dynamics immediately before PAF event and successfully identified them during distant PAF prognosis on independent database. This confirms the reported in the literature results that corresponding changes in the HRV data occur about 60 min before PAF onset and proves the possibility of distant PAF prediction with ANN and SVM methods.

Stand-off molecular composition analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, Gary B.; Lubin, Philip; Meinhold, Peter; O'Neill, Hugh; Brashears, Travis; Zhang, Qicheng; Griswold, Janelle; Riley, Jordan; Motta, Caio

2015-09-01

Molecular composition of distant stars is explored by observing absorption spectra. The star produces blackbody radiation that passes through the molecular cloud of vaporized material surrounding the star. Characteristic absorption lines are discernible with a spectrometer, and molecular composition is investigated by comparing spectral observations with known material profiles. Most objects in the solar system—asteroids, comets, planets, moons—are too cold to be interrogated in this manner. Molecular clouds around cold objects consist primarily of volatiles, so bulk composition cannot be probed. Additionally, low volatile density does not produce discernible absorption lines in the faint signal generated by low blackbody temperatures. This paper describes a system for probing the molecular composition of cold solar system targets from a distant vantage. The concept utilizes a directed energy beam to melt and vaporize a spot on a distant target, such as from a spacecraft orbiting the object. With sufficient flux (~10 MW/m2), the spot temperature rises rapidly (to ~2 500 K), and evaporation of all materials on the target surface occurs. The melted spot creates a high-temperature blackbody source, and ejected material creates a molecular plume in front of the spot. Bulk composition is investigated by using a spectrometer to view the heated spot through the ejected material. Spatial composition maps could be created by scanning the surface. Applying the beam to a single spot continuously produces a borehole, and shallow sub-surface composition profiling is also possible. Initial simulations of absorption profiles with laser heating show great promise for molecular composition analysis.

OBSERVATIONAL SIGNATURES OF A MASSIVE DISTANT PLANET ON THE SCATTERING DISK

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

Lawler, S. M.; Kavelaars, J. J.; Shankman, C.

The orbital element distribution of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) with large pericenters has been suggested to be influenced by the presence of an undetected, large planet at >200 au from the Sun. To find additional observables caused by this scenario, we present here the first detailed emplacement simulation in the presence of a massive ninth planet on the distant Kuiper Belt. We perform 4 Gyr N -body simulations with the currently known solar system planetary architecture, plus a 10  M {sub ⊕} planet with similar orbital parameters to those suggested by Trujillo and Sheppard or Batygin and Brown, and 10{sup 5} testmore » particles in an initial planetesimal disk. We find that including a distant super-Earth-mass planet produces a substantially different orbital distribution for the scattering and detached TNOs, raising the pericenters and inclinations of moderate semimajor axis (50 <  a  < 500 au) objects. We test whether this signature is detectable via a simulator with the observational characteristics of four precisely characterized TNO surveys. We find that the qualitatively very distinct solar system models that include a ninth planet are essentially observationally indistinguishable from an outer solar system produced solely by the four giant planets. We also find that the mass of the Kuiper Belt’s current scattering and detached populations is required to be 3–10 times larger in the presence of an additional planet. We do not find any evidence for clustering of orbital angles in our simulated TNO population. Wide-field, deep surveys targeting inclined high-pericenter objects will be required to distinguish between these different scenarios.« less

Breast cancer in young women in a limited-resource environment.

PubMed

Basro, Sarinah; Apffelstaedt, Justus P

2010-07-01

Despite the higher incidence of breast cancer in young women in developing countries, there is a paucity of data on their management. We present the clinicopathological features and outcome of treatment of women 35 years or younger with breast cancer in a resource-restricted environment. A total of 141 patients who were diagnosed with primary breast cancer at 35 years or younger from January 2000 to June 2008 were retrieved from the cancer registry of a breast clinic at a tertiary hospital and a private breast health center in South Africa. Clinicopathological features, treatment, and survival were analyzed. Two patients presented with TNM stage 0 (1.4%), 14 with stage I (9.9%), 47 with stage II (33.35%), 47 with stage III (33.3%), and 31 with stage IV (21.9%). Tumor grade was 3 in 47%, grade 2 in 37%, and grade 1 in 16% of patients. One hundred and four patients with stage 0-III disease underwent treatment with curative intent, 83 had a mastectomy, and 12 had breast-conserving surgery. Ninety patients (86.5%) had chemotherapy, 68 (65.4%) had radiotherapy, and 50 (48.1%) had hormonal therapy. Of 93 patients who completed primary therapy, 4 developed contralateral cancers, 3 had locoregional recurrence, 8 developed synchronous locoregional and distant recurrence, and 19 relapsed with distant metastasis only. The 2-year disease-free and overall survival for stage 0-III disease was 48 and 56%, respectively. Young women with breast cancer in a resource-limited environment have similar adverse clinicopathological features to those in developed countries. Their disease is more advanced at presentation with poorer outcome. Increased awareness, better systemic therapy, and more comprehensive genetic studies are essential to improve the dismal outcome.

General consumer communication tools for improved image management and communication in medicine.

PubMed

Rosset, Chantal; Rosset, Antoine; Ratib, Osman

2005-12-01

We elected to explore new technologies emerging on the general consumer market that can improve and facilitate image and data communication in medical and clinical environment. These new technologies developed for communication and storage of data can improve the user convenience and facilitate the communication and transport of images and related data beyond the usual limits and restrictions of a traditional picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) network. We specifically tested and implemented three new technologies provided on Apple computer platforms. (1) We adopted the iPod, a MP3 portable player with a hard disk storage, to easily and quickly move large number of DICOM images. (2) We adopted iChat, a videoconference and instant-messaging software, to transmit DICOM images in real time to a distant computer for conferencing teleradiology. (3) Finally, we developed a direct secure interface to use the iDisk service, a file-sharing service based on the WebDAV technology, to send and share DICOM files between distant computers. These three technologies were integrated in a new open-source image navigation and display software called OsiriX allowing for manipulation and communication of multimodality and multidimensional DICOM image data sets. This software is freely available as an open-source project at http://homepage.mac.com/rossetantoine/OsiriX. Our experience showed that the implementation of these technologies allowed us to significantly enhance the existing PACS with valuable new features without any additional investment or the need for complex extensions of our infrastructure. The added features such as teleradiology, secure and convenient image and data communication, and the use of external data storage services open the gate to a much broader extension of our imaging infrastructure to the outside world.

Assessment of the Role of Different Imaging Modalities with Emphasis on Fdg Pet/Ct in the Management of Well Differentiated Thyroid Cancer (WDTC).

PubMed

Kendi A, Tuba Karagulle; Mudalegundi, Shwetha; Switchenko, Jeffrey; Lee, Daniel; Halkar, Raghuveer; Chen, Amy Y

2016-01-01

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography is suggested to have a role in detection of iodine negative recurrence in well differentiated thyroid cancer. The aim of this study is to identify role of different imaging modalities in the management of well differentiated thyroid cancer. We reviewed 900 well differentiated thyroid cancer patients after post-thyroidectomy who underwent recombinant human thyroid stimulating hormone stimulated Sodium Iodide I 131 imaging. Out of 900 patients, 74 had positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Multivariate analysis was performed by controlling positron emission tomography/computed tomography, Sodium Iodide I 131 scan, neck ultrasonography, age, sex, primary tumor size, stage, histology, thyroglobulin. Patients were grouped according to results of Sodium Iodide I 131 scan and positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography was positive in 23 of 74 patients. The sensitivity for positron emission tomography was 11/11(100%), the specificity was 51/63 (81.0%), the positive predictive value was 11/23 (47.8%), and the negative predictive value was 51/51 (100%). The sensitivity for the neck ultrasonography was 4/8 (50%), the specificity was 53/60 (88.3%), positive predictive value was 4/11 (36.4%), and negative predictive value was 53/57 (93.0%). 50% of patients who had Sodium Iodide I 131 negative scan and positive positron emission tomography/computed tomography had a change in management. Thirty-six percent with positive neck ultrasonography had a change in management. Out of 11 recurrences, 6 had distant metastatic disease, and 5/11 had regional nodal disease. Neck ultrasonography showed nodal metastasis in 4/5 (80%). Positron emission tomography/computed tomography altered management in the presence of a high thyroglobulin level and a negative Sodium Iodide I 131 scan. Neck ultrasonography should be the first line of imaging with rising thyroglobulin levels. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography should be considered for cases with high thyroglobulin levels and normal neck ultrasonography to look for distant metastatic disease.

Distant and Distributed Learners Are Two Sides of the Same Coin.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barron, Brette Barclay

2002-01-01

An academic librarian at the University of South Carolina, faced with providing online resources for distant and distributed learners, examines whether there is any difference between distant and distributed learners. Illustrates changes brought on by implementation of information technologies. Discusses seeking a new definition, meeting…

Long-term outcomes among breast cancer patients with extensive regional lymph node involvement: implications for locoregional management.

PubMed

Braunstein, Lior Z; Galland-Girodet, Sigolene; Goldberg, Saveli; Warren, Laura E G; Sadek, Betro T; Shenouda, Mina N; Abi-Raad, Rita F; MacDonald, Shannon M; Taghian, Alphonse G

2015-12-01

Extensive lymph node (LN) involvement portends significant risk for distant metastasis (DM) among breast cancer patients. As a result, local management may be of secondary import to systemic control in this population. We analyzed patients with ≥10 involved LNs (N3) to evaluate the feasibility of breast conserving therapy (BCT) vs modified radical mastectomy (MRM) in this high-risk cohort. Among 98 women with N3 disease 46 (46.9%) underwent BCT and 52 (53.1%) received MRM. Nearly all patients (92%) received comprehensive radiotherapy (RT) including axillary and supraclavicular fields. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analyses were used to analyze time-to-event outcomes. Median follow-up was 76 months, with a 5-year DFS of 64.9% and OS of 71.9% among the cohort. Poorly differentiated (p = 0.007), ER-negative tumors (p = 0.015) had adverse DFS outcomes. Treatment groups did not differ with regard to 10-year DFS (45.4% for MRM vs. 57.6% for BCT; p = 0.31), or OS (61.4 vs. 63.7%; p = 0.79). DM-free survival was 48.9% following MRM and 60.6% following BCT (p = 0.19). Patients with ≥10 involved LNs have similar outcomes following BCT or MRM, suggesting that RT may obviate the need for more-extensive surgery. While local control is comparably favorable regardless of surgical approach, systemic control remains a challenge in this population.

Divide and Conquer: A Valid Approach for Risk Assessment and Decision Making under Uncertainty for Groundwater-Related Diseases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Vila, X.; de Barros, F.; Bolster, D.; Nowak, W.

2010-12-01

Assessing the potential risk of hydro(geo)logical supply systems to human population is an interdisciplinary field. It relies on the expertise in fields as distant as hydrogeology, medicine, or anthropology, and needs powerful translation concepts to provide decision support and policy making. Reliable health risk estimates need to account for the uncertainties in hydrological, physiological and human behavioral parameters. We propose the use of fault trees to address the task of probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) and to support related management decisions. Fault trees allow decomposing the assessment of health risk into individual manageable modules, thus tackling a complex system by a structural “Divide and Conquer” approach. The complexity within each module can be chosen individually according to data availability, parsimony, relative importance and stage of analysis. The separation in modules allows for a true inter- and multi-disciplinary approach. This presentation highlights the three novel features of our work: (1) we define failure in terms of risk being above a threshold value, whereas previous studies used auxiliary events such as exceedance of critical concentration levels, (2) we plot an integrated fault tree that handles uncertainty in both hydrological and health components in a unified way, and (3) we introduce a new form of stochastic fault tree that allows to weaken the assumption of independent subsystems that is required by a classical fault tree approach. We illustrate our concept in a simple groundwater-related setting.

Evolutionary and Historical Aspects of the Burden of Malaria

PubMed Central

Carter, Richard; Mendis, Kamini N.

2002-01-01

Malaria is among the oldest of diseases. In one form or another, it has infected and affected our ancestors since long before the origin of the human line. During our recent evolution, its influence has probably been greater than that of any other infectious agent. Here we attempt to trace the forms and impacts of malaria from a distant past through historical times to the present. In the last sections, we review the current burdens of malaria across the world and discuss present-day approaches to its management. Only by following, or attempting to follow, malaria throughout its evolution and history can we understand its character and so be better prepared for our future management of this ancient ill. PMID:12364370

Low joining efficiency and non-conservative repair of two distant double-strand breaks in mouse embryonic stem cells.

PubMed

Boubakour-Azzouz, Imenne; Ricchetti, Miria

2008-02-01

Efficient and faithful repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is critical for genome stability. To understand whether cells carrying a functional repair apparatus are able to efficiently heal two distant chromosome ends and whether this DNA lesion might result in genome rearrangements, we induced DSBs in genetically modified mouse embryonic stem cells carrying two I-SceI sites in cis separated by a distance of 9 kbp. We show that in this context non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) can repair using standard DNA pairing of the broken ends, but it also joins 3' non-complementary overhangs that require unusual joining intermediates. The repair efficiency of this lesion appears to be dramatically low and the extent of genome alterations was high in striking contrast with the spectra of repair events reported for two collinear DSBs in other experimental systems. The dramatic decline in accuracy suggests that significant constraints operate in the repair process of these distant DSBs, which may also control the low efficiency of this process. These findings provide important insights into the mechanism of repair by NHEJ and how this process may protect the genome from large rearrangements.

Anisotropies and flows of suprathermal particles in the distant magnetotail - ISEE 3 observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scholer, M.; Hovestadt, D.; Klecker, B.; Gloeckler, G.; Ipavich, F. M.; Fan, C. Y.

1983-01-01

The ISEE-3 spacecraft has been transferred in 1982 into an earth orbit which brings the satellite close to the tailward Lagrangian point L2 at about 220 R(E) and thus allows exploration of the distant geomagnetic tail. An initial analysis of energetic proton measurements greater than 30 keV from the Max-Planck-Institut/University of Maryland sensor system on ISEE-3 is reported. It has been found that suprathermal protons are a persistent feature of the distant tail. Differential intensitites at 30 keV are essentially constant between the lunar distance and 220 R(E) and about one order of magnitude smaller than in the near earth, or greater than about 20 R(E), plasma sheet. Assuming that these protons are convected with the local plasma flow, it is possible to derive plasma velocities. During time periods where a comparison is possible, these velocities compare favourably well with the velocities derived from the Los Alamos National Laboratory plasma analyzer on board the same spacecraft. The appearance of the plasma sheet, as evidenced by the suprathermal particles, is rather bursty. Anisotropies are large, and predominantly tailward.

Astronauts Yvonne Cagle and Ellen Ochoa participate in a women's forum at the Apollo/Saturn V Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Astronaut Yvonne Cagle (left); Jennifer Harris (center); the Mars 2001 Operations System Development Manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory; and Astronaut Ellen Ochoa (right) participate in a panel about 'Past, Present and Future of Space,' held at a women's forum in the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The forum included a welcome by Center Director Roy Bridges and remarks by Donna Shalala, secretary of Department of Health and Human Services. The attendees are planning to view the launch of STS-93 at the Banana Creek viewing site. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. Liftoff is scheduled for July 20 at 12:36 a.m. EDT.

A Summary of - An Earth-to-Deep Space Communications System with Adaptive Tilt and Scintillation Correction Using Near-Earth Relay Mirrors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armstrong, J. W.; Yeh, C.; Wilson, K. E.

1998-01-01

Optical telecommunication will be the next technology for wide-band Earth/space communication. Uncompensated propagation through the Earth's atmosphere (e.g., scintillation and wavefront tilt) fundamentally degrade communication to distant spcaecraft.

When Bad Masks Turn Good

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abraham, Roberto G.

In keeping with the spirit of a meeting on ‘masks,' this talk presents two short stories on the theme of dust. In the first, dust plays the familiar role of the evil obscurer, the enemy to bedefeated by the cunning observer in order to allow a key future technology (adaptive optics) to be exploited fully by heroic astronomers. In the second story, dust itself emerges as the improbable hero, in the form of a circumstellar debris disks. I will present evidence of a puzzling near-infrared excess in the continuum of high-redshift galaxies and will argue that the seemingly improbable origin of this IR excess is a population of young circumstellar disks formed around high-mass stars in distant galaxies. Assuming circumstellar disks extend down to lower masses,as they do in our own Galaxy, the excess emission presents us with an exciting opportunity to measure the formation rate of planetary systems in distant galaxies at cosmic epochs before our own solar system formed.

New Horizons High-Phase Observations of Distant Kuiper Belt Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verbiscer, A.; Porter, S.; Spencer, J. R.; Buie, M. W.; Benecchi, S.; Weaver, H. A., Jr.; Buratti, B. J.; Ennico Smith, K.; Olkin, C.; Stern, S. A.; Young, L. A.; Cheng, A. F.

2017-12-01

From its unique vantage point far from the Sun, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has observed Kuiper Belt Objects at separations ranging from 0.1 to 70 AU, and at solar phase angles far larger than those attainable from Earth. We have constructed the first KBO solar phase curves with substantial phase angle coverage for targets including Haumea, Makemake, Quaoar, Arawn (Porter et al. 2016, Astrophys. J. Lett. 828, L15), and 2002 MS4. We compare the phase functions of these KBOs with those of objects in the Pluto system and other Solar System bodies such as comets, asteroids, and icy satellites. For KBOs with known geometric albedos, these measurements enable calculation of the phase integral, an important photometric property that characterizes the energy balance on a distant KBO surface. During its approach to 2014 MU69, and following its close encounter on 1 January 2019, New Horizons will continue to exploit its capabilities as NASA's only observatory within the Kuiper Belt itself.

Genetic identification of a common collagen disease in Puerto Ricans via identity-by-descent mapping in a health system

PubMed Central

Belbin, Gillian Morven; Odgis, Jacqueline; Sorokin, Elena P; Yee, Muh-Ching; Kohli, Sumita; Glicksberg, Benjamin S; Gignoux, Christopher R; Wojcik, Genevieve L; Van Vleck, Tielman; Jeff, Janina M; Linderman, Michael; Schurmann, Claudia; Ruderfer, Douglas; Cai, Xiaoqiang; Merkelson, Amanda; Justice, Anne E; Young, Kristin L; Graff, Misa; North, Kari E; Peters, Ulrike; James, Regina; Hindorff, Lucia; Kornreich, Ruth; Edelmann, Lisa; Gottesman, Omri; Stahl, Eli EA; Cho, Judy H; Loos, Ruth JF; Bottinger, Erwin P; Nadkarni, Girish N; Abul-Husn, Noura S

2017-01-01

Achieving confidence in the causality of a disease locus is a complex task that often requires supporting data from both statistical genetics and clinical genomics. Here we describe a combined approach to identify and characterize a genetic disorder that leverages distantly related patients in a health system and population-scale mapping. We utilize genomic data to uncover components of distant pedigrees, in the absence of recorded pedigree information, in the multi-ethnic BioMe biobank in New York City. By linking to medical records, we discover a locus associated with both elevated genetic relatedness and extreme short stature. We link the gene, COL27A1, with a little-known genetic disease, previously thought to be rare and recessive. We demonstrate that disease manifests in both heterozygotes and homozygotes, indicating a common collagen disorder impacting up to 2% of individuals of Puerto Rican ancestry, leading to a better understanding of the continuum of complex and Mendelian disease. PMID:28895531

Biofeedback for Better Vision

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

Biofeedtrac, Inc.'s Accommotrac Vision Trainer, invented by Dr. Joseph Trachtman, is based on vision research performed by Ames Research Center and a special optometer developed for the Ames program by Stanford Research Institute. In the United States, about 150 million people are myopes (nearsighted), who tend to overfocus when they look at distant objects causing blurry distant vision, or hyperopes (farsighted), whose vision blurs when they look at close objects because they tend to underfocus. The Accommotrac system is an optical/electronic system used by a doctor as an aid in teaching a patient how to contract and relax the ciliary body, the focusing muscle. The key is biofeedback, wherein the patient learns to control a bodily process or function he is not normally aware of. Trachtman claims a 90 percent success rate for correcting, improving or stopping focusing problems. The Vision Trainer has also proved effective in treating other eye problems such as eye oscillation, cross eyes, and lazy eye and in professional sports to improve athletes' peripheral vision and reaction time.

Debiasing the Distant Solar System Populations Using Pan-STARRS1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lilly Schunova, Eva; Weryk, Robert J.; Chastel, Serge; Denneau, Larry; Jedicke, Robert; Wainscoat, Richard J.; Chambers, Kenneth C.

2017-10-01

We discuss our on-going effort to identify Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) in the Pan-STARRS1 dataset, and to debias the size-frequency distributions (SFD) of detected TNO sub-populations in order to estimate their true population sizes. To measure our detection efficiency we used the model of Grav et al. (2011)[1], which includes Kuiper belt Objects (KBOs), Scattered Disc Objects (SDOs), and Centaurs. Our debiasing method accounts for the per-chip CCD sensitivity as well as CCD cell gaps. The search method for finding distant Solar System objects, which was developed for our initial work (Weryk et al., 2016)[2], led to discovery of 29 Centaurs, 243 KBOs and 61 SDOs from Pan-STARRS data spanning years 2010-2015. Our work is extended using more recent PS1 data.[1] Grav, T., et al. (2011), Publications of the Astronomical Society of Pacific, Volume 123, Issue 902, pp. 423.[2] Weryk, R.J., et al. (2016), eprint arXiv:1607.04895.

Hazard-Rate Analysis and Patterns of Recurrence in Early Stage Melanoma: Moving towards a Rationally Designed Surveillance Strategy

PubMed Central

Scheri, Randall P.; Pruitt, Scott K.; Herndon, James E.; Marcello, Jennifer; Tyler, Douglas S.; Abernethy, Amy P.

2013-01-01

Background While curable at early stages, few treatment options exist for advanced melanoma. Currently, no consensus exists regarding the optimal surveillance strategy for patients after resection. The objectives of this study were to identify patterns of metastatic recurrence, to determine the influence of metastatic site on survival, and to identify high-risk periods for recurrence. Methods A retrospective review of the Duke Melanoma Database from 1970 to 2004 was conducted that focused on patients who were initially diagnosed without metastatic disease. The time to first recurrence was computed from the date of diagnosis, and the associated hazard function was examined to determine the peak risk period of recurrence. Metastatic sites were coded by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) system including local skin, distant skin and nodes (M1a), lung (M1b), and other distant (M1c). Results Of 11,615 patients initially diagnosed without metastatic disease, 4616 (40%) had at least one recurrence. Overall the risk of initial recurrence peaked at 12 months. The risk of initial recurrence at the local skin, distant skin, and nodes peaked at 8 months, and the risk at lung and other distant sites peaked at 24 months. Patients with a cutaneous or nodal recurrence had improved survival compared to other recurrence types. Conclusions The risk of developing recurrent melanoma peaked at one year, and the site of first recurrence had a significant impact on survival. Defining the timing and expected patterns of recurrence will be important in creating an optimized surveillance strategy for this patient population. PMID:23516415

Recurrence risk perception and quality of life following treatment of breast cancer.

PubMed

Hawley, Sarah T; Janz, Nancy K; Griffith, Kent A; Jagsi, Reshma; Friese, Christopher R; Kurian, Allison W; Hamilton, Ann S; Ward, Kevin C; Morrow, Monica; Wallner, Lauren P; Katz, Steven J

2017-02-01

Little is known about different ways of assessing risk of distant recurrence following cancer treatment (e.g., numeric or descriptive). We sought to evaluate the association between overestimation of risk of distant recurrence of breast cancer and key patient-reported outcomes, including quality of life and worry. We surveyed a weighted random sample of newly diagnosed patients with early-stage breast cancer identified through SEER registries of Los Angeles County & Georgia (2013-14) ~2 months after surgery (N = 2578, RR = 71%). Actual 10-year risk of distant recurrence after treatment was based on clinical factors for women with DCIS & low-risk invasive cancer (Stg 1A, ER+, HER2-, Gr 1-2). Women reported perceptions of their risk numerically (0-100%), with values ≥10% for DCIS & ≥20% for invasive considered overestimates. Perceptions of "moderate, high or very high" risk were considered descriptive overestimates. In our analytic sample (N = 927), we assessed factors correlated with both types of overestimation and report multivariable associations between overestimation and QoL (PROMIS physical & mental health) and frequent worry. 30.4% of women substantially overestimated their risk of distant recurrence numerically and 14.7% descriptively. Few factors other than family history were significantly associated with either type of overestimation. Both types of overestimation were significantly associated with frequent worry, and lower QoL. Ensuring understanding of systemic recurrence risk, particularly among patients with favorable prognosis, is important. Better risk communication by clinicians may translate to better risk comprehension among patients and to improvements in QoL.

Progression of understanding for the role of Epstein-Barr virus and management of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PubMed

Nakanishi, Yosuke; Wakisaka, Naohiro; Kondo, Satoru; Endo, Kazuhira; Sugimoto, Hisashi; Hatano, Miyako; Ueno, Takayoshi; Ishikawa, Kazuya; Yoshizaki, Tomokazu

2017-09-01

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is very common in southern China and Southeast Asia. In regions where NPC is endemic, undifferentiated subtypes constitute most cases and are invariably associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, whereas the differentiated subtype is more common in other parts of the world. Undifferentiated NPC is a unique malignancy with regard to its epidemiology, etiology, and clinical presentation. Clinically, NPC is highly invasive and metastatic, but sensitive to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT). Overall prognosis has dramatically improved over the past three decades because of advances in management, including the improvement of RT technology, the broader application of chemotherapy, and more accurate disease staging. Despite the excellent local control with modern RT, distant failure remains a challenging problem. Advances in molecular technology have helped to elucidate the molecular pathogenesis of NPC. This article reviews the contribution of EBV gene products to NPC pathogenesis and the current management of NPC.

Whole Exome Sequencing of a Patient with Metastatic Hidradenocarcinoma and Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Gupta, Eva; Guthrie, Kimberly J.; Krishna, Murli; Asmann, Yan; Parker, Alexander S.; Joseph, Richard W.

2015-01-01

Hidradenocarcinoma is a rare malignancy of the sweat glands with only a few cases reported in literature. The management of these tumors is based on the extent of disease with local disease managed with surgical resection. These can tumors carry a high potential of lymphatic and vascular spread and local and distant metastases are not uncommon. Given the rarity of the tumor and lack of genetic and clinical data about these tumors, there is no consensus on the proper management of metastatic disease. Here in we report the first case of metastatic hidradenocarcinoma with detailed molecular profiling including whole exome sequencing. We identified mutations in multiple genes including two that are potentially targetable: PTCH1 and TCF7L1. Further work is necessary to not only confirm the presence of these mutations but also to confirm the clinical significance. PMID:25918615

Whole exome sequencing of a patient with metastatic hidradenocarcinoma and review of the literature.

PubMed

Gupta, Eva; Guthrie, Kimberly J; Krishna, Murli; Asmann, Yan; Parker, Alexander S; Joseph, Richard W

2015-02-11

Hidradenocarcinoma is a rare malignancy of the sweat glands with only a few cases reported in literature. The management of these tumors is based on the extent of disease with local disease managed with surgical resection. These can tumors carry a high potential of lymphatic and vascular spread and local and distant metastases are not uncommon. Given the rarity of the tumor and lack of genetic and clinical data about these tumors, there is no consensus on the proper management of metastatic disease. Here in we report the first case of metastatic hidradenocarcinoma with detailed molecular profiling including whole exome sequencing. We identified mutations in multiple genes including two that are potentially targetable: PTCH1 and TCF7L1. Further work is necessary to not only confirm the presence of these mutations but also to confirm the clinical significance.

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

Devpura, S; Li, H; Liu, C

Purpose: To correlate dose distributions computed using six algorithms for recurrent early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), with outcome (local failure). Methods: Of 270 NSCLC patients treated with 12Gyx4, 20 were found to have local recurrence prior to the 2-year time point. These patients were originally planned with 1-D pencil beam (1-D PB) algorithm. 4D imaging was performed to manage tumor motion. Regions of local failures were determined from follow-up PET-CT scans. Follow-up CT images were rigidly fused to the planning CT (pCT), and recurrent tumor volumes (Vrecur) were mapped to themore » pCT. Dose was recomputed, retrospectively, using five algorithms: 3-D PB, collapsed cone convolution (CCC), anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA), AcurosXB, and Monte Carlo (MC). Tumor control probability (TCP) was computed using the Marsden model (1,2). Patterns of failure were classified as central, in-field, marginal, and distant for Vrecur ≥95% of prescribed dose, 95–80%, 80–20%, and ≤20%, respectively (3). Results: Average PTV D95 (dose covering 95% of the PTV) for 3-D PB, CCC, AAA, AcurosXB, and MC relative to 1-D PB were 95.3±2.1%, 84.1±7.5%, 84.9±5.7%, 86.3±6.0%, and 85.1±7.0%, respectively. TCP values for 1-D PB, 3-D PB, CCC, AAA, AcurosXB, and MC were 98.5±1.2%, 95.7±3.0, 79.6±16.1%, 79.7±16.5%, 81.1±17.5%, and 78.1±20%, respectively. Patterns of local failures were similar for 1-D and 3D PB plans, which predicted that the majority of failures occur in centraldistal regions, with only ∼15% occurring distantly. However, with convolution/superposition and MC type algorithms, the majority of failures (65%) were predicted to be distant, consistent with the literature. Conclusion: Based on MC and convolution/superposition type algorithms, average PTV D95 and TCP were ∼15% lower than the planned 1-D PB dose calculation. Patterns of failure results suggest that MC and convolution/superposition type algorithms predict different outcomes for patterns of failure relative to PB algorithms. Work supported in part by Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA.« less

75 FR 29479 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Proposed Changes Affecting Hospital and Critical Access Hospital...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-26

... have to include all adverse events that may result from telemedicine services provided by the distant... adverse events that result from the telemedicine services provided by the distant-site physician or... include all adverse events that result from the telemedicine services provided by the distant-site...

The evolution of telemedicine and nano-technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Dong Kyun; Young Jung, Eun; Chan Moon, Byung

2012-10-01

This paper will cover definition and history of telemedicine, changes in medical paradigm and roll of telemedicine and roll of nano-technology for evolution of telemedicine. Hypothetically, telemedicine is distance communication for medical purpose and modern definition explains telemedicine as `a system of health care delivery in which physicians examine distant patients through the use of telecommunications technology. Medical service will change to personalized medicine based on gene information to prevent and manage diseases due to decrease of acute diseases, population aging and increase of prevalence in chronic diseases, which means current medical services based on manualized treatment for diseases will change to personalized medicine based on individual gene information. Also, international healthcare will be activated to provide high quality medical services with low cost using developed transportation. Moreover, hospital centered medical services will change to patients centered medical service due to increase of patient's rights. Development in sensor technology is required for telemedicine to be applied as basic infrastructure for medical services. Various researches in nano-biosensor field are conducted due to introduction of new technologies. However, most researches are in fundamental levels that requires more researches for stability and clinical usefulness. Nano technology is expected to achieve innovative development and define new criteria for disease prevention and management.

SatCom Systems for Health and Medical Care

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diez, Hubert

2002-01-01

Convinced since 1997 that the satellite was capable of providing a real added value either autonomously or as a complement to terrestrial infrastructures, CNES (the French Space Agency) began a determined study, validation and demonstration procedure for new satellite services. At a national but also European and worldwide level, several experiments or projects have been set-up. In each of them (tele-consultations, distant education, tele-epidemiology, tele-echography, assistance to people, training and therapeutic assistance, disaster telemedicine, etc...) well suited satcoms are used. (telecommunications for broadcasting, multicasting, downloading,...- localization, positioning, - low medium and high data rate bidirectional systems,). Medical reference people are associated in each pilot projects first to define the needs but also to manage the medical validation aspects. Our aim is always to test, validate and adapt these new services to bring them into line with the users' expectations. The value added of these technologies in sustainable healthcare services are systematically demonstrated in real situations, with real users, both in terms of quality of service and of economic validity. For several projects CNES has developed typical hardware, or technical on as technical platform. The main projects and their relevant satcom systems will be presented and discussed : - Tele-consultation, - Distance learning and training, - Assistance to people, - Tele-epidemiology, - Disaster telemedicine.

Genetic structure, mating system, and long-distance gene flow in heart of palm (Euterpe edulis Mart.).

PubMed

Gaiotto, F A; Grattapaglia, D; Vencovsky, R

2003-01-01

We report a detailed analysis of the population genetic structure, mating system, and gene flow of heart of palm (Euterpe edulis Mart.-Arecaceae) in central Brazil. This palm is considered a keystone species because it supplies fruits for birds and rodents all year and is intensively harvested for culinary purposes. Two populations of this palm tree were examined, using 18 microsatellite loci. The species displays a predominantly outcrossed mating system (tm = 0.94), with a probability of full sibship greater than 70% within open-pollinated families. The following estimates of interpopulation genetic variation were calculated and found significant: FIT = 0.17, FIS = 0.12, FST = 0.06, and RST = 0.07. This low but significant level of interpopulation genetic variation indicates high levels of gene flow. Two adult trees were identified as likely seed parents (P > 99.9%) of juveniles located at a distance of 22 km. Gene flow over such distances has not been reported before for tropical tree species. The establishment and management of in situ genetic reserves or ex situ conservation and breeding populations for E. edulis should contemplate the collection of several hundreds open-pollinated maternal families from relatively few distant populations to maximize the genetic sampling of a larger number of pollen parents.

A review of the cicada genus Kosemia Matsumura (Hemiptera: Cicadidae).

PubMed

Qi, Shengping; Hayashi, Masami; Wei, Cong

2015-01-21

The genus Kosemia Matsumura is reviewed based on investigation of the described species and the descriptions of two new species, Kosemia castanea sp. n. and Kosemia guanzhongensis sp. n., from Shaanxi Province, China. Two species formerly belonging to the genus Cicadetta Kolenati, C. chinensis (Distant) and C. mogannia (Distant), are transferred to Kosemia Matsumura to become K. chinensis (Distant), comb. n. and K. mogannia (Distant), comb. n.. The male of K. chinensis (Distant), comb. n. is discovered and described for the first time. Melampsalta bifuscata Liu, 1940 is recognized to be a junior synonym of K. chinensis. Leptopsalta rubicosta Chou & Lei, 1997 and Lycurgus sinensis Jacobi, 1944 are recognized to be junior synonyms of K. mogannia. Kosemia radiator (Uhler, 1896) is removed from the Chinese cicada fauna. A key to species of Kosemia is provided. 

Recurrence and death from breast cancer after complete treatments: an experience from hospitals in Northern Thailand.

PubMed

Chairat, Rungnapa; Puttisri, Adisom; Pamarapa, Asani; Wongrach, Nongnoot; Tawichasri, Chamaiporn; Patumanond, Jayanton; Tantraworasin, Apichat; Charoentum, Chaiyut

2014-09-01

To describe the pattern of disease progression and to describe locoregional recurrence, distant recurrence, and death rates in breast cancer patients after complete treatment. Medical records of women diagnosed with breast cancer at two university affiliated tertiary care hospitals in the Northern Thailand that had complete treatments between 2006 and 2010 were traced. Extracted key information included patient clinical profiles and documented recurrence of cancer The causes of death were verified from breast cancer case registration database, death certificates through The Ministry of Internal Affairs'civil registration, by direct telephone contact, or by distributed prepaid postcards. Medical records of 829 women diagnosed with breast cancer without prior evidence ofdistant metastasis, and had complete recommended treatment were included. Six hundred thirty seven women had not experienced any events up to the end of the follow-up (76.8%). The first occurring events were focused and categorized into three distinct types, locoregional recurrence (n = 83, median follow-up time = 34.2 months), distant recurrence (n = 78, median follow-up time = 35.4 months), and death without any evidences of locoregional or distant recurrences (n = 12, median follow-up time = 36.7 months). Distant recurrence after locoregional recurrence was reported (n = 33). There were 109 patient who had died (breast cancer related death) up to the end of the follow-up (13.2%). The three types of consecutively occurring deaths were death after locoregional recurrence without any distant recurrences (n = 15), death after distant recurrence with locoregional recurrence (n = 21), and death after documenited distant recurrence without any locoregional recurrences (n = 61). The trend was that the rate of the first occurring locoregional recurrence was slightly higher than that of distant recurrence, The death rate in patients without any recurrences was much lower than in those experiencing prior recurrences. The rates of disease progression from local recurrence to distant recurrence and to death were approximately 5 to 7 times faster in patients who had experienced earlierprogressions.

Surface Compositions Across Pluto and Charon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grundy, W. M.; Binzel, R. P.; Buratti, B. J.; Cook, J. C.; Cruikshank, D. P.; Dalle Ore, C. M.; Earle, A. M.; Ennico, K.; Howett, C. J. A.; Lunsford, A. W.;

Telecommunication Networks. Tech Use Guide: Using Computer Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for Exceptional Children, Reston, VA. Center for Special Education Technology.

One of nine brief guides for special educators on using computer technology, this guide focuses on utilizing the telecommunications capabilities of computers. Network capabilities including electronic mail, bulletin boards, and access to distant databases are briefly explained. Networks useful to the educator, general commercial systems, and local…

Peripheral Visions: Californian-Australian Environmental Contacts, c. 1850s-1910.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tyrrell, Ian

1997-01-01

Offers a comparative and transnational study of environmental contacts between California and Australia. Analyzes concepts of the ideal society, the influence of isolation, distant markets, and climate similarities, using world system and cultural landscape theories. Discusses key exchanges of plants and policies regarding irrigation and…

KSC-03PD-2681

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. This storyboard shows a diagram of the telescope design and photos for a new five-meter focal length scope. The tracking telescope is part of the Distant Object Attitude Measurement System (DOAMS) in Cocoa Beach, Fla., that provides optical support for launches from KSC and Cape Canaveral.

Using the Battlefield Telemedicine System (BTS) to train deployed medical personnel in complicated medical tasks - a proof of concept.

PubMed

Irizarry, Daniel; Wadman, Michael C; Bernhagen, Mary A; Miljkovic, Nikola; Boedeker, Ben H

2012-01-01

This work describes the use of Adobe Connect software along with algorithm software to provide the necessary audio visual communication platform for telementoring a complex medical procedure to novice providers located at a distant site.

Chasing Shadows

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeVore, Edna; Gould, Alan

2017-01-01

The solar eclipse coming August 21 offers students the opportunity not only to explore the geometry of the solar system but also to learn about exoplanets transiting distant stars. Students can glimpse a great frontier of science: the search for other worlds and life. This article presents information on exoplanets, discovering planets around…

Linking ecosystems, food webs, and fish production: subsidies in salmonid watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wipfli, Mark S.; Baxter, Colden V.

2010-01-01

Physical characteristics of riverine habitats, such as large wood abundance, pool geometry and abundance, riparian vegetation cover, and surface flow conditions, have traditionally been thought to constrain fish production in these ecosystems. Conversely, the role of food resources (quantity and quality) in controlling fish production has received far less attention and consideration, though they can also be key productivity drivers. Traditional freshwater food web illustrations have typically conveyed the notion that most fish food is produced within the local aquatic habitat itself, but the concepts and model we synthesize in this article show that most fish food comes from external or very distant sources—including subsidies from marine systems borne from adult returns of anadromous fishes, from fishless headwater tributaries that transport prey to downstream fish, and from adjacent streamside vegetation and associated habitats. The model we propose further illustrates how key trophic pathways and food sources vary through time and space throughout watersheds. Insights into how food supplies affect fishes can help guide how we view riverine ecosystems, their structure and function, their interactions with marine and terrestrial systems, and how we manage natural resources, including fish, riparian habitats, and forests.

[Economic assessment of the routine use of Oncotype DX® assay for early breast cancer in Franche-Comte region].

PubMed

Nerich, Virginie; Curtit, Elsa; Bazan, Fernando; Montcuquet, Philippe; Villanueva, Cristian; Chaigneau, Loïc; Cals, Laurent; Méneveau, Nathalie; Dobi, Erion; Altmotlak, Hamadi; Algros, Marie-Paule; Choulot, Marie-Jeanne; Nallet, Gilles; Limat, Samuel; Mansion, Sylvie; Pivot, Xavier

2014-01-01

Oncotype DX® has been validated as quantifying the likelihood of distant recurrence at 10 years and overall chemotherapy benefit in patients with estrogen-receptor-positive and HER-2-negative early breast cancer. In 2012, this genomic signature was routinely available for patients in Franche-Comté, France. Patients eligible for Oncotype DX(®) testing had a ER-positive, HER-2-négative early breast cancer with a nodal involvement limited to 0 or 1 positive-node without extracapsular spread; an adjuvant chemotherapy was indicated based on usual prognostic factors. The aim was to assess the economic impact of Oncotype DX(®) testing in a French region. A cost-minimisation analysis from the French Public Healthcare System perspective was performed. The availability of Oncotype DX(®) in Franche-Comté, France, and its use in clinical routine allowed a decrease of 73 % of adjuvant chemotherapy without increase of the cost of the patients' management and with a potential reduction of the cost for the French Public Healthcare System. This strategy was successful and may allow the reimbursement of this test in France for patients with early breast cancer.

Radioembolization in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

PubMed

Riaz, Ahsun; Lewandowski, Robert; Salem, Riad

2018-05-02

The Oncology Grand Rounds series is designed to place original reports published in the Journal into clinical context. A case presentation is followed by a description of diagnostic and management challenges, a review of the relevant literature, and a summary of the authors' suggested management approaches. The goal of this series is to help readers better understand how to apply the results of key studies, including those published in Journal of Clinical Oncology, to patients seen in their own clinical practice. A 68-year-old man with a remote history of alcohol abuse presented with vague abdominal pain. A review of systems suggested the patient had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 1 (restriction of strenuous physical activity). There were no physical examination findings of note. Laboratory studies disclosed Child-Pugh A liver status (no ascites; no encephalopathy; total bilirubin, 1 mg/dL; albumin, 3.5 g/dL; and international normalized rato, 1.2). The alpha-fetoprotein was mildly elevated (19.5 ng/mL). Magnetic resonance imaging with contrast disclosed an infiltrative mass with extensive malignant right and left portal vein thrombosis ( Fig 1A ) with cavernous transformation of the portal vein. The infiltrative mass ( Fig 2A ) was biopsied, revealing hepatocellular carcinoma. No distant metastases were found on a bone scintigraphy or computerized tomography scan. Given these features, this patient was classified as Barcelona Clinic for Liver Cancer stage C. The patient was referred for management of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Topological networks for quantum communication between distant qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Nicolai; Büchler, Hans Peter

2017-11-01

Efficient communication between qubits relies on robust networks, which allow for fast and coherent transfer of quantum information. It seems natural to harvest the remarkable properties of systems characterized by topological invariants to perform this task. Here, we show that a linear network of coupled bosonic degrees of freedom, characterized by topological bands, can be employed for the efficient exchange of quantum information over large distances. Important features of our setup are that it is robust against quenched disorder, all relevant operations can be performed by global variations of parameters, and the time required for communication between distant qubits approaches linear scaling with their distance. We demonstrate that our concept can be extended to an ensemble of qubits embedded in a two-dimensional network to allow for communication between all of them.

Faithful teleportation of multi-particle states involving multi spatially remote agents via probabilistic channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Min; Li, Hui; Zhang, Zeng-ke; Zeng, Jia

2011-02-01

We present an approach to faithfully teleport an unknown quantum state of entangled particles in a multi-particle system involving multi spatially remote agents via probabilistic channels. In our scheme, the integrity of an entangled multi-particle state can be maintained even when the construction of a faithful channel fails. Furthermore, in a quantum teleportation network, there are generally multi spatially remote agents which play the role of relay nodes between a sender and a distant receiver. Hence, we propose two schemes for directly and indirectly constructing a faithful channel between the sender and the distant receiver with the assistance of relay agents, respectively. Our results show that the required auxiliary particle resources, local operations and classical communications are considerably reduced for the present purpose.

76 FR 31351 - Safety Requirements and Manning Exemption Eligibility on Distant Water Tuna Fleet Vessels

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-31

...The Coast Guard announces the availability of Office of Vessel Activities Policy Letter 11-05 regarding Distant Water Tuna Fleet vessels manning exemption eligibility and safety requirements. This final policy clarifies the requirements to allow a distant water tuna fleet vessel to engage foreign citizens under a temporary manning exemption.

76 FR 3646 - Safety Requirements and Manning Exemption Eligibility on Distant Water Tuna Fleet Vessels

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-20

...Pursuant to Section 904 of the 2010 Coast Guard Authorization Act, the Coast Guard announces the availability of a draft policy regarding distant water tuna fleet vessels manning exemption eligibility and safety requirements. We request your comments on the Safety Requirements and Manning Exemption Eligibility on Distant Water Tuna Fleet Vessels.

Saul Perlmutter, Distant Supernovae, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating

Science.gov Websites

, Distant Supernovae, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating Expansion of the Universe Resources with Additional nature of dark energy.'1 'The accelerating expansion means that the universe could expand forever until , in the distant future, it is cold and dark. The teams' discovery led to speculation that there is a

Environmental Science and Research Foundation. Annual technical report, April 11, 1994--December 31, 1994

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

Reynolds, T.D.; Morris, R.C.; Markham, O.D.

1995-06-01

This Annual Technical Report describes work conducted for the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office, by the Environmental Science and Research Foundation (Foundation) for work under contract DE-AC07-94ID13268. The Foundation began, on April 11, 1994, to conduct environmental surveillance near to and distant from the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, provide environmental public relations and education related to INEL natural resource issues, and conduct ecological and radioecological research benefiting major DOE-ID programs including Waste Management, Environmental Restoration, Spent Nuclear Fuels, and Infrastructure.

Distant Metastasis Risk Stratification for Patients Undergoing Curative Resection Followed by Adjuvant Chemoradiation for Extrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer

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

Kim, Kyubo; Chie, Eui Kyu, E-mail: ekchie93@snu.ac.kr; Jang, Jin-Young

2012-09-01

Purpose: To analyze the prognostic factors predicting distant metastasis in patients undergoing adjuvant chemoradiation for extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD) cancer. Methods and Materials: Between January 1995 and August 2006, 166 patients with EHBD cancer underwent resection with curative intent, followed by adjuvant chemoradiation. There were 120 males and 46 females, and median age was 61 years (range, 34-86). Postoperative radiotherapy was delivered to tumor bed and regional lymph nodes (median dose, 40 Gy; range, 34-56 Gy). A total of 157 patients also received fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy as a radiosensitizer, and fluoropyrimidine-based maintenance chemotherapy was administered to 127 patients. Median follow-up durationmore » was 29 months. Results: The treatment failed for 97 patients, and the major pattern of failure was distant metastasis (76 patients, 78.4%). The 5-year distant metastasis-free survival rate was 49.4%. The most common site of distant failure was the liver (n = 36). On multivariate analysis, hilar tumor, tumor size {>=}2 cm, involved lymph node, and poorly differentiated tumor were associated with inferior distant metastasis-free survival (p = 0.0348, 0.0754, 0.0009, and 0.0078, respectively), whereas T stage was not (p = 0.8081). When patients were divided into four groups based on these risk factors, the 5-year distant metastasis-free survival rates for patients with 0, 1, 2, and 3 risk factors were 86.4%, 59.9%, 32.5%, and 0%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Despite maintenance chemotherapy, distant metastasis was the major pattern of failure in patients undergoing adjuvant chemoradiation for EHBD cancer after resection with curative intent. Intensified chemotherapy is warranted to improve the treatment outcome, especially in those with multiple risk factors.« less

The usefulness of Wi-Fi based digital chest drainage system in the post-operative care of pneumothorax

PubMed Central

Cho, Hyun Min; Hong, Yoon Joo; Byun, Chun Sung

2016-01-01

Background Chest drainage systems are usually composed of chest tube and underwater-seal bottle. But this conventional system may restrict patients doing exercise and give clinicians obscure data about when to remove tubes because there is no objective indicator. Recently developed digital chest drainage systems may facilitate interpretation of the grade of air leak and make it easy for clinicians to decide when to remove chest tubes. In addition, with combination of wireless internet devices, monitoring and managing of drainage system distant from the patient is possible. Methods Sixty patients of primary pneumothorax were included in a prospective randomized study and divided into two groups. Group I (study) consisted of digital chest drainage system while in group II (control), conventional underwater-seal chest bottle system was used. Data was collected from January, 2012 to September, 2013 in Eulji University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea. Results There was no difference in age, sex, smoking history and postoperative pain between two groups. But the average length of drainage was 2.2 days in group I and 3.1 days in group II (P<0.006). And more, about 90% of the patients in group I was satisfied with using new device for convenience. Conclusions Digital system was beneficial on reducing the length of tube drainage by real time monitoring. It also had advantage in portability, loudness and gave more satisfaction than conventional system. Moreover, internet based digital drainage system will be a good method in thoracic telemedicine area in the near future. PMID:27076934

Hedonic Benefits of Close and Distant Interaction Partners: The Mediating Roles of Social Approval and Authenticity.

PubMed

Venaglia, Rachel B; Lemay, Edward P

2017-09-01

The current research utilized ecological momentary assessment methodology to examine affective responses to interacting with close versus distant interaction partners during naturally occurring social interactions, and to test predictions regarding the mediating roles of perceived social approval and authenticity. Analysis of 4,602 social interactions reported by 176 participants suggested that, relative to interactions with distant partners, interactions with close partners were characterized by more positive affect. This effect was mediated by perceived social approval and authenticity. These findings suggest that social interactions with close others confer greater hedonic benefits relative to interactions with distant partners due to greater confidence in social approval and feelings of authenticity. Exploratory analyses suggested that interactions with close partners featured warmer and less shy behavior, and that participants who placed more importance on close relationships (as measured by high relational-interdependent self-construal) experienced more approval and authenticity in their interactions, particularly with distant partners.

Cryptic postzygotic isolation in an eruptive species of bark beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae)

Treesearch

Ryan R. Bracewell; Michael E. Pfrender; Karen E. Mock; Barbara J. Bentz

2011-01-01

Studies of postzygotic isolation often involve well-differentiated taxa that show a consistent level of incompatibility, thereby limiting our understanding of the initial stages and development of reproductive barriers. Dendroctonus ponderosae provides an informative system because recent evidence suggests that distant populations produce hybrids with reproductive...

The microbiome modulates the tumor macroenvironment.

PubMed

Erdman, Susan E; Poutahidis, Theofilos

2014-01-01

Earlier investigations of the tumor microenvironment unveiled systemic networks presenting novel therapeutic opportunities. It has been recently shown that gut microbes modulate whole host immune and neuroendocrine factors impacting the fate of distant preneoplastic lesions toward malignancy or regression. These findings establish a new paradigm of holobiont therapeutic engineering in emerging tumor macroenvironments.

Proposing a Digital Information System for the Management and Conservation of the Qhapaq ÑAN - Andean Road System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duperré, G. N.

2017-08-01

The ancient network of roads in the Andean region is one of the most important works of infrastructure in South America. The extensive territory where the main exchanges between their communities were locally performed is previous to the expansion of the Inca Empire. In the year 2014, the region was included on the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. This communication network is the Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System. The Incas planned their route in the diverse landscape of the Andes to promote social and economic ties among the Andean communities. The routes originated in the central square of Cusco, creating cross-connections in a wide geographical area. The Tawantinsuyu depended on this sole route to link very distant production and worship centers. The Qhapaq Ñan was the result of a political project. Even nowadays, it continues to articulate the development of cultural traditions in the Andean region. The present contribution analyzes its transcendental importance as a Cultural Heritage and the singularity of its nomination by the UNESCO, as for the first time six countries are sharing common objectives towards guaranteeing its protection. Furthermore, this research explores the sense of timing in Latin American countries and the implicit challenges in the implementation of the new information technologies for the dissemination of information on Main Andean Road and for its conservation. Although many of the countries have already incorporated the necessary digital tools in this matter, we conclude that there is a need to implement an Integrated Digital Model for the coordinated management in the countries that form the region.

Relapsed or refractory primary central nervous system lymphoma radiosurgery: Report of the International Gamma Knife Research Foundation.

PubMed

Shin, Samuel M; Silverman, Joshua S; Bowden, Greg; Mathieu, David; Yang, Huai-Che; Lee, Cheng-Chia; Tam, Moses; Szelemej, Paul; Kaufmann, Anthony M; Cohen-Inbar, Or; Sheehan, Jason; Niranjan, Ajay; Lunsford, L Dade; Kondziolka, Douglas

2017-01-01

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) can be used as part of multimodality management for patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). The objective of this study is to evaluate outcomes of SRS for this disease. The International Gamma Knife Research Foundation identified 23 PCNSL patients who underwent SRS for either relapsed (intracerebral in-field or out-of-field tumor recurrences) or refractory disease from 1995-2014. All 23 patients presented with RPA Class I or II PCNSL, and were initially treated with a median of 7 cycles of methotrexate-based chemotherapy regimens (range, 3-26 cycles). Ten received prior whole brain radiation (WBRT) to a median dose of 43 Gy (range, 24-55 Gy). Sixteen presented with relapsed PCNSL, and seven presented with refractory disease. Twenty-three received 26 procedures of SRS. The median tumor volume was 4 cm 3 (range, 0.1-26 cm 3 ), and the median margin dose was 15 Gy (range, 8-20 Gy). Median follow-up from SRS was 11 months (interquartile range, 5.7-33.2 months). Twenty presented with treatment response to twenty-three tumors (12 complete, 11 partial). Fourteen patients relapsed or were refractory to salvage SRS, and local control was 95%, 91%, and 75% at 3, 6, and 12 months post SRS. Intracranial (in-field and out-of-field) and distant (systemic) PFS was 86%, 81%, and 55% at 3, 6, and 12 months post SRS. Toxicity of SRS was low, with one developing an adverse radiation effect requiring no additional intervention. Although methotrexate-based chemotherapy regimens with or without WBRT is the first-line management option for PCNSL, SRS may be used as an alternative option in properly selected patients with smaller relapsed or refractory PCNSL tumors.

Activity in distant comets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luu, Jane X.

1992-01-01

Activity in distant comets remains a mystery in the sense that we still have no complete theory to explain the various types of activity exhibited by different comets at large distances. This paper explores the factors that should play a role in determining activity in a distant comet, especially in the cases of comet P/Tempel 2, comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, and 2060 Chiron.

OSSOS. V. Diffusion in the Orbit of a High-perihelion Distant Solar System Object

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bannister, Michele T.; Shankman, Cory; Volk, Kathryn; Chen, Ying-Tung; Kaib, Nathan; Gladman, Brett J.; Jakubik, Marian; Kavelaars, J. J.; Fraser, Wesley C.; Schwamb, Megan E.; Petit, Jean-Marc; Wang, Shiang-Yu; Gwyn, Stephen D. J.; Alexandersen, Mike; Pike, Rosemary E.

2017-06-01

We report the discovery of the minor planet 2013 SY99 on an exceptionally distant, highly eccentric orbit. With a perihelion of 50.0 au, 2013 SY99’s orbit has a semimajor axis of 730 ± 40 au, the largest known for a high-perihelion trans-Neptunian object (TNO), and well beyond those of (90377) Sedna and 2012 VP113. Yet, with an aphelion of 1420 ± 90 au, 2013 SY99’s orbit is interior to the region influenced by Galactic tides. Such TNOs are not thought to be produced in the current known planetary architecture of the solar system, and they have informed the recent debate on the existence of a distant giant planet. Photometry from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, Gemini North, and Subaru indicate 2013 SY99 is ˜250 km in diameter and moderately red in color, similar to other dynamically excited TNOs. Our dynamical simulations show that Neptune’s weak influence during 2013 SY99’s perihelia encounters drives diffusion in its semimajor axis of hundreds of astronomical units over 4 Gyr. The overall symmetry of random walks in the semimajor axis allows diffusion to populate 2013 SY99’s orbital parameter space from the 1000 to 2000 au inner fringe of the Oort cloud. Diffusion affects other known TNOs on orbits with perihelia of 45 to 49 au and semimajor axes beyond 250 au. This provides a formation mechanism that implies an extended population, gently cycling into and returning from the inner fringe of the Oort cloud.

Argentines' collective memories of the military Junta of 1976: differences and similarities across generations and ideology.

PubMed

Muller, Felipe; Bermejo, Federico; Hirst, William

2016-08-01

Although memories about a nation's past usually are semantic in nature, a distinction needs to be made between lived and distant semantic collective memories. The former refers to memories of community-relevant events occurring during the lifetime of the rememberer, whereas the latter to memories of distant events. Does the content of lived and distant semantic collective memories differ? Employing both free and cued recall, we examined the memories of younger and older Argentines of the Military Junta of 1976. We also examined the effects of political ideology. Content analysis indicated that (1) lived semantic collective memories were more likely to contain personal recollections than distant semantic collective memories, even though those with distant semantic collective memories could have incorporated memories of the parent's personal experience in their recollections, (2) lived semantic collective memories contained more causal statements, and (3) those on the Right with distant semantic collective memories were more likely to claim that they "Don't know" or offer positive accounts of the Junta, suggesting a need to "defend" the reputation of those on the Right. The results are discussed in terms of the goals and plans different generations might have when recollecting their nation's past.

Effects of Distant Green Space on Physical Activity in Sydney, Australia.

PubMed

Chong, Shanley; Byun, Roy; Mazumdar, Soumya; Bauman, Adrian; Jalaludin, Bin

2017-01-01

The aim was to investigate the association between distant green space and physical activity modified by local green space. Information about physical activity, demographic and socioeconomic background at the individual level was extracted from the New South Wales Population Health Survey. The proportion of a postcode that was parkland was used as a proxy measure for access to parklands and was calculated for each individual. There was a significant relationship between distant green space and engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at least once a week. No significant relationship was found between adequate physical activity and distant green space. No significant relationships were found between adequate physical activity, engaging in MVPA, and local green space. However, if respondents lived in greater local green space (≥25%), there was a significant relationship between engaging in MVPA at least once a week and distance green space of ≥20%. This study highlights the important effect of distant green space on physical activity. Our findings also suggest that moderate size of local green space together with moderate size of distant green space are important levers for participation of physical activity.

Can Platelet and Leukocyte Indicators Give Us an Idea about Distant Metastasis in Nasopharyngeal Cancer?

PubMed

Arıcıgil, Mitat; Dündar, Mehmet Akif; Yücel, Abitter; Arbağ, Hamdi; Aziz, Suhayb Kuria

This study aimes to evaluate platelet and leucocyte indicators, such as the mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, plateletcrit, white blood cell count, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in nasopharyngeal cancer patients and also to evaluate the relationship between these indicators and nasopharyngeal cancer with distant metastasis. The medical records of 118 patients diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in our hospital between January 2006 and August 2015 were reviewed. The nasopharyngeal cancer group was further sub grouped according to the presence or absence of distant metastasis and TNM (tumour - T, node - N, metastasis - M) classification. A control group consisted of 120 healthy patients. The platelet and leucocyte values at the time of the initial diagnosis were recorded. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet distribution width values were significantly higher in the nasopharyngeal cancer group. But only platelet distribution width values were significantly higher in the nasopharyngeal cancer group with distant metastasis compared to the nasopharyngeal cancer group without distant metastasis. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet distribution width values may increase in nasopharyngeal cancer. But only the platelet distribution width values may give us an idea about the distant metastasis in nasopharyngeal cancer.

Micro- and nano-NDE systems for aircraft: great things in small packages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malas, James C.; Kropas-Hughes, Claudia V.; Blackshire, James L.; Moran, Thomas; Peeler, Deborah; Frazier, W. G.; Parker, Danny

2003-07-01

Recent advancements in small, microscopic NDE sensor technologies will revolutionize how aircraft maintenance is done, and will significantly improve the reliability and airworthiness of current and future aircraft systems. A variety of micro/nano systems and concepts are being developed that will enable whole new capabilities for detecting and tracking structural integrity damage. For aging aircraft systems, the impact of micro-NDE sensor technologies will be felt immediately, with dramatic reductions in labor for maintenance, and extended useable life of critical components being two of the primary benefits. For the fleet management of future aircraft systems, a comprehensive evaluation and tracking of vehicle health throughout its entire life cycle will be needed. Indeed, micro/nano NDE systems will be instrumental in realizing this futuristic vision. Several major challenges will need to be addressed, however, before micro- and nano-NDE systems can effectively be implemented, and this will require interdisciplinary research approaches, and a systematic engineering integration of the new technologies into real systems. Future research will need to emphasize systems engineering approaches for designing materials and structures with in-situ inspection and prognostic capabilities. Recent advances in 1) embedded / add-on micro-sensors, 2) computer modeling of nondestructive evaluation responses, and 3) wireless communications are important steps toward this goal, and will ultimately provide previously unimagined opportunities for realizing whole new integrated vehicle health monitoring capabilities. The future use of micro/nano NDE technologies as vehicle health monitoring tools will have profound implications, and will provide a revolutionary way of doing NDE in the near and distant future.

Branched-chain amino acids to tyrosine ratio (BTR) predicts intrahepatic distant recurrence and survival for early hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

Ishikawa, Toru; Kubota, Tomoyuki; Horigome, Ryoko; Kimura, Naruhiro; Honda, Hiroki; Iwanaga, Akito; Seki, Keiichi; Honma, Terasu; Yoshida, Toshiaki

2013-01-01

The Child-Pugh classification system is the most widely used system for assessing hepatic functional reserve in HCC treatment. In the Child-Pugh classification system, serum albumin levels are used to accurately assess the status of protein metabolism and nutrition. To date, a lack of attention has been given to amino acid metabolism. In the present study, we investigated whether the branched-chain amino acids to tyrosine ratio (BTR) as an indicator of amino acid metabolism can serve as both a prognostic factor for early HCC and a predictive factor for recurrence. We conducted a cohort study of 50 patients with stage I/II HCC enrolled between May 2002 and December 2010. It was investigated whether BTR can serve as both a prognostic factor and a predictive factor for HCC recurrence. Overall survival rates were significantly higher in patients with high baseline BTR than in those with low BTR. Multivariate analysis showed that both BTR and serum albumin were prognostic factors, and that BTR was the best predictive factor for recurrence. BTR was a prognostic factor for early HCC and the most predictive factor for intrahepatic distant recurrence and contributing factors for survival.

The Cosinusoidal Gravitational Potential, a Unique Alternative to Newton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartlett, D. F.

1997-04-01

Recently Bartlett & Su have shown that there are only three central potentials that allow a uniqueness theorem. (D.F. Bartlett & Y. Su, Am J. Phys. 62, 683 (1994)) Two of these, the newtonian and Yukawa, are familiar. The third, e^± ikr/r has hardly been studied at all. I consider the potential GM cos(kr)/r as an alternative to dark matter. The universal wavelength λ = 2π/k = 1800 lt-yrs comes from the only thoroughly catalogued system of galactic shells, those around the elliptical, NGC 3923. This λ is confirmed by the location of the gravitationally lensed images in the Einstein Cross. The potential can also explain several features of our Galaxy. The central bar is related dynamically to the spiral arms and, surprisingly, to the distant dwarf spheroidals. The radial oscillations of the potential provide the strong galactic tidal force that may be required to nudge distant comets into the inner solar system. The large, periodic oscillation of the sun within this radial pocket gives a unique mechanism for exposing the solar system to a periodic tidal force. The period of this oscillation and the period of cratering and mass extinctions agree, within errors.

Transfer and capture into distant retrograde orbits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Christopher J.

This dissertation utilizes theory and techniques derived from the fields of dynamical systems theory, astrodyanamics, celestial mechanics, and fluid mechanics to analyze the phenomenon of satellite capture and interrelated spacecraft transfers in restricted three-body systems. The results extend current knowledge and understanding of capture dynamics in the context of astrodynamics and celestial mechanics. Manifold theory, fast Lyapunov indicator maps, and the classification of space structure facilitate an analysis of the transport of objects from the chaotic reaches of the solar system to the distant retrograde region in the sun-Jupiter system. Apart from past studies this dissertation considers the role of the complex lobe structure encompassing stable regions in the circular restricted three-body problem. These structures are shown to be responsible for the phenomenon of sticky orbits and the transport of objects among stable regions. Since permanent capture can only be achieved through a change in energy, fast Lyapunov indicator maps and other methods which reveal the structure of the conservative system are used to discern capture regions and identify the underpinnings of the dynamics. Fast Lyapunov indicator maps provide an accurate classification of orbits of permanent capture and escape, yet monopolize computational resources. In anticipation of a fully three-dimensional analysis in the dissipative system a new mapping parameter is introduced based on energy degradation and averaged velocity. Although the study specifically addresses the sun-Jupiter system, the qualitative results and devised techniques can be applied throughout the solar system and to capture about extrasolar planets. Extending the analysis beyond the exterior of the stable distant retrograde region fosters the construction of transfer orbits from low-Earth orbit to a stable periodic orbit at the center of the stable distant retrograde region. Key to this analysis is the predictability of collision orbits within the highly chaotic region commonly recognized as a saddle point on the energy manifold. The pragmatic techniques derived from this analysis solve a number of complications apparent in the literature. Notably a reliable methodology for the construction of an arbitrary number of transfer orbits circumvents the requirement of computing specialized periodic orbits or extensive numerical sampling of the phase space. The procedure provides a complete description of the design space accessing a wide range of distant retrograde orbits sizes, insertion points, and parking orbit altitudes in an automated manner. The transfers are studied in a similar fashion to periodic orbits unveiling the intimate relationship among design parameters and phase space structure. An arbitrary number of Earth return periodic orbits can be generated as a by-product. These orbits may be useful for spacecraft that must make a number of passes near the second primary without a reduction in energy. Further analysis of the lobe dynamics and a modification of the transfers to the center of the stable region yields sets of single impulse transfers to sticky distant retrograde orbits. It is shown that the evolution of the phase space structures with energy corresponds to the variation of capture time and target size. Capture phenomenon is related to the stability characteristics of the unstable periodic orbit and the geometry of the corresponding homoclinic tangle at various energies. Future spacecraft with little or no propulsive means may take advantage of these natural trajectories for operations in the region. Temporary capture along a sticky orbit may come before incremental stabilization of the spacecraft by way of a series of small impulsive or a low continuous thrust maneuvers. The requirements of small stabilization maneuver are calculated and compared to a direct transfer to the center of stable region. This mission design may be desirable as any failure in the classic set of maneuvers to the center of the stable region could result in the loss of the spacecraft. A simple low-thrust stabilization method is analyzed in a similar manner to nebular drag. It is shown that stabilization maneuvers initiated within the sticky region can be achieved via a simple control law. Moreover, the sticky region can be used as a staging point for both spiral-in and spiral-out maneuvers. For the spiral in maneuver this negates a large, initial maneuver required to reach the center of the stable region. It is shown that large lengths of orbits exist within the sticky regions which reliably lead to permanent capture. In the case of spiral-out the spacecraft is transported to a highly energetic yet stable orbit about the second primary. From here a small maneuver could allow the spacecraft to access other regions of the solar system.

Patient with giant upper limb melanoma presenting to a UK plastic surgery unit: differentials and experience of management.

PubMed

Honeyman, Calum Sinclair; Wilson, Paul

2016-02-02

A 57-year-old woman was referred to our regional sarcoma unit following a 2-year history of a progressively enlarging mass on her right forearm. At 14 × 7 × 12 cm, this mass turned out to be one of the largest upper limb cutaneous malignant melanomas ever described, and, to the best of our knowledge, the first documented in the UK. Remarkably, despite having a T4 malignant tumour with a Breslow thickness of 70 mm, this patient is still alive over 4 years later with no locoregional or distant metastatic spread. We present our experience in the management of this giant malignant melanoma of the upper limb and consider important differentials. 2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Corpse Management in Social Insects

PubMed Central

Sun, Qian; Zhou, Xuguo

2013-01-01

Undertaking behavior is an essential adaptation to social life that is critical for colony hygiene in enclosed nests. Social insects dispose of dead individuals in various fashions to prevent further contact between corpses and living members in a colony. Focusing on three groups of eusocial insects (bees, ants, and termites) in two phylogenetically distant orders (Hymenoptera and Isoptera), we review mechanisms of death recognition, convergent and divergent behavioral responses toward dead individuals, and undertaking task allocation from the perspective of division of labor. Distinctly different solutions (e.g., corpse removal, burial and cannibalism) have evolved, independently, in the holometabolous hymenopterans and hemimetabolous isopterans toward the same problem of corpse management. In addition, issues which can lead to a better understanding of the roles that undertaking behavior has played in the evolution of eusociality are discussed. PMID:23569436

Discovery of Distant RR Lyrae Stars in the Milky Way Using DECam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medina, Gustavo E.; Muñoz, Ricardo R.; Vivas, A. Katherina; Carlin, Jeffrey L.; Förster, Francisco; Martínez, Jorge; Galbany, Lluís; González-Gaitán, Santiago; Hamuy, Mario; de Jaeger, Thomas; Maureira, Juan Carlos; San Martín, Jaime

2018-03-01

We report the discovery of distant RR Lyrae stars, including the most distant known in the Milky Way, using data taken in the g-band with the Dark Energy Camera as part of the High cadence Transient Survey (HiTS; 2014 campaign). We detect a total of 173 RR Lyrae stars over a ∼120 deg2 area, including both known RR Lyrae and new detections. The heliocentric distances d H of the full sample range from 9 to >200 kpc, with 18 of them beyond 90 kpc. We identify three sub-groups of RR Lyrae as members of known systems: the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy, for which we report 46 new discoveries, and the ultra-faint dwarf galaxies Leo IV and Leo V. Following an MCMC methodology, we fit spherical and ellipsoidal profiles of the form ρ(R) ∼ R n to the radial density distribution of RR Lyrae in the Galactic halo. The best fit corresponds to the spherical case, for which we obtain a simple power-law index of n=-{4.17}-0.20+0.18, consistent with recent studies made with samples covering shorter distances. The pulsational properties of the outermost RR Lyrae in the sample (d H > 90 kpc) differ from the ones in the halo population at closer distances. The distribution of the stars in a period-amplitude diagram suggest they belong to Oosterhoff-intermediate or Oosterhoff II groups, similar to what is found in the ultra-faint dwarf satellites around the Milky Way. The new distant stars discovered represent an important addition to the few existing tracers of the Milky Way potential in the outer halo.

Probing Signatures of a Distant Planet around the Young T-Tauri Star CI Tau Hosting a Possible Hot Jupiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konishi, Mihoko; Hashimoto, Jun; Hori, Yasunori

2018-06-01

We search for signatures of a distant planet around the two million-year-old classical T-Tauri star CI Tau hosting a hot-Jupiter candidate ({M}{{p}}\\sin i∼ 8.1 {M}Jupiter}) in an eccentric orbit (e ∼ 0.3). To probe the existence of an outer perturber, we reanalyzed 1.3 mm dust continuum observations of the protoplanetary disk around CI Tau obtained by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). We found a gap structure at ∼0.″8 in CI Tau’s disk. Our visibility fitting assuming an axisymmetric surface brightness profile suggested that the gap is located at a deprojected radius of 104.5 ± 1.6 au and has a width of 36.9 ± 2.9 au. The brightness temperature around the gap was calculated to be ∼2.3 K lower than that of the ambient disk. Gap-opening mechanisms such as secular gravitational instability (GI) and dust trapping can explain the gap morphology in the CI Tau disk. The scenario that an unseen planet created the observed gap structure cannot be ruled out, although the coexistence of an eccentric hot Jupiter and a distant planet around the young CI Tau would be challenging for gravitational scattering scenarios. The mass of the planet was estimated to be between ∼0.25 M Jupiter and ∼0.8 M Jupiter from the gap width and depth ({0.41}-0.06+0.04) in the modeled surface brightness image, which is lower than the current detection limits of high-contrast direct imaging. The young classical T-Tauri CI Tau may be a unique system for exploring the existence of a potential distant planet as well as the origin of an eccentric hot Jupiter.

Favorable Local Control From Consolidative Radiation Therapy in High-Risk Neuroblastoma Despite Gross Residual Disease, Positive Margins, or Nodal Involvement

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

Ferris, Matthew J., E-mail: mjferri@emory.edu; Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Danish, Hasan

Purpose: To report the influence of radiation therapy (RT) dose and surgical pathology variables on disease control and overall survival (OS) in patients treated for high-risk neuroblastoma at a single institution. Methods and Materials: We conducted a retrospective study of 67 high-risk neuroblastoma patients who received RT as part of definitive management from January 2003 until May 2014. Results: At a median follow-up of 4.5 years, 26 patients (38.8%) failed distantly; 4 of these patients also failed locally. One patient progressed locally without distant failure. Local control was 92.5%, and total disease control was 59.5%. No benefit was demonstrated for RT doses over 21.6 Gymore » with respect to local relapse–free survival (P=.55), disease-free survival (P=.22), or OS (P=.72). With respect to local relapse–free survival, disease-free survival, and OS, no disadvantage was seen for positive lymph nodes on surgical pathology, positive surgical margins, or gross residual disease. Of the patients with gross residual disease, 75% (6 of 8) went on to have no evidence of disease at time of last follow-up, and the 2 patients who failed did so distantly. Conclusions: Patients with high-risk neuroblastoma in this series maintained excellent local control, with no benefit demonstrated for radiation doses over 21.6 Gy, and no disadvantage demonstrated for gross residual disease after surgery, positive surgical margins, or pathologic lymph node positivity. Though the limitations of a retrospective review for an uncommon disease must be kept in mind, with small numbers in some of the subgroups, it seems that dose escalation should be considered only in exceptional circumstances.« less

Making Multi-Level Tsunami Evacuation Playbooks Operational in California and Hawaii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, R. I.; Peterson, D.; Fryer, G. J.; Miller, K.; Nicolini, T.; Popham, C.; Richards, K.; Whitmore, P.; Wood, N. J.

2016-12-01

In the aftermath of the 2010 Chile, 2011 Japan, and 2012 Haida Gwaii tsunamis in California and Hawaii, coastal emergency managers requested that state and federal tsunami programs investigate providing more detailed information about the flood potential and recommended evacuation for distant-source tsunamis well ahead of their arrival time. Evacuation "Playbooks" for tsunamis of variable sizes and source locations have been developed for some communities in the two states, providing secondary options to an all or nothing approach for evacuation. Playbooks have been finalized for nearly 70% of the coastal communities in California, and have been drafted for evaluation by the communities of Honolulu and Hilo in Hawaii. A key component to determining a recommended level of evacuation during a distant-source tsunami and making the Playbooks operational has been the development of the "FASTER" approach, an acronym for factors that influence the tsunami flood hazard for a community: Forecast Amplitude, Storm, Tides, Error in forecast, and the Run-up potential. Within the first couple hours after a tsunami is generated, the FASTER flood elevation value will be computed and used to select the appropriate minimum tsunami phase evacuation "Playbook" for use by the coastal communities. The states of California and Hawaii, the tsunami warning centers, and local weather service offices are working together to deliver recommendations on the appropriate evacuation Playbook plans for communities to use prior to the arrival of a distant-source tsunami. These partners are working closely with individual communities on developing conservative and consistent protocols on the use of the Playbooks. Playbooks help provide a scientifically-based, minimum response for small- to moderate-size tsunamis which could reduce the potential for over-evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people and save hundreds of millions of dollars in evacuation costs for communities and businesses.

From petascale to exascale, the future of simulated climate data (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, B.; Juckes, M. N.

2013-12-01

Coleridge ought to have said: data, data, everywhere, and all the data centres groan, data data everywhere, nor any I should clone. Except of course, he didn't say it, and we do clone data! While we've been dealing with terabytes of simulated datasets, downloading ("cloning") and analysing, has been a plausible way forward. In doing so, we have set up systems that support four broad classes of activities: personal and institutional data analysis, federated data systems, and data portals. We use metadata to manage the migration of data between these (and their communities) and we have built software systems. However, our metadata and software solutions are fragile, often based on soft money, and loose governance arrangements. We often download data with minimal provenance, and often many of us download the same data. In the not too distant future we can imagine exabytes of data being produced, and all these problems will get worse. Arguably we have no plausible methods of effectively exploiting such data - particularly if the analysis requires intercomparison. Yet of course, we know full well that intercomparison is at the heart of climate science. In this talk, we review the current status of simulation data management, with special emphasis on accessibility and usability. We talk about file formats, bundles of files, real and virtual, and simulation metadata. We introduce the InfraStructure for the European Network for Earth Simulation (IS-ENES) and its relationship with the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) as well as JASMIN, the UK Joint Analysis System. There will be a small digression on parallel data analysis - locally and distributed. we then progress to the near term problems (and solutions) for climate data before scoping out the problems of the future, both for data handling, and the models that produce the data. The way we think about data, computing, models, even ensemble design, may need to change.

Double streams of protons in the distant geomagnetic tail

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Villante, U.; Lazarus, A. J.

1975-01-01

Two intermingled streams of protons have been observed in the distant geomagnetic tail. The number densities of the two streams are comparable, and their velocity difference tends to lie along the field direction. The lower-velocity stream is probably composed of magnetosheath protons which have diffused through the boundary of the distant tail. The higher-velocity stream appears to originate in the field reversal region.

Gene Transfers Between Distantly Related Organisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doolittle, Russell F.

2003-01-01

With the completion of numerous microbial genome sequences, reports of individual gene transfers between distantly related prokaryotes have become commonplace. On the other hand, transfers between prokaryotes and eukaryotes still excite the imagination. Many of these claims may be premature, but some are certainly valid. In this chapter, the kinds of supporting data needed to propose transfers between distantly related organisms and cite some interesting examples are considered.

Treatment and outcome of patients with chest wall recurrence after mastectomy and breast reconstruction.

PubMed

Chagpar, Anees; Langstein, Howard N; Kronowitz, Steven J; Singletary, S Eva; Ross, Merrick I; Buchholz, Thomas A; Hunt, Kelly K; Kuerer, Henry M

2004-02-01

Chest wall recurrence (CWR) in the setting of previous mastectomy and breast reconstruction can pose complex management dilemmas for clinicians. We examined the impact of breast reconstruction on the treatment and outcomes of patients who subsequently developed a CWR. Between 1988 and 1998, 155 breast cancer patients with CWR after mastectomy were evaluated at our center. Of these patients, 27 had previously undergone breast reconstruction (immediate in 20; delayed in 7). Clinicopathologic features, treatment decisions, and outcomes were compared between the patients with and without previous breast reconstruction. Nonparametric statistics were used to analyse the data. There were no significant differences between the reconstruction and no-reconstruction groups in time to CWR, size of the CWR, number of nodules, ulceration, erythema, and association of CWR with nodal metastases. In patients with previous breast reconstruction, surgical resection of the CWR and repair of the resulting defect tended to be more complex and was more likely to require chest wall reconstruction by the plastic surgery team rather than simple excision or resection with primary closure (26% [7 of 27] versus 8% [10 of 128], P = 0.013). Risk of a second CWR, risk of distant metastases, median overall survival after CWR, and distant-metastasis-free survival after CWR did not differ significantly between patients with and without previous breast reconstruction. Breast reconstruction after mastectomy does not influence the clinical presentation or prognosis of women who subsequently develop a CWR. Collaboration with a plastic surgery team may be beneficial in the surgical management of these patients.

Anal fistula with foot extension—Treated by kshara sutra (medicated seton) therapy: A rare case report

PubMed Central

Ramesh, P. Bhat

2013-01-01

INTRODUCTION An ‘anal’ fistula is a track which communicates anal canal or rectum and usually is in continuity with one or more external openings. Distant communication from rectum is rare. It is a challenging disease because of its recurrence especially, with high level and distant communications. Ksharasutra (medicated seton) therapy is being practiced in India with high success rate (recurrence of 3.33%) in the management of complicated anal fistula. PRESENTATION OF CASE A 56 year old man presented with recurrent boils in the left lower limb at different places from thigh to foot. He underwent repeated incision and drainage at different hospitals. Examination revealed sinus with discharge and multiple scars on left lower limb from thigh up to foot. Suspecting anal fistula, MRI was advised which revealed a long cutaneous fistula from rectum to left lower limb. Patient was treated with Ksharasutra therapy. Within 6 months of treatment whole tract was healed completely. DISCUSSION Sushrutha (500BC) was the first to explain the role of surgical excision and use of kshara sutra for the management of anal fistula. Ksharasutra therapy showed least recurrence. Fistula from rectum to foot is of extremely rare variety. Surgical treatment of anal fistula requires hospitalization, regular post-operative care, is associated with a significant risk of recurrence (0.7–26.5%) and a high risk of impaired continence (5–40%). CONCLUSION Rectal fistula communicating till foot may be a very rare presentation in proctology practice. Kshara sutra treatment was useful in treating this condition, with minimal surgical intervention with no recurrence. PMID:23702360

Using distant supervised learning to identify protein subcellular localizations from full-text scientific articles.

PubMed

Zheng, Wu; Blake, Catherine

2015-10-01

Databases of curated biomedical knowledge, such as the protein-locations reflected in the UniProtKB database, provide an accurate and useful resource to researchers and decision makers. Our goal is to augment the manual efforts currently used to curate knowledge bases with automated approaches that leverage the increased availability of full-text scientific articles. This paper describes experiments that use distant supervised learning to identify protein subcellular localizations, which are important to understand protein function and to identify candidate drug targets. Experiments consider Swiss-Prot, the manually annotated subset of the UniProtKB protein knowledge base, and 43,000 full-text articles from the Journal of Biological Chemistry that contain just under 11.5 million sentences. The system achieves 0.81 precision and 0.49 recall at sentence level and an accuracy of 57% on held-out instances in a test set. Moreover, the approach identifies 8210 instances that are not in the UniProtKB knowledge base. Manual inspection of the 50 most likely relations showed that 41 (82%) were valid. These results have immediate benefit to researchers interested in protein function, and suggest that distant supervision should be explored to complement other manual data curation efforts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantum algorithm for energy matching in hard optimization problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldwin, C. L.; Laumann, C. R.

2018-06-01

We consider the ability of local quantum dynamics to solve the "energy-matching" problem: given an instance of a classical optimization problem and a low-energy state, find another macroscopically distinct low-energy state. Energy matching is difficult in rugged optimization landscapes, as the given state provides little information about the distant topography. Here, we show that the introduction of quantum dynamics can provide a speedup over classical algorithms in a large class of hard optimization problems. Tunneling allows the system to explore the optimization landscape while approximately conserving the classical energy, even in the presence of large barriers. Specifically, we study energy matching in the random p -spin model of spin-glass theory. Using perturbation theory and exact diagonalization, we show that introducing a transverse field leads to three sharp dynamical phases, only one of which solves the matching problem: (1) a small-field "trapped" phase, in which tunneling is too weak for the system to escape the vicinity of the initial state; (2) a large-field "excited" phase, in which the field excites the system into high-energy states, effectively forgetting the initial energy; and (3) the intermediate "tunneling" phase, in which the system succeeds at energy matching. The rate at which distant states are found in the tunneling phase, although exponentially slow in system size, is exponentially faster than classical search algorithms.

Renal surgery in the new millennium.

PubMed

Delvecchio, F C; Preminger, G M

2000-11-01

In the not too distant future, the minimally invasive renal surgeon will be able to practice an operation on a difficult case on a three-dimensional virtual reality simulator, providing all attributes of the real procedure. The patient's imaging studies will be imported into the simulator to better mimic particular anatomy. When confident enough of his or her skills, the surgeon will start operating on the patient using the same virtual reality simulator/telepresence surgery console system, which will permit the live surgery to be conducted by robots hundreds of miles away. The robots will manipulate miniature endoscopes or control minimally or noninvasive ablative technologies. Endoscopic/laparoscopic footage of the surgical procedure will be stored digitally in optical disks to be used later in telementoring of a surgery resident. All this and more will be possible in the not so distant third millennium.

Recovering Neptune 170 Years After its Initial Discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myles, Justin

2017-01-01

Recent work by Trujillo and Shephard (2014) and Batygin and Brown (2016) has shown an as-yet unexplained clustering of the periapse vectors of the most distant Kuiper Belt objects. This unusual clustering has motivated the search for an unseen perturbing planet that is responsible for maintaining the alignment. As a proof of concept of a technique for locating unseen solar system planets, we use dynamical N-body integrations to simulate the orbital dynamics of distant Kuiper Belt objects, with the aim of determining the orbital parameters of Neptune (which, for the sake of exercise, we assume is, as-yet, undiscovered). In this poster, we determine the accuracy with which the perturbing planet’s orbital elements and sky location can be determined, and we show how the lessons learned can improve the search strategy for potentially undiscovered trans-Neptunian planets.

Fast moving plasma structures in the distant magnetotail

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scholer, M.; Klecker, B.; Hovestadt, D.; Gloeckler, G.; Ipavich, F. M.; Smith, E. J.

1984-01-01

The paper reports for the first time the detailed time behavior of the intensities and the angular distributions of energetic protons and electrons in the distant magnetotail of the earth at 220 earth radii and 110 earth radii. The data have been obtained by the Max-Planck-Institut/University of Maryland sensor system on ISEE 3 during the spacecraft's first deep tail passage. Three energetic particle bursts are studied in detail. It is suggested that the satellite encounters detached plasma structures evidenced by the isotropic electrons. These structures, probably plasmoids, move with high velocities (about 800 km/s) down the tail. The energetic electrons and protons stream ahead of these fast tailward moving plasma structures, which leads to the various time dispersion effects. This allows, in principle, a determination of the source distance from the satellite.

Selective Listening Point Audio Based on Blind Signal Separation and Stereophonic Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niwa, Kenta; Nishino, Takanori; Takeda, Kazuya

A sound field reproduction method is proposed that uses blind source separation and a head-related transfer function. In the proposed system, multichannel acoustic signals captured at distant microphones are decomposed to a set of location/signal pairs of virtual sound sources based on frequency-domain independent component analysis. After estimating the locations and the signals of the virtual sources by convolving the controlled acoustic transfer functions with each signal, the spatial sound is constructed at the selected point. In experiments, a sound field made by six sound sources is captured using 48 distant microphones and decomposed into sets of virtual sound sources. Since subjective evaluation shows no significant difference between natural and reconstructed sound when six virtual sources and are used, the effectiveness of the decomposing algorithm as well as the virtual source representation are confirmed.

A teleconference with three-dimensional surgical video presentation on the 'usual' Internet.

PubMed

Obuchi, Toshiro; Moroga, Toshihiko; Nakamura, Hiroshige; Shima, Hiroji; Iwasaki, Akinori

2015-03-01

Endoscopic surgery employing three-dimensional (3D) video images, such as a robotic surgery, has recently become common. However, the number of opportunities to watch such actual 3D videos is still limited due to many technical difficulties associated with showing 3D videos in front of an audience. A teleconference with 3D video presentations of robotic surgeries was held between our institution and a distant institution using a commercially available telecommunication appliance on the 'usual' Internet. Although purpose-built video displays and 3D glasses were necessary, no technical problems occurred during the presentation and discussion. This high-definition 3D telecommunication system can be applied to discussions about and education on 3D endoscopic surgeries for many surgeons, even in distant places, without difficulty over the usual Internet connection.

A Deep Chandra Observation of the Distant Galaxy Cluster MS 1137.5+6625

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grego, Laura; Vrtilek, J. M.; Van Speybroeck, Leon; David, Laurence P.; Forman, William; Carlstrom, John E.; Reese, Erik D.; Joy, Marshall K.

2004-06-01

We present results from a deep Chandra observation of MS 1137.5+66, a distant (z=0.783) and massive cluster of galaxies. Only a few similarly massive clusters are currently known at such high redshifts; accordingly, this observation provides much needed information on the dynamical state of these rare systems. The cluster appears both regular and symmetric in the X-ray image. However, our analysis of the spectral and spatial X-ray data in conjunction with interferometric Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect data and published deep optical imaging suggests that the cluster has a fairly complex structure. The angular diameter distance we calculate from the Chandra and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect data assuming an isothermal, spherically symmetric cluster implies a low value for the Hubble constant for which we explore possible explanations.

Teleconnections in complex human-Earth system models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvin, K. V.; Edmonds, J.

2017-12-01

Human systems and physical Earth systems are closely coupled and interact in complex ways that are sometimes surprising. This presentation discusses a few examples of system interactions. We consider the coupled energy-water-land-economy systems. We show how reductions in fossil fuel emissions are inversely coupled to land rents, food prices and deforestation. We discuss how water shortages in one part of the world is propagated to other distant parts of the world. We discuss the sensitivity of international trade patterns to energy and land systems technology and markets, and the potentially unanticipated results that can emerge.

An Intelligent Catheter System Robotic Controlled Catheter System

PubMed Central

Negoro, M.; Tanimoto, M.; Arai, F.; Fukuda, T.; Fukasaku, K.; Takahashi, I.; Miyachi, S.

2001-01-01

Summary We have developed a novel catheter system, an intelligent catheter system, which is able to control a catheter by an externally-placed controller. This system has made from master-slave mechanism and has following three components; 1) a joy stick as a master (for operators) 2)a catheter controller as a slave (for a patient),3)a micro force sensor as a sensing device. This catheter tele-guiding system has abilities to perform intravascular procedures from the distant places. It may help to reduce the radiation exposures to the operators and also to help train young doctors. PMID:20663387

Epigenomic reprogramming during pancreatic cancer progression links anabolic glucose metabolism to distant metastasis.

PubMed

McDonald, Oliver G; Li, Xin; Saunders, Tyler; Tryggvadottir, Rakel; Mentch, Samantha J; Warmoes, Marc O; Word, Anna E; Carrer, Alessandro; Salz, Tal H; Natsume, Sonoko; Stauffer, Kimberly M; Makohon-Moore, Alvin; Zhong, Yi; Wu, Hao; Wellen, Kathryn E; Locasale, Jason W; Iacobuzio-Donahue, Christine A; Feinberg, Andrew P

2017-03-01

During the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), heterogeneous subclonal populations emerge that drive primary tumor growth, regional spread, distant metastasis, and patient death. However, the genetics of metastases largely reflects that of the primary tumor in untreated patients, and PDAC driver mutations are shared by all subclones. This raises the possibility that an epigenetic process might operate during metastasis. Here we report large-scale reprogramming of chromatin modifications during the natural evolution of distant metastasis. Changes were targeted to thousands of large chromatin domains across the genome that collectively specified malignant traits, including euchromatin and large organized chromatin histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9)-modified (LOCK) heterochromatin. Remarkably, distant metastases co-evolved a dependence on the oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway (oxPPP), and oxPPP inhibition selectively reversed reprogrammed chromatin, malignant gene expression programs, and tumorigenesis. These findings suggest a model whereby linked metabolic-epigenetic programs are selected for enhanced tumorigenic fitness during the evolution of distant metastasis.

Acoustic Emission Health Monitoring of Fill Purge COPV's Used in Aerospace and Automotive Applications and Designed for Long Cycle Life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waller, Jess

2013-01-01

Cumulative composite damage in composite pressure vessels (CPVs) currently is not monitored on-orbit. Consequently, hazards due to catastrophic burst before leak (BBL) or compromised CPV reliability cannot be ascertained or mitigated, posing a risk to crew and mission assurance. The energy associated with CPV rupture can be significant, especially with high pressure gases are under containment, and the energy releases can be severe enough to cause injury, death, loss of assets or mission. Dual-Use Rationale: CPVs similar to those used by NASA on ISS, for example, are finding increasing use in automotive and transportation industry applications. These CPVs generally have a nonload sharing liner and are repeatedly filled over their service lifetime, typically with hydrogen or compressed natural gas (CNG). The same structural health monitoring equipment and software developed by NASA WSTF for evaluating, in real-time, the health of NASA CPVs on ISS will be used to evaluate the health of automotive CPVs, the only differences being the type and design of the CPV, and the in-service lifetime pressure histories. HSF Need(s)/Performance Characteristic(s) Supported: 1) Enable on-board vehicle systems management for mission critical functions at destinations with > 3 second time delay 2) Enable autonomous nominal operations and FDIR for crewed and un-crewed systems 3) Reduce on-board crew time to sustain and manage vehicle by factor of 2x at destinations with > 6 second time delay (see Crew Autonomy sheet) 4) Reduce earth-based mission ops "back room engineering" requirements for distant mission support delay (see Mission Autonomy sheet)

Functionally conserved enhancers with divergent sequences in distant vertebrates

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

Yang, Song; Oksenberg, Nir; Takayama, Sachiko

To examine the contributions of sequence and function conservation in the evolution of enhancers, we systematically identified enhancers whose sequences are not conserved among distant groups of vertebrate species, but have homologous function and are likely to be derived from a common ancestral sequence. In conclusion, our approach combined comparative genomics and epigenomics to identify potential enhancer sequences in the genomes of three groups of distantly related vertebrate species.

Functionally conserved enhancers with divergent sequences in distant vertebrates

DOE PAGES

Yang, Song; Oksenberg, Nir; Takayama, Sachiko; ...

2015-10-30

To examine the contributions of sequence and function conservation in the evolution of enhancers, we systematically identified enhancers whose sequences are not conserved among distant groups of vertebrate species, but have homologous function and are likely to be derived from a common ancestral sequence. In conclusion, our approach combined comparative genomics and epigenomics to identify potential enhancer sequences in the genomes of three groups of distantly related vertebrate species.

Planning Programming Budgeting Systems: PPBS and Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katzenbach, Edward L.

Continuous change in education is requiring educational administrators to plan for the distant future with as much precision as they now do for the immediate future. Recently, major advances in the planning-budgeting process have become available to educators in the form of PPBS. Fiduciary budgets, which have been used in most schools since the…

Challenges Encountered by a Distance Learning Organisation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malik, Sangeeta

2012-01-01

Distance learning as the name indicates is a learning, learner gets from distant places. In this learning system, learner and educators are separated by space & time. Lots of distance learning organizations are spreading to meet the increased demand of current & future needs of adult education. The rapid spread of these organizations doesn't mean…

A Practical Ontology Query Expansion Algorithm for Semantic-Aware Learning Objects Retrieval

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Ming-Che; Tsai, Kun Hua; Wang, Tzone I.

2008-01-01

Following the rapid development of Internet, particularly web page interaction technology, distant e-learning has become increasingly realistic and popular. To solve the problems associated with sharing and reusing teaching materials in different e-learning systems, several standard formats, including SCORM, IMS, LOM, and AICC, etc., recently have…

Potential Interrelationships Between Library and Other Mass Media Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Edwin B.

The function of libraries is to make it easy for the people in their community to obtain information from other people or environments that may be distant is space, time or imagination. To perform this function libraries require communication media. Storage media are essential, but duplication and transmission media can improve the service of…

Benefit from NASA

NASA Image and Video Library

1985-01-01

The NASA imaging processing technology, an advanced computer technique to enhance images sent to Earth in digital form by distant spacecraft, helped develop a new vision screening process. The Ocular Vision Screening system, an important step in preventing vision impairment, is a portable device designed especially to detect eye problems in children through the analysis of retinal reflexes.

Analogy and Dynamic Geometry System Used to Introduce Three-Dimensional Geometry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mammana, M. F.; Micale, B.; Pennisi, M.

2012-01-01

We present a sequence of classroom activities on Euclidean geometry, both plane and space geometry, used to make three dimensional geometry more catchy and simple. The activity consists of a guided research activity that leads the students to discover unexpected properties of two apparently distant geometrical entities, quadrilaterals and…

The microbiome modulates the tumor macroenvironment

PubMed Central

Erdman, Susan E; Poutahidis, Theofilos

2014-01-01

Earlier investigations of the tumor microenvironment unveiled systemic networks presenting novel therapeutic opportunities. It has been recently shown that gut microbes modulate whole host immune and neuroendocrine factors impacting the fate of distant preneoplastic lesions toward malignancy or regression. These findings establish a new paradigm of holobiont therapeutic engineering in emerging tumor macroenvironments. PMID:25050199

75 FR 56868 - Implementation of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-17

.... (``Subsection (c) resolves the phantom signal ambiguity that required cable systems to pay royalty fees for... distant signals to some but not all communities to calculate royalty fees on the basis of the actual...'s computation of its royalty fee consistent with the methodology described in subparagraph (C)(iii...

Remote Laboratory and Animal Behaviour: An Interactive Open Field System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiore, Lorenzo; Ratti, Giovannino

2007-01-01

Remote laboratories can provide distant learners with practical acquisitions which would otherwise remain precluded. Our proposal here is a remote laboratory on a behavioural test (open field test), with the aim of introducing learners to the observation and analysis of stereotyped behaviour in animals. A real-time video of a mouse in an…

Online Concept Maps: Enhancing Collaborative Learning by Using Technology with Concept Maps.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canas, Alberto J.; Ford, Kenneth M.; Novak, Joseph D.; Hayes, Patrick; Reichherzer, Thomas R.; Suri, Niranjan

2001-01-01

Describes a collaborative software system that allows students from distant schools to share claims derived from their concept maps. Sharing takes place by accessing The Knowledge Soup, a repository of propositions submitted by students and stored on a computer server. Students can use propositions from other students to enhance their concept…

Distinctive Expansion of Gene Families Associated with Virulence Functions in the Genomes of Grapevine Trunk Pathogens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Trunk diseases are responsible for important economic losses in all viticulture production systems. They are caused by distantly-related fungi that form chronic wood infections. Variation in wood-decay abilities and production of phytotoxic compounds are thought to contribute to differences in the d...

Institutional Assessment: Between Political Pressing Needs and School Improvement Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Méndez, Juan Manuel Álvarez

2014-01-01

This article presents, through a critical analysis, a reflection on a noticeable change that focuses on some aspects related to the assessment of different parts of the educational system. In particular, it concentrates on the assessment of teaching institutions which has been considered by authorities that are distant from the school life and…

Cancer cell-secreted IGF2 instigates fibroblasts and bone marrow-derived vascular progenitor cells to promote cancer progression

PubMed Central

Xu, Wen Wen; Li, Bin; Guan, Xin Yuan; Chung, Sookja K.; Wang, Yang; Yip, Yim Ling; Law, Simon Y. K.; Chan, Kin Tak; Lee, Nikki P. Y.; Chan, Kwok Wah; Xu, Li Yan; Li, En Min; Tsao, Sai Wah; He, Qing-Yu; Cheung, Annie L. M.

2017-01-01

Local interactions between cancer cells and stroma can produce systemic effects on distant organs to govern cancer progression. Here we show that IGF2 secreted by inhibitor of differentiation (Id1)-overexpressing oesophageal cancer cells instigates VEGFR1-positive bone marrow cells in the tumour macroenvironment to form pre-metastatic niches at distant sites by increasing VEGF secretion from cancer-associated fibroblasts. Cancer cells are then attracted to the metastatic site via the CXCL5/CXCR2 axis. Bone marrow cells transplanted from nude mice bearing Id1-overexpressing oesophageal tumours enhance tumour growth and metastasis in recipient mice, whereas systemic administration of VEGFR1 antibody abrogates these effects. Mechanistically, IGF2 regulates VEGF in fibroblasts via miR-29c in a p53-dependent manner. Analysis of patient serum samples showed that concurrent elevation of IGF2 and VEGF levels may serve as a prognostic biomarker for oesophageal cancer. These findings suggest that the Id1/IGF2/VEGF/VEGFR1 cascade plays a critical role in tumour-driven pathophysiological processes underlying cancer progression. PMID:28186102

Cancer cell-secreted IGF2 instigates fibroblasts and bone marrow-derived vascular progenitor cells to promote cancer progression.

PubMed

Xu, Wen Wen; Li, Bin; Guan, Xin Yuan; Chung, Sookja K; Wang, Yang; Yip, Yim Ling; Law, Simon Y K; Chan, Kin Tak; Lee, Nikki P Y; Chan, Kwok Wah; Xu, Li Yan; Li, En Min; Tsao, Sai Wah; He, Qing-Yu; Cheung, Annie L M

2017-02-10

Local interactions between cancer cells and stroma can produce systemic effects on distant organs to govern cancer progression. Here we show that IGF2 secreted by inhibitor of differentiation (Id1)-overexpressing oesophageal cancer cells instigates VEGFR1-positive bone marrow cells in the tumour macroenvironment to form pre-metastatic niches at distant sites by increasing VEGF secretion from cancer-associated fibroblasts. Cancer cells are then attracted to the metastatic site via the CXCL5/CXCR2 axis. Bone marrow cells transplanted from nude mice bearing Id1-overexpressing oesophageal tumours enhance tumour growth and metastasis in recipient mice, whereas systemic administration of VEGFR1 antibody abrogates these effects. Mechanistically, IGF2 regulates VEGF in fibroblasts via miR-29c in a p53-dependent manner. Analysis of patient serum samples showed that concurrent elevation of IGF2 and VEGF levels may serve as a prognostic biomarker for oesophageal cancer. These findings suggest that the Id1/IGF2/VEGF/VEGFR1 cascade plays a critical role in tumour-driven pathophysiological processes underlying cancer progression.

The short-term effects of cisplatin chemotherapy on bone turnover.

PubMed

Young, D R; Virolainen, P; Inoue, N; Frassica, F J; Chao, E Y

1997-11-01

Cisplatin is an effective agent in the treatment of osteosarcoma of bone but little is known of its effects on normal bone turnover. Twenty-four dogs divided into three study groups were used to study the effect of cisplatin on normal bone turnover at the distant site of surgery. Group 1 served as the control group, group 2 received four cycles of cisplatin every 3 weeks before the surgery, and group 3 received four cycles postoperatively. The bone turnover rate was evaluated by measuring levels of systemic bone markers, osteocalcin, alkaline phospohatase, urine pyridinoline cross-links, and by determination histomorphometric indices. Histomorphological analysis showed poor correlation on bone formation with systemic bone markers at distant sites of surgery. Histomorphometrically normal bone turnover was affected by administration of cisplatin, but the effect was temporary, late, and less significant than what occurred at the surgical site. Our data showed that significant effects of cisplatin are observed at the site of active cellular induction and proliferation, such as implant-host interface, and less effects are seen at the sites of normal bone turnover.

[Correlations between cellular immunity and invasiveness in differentiated thyroid cancer].

PubMed

Han, Ting; Liang, Jun; Meng, Chao; Yang, Ke; Li, Xiao-yi; Lin, Yan-song

2014-02-01

To investigate the relationship between the immunity and invasiveness in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Totally 74 DTC who were treated in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from September 2012 to December 2012 were enrolled in this study. These 74 patients were divided into membrane invasion group (n=36) and without membrane invasion group (n=38); also, they were divided into distant metastasis group (n=18) and without distant metastasis group (n=56). Natural killer (NK) cells and T-cell subsets were chosen as indicators for cellular immunity to investigate the correlation between cellular immunity and invasiveness in DTC. Univariate analysis showed that the membrane invasion (Χ(2)=12.175, P=0.000) and distant metastasis (Χ(2)=8.139, P=0.006) correlated with cell immunity, whereas distant metastasis correlated with lymphocytic thyroiditis (Χ(2)=7.094, P=0.008). Further investigation shows that distant metastasis was associated with the percentage of CD8+T cell subgroup (Χ(2)=5.429, P=0.020), and membrane invasion was significantly associated with NK cells (Χ(2)=2.445, P=0.018) and CD4/CD8 disorder subgroup (Χ(2)=8.079, P=0.002). Multivariate analysis showed that cell immunity disorder was a risk factor for membrane invasion [OR=5.701,95%CI(2.075~15.666), P=0.001] and distant metastasis [OR=5.063,95%CI (1.571~16.320), P=0.008]. Further analysis showed that CD8+T cell was a risk factor for metastasis [OR=2.236,95%CI( 1.084~4.613), P=0.029], and CD4/CD8 disorders were the risk factors for membrane invasion [OR=2.802,95%CI(1.257~6.244), P=0.012]. Cell immunity in thyroid cancer has close relationship with membrane invasion and distant metastasis, especially when the percentage of CD8+T cells decreases and when the NK cells and CD4/CD8 are abnormal, which may lead to membrane invasion and distant metastasis.

U.S. COIN Doctrine: Betting the Future on a Too Distant Past

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-17

authority. This conceptualization also draws on the Maoist model of insurgency reflecting the influence that 20th Century events have on current...doctrine. The model for legitimate government is a representative government, which Galula points out, is responsive to the needs of its people. JP 1-02... econometrics approach to address the COIN problem. Systems analysis implied that there were two competing systems, insurgency and COIN, with the

Hepatic Radiofrequency Ablation–induced Stimulation of Distant Tumor Growth Is Suppressed by c-Met Inhibition

PubMed Central

Kumar, Gaurav; Moussa, Marwan; Wang, Yuanguo; Rozenblum, Nir; Galun, Eithan; Goldberg, S. Nahum

2016-01-01

Purpose To elucidate how hepatic radiofrequency (RF) ablation affects distant extrahepatic tumor growth by means of two key molecular pathways. Materials and Methods Rats were used in this institutional animal care and use committee–approved study. First, the effect of hepatic RF ablation on distant subcutaneous in situ R3230 and MATBIII breast tumors was evaluated. Animals were randomly assigned to standardized RF ablation, sham procedure, or no treatment. Tumor growth rate was measured for 3½ to 7 days. Then, tissue was harvested for Ki-67 proliferative indexes and CD34 microvascular density. Second, hepatic RF ablation was performed for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and c-Met receptor expression measurement in periablational rim, serum, and distant tumor 24 hours to 7 days after ablation. Third, hepatic RF ablation was combined with either a c-Met inhibitor (PHA-665752) or VEGF receptor inhibitor (semaxanib) and compared with sham or drug alone arms to assess distant tumor growth and growth factor levels. Finally, hepatic RF ablation was performed in rats with c-Met–negative R3230 tumors for comparison with the native c-Met–positive line. Tumor size and immunohistochemical quantification at day 0 and at sacrifice were compared with analysis of variance and the two-tailed Student t test. Tumor growth curves before and after treatment were analyzed with linear regression analysis to determine mean slopes of pre- and posttreatment growth curves on a per-tumor basis and were compared with analysis of variance and paired two-tailed t tests. Results After RF ablation of normal liver, distant R3230 tumors were substantially larger at 7 days compared with tumors treated with the sham procedure and untreated tumors, with higher growth rates and tumor cell proliferation. Similar findings were observed in MATBIII tumors. Hepatic RF ablation predominantly increased periablational and serum HGF and downstream distant tumor VEGF levels. Compared with RF ablation alone, RF ablation combined with adjuvant PHA-665752 or semaxanib reduced distant tumor growth, proliferation, and microvascular density. For c-Met–negative tumors, hepatic RF ablation did not increase distant tumor growth, proliferation, or microvascular density compared with sham treatment. Conclusion RF ablation of normal liver can stimulate distant subcutaneous tumor growth mediated by HGF/c-Met pathway and VEGF activation. This effect was not observed in c-Met–negative tumors and can be blocked with adjuvant c-Met and VEGF inhibitors. © RSNA, 2015 PMID:26418615

Experiences integrating autonomous components and legacy systems into tsunami early warning systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reißland, S.; Herrnkind, S.; Guenther, M.; Babeyko, A.; Comoglu, M.; Hammitzsch, M.

2012-04-01

Fostered by and embedded in the general development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) the evolution of Tsunami Early Warning Systems (TEWS) shows a significant development from seismic-centred to multi-sensor system architectures using additional sensors, e.g. sea level stations for the detection of tsunami waves and GPS stations for the detection of ground displacements. Furthermore, the design and implementation of a robust and scalable service infrastructure supporting the integration and utilisation of existing resources serving near real-time data not only includes sensors but also other components and systems offering services such as the delivery of feasible simulations used for forecasting in an imminent tsunami threat. In the context of the development of the German Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System (GITEWS) and the project Distant Early Warning System (DEWS) a service platform for both sensor integration and warning dissemination has been newly developed and demonstrated. In particular, standards of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) have been successfully incorporated. In the project Collaborative, Complex, and Critical Decision-Support in Evolving Crises (TRIDEC) new developments are used to extend the existing platform to realise a component-based technology framework for building distributed TEWS. This talk will describe experiences made in GITEWS, DEWS and TRIDEC while integrating legacy stand-alone systems and newly developed special-purpose software components into TEWS using different software adapters and communication strategies to make the systems work together in a corporate infrastructure. The talk will also cover task management and data conversion between the different systems. Practical approaches and software solutions for the integration of sensors, e.g. providing seismic and sea level data, and utilisation of special-purpose components, such as simulation systems, in TEWS will be presented.

Small bowel obstruction from distant metastasis of primary breast cancer: a case report.

PubMed

Oh, Seung Jae; Park, Seon Young; Kim, Ji Young; Yim, Hyunee; Jung, Yongsik; Han, Sae Hwan

2018-02-01

Gastrointestinal (GI) tract metastasis of primary breast cancer is very rare. We present a patient with small bowel obstruction from distant metastasis of primary breast cancer. Each characteristic features of concern of GI tract distant metastasis from many pervious studies has been reported differently. We should remember that GI tract metastasis may coexist when patients with breast cancer have intermittent or recurrent abdominal pain with or without obstructive symptoms.

A method of real-time detection for distant moving obstacles by monocular vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Bao-zhi; Zhu, Ming

2013-12-01

In this paper, we propose an approach for detection of distant moving obstacles like cars and bicycles by a monocular camera to cooperate with ultrasonic sensors in low-cost condition. We are aiming at detecting distant obstacles that move toward our autonomous navigation car in order to give alarm and keep away from them. Method of frame differencing is applied to find obstacles after compensation of camera's ego-motion. Meanwhile, each obstacle is separated from others in an independent area and given a confidence level to indicate whether it is coming closer. The results on an open dataset and our own autonomous navigation car have proved that the method is effective for detection of distant moving obstacles in real-time.

Satellite laser ranging work at the Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgunigal, T. E.; Carrion, W. J.; Caudill, L. O.; Grant, C. R.; Johnson, T. S.; Premo, D. A.; Spadin, P. L.; Winston, G. C.

1975-01-01

Laser ranging systems, their range and accuracy capabilities, and planned improvements for future systems are discussed, the systems include one fixed and two mobile lasers ranging systems. They have demonstrated better than 10 cm accuracy both on a carefully surveyed ground range and in regular satellite ranging operations. They are capable of ranging to all currently launched retroreflector equipped satellites with the exception of Timation III. A third mobile system is discussed which will be accurate to better than 5 cm and will be capable of ranging to distant satellites such as Timation III and LAGEOS.

Migrating foreign body in the tracheobronchial tree: an unusual case of firework penetrating neck injury.

PubMed

Khan, M Sarwar; Kirkland, P M; Kumar, R

2002-02-01

Firework injuries can manifest themselves in many different ways; usually as an explosive or burn injury. This case describes an unusual presentation of a firework penetrating injury resulting in a sharp coiled metal foreign body travelling through a small entry wound in the neck and subsequently lodging itself in the tracheobronchial tree. A foreign body such as this can potentially travel a considerable distance through the soft tissues and end up in an unsuspecting distant site. There must, therefore, be a high index of suspicion with the appropriate radiological investigations for appropriate management of such cases.

Acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs for the treatment in hemivertebral French bulldogs with emergent paraparesis.

PubMed

Liu, Ching Ming; Holyoak, G Reed; Lin, Chung Tien

2016-10-01

This study follows the treatment of six French bulldogs with paraparesis caused by congenital hemivertebra which were structurally mild but clinically severe. A standardized acupuncture ( zhēn jiǔ) treatment using Hua-Tuo-Jiaji (HTJJ) as local points and other distant points combined with Chinese herbs improved the clinical signs. Few, if any, published papers mention Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) for treatment of hemivertebral paraparesis in French bulldogs. Based on the rapid treatment outcome, we encourage practitioners to integrate this form of conservative management into emergency treatment.

Closed-Loop Neuropharmacology For Epilepsy: Distant Dream Or Future Reality?

PubMed

Aicua-Rapun, Irene; Andre, Pascal; Novy, Jan

2018-03-08

Epilepsy is considered the most frequent severe neurological condition but most patients treated with medication become seizure free. The management of treatment however is highly empirical, mainly relying on observation. A closed-loop therapy for epilepsy would be very valuable for more efficient treatment regimens. Here we discuss monitoring treatment (therapeutic drug monitoring) and the potential developments in this field, as well as providing a review of potential biomarkers that could be used to monitor the disease activity. Finally, we consider the pharmacogenetic input in epilepsy treatment. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Multimodality management of soft tissue tumors in the extremity

PubMed Central

Crago, Aimee M.; Lee, Ann Y.

2016-01-01

Most extremity soft tissue sarcomas present as a painless mass. Workup should generally involve cross-sectional imaging with MRI, as well as a core biopsy for pathologic diagnosis. Limb-sparing surgery is the standard of care, and may be supplemented with radiation for histologic subtypes at higher risk for local recurrence and chemotherapy for those at higher risk for distant metastases. This article reviews the work-up and surgical approach to extremity soft tissue sarcomas, as well as the role for radiation and chemotherapy, with particular attention given to the distinguishing characteristics of some of the most common subtypes. PMID:27542637

Understanding illegality and corruption in forest governance.

PubMed

Sundström, Aksel

2016-10-01

This review synthesizes the literature studying illegality and government corruption in forest management. After discussing the theoretical connections between different types of corruption and illegal forest-related activities it describes the major trends in previous studies, examining cross-national patterns as well as local in-depth studies. Both theory and available empirical findings provide a straightforward suggestion: Bribery is indeed a "door opener" for illegal activities to take place in forest management. It then discusses the implications for conservation, focusing first on international protection schemes such as the REDD+ and second on efforts to reduce illegality and bribery in forest management. Key aspects to consider in the discussion on how to design monitoring institutions of forest regulations is how to involve actors without the incentive to engage in bribery and how to make use of new technologies that may publicize illegal behavior in distant localities. The review concludes by discussing avenues for future research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nearby Hot Stars May Change Our View of Distant Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-07-01

As if it werent enough that quasars distant and bright nuclei of galaxies twinkle of their own accord due to internal processes, nature also provides another complication: these distant radio sources can also appear to twinkle because of intervening material between them and us. A new study has identified a possible source for the material getting in the way.Unexplained VariabilityA Spitzer infrared view of the Helix nebula, which contains ionized streamers of gas extending radially outward from the central star. [NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Ariz.]Distant quasars occasionally display extreme scintillation, twinkling with variability timescales shorter than a day. This intra-day variability is much greater than we can account for with standard models of the interstellar medium lying between the quasar and us. So what could cause this extreme scattering instead?The first clue to this mystery came from the discovery of strong variability in the radio source PKS 1322110. In setting up follow-up observations of this object, Mark Walker (Manly Astrophysics, Australia) and collaborators noticed that, in the plane of the sky, PKS 1322110 lies very near the bright star Spica. Could this be coincidence, or might this bright foreground star have something to do with the extreme scattering observed?Diagram explaining the source of the intra-day radio source variability as intervening filaments surrounding a hot star. [M. Walker/CSIRO/Manly Astrophysics]Swarms of ClumpsWalker and collaborators put forward a hypothesis: perhaps the ultraviolet photons of nearby hot stars ionize plasma around them, which in turn causes the extreme scattering of the distant background sources.As a model, the authors consider the Helix Nebula, in which a hot, evolved star is surrounded by cool globules of molecular hydrogen gas. The radiation from the star hits these molecular clumps, dragging them into long radial streamers and ionizing their outer skins.Though the molecular clumps in the Helix Nebula were thought to have formed only as the star evolved late into its lifetime, Walker and collaborators are now suggesting that all stars regardless of spectral type or evolutionary stage may be surrounded by swarms of tiny molecular clumps. Aroundstars that are hot enough, these clumps become the ionized plasma streamers that can cause interference with the light traveling to us from distant sources.Significant MassTo test this theory, Walker and collaborators explore observations of two distant radio quasars that have both exhibited intra-day variability over many years of observations. The team identified a hot A-type star near each of these two sources: J1819+3845 has Vega nearby, and PKS 1257326 has Alhakim.Locations of stars along the line of site to two distant quasars, J1819+3845 (top panel) and PKS 1257326 (bottom panel). Both have a nearby, hot star (blue markers) radially within 2 pc: Vega (z = 7.7 pc) and Alhakim (z = 18 pc), respectively. [Walker et al. 2017]By modeling the systems of the sources and stars, the authors show that the size, location, orientation, and numbers of plasma concentrations necessary to explain observations are all consistent with an environment similar to that of the Helix Nebula. Walker and collaborators find that the total mass in the molecular clumps surrounding the two stars would need to be comparable to the mass of the stars themselves.If this picture is correct, and if all stars are indeed surrounded by molecular clumps like these, then a substantial fraction of the mass of ourgalaxy could be contained in these clumps. Besides explaining distant quasar scintillation, this idea would therefore have a significant impact on our overall understanding of how mass in galaxies is distributed. More observations of twinkling quasars are the next step toward confirming this picture.CitationMark A. Walker et al 2017 ApJ 843 15. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa705c

Cancer terminator viruses (CTV): A better solution for viral-based therapy of cancer.

PubMed

Emdad, Luni; Das, Swadesh K; Wang, Xiang-Yang; Sarkar, Devanand; Fisher, Paul B

2018-08-01

In principle, viral gene therapy holds significant potential for the therapy of solid cancers. However, this promise has not been fully realized and systemic administration of viruses has not proven as successful as envisioned in the clinical arena. Our research is focused on developing the next generation of efficacious viruses to specifically treat both primary cancers and a major cause of cancer lethality, metastatic tumors (that have spread from a primary site of origin to other areas in the body and are responsible for an estimated 90% of cancer deaths). We have generated a chimeric tropism-modified type 5 and 3 adenovirus that selectively replicates in cancer cells and simultaneously produces a secreted anti-cancer toxic cytokine, melanoma differentiation associated gene-7/Interleukin-24 (mda-7/IL-24), referred to as a Cancer Terminator Virus (CTV) (Ad.5/3-CTV). In preclinical animal models, injection into a primary tumor causes selective cell death and therapeutic activity is also observed in non-injected distant tumors, that is, "bystander anti-tumor activity." To enhance the impact and therapeutic utility of the CTV, we have pioneered an elegant approach in which viruses are encapsulated in microbubbles allowing "stealth delivery" to tumor cells that when treated with focused ultrasound causes viral release killing tumor cells through viral replication, and producing and secreting MDA-7/IL-24, which stimulates the immune system to attack distant cancers, inhibits tumor angiogenesis and directly promotes apoptosis in distant cancer cells. This strategy is called UTMD (ultrasound-targeted microbubble-destruction). This novel CTV and UTMD approach hold significant promise for the effective therapy of primary and disseminated tumors. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Assessing the landscape context and conversion risk of protected areas using satellite data products

USGS Publications Warehouse

Svancara, Leona K.; Scott, J.M.; Loveland, Thomas R.; Pidgorna, Anna

2009-01-01

Since the establishment of the first national park (Yellowstone National Park in 1872) and the first wildlife refuge (Pelican Island in 1903), dramatic changes have occurred in both ecological and cultural landscapes across the U.S. The ability of these protected areas to maintain current levels of biodiversity depend, at least in part, on the integrity of the surrounding landscape. Our objective was to quantify and compare the extent and pattern of natural land cover, risk of conversion, and relationships with demographic and economic variables in counties near National Park Service units and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuges with those counties distant from either type of protected area in the coterminous United States. Our results indicate that landscapes in counties within 10 km of both parks and refuges and those within 10 km of just parks were more natural, more intact, and more protected than those in counties within 10 km of just refuges and counties greater than 10 km from either protected area system. However, they also had greater human population density and change in population, indicating potential conversion risk since the percent of landscape protected averaged < 5% in both groups and human population dynamics are primary drivers of change in many landscapes. Conversion outweighed protection by at least two times (Conservation Risk Index > 2) in 76% of counties near both parks and refuges, 81% of counties near just parks, 91% of counties near just refuges, and 93% of distant counties. Thirteen percent of counties in the coterminous U.S. had moderate to high amounts of natural land cover (> 60%), low protection (< 20%), and the greatest change in population (> 20%). Although these areas are not the most critically endangered, they represent the greatest conservation opportunity, need, and urgency. Our approach is based on national level metrics that are simple, general, informative, and can be understood by broad audiences and by policy makers and managers to assess the health of lands surrounding parks and refuges. Regular monitoring of these metrics with satellite data products in counties surrounding protected areas provides a consistent, national level assessment of management opportunities and potentially adverse changes on adjacent lands.

Diagnosis and Management of Perforated Duodenal Ulcers following Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass: A Report of Two Cases and a Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Iskandar, Mazen E; Chory, Fiona M; Goodman, Elliot R; Surick, Burton G

2015-01-01

Perforated duodenal ulcers are rare complications seen after roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGP). They often present as a diagnostic dilemma as they rarely present with pneumoperitoneum on radiologic evaluation. There is no consensus as to the pathophysiology of these ulcers; however expeditious treatment is necessary. We present two patients with perforated duodenal ulcers and a distant history of RYGP who were successfully treated. Their individual surgical management is discussed as well as a literature review. We conclude that, in patients who present with acute abdominal pain and a history of RYGB, perforated ulcer needs to be very high in the differential diagnosis even in the absence of pneumoperitoneum. In these patients an early surgical exploration is paramount to help diagnose and treat these patients.

Diagnosis and Management of Perforated Duodenal Ulcers following Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass: A Report of Two Cases and a Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Iskandar, Mazen E.; Chory, Fiona M.; Goodman, Elliot R.; Surick, Burton G.

2015-01-01

Perforated duodenal ulcers are rare complications seen after roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGP). They often present as a diagnostic dilemma as they rarely present with pneumoperitoneum on radiologic evaluation. There is no consensus as to the pathophysiology of these ulcers; however expeditious treatment is necessary. We present two patients with perforated duodenal ulcers and a distant history of RYGP who were successfully treated. Their individual surgical management is discussed as well as a literature review. We conclude that, in patients who present with acute abdominal pain and a history of RYGB, perforated ulcer needs to be very high in the differential diagnosis even in the absence of pneumoperitoneum. In these patients an early surgical exploration is paramount to help diagnose and treat these patients. PMID:25949843

A critical look at persistent problems in the diagnosis, staging and treatment of temporal bone carcinoma.

PubMed

Zanoletti, Elisabetta; Lovato, Andrea; Stritoni, Paola; Martini, Alessandro; Mazzoni, Antonio; Marioni, Gino

2015-12-01

Temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma (TBSCC) is an uncommon malignancy with a distinctly poor prognosis in advanced cases. There is still much controversy surrounding the rational diagnostic/therapeutic approach to TBSCC. Diagnostic differences are due mainly to: the small number of cases reported (even in the largest available series); the inappropriate histological heterogeneity of several case series; the lack of an internationally-accepted staging system for TBSCC; the frequent absence of adequate radiological imaging to enable a malignancy's local, regional and distant extension to be studied in detail; and a non-standardized approach to final histological assessment of the surgical margins. As for the therapeutic approaches, several issues are still debated, including the choice between en bloc and piecemeal primary surgery for the tumor's removal, and the role of elective neck dissection. Although radiotherapy seems to be an effective adjuvant therapy in advanced cases, its role in low-stage tumors or as a primary treatment has yet to be established. The value of chemotherapy is also still unclear. The treatment strategy for TBSCC is often based on the combined experience of a given surgeon and institution, bearing the results reportedly achieved by other oncology centers in mind. To date, the optimal management of TBSCC is still elusive. We aimed to critically review the ongoing crucial issues concerning the management of TBSCC, analyzing how it is diagnosed, staged and treated, the management of recurrences, rational follow-up schedules, and prognostic factors for this disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does the Lagoa do peixe sandbar opening influence the macrophyte richness and composition in Southern Brazil wetlands?

PubMed

Rolon, Ana Silvia; Rocha, Odete; Maltchik, Leonardo

2013-03-01

The Lagoa do Peixe has its connection with the sea artificially opened every year at the end of winter. However, this management has been carried out without the evaluation of the impact of this opening in the aquatic biodiversity. This information is crucial for the management of the natural resources of the Lagoa do Peixe National Park, the unique Ramsar site in Southern Brazil. The following questions were analyzed: (1) Do richness and composition of aquatic macrophytes from Lagoa do Peixe floodplain varies temporarily according to the sandbar opening and closing? (2) Does the variation pattern of the macrophyte community changed according to the sandbar opening and closing? A set of eight sampling sites of 1ha were selected over the Lagoa do Peixe floodplain: four sites not influenced by the artificial sandbar opening and four sites influenced by this event, being two sites closer to the sandbar opening and the two sites distant to the sandbar opening. The samplings were carried out between November 2007 and October 2009. The results show that although the artificial sandbar breaching does not affect the aquatic macrophyte richness at the floodplain, it affects the dynamics of species composition. The hydrological variation related to this management can be the main factor of the continuous change in the species composition in the floodplain, especially in the Southern portion. In order to avoid impacts in the macrophyte conservation, the artificial sandbar opening should be considered carefully, since the area of study is one of the most important conservation units to wetland systems in Southern Brazil.

Management of the JWST MIRI pFM environmental and performance verification test campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eccleston, Paul; Glasse, Alistair; Grundy, Timothy; Detre, Örs Hunor; O'Sullivan, Brian; Shaughnessy, Bryan; Sykes, Jon; Thatcher, John; Walker, Helen; Wells, Martyn; Wright, Gillian; Wright, David

2012-09-01

The Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is one of four scientific instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observatory, scheduled for launch in 2018. It will provide unique capabilities to probe the distant or deeply dust-enshrouded regions of the Universe, investigating the history of star and planet formation from the earliest universe to the present day. To enable this the instrument optical module must be cooled below 7K, presenting specific challenges for the environmental testing and calibration activities. The assembly, integration and verification (AIV) activities for the proto-flight model (pFM) instrument ran from March 2010 to May 2012 at RAL where the instrument has been put through a full suite of environmental and performance tests with a non-conventional single cryo-test approach. In this paper we present an overview of the testing conducted on the MIRI pFM including ambient alignment testing, vibration testing, gravity release testing, cryogenic performance and calibration testing, functional testing at ambient and operational temperatures, thermal balance tests, and Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing. We discuss how tests were planned and managed to ensure that the whole AIV process remained on schedule and give an insight into the lessons learned from this process. We also show how the process of requirement verification for this complex system was managed and documented. We describe how the risks associated with a single long duration test at operating temperature were controlled so that the complete suite of environmental tests could be used to build up a full picture of instrument compliance.

Lymph-vascular space involvement and outer one-third myometrial invasion are strong predictors of distant haematogeneous failures in patients with stage I-II endometrioid-type endometrial cancer.

PubMed

Gadducci, Angiolo; Cavazzana, Andrea; Cosio, Stefania; DI Cristofano, Claudio; Tana, Roberta; Fanucchi, Antonio; Teti, Giancarlo; Cristofani, Renza; Genazzani, Andrea Riccardo

2009-05-01

The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the predictive value of different clinicopathological variables (patient age, tumour size, FIGO grade, myometrial invasion, lymph-vascular space involvement [LVSI], invasion margins, peri-tumour phlogistic infiltrate and mitotic activity) for the risk of distant haematogenous recurrences in patients with endometrioid-type stage Ib-II endometrial cancer. Between August 1990 and April 2005, 259 patients had undergone laparotomy, peritoneal washing, total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, with or without pelvic +/- para-aortic lymphadenectomy for endometrioid-type endometrial cancer. Thirty-six (13.9%) patients had developed recurrent disease after a median time of 17 months (range, 2-128 months). The relapse had been locoregional in 9, distant in 21 and both locoregional plus distant in 6 cases. This study assessed 12 patients with FIGO stage Ib-II disease who had developed distant haematogenous recurrences and 20 randomly chosen control patients with FIGO stage Ib-II disease who had remained recurrence-free after a median follow-up of 52 months (range, 37-66 months). Adjuvant therapy had been: no further treatment in 15 patients, external pelvic irradiation in 14 patients, adjuvant external pelvic irradiation plus brachytherapy in 2 patients and platinum-based chemotherapy followed by external pelvic irradiation in 1 patient. The site of distant failure had been the lung in 9 patients, liver in 2 patients and lung plus liver in 1 patient. A concomitant locoregional relapse (vagina or lymph nodes) had occurred in 3 patients. The median interval between surgery and the development of distant failure had been 16.5 months (range, 5-113 months). On univariate analysis, a higher incidence of FIGO grade 3 (50% versus 10%, p=0.0114), outer one-third myometrial invasion (91.7% versus 35.0%, p=0.0051) and LVSI (75.0.% versus 20.0%, p=0.0022) was found in the patients who had developed distant haematogeneous metastases compared to the recurrence-free women. Multivariate analysis showed that LVSI (p=0.0264) and deep myometrial invasion (p=0.0345) were independent predictive variables for the risk of distant haematogeneous failure. Patients with these pathological findings should be enrolled in randomised trials designed to assess the role of adjuvant chemotherapy alone or combined with sequential and/or concomitant external pelvic irradiation.

Clinical utility of TERT promoter mutations and ALK rearrangement in thyroid cancer patients with a high prevalence of the BRAF V600E mutation.

PubMed

Bae, Ja Seong; Kim, Yourha; Jeon, Sora; Kim, Se Hee; Kim, Tae Jung; Lee, Sohee; Kim, Min-Hee; Lim, Dong Jun; Lee, Youn Soo; Jung, Chan Kwon

2016-02-09

Mutations in the TERT promoter, ALK rearrangement, and the BRAF V600E mutation are associated with aggressive clinicopathologic features in thyroid cancers. However, little is known about the impact of TERT promoter mutations and ALK rearrangement in thyroid cancer patients with a high prevalence of BRAF mutations. We performed Sanger sequencing to detect BRAF V600E and TERT promoter mutations and both immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization to identify ALK rearrangement on 243 thyroid cancers. TERT promoter mutations were not present in 192 well-differentiated thyroid carcinomas (WDTC) without distant metastasis or in 9 medullary carcinomas. However, the mutations did occur in 40 % (12/30) of WDTC with distant metastasis, 29 % (2/7) of poorly differentiated carcinomas and 60 % (3/5) of anaplastic carcinomas. ALK rearrangement was not present in all thyroid cancers. The BRAF V600E mutation was more frequently found in WDTC without distant metastasis than in WDTC with distant metastasis (p = 0.007). In the cohort of WDTC with distant metastasis, patients with wild-type BRAF and TERT promoter had a significantly higher response rate after radioiodine therapy (p = 0.024), whereas the BRAF V600E mutation was significantly correlated with progressive disease (p = 0.025). The TERT promoter mutation is an independent predictor for distant metastasis of WDTC, but ALK testing is not useful for clinical decision-making in Korean patients with a high prevalence of the BRAF V600E mutation. Radioiodine therapy for distant metastasis of WDTC is most effective in patients without BRAF V600E and TERT promoter mutations.

Age at diagnosis and distant metastasis in breast cancer--a surprising inverse relationship.

PubMed

Purushotham, A; Shamil, E; Cariati, M; Agbaje, O; Muhidin, A; Gillett, C; Mera, A; Sivanadiyan, K; Harries, M; Sullivan, R; Pinder, S E; Garmo, H; Holmberg, L

2014-07-01

Predictors for site of distant metastasis and impact on survival in breast cancer are incompletely understood. Clinico-pathological risk factors for site of distant metastasis and survival were analysed in patients with invasive breast cancer treated between 1986 and 2006. Of 3553 patients, with median follow-up 6.32years, 825 (23%) developed distant metastasis. The site of metastasis was bone in 196/825 (24%), viscera in 540/825 (65%) and unknown in 89 (11%). Larger primary invasive tumour size, higher tumour grade and axillary nodal positivity increased risk of metastasis to all sites. Lobular carcinoma was more likely to first metastasise to bone compared to invasive ductal carcinoma (NST). Oestrogen receptor (ER) negative, progesterone receptor (PgR) negative and/or Human epidermal growth factor (HER2) positive tumours were more likely to metastasise to viscera. A striking relationship between increasing age at diagnosis and a reduction in risk of distant metastasis to bone and viscera was observed. Median time to death from onset of metastatic disease was 1.52 (Interquartile range (IQR) 0.7-2.9)years for patients with bone metastasis and 0.7 (IQR 0.2-1.5)years for visceral metastasis. On multivariate analysis, despite the decrease in risk of distant metastasis with increasing age, there was an elevated hazard for death in patients >50years at diagnosis of metastasis if they developed bone metastasis, with a similar trend observed in the >70years age group if they developed visceral metastasis. These findings indicate that there are biological mechanisms underlying the impact of age on the development of distant metastasis and subsequent death. This may have important implications in the treatment of breast cancer. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"A Richness Study of 14 Distant X-Ray Clusters from the 160 Square Degree Survey"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Christine; West, Donald (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

We have measured the surface density of galaxies toward 14 X-ray-selected cluster candidates at redshifts z(sub i) 0.46, and we show that they are associated with rich galaxy concentrations. These clusters, having X-ray luminosities of Lx(0.5-2 keV) approx. (0.5 - 2.6) x 10(exp 44) ergs/ sec are among the most distant and luminous in our 160 deg(exp 2) ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter cluster survey. We find that the clusters range between Abell richness classes 0 and 2 and have a most probable richness class of 1. We compare the richness distribution of our distant clusters to those for three samples of nearby clusters with similar X-ray luminosities. We find that the nearby and distant samples have similar richness distributions, which shows that clusters have apparently not evolved substantially in richness since redshift z=0.5. There is, however, a marginal tendency for the distant clusters to be slightly poorer than nearby clusters, although deeper multicolor data for a large sample would be required to confirm this trend. We compare the distribution of distant X-ray clusters in the L(sub X)-richness plane to the distribution of optically selected clusters from the Palomar Distant Cluster Survey. The optically selected clusters appear overly rich for their X-ray luminosities, when compared to X-ray-selected clusters. Apparently, X-ray and optical surveys do not necessarily sample identical mass concentrations at large redshifts. This may indicate the existence of a population of optically rich clusters with anomalously low X-ray emission, More likely, however, it reflects the tendency for optical surveys to select unvirialized mass concentrations, as might be expected when peering along large-scale filaments.

Presence of non-hypervascular hypointense nodules on Gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

Inoue, Masanori; Ogasawara, Sadahisa; Chiba, Tetsuhiro; Ooka, Yoshihiko; Wakamatsu, Toru; Kobayashi, Kazufumi; Suzuki, Eiichiro; Tawada, Akinobu; Yokosuka, Osamu

2017-04-01

Gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed before curative therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can distinguish between intrahepatic distant recurrence and hypervascularization. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the presence of non-hypervascular hypointense nodules on hepatobiliary phase images from Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI as a risk factor of the intrahepatic distant recurrence of early stage HCC following radiofrequency ablation (RFA). A total of 132 patients who underwent preprocedural Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI followed by initial RFA were retrospectively analyzed. Post-RFA intrahepatic distant recurrence, which excluded the hypervascularization of non-hypervascular hypointense nodules detected by preprocedural Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI, was evaluated according to the presence of non-hypervascular hypointense nodules on preprocedural Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI. Intrahepatic distant recurrence rates following RFA were higher in patients with non-hypervascular hypointense nodules (1-year: 22.5%, 2-year: 52.1%, 5-year: 89.1%) compared with in patients without non-hypervascular hypointense nodules (1-year: 7.0%, 2-year: 28.8%, 5-year: 48.7%). The presence of non-hypervascular hypointense nodules was associated with markedly increased cumulative recurrence rates of both identical and different subsegment intrahepatic distant recurrence, being an independent risk factor for post-RFA identical and different subsegment intrahepatic distant recurrence (identical: HR = 2.365, P = 0.027; different: HR = 3.276, P < 0.001). The presence of non-hypervascular hypointense nodules on hepatobiliary phase images from Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI obtained prior to RFA is an important predictive factor of intrahepatic distant recurrence following RFA of HCC. © 2016 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

The expression of chemokine receptors CCR6, CXCR2 and CXCR4 is not organ-specific for distant metastasis in colorectal cancer: a comparative study.

PubMed

Hu, Dongzhi; Du, Changzheng; Xue, Weicheng; Dou, Fangyuan; Yao, Yunfeng; Gu, Jin

2013-08-01

The liver and lung are the organs most commonly affected by metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC), and the interaction of chemokines and chemokine receptors (CKRs) plays an important role in the metastatic process. The aim of this study was to investigate the organ specificity of CKRs in CRC distant metastasis. Surgical specimens of primary tumours from 46 patients with metachronous distant metastases were retrieved retrospectively (20 lung metastases; 26 liver metastases). As a control, the records of 29 patients without distant metastases were randomly retrieved from our database, and their specimens were reassessed. The expression rates of CKRs, including CCR6, CXCR2, and CXCR4, were determined by immunohistochemistry, and were compared among the groups. The expression rates of CCR6 and CXCR2 were both significantly higher in the metastasis group than in the non-metastasis group (P < 0.05), but there was no statistical difference between the lung metastasis and liver metastasis subgroups. The expression of CXCR4 was not significantly different between the metastasis and non-metastasis groups. Multivariable analysis suggested that preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen level, CCR6 and CXCR2 were independent factors associated with distant metastasis. The expression of CCR6 and CXCR2 in CRC could predict metachronous distant metastasis, but they have no organ specificity for metastasis. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Proposed Lymph Node Staging System Using the International Consensus Guidelines for Lymph Node Levels Is Predictive for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients From Endemic Areas Treated With Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy

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

Li, Wen-Fei; Sun, Ying; Mao, Yan-Ping

2013-06-01

Purpose: To propose a lymph node (N) staging system for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) based on the International Consensus Guidelines for lymph node (LN) levels and MRI-determined nodal variables. Methods and Materials: The MRI scans and medical records of 749 NPC patients receiving intensity modulated radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. The prognostic significance of nodal level, laterality, maximal axial diameter, extracapsular spread, necrosis, and Union for International Cancer Control/American Joint Committee on Cancer (UICC/AJCC) size criteria were analyzed. Results: Nodal level and laterality were the only independent prognostic factors for distant failure and disease failure in multivariatemore » analysis. Compared with unilateral levels Ib, II, III, and/or Va involvement (hazard ratio [HR] 1), retropharyngeal lymph node involvement alone had a similar prognostic value (HR 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.43-1.17; P=.17), whereas bilateral levels Ib, II, III, and/or Va involvement (HR 1.65; 95% CI 1.06-2.58; P=.03) and levels IV, Vb, and/or supraclavicular fossa involvement (HR 3.47; 95% CI 1.92-6.29; P<.01) both significantly increased the HR for distant failure. Thus we propose that the N category criteria could be revised as follows: N0, no regional LN metastasis; N1, retropharyngeal lymph node involvement, and/or unilateral levels Ib, II, III, and/or Va involvement; N2, bilateral levels Ib, II, III, and/or Va involvement; N3, levels IV, Vb, and/or supraclavicular fossa involvement. Compared with the 7th edition of the UICC/AJCC criteria, the proposed N staging system provides a more satisfactory distinction between the HRs for regional failure, distant failure, and disease failure in each N category. Conclusions: The proposed N staging system defined by the International Consensus Guidelines and laterality is predictive and practical. However, because of no measurements of the maximal nodal diameter on MRI slices, the prognostic significance of LN size needs further evaluation.« less

Counterfactual distributed controlled-phase gate for quantum-dot spin qubits in double-sided optical microcavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Qi; Cheng, Liu-Yong; Chen, Li; Wang, Hong-Fu; Zhang, Shou

2014-10-01

The existing distributed quantum gates required physical particles to be transmitted between two distant nodes in the quantum network. We here demonstrate the possibility to implement distributed quantum computation without transmitting any particles. We propose a scheme for a distributed controlled-phase gate between two distant quantum-dot electron-spin qubits in optical microcavities. The two quantum-dot-microcavity systems are linked by a nested Michelson-type interferometer. A single photon acting as ancillary resource is sent in the interferometer to complete the distributed controlled-phase gate, but it never enters the transmission channel between the two nodes. Moreover, we numerically analyze the effect of experimental imperfections and show that the present scheme can be implemented with high fidelity in the ideal asymptotic limit. The scheme provides further evidence of quantum counterfactuality and opens promising possibilities for distributed quantum computation.

Analysis and Exchange of Multimedia Laboratory Data Using the Brain Database

PubMed Central

Wertheim, Steven L.

1990-01-01

Two principal goals of the Brain Database are: 1) to support laboratory data collection and analysis of multimedia information about the nervous system and 2) to support exchange of these data among researchers and clinicians who may be physically distant. This has been achieved by an implementation of experimental and clinical records within a relational database. An Image Series Editor has been created that provides a graphical interface to these data for the purposes of annotation, quantification and other analyses. Cooperating laboratories each maintain their own copies of the Brain Database to which they may add private data. Although the data in a given experimental or patient record will be distributed among many tables and external image files, the user can treat each record as a unit that can be extracted from the local database and sent to a distant colleague.

Taking the Measure of Massive Stars and their Environments with the CHARA Array Long-baseline Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gies, Douglas R.

2017-11-01

Most massive stars are so distant that their angular diameters are too small for direct resolution. However, the observational situation is now much more favorable, thanks to new opportunities available with optical/IR long-baseline interferometry. The Georgia State University Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy Array at Mount Wilson Observatory is a six-telescope instrument with a maximum baseline of 330 meters, which is capable of resolving stellar disks with diameters as small as 0.2 milliarcsec. The distant stars are no longer out of range, and many kinds of investigations are possible. Here we summarize a number of studies involving angular diameter measurements and effective temperature estimates for OB stars, binary and multiple stars (including the σ Orionis system), and outflows in Luminous Blue Variables. An enlarged visitors program will begin in 2017 that will open many opportunities for new programs in high angular resolution astronomy.

Foggy perception slows us down.

PubMed

Pretto, Paolo; Bresciani, Jean-Pierre; Rainer, Gregor; Bülthoff, Heinrich H

2012-10-30

Visual speed is believed to be underestimated at low contrast, which has been proposed as an explanation of excessive driving speed in fog. Combining psychophysics measurements and driving simulation, we confirm that speed is underestimated when contrast is reduced uniformly for all objects of the visual scene independently of their distance from the viewer. However, we show that when contrast is reduced more for distant objects, as is the case in real fog, visual speed is actually overestimated, prompting drivers to decelerate. Using an artificial anti-fog-that is, fog characterized by better visibility for distant than for close objects, we demonstrate for the first time that perceived speed depends on the spatial distribution of contrast over the visual scene rather than the global level of contrast per se. Our results cast new light on how reduced visibility conditions affect perceived speed, providing important insight into the human visual system.DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00031.001.

Serendipitous Discovery of RR Lyrae Stars in the Leo V Ultra-faint Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medina, Gustavo E.; Muñoz, Ricardo R.; Vivas, A. Katherina; Förster, Francisco; Carlin, Jeffrey L.; Martinez, Jorge; Galbany, Lluis; González-Gaitán, Santiago; Hamuy, Mario; de Jaeger, Thomas; Maureira, Juan Carlos; San Martín, Jaime

2017-08-01

During the analysis of RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) discovered in the High Cadence Transient Survey (HiTS) taken with the Dark Energy Camera at the 4 m telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, we found a group of three very distant, fundamental mode pulsator RR Lyrae (type ab). The location of these stars agrees with them belonging to the Leo V ultra-faint satellite galaxy, for which no variable stars have been reported to date. The heliocentric distance derived for Leo V based on these stars is 173 ± 5 kpc. The pulsational properties (amplitudes and periods) of these stars locate them within the locus of the Oosterhoff II group, similar to most other ultra-faint galaxies with known RRLs. This serendipitous discovery shows that distant RRLs may be used to search for unknown faint stellar systems in the outskirts of the Milky Way.

A history of the deep space network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corliss, W. R.

1976-01-01

The Deep Space Network (DSN) has been managed and operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) under NASA contract ever since NASA was formed in late 1958. The Tracking and data acquisition tasks of the DSN are markedly different from those of the other NASA network, STDN. STDN, which is an amalgamation of the satellite tracking network (STADAN) and the Manned Space Flight Network (MSFN), is primarily concerned with supporting manned and unmanned earth satellites. In contrast, the DSN deals with spacecraft that are thousands to hundreds of millions of miles away. The radio signals from these distant craft are many orders of magnitude weaker than those from nearby satellites. Distance also makes precise radio location more difficult; and accurate trajectory data are vital to deep space navigation in the vicinities of the other planets of the solar system. In addition to tracking spacecraft and acquiring data from them, the DSN is required to transmit many thousands of commands to control the sophisticated planetary probes and interplanetary monitoring stations. To meet these demanding requirements, the DSN has been compelled to be in the forefront of technology.

Imaging of prostate cancer with PET/CT using 18F-Fluorocholine

PubMed Central

Vali, Reza; Loidl, Wolfgang; Pirich, Christian; Langesteger, Werner; Beheshti, Mohsen

2015-01-01

While 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) Positron-Emission Tomography (PET) has limited value in prostate cancer (PCa), it may be useful for specific subgroups of PCa patients with hormone-resistant poorly differentiated cell types. 18F-Fluorocholine (18F-FCH) PET/CT has been increasingly used in primary and recurrent PCa and has been shown to add valuable information. Although there is a correlation between the foci of activity and the areas of malignancy in the prostate gland, the clinical value of 18F-FCH is still controversial for detection of the malignant focus in the prostate. For the T-staging of PCa at diagnosis the value of 18F-FCH is limited. This is probably due to limited resolution of PET system and positive findings in benign prostate diseases. Conversely, 18F-FCH PET/CT is a promising imaging modality for the delineation of local and distant nodal recurrence and bone metastases and is poised to have an impact on therapy management. In this review, recent studies of 18F-FCH PET/CT in PCa are summarized. PMID:25973332

KSC-99pp0903

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At a women's forum about "Past, Present and Future of Space," held in the Apollo/Saturn V Center, guests line the stage. From left, they are Marta Bohn-Meyer, the first woman to pilot an SR-71; astronauts Ellen Ochoa, Ken Cockrell, Joan Higginbotham, and Yvonne Cagle; former astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space; and Jennifer Harris, the Mars 2001 Operations System Development Manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The forum included a welcome by Center Director Roy Bridges and remarks by Donna Shalala, secretary of Department of Health and Human Services. The attendees are planning to view the launch of STS-93 at the Banana Creek viewing site. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. Liftoff is scheduled for July 20 at 12:36 a.m. EDT

Advanced Seal Sessions I and II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinetz, Bruce M.; Dunlap, Patrick H.; Sarawate, Neelesh

2013-01-01

As aircraft operators continue to seek higher fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and longer on-wing performance, turbine engine designers are scrutinizing all components for areas of improvement. To achieve overall goals, turbine pressure ratios and by-pass ratios continue to climb. Also, designers are seeking to minimize parasitic and cooling flows to extract the most useful work out of the flow stream, placing a renewed interest on seal technology and secondary flow path management. In the area of future manned spacecraft, advancements are being examined for both habitat seals and re-entry thermal protection system thermal barrierseals. For long duration space craft, designers are continuing to look for savings in parasitic losses to reduce the amount of cabin re-supply air that needs to be brought along. This is placing greater demands on seal designs and materials to exhibit low leakage and be resistant to space environments. For future missions to and from distant planets, the re-entry heating will be higher than for low-earth orbit or lunar return motivating advanced thermal barrier development. This presentation will provide an overview of the seal challenges and opportunities in these diverse areas.

Direct observations of ice seasonality reveal changes in climate over the past 320–570 years

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sharma, Sapna; Magnuson, John J.; Batt, Ryan D.; Winslow, Luke; Korhonen, Johanna; Yasuyuki Aono,

2016-01-01

Lake and river ice seasonality (dates of ice freeze and breakup) responds sensitively to climatic change and variability. We analyzed climate-related changes using direct human observations of ice freeze dates (1443–2014) for Lake Suwa, Japan, and of ice breakup dates (1693–2013) for Torne River, Finland. We found a rich array of changes in ice seasonality of two inland waters from geographically distant regions: namely a shift towards later ice formation for Suwa and earlier spring melt for Torne, increasing frequencies of years with warm extremes, changing inter-annual variability, waning of dominant inter-decadal quasi-periodic dynamics, and stronger correlations of ice seasonality with atmospheric CO2 concentration and air temperature after the start of the Industrial Revolution. Although local factors, including human population growth, land use change, and water management influence Suwa and Torne, the general patterns of ice seasonality are similar for both systems, suggesting that global processes including climate change and variability are driving the long-term changes in ice seasonality.

Direct observations of ice seasonality reveal changes in climate over the past 320–570 years

PubMed Central

Sharma, Sapna; Magnuson, John J.; Batt, Ryan D.; Winslow, Luke A.; Korhonen, Johanna; Aono, Yasuyuki

2016-01-01

Lake and river ice seasonality (dates of ice freeze and breakup) responds sensitively to climatic change and variability. We analyzed climate-related changes using direct human observations of ice freeze dates (1443–2014) for Lake Suwa, Japan, and of ice breakup dates (1693–2013) for Torne River, Finland. We found a rich array of changes in ice seasonality of two inland waters from geographically distant regions: namely a shift towards later ice formation for Suwa and earlier spring melt for Torne, increasing frequencies of years with warm extremes, changing inter-annual variability, waning of dominant inter-decadal quasi-periodic dynamics, and stronger correlations of ice seasonality with atmospheric CO2 concentration and air temperature after the start of the Industrial Revolution. Although local factors, including human population growth, land use change, and water management influence Suwa and Torne, the general patterns of ice seasonality are similar for both systems, suggesting that global processes including climate change and variability are driving the long-term changes in ice seasonality. PMID:27113125

Genetic assessment of connectivity in the common reef sponge, Callyspongia vaginalis (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida) reveals high population structure along the Florida reef tract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debiasse, M. B.; Richards, V. P.; Shivji, M. S.

2010-03-01

The genetic population structure of the common branching vase sponge, Callyspongia vaginalis, was determined along the entire length (465 km) of the Florida reef system from Palm Beach to the Dry Tortugas based on sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene. Populations of C. vaginalis were highly structured (overall ΦST = 0.33), in some cases over distances as small as tens of kilometers. However, nonsignificant pairwise ΦST values were also found between a few relatively distant sampling sites suggesting that some long distance larval dispersal may occur via ocean currents or transport in sponge fragments along continuous, shallow coastlines. Indeed, sufficient gene flow appears to occur along the Florida reef tract to obscure a signal of isolation by distance, but not to homogenize COI haplotype frequencies. The strong genetic differentiation among most of the sampling locations suggests that recruitment in this species is largely local source-driven, pointing to the importance of further elucidating general connectivity patterns along the Florida reef tract to guide the spatial scale of management efforts.

A review of the genus Kanakia Distant, 1892 (Insecta: Hemiptera, Cicadoidea, Cicadidae) from New Caledonia.

PubMed

Delorme, Quentin; Mille, Christian; Jourdan, Hervé

2016-03-16

Among New Caledonian cicada taxa, the endemic genus Kanakia Distant, 1892 appears as the most spectacular one, especially because of the large size of its species (length up to 50 mm for males). Recent new specimen collections helped to clarify the taxonomy of this spectacular genus. According to morphological characteristics, we were able to redefine and to split the present genus into three distinct genera: Kanakia Distant, 1892, Pseudokanakia Delorme gen. nov. and Panialna Delorme gen. nov. These two new genera are monotypic and have been respectively established from revision of Kanakia flavoannulata (Distant 1920) and Kanakia parva Boulard 1991. Also, the type species, Kanakia typica Distant, 1892, appears to be a complex of cryptic species. New acoustic and morphological observations allowed us to redefine K. typica and to describe four new species in this complex: Kanakia paniensis Delorme sp. nov., Kanakia rana Delorme sp. nov., Kanakia salesnii Delorme sp. nov. and Kanakia fuscocosta Delorme sp. nov. Kanakia gigas Boulard 1988 is also briefly discussed and the female is described. An identification key of the Kanakia species and allied genera is also provided.

Nurse plants transfer more nitrogen to distantly related species.

PubMed

Montesinos-Navarro, Alicia; Verdú, Miguel; Querejeta, José Ignacio; Valiente-Banuet, Alfonso

2017-05-01

Plant facilitative interactions enhance co-occurrence between distant relatives, partly due to limited overlap in resource requirements. We propose a different mechanism for the coexistence of distant relatives based on positive interactions of nutrient sharing. Nutrients move between plants following source-sink gradients driven by plant traits that allow these gradients to establish. Specifically, nitrogen (N) concentration gradients can arise from variation in leaf N content across plants species. As many ecologically relevant traits, we hypothesize that leaf N content is phylogenetically conserved and can result in N gradients promoting N transfer among distant relatives. In a Mexican desert community governed by facilitation, we labelled nurse plants (Mimosa luisana) with 15 N and measured its transfer to 14 other species in the community, spanning the range of phylogenetic distances to the nurse plant. Nurses established steeper N source-sink gradients with distant relatives, increasing 15 N transfer toward these species. Nutrient sharing may provide long-term benefits to facilitated plants and may be an overlooked mechanism maintaining coexistence and increasing the phylogenetic diversity of plant communities. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Modular entanglement.

PubMed

Gualdi, Giulia; Giampaolo, Salvatore M; Illuminati, Fabrizio

2011-02-04

We introduce and discuss the concept of modular entanglement. This is the entanglement that is established between the end points of modular systems composed by sets of interacting moduli of arbitrarily fixed size. We show that end-to-end modular entanglement scales in the thermodynamic limit and rapidly saturates with the number of constituent moduli. We clarify the mechanisms underlying the onset of entanglement between distant and noninteracting quantum systems and its optimization for applications to quantum repeaters and entanglement distribution and sharing.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-10-21

Travel to distant stars is a long-range goal of Marshall Space Flight Center's Advanced Concept Group. One of the many propulsion systems currently being studied is fusion power. The objective of this and many other alternative propulsion systems is to reduce the costs of space access and to reduce the travel time for planetary missions. One of the major factors is providing an alternate engery source for these missions. Pictured is an artist's concept of future interplanetary space flight using fusion power.

Robot Wars: Legal and Ethical Dilemmas of Using Unmanned Robotics Systems in 21st Century Warfare and Beyond

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-12

becoming a reality (Edwards 2005, 30). In theory , the new sensory systems would acquire electrical signatures emitting from distant communication...rationalization regarding the increased use of technology that may be employed during war. According to Hinman, The Ethics of Duty Theory and The...Utilitarianism Theory provide the theoretical framework that best describes how the current Law of War and philosophy of ethics define the virtue of

Connecting the Interstellar Gas and Dust Properties in Distant Galaxies Using Quasar Absorption Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aller, Monique C.; Dwek, Eliahu; Kulkarni, Varsha P.; York, Donald G.; Welty, Daniel E.; Vladilo, Giovanni; Som, Debopam; Lackey, Kyle; Dwek, Eli; Beiranvand, Nassim;

Best Practices in Supporting Persistence of Distant Education Students through Integrated Web-Based Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCracken, Holly

2009-01-01

The importance of the interconnectedness of academic, student, and technical support processes intrinsic to the provision of on-line instruction has been frequently depicted as a "service Web," with students at the center of the infrastructure. However, as programming to support distance learning continues to develop, such service Webs have grown…

Problems of Implementing SCORM in an Enterprise Distance Learning Architecture: SCORM Incompatibility across Multiple Web Domains.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engelbrecht, Jeffrey C.

2003-01-01

Delivering content to distant users located in dispersed networks, separated by firewalls and different web domains requires extensive customization and integration. This article outlines some of the problems of implementing the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) in the Marine Corps' Distance Learning System (MarineNet) and extends…

Education and Rural Depopulation - The Experience of the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sewel, J.

The charge has often been made that in peripheral regions of Scotland the secondary educational system has contributed to rural depopulation, since students often must leave the rural community for a distant, centralized secondary school located in an urban area where values and aspirations differ from those of rural communities. In a study of…

Distinctive expansion of gene families associated with plant cell wall degradation, secondary metabolism, and nutrient uptake in the genomes of grapevine trunk pathogens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Trunk diseases threaten the longevity and productivity of grapevines in all viticulture production systems. They are caused by distantly-related fungi that form chronic wood infections, but variation in wood-decay abilities and production of phytotoxic compounds are thought to contribute to their un...

The 2010 Polar Aeronomy and Radio Science (PARS) Summer School

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-30

Ionospheric Plasma ........................................................................26 3.7. Measurements of HF Wave-Induced Micropulsations Using GMOS ...facility‟s most distant diagnostic pad. This instrument, called the Geomagnetic Observatory System ( GMOS ) is capable of measuring very small...angles 3.7. Measurements of HF Wave-Induced Micropulsations Using GMOS 3.7.1. Investigators J. Gancarz, R. Pradipta, and Min-Chang Lee (Mentor

Starburst Cluster Shows Celestial Fireworks

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

NASA image release June 6, 2010 Like a July 4 fireworks display a young, glittering collection of stars looks like an aerial burst. The cluster is surrounded by clouds of interstellar gas and dust - the raw material for new star formation. The nebula, located 20,000 light-years away in the constellation Carina, contains a central cluster of huge, hot stars, called NGC 3603. This environment is not as peaceful as it looks. Ultraviolet radiation and violent stellar winds have blown out an enormous cavity in the gas and dust enveloping the cluster, providing an unobstructed view of the cluster. Most of the stars in the cluster were born around the same time but differ in size, mass, temperature, and color. The course of a star's life is determined by its mass, so a cluster of a given age will contain stars in various stages of their lives, giving an opportunity for detailed analyses of stellar life cycles. NGC 3603 also contains some of the most massive stars known. These huge stars live fast and die young, burning through their hydrogen fuel quickly and ultimately ending their lives in supernova explosions. Star clusters like NGC 3603 provide important clues to understanding the origin of massive star formation in the early, distant universe. Astronomers also use massive clusters to study distant starbursts that occur when galaxies collide, igniting a flurry of star formation. The proximity of NGC 3603 makes it an excellent lab for studying such distant and momentous events. This Hubble Space Telescope image was captured in August 2009 and December 2009 with the Wide Field Camera 3 in both visible and infrared light, which trace the glow of sulfur, hydrogen, and iron. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. in Washington, D.C. Credit: NASA, ESA, R. O'Connell (University of Virginia), F. Paresce (National Institute for Astrophysics, Bologna, Italy), E. Young (Universities Space Research Association/Ames Research Center), the WFC3 Science Oversight Committee, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

Eight Wonders of the solar system.

PubMed

Bell, Edward

2010-04-01

Artist Ron Miller takes us on a journey to eight of the most breathtaking views that await intrepid explorers of our solar system. The scale of these natural wonders dwarfs anything Earth has to offer. What might we see and feel if we could travel to these distant domains? The artist's eye-interpreting data from probes such as NASA's Cassini, which is now exploring the Saturnian system, and MESSENGER, which has flown by Mercury three times and goes into permanent orbit next March-allows us an early visit to these unforgettable locales.

Agricultural land usage transforms nitrifier population ecology.

PubMed

Bertagnolli, Anthony D; McCalmont, Dylan; Meinhardt, Kelley A; Fransen, Steven C; Strand, Stuart; Brown, Sally; Stahl, David A

2016-06-01

Application of nitrogen fertilizer has altered terrestrial ecosystems. Ammonia is nitrified by ammonia and nitrite-oxidizing microorganisms, converting ammonia to highly mobile nitrate, contributing to the loss of nitrogen, soil nutrients and production of detrimental nitrogen oxides. Mitigating these costs is of critical importance to a growing bioenergy industry. To resolve the impact of management on nitrifying populations, amplicon sequencing of markers associated with ammonia and nitrite-oxidizing taxa (ammonia monooxygenase-amoA, nitrite oxidoreductase-nxrB, respectively) was conducted from long-term managed and nearby native soils in Eastern Washington, USA. Native nitrifier population structure was altered profoundly by management. The native ammonia-oxidizing archaeal community (comprised primarily by Nitrososphaera sister subclusters 1.1 and 2) was displaced by populations of Nitrosopumilus, Nitrosotalea and different assemblages of Nitrososphaera (subcluster 1.1, and unassociated lineages of Nitrososphaera). A displacement of ammonia-oxidizing bacterial taxa was associated with management, with native groups of Nitrosospira (cluster 2 related, cluster 3A.2) displaced by Nitrosospira clusters 8B and 3A.1. A shift in nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) was correlated with management, but distribution patterns could not be linked exclusively to management. Dominant nxrB sequences displayed only distant relationships to other NOB isolates and environmental clones. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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

Kubicek, Gregory J., E-mail: kubicek-gregory@cooperhealth.edu; Turtz, Alan; Xue, Jinyu

Purpose: Patients with poor performance status (PS), usually defined as a Karnofsky Performance Status of 60 or less, were not eligible for randomized stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) studies, and many guidelines suggest that whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) is the most appropriate treatment for poor PS patients. Methods and Materials: In this retrospective review of our SRS database, we identified 36 patients with PS of 60 or less treated with SRS for central nervous system (CNS) metastatic disease. PS, as defined by the Karnofsky Performance Status, was 60 (27 patients), 50 (8 patients), or 40 (1 patient). The median number of CNSmore » lesions treated was 3. Results: Median overall survival (OS) was 7.2 months (range, 0.73-25.6 months). Fifteen patients (41%) were alive at 6 months, and 6 patients (16.6%) were alive at 1 year. There was no difference in OS in patients who underwent previous WBRT. There were no local failures or cases of radiation toxicity. Distant CNS failures were seen in 9 patients (25%). Conclusions: Our patients with poor PS had reasonable median OS and relatively low distant CNS failure rates. Patients in this patient population may be ideal candidates for SRS compared with WBRT given the low incidence of distant failure over their remaining lives and the favorable logistics of single-fraction treatment for these patients with debility and their caregivers.« less

Exploring the Structure of the Distant Universe with MUSE Data Cubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDougall, Mason; Christensen, Lise

2018-01-01

The mass distribution in intergalactic and circumgalactic space is not well known since it is difficult to characterize objects in the distant universe. An ideal tool for studying such distant structure is the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) of the Very Large Telescope array, which employs a wide field-of-view and a large spectral range to produce high spatial resolution datasets. Here we exploit the 2 spatial dimensions and 1 spectral dimension of a particular MUSE “data cube” to identify and characterize emission line sources near the line-of-sight to quasar PKS1937-101, which lies at a redshift of z=3.787. In particular, we search for galaxy companions to a z=3.572 Lyman-limit system measured in the quasar spectrum and find an associated Lyman-alpha emitter at z=3.556 with a projected distance of 30.2 kpc from the quasar line-of-sight. Through a combination of automated source extraction and manual investigation, we also identify 25 emission line galaxies and 1 other Lyman-alpha emitter in our field. The proximity of several of these objects to the quasar line-of-sight allows us to reliably identify absorption lines in the quasar spectrum that can be associated with observed emission lines with resolved fluxes. This will help characterize the metallicities and kinematics of galaxy halos and circumgalactic media in the early universe.

A vertically discretised canopy description for ORCHIDEE (SVN r2290) and the modifications to the energy, water and carbon fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naudts, K.; Ryder, J.; McGrath, M. J.; Otto, J.; Chen, Y.; Valade, A.; Bellasen, V.; Berhongaray, G.; Bönisch, G.; Campioli, M.; Ghattas, J.; De Groote, T.; Haverd, V.; Kattge, J.; MacBean, N.; Maignan, F.; Merilä, P.; Penuelas, J.; Peylin, P.; Pinty, B.; Pretzsch, H.; Schulze, E. D.; Solyga, D.; Vuichard, N.; Yan, Y.; Luyssaert, S.

2015-07-01

Since 70 % of global forests are managed and forests impact the global carbon cycle and the energy exchange with the overlying atmosphere, forest management has the potential to mitigate climate change. Yet, none of the land-surface models used in Earth system models, and therefore none of today's predictions of future climate, accounts for the interactions between climate and forest management. We addressed this gap in modelling capability by developing and parametrising a version of the ORCHIDEE land-surface model to simulate the biogeochemical and biophysical effects of forest management. The most significant changes between the new branch called ORCHIDEE-CAN (SVN r2290) and the trunk version of ORCHIDEE (SVN r2243) are the allometric-based allocation of carbon to leaf, root, wood, fruit and reserve pools; the transmittance, absorbance and reflectance of radiation within the canopy; and the vertical discretisation of the energy budget calculations. In addition, conceptual changes were introduced towards a better process representation for the interaction of radiation with snow, the hydraulic architecture of plants, the representation of forest management and a numerical solution for the photosynthesis formalism of Farquhar, von Caemmerer and Berry. For consistency reasons, these changes were extensively linked throughout the code. Parametrisation was revisited after introducing 12 new parameter sets that represent specific tree species or genera rather than a group of often distantly related or even unrelated species, as is the case in widely used plant functional types. Performance of the new model was compared against the trunk and validated against independent spatially explicit data for basal area, tree height, canopy structure, gross primary production (GPP), albedo and evapotranspiration over Europe. For all tested variables, ORCHIDEE-CAN outperformed the trunk regarding its ability to reproduce large-scale spatial patterns as well as their inter-annual variability over Europe. Depending on the data stream, ORCHIDEE-CAN had a 67 to 92 % chance to reproduce the spatial and temporal variability of the validation data.

A digital combining-weight estimation algorithm for broadband sources with the array feed compensation system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vilnrotter, V. A.; Rodemich, E. R.

1994-01-01

An algorithm for estimating the optimum combining weights for the Ka-band (33.7-GHz) array feed compensation system was developed and analyzed. The input signal is assumed to be broadband radiation of thermal origin, generated by a distant radio source. Currently, seven video converters operating in conjunction with the real-time correlator are used to obtain these weight estimates. The algorithm described here requires only simple operations that can be implemented on a PC-based combining system, greatly reducing the amount of hardware. Therefore, system reliability and portability will be improved.

Anal fistula with foot extension-Treated by kshara sutra (medicated seton) therapy: A rare case report.

PubMed

Ramesh, P Bhat

2013-01-01

An 'anal' fistula is a track which communicates anal canal or rectum and usually is in continuity with one or more external openings. Distant communication from rectum is rare. It is a challenging disease because of its recurrence especially, with high level and distant communications. Ksharasutra (medicated seton) therapy is being practiced in India with high success rate (recurrence of 3.33%) in the management of complicated anal fistula. A 56 year old man presented with recurrent boils in the left lower limb at different places from thigh to foot. He underwent repeated incision and drainage at different hospitals. Examination revealed sinus with discharge and multiple scars on left lower limb from thigh up to foot. Suspecting anal fistula, MRI was advised which revealed a long cutaneous fistula from rectum to left lower limb. Patient was treated with Ksharasutra therapy. Within 6 months of treatment whole tract was healed completely. Sushrutha (500BC) was the first to explain the role of surgical excision and use of kshara sutra for the management of anal fistula. Ksharasutra therapy showed least recurrence. Fistula from rectum to foot is of extremely rare variety. Surgical treatment of anal fistula requires hospitalization, regular post-operative care, is associated with a significant risk of recurrence (0.7-26.5%) and a high risk of impaired continence (5-40%). Rectal fistula communicating till foot may be a very rare presentation in proctology practice. Kshara sutra treatment was useful in treating this condition, with minimal surgical intervention with no recurrence. Copyright © 2013 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Distant view, showing bridge in context with agricultural (pastures ...

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

1. Distant view, showing bridge in context with agricultural (pastures and cornfields) setting; looking southeast. - Eureka Bridge, Spanning Yellow River (Moved to City Park, Castalia), Frankville, Winneshiek County, IA

Environmentally driven synchronies of Mediterranean cephalopod populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, Stefanie; Quetglas, Antoni; Puerta, Patricia; Bitetto, Isabella; Casciaro, Loredana; Cuccu, Danila; Esteban, Antonio; Garcia, Cristina; Garofalo, Germana; Guijarro, Beatriz; Josephides, Marios; Jadaud, Angelique; Lefkaditou, Evgenia; Maiorano, Porzia; Manfredi, Chiara; Marceta, Bojan; Micallef, Reno; Peristeraki, Panagiota; Relini, Giulio; Sartor, Paolo; Spedicato, Maria Teresa; Tserpes, George; Hidalgo, Manuel

2017-03-01

The Mediterranean Sea is characterized by large scale gradients of temperature, productivity and salinity, in addition to pronounced mesoscale differences. Such a heterogeneous system is expected to shape the population dynamics of marine species. On the other hand, prevailing environmental and climatic conditions at whole basin scale may force spatially distant populations to fluctuate in synchrony. Cephalopods are excellent case studies to test these hypotheses owing to their high sensitivity to environmental conditions. Data of two cephalopod species with contrasting life histories (benthic octopus vs nectobenthic squid), obtained from scientific surveys carried out throughout the Mediterranean during the last 20 years were analyzed. The objectives of this study and the methods used to achieve them (in parentheses) were: (i) to investigate synchronies in spatially separated populations (decorrelation analysis); (ii) detect underlying common abundance trends over distant regions (dynamic factor analysis, DFA); and (iii) analyse putative influences of key environmental drivers such as productivity and sea surface temperature on the population dynamics at regional scale (general linear models, GLM). In accordance with their contrasting spatial mobility, the distance from where synchrony could no longer be detected (decorrelation scale) was higher in squid than in octopus (349 vs 217 km); for comparison, the maximum distance between locations was 2620 km. The DFA revealed a general increasing trend in the abundance of both species in most areas, which agrees with the already reported worldwide proliferation of cephalopods. DFA results also showed that population dynamics are more similar in the eastern than in the western Mediterranean basin. According to the GLM models, cephalopod populations were negatively affected by productivity, which would be explained by an increase of competition and predation by fishes. While warmer years coincided with declining octopus numbers, areas of high sea surface temperature showed higher densities of squid. Our results are relevant for regional fisheries management and demonstrate that the regionalisation objectives envisaged under the new Common Fishery Policy may not be adequate for Mediterranean cephalopod stocks.

Differential misclassification bias and dietary recall for the distant past using a food frequency questionnaire.

PubMed

Hislop, T G; Lamb, C W; Ng, V T

1990-01-01

Cases (n = 263) and controls (n = 200) returned self-administered food frequency questionnaires in 1980-1982 and again in 1986 as part of a case-control study of breast cancer. The questionnaire asked about consumption of specific food items as recalled for four different age periods. K-statistics comparing responses in the first and second questionnaires were generally similar for cases and controls and were consistent across the different age periods. The influence of recent dietary change on dietary recall diminished for the more distant past. The food frequency questionnaire was found to be more reliable for specific food items for the distant past than for the more recent past. Differential misclassification bias between cases and controls was less apparent for the more distant past. The frequency and interpretation of missing values is discussed.

Ancient fossil specimens of extinct species are genetically more distant to an outgroup than extant sister species are

PubMed Central

Huang, Shi

2009-01-01

There exists a remarkable correlation between genetic distance as measured by protein or DNA dissimilarity and time of species divergence as inferred from fossil records. This observation has provoked the molecular clock hypothesis. However, data inconsistent with the hypothesis have steadily accumulated in recent years from studies of extant organisms. Here the published DNA and protein sequences from ancient fossil specimens were examined to see if they would support the molecular clock hypothesis. The hypothesis predicts that ancient specimens cannot be genetically more distant to an outgroup than extant sister species are. Also, two distinct ancient specimens cannot be genetically more distant than their extant sister species are. The findings here do not conform to these predictions. Neanderthals are more distant to chimpanzees and gorillas than modern humans are. Dinosaurs are more distant to frogs than extant birds are. Mastodons are more distant to opossums than other placental mammals are. The genetic distance between dinosaurs and mastodons is greater than that between extant birds and mammals. Therefore, while the molecular clock hypothesis is consistent with some data from extant organisms, it has yet to find support from ancient fossils. Far more damaging to the hypothesis than data from extant organisms, which merely question the constancy of mutation rate, the study of ancient fossil organisms here challenges for the first time the fundamental premise of modern evolution theory that genetic distances had always increased with time in the past history of life on Earth. PMID:18600632

Protoplanetary disc response to distant tidal encounters in stellar clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winter, A. J.; Clarke, C. J.; Rosotti, G.; Booth, R. A.

2018-04-01

The majority of stars form in a clustered environment. This has an impact on the evolution of surrounding protoplanetary discs (PPDs) due to either photoevaporation or tidal truncation. Consequently, the development of planets depends on formation environment. Here, we present the first thorough investigation of tidally induced angular momentum loss in PPDs in the distant regime, partly motivated by claims in the literature for the importance of distant encounters in disc evolution. We employ both theoretical predictions and dynamical/hydrodynamical simulations in 2D and 3D. Our theoretical analysis is based on that of Ostriker (1994) and leads us to conclude that in the limit that the closest approach distance xmin ≫ r, the radius of a particle ring, the fractional change in angular momentum scales as (xmin/r)-5. This asymptotic limit ensures that the cumulative effect of distant encounters is minor in terms of its influence on disc evolution. The angular momentum transfer is dominated by the m = 2 Lindblad resonance for closer encounters and by the m = 1, ω = 0 Lindblad resonance at large xmin/r. We contextualize these results by comparing expected angular momentum loss for the outer edge of a PPD due to distant and close encounters. Contrary to the suggestions of previous works, we do not find that distant encounters contribute significantly to angular momentum loss in PPDs. We define an upper limit for closest approach distance where interactions are significant as a function of arbitrary host to perturber mass ratio M2/M1.

[Dominant structural and functional adaptations of distant chemosensory systems in phylogenesis of Gastropoda].

PubMed

Zaĭtseva, O V

2000-08-01

The invasion of land by gastropods independent and repeated in the course of their evolution, was shown to be accompanied by appearance of organisationally similar olfactory tentacular organs and special integrative centres. The majority of primary and secondary water gastropods in different phylogenetic groups had a different, more primitive organisation of the tentacular sensory system as compared to the terrestrial species. Regularities of the phylogenetic adaptations of mollusks to the habitat media and lifestyle are discussed.

System concepts and design examples for optical communication with planetary spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesh, James R.

Systems concepts for optical communication with future deep-space (planetary) spacecraft are described. These include not only the optical transceiver package aboard the distant spacecraft, but the earth-vicinity optical-communications receiving station as well. Both ground-based, and earth-orbiting receivers are considered. Design examples for a number of proposed or potential deep-space missions are then presented. These include an orbital mission to Saturn, a Lander and Rover mission to Mars, and an astronomical mission to a distance of 1000 astronomical units.

Optimization of a stand-alone Solar PV-Wind-DG Hybrid System for Distributed Power Generation at Sagar Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, P. C.; Majumder, A.; Chakraborty, N.

2010-10-01

An estimation of a stand-alone solar PV and wind hybrid system for distributed power generation has been made based on the resources available at Sagar island, a remote area distant to grid operation. Optimization and sensitivity analysis has been made to evaluate the feasibility and size of the power generation unit. A comparison of the different modes of hybrid system has been studied. It has been estimated that Solar PV-Wind-DG hybrid system provides lesser per unit electricity cost. Capital investment is observed to be lesser when the system run with Wind-DG compared to Solar PV-DG.

Interoperability Context-Setting Framework

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

Widergren, Steven E.; Hardin, Dave; Ambrosio, Ron

2007-01-31

As the deployment of automation technology advances, it touches upon many areas of our corporate and personal lives. A trend is emerging where systems are growing to the extent that integration is taking place with other systems to provide even greater capabilities more efficiently and effectively. GridWise™ provides a vision for this type of integration as it applies to the electric system. Imagine a time in the not too distant future when homeowners can offer the management of their electricity demand to participate in a more efficient and environmentally friendly operation of the electric power grid. They will do thismore » using technology that acts on their behalf in response to information from other components of the electric system. This technology will recognize their preferences to parameters such as comfort and the price of energy to form responses that optimize the local need to a signal that satisfies a higher-level need in the grid. For example, consider a particularly hot day with air stagnation in an area with a significant dependence on wind generation. To manage the forecasted peak electricity demand, the bulk system operator issues a critical peak price warning. Their automation systems alert electric service providers who distribute electricity from the wholesale electricity system to consumers. In response, the electric service providers use their automation systems to inform consumers of impending price increases for electricity. This information is passed to an energy management system at the premises, which acts on the homeowner’s behalf, to adjust the electricity usage of the onsite equipment (which might include generation from such sources as a fuel cell). The objective of such a system is to honor the agreement with the electricity service provider and reduce the homeowner’s bill while keeping the occupants as comfortable as possible. This will include actions such as moving the thermostat on the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) unit up several degrees. The resulting load reduction becomes part of an aggregated response from the electricity service provider to the bulk system operator who is now in a better position to manage total system load with available generation. Looking across the electric system, from generating plants, to transmission substations, to the distribution system, to factories, office parks, and buildings, automation is growing, and the opportunities for unleashing new value propositions are exciting. How can we facilitate this change and do so in a way that ensures the reliability of electric resources for the wellbeing of our economy and security? The GridWise Architecture Council (GWAC) mission is to enable interoperability among the many entities that interact with the electric power system. A good definition of interoperability is, “The capability of two or more networks, systems, devices, applications, or components to exchange information between them and to use the information so exchanged.” As a step in the direction of enabling interoperability, the GWAC proposes a context-setting framework to organize concepts and terminology so that interoperability issues can be identified and debated, improvements to address issues articulated, and actions prioritized and coordinated across the electric power community.« less

Prokaryotic regulatory systems biology: Common principles governing the functional architectures of Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli unveiled by the natural decomposition approach.

PubMed

Freyre-González, Julio A; Treviño-Quintanilla, Luis G; Valtierra-Gutiérrez, Ilse A; Gutiérrez-Ríos, Rosa María; Alonso-Pavón, José A

2012-10-31

Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis are two of the best-studied prokaryotic model organisms. Previous analyses of their transcriptional regulatory networks have shown that they exhibit high plasticity during evolution and suggested that both converge to scale-free-like structures. Nevertheless, beyond this suggestion, no analyses have been carried out to identify the common systems-level components and principles governing these organisms. Here we show that these two phylogenetically distant organisms follow a set of common novel biologically consistent systems principles revealed by the mathematically and biologically founded natural decomposition approach. The discovered common functional architecture is a diamond-shaped, matryoshka-like, three-layer (coordination, processing, and integration) hierarchy exhibiting feedback, which is shaped by four systems-level components: global transcription factors (global TFs), locally autonomous modules, basal machinery and intermodular genes. The first mathematical criterion to identify global TFs, the κ-value, was reassessed on B. subtilis and confirmed its high predictive power by identifying all the previously reported, plus three potential, master regulators and eight sigma factors. The functionally conserved cores of modules, basal cell machinery, and a set of non-orthologous common physiological global responses were identified via both orthologous genes and non-orthologous conserved functions. This study reveals novel common systems principles maintained between two phylogenetically distant organisms and provides a comparison of their lifestyle adaptations. Our results shed new light on the systems-level principles and the fundamental functions required by bacteria to sustain life. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SKYWARD: the next generation airborne infrared search and track

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortunato, L.; Colombi, G.; Ondini, A.; Quaranta, C.; Giunti, C.; Sozzi, B.; Balzarotti, G.

2016-05-01

Infrared Search and Track systems are an essential element of the modern and future combat aircrafts. Passive automatic search, detection and tracking functions, are key points for silent operations or jammed tactical scenarios. SKYWARD represents the latest evolution of IRST technology in which high quality electro-optical components, advanced algorithms, efficient hardware and software solutions are harmonically integrated to provide high-end affordable performances. Additionally, the reduction of critical opto-mechanical elements optimises weight and volume and increases the overall reliability. Multiple operative modes dedicated to different situations are available; many options can be selected among multiple or single target tracking, for surveillance or engagement, and imaging, for landing or navigation aid, assuring the maximum system flexibility. The high quality 2D-IR sensor is exploited by multiple parallel processing chains, based on linear and non-linear techniques, to extract the possible targets from background, in different conditions, with false alarm rate control. A widely tested track processor manages a large amount of candidate targets simultaneously and allows discriminating real targets from noise whilst operating with low target to background contrasts. The capability of providing reliable passive range estimation is an additional qualifying element of the system. Particular care has been dedicated to the detector non-uniformities, a possible limiting factor for distant targets detection, as well as to the design of the electro-optics for a harsh airborne environment. The system can be configured for LWIR or MWIR waveband according to the customer operational requirements. An embedded data recorder saves all the necessary images and data for mission debriefing, particularly useful during inflight system integration and tuning.

The CfA-Rosat Survey of Distant Clusters of Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McNamara, Brian

1998-01-01

We (Vikhlinin, McNamara, Forman, Jones, Hornstrup, Quintana) have completed a new survey of distant clusters of galaxies, which we use to to study cluster evolution over cosmological timescales. The clusters were identified as extended X-ray sources in 650 ROSAT PSPC images of high Galactic latitude fields. Our catalog of approximately 230 extended X-ray sources covers 160 square degrees on the sky. Ours is the largest of the several ROSAT serendipitous cluster surveys in progress (e.g. SHARC, Rosati, WARPS etc.). Using V,R,I imagery obtained at several observatories, we find that greater than 90% of the X-ray sources are associated with distant clusters of galaxies. We have obtained spectroscopic redshifts for nearly 80 clusters in our catalog, and we have measured photometric redshifts for the remaining clusters. Our sample contains more than 20 clusters at z > 0.5. I will discuss the logN-logS relationship for our clusters. Because our large survey area, we are able to confirm the evolution of the most luminous distant clusters first seen in the Einstein Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey. In addition, I will discuss the relationships between optical richness, core radius, and X-ray luminosity for distant, X-ray-selected clusters.

Action verbs are processed differently in metaphorical and literal sentences depending on the semantic match of visual primes

PubMed Central

Troyer, Melissa; Curley, Lauren B.; Miller, Luke E.; Saygin, Ayse P.; Bergen, Benjamin K.

2014-01-01

Language comprehension requires rapid and flexible access to information stored in long-term memory, likely influenced by activation of rich world knowledge and by brain systems that support the processing of sensorimotor content. We hypothesized that while literal language about biological motion might rely on neurocognitive representations of biological motion specific to the details of the actions described, metaphors rely on more generic representations of motion. In a priming and self-paced reading paradigm, participants saw video clips or images of (a) an intact point-light walker or (b) a scrambled control and read sentences containing literal or metaphoric uses of biological motion verbs either closely or distantly related to the depicted action (walking). We predicted that reading times for literal and metaphorical sentences would show differential sensitivity to the match between the verb and the visual prime. In Experiment 1, we observed interactions between the prime type (walker or scrambled video) and the verb type (close or distant match) for both literal and metaphorical sentences, but with strikingly different patterns. We found no difference in the verb region of literal sentences for Close-Match verbs after walker or scrambled motion primes, but Distant-Match verbs were read more quickly following walker primes. For metaphorical sentences, the results were roughly reversed, with Distant-Match verbs being read more slowly following a walker compared to scrambled motion. In Experiment 2, we observed a similar pattern following still image primes, though critical interactions emerged later in the sentence. We interpret these findings as evidence for shared recruitment of cognitive and neural mechanisms for processing visual and verbal biological motion information. Metaphoric language using biological motion verbs may recruit neurocognitive mechanisms similar to those used in processing literal language but be represented in a less-specific way. PMID:25538604

Local functional connectivity suggests functional immaturity in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Marcos-Vidal, Luis; Martínez-García, Magdalena; Pretus, Clara; Garcia-Garcia, David; Martínez, Kenia; Janssen, Joost; Vilarroya, Oscar; Castellanos, Francisco X; Desco, Manuel; Sepulcre, Jorge; Carmona, Susanna

2018-06-01

Previous studies have associated Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with a maturational lag of brain functional networks. Functional connectivity of the human brain changes from primarily local to more distant connectivity patterns during typical development. Under the maturational lag hypothesis, we expect children with ADHD to exhibit increased local connectivity and decreased distant connectivity compared with neurotypically developing (ND) children. We applied a graph-theory method to compute local and distant connectivity levels and cross-sectionally compared them in a sample of 120 children with ADHD and 120 age-matched ND children (age range = 7-17 years). In addition, we measured if potential group differences in local and distant connectivity were stable across the age range considered. Finally, we assessed the clinical relevance of observed group differences by correlating the connectivity levels and ADHD symptoms severity separately for each group. Children with ADHD exhibited more local connectivity than age-matched ND children in multiple brain regions, mainly overlapping with default mode, fronto-parietal and ventral attentional functional networks (p < .05- threshold free-cluster enhancement-family-wise error). We detected an atypical developmental pattern of local connectivity in somatomotor regions, that is, decreases with age in ND children, and increases with age in children with ADHD. Furthermore, local connectivity within somatomotor areas correlated positively with clinical severity of ADHD symptoms, both in ADHD and ND children. Results suggest an immature functional state of multiple brain networks in children with ADHD. Whereas the ADHD diagnosis is associated with the integrity of the system comprising the fronto-parietal, default mode and ventral attentional networks, the severity of clinical symptoms is related to atypical functional connectivity within somatomotor areas. Additionally, our findings are in line with the view of ADHD as a disorder of deviated maturational trajectories, mainly affecting somatomotor areas, rather than delays that normalize with age. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A direct measurement of the high-mass end of the velocity dispersion function at z ~ 0.55 from SDSS-III/BOSS

DOE PAGES

Montero-Dorta, Antonio D.; Bolton, Adam S.; Shu, Yiping

2017-02-24

When two galaxies that are distant from one another (and also distant from Earth) happen to lie along a single line of sight in the sky, the resulting phenomenon is known as a “gravitational lens.” The gravity of the more nearby galaxy warps the image of the more distant galaxy into multiple images or complete rings (know as “Einstein rings” since the quantitative description of the gravitational lensing effect relies on Einstein’s theory of gravity.) Strong gravitational lens systems have multiple scientific applications. If the more distant galaxy happens to contain a time-varying quasar (bright emission powered by a supermassivemore » black hole at the galaxy’s center) or supernova explosion, the time delay between multiple images can be used as a probe of the expansion rate of the universe (and other cosmological parameters.) Forecasting the incidence of gravitational lenses in future large-scale sky surveys relies on quantifying the population of potential lens galaxies in the universe in terms of their abundance and their lensing efficiency. The lensing efficiency is most directly correlated with the galaxy’s “velocity dispersion:” the characteristic speed with which stars in the galaxy are orbiting under the influence of the galaxy’s overall gravitational field. This paper uses previous results quantifying the combined demographics of galaxies in brightness and velocity dispersion to compute the demographics of massive “elliptical” galaxies in velocity dispersion alone, thereby providing the essential ingredient for forecasting the expected incidence of strong gravitational lensing by these types of galaxies in future sky surveys such as DESI and LSST. These results are also applicable to the association of massive galaxies with their associated dark-matter “halos,” which is an essential ingredient for the most accurate and informative extraction of cosmological parameters from the data sets produced by large-scale surveys of the universe.« less

Mysterious Saturn--Some Ancient and Modern Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agarwal, Pankaj

2011-01-01

The familiar image of Saturn and its rings has come to symbolise our idea of a planet but there is still much about Saturn and its system that we do not understand. The history of our beliefs and knowledge about it, one of the most distant planets visible to the naked eye, is described, from the early myths, such as the Indian village that…

Commensal bacteria modulate the tumor microenvironment.

PubMed

Poutahidis, Theofilos; Erdman, Susan E

2016-09-28

It has been recently shown that gut microbes modulate whole host immune and hormonal factors impacting the fate of distant preneoplastic lesions toward malignancy or regression. This raises the possibility that the tumor microenvironment interacts with broader systemic microbial-immune networks. These accumulated findings suggest novel therapeutic opportunities for holobiont engineering in emerging tumor microenvironments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Super-resolution optical telescopes with local light diffraction shrinkage

PubMed Central

Wang, Changtao; Tang, Dongliang; Wang, Yanqin; Zhao, Zeyu; Wang, Jiong; Pu, Mingbo; Zhang, Yudong; Yan, Wei; Gao, Ping; Luo, Xiangang

2015-01-01

Suffering from giant size of objective lenses and infeasible manipulations of distant targets, telescopes could not seek helps from present super-resolution imaging, such as scanning near-field optical microscopy, perfect lens and stimulated emission depletion microscopy. In this paper, local light diffraction shrinkage associated with optical super-oscillatory phenomenon is proposed for real-time and optically restoring super-resolution imaging information in a telescope system. It is found that fine target features concealed in diffraction-limited optical images of a telescope could be observed in a small local field of view, benefiting from a relayed metasurface-based super-oscillatory imaging optics in which some local Fourier components beyond the cut-off frequency of telescope could be restored. As experimental examples, a minimal resolution to 0.55 of Rayleigh criterion is obtained, and imaging complex targets and large targets by superimposing multiple local fields of views are demonstrated as well. This investigation provides an access for real-time, incoherent and super-resolution telescopes without the manipulation of distant targets. More importantly, it gives counterintuitive evidence to the common knowledge that relayed optics could not deliver more imaging details than objective systems. PMID:26677820

Integrated Attitude Control Strategy for the Asteroid Redirect Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lopez, Pedro, Jr.; Price, Hoppy; San Martin, Miguel

2014-01-01

A deep-space mission has been proposed to redirect an asteroid to a distant retrograde orbit around the moon using a robotic vehicle, the Asteroid Redirect Vehicle (ARV). In this orbit, astronauts will rendezvous with the ARV using the Orion spacecraft. The integrated attitude control concept that Orion will use for approach and docking and for mated operations will be described. Details of the ARV's attitude control system and its associated constraints for redirecting the asteroid to the distant retrograde orbit around the moon will be provided. Once Orion is docked to the ARV, an overall description of the mated stack attitude during all phases of the mission will be presented using a coordinate system that was developed for this mission. Next, the thermal and power constraints of both the ARV and Orion will be discussed as well as how they are used to define the optimal integrated stack attitude. Lastly, the lighting and communications constraints necessary for the crew's extravehicular activity planned to retrieve samples from the asteroid will be examined. Similarly, the joint attitude control strategy that employs both the Orion and the ARV attitude control assets prior, during, and after each extravehicular activity will also be thoroughly discussed.

2012 DR30, The Most Distant Solar System Object

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiss, Csaba; Szabó, G.; Pál, A.; Kiss, L.; Sárneczky, K.; Müller, T.; Vilenius, E.; Santos-Sanz, P.; Lellouch, E.; Conn, B.; Ortiz, J.; Duffard, R.; Morales, N.; Horner, J.; Bannister, M.; Stansberry, J.

2012-10-01

2012 DR30, the most distant TNO in the Solar System (a=1103 AU) has recently been observed with the Herschel Space Observatory. Radiometric model results using the far-infrared fluxes and visual range data show a dark and cratered surface (p_V = 6%) and provide a diameter of 200km. If considered as a Centaur, this is the fifth largest object known in this dynamical class. Recent visual range measurements indicate the presence of methane ice on the surface, a feature that has been seen previously for objects with diameters of >=1000km only (like Eris, Makemake and Pluto). The presence of methane ice can be explained assuming that the object spent most of its lifetime in a very cold environment and has been recently placed to its present orbit. This scenario is in agreement with the results of a dynamical study of the object's orbit, also suggesting an Oort-cloud origin. This research has been supported by the following grants: (1) The PECS program of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Hungarian Space Office, PECS-98073; (2) C.K. and A.P. acknowledges the support of the Bolyai Research Fellowship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

11. View to southeast. More distant overview of bridge in ...

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

11. View to southeast. More distant overview of bridge in setting; downstream side. (135mm lens) - South Fork Trinity River Bridge, State Highway 299 spanning South Fork Trinity River, Salyer, Trinity County, CA

40. 500,000 POUND STATIC TEST FACILITY: DISTANT VIEW WITH BLOCKHOUSE ...

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

40. 500,000 POUND STATIC TEST FACILITY: DISTANT VIEW WITH BLOCKHOUSE IN FOREGROUND, LOOKING SOUTHEAST - White Sands Missile Range, V-2 Rocket Facilities, Near Headquarters Area, White Sands, Dona Ana County, NM

PSF subtraction to search for distant Jupiters with SPITZER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rameau, Julien; Artigau, Etienne; Baron, Frédérique; Lafrenière, David; Doyon, Rene; Malo, Lison; Naud, Marie-Eve; Delorme, Philippe; Janson, Markus; Albert, Loic; Gagné, Jonathan; Beichman, Charles

2015-12-01

In the course of the search for extrasolar planets, a focus has been made towards rocky planets very close (within few AUs) to their parent stars. However, planetary systems might host gas giants as well, possibly at larger separation from the central star. Direct imaging is the only technique able to probe the outer part of planetary systems. With the advent of the new generation of planet finders like GPI and SPHERE, extrasolar systems are now studied at the solar system scale. Nevertheless, very extended planetary systems do exist and have been found (Gu Ps, AB Pic b, etc.). They are easier to detect and characterize. They are also excellent proxy for close-in gas giants that are detected from the ground. These planets have no equivalent in our solar system and their origin remain a matter of speculation. In this sense, studying planetary systems from its innermost to its outermost part is therefore mandatory to have a clear understanding of its architecture, hence hints of its formation and evolution. We are carrying out a space-based survey using SPITZER to search for distant companions around a well-characterized sample of 120 young and nearby stars. We designed an observing strategy that allows building a very homogeneous PSF library. With this library, we perform a PSF subtraction to search for planets from 10’’ down to 1’’. In this poster, I will present the library, the different algorithms used to subtract the PSF, and the promising detection sensitivity that we are able to reach with this survey. This project to search for the most extreme planetary systems is unique in the exoplanet community. It is also the only realistic mean of directly imaging and subsequently obtaining spectroscopy of young Saturn or Jupiter mass planets in the JWST-era.

A dual-process model of defense against conscious and unconscious death-related thoughts: an extension of terror management theory.

PubMed

Pyszczynski, T; Greenberg, J; Solomon, S

1999-10-01

Distinct defensive processes are activated by conscious and nonconscious but accessible thoughts of death. Proximal defenses, which entail suppressing death-related thoughts or pushing the problem of death into the distant future by denying one's vulnerability, are rational, threat-focused, and activated when thoughts of death are in current focal attention. Distal terror management defenses, which entail maintaining self-esteem and faith in one's cultural worldview, function to control the potential for anxiety that results from knowing that death is inevitable. These defenses are experiential, are not related to the problem of death in any semantic or logical way, and are increasingly activated as the accessibility of death-related thoughts increases, up to the point at which such thoughts enter consciousness and proximal threat-focused defenses are initiated. Experimental evidence for this analysis is presented.

Tsunami Preparedness in California (videos)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Filmed and edited by: Loeffler, Kurt; Gesell, Justine

2010-01-01

Tsunamis are a constant threat to the coasts of our world. Although tsunamis are infrequent along the West coast of the United States, it is possible and necessary to prepare for potential tsunami hazards to minimize loss of life and property. Community awareness programs are important, as they strive to create an informed society by providing education and training. These videos about tsunami preparedness in California distinguish between a local tsunami and a distant event and focus on the specific needs of each region. They offer guidelines for correct tsunami response and community preparedness from local emergency managers, first-responders, and leading experts on tsunami hazards and warnings, who have been working on ways of making the tsunami affected regions safer for the people and communities on a long-term basis. These videos were produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA) and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

A stochastic inventory management model for a dual sourcing supply chain with disruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iakovou, Eleftherios; Vlachos, Dimitrios; Xanthopoulos, Anastasios

2010-03-01

As companies continue to globalise their operations and outsource significant portion of their value chain activities, they often end up relying heavily on order replenishments from distant suppliers. The explosion in long-distance sourcing is exposing supply chains and shareholder value at ever increasing operational and disruption risks. It is well established, both in academia and in real-world business environments, that resource flexibility is an effective method for hedging against supply chain disruption risks. In this contextual framework, we propose a single period stochastic inventory decision-making model that could be employed for capturing the trade-off between inventory policies and disruption risks for an unreliable dual sourcing supply network for both the capacitated and uncapacitated cases. Through the developed model, we obtain some important managerial insights and evaluate the merit of contingency strategies in managing uncertain supply chains.

Current management of cholangiocarcinoma.

PubMed

Singh, Manoj K; Facciuto, Marcelo E

2012-01-01

Cholangiocarcinoma is the second most common primary hepatobiliary malignancy after hepatocellular carcinoma and remains among the most difficult management problems faced by surgeons. Curative surgery is achieved in only 25% to 30% of patients. Local tumor extent, such as portal vein invasion and hepatic lobar atrophy, does not preclude resection. Long-term survival has been seen only in patients who underwent extensive liver resections, suggesting that bile-duct excision alone is less effective. The majority of patients have unresectable disease, with 20% to 30% incidence of distant metastasis at presentation. Unresectable patients should be referred for nonsurgical biliary decompression, and in potential curative resection candidates the use of biliary stents should be reduced. Liver transplantation provides the option of wide resection margins, expanding the indication of surgical intervention for selected patients who otherwise are not surgical candidates due to lack of functional hepatic reserve. © 2012 Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Tsunami Preparedness in Washington (video)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Loeffler, Kurt; Gesell, Justine

2010-01-01

Tsunamis are a constant threat to the coasts of our world. Although tsunamis are infrequent along the West coast of the United States, it is possible and necessary to prepare for potential tsunami hazards to minimize loss of life and property. Community awareness programs are important, as they strive to create an informed society by providing education and training. This video about tsunami preparedness in Washington distinguishes between a local tsunami and a distant event and focus on the specific needs of this region. It offers guidelines for correct tsunami response and community preparedness from local emergency managers, first-responders, and leading experts on tsunami hazards and warnings, who have been working on ways of making the tsunami affected regions safer for the people and communities on a long-term basis. This video was produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with Washington Emergency Management Division (EMD) and with funding by the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program.

Magnet hospital recognition in hospital systems over time.

PubMed

Lasater, Karen B; Richards, Michael R; Dandapani, Nikila B; Burns, Lawton R; McHugh, Matthew D

2017-06-13

Magnet hospitals are recognized for nursing excellence and high-value patient outcomes, yet little is known about which and when hospitals pursue Magnet recognition. Concurrently, hospital systems are becoming a more prominent feature of the U.S. health care landscape. The aim of the study was to examine Magnet adoption among hospital systems over time. Using American Hospital Association surveys (1998-2012), we characterized the proportion of Magnet hospitals belonging to systems. We used hospital level fixed-effects regressions to capture changes in a given system hospital's Magnet status over time in relation to a variety of conditions, including prior Magnet adoption by system affiliates and nonaffiliates in local and geographically distant markets and whether these relationships varied by degree of system centralization. The proportion of Magnet hospitals belonging to a system is increasing. Prior Magnet adoption by a hospital within the local market was associated with an increased likelihood of a given system hospital becoming Magnet, but the effect was larger if there was prior adoption by affiliates (7.4% higher likelihood) versus nonaffiliates (2.7% higher likelihood). Prior adoption by affiliates and nonaffiliates in geographically distant markets had a lesser effect. Hospitals belonging to centralized systems were more reactive to Magnet adoption of nonaffiliate hospitals as compared with those in decentralized systems. Hospital systems take an organizational perspective toward Magnet adoption, whereby more system affiliates achieve Magnet recognition over time. The findings are relevant to health care and nursing administrators and policymakers interested in the diffusion of an empirically supported organizational innovation associated with quality outcomes, particularly in a time of increasing hospital consolidation and system expansion. We identify factors associated with Magnet adoption across system hospitals and demonstrate the importance of considering diffusion of organizational innovations in relation to system centralization. We suggest that decentralized system hospitals may be missing potential benefits of such organizational innovations.

How we value the future affects our desire to learn.

PubMed

Moore, Alana L; Hauser, Cindy E; McCarthy, Michael A

2008-06-01

Active adaptive management is increasingly advocated in natural resource management and conservation biology. Active adaptive management looks at the benefit of employing strategies that may be suboptimal in the near term but which may provide additional information that will facilitate better management in future years. However, when comparing management policies it is traditional to weigh future rewards geometrically (at a constant discount rate) which results in far-distant rewards making a negligible contribution to the total benefit. Under such a discounting scheme active adaptive management is rarely of much benefit, especially if learning is slow. A growing number of authors advocate the use of alternative forms of discounting when evaluating optimal strategies for long-term decisions which have a social component. We consider a theoretical harvested population for which the recovery rate from an unharvestably small population size is unknown and look at the effects on the benefit of experimental management when three different forms of discounting are employed. Under geometric discounting, with a discount rate of 5% per annum, managing to learn actively had little benefit. This study demonstrates that discount functions which weigh future rewards more heavily result in more conservative harvesting strategies, but do not necessarily encourage active learning. Furthermore, the optimal management strategy is not equivalent to employing geometric discounting at a lower rate. If alternative discount functions are made mandatory in calculating optimal management strategies for environmental management then this will affect the structure of optimal management regimes and change when and how much we are willing to invest in learning.

Earthquakes in Hawai‘i—an underappreciated but serious hazard

USGS Publications Warehouse

Okubo, Paul G.; Nakata, Jennifer S.

2011-01-01

The State of Hawaii has a history of damaging earthquakes. Earthquakes in the State are primarily the result of active volcanism and related geologic processes. It is not a question of "if" a devastating quake will strike Hawai‘i but rather "when." Tsunamis generated by both distant and local quakes are also an associated threat and have caused many deaths in the State. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and its cooperators monitor seismic activity in the State and are providing crucial information needed to help better prepare emergency managers and residents of Hawai‘i for the quakes that are certain to strike in the future.

T-category remains an important prognostic factor for oropharyngeal carcinoma in the era of human papillomavirus.

PubMed

Mackenzie, P; Pryor, D; Burmeister, E; Foote, M; Panizza, B; Burmeister, B; Porceddu, S

2014-10-01

To determine prognostic factors for locoregional relapse (LRR), distant relapse and all-cause death in a contemporary cohort of locoregionally advanced oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy alone. OSCC patients treated with definitive radiotherapy between 2005 and 2010 were identified from a prospective head and neck database. Patient age, gender, smoking history, human papillomavirus (HPV) status, T- and N-category, lowest involved nodal level and gross tumour volume of the primary (GTV-p) and nodal (GTV-n) disease were analysed in relation to LRR, distant relapse and death by way of univariate and multivariate analysis. In total, 130 patients were identified, 88 HPV positive, with a median follow-up of 42 months. On multivariate analysis HPV status was a significant predictor of LRR (hazard ratio 0.15; 95% confidence interval 0.05-0.51) and death (hazard ratio 0.29; 95% confidence interval 0.14-0.59) but not distant relapse (hazard ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.22-1.27). Increasing T-category was associated with a higher risk of LRR (hazard ratio 1.80 for T3/4 versus T1/2; 95% confidence interval 1.08-2.99), death (hazard ratio 1.37, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.77) and distant relapse (hazard ratio 1.35; 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.83). Increasing GTV-p was associated with increased risk of distant relapse and death. N3 disease and low neck nodes were significant for LRR, distant relapse and death on univariate analysis only. Tumour HPV status was the strongest predictor of LRR and death. T-category is more predictive of distant relapse and may provide additional prognostic value for LRR and death when accounting for HPV status. Copyright © 2014 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distant Tail Behavior During High Speed Solar Wind Streams and Magnetic Storms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ho, C. M.; Tsurutani, B. T.

1997-01-01

We have examined the ISEE 3 distant tail data during three intense magnetic storms and have identified the tail response to high-speed solar wind streams, interplanetary magnetic clouds, and near-Earth storms.

DISTANT VIEW OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES CATHEDRAL, LOOKING NORTH ...

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

DISTANT VIEW OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES CATHEDRAL, LOOKING NORTH ALONG MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WAY FROM 14TH STREET - St. Francis de Sales Church, 2100 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, Oakland, Alameda County, CA

The use of contact lenses in the civil airman population.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1990-09-01

Federal Aviation Regulations permit the routine use of contact lenses by civilian pilots to satisfy the distant visual acuity requirements for obtaining medical certificates. Specific information identifying the prevalence of both defective distant v...

Distant galaxy formed stars only 250 million years after the Big Bang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouwens, Rychard

2018-05-01

Little is known about the star-birth activity of the earliest galaxies. Observations of a particularly distant galaxy provide evidence for such activity when the Universe was just 2% of its current age.

Review of the genus Signoretia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Signoretiinae) of the Oriental region with description of nine new species.

PubMed

Viraktamath, C A

2016-11-17

Species of Signoretia Stål from the Oriental region are reviewed and types of five species described by Baker, two species described by Distant and one species described by Schmidt are illustrated. A checklist of 20 species of the genus from the Oriental region including 9 new species is given. The new species described and illustrated are Signoretia dulitensis sp. nov. (Malaysia: Mt Dulit), S. lunglei sp. nov. (India: Mizoram), S. mishmiensis sp. nov. (Myanmar: Mishmi Hills), S. quoinensis sp. nov. (Malaysia: Quoin Hill), S. rubra sp. nov. (Thailand: Chiang Mai), S. sahyadrica sp. nov. (India: Kerala), S. similaris sp. nov. (Vietnam: Fyan), S. sinuata sp. nov. (India: West Bengal) and S. takiyae sp. nov. (India: Andaman Is.). Both S. aureola Distant and S. maculata Baker are redescribed and illustrated. Lectotypes are designated for S. greeni Distant and S. aureola Distant.

A Customized Attention-Based Long Short-Term Memory Network for Distant Supervised Relation Extraction.

PubMed

He, Dengchao; Zhang, Hongjun; Hao, Wenning; Zhang, Rui; Cheng, Kai

2017-07-01

Distant supervision, a widely applied approach in the field of relation extraction can automatically generate large amounts of labeled training corpus with minimal manual effort. However, the labeled training corpus may have many false-positive data, which would hurt the performance of relation extraction. Moreover, in traditional feature-based distant supervised approaches, extraction models adopt human design features with natural language processing. It may also cause poor performance. To address these two shortcomings, we propose a customized attention-based long short-term memory network. Our approach adopts word-level attention to achieve better data representation for relation extraction without manually designed features to perform distant supervision instead of fully supervised relation extraction, and it utilizes instance-level attention to tackle the problem of false-positive data. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed approach is effective and achieves better performance than traditional methods.

Environmental Resource Management in Borderlands: Evolution from Competing Interests to Common Aversions

PubMed Central

Buckley, Patrick Henry; Belec, John; Levy, Jason

2015-01-01

Great enthusiasm is attached to the emergence of cross-border regions (CBRs) as a new institutional arrangement for dealing with local cross-border environmental resource management and other issues that remain too distant from national capitals and/or too expensive to be addressed in the traditional topocratic manner requiring instead local adhocratic methods. This study briefly discusses the perceived value of CBRs and necessary and sufficient conditions for the successful and sustainable development of such places. Then, assuming that necessary conditions can be met, the study investigates an intriguing hypothesis concerning the catalyzing of sustainable consensus for cross-border resource management based on a game theoretical approach that employs the use of dilemma of common aversion rather than the more traditional dilemma of competing common interests. Using this lens to investigate a series of events on the Pacific northwestern Canadian-American border in a part of the Fraser Lowland, we look for evidence of the emergence of an active and sustainable CBR to address local trans-border resource management issues. Although our micro-level scale fails to conclusively demonstrate such evidence, it does demonstrate the value of using this approach and suggests a number of avenues for further research. PMID:26154660

Philopatry and migration of Pacific white sharks

PubMed Central

Jorgensen, Salvador J.; Reeb, Carol A.; Chapple, Taylor K.; Anderson, Scot; Perle, Christopher; Van Sommeran, Sean R.; Fritz-Cope, Callaghan; Brown, Adam C.; Klimley, A. Peter; Block, Barbara A.

2010-01-01

Advances in electronic tagging and genetic research are making it possible to discern population structure for pelagic marine predators once thought to be panmictic. However, reconciling migration patterns and gene flow to define the resolution of discrete population management units remains a major challenge, and a vital conservation priority for threatened species such as oceanic sharks. Many such species have been flagged for international protection, yet effective population assessments and management actions are hindered by lack of knowledge about the geographical extent and size of distinct populations. Combining satellite tagging, passive acoustic monitoring and genetics, we reveal how eastern Pacific white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) adhere to a highly predictable migratory cycle. Individuals persistently return to the same network of coastal hotspots following distant oceanic migrations and comprise a population genetically distinct from previously identified phylogenetic clades. We hypothesize that this strong homing behaviour has maintained the separation of a northeastern Pacific population following a historical introduction from Australia/New Zealand migrants during the Late Pleistocene. Concordance between contemporary movement and genetic divergence based on mitochondrial DNA demonstrates a demographically independent management unit not previously recognized. This population's fidelity to discrete and predictable locations offers clear population assessment, monitoring and management options. PMID:19889703

The impact of geographic unit of analysis on socioeconomic inequalities in cancer survival and distant summary stage - a population-based study.

PubMed

Tervonen, Hanna E; Morrell, Stephen; Aranda, Sanchia; Roder, David; You, Hui; Niyonsenga, Theo; Walton, Richard; Baker, Deborah; Currow, David

2016-12-13

When using area-level disadvantage measures, size of geographic unit can have major effects on recorded socioeconomic cancer disparities. This study examined the extent of changes in recorded socioeconomic inequalities in cancer survival and distant stage when the measure of socioeconomic disadvantage was based on smaller Census Collection Districts (CDs) instead of Statistical Local Areas (SLAs). Population-based New South Wales Cancer Registry data were used to identify cases diagnosed with primary invasive cancer in 2000-2008 (n=264,236). Logistic regression and competing risk regression modelling were performed to examine socioeconomic differences in odds of distant stage and hazard of cancer death for all sites combined and separately for breast, prostate, colorectal and lung cancers. For all sites collectively, associations between socioeconomic disadvantage and cancer survival and distant stage were stronger when the CD-based socioeconomic disadvantage measure was used compared with the SLA-based measure. The CD-based measure showed a more consistent socioeconomic gradient with a linear upward trend of risk of cancer death/distant stage with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage. Site-specific analyses provided similar findings for the risk of death but less consistent results for the likelihood of distant stage. The use of socioeconomic disadvantage measure based on the smallest available spatial unit should be encouraged in the future. Implications for Public Health: Disadvantage measures based on small spatial units can more accurately identify socioeconomic cancer disparities to inform priority settings in service planning. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

Futility of fluorodeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography in initial evaluation of patients with T2 to T4 melanoma.

PubMed

Clark, Paige B; Soo, Victoria; Kraas, Jonathan; Shen, Perry; Levine, Edward A

2006-03-01

Evaluation of newly diagnosed patients with melanoma for metastasis is requisite to treatment planning. The reported diagnostic yield of whole-body conventional radiological imaging in initial staging of patients with melanoma is low. However, the diagnostic yield of positron emission tomography (PET) for distant metastases is unclear. There is no utility of PET as part of a routine metastatic survey in patients with T2 to T4 melanoma. Retrospective review of a cohort study between December 1998 and July 2004. University hospital tertiary care center. There were 64 patients with T2 to T4 melanomas who underwent PET for detection of occult metastases at our institution. All patients underwent surgical excision of the primary lesion and sentinel lymph node dissection. Data included were pathologic findings of the primary lesion and sentinel lymph nodes, laboratory data, and radiological reports. None of the patients had clinically suspected regional or distant metastases prior to PET. The diagnostic yield of PET was evaluated through retrospective analysis. Positive scans were then correlated for accuracy with follow-up imaging, biopsy, and clinical information when available. Positron emission tomography did not reveal occult distant metastases in any of the patients. Positron emission tomographic scans showed no abnormalities in 94% of these patients. In 2 patients (3%), false-positive findings were reported on PET (muscular activity and intranodal melanocytic nevocellular inclusion). Further, PET was not useful in predicting regional lymph node metastases. Nineteen of 64 patients had positive sentinel lymph nodes, and only 2 (11%) were identified on PET. Overall, PET did not change clinical management in any of the patients. This study suggests no utility for PET in the detection of occult metastases in patients at initial diagnosis of melanoma. Omission of PET imaging from preoperative evaluations for patients with melanoma is recommended.

Mediastinal lymph node dissection versus mediastinal lymph node sampling for early stage non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Huang, Xiongfeng; Wang, Jianmin; Chen, Qiao; Jiang, Jielin

2014-01-01

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the overall survival, local recurrence, distant metastasis, and complications of mediastinal lymph node dissection (MLND) versus mediastinal lymph node sampling (MLNS) in stage I-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. A systematic search of published literature was conducted using the main databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases) to identify relevant randomized controlled trials that compared MLND vs. MLNS in NSCLC patients. Methodological quality of included randomized controlled trials was assessed according to the criteria from the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Review of Interventions (Version 5.1.0). Meta-analysis was performed using The Cochrane Collaboration's Review Manager 5.3. The results of the meta-analysis were expressed as hazard ratio (HR) or risk ratio (RR), with their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). We included results reported from six randomized controlled trials, with a total of 1,791 patients included in the primary meta-analysis. Compared to MLNS in NSCLC patients, there was no statistically significant difference in MLND on overall survival (HR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.55 to 1.08; P = 0.13). In addition, the results indicated that local recurrence rate (RR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.28; P = 0.67), distant metastasis rate (RR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.04; P = 0.15), and total complications rate (RR = 1.10, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.79; P = 0.72) were similar, no significant difference found between the two groups. Results for overall survival, local recurrence rate, and distant metastasis rate were similar between MLND and MLNS in early stage NSCLC patients. There was no evidence that MLND increased complications compared with MLNS. Whether or not MLND is superior to MLNS for stage II-IIIA remains to be determined.

Factors Associated with Shooting Accuracy and Wounding Rate of Four Managed Wild Deer Species in the UK, Based on Anonymous Field Records from Deer Stalkers

PubMed Central

Aebischer, Nicholas J.; Wheatley, Christopher J.; Rose, Hugh R.

2014-01-01

The amount of wounding during routine culling is an important factor in the welfare of wild deer. Little information exists on factors determining shooting accuracy and wounding rates under field conditions in the UK. In this study, 102 anonymous stalkers collected data on the outcomes and circumstances of 2281 shots. Using hot-deck imputation and generalised linear mixed modelling, we related the probability that a shot hit its target, and the probability that the shot killed the deer if it was hit, to 28 variables describing the circumstances of the shot. Overall, 96% of deer were hit, of which 93% were killed outright. A reduced probability of hitting the target was associated with an uncomfortable firing position, too little time available, shooting off elbows or freehand, taking the head or upper neck as point of aim, a heavily obscured target, a distant target, shooting at females, lack of shooting practice and a basic (or no) stalker qualification. An increase in the likelihood of wounding was associated with an uncomfortable firing position, shooting with insufficient time, a distant target (only when time was not sufficient), a bullet weight below 75 grains, a target concealed in thicket or on the move and an area rarely stalked. To maximise stalking success and deer welfare, we recommend that stalkers ensure a comfortable firing position, use a gun rest, aim at the chest, use bullets heavier than 75 grains, avoid taking a rushed shot, shoot a distant animal only if there is plenty of time, fire only when the target is stationary, avoid shooting at an obscured animal, take care when the ground is unfamiliar, and do shooting practice at least once a month. The high miss rate of basic-level stalkers suggests that training should include additional firing practice under realistic shooting conditions. PMID:25334012

Impact of Human Management on the Genetic Variation of Wild Pepper, Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum

PubMed Central

González-Jara, Pablo; Moreno-Letelier, Alejandra; Fraile, Aurora; Piñero, Daniel; García-Arenal, Fernando

2011-01-01

Management of wild peppers in Mexico has occurred for a long time without clear phenotypic signs of domestication. However, pre-domestication management could have implications for the population's genetic richness. To test this hypothesis we analysed 27 wild (W), let standing (LS) and cultivated (C) populations, plus 7 samples from local markets (LM), with nine polymorphic microsatellite markers. Two hundred and fifty two alleles were identified, averaging 28 per locus. Allele number was higher in W, and 15 and 40% less in LS and C populations, respectively. Genetic variation had a significant population structure. In W populations, structure was associated with ecological and geographic areas according to isolation by distance. When LM and C populations where included in the analysis, differentiation was no longer apparent. Most LM were related to distant populations from Sierra Madre Oriental, which represents their probable origin. Historical demography shows a recent decline in all W populations. Thus, pre-domestication human management is associated with a significant reduction of genetic diversity and with a loss of differentiation suggesting movement among regions by man. Measures to conserve wild and managed populations should be implemented to maintain the source and the architecture of genetic variation in this important crop relative. PMID:22163053

Real-time visualization of early metastasis events in Danio rerio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanner, Kandice

Metastasis, the process by which cancer cells travel from a primary tumor to establish lesions in distant organs, is the cause of most cancer-related deaths. One critical process during metastasis is the transit of cells from a primary tumor and through the vasculature or lymphatic systems to a distant site prior to metastatic colonization. However, visualization of cellular behavior in the vasculature is difficult in most model systems, where final cell destination is not known beforehand. Here, we used bone- and brain-tropic subclones of MDA-MB-231 breast adenocarcinoma cells (231BO and 231BR, respectively) injected into the circulation of embryonic zebrafish as a model xenograft system of metastasis. The zebrafish vasculature contains vessels on the scale of human capillaries. Real-time intravital imaging revealed metastatic spread to be an inefficient process, with less than 20% of cells passing through a given organ remaining there following 14 h of imaging. Additionally, there was no significant difference in the organ-specific residence time or migration speed of single 231BO and 231BR cells in the organ vasculature. Instead, cell capture was dependent on vessel topography and the function of integrin β1. Interestingly, a fraction of cells extravasated from the vasculature and survived in a perivascular position in the head and caudal venous plexus for up to two weeks. In conclusion, use of the zebrafish vasculature as a model capillary bed has revealed critical steps in early metastasis that are difficult to capture in other systems.

(abstract) The Distant Tail Behavior During High Speed Solar Wind Streams and Magnetic Storms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ho, C. M.; Tsurutani, B. T.

1996-01-01

We have examined the ISEE-3 distant tail data during three intense magnetic storms and have identified the tail response to high speed solar wind streams, interplanetary magnetic clouds, and near-Earth storms.

1. Distant view of mill ruins with boom crane for ...

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

1. Distant view of mill ruins with boom crane for unloading sugar cane in foreground, looking W. - Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation, Sugar Mill, 2 miles South of Thibodaux on State Route 308, Thibodaux, Lafourche Parish, LA

Distant Galaxy Bursts with Stars

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-21

This image from NASA Hubble telescope shows one of the most distant galaxies known, called GN-108036, dating back to 750 million years after the Big Bang that created our universe. The galaxy light took 12.9 billion years to reach us.

Focal shift and the axial optical coordinate for high-aperture systems of finite Fresnel number.

PubMed

Sheppard, Colin J R; Török, Peter

2003-11-01

Analytic expressions are given for the on-axis intensity predicted by the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld and Kirchhoff diffraction integrals for a scalar optical system of high numerical aperture and finite value of Fresnel number. A definition of the axial optical coordinate is introduced that is valid for finite values of Fresnel number, for high-aperture systems, and for observation points distant from the focus. The focal shift effect is reexamined. For the case when the focal shift is small, explicit expressions are given for the focal shift and the axial peak in intensity.

[Motor system physiotherapy of the masticatory organ].

PubMed

Jagucka-Metel, Wioletta; Brzeska, Paulina; Sobolewska, Ewa; Machoy-Mokrzyńska, Anna; Baranowska, Agata

2013-01-01

The motor system of the masticatory organ is a complex morphological and functional structure. Its dysfunctions are manifested by various symptoms within the masticatory apparatus and in distant organs. The paper presents a discussion on the physiotherapeutic procedure for the treatment of disorders in the motor system of the masticatory organ. Therapeutic methods are presented, including: massage, trigger point therapy, kinesitherapy, biofeedback, manual therapy, postural re-education, kinesiotaping, physical interventions (TENS, hyaluronidase iontophoresis, ultrasound, laser therapy, and magnetoledotherapy). The paper points out the role of a comprehensive approach to the patient in order to eliminate the cause of disorders, going beyond symptomatic treatment.

Lunar Surface Scenarios: Habitation and Life Support Systems for a Pressurized Rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Molly; Hanford, Anthony; Howard, Robert; Toups, Larry

2006-01-01

Pressurized rovers will be a critical component of successful lunar exploration to enable safe investigation of sites distant from the outpost location. A pressurized rover is a complex system with the same functions as any other crewed vehicle. Designs for a pressurized rover need to take into account significant constraints, a multitude of tasks to be performed inside and out, and the complexity of life support systems to support the crew. In future studies, pressurized rovers should be given the same level of consideration as any other vehicle occupied by the crew.

Science Operations During Planetary Surface Exploration: Desert-RATS Tests 2009-2011

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Barbara

2012-01-01

NASA s Research and Technology Studies (RATS) team evaluates technology, human-robotic systems and extravehicular equipment for use in future human space exploration missions. Tests are conducted in simulated space environments, or analog tests, using prototype instruments, vehicles, and systems. NASA engineers, scientists and technicians from across the country gather annually with representatives from industry and academia to perform the tests. Test scenarios include future missions to near-Earth asteroids (NEA), the moon and Mars.. Mission simulations help determine system requirements for exploring distant locations while developing the technical skills required of the next generation of explorers.

Systems Engineering and Application of System Performance Modeling in SIM Lite Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moshir, Mehrdad; Murphy, David W.; Milman, Mark H.; Meier, David L.

2010-01-01

The SIM Lite Astrometric Observatory will be the first space-based Michelson interferometer operating in the visible wavelength, with the ability to perform ultra-high precision astrometric measurements on distant celestial objects. SIM Lite data will address in a fundamental way questions such as characterization of Earth-mass planets around nearby stars. To accomplish these goals it is necessary to rely on a model-based systems engineering approach - much more so than most other space missions. This paper will describe in further detail the components of this end-to-end performance model, called "SIM-sim", and show how it has helped the systems engineering process.

Efficient multi-scenario Model Predictive Control for water resources management with ensemble streamflow forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Xin; Negenborn, Rudy R.; van Overloop, Peter-Jules; María Maestre, José; Sadowska, Anna; van de Giesen, Nick

2017-11-01

Model Predictive Control (MPC) is one of the most advanced real-time control techniques that has been widely applied to Water Resources Management (WRM). MPC can manage the water system in a holistic manner and has a flexible structure to incorporate specific elements, such as setpoints and constraints. Therefore, MPC has shown its versatile performance in many branches of WRM. Nonetheless, with the in-depth understanding of stochastic hydrology in recent studies, MPC also faces the challenge of how to cope with hydrological uncertainty in its decision-making process. A possible way to embed the uncertainty is to generate an Ensemble Forecast (EF) of hydrological variables, rather than a deterministic one. The combination of MPC and EF results in a more comprehensive approach: Multi-scenario MPC (MS-MPC). In this study, we will first assess the model performance of MS-MPC, considering an ensemble streamflow forecast. Noticeably, the computational inefficiency may be a critical obstacle that hinders applicability of MS-MPC. In fact, with more scenarios taken into account, the computational burden of solving an optimization problem in MS-MPC accordingly increases. To deal with this challenge, we propose the Adaptive Control Resolution (ACR) approach as a computationally efficient scheme to practically reduce the number of control variables in MS-MPC. In brief, the ACR approach uses a mixed-resolution control time step from the near future to the distant future. The ACR-MPC approach is tested on a real-world case study: an integrated flood control and navigation problem in the North Sea Canal of the Netherlands. Such an approach reduces the computation time by 18% and up in our case study. At the same time, the model performance of ACR-MPC remains close to that of conventional MPC.

The x-ray luminous galaxy cluster population at 0.9 < z ≲ 1.6 as revealed by the XMM-Newton Distant Cluster Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fassbender, R.; Böhringer, H.; Nastasi, A.; Šuhada, R.; Mühlegger, M.; de Hoon, A.; Kohnert, J.; Lamer, G.; Mohr, J. J.; Pierini, D.; Pratt, G. W.; Quintana, H.; Rosati, P.; Santos, J. S.; Schwope, A. D.

2011-12-01

We present the largest sample to date of spectroscopically confirmed x-ray luminous high-redshift galaxy clusters comprising 22 systems in the range 0.9 as part of the XMM-Newton Distant Cluster Project (XDCP). All systems were initially selected as extended x-ray sources over 76.1 deg2 of non-contiguous deep archival XMM-Newton coverage, of which 49.4 deg2 are part of the core survey with a quantifiable selection function and 17.7 deg2 are classified as ‘gold’ coverage as the starting point for upcoming cosmological applications. Distant cluster candidates were followed up with moderately deep optical and near-infrared imaging in at least two bands to photometrically identify the cluster galaxy populations and obtain redshift estimates based on the colors of simple stellar population models. We test and calibrate the most promising redshift estimation techniques based on the R-z and z-H colors for efficient distant cluster identifications and find a good redshift accuracy performance of the z-H color out to at least z ˜ 1.5, while the redshift evolution of the R-z color leads to increasingly large uncertainties at z ≳ 0.9. Photometrically identified high-z systems are spectroscopically confirmed with VLT/FORS 2 with a minimum of three concordant cluster member redshifts. We present first details of two newly identified clusters, XDCP J0338.5+0029 at z = 0.916 and XDCP J0027.2+1714 at z = 0.959, and investigate the x-ray properties of SpARCS J003550-431224 at z = 1.335, which shows evidence for ongoing major merger activity along the line-of-sight. We provide x-ray properties and luminosity-based total mass estimates for the full sample of 22 high-z clusters, of which 17 are at z ⩾ 1.0 and seven populate the highest redshift bin at z > 1.3. The median system mass of the sample is M200 ≃ 2 × 1014 M⊙, while the probed mass range for the distant clusters spans approximately (0.7-7) × 1014 M⊙. The majority (>70%) of the x-ray selected clusters show rather regular x-ray morphologies, albeit in most cases with a discernible elongation along one axis. In contrast to local clusters, the z > 0.9 systems mostly do not harbor central dominant galaxies coincident with the x-ray centroid position, but rather exhibit significant brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) offsets from the x-ray center with a median value of about 50 kpc in projection and a smaller median luminosity gap to the second-ranked galaxy of Δm12 ≃ 0.3 mag. We estimate a fraction of cluster-associated NVSS 1.4 GHz radio sources of about 30%, preferentially located within 1‧ from the x-ray center. This value suggests an increase of the fraction of very luminous cluster-associated radio sources by about a factor of 2.5-5 relative to low-z systems. The galaxy populations in z ≳ 1.5 cluster environments show first evidence for drastic changes on the high-mass end of galaxies and signs of a gradual disappearance of a well-defined cluster red-sequence as strong star formation activity is observed in an increasing fraction of massive galaxies down to the densest core regions. The presented XDCP high-z sample will allow first detailed studies of the cluster population during the critical cosmic epoch at lookback times of 7.3-9.5 Gyr on the aggregation and evolution of baryons in the cold and hot phases as a function of redshift and system mass. Based on observations under program IDs 079.A-0634 and 085.A-0647 collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile, and observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).

Long-term remote organ consequences following acute kidney injury.

PubMed

Shiao, Chih-Chung; Wu, Pei-Chen; Huang, Tao-Min; Lai, Tai-Shuan; Yang, Wei-Shun; Wu, Che-Hsiung; Lai, Chun-Fu; Wu, Vin-Cent; Chu, Tzong-Shinn; Wu, Kwan-Dun

2015-12-28

Acute kidney injury (AKI) has been a global health epidemic problem with soaring incidence, increased long-term risks for multiple comorbidities and mortality, as well as elevated medical costs. Despite the improvement of patient outcomes following the advancements in preventive and therapeutic strategies, the mortality rates among critically ill patients with AKI remain as high as 40-60 %. The distant organ injury, a direct consequence of deleterious systemic effects, following AKI is an important explanation for this phenomenon. To date, most evidence of remote organ injury in AKI is obtained from animal models. Whereas the observations in humans are from a limited number of participants in a relatively short follow-up period, or just focusing on the cytokine levels rather than clinical solid outcomes. The remote organ injury is caused with four underlying mechanisms: (1) "classical" pattern of acute uremic state; (2) inflammatory nature of the injured kidneys; (3) modulating effect of AKI of the underlying disease process; and (4) healthcare dilemma. While cytokines/chemokines, leukocyte extravasation, oxidative stress, and certain channel dysregulation are the pathways involving in the remote organ damage. In the current review, we summarized the data from experimental studies to clinical outcome studies in the field of organ crosstalk following AKI. Further, the long-term consequences of distant organ-system, including liver, heart, brain, lung, gut, bone, immune system, and malignancy following AKI with temporary dialysis were reviewed and discussed.

TNM-O: ontology support for staging of malignant tumours.

PubMed

Boeker, Martin; França, Fábio; Bronsert, Peter; Schulz, Stefan

2016-11-14

Objectives of this work are to (1) present an ontological framework for the TNM classification system, (2) exemplify this framework by an ontology for colon and rectum tumours, and (3) evaluate this ontology by assigning TNM classes to real world pathology data. The TNM ontology uses the Foundational Model of Anatomy for anatomical entities and BioTopLite 2 as a domain top-level ontology. General rules for the TNM classification system and the specific TNM classification for colorectal tumours were axiomatised in description logic. Case-based information was collected from tumour documentation practice in the Comprehensive Cancer Centre of a large university hospital. Based on the ontology, a module was developed that classifies pathology data. TNM was represented as an information artefact, which consists of single representational units. Corresponding to every representational unit, tumours and tumour aggregates were defined. Tumour aggregates consist of the primary tumour and, if existing, of infiltrated regional lymph nodes and distant metastases. TNM codes depend on the location and certain qualities of the primary tumour (T), the infiltrated regional lymph nodes (N) and the existence of distant metastases (M). Tumour data from clinical and pathological documentation were successfully classified with the ontology. A first version of the TNM Ontology represents the TNM system for the description of the anatomical extent of malignant tumours. The present work demonstrates its representational power and completeness as well as its applicability for classification of instance data.

TEMPLATES: Targeting Extremely Magnified Panchromatic Lensed Arcs and Their Extended Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigby, Jane; Vieira, Joaquin; Bayliss, M.; Fischer, T.; Florian, M.; Gladders, M.; Gonzalez, A.; Law, D.; Marrone, D.; Phadke, K.; Sharon, K.; Spilker, J.

2017-11-01

We propose high signal-to-noise NIRSpec and MIRI IFU spectroscopy, with accompanying imaging, for 4 gravitationally lensed galaxies at 1

Genome-wide introgression among distantly related Heliconius butterfly species.

PubMed

Zhang, Wei; Dasmahapatra, Kanchon K; Mallet, James; Moreira, Gilson R P; Kronforst, Marcus R

2016-02-27

Although hybridization is thought to be relatively rare in animals, the raw genetic material introduced via introgression may play an important role in fueling adaptation and adaptive radiation. The butterfly genus Heliconius is an excellent system to study hybridization and introgression but most studies have focused on closely related species such as H. cydno and H. melpomene. Here we characterize genome-wide patterns of introgression between H. besckei, the only species with a red and yellow banded 'postman' wing pattern in the tiger-striped silvaniform clade, and co-mimetic H. melpomene nanna. We find a pronounced signature of putative introgression from H. melpomene into H. besckei in the genomic region upstream of the gene optix, known to control red wing patterning, suggesting adaptive introgression of wing pattern mimicry between these two distantly related species. At least 39 additional genomic regions show signals of introgression as strong or stronger than this mimicry locus. Gene flow has been on-going, with evidence of gene exchange at multiple time points, and bidirectional, moving from the melpomene to the silvaniform clade and vice versa. The history of gene exchange has also been complex, with contributions from multiple silvaniform species in addition to H. besckei. We also detect a signature of ancient introgression of the entire Z chromosome between the silvaniform and melpomene/cydno clades. Our study provides a genome-wide portrait of introgression between distantly related butterfly species. We further propose a comprehensive and efficient workflow for gene flow identification in genomic data sets.

Reduction of garbage in the diet of nonbreeding glaucous gulls corresponding to a change in waste management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weiser, Emily L.; Powell, Abby N.

2011-01-01

Glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus) are major predators in the Arctic and may benefit from human development. We studied use of garbage by glaucous gulls in Barrow, Alaska, in 2007, when municipal waste was disposed of in a landfill, and in 2008, when it was incinerated. In both years, diet samples from breeding adult gulls contained less garbage than those from loafing nonbreeding gulls (mostly subadults of less than four years), possibly because the breeding colony was more distant than many loafing sites from the landfills. Although breeding gull samples showed no change, garbage in regurgitated pellets and food remains of nonbreeding gulls was significantly less prevalent in 2008 than in 2007 (28% vs. 43% occurrence in diet samples), and this reduction could be explained by the switch from landfill to waste incineration. Yet garbage remained a substantial part of nonbreeding gull diet after the management change. Other aspects of waste management, such as storage prior to disposal, may also be important in limiting scavengers’ access to garbage and thus reducing the indirect impact of human development on prey species of conservation concern.