Study of Mechanical and Thermal Impact of a Plasma Focus Discharge on Diagnostic Elements of PFM-72M Installation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bashutin, O. A.; Savelov, A. S.; Sidorov, P. P.

2017-12-01

Mechanical and thermal impact of the plasma focus discharge on structural elements of diagnostic windows of the PFM-72m discharge installation are calculated. The absence of critical impact at early discharge stages and during the first 300 ns after the "plasma focus" formation is shown. The possibility of shock impact on the surface of diagnostic windows at later times, which may result in their substantial deformation and destruction, is demonstrated.

Creation of aorto-pulmonary window with pulmonary artery band is not good palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

PubMed

Hosein, Riad B M; Mehta, Chetan; Stickley, John; Mcguirk, Simon P; Jones, Timothy J; Brawn, William J; Barron, David J

2007-11-01

A small sub-group of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) have normal-sized ascending aorta and arch. An alternative to the Norwood I procedure in these patients is the creation of an aorto-pulmonary (AP) window with a distal pulmonary artery band (PAB). We reviewed our experience with this technique and compared outcomes to the Norwood procedure for HLHS. All patients treated for HLHS in a single institution between 1992 and 2005 were analysed. This identified 13 patients treated with AP window and PAB compared to 333 patients undergoing stage I Norwood procedure. An unrestrictive AP window was created and the main PA was banded. Patient records and echocardiograms were analysed. Median follow-up was 10 (IQR 0-655) days and 100% complete. There were seven early deaths (54%) in the AP window group and two conversions to Norwood circulation. This was a significantly worse outcome than for the Norwood procedure over the same period, which had an early mortality of 29% (p=0.03). Kaplan-Meier actuarial analysis demonstrated a continued survival benefit of the Norwood group at 6 months (p=0.0005). Deaths were due to either low cardiac output syndrome (n=4) or sudden unheralded arrest (n=3). This occurred despite aortic cross-clamp and circulatory arrest times being significantly lower in the AP window group compared to the Norwood group (35+/-27 vs 55+/-16 min, p<0.01 and 16+/-29 vs 55+/-20 min, p<0.01, respectively). No differences in arterial saturations or systolic blood pressure existed between the groups, but diastolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the AP window group at 27+/-10 mmHg compared to 42+/-8 mmHg in the Norwood group (p=0.01) with evidence of flow reversal in the descending aorta. Differences in diastolic blood pressure between groups were abolished after conversion to stage II. Despite favourable anatomy and shorter ischaemic times, the AP window/PAB technique has a poor outcome compared to the Norwood procedure for HLHS. Low diastolic blood pressure with reversal of descending aortic flow in diastole was a feature of the AP window/PAB circulation. We recommend the Norwood procedure for these sub-types. This may have implications for newer 'hybrid' procedures for HLHS which create a similar palliative circulation.

The Relations of Early Television Viewing to School Readiness and Vocabulary of Children from Low-Income Families: The Early Window Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, John C.; Auston, Aletha C.; Murphy, Kimberlee C.; St. Peters, Michelle; Pinon, Ronda Scantlin; Kotler, Jennifer

2001-01-01

Collected time-use diaries of television viewing from two cohorts of children (ages 2-5 and 4-7) from low-income families and gave annual tests of reading, math, receptive vocabulary, and school readiness. Found that viewing of child-audience informative programs between ages 2 and 3 predicted higher academic performance. Frequent viewers of…

Two critical periods in early visual cortex during figure-ground segregation.

PubMed

Wokke, Martijn E; Sligte, Ilja G; Steven Scholte, H; Lamme, Victor A F

2012-11-01

The ability to distinguish a figure from its background is crucial for visual perception. To date, it remains unresolved where and how in the visual system different stages of figure-ground segregation emerge. Neural correlates of figure border detection have consistently been found in early visual cortex (V1/V2). However, areas V1/V2 have also been frequently associated with later stages of figure-ground segregation (such as border ownership or surface segregation). To causally link activity in early visual cortex to different stages of figure-ground segregation, we briefly disrupted activity in areas V1/V2 at various moments in time using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Prior to stimulation we presented stimuli that made it possible to differentiate between figure border detection and surface segregation. We concurrently recorded electroencephalographic (EEG) signals to examine how neural correlates of figure-ground segregation were affected by TMS. Results show that disruption of V1/V2 in an early time window (96-119 msec) affected detection of figure stimuli and affected neural correlates of figure border detection, border ownership, and surface segregation. TMS applied in a relatively late time window (236-259 msec) selectively deteriorated performance associated with surface segregation. We conclude that areas V1/V2 are not only essential in an early stage of figure-ground segregation when figure borders are detected, but subsequently causally contribute to more sophisticated stages of figure-ground segregation such as surface segregation.

Two critical periods in early visual cortex during figure–ground segregation

PubMed Central

Wokke, Martijn E; Sligte, Ilja G; Steven Scholte, H; Lamme, Victor A F

2012-01-01

The ability to distinguish a figure from its background is crucial for visual perception. To date, it remains unresolved where and how in the visual system different stages of figure–ground segregation emerge. Neural correlates of figure border detection have consistently been found in early visual cortex (V1/V2). However, areas V1/V2 have also been frequently associated with later stages of figure–ground segregation (such as border ownership or surface segregation). To causally link activity in early visual cortex to different stages of figure–ground segregation, we briefly disrupted activity in areas V1/V2 at various moments in time using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Prior to stimulation we presented stimuli that made it possible to differentiate between figure border detection and surface segregation. We concurrently recorded electroencephalographic (EEG) signals to examine how neural correlates of figure–ground segregation were affected by TMS. Results show that disruption of V1/V2 in an early time window (96–119 msec) affected detection of figure stimuli and affected neural correlates of figure border detection, border ownership, and surface segregation. TMS applied in a relatively late time window (236–259 msec) selectively deteriorated performance associated with surface segregation. We conclude that areas V1/V2 are not only essential in an early stage of figure–ground segregation when figure borders are detected, but subsequently causally contribute to more sophisticated stages of figure–ground segregation such as surface segregation. PMID:23170239

Deconvolution improves the accuracy and depth sensitivity of time-resolved measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diop, Mamadou; St. Lawrence, Keith

2013-03-01

Time-resolved (TR) techniques have the potential to distinguish early- from late-arriving photons. Since light travelling through superficial tissue is detected earlier than photons that penetrate the deeper layers, time-windowing can in principle be used to improve the depth sensitivity of TR measurements. However, TR measurements also contain instrument contributions - referred to as the instrument-response-function (IRF) - which cause temporal broadening of the measured temporal-point-spread-function (TPSF). In this report, we investigate the influence of the IRF on pathlength-resolved absorption changes (Δμa) retrieved from TR measurements using the microscopic Beer-Lambert law (MBLL). TPSFs were acquired on homogeneous and two-layer tissue-mimicking phantoms with varying optical properties. The measured IRF and TPSFs were deconvolved to recover the distribution of time-of-flights (DTOFs) of the detected photons. The microscopic Beer-Lambert law was applied to early and late time-windows of the TPSFs and DTOFs to access the effects of the IRF on pathlength-resolved Δμa. The analysis showed that the late part of the TPSFs contains substantial contributions from early-arriving photons, due to the smearing effects of the IRF, which reduced its sensitivity to absorption changes occurring in deep layers. We also demonstrated that the effects of the IRF can be efficiently eliminated by applying a robust deconvolution technique, thereby improving the accuracy and sensitivity of TR measurements to deep-tissue absorption changes.

Prevention of Residual Gas Condensation on the Laser Entry Hole Windows on Cryogenic NIF Targets Using a Protective Warm Film

DOE PAGES

Bhandarkar, Suhas; Fair, Jim; Haid, Ben; ...

2018-01-19

Many of the early cryogenic shots on NIF were plagued by buildup of considerable mass of extraneous ice on the LEH windows, a consequence of condensation of the residual air in the surrounding chamber. Thickness of this ice depended on the exact chamber pressure and the target fielding time duration, both extremely difficult to keep constant given the broad range of target types being shot. In this paper, we describe our work in designing a robust solution in the form of a second thin film that shielded the LEH window from the contaminating ice. Several detailed cryogenic considerations were requiredmore » to ensure the proper functioning of this new window, which were simulated and verified experimentally. Data from numerous subsequent shots showed marked improvement in performance, which made this new feature an essential component for all cryogenic NIF targets.« less

Prevention of Residual Gas Condensation on the Laser Entry Hole Windows on Cryogenic NIF Targets Using a Protective Warm Film

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

Bhandarkar, Suhas; Fair, Jim; Haid, Ben

Many of the early cryogenic shots on NIF were plagued by buildup of considerable mass of extraneous ice on the LEH windows, a consequence of condensation of the residual air in the surrounding chamber. Thickness of this ice depended on the exact chamber pressure and the target fielding time duration, both extremely difficult to keep constant given the broad range of target types being shot. In this paper, we describe our work in designing a robust solution in the form of a second thin film that shielded the LEH window from the contaminating ice. Several detailed cryogenic considerations were requiredmore » to ensure the proper functioning of this new window, which were simulated and verified experimentally. Data from numerous subsequent shots showed marked improvement in performance, which made this new feature an essential component for all cryogenic NIF targets.« less

Egg storage duration and hatch window affect gene expression of nutrient transporters and intestine morphological parameters of early hatched broiler chicks.

PubMed

Yalcin, S; Gursel, I; Bilgen, G; Izzetoglu, G T; Horuluoglu, B H; Gucluer, G

2016-05-01

In recent years, researchers have given emphasis on the differences in physiological parameters between early and late hatched chicks within a hatch window. Considering the importance of intestine development in newly hatched chicks, however, changes in gene expression of nutrient transporters in the jejunum of early hatched chicks within a hatch window have not been studied yet. This study was conducted to determine the effects of egg storage duration before incubation and hatch window on intestinal development and expression of PepT1 (H+-dependent peptide transporter) and SGLT1 (sodium-glucose co-transporter) genes in the jejunum of early hatched broiler chicks within a 30 h of hatch window. A total of 1218 eggs obtained from 38-week-old Ross 308 broiler breeder flocks were stored for 3 (ES3) or 14 days (ES14) and incubated at the same conditions. Eggs were checked between 475 and 480 h of incubation and 40 chicks from each egg storage duration were weighed; chick length and rectal temperature were measured. The chicks were sampled to evaluate morphological parameters and PepT1 and SGLT1 expression. The remaining chicks that hatched between 475 and 480 h were placed back in the incubator and the same measurements were conducted with those chicks at the end of hatch window at 510 h of incubation. Chick length, chick dry matter content, rectal temperature and weight of small intestine segments increased, whereas chick weight decreased during the hatch window. The increase in the jejunum length and villus width and area during the hatch window were higher for ES3 than ES14 chicks. PepT1 expression was higher for ES3 chicks compared with ES14. There was a 10.2 and 17.6-fold increase in PepT1 and SGLT1 expression of ES3 chicks at the end of hatch window, whereas it was only 2.3 and 3.3-fold, respectively, for ES14 chicks. These results suggested that egg storage duration affected development of early hatched chicks during 30 h of hatch window. It can be concluded that the ES14 chicks would be less efficiently adapted to absorption process for carbohydrates and protein than those from ES3 at the end of the hatch window.

Neurodynamics of executive control processes in bilinguals: evidence from ERP and source reconstruction analyses.

PubMed

Heidlmayr, Karin; Hemforth, Barbara; Moutier, Sylvain; Isel, Frédéric

2015-01-01

The present study was designed to examine the impact of bilingualism on the neuronal activity in different executive control processes namely conflict monitoring, control implementation (i.e., interference suppression and conflict resolution) and overcoming of inhibition. Twenty-two highly proficient but non-balanced successive French-German bilingual adults and 22 monolingual adults performed a combined Stroop/Negative priming task while event-related potential (ERP) were recorded online. The data revealed that the ERP effects were reduced in bilinguals in comparison to monolinguals but only in the Stroop task and limited to the N400 and the sustained fronto-central negative-going potential time windows. This result suggests that bilingualism may impact the process of control implementation rather than the process of conflict monitoring (N200). Critically, our study revealed a differential time course of the involvement of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in conflict processing. While the ACC showed major activation in the early time windows (N200 and N400) but not in the latest time window (late sustained negative-going potential), the PFC became unilaterally active in the left hemisphere in the N400 and the late sustained negative-going potential time windows. Taken together, the present electroencephalography data lend support to a cascading neurophysiological model of executive control processes, in which ACC and PFC may play a determining role.

Neurodynamics of executive control processes in bilinguals: evidence from ERP and source reconstruction analyses

PubMed Central

Heidlmayr, Karin; Hemforth, Barbara; Moutier, Sylvain; Isel, Frédéric

2015-01-01

The present study was designed to examine the impact of bilingualism on the neuronal activity in different executive control processes namely conflict monitoring, control implementation (i.e., interference suppression and conflict resolution) and overcoming of inhibition. Twenty-two highly proficient but non-balanced successive French–German bilingual adults and 22 monolingual adults performed a combined Stroop/Negative priming task while event-related potential (ERP) were recorded online. The data revealed that the ERP effects were reduced in bilinguals in comparison to monolinguals but only in the Stroop task and limited to the N400 and the sustained fronto-central negative-going potential time windows. This result suggests that bilingualism may impact the process of control implementation rather than the process of conflict monitoring (N200). Critically, our study revealed a differential time course of the involvement of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in conflict processing. While the ACC showed major activation in the early time windows (N200 and N400) but not in the latest time window (late sustained negative-going potential), the PFC became unilaterally active in the left hemisphere in the N400 and the late sustained negative-going potential time windows. Taken together, the present electroencephalography data lend support to a cascading neurophysiological model of executive control processes, in which ACC and PFC may play a determining role. PMID:26124740

Near real-time vaccine safety surveillance with partially accrued data.

PubMed

Greene, Sharon K; Kulldorff, Martin; Yin, Ruihua; Yih, W Katherine; Lieu, Tracy A; Weintraub, Eric S; Lee, Grace M

2011-06-01

The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) Project conducts near real-time vaccine safety surveillance using sequential analytic methods. Timely surveillance is critical in identifying potential safety problems and preventing additional exposure before most vaccines are administered. For vaccines that are administered during a short period, such as influenza vaccines, timeliness can be improved by undertaking analyses while risk windows following vaccination are ongoing and by accommodating predictable and unpredictable data accrual delays. We describe practical solutions to these challenges, which were adopted by the VSD Project during pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccine safety surveillance in 2009/2010. Adjustments were made to two sequential analytic approaches. The Poisson-based approach compared the number of pre-defined adverse events observed following vaccination with the number expected using historical data. The expected number was adjusted for the proportion of the risk window elapsed and the proportion of inpatient data estimated to have accrued. The binomial-based approach used a self-controlled design, comparing the observed numbers of events in risk versus comparison windows. Events were included in analysis only if they occurred during a week that had already passed for both windows. Analyzing data before risk windows fully elapsed improved the timeliness of safety surveillance. Adjustments for data accrual lags were tailored to each data source and avoided biasing analyses away from detecting a potential safety problem, particularly early during surveillance. The timeliness of vaccine and drug safety surveillance can be improved by properly accounting for partially elapsed windows and data accrual delays. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Particle velocity measurements of the reaction zone in nitromethane

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

Sheffield, S. A.; Engelke, R. P.; Alcon, R. R.

2002-01-01

The detonation reaction-zone length in neat, deuterated, and chemically sensitized nitromethane (NM) has been measured by using several different laser-based velocity interferometry systems. The experiments involved measuring the particle velocity history at a NM/PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate) window interface during the time a detonation in the NM interacted with the interface. Initially, Fabry-Perot interferometry was used, but, because of low time resolution (>5 ns), several different configurations of VISAR interferometry were subsequently used. Early work was done with VISARs with a time resolution of about 3 ns. By making changes to the recording system, we were able to improve this to {approx}1more » ns. Profiles measured at the NM/PMMA interface agree with the ZND theory, in that a spike ({approx}2.45 mm/{micro}s) is measured that is consistent with an extrapolated reactant NM Hugoniot matched to the PMMA window. The spike is rather sharp, followed by a rapid drop in particle velocity over a time of 5 to 10 ns; this is evidence of early fast reactions. Over about 50 ns, a much slower particle velocity decrease occurs to the assumed CJ condition - indicating a total reaction zone length of {approx}300 {micro}m. When the NM is chemically changed, such as replacing the hydrogen atoms with deuterium or chemically sensitizing with a base, some changes are observed in the early part of the reaction zone.« less

Exploring the contributions of the supplementary eye field to subliminal inhibition using double-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation.

PubMed

Chiau, Hui-Yan; Muggleton, Neil G; Juan, Chi-Hung

2017-01-01

It is widely accepted that the supplementary eye fields (SEF) are involved in the control of voluntary eye movements. However, recent evidence suggests that SEF may also be important for unconscious and involuntary motor processes. Indeed, Sumner et al. ([2007]: Neuron 54:697-711) showed that patients with micro-lesions of the SEF demonstrated an absence of subliminal inhibition as evoked by masked-prime stimuli. Here, we used double-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in healthy volunteers to investigate the role of SEF in subliminal priming. We applied double-pulse TMS at two time windows in a masked-prime task: the first during an early phase, 20-70 ms after the onset of the mask but before target presentation, during which subliminal inhibition is present; and the second during a late phase, 20-70 ms after target onset, during which the saccade is being prepared. We found no effect of TMS with the early time window of stimulation, whereas a reduction in the benefit of an incompatible subliminal prime stimulus was found when SEF TMS was applied at the late time window. These findings suggest that there is a role for SEF related to the effects of subliminal primes on eye movements, but the results do not support a role in inhibiting the primed tendency. Hum Brain Mapp 38:339-351, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Human umbilical-cord-blood mononucleated cells enhance the survival of lethally irradiated mice: dosage and the window of time.

PubMed

Kovalenko, Olga A; Azzam, Edouard I; Ende, Norman

2013-11-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the window of time and dose of human umbilical-cord-blood (HUCB) mononucleated cells necessary for successful treatment of radiation injury in mice. Female A/J mice (27-30 weeks old) were exposed to an absorbed dose of 9-10 Gy of (137)Cs γ-rays delivered acutely to the whole body. They were treated either with 1 × 10(8) or 2 × 10(8) HUCB mononucleated cells at 24-52 h after the irradiation. The antibiotic Levaquin was applied 4 h postirradiation. The increased dose of cord-blood cells resulted in enhanced survival. The enhancement of survival in animals that received 2 × 10(8) HUCB mononucleated cells relative to irradiated but untreated animals was highly significant (P < 0.01). Compared with earlier studies, the increased dose of HUCB mononucleated cells, coupled with early use of an antibiotic, extended the window of time for effective treatment of severe radiation injury from 4 to 24-52 h after exposure.

Early life exposure to traffic-related air pollution and allergic rhinitis in preschool children.

PubMed

Deng, Qihong; Lu, Chan; Yu, Yichen; Li, Yuguo; Sundell, Jan; Norbäck, Dan

2016-12-01

Evidence linking long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution with allergic rhinitis (AR) in children is scare, and the role of components of air pollution and timing of exposure remains unclear. To assess the association of pre- and post-natal exposure to air pollution with life-time prevalence of AR in preschool children. We conducted a cohort study of 2598 children aged 3-6 years in Changsha, China. The lifetime prevalence of AR was assessed by a questionnaire administered by parents. Children's exposures to dioxide nitrogen (NO 2 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM 10 ) during different pre- and post-natal timing windows were estimated using the measured concentrations at monitoring stations. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of childhood AR for exposure to different air pollutants during different timing windows were assessed by logistic regression model in terms of an interquartile range (IQR) increase in exposure level. Life-time prevalence of AR in preschool children (7.3%) was associated with both pre- and post-natal exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), but only significant during the third trimester of pregnancy with adjusted OR = 1.40 (95% CI: 1.08-1.82) for a 15 μg/m 3 increase in NO 2 and during the first-year of life with adjusted OR = 1.36 (95% CI: 1.03-1.78) and 1.54 (95% CI: 1.07-2.21) respectively for 11 and 12 μg/m 3 increase in NO 2 and PM 10 . The association of early life exposure to TRAP with childhood AR was robust by adjusting for other air pollutants and timing windows. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the association was higher in the children who are male, young, with genetic predisposition by parental atopy, and living in damp houses. Early life exposure to traffic-related air pollutant during pregnancy and first-year of life may contribute to childhood AR. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early-Time Symmetry Tuning in the Presence of Cross-Beam Energy Transfer in ICF Experiments on the National Ignition Facility

DOE PAGES

Dewald, E. L.; Milovich, J. L.; Michel, P.; ...

2013-12-01

At the National Ignition Facility (NIF) we have successfully tuned the early time (~2 ns) lowest order Legendre mode (P 2) of the incoming radiation drive asymmetry of indirectly driven ignition capsule implosions by varying the inner power cone fraction. The measured P 2/P 0 sensitivity vs come fraction is similar to calculations, but a significant -15 to -20% P 2/P 0 offset was observed. This can be explained by a considerable early time laser energy transfer from the outer to the inner beams during the laser burn-through of the Laser Entrance Hole (LEH) windows and hohlraum fill gas whenmore » the LEH plasma is still dense and relatively cold.« less

Ozone and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in Florida: Identifying critical windows of exposure.

PubMed

Hu, Hui; Ha, Sandie; Xu, Xiaohui

2017-02-01

Ozone (O 3 ) has been linked to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). However, inconsistent results have been reported, and no study has examined the critical exposure windows during pregnancy. We used Florida birth vital statistics records to investigate the association between HDP and O 3 exposure among 655,529 pregnancies with conception dates between 2005 and 2007. Individual O 3 exposure was assessed at mothers' home address at the time of delivery using the Hierarchical Bayesian space-time statistical model. We examined the association during three predefined exposure windows including trimester 1, trimester 2, and trimesters 1&2, as well as in each week of the first two trimesters using distributed lag models. Pregnancies with HDP had a higher mean exposure to O 3 (39.07 in trimester 1, 39.02 in trimester 2, and 39.06 in trimesters 1&2, unit: ppb) than those without HDP (38.65 in trimester 1, 38.57 in trimester 2, and 38.61 in trimesters 1&2, unit: ppb). In the adjusted logistic regression model, increased odds of HDP were observed for each 5 ppb increase in O 3 (OR Trimester1 =1.04, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.06; OR Trimester2 =1.03, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.04; OR Trimester1&2 =1.07, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.08). In the distributed lag models, elevated odds of HDP were observed with increased O 3 exposure during the 1st to 24th weeks of gestation, with higher odds during early pregnancy. O 3 exposure during pregnancy is related to increased odds of HDP, and early pregnancy appears to be a potentially critical window of exposure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ADGS-2100 Adaptive Display and Guidance System Window Manager Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whalen, Mike W.; Innis, John D.; Miller, Steven P.; Wagner, Lucas G.

2006-01-01

Recent advances in modeling languages have made it feasible to formally specify and analyze the behavior of large system components. Synchronous data flow languages, such as Lustre, SCR, and RSML-e are particularly well suited to this task, and commercial versions of these tools such as SCADE and Simulink are growing in popularity among designers of safety critical systems, largely due to their ability to automatically generate code from the models. At the same time, advances in formal analysis tools have made it practical to formally verify important properties of these models to ensure that design defects are identified and corrected early in the lifecycle. This report describes how these tools have been applied to the ADGS-2100 Adaptive Display and Guidance Window Manager being developed by Rockwell Collins Inc. This work demonstrates how formal methods can be easily and cost-efficiently used to remove defects early in the design cycle.

Detection of Early Ischemic Changes in Noncontrast CT Head Improved with "Stroke Windows".

PubMed

Mainali, Shraddha; Wahba, Mervat; Elijovich, Lucas

2014-01-01

Introduction. Noncontrast head CT (NCCT) is the standard radiologic test for patients presenting with acute stroke. Early ischemic changes (EIC) are often overlooked on initial NCCT. We determine the sensitivity and specificity of improved EIC detection by a standardized method of image evaluation (Stroke Windows). Methods. We performed a retrospective chart review to identify patients with acute ischemic stroke who had NCCT at presentation. EIC was defined by the presence of hyperdense MCA/basilar artery sign; sulcal effacement; basal ganglia/subcortical hypodensity; and loss of cortical gray-white differentiation. NCCT was reviewed with standard window settings and with specialized Stroke Windows. Results. Fifty patients (42% females, 58% males) with a mean NIHSS of 13.4 were identified. EIC was detected in 9 patients with standard windows, while EIC was detected using Stroke Windows in 35 patients (18% versus 70%; P < 0.0001). Hyperdense MCA sign was the most commonly reported EIC; it was better detected with Stroke Windows (14% and 36%; P < 0.0198). Detection of the remaining EIC also improved with Stroke Windows (6% and 46%; P < 0.0001). Conclusions. Detection of EIC has important implications in diagnosis and treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Utilization of Stroke Windows significantly improved detection of EIC.

Position- and Hippo signaling-dependent plasticity during lineage segregation in the early mouse embryo

PubMed Central

Posfai, Eszter; Petropoulos, Sophie; de Barros, Flavia Regina Oliveira; Schell, John Paul; Jurisica, Igor; Sandberg, Rickard; Lanner, Fredrik; Rossant, Janet

2017-01-01

The segregation of the trophectoderm (TE) from the inner cell mass (ICM) in the mouse blastocyst is determined by position-dependent Hippo signaling. However, the window of responsiveness to Hippo signaling, the exact timing of lineage commitment and the overall relationship between cell commitment and global gene expression changes are still unclear. Single-cell RNA sequencing during lineage segregation revealed that the TE transcriptional profile stabilizes earlier than the ICM and prior to blastocyst formation. Using quantitative Cdx2-eGFP expression as a readout of Hippo signaling activity, we assessed the experimental potential of individual blastomeres based on their level of Cdx2-eGFP expression and correlated potential with gene expression dynamics. We find that TE specification and commitment coincide and occur at the time of transcriptional stabilization, whereas ICM cells still retain the ability to regenerate TE up to the early blastocyst stage. Plasticity of both lineages is coincident with their window of sensitivity to Hippo signaling. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22906.001 PMID:28226240

Implicit and explicit categorization of natural scenes.

PubMed

Codispoti, Maurizio; Ferrari, Vera; De Cesarei, Andrea; Cardinale, Rossella

2006-01-01

Event-related potential (ERP) studies have consistently found that emotionally arousing (pleasant and unpleasant) pictures elicit a larger late positive potential (LPP) than neutral pictures in a window from 400 to 800 ms after picture onset. In addition, an early ERP component has been reported to vary with emotional arousal in a window from about 150 to 300 ms with affective, compared to neutral stimuli, prompting significantly less positivity over occipito-temporal sites. Similar early and late ERP components have been found in explicit categorization tasks, suggesting that selective attention to target features results in similar cortical changes. Several studies have shown that the affective modulation of the LPP persisted even when the same pictures are repeated several times, when they are presented as distractors, or when participants are engaged in a competing task. These results indicate that categorization of affective stimuli is an obligatory process. On the other hand, perceptual factors (e.g., stimulus size) seem to affect the early ERP component but not the affective modulation of the LPP. Although early and late ERP components vary with stimulus relevance, given that they are differentially affected by stimulus and task manipulations, they appear to index different facets of picture processing.

Visual awareness suppression by pre-stimulus brain stimulation; a neural effect.

PubMed

Jacobs, Christianne; Goebel, Rainer; Sack, Alexander T

2012-01-02

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has established the functional relevance of early visual cortex (EVC) for visual awareness with great temporal specificity non-invasively in conscious human volunteers. Many studies have found a suppressive effect when TMS was applied over EVC 80-100 ms after the onset of the visual stimulus (post-stimulus TMS time window). Yet, few studies found task performance to also suffer when TMS was applied even before visual stimulus presentation (pre-stimulus TMS time window). This pre-stimulus TMS effect, however, remains controversially debated and its origin had mainly been ascribed to TMS-induced eye-blinking artifacts. Here, we applied chronometric TMS over EVC during the execution of a visual discrimination task, covering an exhaustive range of visual stimulus-locked TMS time windows ranging from -80 pre-stimulus to 300 ms post-stimulus onset. Electrooculographical (EoG) recordings, sham TMS stimulation, and vertex TMS stimulation controlled for different types of non-neural TMS effects. Our findings clearly reveal TMS-induced masking effects for both pre- and post-stimulus time windows, and for both objective visual discrimination performance and subjective visibility. Importantly, all effects proved to be still present after post hoc removal of eye blink trials, suggesting a neural origin for the pre-stimulus TMS suppression effect on visual awareness. We speculate based on our data that TMS exerts its pre-stimulus effect via generation of a neural state which interacts with subsequent visual input. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

LIF inhibits osteoblast differentiation at least in part by regulation of HAS2 and its product hyaluronan.

PubMed

Falconi, Dominic; Aubin, Jane E

2007-08-01

LIF arrests osteogenesis in fetal rat calvaria cells in a differentiation stage-specific manner. Differential display identified HAS2 as a LIF-induced gene and its product, HA, modulated osteoblast differentiation similarly to LIF. Our data suggest that LIF arrests osteoblast differentiation by altering HA content of the extracellular matrix. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) elicits both anabolic and catabolic effects on bone. We previously showed in the fetal rat calvaria (RC) cell system that LIF inhibits osteoblast differentiation at the late osteoprogenitor/early osteoblast stage. To uncover potential molecular mediators of this inhibitory activity, we used a positive-negative genome-wide differential display screen to identify LIF-induced changes in the developing osteoblast transcriptome. Although LIF signaling is active throughout the RC cell proliferation-differentiation sequence, only a relatively small number of genes, in several different functional clusters, are modulated by LIF specifically during the LIF-sensitive inhibitory time window. Based on their known and predicted functions, most of the LIF-regulated genes identified are plausible candidates to be involved in the LIF-induced arrest of osteoprogenitor differentiation. To test this hypothesis, we further analyzed the function of one of the genes identified, hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2), in the LIF-induced inhibition. Synthesis of hyaluronan (HA), the product of HAS enzymatic activity, was stimulated by LIF and mimicked the HAS2 expression profile, with highest expression in early/proliferative and late/maturing cultures and lowest levels in intermediate/late osteoprogenitor-early osteoblast cultures. Exogenously added high molecular weight HA, the product of HAS2, dose-dependently inhibited osteoblast differentiation, with pulse-treatment effective in the same differentiation stage-specific inhibitory window as seen with LIF. In addition, however, pulse treatment with HA in early cultures slightly increased bone nodule formation. Treatment with hyaluronidase, on the other hand, stimulated bone nodule formation in early cultures but caused a small dose-dependent inhibition of osteoblast differentiation in the LIF- and HA-sensitive late time window. Together the data suggest that osteoblast differentiation is acutely sensitive to HA levels and that LIF inhibits osteoblast development at least in part by stimulating high molecular weight HA synthesis through HAS2.

Early Detection of Human Focal Seizures Based on Cortical Multiunit Activity

PubMed Central

Park, Yun S.; Hochberg, Leigh R.; Eskandar, Emad N.; Cash, Sydney S.; Truccolo, Wilson

2014-01-01

Approximately 50 million people in the world suffer from epileptic seizures. Reliable early seizure detection could bring significantly beneficial therapeutic alternatives. In recent decades, most approaches have relied on scalp EEG and intracranial EEG signals, but practical early detection for closed-loop seizure control remains challenging. In this study, we present preliminary analyses of an early detection approach based on intracortical neuronal multiunit activity (MUA) recorded from a 96-microelectrode array (MEA). The approach consists of (1) MUA detection from broadband field potentials recorded at 30 kHz by the MEA; (2) MUA feature extraction; (3) cost-sensitive support vector machine classification of ictal and interictal samples; and (4) Kalman-filtering postprocessing. MUA was here defined as the number of threshold crossing (spike counts) applied to the 300 Hz – 6 kHz bandpass filtered local field potentials in 0.1 sec time windows. MUA features explored in this study included the mean, variance, and Fano-factor, computed across the MEA channels. In addition, we used the leading eigenvalues of MUA spatial and temporal correlation matrices computed in 1-sec moving time windows. We assessed the seizure detection approach on out-of-sample data from one-participant recordings with six seizure events and 4.73-hour interictal data. The proposed MUA-based detection approach yielded a 100% sensitivity (6/6) and no false positives, and a latency of 4.17 ± 2.27 sec (mean ± SD) with respect to ECoG-identified seizure onsets. These preliminary results indicate intracortical MUA may be a useful signal for early detection of human epileptic seizures. PMID:25571313

Timing of target discrimination in human frontal eye fields.

PubMed

O'Shea, Jacinta; Muggleton, Neil G; Cowey, Alan; Walsh, Vincent

2004-01-01

Frontal eye field (FEF) neurons discharge in response to behaviorally relevant stimuli that are potential targets for saccades. Distinct visual and motor processes have been dissociated in the FEF of macaque monkeys, but little is known about the visual processing capacity of FEF in humans. We used double-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation [(d)TMS] to investigate the timing of target discrimination during visual conjunction search. We applied dual TMS pulses separated by 40 msec over the right FEF and vertex. These were applied in five timing conditions to sample separate time windows within the first 200 msec of visual processing. (d)TMS impaired search performance, reflected in reduced d' scores. This effect was limited to a time window between 40 and 80 msec after search array onset. These parameters correspond with single-cell activity in FEF that predicts monkeys' behavioral reports on hit, miss, false alarm, and correct rejection trials. Our findings demonstrate a crucial early role for human FEF in visual target discrimination that is independent of saccade programming.

Phenology-based, remote sensing of post-burn disturbance windows in rangelands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sankeya, Joel B.; Wallace, Cynthia S.A.; Ravi, Sujith

2013-01-01

Wildland fire activity has increased in many parts of the world in recent decades. Ecological disturbance by fire can accelerate ecosystem degradation processes such as erosion due to combustion of vegetation that otherwise provides protective cover to the soil surface. This study employed a novel ecological indicator based on remote sensing of vegetation greenness dynamics (phenology) to estimate variability in the window of time between fire and the reemergence of green vegetation. The indicator was applied as a proxy for short-term, post-fire disturbance windows in rangelands; where a disturbance window is defined as the time required for an ecological or geomorphic process that is altered to return to pre-disturbance levels. We examined variability in the indicator determined for time series of MODIS and AVHRR NDVI remote sensing data for a database of ∼100 historical wildland fires, with associated post-fire reseeding treatments, that burned 1990–2003 in cold desert shrub steppe of the Great Basin and Columbia Plateau of the western USA. The indicator-based estimates of disturbance window length were examined relative to the day of the year that fires burned and seeding treatments to consider effects of contemporary variability in fire regime and management activities in this environment. A key finding was that contemporary changes of increased length of the annual fire season could have indirect effects on ecosystem degradation, as early season fires appeared to result in longer time that soils remained relatively bare of the protective cover of vegetation after fires. Also important was that reemergence of vegetation did not occur more quickly after fire in sites treated with post-fire seeding, which is a strategy commonly employed to accelerate post-fire vegetation recovery and stabilize soil. Future work with the indicator could examine other ecological factors that are dynamic in space and time following disturbance – such as nutrient cycling, carbon storage, microbial community composition, or soil hydrology – as a function of disturbance windows, possibly using simulation modeling and historical wildfire information.

Latitudinal and photic effects on diel foraging and predation risk in freshwater pelagic ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansen, Adam G.; Beauchamp, David A.

2014-01-01

1. Clark & Levy (American Naturalist, 131, 1988, 271–290) described an antipredation window for smaller planktivorous fish during crepuscular periods when light permits feeding on zooplankton, but limits visual detection by piscivores. Yet, how the window is influenced by the interaction between light regime, turbidity and cloud cover over a broad latitudinal gradi- ent remains unexplored. 2. We evaluated how latitudinal and seasonal shifts in diel light regimes alter the foraging- risk environment for visually feeding planktivores and piscivores across a natural range of turbidities and cloud covers. Pairing a model of aquatic visual feeding with a model of sun and moon illuminance, we estimated foraging rates of an idealized planktivore and piscivore over depth and time across factorial combinations of latitude (0–70°), turbidity (01–5 NTU) and cloud cover (clear to overcast skies) during the summer solstice and autumnal equinox. We evaluated the foraging-risk environment based on changes in the magnitude, duration and peak timing of the antipredation window. 3. The model scenarios generated up to 10-fold shifts in magnitude, 24-fold shifts in duration and 55-h shifts in timing of the peak antipredation window. The size of the window increased with latitude. This pattern was strongest during the solstice. In clear water at low turbidity (01–05 NTU), peaks in the magnitude and duration of the window formed at 57–60° latitude, before falling to near zero as surface waters became saturated with light under a midnight sun and clear skies at latitudes near 70°. Overcast dampened the midnight sun enough to allow larger windows to form in clear water at high latitudes. Conversely, at turbidities ≥2 NTU, greater reductions in the visual range of piscivores than planktivores created a window for long periods at high latitudes. Latitudinal dependencies were essentially lost during the equinox, indicating a progressive compression of the window from early summer into autumn. 4. Model results show that diel-seasonal foraging and predation risk in freshwater pelagic ecosystems changes considerably with latitude, turbidity and cloud cover. These changes alter the structure of pelagic predator–prey interactions, and in turn, the broader role of pelagic consumers in habitat coupling in lakes. 

Flexible nuclear medicine camera and method of using

DOEpatents

Dilmanian, F.A.; Packer, S.; Slatkin, D.N.

1996-12-10

A nuclear medicine camera and method of use photographically record radioactive decay particles emitted from a source, for example a small, previously undetectable breast cancer, inside a patient. The camera includes a flexible frame containing a window, a photographic film, and a scintillation screen, with or without a gamma-ray collimator. The frame flexes for following the contour of the examination site on the patient, with the window being disposed in substantially abutting contact with the skin of the patient for reducing the distance between the film and the radiation source inside the patient. The frame is removably affixed to the patient at the examination site for allowing the patient mobility to wear the frame for a predetermined exposure time period. The exposure time may be several days for obtaining early qualitative detection of small malignant neoplasms. 11 figs.

Cognitive performance under motor demands - On the influence of task difficulty and postural control.

PubMed

Liebherr, Magnus; Weiland-Breckle, Hanna; Grewe, Tanja; Schumacher, Petra B

2018-04-01

We often walk around when we have to think about something, but suddenly stop when we are confronted with a demanding cognitive task, such as calculating 1540*24. While previous neurophysiological research investigated cognitive and motor performance separately, findings that combine both are rare. To get a deeper understanding of the influence of motor demands as well as the difficulty of a simultaneously performed cognitive task, we investigated 20 healthy individuals. Participants performed two cognitive tasks with different levels of difficulty while sitting or standing on one leg. In addition to behavioral data, we recorded the electroencephalogram from 26Ag/AgCI scalp electrodes. The critical time-windows, predefined by visual inspection, yielded an early (200-300 ms, P2) and a subsequent positivity (350-500 ms, P3). Statistical analysis of the early time window registered a motor × cognition interaction. Resolution of this interaction revealed an effect of the cognitive task in the one-legged stance motor condition, with a more pronounced positivity for the difficult task. No significant differences between cognitive tasks emerged for the simple motor condition. The time-window between 350 and 500 ms registered main effects of the motor task and a trend for the cognitive task. While the influence of cognitive task difficulty (in the P3) is in accordance with previous studies, the motor task effect is specific to one-legged stance (cf. no effects for running in previous research). The motor-cognition interaction found in the P2 indicates that the more difficult motor task (one-legged stance) facilitates cognitive task performance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An accelerating precursor to predict "time-to-failure" in creep and volcanic eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Shengwang; Yang, Hang; Elsworth, Derek

2017-09-01

Real-time prediction by monitoring of the evolution of response variables is a central goal in predicting rock failure. A linear relation Ω˙Ω¨-1 = C(tf - t) has been developed to describe the time to failure, where Ω represents a response quantity, C is a constant and tf represents the failure time. Observations from laboratory creep failure experiments and precursors to volcanic eruptions are used to test the validity of the approach. Both cumulative and simple moving window techniques are developed to perform predictions and to illustrate the effects of data selection on the results. Laboratory creep failure experiments on granites show that the linear relation works well during the final approach to failure. For blind prediction, the simple moving window technique is preferred because it always uses the most recent data and excludes effects of early data deviating significantly from the predicted trend. When the predicted results show only small fluctuations, failure is imminent.

Intensive care window: real-time monitoring and analysis in the intensive care environment.

PubMed

Stylianides, Nikolas; Dikaiakos, Marios D; Gjermundrød, Harald; Panayi, George; Kyprianou, Theodoros

2011-01-01

This paper introduces a novel, open-source middleware framework for communication with medical devices and an application using the middleware named intensive care window (ICW). The middleware enables communication with intensive care unit bedside-installed medical devices over standard and proprietary communication protocol stacks. The ICW application facilitates the acquisition of vital signs and physiological parameters exported from patient-attached medical devices and sensors. Moreover, ICW provides runtime and post-analysis procedures for data annotation, data visualization, data query, and analysis. The ICW application can be deployed as a stand-alone solution or in conjunction with existing clinical information systems providing a holistic solution to inpatient medical condition monitoring, early diagnosis, and prognosis.

Face perception is tuned to horizontal orientation in the N170 time window.

PubMed

Jacques, Corentin; Schiltz, Christine; Goffaux, Valerie

2014-02-07

The specificity of face perception is thought to reside both in its dramatic vulnerability to picture-plane inversion and its strong reliance on horizontally oriented image content. Here we asked when in the visual processing stream face-specific perception is tuned to horizontal information. We measured the behavioral performance and scalp event-related potentials (ERP) when participants viewed upright and inverted images of faces and cars (and natural scenes) that were phase-randomized in a narrow orientation band centered either on vertical or horizontal orientation. For faces, the magnitude of the inversion effect (IE) on behavioral discrimination performance was significantly reduced for horizontally randomized compared to vertically or nonrandomized images, confirming the importance of horizontal information for the recruitment of face-specific processing. Inversion affected the processing of nonrandomized and vertically randomized faces early, in the N170 time window. In contrast, the magnitude of the N170 IE was much smaller for horizontally randomized faces. The present research indicates that the early face-specific neural representations are preferentially tuned to horizontal information and offers new perspectives for a description of the visual information feeding face-specific perception.

Song Perception by Professional Singers and Actors: An MEG Study

PubMed Central

Rosslau, Ken; Herholz, Sibylle C.; Knief, Arne; Ortmann, Magdalene; Deuster, Dirk; Schmidt, Claus-Michael; Zehnhoff-Dinnesen, Antoinetteam; Pantev, Christo; Dobel, Christian

2016-01-01

The cortical correlates of speech and music perception are essentially overlapping, and the specific effects of different types of training on these networks remain unknown. We compared two groups of vocally trained professionals for music and speech, singers and actors, using recited and sung rhyme sequences from German art songs with semantic and/ or prosodic/melodic violations (i.e. violations of pitch) of the last word, in order to measure the evoked activation in a magnetoencephalographic (MEG) experiment. MEG data confirmed the existence of intertwined networks for the sung and spoken modality in an early time window after word violation. In essence for this early response, higher activity was measured after melodic/prosodic than semantic violations in predominantly right temporal areas. For singers as well as for actors, modality-specific effects were evident in predominantly left-temporal lateralized activity after semantic expectancy violations in the spoken modality, and right-dominant temporal activity in response to melodic violations in the sung modality. As an indication of a special group-dependent audiation process, higher neuronal activity for singers appeared in a late time window in right temporal and left parietal areas, both after the recited and the sung sequences. PMID:26863437

Experience Gained From Launch and Early Orbit Support of the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fink, D. R.; Chapman, K. B.; Davis, W. S.; Hashmall, J. A.; Shulman, S. E.; Underwood, S. C.; Zsoldos, J. M.; Harman, R. R.

1996-01-01

this paper reports the results to date of early mission support provided by the personnel of the Goddard Space Flight Center Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) for the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) spacecraft. For this mission, the FDD supports onboard attitude determination and ephemeris propagation by supplying ground-based orbit and attitude solutions and calibration results. The first phase of that support was to provide launch window analyses. As the launch window was determined, acquisition attitudes were calculated and calibration slews were planned. postlaunch, these slews provided the basis for ground determined calibration. Ground determined calibration results are used to improve the accuracy of onboard solutions. The FDD is applying new calibration tools designed to facilitate use of the simultaneous, high-accuracy star observations from the two RXTE star trackers for ground attitude determination and calibration. An evaluation of the performance of these tools is presented. The FDD provides updates to the onboard star catalog based on preflight analysis and analysis of flight data. The in-flight results of the mission support in each area are summarized and compared with pre-mission expectations.

Changing ASD-ADHD symptom co-occurrence across the lifespan with adolescence as crucial time window: Illustrating the need to go beyond childhood.

PubMed

Hartman, Catharina A; Geurts, Hilde M; Franke, Barbara; Buitelaar, Jan K; Rommelse, Nanda N J

2016-12-01

Literature on the co-occurrence between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is strongly biased by a focus on childhood age. A review of the adolescent and adult literature was made on core and related symptoms of ADHD and ASD. In addition, an empirical approach was used including 17,173 ASD-ADHD symptom ratings from participants aged 0 to 84 years. Results indicate that ASD/ADHD constellations peak during adolescence and are lower in early childhood and old age. We hypothesize that on the border of the expected transition to independent adulthood, ASD and ADHD co-occur most because social adaptation and EF skills matter most. Lower correlations in childhood and older age may be due to more diffuse symptoms reflecting respectively still differentiating and de-differentiating EF functions. We plea for a strong research focus in adolescence which may -after early childhood- be a second crucial time window for catching-up pattern explaining more optimal outcomes. We discuss obstacles and oppportunities of a full lifespan approach into old age. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early Detection of Heart Failure Using Electronic Health Records: Practical Implications for Time Before Diagnosis, Data Diversity, Data Quantity, and Data Density.

PubMed

Ng, Kenney; Steinhubl, Steven R; deFilippi, Christopher; Dey, Sanjoy; Stewart, Walter F

2016-11-01

Using electronic health records data to predict events and onset of diseases is increasingly common. Relatively little is known, although, about the tradeoffs between data requirements and model utility. We examined the performance of machine learning models trained to detect prediagnostic heart failure in primary care patients using longitudinal electronic health records data. Model performance was assessed in relation to data requirements defined by the prediction window length (time before clinical diagnosis), the observation window length (duration of observation before prediction window), the number of different data domains (data diversity), the number of patient records in the training data set (data quantity), and the density of patient encounters (data density). A total of 1684 incident heart failure cases and 13 525 sex, age-category, and clinic matched controls were used for modeling. Model performance improved as (1) the prediction window length decreases, especially when <2 years; (2) the observation window length increases but then levels off after 2 years; (3) the training data set size increases but then levels off after 4000 patients; (4) more diverse data types are used, but, in order, the combination of diagnosis, medication order, and hospitalization data was most important; and (5) data were confined to patients who had ≥10 phone or face-to-face encounters in 2 years. These empirical findings suggest possible guidelines for the minimum amount and type of data needed to train effective disease onset predictive models using longitudinal electronic health records data. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Electrophysiological correlates of aesthetic processing of webpages: a comparison of experts and laypersons

PubMed Central

Hösker, Thomas M.; Hirschfeld, Gerrit; Thielsch, Meinald T.

2017-01-01

We investigated whether design experts or laypersons evaluate webpages differently. Twenty participants, 10 experts and 10 laypersons, judged the aesthetic value of a webpage in an EEG-experiment. Screenshots of 150 webpages, judged as aesthetic or as unaesthetic by another 136 participants, served as stimulus material. Behaviorally, experts and laypersons evaluated unaesthetic webpages similarly, but they differed in their evaluation of aesthetic ones: experts evaluated aesthetic webpages as unaesthetic more often than laypersons did. The ERP-data show main effects of level of expertise and of aesthetic value only. There was no interaction of expertise and aesthetics. In a time-window of 110–130 ms after stimulus onset, aesthetic webpages elicited a more negative EEG-amplitude than unaesthetic webpages. In the same time window, experts had more negative EEG-amplitudes than laypersons. This patterning of results continued until a time window of 600–800 ms in which group and aesthetic differences diminished. An interaction of perceiver characteristics and object properties that several interactionist theories postulate was absent in the EEG-data. Experts seem to process the stimuli in a more thorough manner than laypersons. The early activation differences between aesthetic and unaesthetic webpages is in contrast with some theories of aesthetic processing and has not been reported before. PMID:28603676

Electrophysiological correlates of aesthetic processing of webpages: a comparison of experts and laypersons.

PubMed

Bölte, Jens; Hösker, Thomas M; Hirschfeld, Gerrit; Thielsch, Meinald T

2017-01-01

We investigated whether design experts or laypersons evaluate webpages differently. Twenty participants, 10 experts and 10 laypersons, judged the aesthetic value of a webpage in an EEG-experiment. Screenshots of 150 webpages, judged as aesthetic or as unaesthetic by another 136 participants, served as stimulus material. Behaviorally, experts and laypersons evaluated unaesthetic webpages similarly, but they differed in their evaluation of aesthetic ones: experts evaluated aesthetic webpages as unaesthetic more often than laypersons did. The ERP-data show main effects of level of expertise and of aesthetic value only. There was no interaction of expertise and aesthetics. In a time-window of 110-130 ms after stimulus onset, aesthetic webpages elicited a more negative EEG-amplitude than unaesthetic webpages. In the same time window, experts had more negative EEG-amplitudes than laypersons. This patterning of results continued until a time window of 600-800 ms in which group and aesthetic differences diminished. An interaction of perceiver characteristics and object properties that several interactionist theories postulate was absent in the EEG-data. Experts seem to process the stimuli in a more thorough manner than laypersons. The early activation differences between aesthetic and unaesthetic webpages is in contrast with some theories of aesthetic processing and has not been reported before.

Critical time window for intra-arrest cooling with cold saline flush in a dog model of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

PubMed

Nozari, Ala; Safar, Peter; Stezoski, S William; Wu, Xianren; Kostelnik, Scott; Radovsky, Ann; Tisherman, Samuel; Kochanek, Patrick M

2006-06-13

Mild hypothermia improves outcome when induced after cardiac arrest in humans. Recent studies in both dogs and mice suggest that induction of mild hypothermia during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) greatly enhances its efficacy. In this study, we evaluate the time window for the beneficial effect of intra-arrest cooling in the setting of prolonged CPR in a clinically relevant large-animal model. Seventeen dogs had ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest no flow of 3 minutes, followed by 7 minutes of CPR basic life support and 50 minutes of advanced life support. In the early hypothermia group (n=9), mild hypothermia (34 degrees C) was induced with an intravenous fluid bolus flush and venovenous blood shunt cooling after 10 minutes of ventricular fibrillation. In the delayed hypothermia group (n=8), hypothermia was induced at ventricular fibrillation 20 minutes. After 60 minutes of ventricular fibrillation, restoration of spontaneous circulation was achieved with cardiopulmonary bypass for 4 hours, and intensive care was given for 96 hours. In the early hypothermia group, 7 of 9 dogs survived to 96 hours, 5 with good neurological outcome. In contrast, 7 of 8 dogs in the delayed hypothermia group died within 37 hours with multiple organ failure (P=0.012). Early application of mild hypothermia with cold saline during prolonged CPR enables intact survival. Delay in the induction of mild hypothermia in this setting markedly reduces its efficacy. Our data suggest that if mild hypothermia is used during CPR, it should be applied as early as possible.

Early Rehabilitation After Stroke: a Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Moudgal, Rohitha; Lang, Kathryn; Hyacinth, Hyacinth I.; Awosika, Oluwole O.; Kissela, Brett M.; Feng, Wuwei

2018-01-01

Purpose of Review Despite current rehabilitative strategies, stroke remains a leading cause of disability in the USA. There is a window of enhanced neuroplasticity early after stroke, during which the brain’s dynamic response to injury is heightened and rehabilitation might be particularly effective. This review summarizes the evidence of the existence of this plastic window, and the evidence regarding safety and efficacy of early rehabilitative strategies for several stroke domain-specific deficits. Recent Findings Overall, trials of rehabilitation in the first 2 weeks after stroke are scarce. In the realm of very early mobilization, one large and one small trial found potential harm from mobilizing patients within the first 24 h after stroke, and only one small trial found benefit in doing so. For the upper extremity, constraint-induced movement therapy appears to have benefit when started within 2 weeks of stroke. Evidence for non-invasive brain stimulation in the acute period remains scant and inconclusive. For aphasia, the evidence is mixed, but intensive early therapy might be of benefit for patients with severe aphasia. Mirror therapy begun early after stroke shows promise for the alleviation of neglect. Novel approaches to treating dysphagia early after stroke appear promising, but the high rate of spontaneous improvement makes their benefit difficult to gauge. Summary The optimal time to begin rehabilitation after a stroke remains unsettled, though the evidence is mounting that for at least some deficits, initiation of rehabilitative strategies within the first 2 weeks of stroke is beneficial. Commencing intensive therapy in the first 24 h may be harmful. PMID:29116473

Early Rehabilitation After Stroke: a Narrative Review.

PubMed

Coleman, Elisheva R; Moudgal, Rohitha; Lang, Kathryn; Hyacinth, Hyacinth I; Awosika, Oluwole O; Kissela, Brett M; Feng, Wuwei

2017-11-07

Despite current rehabilitative strategies, stroke remains a leading cause of disability in the USA. There is a window of enhanced neuroplasticity early after stroke, during which the brain's dynamic response to injury is heightened and rehabilitation might be particularly effective. This review summarizes the evidence of the existence of this plastic window, and the evidence regarding safety and efficacy of early rehabilitative strategies for several stroke domain-specific deficits. Overall, trials of rehabilitation in the first 2 weeks after stroke are scarce. In the realm of very early mobilization, one large and one small trial found potential harm from mobilizing patients within the first 24 h after stroke, and only one small trial found benefit in doing so. For the upper extremity, constraint-induced movement therapy appears to have benefit when started within 2 weeks of stroke. Evidence for non-invasive brain stimulation in the acute period remains scant and inconclusive. For aphasia, the evidence is mixed, but intensive early therapy might be of benefit for patients with severe aphasia. Mirror therapy begun early after stroke shows promise for the alleviation of neglect. Novel approaches to treating dysphagia early after stroke appear promising, but the high rate of spontaneous improvement makes their benefit difficult to gauge. The optimal time to begin rehabilitation after a stroke remains unsettled, though the evidence is mounting that for at least some deficits, initiation of rehabilitative strategies within the first 2 weeks of stroke is beneficial. Commencing intensive therapy in the first 24 h may be harmful.

Flexible nuclear medicine camera and method of using

DOEpatents

Dilmanian, F. Avraham; Packer, Samuel; Slatkin, Daniel N.

1996-12-10

A nuclear medicine camera 10 and method of use photographically record radioactive decay particles emitted from a source, for example a small, previously undetectable breast cancer, inside a patient. The camera 10 includes a flexible frame 20 containing a window 22, a photographic film 24, and a scintillation screen 26, with or without a gamma-ray collimator 34. The frame 20 flexes for following the contour of the examination site on the patient, with the window 22 being disposed in substantially abutting contact with the skin of the patient for reducing the distance between the film 24 and the radiation source inside the patient. The frame 20 is removably affixed to the patient at the examination site for allowing the patient mobility to wear the frame 20 for a predetermined exposure time period. The exposure time may be several days for obtaining early qualitative detection of small malignant neoplasms.

Systemic risk and hierarchical transitions of financial networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nobi, Ashadun; Lee, Jae Woo

2017-06-01

In this paper, the change in topological hierarchy, which is measured by the minimum spanning tree constructed from the cross-correlations between the stock indices from the S & P 500 for 1998-2012 in a one year moving time window, was used to analyze a financial crisis. The hierarchy increased in all minor crises in the observation time window except for the sharp crisis of 2007-2008 when the global financial crisis occurred. The sudden increase in hierarchy just before the global financial crisis can be used for the early detection of an upcoming crisis. Clearly, the higher the hierarchy, the higher the threats to financial stability. The scaling relations were developed to observe the changes in hierarchy with the network topology. These scaling relations can also identify and quantify the financial crisis periods, and appear to contain the predictive power of an upcoming crisis.

Systemic risk and hierarchical transitions of financial networks.

PubMed

Nobi, Ashadun; Lee, Jae Woo

2017-06-01

In this paper, the change in topological hierarchy, which is measured by the minimum spanning tree constructed from the cross-correlations between the stock indices from the S & P 500 for 1998-2012 in a one year moving time window, was used to analyze a financial crisis. The hierarchy increased in all minor crises in the observation time window except for the sharp crisis of 2007-2008 when the global financial crisis occurred. The sudden increase in hierarchy just before the global financial crisis can be used for the early detection of an upcoming crisis. Clearly, the higher the hierarchy, the higher the threats to financial stability. The scaling relations were developed to observe the changes in hierarchy with the network topology. These scaling relations can also identify and quantify the financial crisis periods, and appear to contain the predictive power of an upcoming crisis.

Adaptive variability in the duration of critical windows of plasticity: Implications for the programming of obesity.

PubMed

Wells, Jonathan C K

2014-08-05

Developmental plasticity underlies widespread associations between early-life exposures and many components of adult phenotype, including the risk of chronic diseases. Humans take almost two decades to reach reproductive maturity, and yet the 'critical windows' of physiological sensitivity that confer developmental plasticity tend to close during fetal life or infancy. While several explanations for lengthy human maturation have been offered, the brevity of physiological plasticity has received less attention. I argue that offspring plasticity is only viable within the niche of maternal care, and that as this protection is withdrawn, the offspring is obliged to canalize many developmental traits in order to minimize environmental disruptions. The schedule of maternal care may therefore shape the duration of critical windows, and since the duration of this care is subject to parent-offspring conflict, the resolution of this conflict may shape the duration of critical windows. This perspective may help understand (i) why windows close at different times for different traits, and (ii) why the duration of critical windows may vary across human populations. The issue is explored in relation to population differences in the association between infant weight gain and later body composition. The occupation of more stable environments by western populations may have favoured earlier closure of the critical window during which growth in lean mass is sensitive to nutritional intake. This may paradoxically have elevated the risk of obesity following rapid infant weight gain in such populations. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Foundation for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health.

The time course of episodic associative retrieval: electrophysiological correlates of cued recall of unimodal and crossmodal pair-associate learning.

PubMed

Tibon, Roni; Levy, Daniel A

2014-03-01

Little is known about the time course of processes supporting episodic cued recall. To examine these processes, we recorded event-related scalp electrical potentials during episodic cued recall following pair-associate learning of unimodal object-picture pairs and crossmodal object-picture and sound pairs. Successful cued recall of unimodal associates was characterized by markedly early scalp potential differences over frontal areas, while cued recall of both unimodal and crossmodal associates were reflected by subsequent differences recorded over frontal and parietal areas. Notably, unimodal cued recall success divergences over frontal areas were apparent in a time window generally assumed to reflect the operation of familiarity but not recollection processes, raising the possibility that retrieval success effects in that temporal window may reflect additional mnemonic processes beyond familiarity. Furthermore, parietal scalp potential recall success differences, which did not distinguish between crossmodal and unimodal tasks, seemingly support attentional or buffer accounts of posterior parietal mnemonic function but appear to constrain signal accumulation, expectation, or representational accounts.

Landslide early warning based on failure forecast models: the example of the Mt. de La Saxe rockslide, northern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manconi, A.; Giordan, D.

2015-07-01

We apply failure forecast models by exploiting near-real-time monitoring data for the La Saxe rockslide, a large unstable slope threatening Aosta Valley in northern Italy. Starting from the inverse velocity theory, we analyze landslide surface displacements automatically and in near real time on different temporal windows and apply straightforward statistical methods to obtain confidence intervals on the estimated time of failure. Here, we present the result obtained for the La Saxe rockslide, a large unstable slope located in Aosta Valley, northern Italy. Based on this case study, we identify operational thresholds that are established on the reliability of the forecast models. Our approach is aimed at supporting the management of early warning systems in the most critical phases of the landslide emergency.

Prevalence of Imaging Biomarkers to Guide the Planning of Acute Stroke Reperfusion Trials.

PubMed

Jiang, Bin; Ball, Robyn L; Michel, Patrik; Jovin, Tudor; Desai, Manisha; Eskandari, Ashraf; Naqvi, Zack; Wintermark, Max

2017-06-01

Imaging biomarkers are increasingly used as selection criteria for stroke clinical trials. The goal of our study was to determine the prevalence of commonly studied imaging biomarkers in different time windows after acute ischemic stroke onset to better facilitate the design of stroke clinical trials using such biomarkers for patient selection. This retrospective study included 612 patients admitted with a clinical suspicion of acute ischemic stroke with symptom onset no more than 24 hours before completing baseline imaging. Patients with subacute/chronic/remote infarcts and hemorrhage were excluded from this study. Imaging biomarkers were extracted from baseline imaging, which included a noncontrast head computed tomography (CT), perfusion CT, and CT angiography. The prevalence of dichotomized versions of each of the imaging biomarkers in several time windows (time since symptom onset) was assessed and statistically modeled to assess time dependence (not lack thereof). We created tables showing the prevalence of the imaging biomarkers pertaining to the core, the penumbra and the arterial occlusion for different time windows. All continuous imaging features vary over time. The dichotomized imaging features that vary significantly over time include: noncontrast head computed tomography Alberta Stroke Program Early CT (ASPECT) score and dense artery sign, perfusion CT infarct volume, and CT angiography collateral score and visible clot. The dichotomized imaging features that did not vary significantly over time include the thresholded perfusion CT penumbra volumes. As part of the feasibility analysis in stroke clinical trials, this analysis and the resulting tables can help investigators determine sample size and the number needed to screen. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Adaptive variability in the duration of critical windows of plasticity

PubMed Central

Wells, Jonathan C. K.

2014-01-01

Developmental plasticity underlies widespread associations between early-life exposures and many components of adult phenotype, including the risk of chronic diseases. Humans take almost two decades to reach reproductive maturity, and yet the ‘critical windows’ of physiological sensitivity that confer developmental plasticity tend to close during fetal life or infancy. While several explanations for lengthy human maturation have been offered, the brevity of physiological plasticity has received less attention. I argue that offspring plasticity is only viable within the niche of maternal care, and that as this protection is withdrawn, the offspring is obliged to canalize many developmental traits in order to minimize environmental disruptions. The schedule of maternal care may therefore shape the duration of critical windows, and since the duration of this care is subject to parent–offspring conflict, the resolution of this conflict may shape the duration of critical windows. This perspective may help understand (i) why windows close at different times for different traits, and (ii) why the duration of critical windows may vary across human populations. The issue is explored in relation to population differences in the association between infant weight gain and later body composition. The occupation of more stable environments by western populations may have favoured earlier closure of the critical window during which growth in lean mass is sensitive to nutritional intake. This may paradoxically have elevated the risk of obesity following rapid infant weight gain in such populations. PMID:25095791

Constraining Nonperturbative Strong-Field Effects in Scalar-Tensor Gravity by Combining Pulsar Timing and Laser-Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Lijing; Sennett, Noah; Buonanno, Alessandra; Kramer, Michael; Wex, Norbert

2017-10-01

Pulsar timing and laser-interferometer gravitational-wave (GW) detectors are superb laboratories to study gravity theories in the strong-field regime. Here, we combine these tools to test the mono-scalar-tensor theory of Damour and Esposito-Farèse (DEF), which predicts nonperturbative scalarization phenomena for neutron stars (NSs). First, applying Markov-chain Monte Carlo techniques, we use the absence of dipolar radiation in the pulsar-timing observations of five binary systems composed of a NS and a white dwarf, and eleven equations of state (EOSs) for NSs, to derive the most stringent constraints on the two free parameters of the DEF scalar-tensor theory. Since the binary-pulsar bounds depend on the NS mass and the EOS, we find that current pulsar-timing observations leave scalarization windows, i.e., regions of parameter space where scalarization can still be prominent. Then, we investigate if these scalarization windows could be closed and if pulsar-timing constraints could be improved by laser-interferometer GW detectors, when spontaneous (or dynamical) scalarization sets in during the early (or late) stages of a binary NS (BNS) evolution. For the early inspiral of a BNS carrying constant scalar charge, we employ a Fisher-matrix analysis to show that Advanced LIGO can improve pulsar-timing constraints for some EOSs, and next-generation detectors, such as the Cosmic Explorer and Einstein Telescope, will be able to improve those bounds for all eleven EOSs. Using the late inspiral of a BNS, we estimate that for some of the EOSs under consideration, the onset of dynamical scalarization can happen early enough to improve the constraints on the DEF parameters obtained by combining the five binary pulsars. Thus, in the near future, the complementarity of pulsar timing and direct observations of GWs on the ground will be extremely valuable in probing gravity theories in the strong-field regime.

Landslide early warning based on failure forecast models: the example of Mt. de La Saxe rockslide, northern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manconi, A.; Giordan, D.

2015-02-01

We investigate the use of landslide failure forecast models by exploiting near-real-time monitoring data. Starting from the inverse velocity theory, we analyze landslide surface displacements on different temporal windows, and apply straightforward statistical methods to obtain confidence intervals on the estimated time of failure. Here we describe the main concepts of our method, and show an example of application to a real emergency scenario, the La Saxe rockslide, Aosta Valley region, northern Italy. Based on the herein presented case study, we identify operational thresholds based on the reliability of the forecast models, in order to support the management of early warning systems in the most critical phases of the landslide emergency.

Combining Temporal and Spectral Information with Spatial Mapping to Identify Differences between Phonological and Semantic Networks: A Magnetoencephalographic Approach.

PubMed

McNab, Fiona; Hillebrand, Arjan; Swithenby, Stephen J; Rippon, Gina

2012-01-01

Early, lesion-based models of language processing suggested that semantic and phonological processes are associated with distinct temporal and parietal regions respectively, with frontal areas more indirectly involved. Contemporary spatial brain mapping techniques have not supported such clear-cut segregation, with strong evidence of activation in left temporal areas by both processes and disputed evidence of involvement of frontal areas in both processes. We suggest that combining spatial information with temporal and spectral data may allow a closer scrutiny of the differential involvement of closely overlapping cortical areas in language processing. Using beamforming techniques to analyze magnetoencephalography data, we localized the neuronal substrates underlying primed responses to nouns requiring either phonological or semantic processing, and examined the associated measures of time and frequency in those areas where activation was common to both tasks. Power changes in the beta (14-30 Hz) and gamma (30-50 Hz) frequency bands were analyzed in pre-selected time windows of 350-550 and 500-700 ms In left temporal regions, both tasks elicited power changes in the same time window (350-550 ms), but with different spectral characteristics, low beta (14-20 Hz) for the phonological task and high beta (20-30 Hz) for the semantic task. In frontal areas (BA10), both tasks elicited power changes in the gamma band (30-50 Hz), but in different time windows, 500-700 ms for the phonological task and 350-550 ms for the semantic task. In the left inferior parietal area (BA40), both tasks elicited changes in the 20-30 Hz beta frequency band but in different time windows, 350-550 ms for the phonological task and 500-700 ms for the semantic task. Our findings suggest that, where spatial measures may indicate overlapping areas of involvement, additional beamforming techniques can demonstrate differential activation in time and frequency domains.

An epidemiological assessment of the effect of ambient temperature on the incidence of preterm births: Identifying windows of susceptibility during pregnancy.

PubMed

Zheng, Xiangrong; Zhang, Weishe; Lu, Chan; Norbäck, Dan; Deng, Qihong

2018-05-01

It is well known that exposure to thermal stress during pregnancy can lead to an increased incidence of premature births. However, there is little known regarding window(s) of susceptibility during the course of a pregnancy. We attempted to identify possible windows of susceptibility in a cohort study of 3604 children in Changsha with a hot-summer and cold winter climatic characteristics. We examined the association between PTB and ambient temperature during different timing windows of pregnancy: conception month, three trimesters, birth month and entire pregnancy. We found a U-shaped relation between the prevalence of PTB and mean ambient temperature during pregnancy. Both high and low temperatures were associated with PTB risk, adjusted OR (95% CI) respectively 2.57 (1.98-3.33) and 2.39 (1.93-2.95) for 0.5 °C increase in high temperature range (>18.2°C) and 0.5°C decrease in low temperature range (< 18.2°C). Specifically, PTB was significantly associated with ambient temperature and extreme heat/cold days during conception month and the third trimester. Sensitivity analysis indicated that female fetus were more susceptible to the risk of ambient temperature. Our study indicates that the risk of preterm birth due to high or low temperature may exist early during the conception month. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Robust Timing Synchronization in Aeronautical Mobile Communication Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xiong, Fu-Qin; Pinchak, Stanley

2004-01-01

This work details a study of robust synchronization schemes suitable for satellite to mobile aeronautical applications. A new scheme, the Modified Sliding Window Synchronizer (MSWS), is devised and compared with existing schemes, including the traditional Early-Late Gate Synchronizer (ELGS), the Gardner Zero-Crossing Detector (GZCD), and the Sliding Window Synchronizer (SWS). Performance of the synchronization schemes is evaluated by a set of metrics that indicate performance in digital communications systems. The metrics are convergence time, mean square phase error (or root mean-square phase error), lowest SNR for locking, initial frequency offset performance, midstream frequency offset performance, and system complexity. The performance of the synchronizers is evaluated by means of Matlab simulation models. A simulation platform is devised to model the satellite to mobile aeronautical channel, consisting of a Quadrature Phase Shift Keying modulator, an additive white Gaussian noise channel, and a demodulator front end. Simulation results show that the MSWS provides the most robust performance at the cost of system complexity. The GZCD provides a good tradeoff between robustness and system complexity for communication systems that require high symbol rates or low overall system costs. The ELGS has a high system complexity despite its average performance. Overall, the SWS, originally designed for multi-carrier systems, performs very poorly in single-carrier communications systems. Table 5.1 in Section 5 provides a ranking of each of the synchronization schemes in terms of the metrics set forth in Section 4.1. Details of comparison are given in Section 5. Based on the results presented in Table 5, it is safe to say that the most robust synchronization scheme examined in this work is the high-sample-rate Modified Sliding Window Synchronizer. A close second is its low-sample-rate cousin. The tradeoff between complexity and lowest mean-square phase error determines the rankings of the Gardner Zero-Crossing Detector and both versions of the Early-Late Gate Synchronizer. The least robust models are the high and low-sample-rate Sliding Window Synchronizers. Consequently, the recommended replacement synchronizer for NASA's Advanced Air Transportation Technologies mobile aeronautical communications system is the high-sample-rate Modified Sliding Window Synchronizer. By incorporating this synchronizer into their system, NASA can be assured that their system will be operational in extremely adverse conditions. The quick convergence time of the MSWS should allow the use of high-level protocols. However, if NASA feels that reduced system complexity is the most important aspect of their replacement synchronizer, the Gardner Zero-Crossing Detector would be the best choice.

Uncovering neurodevelopmental windows of susceptibility to manganese exposure using dentine microspatial analyses.

PubMed

Claus Henn, Birgit; Austin, Christine; Coull, Brent A; Schnaas, Lourdes; Gennings, Chris; Horton, Megan K; Hernández-Ávila, Mauricio; Hu, Howard; Téllez-Rojo, Martha Maria; Wright, Robert O; Arora, Manish

2018-02-01

Associations between manganese (Mn) and neurodevelopment may depend on dose and exposure timing, but most studies cannot measure exposure variability over time well. We apply temporally informative tooth-matrix biomarkers to uncover windows of susceptibility in early life when Mn is associated with visual motor ability in childhood. We also explore effect modification by lead (Pb) and child sex. Participants were drawn from the ELEMENT (Early Life Exposures in MExico and NeuroToxicology) longitudinal birth cohort studies. We reconstructed dose and timing of prenatal and early postnatal Mn and Pb exposures for 138 children by analyzing deciduous teeth using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Neurodevelopment was assessed between 6 and 16 years of age using the Wide Range Assessment of Visual Motor Abilities (WRAVMA). Mn associations with total WRAVMA scores and subscales were estimated with multivariable generalized additive mixed models. We examined Mn interactions with Pb and child sex in stratified models. Levels of dentine Mn were highest in the second trimester and declined steeply over the prenatal period, with a slower rate of decline after birth. Mn was positively associated with visual spatial and total WRAVMA scores in the second trimester, among children with lower (< median) tooth Pb levels: one standard deviation (SD) increase in ln-transformed dentine Mn at 150 days before birth was associated with a 0.15 [95% CI: 0.04, 0.26] SD increase in total score. This positive association was not observed at high Pb levels. In contrast to the prenatal period, significant negative associations were found in the postnatal period from ~ 6 to 12 months of age, among boys only: one SD increase in ln-transformed dentine Mn was associated with a 0.11 [95% CI: - 0.001, - 0.22] to 0.16 [95% CI: - 0.04, - 0.28] SD decrease in visual spatial score. Using tooth-matrix biomarkers with fine scale temporal profiles of exposure, we found discrete developmental windows in which Mn was associated with visual-spatial abilities. Our results suggest that Mn associations are driven in large part by exposure timing, with beneficial effects found for prenatal levels and toxic effects found for postnatal levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

COTD: Reference-free Hardware Trojan Detection in Gate-level Netlist

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

modern designs , the constraint of time- to-market window, and the cost restriction of final product highly drive the horizontal design process. The...third-party intellectual properties (3PIPs) are widely used while they expose a design to hardware Trojans (HTs) that may tamper with the design and...activated. Some work have investigated hardware Trojans in early design stages and several techniques have been proposed to study the switching

Is There a Critical Period for the Developmental Neurotoxicity of Low-Level Tobacco Smoke Exposure?

PubMed

Slotkin, Theodore A; Stadler, Ashley; Skavicus, Samantha; Card, Jennifer; Ruff, Jonathan; Levin, Edward D; Seidler, Frederic J

2017-01-01

Secondhand tobacco smoke exposure in pregnancy increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. We evaluated in rats whether there is a critical period during which tobacco smoke extract (TSE) affects the development of acetylcholine and serotonin systems, prominent targets for adverse effects of nicotine and tobacco smoke. We simulated secondhand smoke exposure by administering TSE so as to produce nicotine concentrations one-tenth those in active smoking, with 3 distinct, 10-day windows: premating, early gestation or late gestation. We conducted longitudinal evaluations in multiple brain regions, starting in early adolescence (postnatal day 30) and continued to full adulthood (day 150). TSE exposure in any of the 3 windows impaired presynaptic cholinergic activity, exacerbated by a decrement in nicotinic cholinergic receptor concentrations. Although the adverse effects were seen for all 3 treatment windows, there was a distinct progression, with lowest sensitivity for premating exposure and higher sensitivity for gestational exposures. Serotonin receptors were also reduced by TSE exposure with the same profile: little effect with premating exposure, intermediate effect with early gestational exposure and large effect with late gestational exposure. As serotonergic circuits can offset the neurobehavioral impact of cholinergic deficits, these receptor changes were maladaptive. Thus, there is no single 'critical period' for effects of low-level tobacco smoke but there is differential sensitivity dependent upon the developmental stage at the time of exposure. Our findings reinforce the need to avoid secondhand smoke exposure not only during pregnancy, but also in the period prior to conception, or generally for women of childbearing age. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Integrating seismic reflection and geological data and interpretations across an internal basement massif: The southern Appalachian Pine Mountain window, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

McBride, J.H.; Hatcher, R.D.; Stephenson, W.J.; Hooper, R.J.

2005-01-01

The southern Appalachian Pine Mountain window exposes 1.1 Ga Grenvillian basement and its metasedimentary Paleozoic(?) cover through the allochthonous Inner Piedmont. The issue of whether the crustal block inside the window was either transported above the master Appalachian (late Alleghanian) de??collement or is an autochthonous block that was overridden by the de??collement has been debated for some time. New detrital zircon geochronologic data from the cover rocks inside the window suggest this crustal block was derived from Gondwana but docked with Laurentia before the Alleghanian event. Reprocessed deep seismic reflection data from west-central Georgia (pre- and poststack noise reduction, amplitude variation analysis, and prestack depth migration) indicate that a significant band of subhorizontal reflections occurs almost continuously beneath the window collinear with the originally recognized de??collement reflections north of the window. A marked variation in the de??collement image, from strong and coherent north of the window to more diffuse directly beneath the window, is likely a partial consequence of the different geology between the Inner Piedmont and the window. The more diffuse image beneath the window may also result from imaging problems related to changes in topography and fold of cover (i.e., signal-to-noise ratio). Two alternative tectonic models for the Pine Mountain window can partially account for the observed variation in the de??collement reflectivity. (1) The Pine Mountain block could be truncated below by a relatively smooth continuation of the de??collement. The window would thus expose an allochthonous basement duplex or horse-block thrust upward from the south along the Late Proterozoic rifted continental margin. (2) The window represents localized exhumation of autochthonous basement and cover along a zone of distributed intrabasement shearing directly beneath the window. Either model is viable if only reflector geometry is considered; model (1) is favored if both geometry and kinematics of Blue Ridge-Piedmont thrust sheet emplacement are incorporated. In either model, the southern margin of the window merges to the west with the Iapetan early Alleghanian Central Piedmont suture, which juxtaposes North American-affinity Piedmont rocks to the north and exotic Panafrican rocks of the Carolina (Avalon) terrane to the south. Immediately south of the window, this suture dips southward and merges in the lower crust with the late Alleghanian suture joining the Appalachians with Gondwana. ?? 2005 Geological Society of America.

Nonuniform Effects of Reinstatement within the Time Window

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galluccio, Llissa; Rovee-Collier, Carolyn

2006-01-01

A time window is a limited period after an event initially occurs in which additional information can be integrated with the memory of that event. It shuts when the memory is forgotten. The time window hypothesis holds that the impact of a manipulation at different points within the time window is nonuniform. In two operant conditioning…

The state of the Java universe

ScienceCinema

Gosling, James

2018-05-22

Speaker Bio: James Gosling received a B.Sc. in computer science from the University of Calgary, Canada in 1977. He received a Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1983. The title of his thesis was The Algebraic Manipulation of Constraints. He has built satellite data acquisition systems, a multiprocessor version of UNIX®, several compilers, mail systems, and window managers. He has also built a WYSIWYG text editor, a constraint-based drawing editor, and a text editor called Emacs, for UNIX systems. At Sun his early activity was as lead engineer of the NeWS window system. He did the original design of the Java programming language and implemented its original compiler and virtual machine. He has recently been a contributor to the Real-Time Specification for Java.

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

Gosling, James

Speaker Bio: James Gosling received a B.Sc. in computer science from the University of Calgary, Canada in 1977. He received a Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1983. The title of his thesis was The Algebraic Manipulation of Constraints. He has built satellite data acquisition systems, a multiprocessor version of UNIX®, several compilers, mail systems, and window managers. He has also built a WYSIWYG text editor, a constraint-based drawing editor, and a text editor called Emacs, for UNIX systems. At Sun his early activity was as lead engineer of the NeWS window system. He did the original designmore » of the Java programming language and implemented its original compiler and virtual machine. He has recently been a contributor to the Real-Time Specification for Java.« less

Semi-arid vegetation response to antecedent climate and water balance windows

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thoma, David P.; Munson, Seth M.; Irvine, Kathryn M.; Witwicki, Dana L.; Bunting, Erin

2016-01-01

Questions Can we improve understanding of vegetation response to water availability on monthly time scales in semi-arid environments using remote sensing methods? What climatic or water balance variables and antecedent windows of time associated with these variables best relate to the condition of vegetation? Can we develop credible near-term forecasts from climate data that can be used to prepare for future climate change effects on vegetation? Location Semi-arid grasslands in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA. Methods We built vegetation response models by relating the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from MODIS imagery in Mar–Nov 2000–2013 to antecedent climate and water balance variables preceding the monthly NDVI observations. We compared how climate and water balance variables explained vegetation greenness and then used a multi-model ensemble of climate and water balance models to forecast monthly NDVI for three holdout years. Results Water balance variables explained vegetation greenness to a greater degree than climate variables for most growing season months. Seasonally important variables included measures of antecedent water input and storage in spring, switching to indicators of drought, input or use in summer, followed by antecedent moisture availability in autumn. In spite of similar climates, there was evidence the grazed grassland showed a response to drying conditions 1 mo sooner than the ungrazed grassland. Lead times were generally short early in the growing season and antecedent window durations increased from 3 mo early in the growing season to 1 yr or more as the growing season progressed. Forecast accuracy for three holdout years using a multi-model ensemble of climate and water balance variables outperformed forecasts made with a naïve NDVI climatology. Conclusions We determined the influence of climate and water balance on vegetation at a fine temporal scale, which presents an opportunity to forecast vegetation response with short lead times. This understanding was obtained through high-frequency vegetation monitoring using remote sensing, which reduces the costs and time necessary for field measurements and can lead to more rapid detection of vegetation changes that could help managers take appropriate actions.

The dynamics underlying the regeneration and stalling of Hurricane Harvey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, X. S.

2017-12-01

The explosive regeneration and stalling make the hurricane Harvey go from a little-noticed storm to an extremely destructive behemoth in late August 2017 that incurred an estimated economic loss at 70-200 billion USD. In this study, we use a recently developed analysis tool, namely, multiscale window transform (MWT), and the MWT-based theory of canonical transfer, to investigate the dynamics underlying this regeneration and stalling. The atmospheric fields are reconstructed onto three scale ranges or windows, namely, large-scale, tropical cyclone-scale, and cumulus convection-scale windows. The intertwined cyclone-scale nonlinear energy process is uniquely separated into a transport of energy within the cyclone window and an interscale transfer through reconstructing the "atomic" energy fluxes on the multiple scale windows. The resulting transfer bears a Lie bracket form, reminiscent of the Poisson bracket in Hamiltonian mechanics, and is hence referred to as canonical. It is found that within the Gulf of Mexico, Harvey gains much energy from the cumulus convection window through an inverse energy cascade, leading to its explosive growth. In the mean time, there is a barotropic instability (positive canonical transfer) center of the mean circulation in the lower and mid troposphere which lies quasi-steadily over Houston during August 22 through early September. The northwestward propagating Harvey meets that center and then stalls for two days near the coastline, dropping torrential and unprecedented amounts of rainfall and causing catastrophic flooding. It moves out of the instability center by the end of August, and then dissipates quickly in the following days.

Cutoff for the East Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganguly, S.; Lubetzky, E.; Martinelli, F.

2015-05-01

The East process is a 1 d kinetically constrained interacting particle system, introduced in the physics literature in the early 1990s to model liquid-glass transitions. Spectral gap estimates of Aldous and Diaconis in 2002 imply that its mixing time on L sites has order L. We complement that result and show cutoff with an -window. The main ingredient is an analysis of the front of the process (its rightmost zero in the setup where zeros facilitate updates to their right). One expects the front to advance as a biased random walk, whose normal fluctuations would imply cutoff with an -window. The law of the process behind the front plays a crucial role: Blondel showed that it converges to an invariant measure ν, on which very little is known. Here we obtain quantitative bounds on the speed of convergence to ν, finding that it is exponentially fast. We then derive that the increments of the front behave as a stationary mixing sequence of random variables, and a Stein-method based argument of Bolthausen (`82) implies a CLT for the location of the front, yielding the cutoff result. Finally, we supplement these results by a study of analogous kinetically constrained models on trees, again establishing cutoff, yet this time with an O(1)-window.

Candles in Our Windows

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrath, Kathryn

2005-01-01

"Candles in Our Windows"--also titled "Nightlights"--is a play developed for elementary and middle school students about how residents in Billings, Montana, took a stand against hate. Last March, the 6th-grade students of Woodland Elementary School in New Jersey performed an early version of the play based on a children's book,…

Window of Opportunity? Adolescence, Music, and Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helmrich, Barbara H.

2010-01-01

Research has suggested that musicians process music in the same cortical regions that adolescents process algebra. An early adolescence synaptogenesis might present a window of opportunity during middle school for music to create and strengthen enduring neural connections in those regions. Six school districts across Maryland provided scores from…

"Stained Glass" Landscape Windows

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vannata, Janine

2008-01-01

Both adults and children alike marvel at the grand vivid stained-glass windows created by American artist Louis Comfort Tiffany. Today he is commonly recognized as one of America's most influential designers and artists throughout the last nineteenth and early twentieth century. In the lesson described in this article, students created their own…

47 CFR 15.323 - Specific requirements for devices operating in the 1920-1930 MHz sub-band.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...] (c) Devices must incorporate a mechanism for monitoring the time and spectrum windows that its... transmission, devices must monitor the combined time and spectrum windows in which they intend to transmit for... windows without further monitoring. However, occupation of the same combined time and spectrum windows by...

Lack of benefit from percutaneous intervention of persistently occluded infarct arteries after the acute phase of myocardial infarction is time independent: insights from Occluded Artery Trial

PubMed Central

Menon, Venu; Pearte, Camille A.; Buller, Christopher E.; Steg, Ph.Gabriel; Forman, Sandra A.; White, Harvey D.; Marino, Paolo N.; Katritsis, Demosthenes G.; Caramori, Paulo; Lasevitch, Ricardo; Loboz-Grudzien, Krystyna; Zurakowski, Aleksander; Lamas, Gervasio A.; Hochman, Judith S.

2009-01-01

Aims The Occluded Artery Trial (OAT) (n = 2201) showed no benefit for routine percutaneous intervention (PCI) (n = 1101) over medical therapy (MED) (n = 1100) on the combined endpoint of death, myocardial infarction (MI), and class IV heart failure (congestive heart failure) in stable post-MI patients with late occluded infarct-related arteries (IRAs). We evaluated the potential for selective benefit with PCI over MED for patients enrolled early in OAT. Methods and results We explored outcomes with PCI over MED in patients randomized to the ≤3 calendar days and ≤7 calendar days post-MI time windows. Earlier, times to randomization in OAT were associated with higher rates of the combined endpoint (adjusted HR 1.04/day: 99% CI 1.01–1.06; P < 0.001). The 48-month event rates for ≤3 days, ≤7 days post-MI enrolled patients were similar for PCI vs. MED for the combined and individual endpoints. There was no interaction between time to randomization defined as a continuous (P = 0.55) or categorical variable with a cut-point of 3 days (P = 0.98) or 7 days (P = 0.64) post-MI and treatment effect. Conclusion Consistent with overall OAT findings, patients enrolled in the ≤3 day and ≤7 day post-MI time windows derived no benefit with PCI over MED with no interaction between time to randomization and treatment effect. Our findings do not support routine PCI of the occluded IRA in trial-eligible patients even in the earliest 24–72 h time window. PMID:19028780

Combining point context and dynamic time warping for online gesture recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Xia; Li, Chen

2017-05-01

Previous gesture recognition methods usually focused on recognizing gestures after the entire gesture sequences were obtained. However, in many practical applications, a system has to identify gestures before they end to give instant feedback. We present an online gesture recognition approach that can realize early recognition of unfinished gestures with low latency. First, a curvature buffer-based point context (CBPC) descriptor is proposed to extract the shape feature of a gesture trajectory. The CBPC descriptor is a complete descriptor with a simple computation, and thus has its superiority in online scenarios. Then, we introduce an online windowed dynamic time warping algorithm to realize online matching between the ongoing gesture and the template gestures. In the algorithm, computational complexity is effectively decreased by adding a sliding window to the accumulative distance matrix. Lastly, the experiments are conducted on the Australian sign language data set and the Kinect hand gesture (KHG) data set. Results show that the proposed method outperforms other state-of-the-art methods especially when gesture information is incomplete.

Identification of changes in neuronal function as a consequence of aging and tauopathic neurodegeneration using a novel and sensitive magnetic resonance imaging approach.

PubMed

Fontaine, Sarah N; Ingram, Alexandria; Cloyd, Ryan A; Meier, Shelby E; Miller, Emily; Lyons, Danielle; Nation, Grant K; Mechas, Elizabeth; Weiss, Blaine; Lanzillotta, Chiara; Di Domenico, Fabio; Schmitt, Frederick; Powell, David K; Vandsburger, Moriel; Abisambra, Jose F

2017-08-01

Tauopathies, the most common of which is Alzheimer's disease (AD), constitute the most crippling neurodegenerative threat to our aging population. Tauopathic patients have significant cognitive decline accompanied by irreversible and severe brain atrophy, and it is thought that neuronal dysfunction begins years before diagnosis. Our current understanding of tauopathies has yielded promising therapeutic interventions but have all failed in clinical trials. This is partly due to the inability to identify and intervene in an effective therapeutic window early in the disease process. A major challenge that contributes to the definition of an early therapeutic window is limited technologies. To address these challenges, we modified and adapted a manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) approach to provide sensitive and quantitative power to detect changes in broad neuronal function in aging mice. Considering that tau tangle burden correlates well with cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's patients, we performed our MEMRI approach in a time course of aging mice and an accelerated mouse model of tauopathy. We measured significant changes in broad neuronal function as a consequence of age, and in transgenic mice, before the deposition of bona fide tangles. This MEMRI approach represents the first diagnostic measure of neuronal dysfunction in mice. Successful translation of this technology in the clinic could serve as a sensitive diagnostic tool for the definition of effective therapeutic windows. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Analysis of Peer-Reviewed Scores and Impact Factors with Different Citation Time Windows: A Case Study of 28 Ophthalmologic Journals

PubMed Central

Liu, Xue-Li; Gai, Shuang-Shuang; Zhang, Shi-Le; Wang, Pu

2015-01-01

Background An important attribute of the traditional impact factor was the controversial 2-year citation window. So far, several scholars have proposed using different citation time windows for evaluating journals. However, there is no confirmation whether a longer citation time window would be better. How did the journal evaluation effects of 3IF, 4IF, and 6IF comparing with 2IF and 5IF? In order to understand these questions, we made a comparative study of impact factors with different citation time windows with the peer-reviewed scores of ophthalmologic journals indexed by Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) database. Methods The peer-reviewed scores of 28 ophthalmologic journals were obtained through a self-designed survey questionnaire. Impact factors with different citation time windows (including 2IF, 3IF, 4IF, 5IF, and 6IF) of 28 ophthalmologic journals were computed and compared in accordance with each impact factor’s definition and formula, using the citation analysis function of the Web of Science (WoS) database. An analysis of the correlation between impact factors with different citation time windows and peer-reviewed scores was carried out. Results Although impact factor values with different citation time windows were different, there was a high level of correlation between them when it came to evaluating journals. In the current study, for ophthalmologic journals’ impact factors with different time windows in 2013, 3IF and 4IF seemed the ideal ranges for comparison, when assessed in relation to peer-reviewed scores. In addition, the 3-year and 4-year windows were quite consistent with the cited peak age of documents published by ophthalmologic journals. Research Limitations Our study is based on ophthalmology journals and we only analyze the impact factors with different citation time window in 2013, so it has yet to be ascertained whether other disciplines (especially those with a later cited peak) or other years would follow the same or similar patterns. Originality/ Value We designed the survey questionnaire ourselves, specifically to assess the real influence of journals. We used peer-reviewed scores to judge the journal evaluation effect of impact factors with different citation time windows. The main purpose of this study was to help researchers better understand the role of impact factors with different citation time windows in journal evaluation. PMID:26295157

An Analysis of Peer-Reviewed Scores and Impact Factors with Different Citation Time Windows: A Case Study of 28 Ophthalmologic Journals.

PubMed

Liu, Xue-Li; Gai, Shuang-Shuang; Zhang, Shi-Le; Wang, Pu

2015-01-01

An important attribute of the traditional impact factor was the controversial 2-year citation window. So far, several scholars have proposed using different citation time windows for evaluating journals. However, there is no confirmation whether a longer citation time window would be better. How did the journal evaluation effects of 3IF, 4IF, and 6IF comparing with 2IF and 5IF? In order to understand these questions, we made a comparative study of impact factors with different citation time windows with the peer-reviewed scores of ophthalmologic journals indexed by Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) database. The peer-reviewed scores of 28 ophthalmologic journals were obtained through a self-designed survey questionnaire. Impact factors with different citation time windows (including 2IF, 3IF, 4IF, 5IF, and 6IF) of 28 ophthalmologic journals were computed and compared in accordance with each impact factor's definition and formula, using the citation analysis function of the Web of Science (WoS) database. An analysis of the correlation between impact factors with different citation time windows and peer-reviewed scores was carried out. Although impact factor values with different citation time windows were different, there was a high level of correlation between them when it came to evaluating journals. In the current study, for ophthalmologic journals' impact factors with different time windows in 2013, 3IF and 4IF seemed the ideal ranges for comparison, when assessed in relation to peer-reviewed scores. In addition, the 3-year and 4-year windows were quite consistent with the cited peak age of documents published by ophthalmologic journals. Our study is based on ophthalmology journals and we only analyze the impact factors with different citation time window in 2013, so it has yet to be ascertained whether other disciplines (especially those with a later cited peak) or other years would follow the same or similar patterns. We designed the survey questionnaire ourselves, specifically to assess the real influence of journals. We used peer-reviewed scores to judge the journal evaluation effect of impact factors with different citation time windows. The main purpose of this study was to help researchers better understand the role of impact factors with different citation time windows in journal evaluation.

State-of-the-art software for window energy-efficiency rating and labeling

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

Arasteh, D.; Finlayson, E.; Huang, J.

1998-07-01

Measuring the thermal performance of windows in typical residential buildings is an expensive proposition. Not only is laboratory testing expensive, but each window manufacturer typically offers hundreds of individual products, each of which has different thermal performance properties. With over a thousand window manufacturers nationally, a testing-based rating system would be prohibitively expensive to the industry and to consumers. Beginning in the early 1990s, simulation software began to be used as part of a national program for rating window U-values. The rating program has since been expanded to include Solar Hear Gain Coefficients and is now being extended to annualmore » energy performance. This paper describes four software packages available to the public from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). These software packages are used to evaluate window thermal performance: RESFEN (for evaluating annual energy costs), WINDOW (for calculating a product`s thermal performance properties), THERM (a preprocessor for WINDOW that determines two-dimensional heat-transfer effects), and Optics (a preprocessor for WINDOW`s glass database). Software not only offers a less expensive means than testing to evaluate window performance, it can also be used during the design process to help manufacturers produce windows that will meet target specifications. In addition, software can show small improvements in window performance that might not be detected in actual testing because of large uncertainties in test procedures.« less

Differential Immunotoxicity Induced by Two Different Windows of Developmental Trichloroethylene Exposure

PubMed Central

Gilbert, Kathleen M.; Woodruff, William; Blossom, Sarah J.

2014-01-01

Developmental exposure to environmental toxicants may induce immune system alterations that contribute to adult stage autoimmune disease. We have shown that continuous exposure of MRL+/+ mice to trichloroethylene (TCE) from gestational day (GD) 0 to postnatal day (PND) 49 alters several aspects of CD4+ T cell function. This window of exposure corresponds to conception-adolescence/young adulthood in humans. More narrowly defining the window of TCE developmental exposure causes immunotoxicity that would establish the stage at which avoidance and/or intervention would be most effective. The current study divided continuous TCE exposure into two separate windows, namely, gestation only (GD0 to birth (PND0)) and early-life only (PND0-PND49). The mice were examined for specific alterations in CD4+ T cell function at PND49. One potentially long-lasting effect of developmental exposure, alterations in retrotransposon expression indicative of epigenetic alterations, was found in peripheral CD4+ T cells from both sets of developmentally exposed mice. Interestingly, certain other effects, such as alterations in thymus cellularity, were only found in mice exposed to TCE during gestation. In contrast, expansion of memory/activation cell subset of peripheral CD4+ T cells were only found in mice exposed to TCE during early life. Different windows of developmental TCE exposure can have different functional consequences. PMID:24696780

Comparison of dual-biomarker PIB-PET and dual-tracer PET in AD diagnosis.

PubMed

Fu, Liping; Liu, Linwen; Zhang, Jinming; Xu, Baixuan; Fan, Yong; Tian, Jiahe

2014-11-01

To identify the optimal time window for capturing perfusion information from early (11)C-PIB imaging frames (perfusion PIB, (11)C-pPIB) and to compare the performance of (18)F-FDG PET and "dual biomarker" (11)C-PIB PET [(11)C-pPIB and amyloid PIB ((11)C-aPIB)] for classification of AD, MCI and CN subjects. Forty subjects (14 CN, 12 MCI and 14 AD patients) underwent (18)F-FDG and (11)C-PIB PET studies. Pearson correlation between the (18)F-FDG image and sum of early (11)C-PIB frames was maximised to identify the optimal time window for (11)C-pPIB. The classification power of imaging parameters was evaluated with a leave-one-out validation. A 7-min time window yielded the highest correlation between (18)F-FDG and (11)C-pPIB. (11)C-pPIB and (18)F-FDG images shared a similar radioactive distribution pattern. (18)F-FDG performed better than (11)C-pPIB for the classification of both AD vs. CN and MCI vs. CN. (11)C-pPIB + (11)C-aPIB and (18)F-FDG + (11)C-aPIB yielded the highest classification accuracy for the classification of AD vs. CN, and (18)F-FDG + (11)C-aPIB had the best classification performance for the classification of MCI vs. C-pPIB could serve as a useful biomarker of rCBF for measuring neural activity and improve the diagnostic power of PET for AD in conjunction with (11)C-aPIB. (18)F-FDG and (11)C-PIB dual-tracer PET examination could better detect MCI. • Dual-tracer PET examination provides neurofunctional and neuropathological information for AD diagnosis. • The identified optimal 11C-pPIB time frames had highest correlation with 18F-FDG. • 11C-pPIB images shared a similar radioactive distribution pattern with 18F-FDG images. • 11C-pPIB can provide neurofunctional information. • Dual-tracer PET examination could better detect MCI.

Opposing dorsal/ventral stream dynamics during figure-ground segregation.

PubMed

Wokke, Martijn E; Scholte, H Steven; Lamme, Victor A F

2014-02-01

The visual system has been commonly subdivided into two segregated visual processing streams: The dorsal pathway processes mainly spatial information, and the ventral pathway specializes in object perception. Recent findings, however, indicate that different forms of interaction (cross-talk) exist between the dorsal and the ventral stream. Here, we used TMS and concurrent EEG recordings to explore these interactions between the dorsal and ventral stream during figure-ground segregation. In two separate experiments, we used repetitive TMS and single-pulse TMS to disrupt processing in the dorsal (V5/HMT⁺) and the ventral (lateral occipital area) stream during a motion-defined figure discrimination task. We presented stimuli that made it possible to differentiate between relatively low-level (figure boundary detection) from higher-level (surface segregation) processing steps during figure-ground segregation. Results show that disruption of V5/HMT⁺ impaired performance related to surface segregation; this effect was mainly found when V5/HMT⁺ was perturbed in an early time window (100 msec) after stimulus presentation. Surprisingly, disruption of the lateral occipital area resulted in increased performance scores and enhanced neural correlates of surface segregation. This facilitatory effect was also mainly found in an early time window (100 msec) after stimulus presentation. These results suggest a "push-pull" interaction in which dorsal and ventral extrastriate areas are being recruited or inhibited depending on stimulus category and task demands.

The subxiphoid view cannot replace the apical view for transthoracic echocardiographic assessment of hemodynamic status

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Introduction This prospective study aimed to assess whether use of the subxiphoid acoustic window in transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) can be an accurate alternative in the absence of an apical view to assess hemodynamic parameters. Methods This prospective study took place in a teaching hospital medical ICU. Over a 4-month period, TTE was performed in patients admitted for more than 24 hours. Two operators rated the quality of parasternal, apical, and subxiphoid acoustic windows as Excellent, Good, Acceptable, Poor, or No image. In the subpopulation presenting adequate (rated as acceptable or higher) apical and subxiphoid views, we compared the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the ratio between right and left ventricular end-diastolic areas (RVEDA/LVEDA), the ratio between early and late mitral inflow on pulsed Doppler (E/A ratio), the aortic velocity time integral (Ao VTI), and the ratio between early mitral inflow and displacement of the mitral annulus on tissue Doppler imaging (E/Ea ratio). Results An adequate apical view was obtained in 80%, and an adequate subxiphoid view was obtained in 63% of the 107 patients included. Only 5% of patients presented an adequate subxiphoid view without an adequate apical view. In the subpopulation of patients with adequate apical and subxiphoid windows (n = 65), LVEF, E/A, and RVEDA/LVEDA were comparable on both views, and were strongly correlated (r > 0.80) with acceptable biases and precision. However, the Ao VTI and the E/Ea ratio were lower on the subxiphoid view than on the apical view (18 ± 5 versus 16 ± 5 cm and 9.6 ± 4.6 versus 7.6 ± 4 cm, respectively, P = 0.001 for both). Conclusions An adequate TTE subxiphoid window was obtained in fewer than two thirds of ICU patients. In addition to the classic indication for the subxiphoid window to study the vena cava and pericardium, this view can be used to study right and left ventricular morphology and function, but does not provide accurate hemodynamic Doppler information. ICU echocardiographers should therefore record both apical and subxiphoid views to assess comprehensively the cardiac function and hemodynamic status. PMID:24004960

The ultrasound brain helmet: feasibility study of multiple simultaneous 3D scans of cerebral vasculature.

PubMed

Smith, Stephen W; Ivancevich, Nikolas M; Lindsey, Brooks D; Whitman, John; Light, Edward; Fronheiser, Matthew; Nicoletto, Heather A; Laskowitz, Daniel T

2009-02-01

We describe early stage experiments to test the feasibility of an ultrasound brain helmet to produce multiple simultaneous real-time three-dimensional (3D) scans of the cerebral vasculature from temporal and suboccipital acoustic windows of the skull. The transducer hardware and software of the Volumetrics Medical Imaging (Durham, NC, USA) real-time 3D scanner were modified to support dual 2.5 MHz matrix arrays of 256 transmit elements and 128 receive elements which produce two simultaneous 64 degrees pyramidal scans. The real-time display format consists of two coronal B-mode images merged into a 128 degrees sector, two simultaneous parasagittal images merged into a 128 degrees x 64 degrees C-mode plane and a simultaneous 64 degrees axial image. Real-time 3D color Doppler scans from a skull phantom with latex blood vessel were obtained after contrast agent injection as a proof of concept. The long-term goal is to produce real-time 3D ultrasound images of the cerebral vasculature from a portable unit capable of internet transmission thus enabling interactive 3D imaging, remote diagnosis and earlier therapeutic intervention. We are motivated by the urgency for rapid diagnosis of stroke due to the short time window of effective therapeutic intervention.

Ecological Consequences of Shifting the Timing of Burning Tallgrass Prairie

PubMed Central

Towne, E. Gene; Craine, Joseph M.

2014-01-01

In the Kansas Flint Hills, grassland burning is conducted during a relatively narrow window because management recommendations for the past 40 years have been to burn only in late spring. Widespread prescribed burning within this restricted time frame frequently creates smoke management issues downwind. A potential remedy for the concentrated smoke production in late spring is to expand burning to times earlier in the year. Yet, previous research suggested that burning in winter or early spring reduces plant productivity and cattle weight gain while increasing the proportion of undesirable plant species. In order to better understand the ecological consequences of burning at different times of the year, plant production and species abundance were measured for 20 years on ungrazed watersheds burned annually in autumn, winter, or spring. We found that there were no significant differences in total grass production among the burns on either upland or lowland topographic positions, although spring burned watersheds had higher grass culm production and lower forb biomass than autumn and winter burned watersheds. Burning in autumn or winter broadened the window of grass productivity response to precipitation, which reduces susceptibility to mid-season drought. Burning in autumn or winter also increased the phenological range of species by promoting cool-season graminoids without a concomitant decrease in warm-season grasses, potentially widening the seasonal window of high-quality forage. Incorporating autumn and winter burns into the overall portfolio of tallgrass prairie management should increase the flexibility in managing grasslands, promote biodiversity, and minimize air quality issues caused by en masse late-spring burning with little negative consequences for cattle production. PMID:25077487

Ecological consequences of shifting the timing of burning tallgrass prairie.

PubMed

Towne, E Gene; Craine, Joseph M

2014-01-01

In the Kansas Flint Hills, grassland burning is conducted during a relatively narrow window because management recommendations for the past 40 years have been to burn only in late spring. Widespread prescribed burning within this restricted time frame frequently creates smoke management issues downwind. A potential remedy for the concentrated smoke production in late spring is to expand burning to times earlier in the year. Yet, previous research suggested that burning in winter or early spring reduces plant productivity and cattle weight gain while increasing the proportion of undesirable plant species. In order to better understand the ecological consequences of burning at different times of the year, plant production and species abundance were measured for 20 years on ungrazed watersheds burned annually in autumn, winter, or spring. We found that there were no significant differences in total grass production among the burns on either upland or lowland topographic positions, although spring burned watersheds had higher grass culm production and lower forb biomass than autumn and winter burned watersheds. Burning in autumn or winter broadened the window of grass productivity response to precipitation, which reduces susceptibility to mid-season drought. Burning in autumn or winter also increased the phenological range of species by promoting cool-season graminoids without a concomitant decrease in warm-season grasses, potentially widening the seasonal window of high-quality forage. Incorporating autumn and winter burns into the overall portfolio of tallgrass prairie management should increase the flexibility in managing grasslands, promote biodiversity, and minimize air quality issues caused by en masse late-spring burning with little negative consequences for cattle production.

Detecting beta-amyloid aggregation from time-resolved emission spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alghamdi, A.; Vyshemirsky, V.; Birch, D. J. S.; Rolinski, O. J.

2018-04-01

The aggregation of beta-amyloids is one of the key processes responsible for the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Early molecular-level detection of beta-amyloid oligomers may help in early diagnosis and in the development of new intervention therapies. Our previous studies on the changes in beta-amyloid’s single tyrosine intrinsic fluorescence response during aggregation demonstrated a four-exponential fluorescence intensity decay, and the ratio of the pre-exponential factors indicated the extent of the aggregation in the early stages of the process before the beta-sheets were formed. Here we present a complementary approach based on the time-resolved emission spectra (TRES) of amyloid’s tyrosine excited at 279 nm and fluorescence in the window 240-450 nm. TRES have been used to demonstrate sturctural changes occuring on the nanosecond time scale after excitation which has significant advantages over using steady-state spectra. We demonstrate this by resolving the fluorescent species and revealing that beta-amyloid’s monomers show very fast dielectric relaxation, and its oligomers display a substantial spectral shift due to dielectric relaxation, which gradually decreases when the oligomers become larger.

Microbenthic distribution of Proterozoic tidal flats: environmental and taphonomic considerations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kah, L. C.; Knoll, A. H.

1996-01-01

Silicified carbonates of the late Mesoproterozoic to early Neoproterozoic Society Cliffs Formation, Baffin Island, contain distinctive microfabrics and microbenthic assemblages whose paleo-environmental distribution within the formation parallels the distribution of these elements through Proterozoic time. In the Society Cliffs Formation, restricted carbonates--including microdigitate stromatolites, laminated tufa, and tufted microbial mats--consist predominantly of synsedimentary cements; these facies and the cyanobacterial fossils they contain are common in Paleoproterozoic successions but rare in Neoproterozoic and younger rocks. Less restricted tidal-flat facies in the formation are composed of laminated microbialites dominated by micritic carbonate lithified early, yet demonstrably after compaction; these strata contain cyanobacteria that are characteristic in Neoproterozoic rocks. Within the formation, the facies-dependent distribution of microbial populations reflects both the style and timing of carbonate deposition because of the strong substrate specificity of benthic cyanobacteria. A reasonable conclusion is that secular changes in microbenthic assemblages through Proterozoic time reflect a decrease in the overall representation of rapidly lithified carbonate substrates in younger peritidal environments, as well as concomitant changes in the taphonomic window of silicification through which early life is observed.

Combining Temporal and Spectral Information with Spatial Mapping to Identify Differences between Phonological and Semantic Networks: A Magnetoencephalographic Approach

PubMed Central

McNab, Fiona; Hillebrand, Arjan; Swithenby, Stephen J.; Rippon, Gina

2012-01-01

Early, lesion-based models of language processing suggested that semantic and phonological processes are associated with distinct temporal and parietal regions respectively, with frontal areas more indirectly involved. Contemporary spatial brain mapping techniques have not supported such clear-cut segregation, with strong evidence of activation in left temporal areas by both processes and disputed evidence of involvement of frontal areas in both processes. We suggest that combining spatial information with temporal and spectral data may allow a closer scrutiny of the differential involvement of closely overlapping cortical areas in language processing. Using beamforming techniques to analyze magnetoencephalography data, we localized the neuronal substrates underlying primed responses to nouns requiring either phonological or semantic processing, and examined the associated measures of time and frequency in those areas where activation was common to both tasks. Power changes in the beta (14–30 Hz) and gamma (30–50 Hz) frequency bands were analyzed in pre-selected time windows of 350–550 and 500–700 ms In left temporal regions, both tasks elicited power changes in the same time window (350–550 ms), but with different spectral characteristics, low beta (14–20 Hz) for the phonological task and high beta (20–30 Hz) for the semantic task. In frontal areas (BA10), both tasks elicited power changes in the gamma band (30–50 Hz), but in different time windows, 500–700 ms for the phonological task and 350–550 ms for the semantic task. In the left inferior parietal area (BA40), both tasks elicited changes in the 20–30 Hz beta frequency band but in different time windows, 350–550 ms for the phonological task and 500–700 ms for the semantic task. Our findings suggest that, where spatial measures may indicate overlapping areas of involvement, additional beamforming techniques can demonstrate differential activation in time and frequency domains. PMID:22908001

Length of day during early gestation as a predictor of risk for severe retinopathy of prematurity.

PubMed

Yang, Michael B; Rao, Sujata; Copenhagen, David R; Lang, Richard A

2013-12-01

Fetal mice require light exposure in utero during early gestation for normal vascular development in the eye. Because angiogenic abnormalities in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are manifested in preterm infants, we investigated whether day length during early gestation was associated with severe ROP (SROP). Single-center, retrospective cohort study. We included a total of 343 premature infants (401-1250 g birth weight [BW], from 1998-2002): 684 eyes (1 eye each of 2 patients excluded) with 76 eyes developing SROP, defined as (1) classic threshold ROP in zone I or II, (2) type 1 ROP in zone I, or (3) in a few eyes, type 1 ROP in posterior zone II that was treated. For each infant, average day length (ADL) was calculated during different cumulative time periods and time windows after the estimated date of conception (EDC). Multiple logistic regression analysis (with generalized estimating equations to account for inter-eye correlation) was performed. Association of ADL during early gestation with SROP. In a model evaluating all 684 eyes with 76 eyes developing SROP, BW, gestational age, multiple births, race, per capita income in the mother's residence ZIP code, and ADL during the first 90 days after the EDC were factors associated with the development of SROP. Each additional hour of ADL (90 days) decreased the likelihood of SROP by 28% (P = 0.015; odds ratio [OR], 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55-0.94). In a model evaluating the subset of 146 prethreshold ROP eyes with 76 eyes developing SROP, each additional hour of ADL during the first 105 days after the EDC decreased the likelihood of SROP by 46% (P = 0.001; OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.37-0.78). Time windows when ADL was most closely associated with SROP were 31 to 60 days and 61 to 90 days after the EDC for the all eyes and the prethreshold ROP eyes models, respectively. Higher ADL during early gestation was associated with a lower risk for SROP and may imply a role for prophylactic light treatment during early gestation to decrease the risk of SROP. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Facial affect processing in social anxiety disorder with early onset: evidence of an intensity amplification bias.

PubMed

Schwab, Daniela; Schienle, Anne

2018-06-01

The present event-related potential (ERP) study investigated for the first time whether children with early-onset social anxiety disorder (SAD) process affective facial expressions of varying intensities differently than non-anxious controls. Participants were 15 SAD patients and 15 non-anxious controls (mean age of 9 years). They were presented with schematic faces displaying anger and happiness at four intensity levels (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%), as well as with neutral faces. ERPs in early and later time windows (P100, N170, late positivity [LP]), as well as affective ratings (valence and arousal) for the faces, were recorded. SAD patients rated the faces as generally more arousing, regardless of the type of emotion and intensity. Moreover, they displayed enhanced right-parietal LP (350-650 ms). Both arousal ratings and LP reflect stimulus intensity. Therefore, this study provides first evidence of an intensity amplification bias in pediatric SAD during facial affect processing.

Training loads and injury risk in Australian football-differing acute: chronic workload ratios influence match injury risk.

PubMed

Carey, David L; Blanch, Peter; Ong, Kok-Leong; Crossley, Kay M; Crow, Justin; Morris, Meg E

2017-08-01

(1) To investigate whether a daily acute:chronic workload ratio informs injury risk in Australian football players; (2) to identify which combination of workload variable, acute and chronic time window best explains injury likelihood. Workload and injury data were collected from 53 athletes over 2 seasons in a professional Australian football club. Acute:chronic workload ratios were calculated daily for each athlete, and modelled against non-contact injury likelihood using a quadratic relationship. 6 workload variables, 8 acute time windows (2-9 days) and 7 chronic time windows (14-35 days) were considered (336 combinations). Each parameter combination was compared for injury likelihood fit (using R 2 ). The ratio of moderate speed running workload (18-24 km/h) in the previous 3 days (acute time window) compared with the previous 21 days (chronic time window) best explained the injury likelihood in matches (R 2 =0.79) and in the immediate 2 or 5 days following matches (R 2 =0.76-0.82). The 3:21 acute:chronic workload ratio discriminated between high-risk and low-risk athletes (relative risk=1.98-2.43). Using the previous 6 days to calculate the acute workload time window yielded similar results. The choice of acute time window significantly influenced model performance and appeared to reflect the competition and training schedule. Daily workload ratios can inform injury risk in Australian football. Clinicians and conditioning coaches should consider the sport-specific schedule of competition and training when choosing acute and chronic time windows. For Australian football, the ratio of moderate speed running in a 3-day or 6-day acute time window and a 21-day chronic time window best explained injury risk. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Training loads and injury risk in Australian football—differing acute: chronic workload ratios influence match injury risk

PubMed Central

Carey, David L; Blanch, Peter; Ong, Kok-Leong; Crossley, Kay M; Crow, Justin; Morris, Meg E

2017-01-01

Aims (1) To investigate whether a daily acute:chronic workload ratio informs injury risk in Australian football players; (2) to identify which combination of workload variable, acute and chronic time window best explains injury likelihood. Methods Workload and injury data were collected from 53 athletes over 2 seasons in a professional Australian football club. Acute:chronic workload ratios were calculated daily for each athlete, and modelled against non-contact injury likelihood using a quadratic relationship. 6 workload variables, 8 acute time windows (2–9 days) and 7 chronic time windows (14–35 days) were considered (336 combinations). Each parameter combination was compared for injury likelihood fit (using R2). Results The ratio of moderate speed running workload (18–24 km/h) in the previous 3 days (acute time window) compared with the previous 21 days (chronic time window) best explained the injury likelihood in matches (R2=0.79) and in the immediate 2 or 5 days following matches (R2=0.76–0.82). The 3:21 acute:chronic workload ratio discriminated between high-risk and low-risk athletes (relative risk=1.98–2.43). Using the previous 6 days to calculate the acute workload time window yielded similar results. The choice of acute time window significantly influenced model performance and appeared to reflect the competition and training schedule. Conclusions Daily workload ratios can inform injury risk in Australian football. Clinicians and conditioning coaches should consider the sport-specific schedule of competition and training when choosing acute and chronic time windows. For Australian football, the ratio of moderate speed running in a 3-day or 6-day acute time window and a 21-day chronic time window best explained injury risk. PMID:27789430

Time-marching multi-grid seismic tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, P.; Yang, D.; Liu, Q.

2016-12-01

From the classic ray-based traveltime tomography to the state-of-the-art full waveform inversion, because of the nonlinearity of seismic inverse problems, a good starting model is essential for preventing the convergence of the objective function toward local minima. With a focus on building high-accuracy starting models, we propose the so-called time-marching multi-grid seismic tomography method in this study. The new seismic tomography scheme consists of a temporal time-marching approach and a spatial multi-grid strategy. We first divide the recording period of seismic data into a series of time windows. Sequentially, the subsurface properties in each time window are iteratively updated starting from the final model of the previous time window. There are at least two advantages of the time-marching approach: (1) the information included in the seismic data of previous time windows has been explored to build the starting models of later time windows; (2) seismic data of later time windows could provide extra information to refine the subsurface images. Within each time window, we use a multi-grid method to decompose the scale of the inverse problem. Specifically, the unknowns of the inverse problem are sampled on a coarse mesh to capture the macro-scale structure of the subsurface at the beginning. Because of the low dimensionality, it is much easier to reach the global minimum on a coarse mesh. After that, finer meshes are introduced to recover the micro-scale properties. That is to say, the subsurface model is iteratively updated on multi-grid in every time window. We expect that high-accuracy starting models should be generated for the second and later time windows. We will test this time-marching multi-grid method by using our newly developed eikonal-based traveltime tomography software package tomoQuake. Real application results in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake (Mw 7.0) region in Japan will be demonstrated.

The Audiovisual Temporal Binding Window Narrows in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewkowicz, David J.; Flom, Ross

2014-01-01

Binding is key in multisensory perception. This study investigated the audio-visual (A-V) temporal binding window in 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old children (total N = 120). Children watched a person uttering a syllable whose auditory and visual components were either temporally synchronized or desynchronized by 366, 500, or 666 ms. They were asked…

Coral ontogeny affects early symbiont acquisition in laboratory-reared recruits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McIlroy, Shelby E.; Coffroth, Mary Alice

2017-09-01

In most coral species, the critical association with a subset of genetically diverse algal endosymbionts, Symbiodinium, is re-established anew each generation in early coral ontogeny. Yet little is known about the window during which these associations are established or the potential for altering symbiont associations through early exposure to non-native, and/or ecologically beneficial (e.g., stress tolerant), symbiont strains. This study examined the ontogenetic window of symbiont uptake in a restoration target species. Orbicella faveolata recruits, maintained aposymbiotic in laboratory tanks for 4 months, showed a significant decrease in symbiont acquisition upon exposure to natural seawater. Recruits initially inoculated with cultured Symbiodinium readily acquired additional strains from environmental symbiont populations upon exposure, but exogenous uptake also decreased in frequency after 4 months of laboratory rearing. Early exposure to Symbiodinium may benefit laboratory-reared recruits (e.g., enhance growth), but the potential for establishing long-term novel symbiotic associations may be limited.

The ACE multi-user web-based Robotic Observatory Control System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mack, P.

2003-05-01

We have developed an observatory control system that can be operated in interactive, remote or robotic modes. In interactive and remote mode the observer typically acquires the first object then creates a script through a window interface to complete observations for the rest of the night. The system closes early in the event of bad weather. In robotic mode observations are submitted ahead of time through a web-based interface. We present observations made with a 1.0-m telescope using these methods.

Computing an optimal time window of audiovisual integration in focused attention tasks: illustrated by studies on effect of age and prior knowledge.

PubMed

Colonius, Hans; Diederich, Adele

2011-07-01

The concept of a "time window of integration" holds that information from different sensory modalities must not be perceived too far apart in time in order to be integrated into a multisensory perceptual event. Empirical estimates of window width differ widely, however, ranging from 40 to 600 ms depending on context and experimental paradigm. Searching for theoretical derivation of window width, Colonius and Diederich (Front Integr Neurosci 2010) developed a decision-theoretic framework using a decision rule that is based on the prior probability of a common source, the likelihood of temporal disparities between the unimodal signals, and the payoff for making right or wrong decisions. Here, this framework is extended to the focused attention task where subjects are asked to respond to signals from a target modality only. Evoking the framework of the time-window-of-integration (TWIN) model, an explicit expression for optimal window width is obtained. The approach is probed on two published focused attention studies. The first is a saccadic reaction time study assessing the efficiency with which multisensory integration varies as a function of aging. Although the window widths for young and older adults differ by nearly 200 ms, presumably due to their different peripheral processing speeds, neither of them deviates significantly from the optimal values. In the second study, head saccadic reactions times to a perfectly aligned audiovisual stimulus pair had been shown to depend on the prior probability of spatial alignment. Intriguingly, they reflected the magnitude of the time-window widths predicted by our decision-theoretic framework, i.e., a larger time window is associated with a higher prior probability.

Early holistic face-like processing of Arcimboldo paintings in the right occipito-temporal cortex: evidence from the N170 ERP component.

PubMed

Caharel, Stéphanie; Leleu, Arnaud; Bernard, Christian; Viggiano, Maria-Pia; Lalonde, Robert; Rebaï, Mohamed

2013-11-01

The properties of the face-sensitive N170 component of the event-related brain potential (ERP) were explored through an orientation discrimination task using natural faces, objects, and Arcimboldo paintings presented upright or inverted. Because Arcimboldo paintings are composed of non-face objects but have a global face configuration, they provide great control to disentangle high-level face-like or object-like visual processes at the level of the N170, and may help to examine the implication of each hemisphere in the global/holistic processing of face formats. For upright position, N170 amplitudes in the right occipito-temporal region did not differ between natural faces and Arcimboldo paintings but were larger for both of these categories than for objects, supporting the view that as early as the N170 time-window, the right hemisphere is involved in holistic perceptual processing of face-like configurations irrespective of their features. Conversely, in the left hemisphere, N170 amplitudes differed between Arcimboldo portraits and natural faces, suggesting that this hemisphere processes local facial features. For upside-down orientation in both hemispheres, N170 amplitudes did not differ between Arcimboldo paintings and objects, but were reduced for both categories compared to natural faces, indicating that the disruption of holistic processing with inversion leads to an object-like processing of Arcimboldo paintings due to the lack of local facial features. Overall, these results provide evidence that global/holistic perceptual processing of faces and face-like formats involves the right hemisphere as early as the N170 time-window, and that the local processing of face features is rather implemented in the left hemisphere. © 2013.

Effect of partial covering of the visitor viewing area window on positioning and orientation of zoo orangutans: A preference test.

PubMed

Bloomfield, Rachel C; Gillespie, Graeme R; Kerswell, Keven J; Butler, Kym L; Hemsworth, Paul H

2015-01-01

The window of the visitor viewing area adjacent to an animal platform in an orangutan enclosure was altered to produce three viewing treatments in a randomized controlled experiment. These treatments were window uncovered, left side of the window covered or right side of the window covered. Observations were conducted on the orangutans present on the platform, and on their location (left or right side), and orientation (towards or away from the window) while on the platform. The partial covering of the window had little effect on the proportion of time orangutans spent on the viewing platform, or on the direction they faced when on the platform. When the orangutans were facing towards the window, and the right side was uncovered, irrespective of whether the left side was covered, they spent about three quarters of the time on the right side, suggesting a preference for the right side of the platform. However, when the right side was covered and the left side uncovered, the animals facing towards the window spent only about a quarter of the time on the right side, that is, they spent more time on the uncovered side. The results suggest that the orangutans have a preference to position themselves to face the window of the visitor viewing area. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The study on achievement of motor milestones and associated factors among children in rural North India

PubMed Central

Gupta, Arti; Kalaivani, Mani; Gupta, Sanjeev Kumar; Rai, Sanjay K.; Nongkynrih, Baridalyne

2016-01-01

Background: Nearly 14% of children worldwide do not reach their developmental potential in early childhood. The early identification of delays in achieving milestones is critical. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed normal age ranges for the achievement of motor milestones by healthy children. This study aimed to assess the gross motor developmental achievements and associated factors among children in rural India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with rural children in North India. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data. The median age at the time of the highest observed milestone was calculated and compared with the WHO windows of achievement. Results: Overall, 221 children aged 4–18 months were included in the study. The median age of motor development exhibited a 0.1–2.1-month delay compared to the WHO median age of motor milestone achievement. The prevalence of the gross motor milestone achievements for each of the six milestones ranged from 91.6% to 98.4%. Developmental delay was observed in 6.3% of the children. After adjusting for different variables, children with birth order of second or more were found to be significantly associated with the timely achievement of gross motor milestones. Conclusion: The apparently healthy children of the rural area of Haryana achieved gross motor milestones with some delay with respect to the WHO windows of achievement. Although the median value of this delay was low, awareness campaigns should be implemented to promote timely identification of children with development delays. PMID:27843845

Morphosyntax can modulate the N400 component: Event related potentials to gender-marked post-nominal adjectives

PubMed Central

Guajardo, Lourdes F.; Wicha, Nicole Y. Y.

2014-01-01

Event-related potential studies of grammatical gender agreement often report a left anterior negativity (LAN) when agreement violations occur. Some studies have shown that during sentence comprehension gender violations can also interact with semantic processing to modulate a negativity associated with processing meaning – the N400. Given that the LAN and N400 overlap in time, they are identified by their scalp distributions and purported functional roles. Critically, grammatical gender violations also elicit a right posterior positivity that can overlap temporally with and potentially affect the scalp distribution of the LAN/N400. We measured the effect of grammatical gender violations in the LAN/N400 window and late positive component (LPC) during comprehension of Spanish sentences. A post-nominal adjective could either make sense or not, and either agree or disagree in gender with the preceding noun. We observed a negativity to gender agreement violations in the LAN/N400 window (300–500 ms post stimulus onset) that was smaller than the semantic-congruity N400, but overlapped with it in time and distribution. The early portion of the LPC to gender violations was modulated by sentence constraint, occurring as early as 450ms in highly constraining sentences. A subadditive interaction occurred at the later portion of the LPC with equivalent effects for single and double violations (gender and semantics), reflecting a general stage of reprocessing. Overall, our data support models of language comprehension whereby both semantic and morphosyntactic information can affect processing at similar time points. PMID:24462934

Morphosyntax can modulate the N400 component: event related potentials to gender-marked post-nominal adjectives.

PubMed

Guajardo, Lourdes F; Wicha, Nicole Y Y

2014-05-01

Event-related potential studies of grammatical gender agreement often report a left anterior negativity (LAN) when agreement violations occur. Some studies have shown that during sentence comprehension gender violations can also interact with semantic processing to modulate a negativity associated with processing meaning - the N400. Given that the LAN and N400 overlap in time, they are identified by their scalp distributions and purported functional roles. Critically, grammatical gender violations also elicit a right posterior positivity that can overlap temporally and potentially affect the scalp distribution of the LAN/N400. We measured the effect of grammatical gender violations in the LAN/N400 window and late positive component (LPC) during comprehension of Spanish sentences. A post-nominal adjective could either make sense or not, and either agree or disagree in gender with the preceding noun. We observed a negativity to gender agreement violations in the LAN/N400 window (300-500ms post stimulus onset) that was smaller than the semantic-congruity N400, but overlapped with it in time and distribution. The early portion of the LPC to gender violations was modulated by sentence constraint, occurring as early as 450ms in highly constraining sentences. A subadditive interaction occurred at the later portion of the LPC with equivalent effects for single and double violations (gender and semantics), reflecting a general stage of reprocessing. Overall, our data support models of language comprehension whereby both semantic and morphosyntactic information can affect processing at similar time points. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

KSC-97PC972

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-07-01

STS-94 Payload Specialist Roger K. Crouch prepares to enter the Space Shuttle Columbia at Launch Pad 39A in preparation for launch. He is the Chief Scientist of the NASA Microgravity Space and Applications Division. He also has served as a Program Scientist for previous Spacelab microgravity missions and is an expert in semiconductor crystal growth. Since Crouch has more than 25 years of experience as a materials scientist, he will be concentrating on the five physics of materials processing experiments in the Middeck Glovebox Facility on the Blue shift. He will also share the workload with Thomas by monitoring the materials furnace experiments during this time. Crouch and six fellow crew members will lift off during a launch window that opens at 1:50 p.m. EDT, July 1. The launch window will open 47 minutes early to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reach the space center

Information transfer across intra/inter-structure of CDS and stock markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Kyuseong; Kim, Sehyun; Kim, Soo Yong

2017-11-01

We investigate the information flow between industrial sectors in credit default swap and stock markets in the United States based on transfer entropy. Both markets have been studied with respect to dynamics and relations. Our approach considers the intra-structure of each financial market as well as the inter-structure between two markets through a moving window in order to scan a period from 2005 to 2012. We examine the information transfer with different k, especially k = 3, k = 5 and k = 7. Analysis indicates that the cases with k = 3 and k = 7 show the opposite trends but similar characteristics. Change in transfer entropy for intra-structure of CDS market precedes that of stock market in view of the entire time windows. Abrupt rise and fall in inter-structural information transfer between two markets are detected at the periods related to the financial crises, which can be considered as early warnings.

Converging Intracranial Markers of Conscious Access

PubMed Central

Gaillard, Raphaël; Dehaene, Stanislas; Adam, Claude; Clémenceau, Stéphane; Hasboun, Dominique; Baulac, Michel; Cohen, Laurent; Naccache, Lionel

2009-01-01

We compared conscious and nonconscious processing of briefly flashed words using a visual masking procedure while recording intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) in ten patients. Nonconscious processing of masked words was observed in multiple cortical areas, mostly within an early time window (<300 ms), accompanied by induced gamma-band activity, but without coherent long-distance neural activity, suggesting a quickly dissipating feedforward wave. In contrast, conscious processing of unmasked words was characterized by the convergence of four distinct neurophysiological markers: sustained voltage changes, particularly in prefrontal cortex, large increases in spectral power in the gamma band, increases in long-distance phase synchrony in the beta range, and increases in long-range Granger causality. We argue that all of those measures provide distinct windows into the same distributed state of conscious processing. These results have a direct impact on current theoretical discussions concerning the neural correlates of conscious access. PMID:19296722

Gidzenko in front of flight deck windows

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-03-12

STS102-E-5138 (12 March 2001) --- Cosmonaut Yuri P. Gidzenko, now a member of the STS-102 crew, on Discovery's flight deck. Lake Nasser, in Egypt, can be seen through the overhead flight deck window in the background. Gidzenko, representing Rosaviakosmos, had been onboard the International Space Station (ISS) since early November 2000. The photograph was taken with a digital still camera.

Real-Time Social Data Collection in Rural Bangladesh via a ‘Microtasks for Micropayments’ Platform on Android Smartphones

PubMed Central

Ward, Patrick S.; Killilea, Mary E.; Tamal, Md. Ehsanul Haque

2016-01-01

The advent of cheap smartphones in rural areas across the globe presents an opportunity to change the mode with which researchers engage hard-to-reach populations. In particular, smartphones allow researchers to connect with respondents more frequently than standard household surveys, opening a new window into important short-term variability in key measures of household and community wellbeing. In this paper, we present early results from a pilot study in rural Bangladesh using a ‘microtasks for micropayments’ model to collect a range of community and household living standards data using Android smartphones. We find that more frequent task repetition with shorter recall periods leads to more inclusive reporting, improved capture of intra-seasonal variability, and earlier signals of events such as illness. Payments in the form of mobile talk time and data provide a positive development externality in the form of expanded access to mobile internet and social networks. Taken to scale, programs such as this have potential to transform data collection in rural areas, providing near-real-time windows into the development of markets, the spread of illnesses, or the diffusion of ideas and innovations. PMID:27832116

Real-Time Social Data Collection in Rural Bangladesh via a 'Microtasks for Micropayments' Platform on Android Smartphones.

PubMed

Bell, Andrew Reid; Ward, Patrick S; Killilea, Mary E; Tamal, Md Ehsanul Haque

2016-01-01

The advent of cheap smartphones in rural areas across the globe presents an opportunity to change the mode with which researchers engage hard-to-reach populations. In particular, smartphones allow researchers to connect with respondents more frequently than standard household surveys, opening a new window into important short-term variability in key measures of household and community wellbeing. In this paper, we present early results from a pilot study in rural Bangladesh using a 'microtasks for micropayments' model to collect a range of community and household living standards data using Android smartphones. We find that more frequent task repetition with shorter recall periods leads to more inclusive reporting, improved capture of intra-seasonal variability, and earlier signals of events such as illness. Payments in the form of mobile talk time and data provide a positive development externality in the form of expanded access to mobile internet and social networks. Taken to scale, programs such as this have potential to transform data collection in rural areas, providing near-real-time windows into the development of markets, the spread of illnesses, or the diffusion of ideas and innovations.

Reading aloud in Persian: ERP evidence for an early locus of the masked onset priming effect.

PubMed

Timmer, Kalinka; Vahid-Gharavi, Narges; Schiller, Niels O

2012-07-01

The current study investigates reading aloud words in Persian, a language that does not mark all its vowels in the script. Behaviorally, a masked onset priming effect (MOPE) was revealed for transparent words, with faster speech onset latencies in the phoneme-matching condition (i.e. phonological prime and target onset overlap; e.g. [symbol: see text] /sɒːl/; 'year' [symbol: see text] /sot/; 'voice') than the phoneme-mismatching condition (e.g. [symbol: see text] /tɒːb/ 'swing' - [symbol: see text] /sot/; 'voice'). For opaque target words (e.g. [symbol: see text] /solh/; 'peace'), no such effect was found. However, event-related potentials (ERPs) did reveal an amplitude difference between the two prime conditions in the 80-160 ms time window for transparent as well as opaque words. Only for the former, this effect continued into the 300-480 ms time window. This finding constrains the time course of the MOPE and suggests the simultaneous activation of both the non-lexical grapheme-to-phoneme and the lexical route in the dual-route cascaded (DRC) model. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A general method to determine sampling windows for nonlinear mixed effects models with an application to population pharmacokinetic studies.

PubMed

Foo, Lee Kien; McGree, James; Duffull, Stephen

2012-01-01

Optimal design methods have been proposed to determine the best sampling times when sparse blood sampling is required in clinical pharmacokinetic studies. However, the optimal blood sampling time points may not be feasible in clinical practice. Sampling windows, a time interval for blood sample collection, have been proposed to provide flexibility in blood sampling times while preserving efficient parameter estimation. Because of the complexity of the population pharmacokinetic models, which are generally nonlinear mixed effects models, there is no analytical solution available to determine sampling windows. We propose a method for determination of sampling windows based on MCMC sampling techniques. The proposed method attains a stationary distribution rapidly and provides time-sensitive windows around the optimal design points. The proposed method is applicable to determine sampling windows for any nonlinear mixed effects model although our work focuses on an application to population pharmacokinetic models. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dual-window dual-bandwidth spectroscopic optical coherence tomography metric for qualitative scatterer size differentiation in tissues.

PubMed

Tay, Benjamin Chia-Meng; Chow, Tzu-Hao; Ng, Beng-Koon; Loh, Thomas Kwok-Seng

2012-09-01

This study investigates the autocorrelation bandwidths of dual-window (DW) optical coherence tomography (OCT) k-space scattering profile of different-sized microspheres and their correlation to scatterer size. A dual-bandwidth spectroscopic metric defined as the ratio of the 10% to 90% autocorrelation bandwidths is found to change monotonically with microsphere size and gives the best contrast enhancement for scatterer size differentiation in the resulting spectroscopic image. A simulation model supports the experimental results and revealed a tradeoff between the smallest detectable scatterer size and the maximum scatterer size in the linear range of the dual-window dual-bandwidth (DWDB) metric, which depends on the choice of the light source optical bandwidth. Spectroscopic OCT (SOCT) images of microspheres and tonsil tissue samples based on the proposed DWDB metric showed clear differentiation between different-sized scatterers as compared to those derived from conventional short-time Fourier transform metrics. The DWDB metric significantly improves the contrast in SOCT imaging and can aid the visualization and identification of dissimilar scatterer size in a sample. Potential applications include the early detection of cell nuclear changes in tissue carcinogenesis, the monitoring of healing tendons, and cell proliferation in tissue scaffolds.

Cross-modal integration of polyphonic characters in Chinese audio-visual sentences: a MVPA study based on functional connectivity.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhengyi; Zhang, Gaoyan; Zhang, Yuanyuan; Liu, Hong; Xu, Junhai; Liu, Baolin

2017-12-01

This study aimed to investigate the functional connectivity in the brain during the cross-modal integration of polyphonic characters in Chinese audio-visual sentences. The visual sentences were all semantically reasonable and the audible pronunciations of the polyphonic characters in corresponding sentences contexts varied in four conditions. To measure the functional connectivity, correlation, coherence and phase synchronization index (PSI) were used, and then multivariate pattern analysis was performed to detect the consensus functional connectivity patterns. These analyses were confined in the time windows of three event-related potential components of P200, N400 and late positive shift (LPS) to investigate the dynamic changes of the connectivity patterns at different cognitive stages. We found that when differentiating the polyphonic characters with abnormal pronunciations from that with the appreciate ones in audio-visual sentences, significant classification results were obtained based on the coherence in the time window of the P200 component, the correlation in the time window of the N400 component and the coherence and PSI in the time window the LPS component. Moreover, the spatial distributions in these time windows were also different, with the recruitment of frontal sites in the time window of the P200 component, the frontal-central-parietal regions in the time window of the N400 component and the central-parietal sites in the time window of the LPS component. These findings demonstrate that the functional interaction mechanisms are different at different stages of audio-visual integration of polyphonic characters.

The initial antibody response to HIV-1: induction of ineffective early B cell responses against GP41 by the transmitted/founder virus

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

Chavez, Leslie L; Perelson, Alan

2008-01-01

A window of opportunity for immune responses to extinguish HIV -1 exists from the moment of transmission through establishment of the latent pool of HIV -I-infected cells. A critical time to study the initial immune responses to the transmitted/founder virus is the eclipse phase of HIV-1 infection (time from transmission to the first appearance of plasma virus) but, to date, this period has been logistically difficult to analyze. Studies in non-human primates challenged with chimeric simianhuman immunodeficiency virus have shown that neutralizing antibodies, when present at the time of infection, can prevent virus infection.

A multimodal logistics service network design with time windows and environmental concerns

PubMed Central

Zhang, Dezhi; He, Runzhong; Wang, Zhongwei

2017-01-01

The design of a multimodal logistics service network with customer service time windows and environmental costs is an important and challenging issue. Accordingly, this work established a model to minimize the total cost of multimodal logistics service network design with time windows and environmental concerns. The proposed model incorporates CO2 emission costs to determine the optimal transportation mode combinations and investment selections for transfer nodes, which consider transport cost, transport time, carbon emission, and logistics service time window constraints. Furthermore, genetic and heuristic algorithms are proposed to set up the abovementioned optimal model. A numerical example is provided to validate the model and the abovementioned two algorithms. Then, comparisons of the performance of the two algorithms are provided. Finally, this work investigates the effects of the logistics service time windows and CO2 emission taxes on the optimal solution. Several important management insights are obtained. PMID:28934272

A multimodal logistics service network design with time windows and environmental concerns.

PubMed

Zhang, Dezhi; He, Runzhong; Li, Shuangyan; Wang, Zhongwei

2017-01-01

The design of a multimodal logistics service network with customer service time windows and environmental costs is an important and challenging issue. Accordingly, this work established a model to minimize the total cost of multimodal logistics service network design with time windows and environmental concerns. The proposed model incorporates CO2 emission costs to determine the optimal transportation mode combinations and investment selections for transfer nodes, which consider transport cost, transport time, carbon emission, and logistics service time window constraints. Furthermore, genetic and heuristic algorithms are proposed to set up the abovementioned optimal model. A numerical example is provided to validate the model and the abovementioned two algorithms. Then, comparisons of the performance of the two algorithms are provided. Finally, this work investigates the effects of the logistics service time windows and CO2 emission taxes on the optimal solution. Several important management insights are obtained.

Is human sentence parsing serial or parallel? Evidence from event-related brain potentials.

PubMed

Hopf, Jens-Max; Bader, Markus; Meng, Michael; Bayer, Josef

2003-01-01

In this ERP study we investigate the processes that occur in syntactically ambiguous German sentences at the point of disambiguation. Whereas most psycholinguistic theories agree on the view that processing difficulties arise when parsing preferences are disconfirmed (so-called garden-path effects), important differences exist with respect to theoretical assumptions about the parser's recovery from a misparse. A key distinction can be made between parsers that compute all alternative syntactic structures in parallel (parallel parsers) and parsers that compute only a single preferred analysis (serial parsers). To distinguish empirically between parallel and serial parsing models, we compare ERP responses to garden-path sentences with ERP responses to truly ungrammatical sentences. Garden-path sentences contain a temporary and ultimately curable ungrammaticality, whereas truly ungrammatical sentences remain so permanently--a difference which gives rise to different predictions in the two classes of parsing architectures. At the disambiguating word, ERPs in both sentence types show negative shifts of similar onset latency, amplitude, and scalp distribution in an initial time window between 300 and 500 ms. In a following time window (500-700 ms), the negative shift to garden-path sentences disappears at right central parietal sites, while it continues in permanently ungrammatical sentences. These data are taken as evidence for a strictly serial parser. The absence of a difference in the early time window indicates that temporary and permanent ungrammaticalities trigger the same kind of parsing responses. Later differences can be related to successful reanalysis in garden-path but not in ungrammatical sentences. Copyright 2003 Elsevier Science B.V.

Iterated local search algorithm for solving the orienteering problem with soft time windows.

PubMed

Aghezzaf, Brahim; Fahim, Hassan El

2016-01-01

In this paper we study the orienteering problem with time windows (OPTW) and the impact of relaxing the time windows on the profit collected by the vehicle. The way of relaxing time windows adopted in the orienteering problem with soft time windows (OPSTW) that we study in this research is a late service relaxation that allows linearly penalized late services to customers. We solve this problem heuristically by considering a hybrid iterated local search. The results of the computational study show that the proposed approach is able to achieve promising solutions on the OPTW test instances available in the literature, one new best solution is found. On the newly generated test instances of the OPSTW, the results show that the profit collected by the OPSTW is better than the profit collected by the OPTW.

Confidence interval estimation of the difference between two sensitivities to the early disease stage.

PubMed

Dong, Tuochuan; Kang, Le; Hutson, Alan; Xiong, Chengjie; Tian, Lili

2014-03-01

Although most of the statistical methods for diagnostic studies focus on disease processes with binary disease status, many diseases can be naturally classified into three ordinal diagnostic categories, that is normal, early stage, and fully diseased. For such diseases, the volume under the ROC surface (VUS) is the most commonly used index of diagnostic accuracy. Because the early disease stage is most likely the optimal time window for therapeutic intervention, the sensitivity to the early diseased stage has been suggested as another diagnostic measure. For the purpose of comparing the diagnostic abilities on early disease detection between two markers, it is of interest to estimate the confidence interval of the difference between sensitivities to the early diseased stage. In this paper, we present both parametric and non-parametric methods for this purpose. An extensive simulation study is carried out for a variety of settings for the purpose of evaluating and comparing the performance of the proposed methods. A real example of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is analyzed using the proposed approaches. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A chronometric exploration of high-resolution 'sensitive TMS masking' effects on subjective and objective measures of vision.

PubMed

de Graaf, Tom A; Herring, Jim; Sack, Alexander T

2011-03-01

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can induce masking by interfering with ongoing neural activity in early visual cortex. Previous work has explored the chronometry of occipital involvement in vision by using single pulses of TMS with high temporal resolution. However, conventionally TMS intensities have been high and the only measure used to evaluate masking was objective in nature. Recent studies have begun to incorporate subjective measures of vision, alongside objective ones. The current study goes beyond previous work in two regards. First, we explored both objective vision (an orientation discrimination task) and subjective vision (a stimulus visibility rating on a four-point scale), across a wide range of time windows with high temporal resolution. Second, we used a very sensitive TMS-masking paradigm: stimulation was at relatively low TMS intensities, with a figure-8 coil, and the small stimulus was difficult to discriminate already at baseline level. We hypothesized that this should increase the effective temporal resolution of our paradigm. Perhaps for this reason, we are able to report a rather interesting masking curve. Within the classical-masking time window, previously reported to encompass broad SOAs anywhere between 60 and 120 ms, we report not one, but at least two dips in objective performance, with no masking in-between. The subjective measure of vision did not mirror this pattern. These preliminary data from our exploratory design suggest that, with sensitive TMS masking, we might be able to reveal visual processes in early visual cortex previously unreported.

Word and pseudoword superiority effects reflected in the ERP waveform

PubMed Central

Coch, Donna; Mitra, Priya

2010-01-01

A variant of the Reicher-Wheeler task was used to determine when in the event-related potential (ERP) waveform indices of word and pseudoword superiority effects might be present, and whether ERP measures of superiority effects correlated with standardized behavioral measures of orthographic fluency and single word reading. ERPs were recorded to briefly presented, masked letter strings that included real words (DARK/PARK), pseudowords (DARL/PARL), nonwords (RDKA/RPKA), and letter-in-xs (DXXX, PXXX) stimuli. Participants decided which of two letters occurred at a given position in the string (here, forced-choice alternatives D and P). Behaviorally, both word (more accurate choices for letters in words than in baseline nonwords or letter-in-xs) and pseudoword (more accurate choices for letters in pseudowords than in baseline conditions) superiority effects were observed. Electrophysiologically, effects of orthographic regularity and familiarity were apparent as early as the P150 time window (100–160 ms), an effect of lexicality was observed as early as the N200 time window (160–200 ms), and peak amplitude of the N300 and N400 also differentiated word and pseudoword as compared to baseline stimuli. Further, the size of the P150 and N400 ERP word superiority effects was related to standardized behavioral measures of fluency and reading. Results suggest that orthographic fluency is reflected in both lower-level, sublexical, perceptual processing and higher-level, lexical processing in fluently reading adults. PMID:20211607

A note on windowing for the waveform relaxation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Hong

1994-01-01

The technique of windowing has been often used in the implementation of the waveform relaxations for solving ODE's or time dependent PDE's. Its efficiency depends upon problem stiffness and operator splitting. Using model problems, the estimates for window length and convergence rate are derived. The electiveness of windowing is then investigated for non-stiff and stiff cases respectively. lt concludes that for the former, windowing is highly recommended when a large discrepancy exists between the convergence rate on a time interval and the ones on its subintervals. For the latter, windowing does not provide any computational advantage if machine features are disregarded. The discussion is supported by experimental results.

Real-time monitoring of a coffee roasting process with near infrared spectroscopy using multivariate statistical analysis: A feasibility study.

PubMed

Catelani, Tiago A; Santos, João Rodrigo; Páscoa, Ricardo N M J; Pezza, Leonardo; Pezza, Helena R; Lopes, João A

2018-03-01

This work proposes the use of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in diffuse reflectance mode and multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) based on principal component analysis (PCA) for real-time monitoring of the coffee roasting process. The main objective was the development of a MSPC methodology able to early detect disturbances to the roasting process resourcing to real-time acquisition of NIR spectra. A total of fifteen roasting batches were defined according to an experimental design to develop the MSPC models. This methodology was tested on a set of five batches where disturbances of different nature were imposed to simulate real faulty situations. Some of these batches were used to optimize the model while the remaining was used to test the methodology. A modelling strategy based on a time sliding window provided the best results in terms of distinguishing batches with and without disturbances, resourcing to typical MSPC charts: Hotelling's T 2 and squared predicted error statistics. A PCA model encompassing a time window of four minutes with three principal components was able to efficiently detect all disturbances assayed. NIR spectroscopy combined with the MSPC approach proved to be an adequate auxiliary tool for coffee roasters to detect faults in a conventional roasting process in real-time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Night-time naturally ventilated offices: Statistical simulations of window-use patterns from field monitoring

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

Yun, Geun Young; Steemers, Koen

2010-07-15

This paper investigates occupant behaviour of window-use in night-time naturally ventilated offices on the basis of a pilot field study, conducted during the summers of 2006 and 2007 in Cambridge, UK, and then demonstrates the effects of employing night-time ventilation on indoor thermal conditions using predictive models of occupant window-use. A longitudinal field study shows that occupants make good use of night-time natural ventilation strategies when provided with openings that allow secure ventilation, and that there is a noticeable time of day effect in window-use patterns (i.e. increased probability of action on arrival and departure). We develop logistic models ofmore » window-use for night-time naturally ventilated offices, which are subsequently applied to a behaviour algorithm, including Markov chains and Monte Carlo methods. The simulations using the behaviour algorithm demonstrate a good agreement with the observational data of window-use, and reveal how building design and occupant behaviour collectively affect the thermal performance of offices. They illustrate that the provision of secure ventilation leads to more frequent use of the window, and thus contributes significantly to the achievement of a comfortable indoor environment during the daytime occupied period. For example, the maximum temperature for a night-time ventilated office is found to be 3 C below the predicted value for a daytime-only ventilated office. (author)« less

A Numerical Study of the Thermal Characteristics of an Air Cavity Formed by Window Sashes in a Double Window

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Jae-sik; Oh, Eun-Joo; Bae, Min-Jung; Song, Doo-Sam

2017-12-01

Given that the Korean government is implementing what has been termed the energy standards and labelling program for windows, window companies will be required to assign window ratings based on the experimental results of their product. Because this has added to the cost and time required for laboratory tests by window companies, the simulation system for the thermal performance of windows has been prepared to compensate for time and cost burdens. In Korea, a simulator is usually used to calculate the thermal performance of a window through WINDOW/THERM, complying with ISO 15099. For a single window, the simulation results are similar to experimental results. A double window is also calculated using the same method, but the calculation results for this type of window are unreliable. ISO 15099 should not recommend the calculation of the thermal properties of an air cavity between window sashes in a double window. This causes a difference between simulation and experimental results pertaining to the thermal performance of a double window. In this paper, the thermal properties of air cavities between window sashes in a double window are analyzed through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with the results compared to calculation results certified by ISO 15099. The surface temperature of the air cavity analyzed by CFD is compared to the experimental temperatures. These results show that an appropriate calculation method for an air cavity between window sashes in a double window should be established for reliable thermal performance results for a double window.

A call for science preparedness for pregnant women during public health emergencies.

PubMed

Faherty, Laura J; Rasmussen, Sonja A; Lurie, Nicole

2017-01-01

Science preparedness, or the ability to conduct scientific research early in a public health emergency, is essential to increase the likelihood that important research questions regarding pregnant women will be addressed during future public health emergencies while the window of opportunity for data collection is open. Science preparedness should include formulation and human subject approval of generic protocols, which could be rapidly updated at the time of the public health emergency; development of a preexisting study network to coordinate time-sensitive research during a public health emergency; and identification of mechanisms for funding these studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Process Flow Features as a Host-Based Event Knowledge Representation

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-14

an executing process during a window of time called a process flow. Process flows are calculated from key process data structures extracted from...for Cluster 98. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 4.9. Davies- Boldin Dunn Index Sliding Window 5 on Windows 7...82 4.10. Davies- Boldin Dunn Index Sliding Window 10 on Windows 7 . 83 4.11. Davies- Boldin Dunn Index Sliding Window 20 on Windows 7 . 83 ix List of

A window on first-stars models from studies of dwarf galaxies and galactic halo stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkatesan, Aparna

2018-06-01

Dwarf galaxies dominate the local universe by number and are predicted to be even more dominant at early times, with many having large star formation rates per unit mass. The cosmological role of dwarf galaxies in the metal enrichment and the reionization of the universe is an important but unresolved problem at present. Nearby low-mass galaxies are much more accessible observationally for detailed study and may be local analogs of the types of galaxies that hosted the first-light sources relevant for reionization. I will share recent results on UV studies of the escaping radiation from nearby low-mass starforming galaxies, as well as the tantalizing similarities in element abundance patterns between local dwarf galaxies and the latest data compilations on extremely metal-poor stars in galactic halos. I will highlight trends of interest in a variety of individual elements at values of [Fe/H] between -7 and -3, including alpha-elements, elements originating mostly in intermediate-mass stars, lithium, titanium, and r-process elements. These trends constrain not only models of the first stars and their supernovae, but provide a window into the physical conditions in early galaxies and when metal-free star formation may have ceased in the early universe.This work was supported by the University of San Francisco Faculty Development Fund, and NSF grant AST-1637339. We thank the Aspen Center for Physics, where some of this work was conducted, and which is supported by National Science Foundation grant PHY-1607611.

Is Latency to Test Deadline a Predictor of Student Test Performance?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landrum, R. Eric; Gurung, Regan A. R.

2013-01-01

When students are given a period or window of time to take an exam, is taking an exam earlier in the window (high latency to deadline) related to test scores? In Study 1, students (n = 236) were given windows of time to take online each of 13 quizzes and 4 exams. In Study 2, students (n = 251) similarly took 4 exams online within a test window. In…

Microenvironments and Signaling Pathways Regulating Early Dissemination, Dormancy, and Metastasis

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

all these cell types in all tissues and we have used intravital imaging to document intravasation in early cancer lesions (see also partnering PI...report we showed how we optimized a mammary gland imaging window to perform intravital imaging and detect P-TMEM function during early stages of...MECs) assemble primary Tumor Microenvironment of Metastasis structures (P-TMEM) during early dissemination. SA1.1. Objective: Use intravital

Sliding-window analysis tracks fluctuations in amygdala functional connectivity associated with physiological arousal and vigilance during fear conditioning.

PubMed

Baczkowski, Blazej M; Johnstone, Tom; Walter, Henrik; Erk, Susanne; Veer, Ilya M

2017-06-01

We evaluated whether sliding-window analysis can reveal functionally relevant brain network dynamics during a well-established fear conditioning paradigm. To this end, we tested if fMRI fluctuations in amygdala functional connectivity (FC) can be related to task-induced changes in physiological arousal and vigilance, as reflected in the skin conductance level (SCL). Thirty-two healthy individuals participated in the study. For the sliding-window analysis we used windows that were shifted by one volume at a time. Amygdala FC was calculated for each of these windows. Simultaneously acquired SCL time series were averaged over time frames that corresponded to the sliding-window FC analysis, which were subsequently regressed against the whole-brain seed-based amygdala sliding-window FC using the GLM. Surrogate time series were generated to test whether connectivity dynamics could have occurred by chance. In addition, results were contrasted against static amygdala FC and sliding-window FC of the primary visual cortex, which was chosen as a control seed, while a physio-physiological interaction (PPI) was performed as cross-validation. During periods of increased SCL, the left amygdala became more strongly coupled with the bilateral insula and anterior cingulate cortex, core areas of the salience network. The sliding-window analysis yielded a connectivity pattern that was unlikely to have occurred by chance, was spatially distinct from static amygdala FC and from sliding-window FC of the primary visual cortex, but was highly comparable to that of the PPI analysis. We conclude that sliding-window analysis can reveal functionally relevant fluctuations in connectivity in the context of an externally cued task. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Judicious use of biologicals in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

PubMed

Zhao, Yongdong; Wallace, Carol

2014-11-01

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that may cause joint destruction. Biological treatments targeting specific cytokines and cell interactions have transformed the outcomes of JIA. This review focuses on the selection of patients for and the timing and selection of biological treatment in JIA. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors remain the first choice for polyarticular JIA, followed by abatacept and tocilizumab. Monoclonal-antibody TNF inhibitors and abatacept are usually chosen for methotrexate-resistant uveitis. Recent clinical trials of canakinumab, rilonacept, and tocilizumab have obtained great improvement in both systemic and arthritic features in chronic systemic JIA patients. Current guidelines support the early use of a short-acting IL-1 antagonist for macrophage activation syndrome, a life-threatening complication. TREAT and ACUTE studies suggest that a therapeutic window of opportunity during early disease may exist in JIA. Early initiation of biological therapy may be associated with slower progression of joint damage and longer remission.

Computed Tomography Window Blending: Feasibility in Thoracic Trauma.

PubMed

Mandell, Jacob C; Wortman, Jeremy R; Rocha, Tatiana C; Folio, Les R; Andriole, Katherine P; Khurana, Bharti

2018-02-07

This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of processing computed tomography (CT) images with a custom window blending algorithm that combines soft-tissue, bone, and lung window settings into a single image; to compare the time for interpretation of chest CT for thoracic trauma with window blending and conventional window settings; and to assess diagnostic performance of both techniques. Adobe Photoshop was scripted to process axial DICOM images from retrospective contrast-enhanced chest CTs performed for trauma with a window-blending algorithm. Two emergency radiologists independently interpreted the axial images from 103 chest CTs with both blended and conventional windows. Interpretation time and diagnostic performance were compared with Wilcoxon signed-rank test and McNemar test, respectively. Agreement with Nexus CT Chest injury severity was assessed with the weighted kappa statistic. A total of 13,295 images were processed without error. Interpretation was faster with window blending, resulting in a 20.3% time saving (P < .001), with no difference in diagnostic performance, within the power of the study to detect a difference in sensitivity of 5% as determined by post hoc power analysis. The sensitivity of the window-blended cases was 82.7%, compared to 81.6% for conventional windows. The specificity of the window-blended cases was 93.1%, compared to 90.5% for conventional windows. All injuries of major clinical significance (per Nexus CT Chest criteria) were correctly identified in all reading sessions, and all negative cases were correctly classified. All readers demonstrated near-perfect agreement with injury severity classification with both window settings. In this pilot study utilizing retrospective data, window blending allows faster preliminary interpretation of axial chest CT performed for trauma, with no significant difference in diagnostic performance compared to conventional window settings. Future studies would be required to assess the utility of window blending in clinical practice. Copyright © 2018 The Association of University Radiologists. All rights reserved.

Divorce and Death: Forty Years of the Charleston Heart Study

PubMed Central

Nietert, Paul J.

2010-01-01

Forty years of follow-up data from the Charleston Heart Study (CHS) were used to examine the risk for early mortality associated with marital separation or divorce in a sample of over 1,300 adults assessed on several occasions between 1960 and 2000. Participants who were separated or divorced at study inception evidenced significantly higher rates of early mortality, and these results held after adjusting for baseline health status and other demographic variables. Being separated or divorced throughout the CHS follow-up window was one of the strongest predictors of early mortality. However, the excess mortality risk associated with remaining separated/divorced was completely eliminated when participants were re-classified as having ever experienced a marital separation or divorce. These findings suggest a key determinant of early death is the amount of time people live as separated or divorced and/or dimensions of personality that predict divorce as well as a decreased likelihood of future remarriage. PMID:19076315

Deep tissue imaging of microfracture and non-displaced fracture of bone using the second and third near-infrared therapeutic windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sordillo, Laura A.; Pu, Yang; Sordillo, P. P.; Budansky, Yury; Alfano, Robert R.

2014-03-01

Near-infrared (NIR) light in the wavelengths of 700 nm to 2,000 nm has three NIR optical, or therapeutic, windows, which allow for deeper depth penetration in scattering tissue media. Microfractures secondary to repetitive stress, particularly in the lower extremities, are an important problem for military recruits and athletes. They also frequently occur in the elderly, or in patients taking bisphosphonates or denosumab. Microfractures can be early predictors of a major bone fracture. Using the second and third NIR therapeutic windows, we investigated the results from images of chicken bone and human tibial bone with microfractures and non-displaced fractures with and without overlying tissues of various thicknesses. Images of bone with microfractures and non-displaced fractures with tissue show scattering photons in the third NIR window with wavelengths between 1,650 nm and 1,870 nm are diminished and absorption is increased slightly from and second NIR windows. Results from images of fractured bones show the attenuation length of light through tissue in the third optical window to be larger than in the second therapeutic window. Use of these windows may aid in the detection of bone microfractures, and thus reduce the incidence of major bone fracture in susceptible groups.

Detection of apnea using a short-window FFT technique and an artificial neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waldemark, Karina E.; Agehed, Kenneth I.; Lindblad, Thomas; Waldemark, Joakim T. A.

1998-03-01

Sleep apnea is characterized by frequent prolonged interruptions of breathing during sleep. This syndrome causes severe sleep disorders and is often responsible for development of other diseases such as heart problems, high blood pressure and daytime fatigue, etc. After diagnosis, sleep apnea is often successfully treated by applying positive air pressure (CPAP) to the mouth and nose. Although effective, the (CPAP) equipment takes up a lot of space and the connected mask causes a lot of inconvenience for the patients. This raised interest in developing new techniques for treatment of sleep apnea syndrome. Several studies have indicated that electrical stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve and muscle in the tongue may be a useful method for treating patients with severe sleep apnea. In order to be able to successfully prevent the occurrence of apnea it is necessary to have some technique for early and fast on-line detection or prediction of the apnea events. This paper suggests using measurements of respiratory airflow (mouth temperature). The signal processing for this task includes the use of a short window FFT technique and uses an artificial back propagation neural net to model or predict the occurrence of apneas. The results show that early detection of respiratory interruption is possible and that the delay time for this is small.

Gravitational Waves and Multi-Messenger Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Centrella, Joan M.

2010-01-01

Gravitational waves are produced by a wide variety of sources throughout the cosmos, including the mergers of black hole and neutron star binaries/compact objects spiraling into central black holes in galactic nuclei, close compact binaries/and phase transitions and quantum fluctuations in the early universe. Observing these signals can bring new, and often very precise, information about their sources across vast stretches of cosmic time. In this talk we will focus on thee opening of this gravitational-wave window on the universe, highlighting new opportunities for discovery and multi-messenger astronomy.

Quantum gravity extension of the inflationary scenario.

PubMed

Agullo, Ivan; Ashtekar, Abhay; Nelson, William

2012-12-21

Since the standard inflationary paradigm is based on quantum field theory on classical space-times, it excludes the Planck era. Using techniques from loop quantum gravity, the paradigm is extended to a self-consistent theory from the Planck scale to the onset of slow roll inflation, covering some 11 orders of magnitude in energy density and curvature. This preinflationary dynamics also opens a small window for novel effects, e.g., a source for non-Gaussianities, which could extend the reach of cosmological observations to the deep Planck regime of the early Universe.

Location of early aftershocks of the 2004 Mid-Niigata Prefecture Earthquake (M = 6.8) in central Japan using seismogram envelopes as templates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosuga, M.

2013-12-01

The location of early aftershocks is very important to obtain information of mainshock fault, however, it is often difficult due to the long-lasting coda wave of mainshock and successive occurrence of afterrshocks. To overcome this difficulty, we developed a method of location using seismogram envelopes as templates, and applied the method to the early aftershock sequence of the 2004 Mid-Niigata Prefecture (Chuetsu) Earthquake (M = 6.8) in central Japan. The location method composes of three processes. The first process is the calculation of cross-correlation coefficients between a continuous (target) and template envelopes. We prepare envelopes by taking the logarithm of root-mean-squared amplitude of band-pass filtered seismograms. We perform the calculation by shifting the time window to obtain a set of cross-correlation values for each template. The second process is the event detection (selection of template) and magnitude estimate. We search for the events in descending order of cross-correlation in a time window excluding the dead times around the previously detected events. Magnitude is calculated by the amplitude ratio of target and template envelopes. The third process is the relative event location to the selected template. We applied this method to the Chuetsu earthquake, a large inland earthquake with extensive aftershock activity. The number of detected events depends on the number of templates, frequency range, and the threshold value of cross-correlation. We set the threshold as 0.5 by referring to the histogram of cross-correlation. During a period of one-hour from the mainshock, we could detect more events than the JMA catalog. The location of events is generally near the catalog location. Though we should improve the methods of relative location and magnitude estimate, we conclude that the proposed method works adequately even just after the mainshock of large inland earthquake. Acknowledgement: We thank JMA, NIED, and the University of Tokyo for providing arrival time data, and waveform data. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 23540487.

Early direct-injection, low-temperature combustion of diesel fuel in an optical engine utilizing a 15-hole, dual-row, narrow-included-angle nozzle.

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

Gehrke, Christopher R.; Radovanovic, Michael S.; Milam, David M.

2008-04-01

Low-temperature combustion of diesel fuel was studied in a heavy-duty, single-cylinder optical engine employing a 15-hole, dual-row, narrow-included-angle nozzle (10 holes x 70/mD and 5 holes x 35/mD) with 103-/gmm-diameter orifices. This nozzle configuration provided the spray targeting necessary to contain the direct-injected diesel fuel within the piston bowl for injection timings as early as 70/mD before top dead center. Spray-visualization movies, acquired using a high-speed camera, show that impingement of liquid fuel on the piston surface can result when the in-cylinder temperature and density at the time of injection are sufficiently low. Seven single- and two-parameter sweeps around amore » 4.82-bar gross indicated mean effective pressure load point were performed to map the sensitivity of the combustion and emissions to variations in injection timing, injection pressure, equivalence ratio, simulated exhaust-gas recirculation, intake temperature, intake boost pressure, and load. High-speed movies of natural luminosity were acquired by viewing through a window in the cylinder wall and through a window in the piston to provide quasi-3D information about the combustion process. These movies revealed that advanced combustion phasing resulted in intense pool fires within the piston bowl, after the end of significant heat release. These pool fires are a result of fuel-films created when the injected fuel impinged on the piston surface. The emissions results showed a strong correlation with pool-fire activity. Smoke and NO/dx emissions rose steadily as pool-fire intensity increased, whereas HC and CO showed a dramatic increase with near-zero pool-fire activity.« less

Mapping conduction velocity of early embryonic hearts with a robust fitting algorithm

PubMed Central

Gu, Shi; Wang, Yves T; Ma, Pei; Werdich, Andreas A; Rollins, Andrew M; Jenkins, Michael W

2015-01-01

Cardiac conduction maturation is an important and integral component of heart development. Optical mapping with voltage-sensitive dyes allows sensitive measurements of electrophysiological signals over the entire heart. However, accurate measurements of conduction velocity during early cardiac development is typically hindered by low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) measurements of action potentials. Here, we present a novel image processing approach based on least squares optimizations, which enables high-resolution, low-noise conduction velocity mapping of smaller tubular hearts. First, the action potential trace measured at each pixel is fit to a curve consisting of two cumulative normal distribution functions. Then, the activation time at each pixel is determined based on the fit, and the spatial gradient of activation time is determined with a two-dimensional (2D) linear fit over a square-shaped window. The size of the window is adaptively enlarged until the gradients can be determined within a preset precision. Finally, the conduction velocity is calculated based on the activation time gradient, and further corrected for three-dimensional (3D) geometry that can be obtained by optical coherence tomography (OCT). We validated the approach using published activation potential traces based on computer simulations. We further validated the method by adding artificially generated noise to the signal to simulate various SNR conditions using a curved simulated image (digital phantom) that resembles a tubular heart. This method proved to be robust, even at very low SNR conditions (SNR = 2-5). We also established an empirical equation to estimate the maximum conduction velocity that can be accurately measured under different conditions (e.g. sampling rate, SNR, and pixel size). Finally, we demonstrated high-resolution conduction velocity maps of the quail embryonic heart at a looping stage of development. PMID:26114034

Trends in timing, magnitude, and duration of summer and fall/winter streamflows for unregulated coastal river basins in Maine during the 20th century

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dudley, Robert W.; Hodgkins, Glenn A.

2005-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission (ASC), began a study in 2003 to examine the timing, magnitude, and duration of summer (June through October) and fall/early winter (September through January) seasonal streamflows of unregulated coastal river basins in Maine and to correlate them to meteorological variables and winter/spring (January through May) seasonal streamflows. This study overlapped the summer seasonal window with the fall/early winter seasonal window to completely bracket the low-streamflow period during July, August, and September between periods of high streamflows in June and October. The ASC is concerned with the impacts of potentially changing meteorological and hydrologic conditions on Atlantic salmon survival. Because winter/spring high streamflows appear to have trended toward earlier dates over the 20th century in coastal Maine, it was hypothesized that the spring/summer recession to low streamflows could have a similar trend toward earlier, and possibly lower, longer lasting, late summer/early fall low streamflows during the 20th century. There were few statistically significant trends in the timing, magnitude, or duration of summer low streamflows for coastal river basins in Maine during the 20th century. The hypothesis that earlier winter/spring high streamflows may result in earlier or lower low streamflows is not supported by the data. No statistically significant trends in the magnitude of total runoff volume during the low-streamflow months of August and September were observed. The magnitude and timing of summer low streamflows correlated with the timing of fall/winter high streamflows and the amount of summer precipitation. The magnitude and timing of summer low streamflows did not correlate with the timing of spring snowmelt runoff. There were few correlations between the magnitude and timing of summer low streamflows and monthly mean surface air temperatures. There were few statistically significant trends in the timing or duration of fall/winter high streamflows for coastal river basins in Maine during the 20th century. The timing of the bulk of fall/winter high streamflows correlated with seasonal precipitation. Earlier fall/winter center-of-volume dates correlated with higher September and October precipitation. In general, little evidence was observed of trends in the magnitude of seasonal runoff volume during fall/winter. The magnitude of fall/winter high streamflows positively correlated with November and December precipitation amounts. There were few correlations between the magnitude and timing of fall/winter high streamflows and monthly mean surface air temperatures.

Real-Time Visualization of Spacecraft Telemetry for the GLAST and LRO Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoneking, Eric T.; Shah, Neerav; Chai, Dean J.

2010-01-01

GlastCam and LROCam are closely-related tools developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for real-time visualization of spacecraft telemetry, developed for the Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) missions, respectively. Derived from a common simulation tool, they use related but different architectures to ingest real-time spacecraft telemetry and ground predicted ephemerides, and to compute and display features of special interest to each mission in its operational environment. We describe the architectures of GlastCam and LROCam, the customizations required to fit into the mission operations environment, and the features that were found to be especially useful in early operations for their respective missions. Both tools have a primary window depicting a three-dimensional Cam view of the spacecraft that may be freely manipulated by the user. The scene is augmented with fields of view, pointing constraints, and other features which enhance situational awareness. Each tool also has another "Map" window showing the spacecraft's groundtrack projected onto a map of the Earth or Moon, along with useful features such as the Sun, eclipse regions, and TDRS satellite locations. Additional windows support specialized checkout tasks. One such window shows the star tracker fields of view, with tracking window locations and the mission star catalog. This view was instrumental for GLAST in quickly resolving a star tracker mounting polarity issue; visualization made the 180-deg mismatch immediately obvious. Full access to GlastCam's source code also made possible a rapid coarse star tracker mounting calibration with some on the fly code adjustments; adding a fine grid to measure alignment offsets, and introducing a calibration quaternion which could be adjusted within GlastCam without perturbing the flight parameters. This calibration, from concept to completion, took less than half an hour. Both GlastCam and LROCam were developed in the C language, with non-proprietary support libraries, for ease of customization and portability. This no-blackboxes aspect enables engineers to adapt quickly to unforeseen circumstances in the intense operations environment. GlastCam and LROCam were installed on multiple workstations in the operations support rooms, allowing independent use by multiple subsystems, systems engineers and managers, with negligible draw on telemetry system resources.

Additive Manufacturing for Highly Efficient Window Inserts CRADA Report

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

Roschli, Alex C.; Chesser, Phillip C.; Love, Lonnie J.

ORNL partnered with the Mackinac Technology Company to demonstrate how additive manufacturing can be used to create highly energy efficient window inserts for retrofit in pre-existing buildings. Many early iterations of the window inserts were fabricated using carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics and polycarbonate films as a stand in for the low-e coated films produced by the Mackinac Technology Company. After demonstration of the proof of concept, i.e. custom window inserts with tensioned film, the materials used for the manufacture of the frames was more closely examined. Hollow particle-filled syntactic foam and low-density polymer composites formed by expandable microspheres were exploredmore » as the materials used to additively manufacture the frames of the inserts. It was concluded that low-cost retrofit window inserts in custom sizes could be easily fabricated using large scale additive manufacturing. Furthermore, the syntactic and expanded foams developed and tested satisfy the mechanical performance requirements for the application.« less

A test of multiple correlation temporal window characteristic of non-Markov processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arecchi, F. T.; Farini, A.; Megna, N.

2016-03-01

We introduce a sensitive test of memory effects in successive events. The test consists of a combination K of binary correlations at successive times. K decays monotonically from K = 1 for uncorrelated events as a Markov process. For a monotonic memory fading, K<1 always. Here we report evidence of a K>1 temporal window in cognitive tasks consisting of the visual identification of the front face of the Necker cube after a previous presentation of the same. We speculate that memory effects provide a temporal window with K>1 and this experiment could be a possible first step towards a better comprehension of this phenomenon. The K>1 behaviour is maximal at an inter-measurement time τ around 2s with inter-subject differences. The K>1 persists over a time window of 1s around τ; outside this window the K<1 behaviour is recovered. The universal occurrence of a K>1 window in pairs of successive perceptions suggests that, at variance with single visual stimuli eliciting a suitable response, a pair of stimuli shortly separated in time displays mutual correlations.

Search for early gamma-ray production in supernovae located in a dense circumstellar medium with the Fermi Lat

DOE PAGES

Ackermann, M.; Arcavi, I.; Baldini, L.; ...

2015-07-09

Supernovae (SNe) exploding in a dense circumstellar medium (CSM) are hypothesized to accelerate cosmic rays in collisionless shocks and emit GeV γ-rays and TeV neutrinos on a timescale of several months. We perform the first systematic search for γ-ray emission in Fermi Large Area Telescope data in the energy range frommore » $$100\\;\\mathrm{MeV}$$ to $$300\\;\\mathrm{GeV}$$ from the ensemble of 147 SNe Type IIn exploding in a dense CSM. Here, we search for a γ-ray excess at each SNe location in a one-year time window. In order to enhance a possible weak signal, we simultaneously study the closest and optically brightest sources of our sample in a joint-likelihood analysis in three different time windows (1 year, 6 months, and 3 months). For the most promising source of the sample, SN 2010jl (PTF 10aaxf), we repeat the analysis with an extended time window lasting 4.5 years. We do not find a significant excess in γ-rays for any individual source nor for the combined sources and provide model-independent flux upper limits for both cases. Additionally, we derive limits on the γ-ray luminosity and the ratio of γ-ray-to-optical luminosity ratio as a function of the index of the proton injection spectrum assuming a generic γ-ray production model. Furthermore, we present detailed flux predictions based on multi-wavelength observations and the corresponding flux upper limit at a 95% confidence level (CL) for the source SN 2010jl (PTF 10aaxf).« less

Beneficial effects of early hemostasis on spinal cord injury in the rat

PubMed Central

Fan, H; Chen, K; Duan, L; Wang, Y-Z; Ju, G

2016-01-01

Study design: Experimental study. Objectives: To investigate the effect of early hemostasis on spinal cord injury (SCI). Setting: Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China. Methods: Sprague Dawley rats were used. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe hemorrhage at different time points (2, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h) after SCI to determine the time window of hemostatic drug administration (n=3 per time point). Three different concentrations of Etamsylate (0.025, 0.05 and 0.1 g kg−1) were administered immediately and 5 and 10 h after SCI to evaluate the effective dosage (n=6 per group). Another 82 rats were then randomly divided into two groups, Etamsylate group (0.1 g kg−1, n=41) and glucose control group (n=41). Nissl staining was performed to observe neurons at 10 days post injury. Immunohistochemistry, western blot and quantitative real-time PCR were performed to detect tissue necrosis at 7 d.p.i., the activation of astrocytes and microglia/macrophages and lesion cavity at 10 d.p.i. Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan scoring and rump height index assay were used to examine locomotion recovery. Results: Early hemostasis reduced the lesion area and tissue necrosis, enhanced neuronal survival, alleviated the activation of microglia/macrophages and astrocytes and facilitated functional recovery after spinal cord contusion in rats. Early hemostasis decreased hemorrhage area and lesion area after spinal cord transection in rats. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that early hemostasis has beneficial effects on SCI in the rat. It has the potential to be translated into clinical practice. PMID:27137123

Neurolinguistic development in deaf children: the effect of early language experience.

PubMed

Leybaert, Jacqueline; D'Hondt, Murielle

2003-07-01

Recent investigations have indicated a relationship between the development of cerebral lateralization for processing language and the level of development of linguistic skills in hearing children. The research on cerebral lateralization for language processing in deaf persons is compatible with this view. We have argued that the absence of appropriate input during a critical time window creates a risk for deaf children that the initial bias for left-hemisphere specialization will be distorted or disappear. Two experiments were conducted to test this hypothesis The results of these investigations showed that children educated early and intensively with cued speech or with sign language display more evidence of left-hemisphere specialization for the processing of their native language than do those who have been exposed later and less intensively to those languages.

Phobic spider fear is associated with enhanced attentional capture by spider pictures: a rapid serial presentation event-related potential study.

PubMed

Van Strien, Jan W; Franken, Ingmar H A; Huijding, Jorg

2009-03-04

The early posterior negativity (EPN) reflects early selective visual processing of emotionally significant information. This study explored the association between fear of spiders and the EPN for spider pictures. Fifty women completed a Spider Phobia Questionnaire and watched the random rapid serial presentation of 600 neutral, 600 negatively valenced emotional, and 600 spider pictures (three pictures per second). The EPN was scored as the mean activity in the 225-300-ms time window at lateral occipital electrodes. Participants with higher scores on the phobia questionnaire showed larger (i.e. more negative) EPN amplitudes in response to spider pictures. The results suggest that the attentional capture of spider-related stimuli is an automatic response, which is modulated by the extent of spider fear.

Genomic Analysis of the DNA Replication Timing Program during Mitotic S Phase in Maize (Zea mays) Root Tips[OPEN

PubMed Central

LeBlanc, Chantal; Lee, Tae-Jin; Mulvaney, Patrick; Allen, George C.; Martienssen, Robert A.; Thompson, William F.

2017-01-01

All plants and animals must replicate their DNA, using a regulated process to ensure that their genomes are completely and accurately replicated. DNA replication timing programs have been extensively studied in yeast and animal systems, but much less is known about the replication programs of plants. We report a novel adaptation of the “Repli-seq” assay for use in intact root tips of maize (Zea mays) that includes several different cell lineages and present whole-genome replication timing profiles from cells in early, mid, and late S phase of the mitotic cell cycle. Maize root tips have a complex replication timing program, including regions of distinct early, mid, and late S replication that each constitute between 20 and 24% of the genome, as well as other loci corresponding to ∼32% of the genome that exhibit replication activity in two different time windows. Analyses of genomic, transcriptional, and chromatin features of the euchromatic portion of the maize genome provide evidence for a gradient of early replicating, open chromatin that transitions gradually to less open and less transcriptionally active chromatin replicating in mid S phase. Our genomic level analysis also demonstrated that the centromere core replicates in mid S, before heavily compacted classical heterochromatin, including pericentromeres and knobs, which replicate during late S phase. PMID:28842533

Efficient constraint handling in electromagnetism-like algorithm for traveling salesman problem with time windows.

PubMed

Yurtkuran, Alkın; Emel, Erdal

2014-01-01

The traveling salesman problem with time windows (TSPTW) is a variant of the traveling salesman problem in which each customer should be visited within a given time window. In this paper, we propose an electromagnetism-like algorithm (EMA) that uses a new constraint handling technique to minimize the travel cost in TSPTW problems. The EMA utilizes the attraction-repulsion mechanism between charged particles in a multidimensional space for global optimization. This paper investigates the problem-specific constraint handling capability of the EMA framework using a new variable bounding strategy, in which real-coded particle's boundary constraints associated with the corresponding time windows of customers, is introduced and combined with the penalty approach to eliminate infeasibilities regarding time window violations. The performance of the proposed algorithm and the effectiveness of the constraint handling technique have been studied extensively, comparing it to that of state-of-the-art metaheuristics using several sets of benchmark problems reported in the literature. The results of the numerical experiments show that the EMA generates feasible and near-optimal results within shorter computational times compared to the test algorithms.

Efficient Constraint Handling in Electromagnetism-Like Algorithm for Traveling Salesman Problem with Time Windows

PubMed Central

Yurtkuran, Alkın

2014-01-01

The traveling salesman problem with time windows (TSPTW) is a variant of the traveling salesman problem in which each customer should be visited within a given time window. In this paper, we propose an electromagnetism-like algorithm (EMA) that uses a new constraint handling technique to minimize the travel cost in TSPTW problems. The EMA utilizes the attraction-repulsion mechanism between charged particles in a multidimensional space for global optimization. This paper investigates the problem-specific constraint handling capability of the EMA framework using a new variable bounding strategy, in which real-coded particle's boundary constraints associated with the corresponding time windows of customers, is introduced and combined with the penalty approach to eliminate infeasibilities regarding time window violations. The performance of the proposed algorithm and the effectiveness of the constraint handling technique have been studied extensively, comparing it to that of state-of-the-art metaheuristics using several sets of benchmark problems reported in the literature. The results of the numerical experiments show that the EMA generates feasible and near-optimal results within shorter computational times compared to the test algorithms. PMID:24723834

ZEUS-2: a second generation submillimeter grating spectrometer for exploring distant galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferkinhoff, Carl; Nikola, Thomas; Parshley, Stephen C.; Stacey, Gordon J.; Irwin, Kent D.; Cho, Hsiao-Mei; Halpern, Mark

2010-07-01

ZEUS-2, the second generation (z)Redshift and Early Universe Spectrometer, like its predecessor is a moderate resolution (R~1000) long-slit, echelle grating spectrometer optimized for the detection of faint, broad lines from distant galaxies. It is designed for studying star-formation across cosmic time. ZEUS-2 employs three TES bolometer arrays (555 pixels total) to deliver simultaneous, multi-beam spectra in up to 4 submillimeter windows. The NIST Boulder-built arrays operate at ~100mK and are readout via SQUID multiplexers and the Multi-Channel Electronics from the University of British Columbia. The instrument is cooled via a pulse-tube cooler and two-stage ADR. Various filter configurations give ZEUS-2 access to 7 different telluric windows from 200 to 850 micron enabling the simultaneous mapping of lines from extended sources or the simultaneous detection of the 158 micron [CII] line and the [NII] 122 or 205 micron lines from z = 1-2 galaxies. ZEUS-2 is designed for use on the CSO, APEX and possibly JCMT.

75 FR 11841 - Repowering Assistance Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-12

... application window. SUMMARY: RBS is announcing a new application window to submit applications for the...-time application window for remaining FY 2009 funds. Paperwork Reduction Act In accordance with the... allocate all of the FY 2009 authorized funds. Therefore, the Agency is opening a new application window to...

Can a national dataset generate a nomogram for necrotizing enterocolitis onset?

PubMed

Gordon, P V; Clark, R; Swanson, J R; Spitzer, A

2014-10-01

Mother's own milk and donor human milk use is increasing as a means of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) prevention. Early onset of enteral feeding has been associated with improvement of many outcomes but has not been shown to reduce the incidence of NEC. Better definition of the window of risk for NEC by gestational strata should improve resource management with respect to donor human milk and enhance our understanding of NEC timing and pathogenesis. Our objective was to establish a NEC dataset of sufficient size and quality, then build a generalizable model of NEC onset from the dataset across gestational strata. We used de-identified data from the Pediatrix national dataset and filtered out all diagnostic confounders that could be identified by either specific diagnoses or logical exclusions (example dual diagnoses), with a specific focus on NEC and spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) as the outcomes of interest. The median day of onset was plotted against the gestational age for each of these diagnoses and analyzed for similarities and differences in the day of diagnosis. Onset time of medical NEC was inversely proportional to gestation in a linear relationship across all gestational ages. We found the medical NEC dataset displayed characteristics most consistent with a homogeneous disease entity, whereas there was a skew towards early presentation in the youngest gestation groups of surgical NEC (suggesting probable SIP contamination). Our national dataset demonstrates that NEC onset occurs in an inverse stereotypic, linear relationship with gestational age at birth. Medical NEC is the most reliable sub-cohort for the purpose of determining the temporal window of NEC risk.

Chemistry, physics and time: the computer modelling of glassmaking.

PubMed

Martlew, David

2003-01-01

A decade or so ago the remains of an early flat glass furnace were discovered in St Helens. Continuous glass production only became feasible after the Siemens Brothers demonstrated their continuous tank furnace at Dresden in 1870. One manufacturer of flat glass enthusiastically adopted the new technology and secretly explored many variations on this theme during the next fifteen years. Study of the surviving furnace remains using today's computer simulation techniques showed how, in 1887, that technology was adapted to the special demands of window glass making. Heterogeneous chemical reactions at high temperatures are required to convert the mixture of granular raw materials into the homogeneous glass needed for windows. Kinetics (and therefore the economics) of glassmaking is dominated by heat transfer and chemical diffusion as refractory grains are converted to highly viscous molten glass. Removal of gas bubbles in a sufficiently short period of time is vital for profitability, but the glassmaker must achieve this in a reaction vessel which is itself being dissolved by the molten glass. Design and operational studies of today's continuous tank furnaces need to take account of these factors, and good use is made of computer simulation techniques to shed light on the way furnaces behave and how improvements may be made. This paper seeks to show how those same techniques can be used to understand how the early Siemens continuous tank furnaces were designed and operated, and how the Victorian entrepreneurs succeeded in managing the thorny problems of what was, in effect, a vulnerable high temperature continuous chemical reactor.

Millisecond timing on PCs and Macs.

PubMed

MacInnes, W J; Taylor, T L

2001-05-01

A real-time, object-oriented solution for displaying stimuli on Windows 95/98, MacOS and Linux platforms is presented. The program, written in C++, utilizes a special-purpose window class (GLWindow), OpenGL, and 32-bit graphics acceleration; it avoids display timing uncertainty by substituting the new window class for the default window code for each system. We report the outcome of tests for real-time capability across PC and Mac platforms running a variety of operating systems. The test program, which can be used as a shell for programming real-time experiments and testing specific processors, is available at http://www.cs.dal.ca/~macinnwj. We propose to provide researchers with a sense of the usefulness of our program, highlight the ability of many multitasking environments to achieve real time, as well as caution users about systems that may not achieve real time, even under optimal conditions.

Exclusive queueing model including the choice of service windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Masahiro; Yanagisawa, Daichi; Nishinari, Katsuhiro

2018-01-01

In a queueing system involving multiple service windows, choice behavior is a significant concern. This paper incorporates the choice of service windows into a queueing model with a floor represented by discrete cells. We contrived a logit-based choice algorithm for agents considering the numbers of agents and the distances to all service windows. Simulations were conducted with various parameters of agent choice preference for these two elements and for different floor configurations, including the floor length and the number of service windows. We investigated the model from the viewpoint of transit times and entrance block rates. The influences of the parameters on these factors were surveyed in detail and we determined that there are optimum floor lengths that minimize the transit times. In addition, we observed that the transit times were determined almost entirely by the entrance block rates. The results of the presented model are relevant to understanding queueing systems including the choice of service windows and can be employed to optimize facility design and floor management.

Electrodermal responses during appetitive conditioning are sensitive to contingency instruction ambiguity.

PubMed

van den Akker, Karolien; Nederkoorn, Chantal; Jansen, Anita

2017-08-01

Studies on human appetitive conditioning using food rewards can benefit from including psychophysiological outcome measures. The present study tested whether the skin conductance response can function as a measure of differential responding in an appetitive conditioning paradigm including an acquisition and extinction phase, and examined which time window during a trial is most sensitive to conditioning effects. As a secondary aim, the effects of ambiguous vs. non-ambiguous contingency instructions on conditioned responses (skin conductance responses, US expectancies, chocolate desires, and CS evaluations) were assessed. Results indicated differential skin conductance responses in an anticipatory time window and during unexpected omission of the US in early extinction. Interestingly however, anticipatory responses were only found for participants who received ambiguous contingency instructions - possibly indicating a call for additional processing resources in response to the ambiguous CS+. Further, ambiguous instructions slowed the extinction of US expectancies but did not influence chocolate desires and CS evaluations. It is concluded that skin conductance can function as a sensitive measure of differential responding in appetitive conditioning, though its sensitivity might depend on the specific task context. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Correlates of avian building strikes at a glass façade museum surrounded by avian habitat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahle, L.; Flannery, M.; Dumbacher, J. P.

2013-12-01

Bird window collisions are the second largest anthropogenic cause of bird deaths in the world. Effective mitigation requires an understanding of which birds are most likely to strike, when, and why. Here, we examine five years of avian window strike data from the California Academy of Sciences - a relatively new museum with significant glass façade situated in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. We examine correlates of window-killed birds, including age, sex, season, and migratory or sedentary tendencies of the birds. We also examine correlates of window kills such as presence of habitat surrounding the building and overall window area. We found that males are almost three times more likely than females to mortally strike windows, and immature birds are three times more abundant than adults in our window kill dataset. Among seasons, strikes were not notably different in spring, summer, and fall; however they were notably reduced in winter. There was no statistical effect of building orientation (north, south, east, or west), and the presence of avian habitat directly adjacent to windows had a minor effect. We also report ongoing studies examining various efforts to reduce window kill (primarily external decals and large electronic window blinds.) We hope that improving our understanding of the causes of the window strikes will help us strategically reduce window strikes.

Decision tree for accurate infection timing in individuals newly diagnosed with HIV-1 infection.

PubMed

Verhofstede, Chris; Fransen, Katrien; Van Den Heuvel, Annelies; Van Laethem, Kristel; Ruelle, Jean; Vancutsem, Ellen; Stoffels, Karolien; Van den Wijngaert, Sigi; Delforge, Marie-Luce; Vaira, Dolores; Hebberecht, Laura; Schauvliege, Marlies; Mortier, Virginie; Dauwe, Kenny; Callens, Steven

2017-11-29

There is today no gold standard method to accurately define the time passed since infection at HIV diagnosis. Infection timing and incidence measurement is however essential to better monitor the dynamics of local epidemics and the effect of prevention initiatives. Three methods for infection timing were evaluated using 237 serial samples from documented seroconversions and 566 cross sectional samples from newly diagnosed patients: identification of antibodies against the HIV p31 protein in INNO-LIA, SediaTM BED CEIA and SediaTM LAg-Avidity EIA. A multi-assay decision tree for infection timing was developed. Clear differences in recency window between BED CEIA, LAg-Avidity EIA and p31 antibody presence were observed with a switch from recent to long term infection a median of 169.5, 108.0 and 64.5 days after collection of the pre-seroconversion sample respectively. BED showed high reliability for identification of long term infections while LAg-Avidity is highly accurate for identification of recent infections. Using BED as initial assay to identify the long term infections and LAg-Avidity as a confirmatory assay for those classified as recent infection by BED, explores the strengths of both while reduces the workload. The short recency window of p31 antibodies allows to discriminate very early from early infections based on this marker. BED recent infection results not confirmed by LAg-Avidity are considered to reflect a period more distant from the infection time. False recency predictions in this group can be minimized by elimination of patients with a CD4 count of less than 100 cells/mm3 or without no p31 antibodies. For 566 cross sectional sample the outcome of the decision tree confirmed the infection timing based on the results of all 3 markers but reduced the overall cost from 13.2 USD to 5.2 USD per sample. A step-wise multi assay decision tree allows accurate timing of the HIV infection at diagnosis at affordable effort and cost and can be an important new tool in studies analyzing the dynamics of local epidemics or the effects of prevention strategies.

AKI in the very elderly patients without preexisting chronic kidney disease: a comparison of 48-hour window and 7-day window for diagnosing AKI using the KDIGO criteria.

PubMed

Li, Qinglin; Zhao, Meng; Wang, Xiaodan

2018-01-01

To compare the differences between the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria of the 48-hour window and the 7-day window in the diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in very elderly patients, as well as the relationship between the 48-hour and 7-day windows for diagnosis and 90-day mortality. We retrospectively enrolled very elderly patients (≥75 years old) from the geriatrics department of the Chinese PLA General Hospital between January 2007 and December 2015. AKI patients were divided into 48-hour and 7-day groups by their diagnosis criteria. AKI patients were divided into survivor and nonsurvivor groups by their outcomes within 90 days after diagnosis of AKI. In total, 652 patients were included in the final analysis. The median age of the cohort was 87 (84-91) years, the majority (623, 95.6%) of whom were male. Of the 652 AKI patients, 334 cases (51.2%) were diagnosed with AKI by the 48-hour window for diagnosis, while 318 cases (48.8%) were by the 7-day window for diagnosis. The 90-day mortality was 42.5% in patients with 48-hour window AKI and 24.2% in patients with 7-day window AKI. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that 90-day mortality was lower in the 7-day window AKI group than in the 48-hour window AKI group (log rank: P <0.001). Multivariate analysis by the Cox model revealed that 48-hour window for diagnosis hazard ratio (HR=1.818; 95% CI: 1.256-2.631; P =0.002) was associated with higher 90-day mortality. The 90-day mortality was higher in 48-hour window AKI than in 7-day window AKI in very elderly patients. The 48-hour KDIGO window definition may be less sensitive. The 48-hour KDIGO window definition is significantly better correlated with subsequent mortality and is, therefore, still appropriate for clinical use. Finding early, sensitive biomarkers of kidney damage is a future direction of research.

Releasing the Voice of Early Education Directors: Degree Requirements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Kristi Koenig

2011-01-01

The discovery of "windows of opportunity" regarding learning as the brain develops during the preschool years reinforces the important role early education teachers play in the lives of children. As a result, the credentials of those who work with young children have come under investigation as it relates to the provision of quality early…

"Documentation" in Pistoia Preschools: A Window and A Mirror

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrs, Myra; Drury, Rose

2017-01-01

This article discusses the practice of documentation in the early years education services of Pistoia, Italy. The findings, arising from a research study visit in May 2014, provide insights into the values and principles implicit in early childhood practice in the Pistoian "nidi d'infanzia" [nurseries] (for children from 3 months to 3…

Early-Life Host–Microbiome Interphase: The Key Frontier for Immune Development

PubMed Central

Amenyogbe, Nelly; Kollmann, Tobias R.; Ben-Othman, Rym

2017-01-01

Human existence can be viewed as an “animal in a microbial world.” A healthy interaction of the human host with the microbes in and around us heavily relies on a well-functioning immune system. As development of both the microbiota and the host immune system undergo rapid changes in early life, it is not surprising that even minor alterations during this co-development can have profound consequences. Scrutiny of existing data regarding pre-, peri-, as well as early postnatal modulators of newborn microbiota indeed suggest strong associations with several immune-mediated diseases with onset far beyond the newborn period. We here summarize these data and extract overarching themes. This same effort in turn sets the stage to guide effective countermeasures, such as probiotic administration. The objective of our review is to highlight the interaction of host immune ontogeny with the developing microbiome in early life as a critical window of susceptibility for lifelong disease, as well as to identify the enormous potential to protect and promote lifelong health by specifically targeting this window of opportunity. PMID:28596951

The second window ICG technique demonstrates a broad plateau period for near infrared fluorescence tumor contrast in glioblastoma

PubMed Central

Sheikh, Saad; Xia, Leilei; Pierce, John; Newton, Andrew; Predina, Jarrod; Cho, Steve; Nasrallah, MacLean; Singhal, Sunil; Dorsey, Jay; Lee, John Y. K.

2017-01-01

Introduction Fluorescence-guided surgery has emerged as a powerful tool to detect, localize and resect tumors in the operative setting. Our laboratory has pioneered a novel way to administer an FDA-approved near-infrared (NIR) contrast agent to help surgeons with this task. This technique, coined Second Window ICG, exploits the natural permeability of tumor vasculature and its poor clearance to deliver high doses of indocyanine green (ICG) to tumors. This technique differs substantially from established ICG video angiography techniques that visualize ICG within minutes of injection. We hypothesized that Second Window ICG can provide NIR optical contrast with good signal characteristics in intracranial brain tumors over a longer period of time than previously appreciated with ICG video angiography alone. We tested this hypothesis in an intracranial mouse glioblastoma model, and corroborated this in a human clinical trial. Methods Intracranial tumors were established in 20 mice using the U251-Luc-GFP cell line. Successful grafts were confirmed with bioluminescence. Intravenous tail vein injections of 5.0 mg/kg (high dose) or 2.5 mg/kg (low dose) ICG were performed. The Perkin Elmer IVIS Spectrum (closed field) was used to visualize NIR fluorescence signal at seven delayed time points following ICG injection. NIR signals were quantified using LivingImage software. Based on the success of our results, human subjects were recruited to a clinical trial and intravenously injected with high dose 5.0 mg/kg. Imaging was performed with the VisionSense Iridium (open field) during surgery one day after ICG injection. Results In the murine model, the NIR signal-to-background ratio (SBR) in gliomas peaks at one hour after infusion, then plateaus and remains strong and stable for at least 48 hours. Higher dose 5.0 mg/kg improves NIR signal as compared to lower dose at 2.5 mg/kg (SBR = 3.5 vs. 2.8; P = 0.0624). Although early (≤ 6 hrs) visualization of the Second Window ICG accumulation in gliomas is stronger than late (≥24 hrs) visualization (SBR = 3.94 vs. 2.32; p<0.05) there appears to be a long plateau period of stable ICG NIR signal accumulation within tumors in the murine model. We call this long plateau period the “Second Window” of ICG. In glioblastoma patients, the delayed visualization of intratumoral NIR signal was strong (SBR 7.50 ± 0.74), without any significant difference within the 19 to 30 hour visualization window (R2 = 0.019). Conclusion The Second Window ICG technique allows neurosurgeons to deliver NIR optical contrast agent to human glioblastoma patients, thus providing real-time tumor identification in the operating room. This nonspecific tumor accumulation of ICG within the tumor provides strong signal to background contrast, and is not significantly time dependent between 6 hours to 48 hours, providing a broad plateau for stable visualization. This finding suggests that optimal imaging of the “Second Window of ICG” may be within this plateau period, thus providing signal uniformity across subjects. PMID:28738091

A novel fast optical switch based on two cascaded Terahertz Optical Asymmetric Demultiplexers (TOAD).

PubMed

Wang, Bing; Baby, Varghese; Tong, Wilson; Xu, Lei; Friedman, Michelle; Runser, Robert; Glesk, Ivan; Prucnal, Paul

2002-01-14

A novel optical switch based on cascading two terahertz optical asymmetric demultiplexers (TOAD) is presented. By utilizing the sharp edge of the asymmetric TOAD switching window profile, two TOAD switching windows are overlapped to produce a narrower aggregate switching window, not limited by the pulse propagation time in the SOA of the TOAD. Simulations of the cascaded TOAD switching window show relatively constant window amplitude for different window sizes. Experimental results on cascading two TOADs, each with a switching window of 8ps, but with the SOA on opposite sides of the fiber loop, show a minimum switching window of 2.7ps.

Second and third NIR optical windows for imaging of bone microfractures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sordillo, Laura A.; Pu, Yang; Sordillo, Peter P.; Budansky, Yury; Alfano, R. R.

2014-05-01

Microfractures in bone, secondary to repetitive stress, particularly in the lower extremities, are an important problem for military recruits and for athletes. They also may occur in those with brittle bones, such as the elderly, or in patients taking bisphosphonates for osteoporosis. Microfractures can be early predictors of major bone fracture and may be as important as changes in bone density in predicting where and how likely a major fracture will occur. Unlike major bone fractures, microfractures can be difficult to detect by conventional methods. We explored a second NIR spectral window from 1,100 nm to 1,350 nm, and a third spectral window from 1,600 nm to 1,870 nm to image microfractures through tissue media. Due to a reduction in scattering at longer NIR wavelengths, employment of the second and third NIR windows may allow for deeper penetration into tissue and higher contrast images of microfractures underneath the skin.

On Time Delay Margin Estimation for Adaptive Control and Optimal Control Modification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Nhan T.

2011-01-01

This paper presents methods for estimating time delay margin for adaptive control of input delay systems with almost linear structured uncertainty. The bounded linear stability analysis method seeks to represent an adaptive law by a locally bounded linear approximation within a small time window. The time delay margin of this input delay system represents a local stability measure and is computed analytically by three methods: Pade approximation, Lyapunov-Krasovskii method, and the matrix measure method. These methods are applied to the standard model-reference adaptive control, s-modification adaptive law, and optimal control modification adaptive law. The windowing analysis results in non-unique estimates of the time delay margin since it is dependent on the length of a time window and parameters which vary from one time window to the next. The optimal control modification adaptive law overcomes this limitation in that, as the adaptive gain tends to infinity and if the matched uncertainty is linear, then the closed-loop input delay system tends to a LTI system. A lower bound of the time delay margin of this system can then be estimated uniquely without the need for the windowing analysis. Simulation results demonstrates the feasibility of the bounded linear stability method for time delay margin estimation.

Epigenetic Risk Factors in PTSD and Depression

PubMed Central

Raabe, Florian Joachim; Spengler, Dietmar

2013-01-01

Epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that children exposed to adverse experiences are at increased risk for the development of depression, anxiety disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A history of child abuse and maltreatment increases the likelihood of being subsequently exposed to traumatic events or of developing PTSD as an adult. The brain is highly plastic during early life and encodes acquired information into lasting memories that normally subserve adaptation. Translational studies in rodents showed that enduring sensitization of neuronal and neuroendocrine circuits in response to early life adversity are likely risk factors of life time vulnerability to stress. Hereby, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis integrates cognitive, behavioral, and emotional responses to early-life stress and can be epigenetically programed during sensitive windows of development. Epigenetic mechanisms, comprising reciprocal regulation of chromatin structure and DNA methylation, are important to establish and maintain sustained, yet potentially reversible, changes in gene transcription. The relevance of these findings for the development of PTSD requires further studies in humans where experience-dependent epigenetic programing can additionally depend on genetic variation in the underlying substrates which may protect from or advance disease development. Overall, identification of early-life stress-associated epigenetic risk markers informing on previous stress history can help to advance early diagnosis, personalized prevention, and timely therapeutic interventions, thus reducing long-term social and health costs. PMID:23966957

Prefrontal cortex involvement in preattentive auditory deviance detection: neuroimaging and electrophysiological evidence.

PubMed

Doeller, Christian F; Opitz, Bertram; Mecklinger, Axel; Krick, Christoph; Reith, Wolfgang; Schröger, Erich

2003-10-01

Previous electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies suggest that the mismatch negativity (MMN) is generated by a temporofrontal network subserving preattentive auditory change detection. In two experiments we employed event-related brain potentials (ERP) and event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine neural and hemodynamic activity related to deviance processing, using three types of deviant tones (small, medium, and large) in both a pitch and a space condition. In the pitch condition, hemodynamic activity in the right superior temporal gyrus (STG) increased as a function of deviance. Comparisons between small and medium and between small and large deviants revealed right prefrontal activation in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG; BA 44/45) and middle frontal gyrus (MFG; BA 46), whereas large relative to medium deviants led to left and right IFG (BA 44/45) activation. In the ERP experiment the amplitude of the early MMN (90-120 ms) increased as a function of deviance, by this paralleling the right STG activation in the fMRI experiment. A U-shaped relationship between MMN amplitude and the degree of deviance was observed in a late time window (140-170 ms) resembling the right IFG activation pattern. In a subsequent source analysis constrained by fMRI activation foci, early and late MMN activity could be modeled by dipoles placed in the STG and IFG, respectively. In the spatial condition no reliable hemodynamic activation could be observed. The MMN amplitude was substantially smaller than in the pitch condition for all three spatial deviants in the ERP experiment. In contrast to the pitch condition it increased as a function of deviance in the early and in the late time window. We argue that the right IFG mediates auditory deviance detection in case of low discriminability between a sensory memory trace and auditory input. This prefrontal mechanism might be part of top-down modulation of the deviance detection system in the STG.

Two sides of a coin: host-plant synchrony fitness trade-offs in the population dynamics of the western spruce budworm.

PubMed

Régnière, Jacques; Nealis, Vincent G

2018-02-01

Conifer-feeding budworms emerge from overwintering sites as small larvae in early spring, several days before budburst, and mine old needles. These early-emerging larvae suffer considerable mortality during this foraging period as they disperse in search of available, current-year buds. Once buds flush, surviving budworms construct feeding shelters and must complete maturation before fresh host foliage senesces and lignifies later in the summer. Late-developing larvae suffer greater mortality and survivors have lower fecundity when feeding on older foliage. Thus, there is a seasonal trade-off in fitness associated with host synchrony: early-emerging budworms have a greater risk of mortality during spring dispersal but gain better access to the most nutritious foliage, while, on the other hand, late-emerging larvae incur a lower risk during the initial foraging period but must contend with rapidly diminishing resource quality at the end of the feeding period. We investigate the balance that results from these early-season and late-season synchrony fitness trade-offs using the concept of the phenological window. Parameters associated with the variation in the phenological window are used to estimate generational fitness as a function of host-plant synchrony. Because defoliation modifies these relationships, it is also included in the analysis. We show that fitness trade-offs characterizing the phenological window result in a robust synchrony relationship between budworm and host plant over a wide geographic range in southern British Columbia, Canada. © 2016 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada Insect Science © 2016 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

High-Reliability Waveguide Vacuum/Pressure Window

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Britcliffe, Michael J.; Hanson, Theodore R.; Long, Ezra M.; Montanez, Steven

2013-01-01

The NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) uses commercial waveguide windows on the output waveguide of Ka-band (32 GHz) low-noise amplifiers. Mechanical failure of these windows resulted in an unacceptable loss in tracking time. To address this issue, a new Ka-band WR-28 waveguide window has been designed, fabricated, and tested. The window uses a slab of low-loss, low-dielectric constant foam that is bonded into a 1/2-wave-thick waveguide/flange. The foam is a commercially available, rigid, closed-cell polymethacrylimide. It has excellent electrical properties with a dielectric constant of 1.04, and a loss tangent of 0.01. It is relatively strong with a tensile strength of 1 MPa. The material is virtually impermeable to helium. The finished window exhibits a leak rate of less than 3x10(exp -3)cu cm/s with helium. The material is also chemically resistant and can be cleaned with acetone. The window is constructed by fabricating a window body by brazing a short length of WR-28 copper waveguide into a standard rectangular flange, and machining the resulting part to a thickness of 4.6 mm. The foam is machined to a rectangular shape with a dimension of 7.06x3.53 mm. The foam is bonded into the body with a two-part epoxy. After curing, the excess glue and foam are knife-trimmed by hand. The finished window has a loss of less than 0.08 dB (2%) and a return loss of greater than 25 dB at 32 GHz. This meets the requirements for the DSN application. The window is usable for most applications over the entire 26-to-40-GHz waveguide band. The window return loss can be tuned to a required frequency by var y in g the thickness of the window slightly. Most standard waveguide windows use a thin membrane of material bonded into a recess in a waveguide flange, or sandwiched between two flanges with a polymer seal. Designs using the recessed window are prone to mechanical failure over time due to constraints on the dimensions of the recess that allow the bond to fail. Designs using the sandwich method are often permeable to helium, which prohibits the use of helium leak detection. At the time of this reporting, 40 windows have been produced. Twelve are in operation with a combined operating time of over 30,000 hours without a failure.

76 FR 23911 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-29

... maintenance window for the Gulf individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs, and removing obsolete codified text..., etc.), extends the IFQ maintenance window an additional 8 hours to allow for more time to conduct end... maintenance window. All electronic IFQ transactions must be completed by December 31 at 6 p.m. eastern time...

Self spectrum window method in wigner-ville distribution.

PubMed

Liu, Zhongguo; Liu, Changchun; Liu, Boqiang; Lv, Yangsheng; Lei, Yinsheng; Yu, Mengsun

2005-01-01

Wigner-Ville distribution (WVD) is an important type of time-frequency analysis in biomedical signal processing. The cross-term interference in WVD has a disadvantageous influence on its application. In this research, the Self Spectrum Window (SSW) method was put forward to suppress the cross-term interference, based on the fact that the cross-term and auto-WVD- terms in integral kernel function are orthogonal. With the Self Spectrum Window (SSW) algorithm, a real auto-WVD function was used as a template to cross-correlate with the integral kernel function, and the Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT) spectrum of the signal was used as window function to process the WVD in time-frequency plane. The SSW method was confirmed by computer simulation with good analysis results. Satisfactory time- frequency distribution was obtained.

The effects of round window membrane injury and the use of a model electrode application on hearing in rats.

PubMed

Koc, Murat; Dalgic, Abdullah; Ozuer, Mehmet Ziya

2016-03-01

We conducted an animal experiment to investigate the effects of mechanical trauma to the round window with the placement of a model electrode inserted into the scala tympani on the cochlear reserve, and to determine the efficacy of topical steroids in preventing hearing loss in such a situation. Our subjects included 21 male Wistar albino rats that were assigned into three groups of 7 each. In all three groups, an initial mechanical injury to the round window was created. At that point, group 1 received no further treatment, group 2 received a dexamethasone injection into the cochlea, and group 3 underwent implantation of a multichannel cochlear implant guide followed by dexamethasone administration. After a few minutes, the round window opening was obliterated with muscle, and the incision was sutured with 4-0 Vicryl Rapide polyglactin in all 3 groups. Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions were obtained before and immediately after the surgical injury, and again on postoperative day 7. Mean signal/noise ratios (S/Ns) obtained at 2, 3, and 4 kHz were calculated, and datasets were compared with nonparametric statistical tests. We found that the early postoperative mean S/N values were significantly lower than the preoperative values in groups 1 and 2, but there was no difference between the mean preoperative values and those obtained on postoperative day 7 in those two groups. In group 3, there were statistically significant differences among the mean preoperative, early postoperative, and postoperative day 7 S/N values. We observed that an electrode insertion into the cochlea via the round window subsequent to mechanical trauma seemed to cause a progressive hearing loss. Therefore, we conclude that special care must be taken to avoid injury to the round window membrane during placement of a cochlear implant electrode, as well as during surgery for chronic otitis media.

Fully automatic time-window selection using machine learning for global adjoint tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.; Hill, J.; Lei, W.; Lefebvre, M. P.; Bozdag, E.; Komatitsch, D.; Tromp, J.

2017-12-01

Selecting time windows from seismograms such that the synthetic measurements (from simulations) and measured observations are sufficiently close is indispensable in a global adjoint tomography framework. The increasing amount of seismic data collected everyday around the world demands "intelligent" algorithms for seismic window selection. While the traditional FLEXWIN algorithm can be "automatic" to some extent, it still requires both human input and human knowledge or experience, and thus is not deemed to be fully automatic. The goal of intelligent window selection is to automatically select windows based on a learnt engine that is built upon a huge number of existing windows generated through the adjoint tomography project. We have formulated the automatic window selection problem as a classification problem. All possible misfit calculation windows are classified as either usable or unusable. Given a large number of windows with a known selection mode (select or not select), we train a neural network to predict the selection mode of an arbitrary input window. Currently, the five features we extract from the windows are its cross-correlation value, cross-correlation time lag, amplitude ratio between observed and synthetic data, window length, and minimum STA/LTA value. More features can be included in the future. We use these features to characterize each window for training a multilayer perceptron neural network (MPNN). Training the MPNN is equivalent to solve a non-linear optimization problem. We use backward propagation to derive the gradient of the loss function with respect to the weighting matrices and bias vectors and use the mini-batch stochastic gradient method to iteratively optimize the MPNN. Numerical tests show that with a careful selection of the training data and a sufficient amount of training data, we are able to train a robust neural network that is capable of detecting the waveforms in an arbitrary earthquake data with negligible detection error compared to existing selection methods (e.g. FLEXWIN). We will introduce in detail the mathematical formulation of the window-selection-oriented MPNN and show very encouraging results when applying the new algorithm to real earthquake data.

Association of outdoor air pollution and indoor renovation with early childhood ear infection in China.

PubMed

Deng, Qihong; Lu, Chan; Jiang, Wei; Zhao, Jinping; Deng, Linjing; Xiang, Yuguang

2017-02-01

Otitis media (OM) is a common infection in early childhood with repeated attacks that lead to long-term complications and sequelae, but its risk factors still remain unclear. To examine the risk of childhood OM for different indoor and outdoor air pollutants during different timing windows, with a purpose to identify critical windows of exposure and key components of air pollution in the development of OM. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1617 children aged 3-4 years in Changsha, China (2011-2012). Children's life-time prevalence of OM and exposure to indoor air pollution related to home renovation activities were surveyed by a questionnaire administered by the parents. Children's exposure to outdoor air pollution, including nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM 10 ), was estimated using the measured concentrations at municipal monitoring stations. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of childhood OM for prenatal and postnatal exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution were examined by using logistic regression model. Life-time prevalence of OM in preschool children (7.3%) was associated not only with prenatal exposure to industrial air pollutant with adjusted OR (95% CI) = 1.44 (1.09-1.88) for a 27 μg/m 3 increase in SO 2 but also with postnatal exposure to indoor renovations with OR (95% CI) = 1.62 (1.05-2.49) for new furniture and 1.81 (1.12-2.91) for redecoration, particularly in girls. Combined exposure to outdoor SO 2 and indoor renovation significantly increased OM risk. Furthermore, we found that exposure to outdoor SO 2 and indoor renovation were significantly associated with the onset but not repeated attacks of OM. Prenatal exposure to outdoor industrial air pollution and postnatal exposure to indoor renovation are independently associated with early childhood OM in China and may cause the OM onset. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Varying Susceptibility of the Female Mammary Gland to In Utero Windows of BPA Exposure.

PubMed

Hindman, Andrea R; Mo, Xiaokui Molly; Helber, Hannah L; Kovalchin, Claire E; Ravichandran, Nanditha; Murphy, Alina R; Fagan, Abigail M; St John, Pamela M; Burd, Craig J

2017-10-01

In utero exposure to the endocrine disrupting compound bisphenol A (BPA) is known to disrupt mammary gland development and increase tumor susceptibility in rodents. It is unclear whether different periods of in utero development might be more susceptible to BPA exposure. We exposed pregnant CD-1 mice to BPA at different times during gestation that correspond to specific milestones of in utero mammary gland development. The mammary glands of early-life and adult female mice, exposed in utero to BPA, were morphologically and molecularly (estrogen receptor-α and Ki67) evaluated for developmental abnormalities. We found that BPA treatment occurring before mammary bud invasion into the mesenchyme [embryonic day (E)12.5] incompletely resulted in the measured phenotypes of mammary gland defects. Exposing mice up to the point at which the epithelium extends into the precursor fat pad (E16.5) resulted in a nearly complete BPA phenotype and exposure during epithelial extension (E15.5 to E18.5) resulted in a partial phenotype. Furthermore, the relative differences in phenotypes between exposure windows highlight the substantial correlations between early-life molecular changes (estrogen receptor-α and Ki67) in the stroma and the epithelial elongation defects in mammary development. These data further implicate BPA action in the stroma as a critical mediator of epithelial phenotypes. Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society.

High fat programming of beta cell compensation, exhaustion, death and dysfunction.

PubMed

Cerf, Marlon E

2015-03-01

Programming refers to events during critical developmental windows that shape progeny health outcomes. Fetal programming refers to the effects of intrauterine (in utero) events. Lactational programming refers to the effects of events during suckling (weaning). Developmental programming refers to the effects of events during both fetal and lactational life. Postnatal programming refers to the effects of events either from birth (lactational life) to adolescence or from weaning (end of lactation) to adolescence. Islets are most plastic during the early life course; hence programming during fetal and lactational life is most potent. High fat (HF) programming is the maintenance on a HF diet (HFD) during critical developmental life stages that alters progeny metabolism and physiology. HF programming induces variable diabetogenic phenotypes dependent on the timing and duration of the dietary insult. Maternal obesity reinforces HF programming effects in progeny. HF programming, through acute hyperglycemia, initiates beta cell compensation. However, HF programming eventually leads to chronic hyperglycemia that triggers beta cell exhaustion, death and dysfunction. In HF programming, beta cell dysfunction often co-presents with insulin resistance. Balanced, healthy nutrition during developmental windows is critical for preserving beta cell structure and function. Thus early positive nutritional interventions that coincide with the development of beta cells may reduce the overwhelming burden of diabetes and metabolic disease. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

"Tobacco Truths": Health Magazine, Clinical Epidemiology, and the Cigarette Connection.

PubMed

Wilmshurst, Sara

2015-01-01

In the 1950s, Health, a magazine published by the Health League of Canada, was nonchalant about the risks of smoking and largely ignored early epidemiological studies of lung cancer. In the 1960s the magazine stopped accepting cigarette advertising and began to oppose smoking. Health's writers adjusted to new knowledge; the magazine gradually accepted clinical epidemiology as a source of medical knowledge and recognized smoking as a public health risk. As Canada's only devoted health publication for a lay audience at the time, Health provides a unique window into ways that smoking and health were portrayed to its readers.

Computer order entry systems in the emergency department significantly reduce the time to medication delivery for high acuity patients.

PubMed

Syed, Shahbaz; Wang, Dongmei; Goulard, Debbie; Rich, Tom; Innes, Grant; Lang, Eddy

2013-07-05

Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems are designed to increase safety and improve quality of care; however, their impact on efficiency in the ED has not yet been validated. This study examined the impact of CPOE on process times for medication delivery, laboratory utilization and diagnostic imaging in the early, late and control phases of a regional ED-CPOE implementation. Three tertiary care hospitals serving a population in excess of 1 million inhabitants that initiated the same CPOE system during the same 3-week time window. Patients were stratified into three groupings: Control, Early CPOE and Late CPOE (n = 200 patients per group/hospital site). Eligible patients consisted of a stratified (40% CTAS 2 and 60% CTAS 3) random sample of all patients seen 30 days preceding CPOE implementation (Control), 30 days immediately after CPOE implementation (Early CPOE) and 5-6 months after CPOE implementation (Late CPOE). Primary outcomes were time to (TT) from physician assignment (MD-sign) up to MD-order completion. An ANOVA and t-test were employed for statistical analysis. In comparison with control, TT 1st MD-Ordered Medication decreased in both the Early and Late CPOE groups (102.6 min control, 62.8 Early and 65.7 late, p < 0.001). TT 1st MD-ordered laboratory results increased in both the Early and Late CPOE groups compared to Control (76.4, 85.3 and 73.8 min, respectively, p < 0.001). TT 1st X-Ray also significantly increased in both the Early and Late CPOE groups (80.4, 84.8 min, respectively, compared to 68.1, p < 0.001). Given that CT and ultrasound imaging inherently takes increased time, these imaging studies were not included, and only X-ray was examined. There was no statistical difference found between TT discharge and consult request. Regional implementation of CPOE afforded important efficiencies in time to medication delivery for high acuity ED patients. Increased times observed for laboratory and radiology results may reflect system issues outside of the emergency department and as a result of potential confounding may not be a reflection of CPOE impact.

Robust alignment of chromatograms by statistically analyzing the shifts matrix generated by moving window fast Fourier transform cross-correlation.

PubMed

Zhang, Mingjing; Wen, Ming; Zhang, Zhi-Min; Lu, Hongmei; Liang, Yizeng; Zhan, Dejian

2015-03-01

Retention time shift is one of the most challenging problems during the preprocessing of massive chromatographic datasets. Here, an improved version of the moving window fast Fourier transform cross-correlation algorithm is presented to perform nonlinear and robust alignment of chromatograms by analyzing the shifts matrix generated by moving window procedure. The shifts matrix in retention time can be estimated by fast Fourier transform cross-correlation with a moving window procedure. The refined shift of each scan point can be obtained by calculating the mode of corresponding column of the shifts matrix. This version is simple, but more effective and robust than the previously published moving window fast Fourier transform cross-correlation method. It can handle nonlinear retention time shift robustly if proper window size has been selected. The window size is the only one parameter needed to adjust and optimize. The properties of the proposed method are investigated by comparison with the previous moving window fast Fourier transform cross-correlation and recursive alignment by fast Fourier transform using chromatographic datasets. The pattern recognition results of a gas chromatography mass spectrometry dataset of metabolic syndrome can be improved significantly after preprocessing by this method. Furthermore, the proposed method is available as an open source package at https://github.com/zmzhang/MWFFT2. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Free-breathing 3D Cardiac MRI Using Iterative Image-Based Respiratory Motion Correction

PubMed Central

Moghari, Mehdi H.; Roujol, Sébastien; Chan, Raymond H.; Hong, Susie N.; Bello, Natalie; Henningsson, Markus; Ngo, Long H.; Goddu, Beth; Goepfert, Lois; Kissinger, Kraig V.; Manning, Warren J.; Nezafat, Reza

2012-01-01

Respiratory motion compensation using diaphragmatic navigator (NAV) gating with a 5 mm gating window is conventionally used for free-breathing cardiac MRI. Due to the narrow gating window, scan efficiency is low resulting in long scan times, especially for patients with irregular breathing patterns. In this work, a new retrospective motion compensation algorithm is presented to reduce the scan time for free-breathing cardiac MRI that increasing the gating window to 15 mm without compromising image quality. The proposed algorithm iteratively corrects for respiratory-induced cardiac motion by optimizing the sharpness of the heart. To evaluate this technique, two coronary MRI datasets with 1.3 mm3 resolution were acquired from 11 healthy subjects (7 females, 25±9 years); one using a NAV with a 5 mm gating window acquired in 12.0±2.0 minutes and one with a 15 mm gating window acquired in 7.1±1.0 minutes. The images acquired with a 15 mm gating window were corrected using the proposed algorithm and compared to the uncorrected images acquired with the 5 mm and 15 mm gating windows. The image quality score, sharpness, and length of the three major coronary arteries were equivalent between the corrected images and the images acquired with a 5 mm gating window (p-value>0.05), while the scan time was reduced by a factor of 1.7. PMID:23132549

Music as therapy in early history.

PubMed

Thaut, Michael H

2015-01-01

The notion of music as therapy is based on ancient cross-cultural beliefs that music can have a "healing" effect on mind and body. Explanations for the therapeutic mechanisms in music have almost always included cultural and social science-based causalities about the uses and functions of music in society. However, it is also important to note that the view of music as "therapy" was also always strongly influenced by the view and understanding of the concepts and causes of disease. Magical/mystical concepts of illness and "rational" medicine probably lived side by side for thousands of years. Not until the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries were the scientific foundations of medicine established, which allowed the foundations of music in therapy to progress from no science to soft science and most recently to actual brain science. Evidence for "early music therapy" will be discussed in four broad historical-cultural divisions: preliterate cultures; early civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israel; Greek Antiquity; Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque. In reviewing "early music therapy" practice, from mostly unknown periods of early history (using preliterate cultures as a window) to increasingly better documented times, including preserved notation samples of actual "healing" music, five theories and applications of early music therapy can be differentiated. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Divorce and death: forty years of the Charleston Heart Study.

PubMed

Sbarra, David A; Nietert, Paul J

2009-01-01

Forty years of follow-up data from the Charleston Heart Study (CHS) were used to examine the risk for early mortality associated with marital separation or divorce in a sample of more than 1,300 adults assessed on several occasions between 1960 and 2000. Participants who were separated or divorced at the start of the study evidenced significantly elevated rates of early mortality, and these results held after adjusting for baseline health status and other demographic variables. Being separated or divorced throughout the CHS follow-up window was one of the strongest predictors of early mortality. However, the excess mortality risk associated with separation or divorce was completely eliminated when participants who had ever experienced a marital separation or divorce during the study were compared with all other participants. These findings suggest that a key predictor of early death is the amount of time people live as separated or divorced. It is possible that the mortality risk conferred by marital dissolution is due to dimensions of personality that predict divorce as well as a decreased likelihood of future remarriage.

Paleoclimate Records from New Zealand Maar Lakes, Insights into ENSO Teleconnections and Climatic Events in the South (West) Pacific.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shulmeister, J.; Nobes, D. C.; Striewski, B.

2008-05-01

The maar craters of the New Zealand Auckland Volcanic Field (36.5°S, 174.5°E) contain some of the highest resolution late-Quaternary paleoclimate records in the Southern Hemisphere. Here we integrate laminae count results from recent drilling in the Hopua Crater with existing records from the nearby Onepoto Crater (Pepper et al., 2004). In total these records cover many thousands of years between the onset of the last glaciation maximum and the early mid-Holocene. The cores are strongly laminated. Individual laminae in both craters are very fine (sub-mm to mm scale) and form couplets which comprise a darker mineralogenic rich layer and a lighter diatomaceous layer. In places these couplets are annual, and may reflect seasonal algal blooms, but in other sections of the record, notably through the late-Glacial and Holocene, the couplets are deposited at inter-annual time scales. Spectral analyses of couplet thickness counts using a fast Fourier transform (FFT) with 64 to 256-year running windows, and a 50 per cent overlap indicate strong spectral power during the LGM and markedly weaker power during both the deglaciation and early Holocene. In fact there is no spectral strength for most of these periods. Three brief (centennial duration) events punctuate this extended period of low spectral power. These occur at c. 16 ka, c. 14.8 ka and during the early Holocene. They display spectral power in the 5-7yr ENSO window and also at longer time intervals that may be consistent with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. We infer the local switching on (or up) of ENSO and PDO teleconnections and suspect these are embedded in circum-polar circulation changes. In addition to these spectral power episodes, there is a general increase in the number of couplet cycles per century between the deglaciation and the early mid-Holocene. This matches observations from Equador and Peru and suggests that trans-Pacific ENSO responses are in phase between western tropical South America and New Zealand. Pepper, A.C., Shulmeister, J., Nobes. D.C. and P.C. Augustinus. 2004. Possible ENSO signals prior to the last Glacial Maximum, during the deglaciation and the early Holocene from New Zealand. Geophysical Research Letters. 31:L15206. doi 10.1029/ 2004GL020236

Is preterm birth a human-specific syndrome?

PubMed Central

Phillips, Julie Baker; Abbot, Patrick; Rokas, Antonis

2015-01-01

Human preterm birth (PTB), a multifactorial syndrome affecting offspring born before 37 completed weeks of gestation, is the leading cause of newborn death worldwide. Remarkably, the degree to which early parturition contributes to mortality in other placental mammals remains unclear. To gain insights on whether PTB is a human-specific syndrome, we examined within- and between-species variation in gestation length across placental mammals and the impact of early parturition on offspring fitness. Within species, gestation length is normally distributed, and all species appear to occasionally give birth before the ‘optimal’ time. Furthermore, human gestation length, like that of many mammalian species, scales proportionally to body mass, suggesting that this trait, like many others, is constrained by body size. Premature humans suffer from numerous cognitive impairments, but little is known of cognitive impairments in other placental mammals. Human gestation differs in the timing of the ‘brain growth spurt’, where unlike many mammals, including closely related primates, the trajectory of human brain growth directly overlaps with the parturition time window. Thus, although all mammals experience early parturition, the fitness costs imposed by the cognitive impairments may be unique to our species. Describing PTB broadly in mammals opens avenues for comparative studies on the physiological and genetic regulators of birth timing as well as the development of new mammalian models of the disease. PMID:26077822

Evaluation of optimized magnetic resonance perfusion imaging scanning time window after contrast agent injection for differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions

PubMed Central

Dong, Jie; Wang, Dawei; Ma, Zhenshen; Deng, Guodong; Wang, Lanhua; Zhang, Jiandong

2017-01-01

The aim of the study was evaluate the 3.0 T magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion imaging scanning time window following contrast injection for differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions and to determine the optimum scanning time window for increased scanner usage efficiency and reduced diagnostic adverse risk factors. A total of 52 women with breast abnormalities were selected for conventional MR imaging and T1 dynamic-enhanced imaging. Quantitative parameters [volume transfer constant (Ktrans), rate constant (Kep) and extravascular extracellular volume fraction (Ve)] were calculated at phases 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50, which represented time windows at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 min, respectively, following injection of contrast agent. The association of the parameters at different phases with benign and malignant tumor diagnosis was analyzed. MR perfusion imaging was verified as an effective modality in the diagnosis of breast malignancies and the best scanning time window was identified: i) Values of Ktrans and Kep at all phases were statistically significant in differentiating benign and malignant tumors (P<0.05), while the value of Ve had statistical significance only at stage 10, but not at any other stages (P>0.05); ii) values of Ve in benign tumors increased with phase number, but achieved no obvious changes at different phases in malignant tumors; iii) the optimum scanning time window of breast perfusion imaging with 3.0 T MR was between phases 10 and 30 (i.e., between 5 and 15 min after contrast agent injection). The variation trend of Ve values at different phases may serve as a diagnostic reference for differentiating benign and malignant breast abnormalities. The most efficient scanning time window was indicated to be 5 min after contrast injection, based on the observation that the Ve value only had statistical significance in diagnosis at stage 10. However, the optimal scanning time window is from 5 to 15 min following the injection of contrast agent, since that the variation trend of Ve is able to serve as a diagnostic reference. PMID:28450944

Evaluation of optimized magnetic resonance perfusion imaging scanning time window after contrast agent injection for differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions.

PubMed

Dong, Jie; Wang, Dawei; Ma, Zhenshen; Deng, Guodong; Wang, Lanhua; Zhang, Jiandong

2017-03-01

The aim of the study was evaluate the 3.0 T magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion imaging scanning time window following contrast injection for differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions and to determine the optimum scanning time window for increased scanner usage efficiency and reduced diagnostic adverse risk factors. A total of 52 women with breast abnormalities were selected for conventional MR imaging and T1 dynamic-enhanced imaging. Quantitative parameters [volume transfer constant (K trans ), rate constant (K ep ) and extravascular extracellular volume fraction (V e )] were calculated at phases 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50, which represented time windows at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 min, respectively, following injection of contrast agent. The association of the parameters at different phases with benign and malignant tumor diagnosis was analyzed. MR perfusion imaging was verified as an effective modality in the diagnosis of breast malignancies and the best scanning time window was identified: i) Values of K trans and K ep at all phases were statistically significant in differentiating benign and malignant tumors (P<0.05), while the value of V e had statistical significance only at stage 10, but not at any other stages (P>0.05); ii) values of V e in benign tumors increased with phase number, but achieved no obvious changes at different phases in malignant tumors; iii) the optimum scanning time window of breast perfusion imaging with 3.0 T MR was between phases 10 and 30 (i.e., between 5 and 15 min after contrast agent injection). The variation trend of V e values at different phases may serve as a diagnostic reference for differentiating benign and malignant breast abnormalities. The most efficient scanning time window was indicated to be 5 min after contrast injection, based on the observation that the V e value only had statistical significance in diagnosis at stage 10. However, the optimal scanning time window is from 5 to 15 min following the injection of contrast agent, since that the variation trend of V e is able to serve as a diagnostic reference.

Seeing Is Believing? Insights from Young Children in Nature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, E. Jayne

2015-01-01

If the eye is a window to the soul, an important question to ask in the early years is "What do children see?" in their encounters with the world. Gaining a better understanding of children's interpretations is central to the pedagogical task of early childhood teachers, yet children are seldom asked to provide their points of view…

The Impact of Television During Early Childhood. Australian Early Childhood Resource Booklets, No. 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holman, Jacqueline

Some studies have suggested that TV encourages a variety of problems such as malnutrition, drug consumption, poor consumer habits, and violence. Others have argued that TV is a window to the world, promoting knowledge, cultural experiences and positive social values. This article examines some of these controversial claims and evaluates the impact…

Embedding Physical Activity and Nutrition in Early Care and Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deiner, Penny Low; Qiu, Wei

2007-01-01

The infant and toddler years provide a window of opportunity to establish healthy habits as part of daily routines and activities that prevent childhood obesity. Early care and education programs have the opportunity to make a significant impact on physical development when they promote healthy eating and physical activity in their daily routines.…

Timing anthropogenic stressors to mitigate their impact on marine ecosystem resilience.

PubMed

Wu, Paul Pao-Yen; Mengersen, Kerrie; McMahon, Kathryn; Kendrick, Gary A; Chartrand, Kathryn; York, Paul H; Rasheed, Michael A; Caley, M Julian

2017-11-02

Better mitigation of anthropogenic stressors on marine ecosystems is urgently needed to address increasing biodiversity losses worldwide. We explore opportunities for stressor mitigation using whole-of-systems modelling of ecological resilience, accounting for complex interactions between stressors, their timing and duration, background environmental conditions and biological processes. We then search for ecological windows, times when stressors minimally impact ecological resilience, defined here as risk, recovery and resistance. We show for 28 globally distributed seagrass meadows that stressor scheduling that exploits ecological windows for dredging campaigns can achieve up to a fourfold reduction in recovery time and 35% reduction in extinction risk. Although the timing and length of windows vary among sites to some degree, global trends indicate favourable windows in autumn and winter. Our results demonstrate that resilience is dynamic with respect to space, time and stressors, varying most strongly with: (i) the life history of the seagrass genus and (ii) the duration and timing of the impacting stress.

Early tissue damage and microstructural reorganization predict disease severity in experimental epilepsy

PubMed Central

Janz, Philipp; Schwaderlapp, Niels; Heining, Katharina; Häussler, Ute; Korvink, Jan G; von Elverfeldt, Dominik; Hennig, Jürgen; Egert, Ulrich

2017-01-01

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) is the most common focal epilepsy in adults and is often refractory to medication. So far, resection of the epileptogenic focus represents the only curative therapy. It is unknown whether pathological processes preceding epilepsy onset are indicators of later disease severity. Using longitudinal multi-modal MRI, we monitored hippocampal injury and tissue reorganization during epileptogenesis in a mouse mTLE model. The prognostic value of MRI biomarkers was assessed by retrospective correlations with pathological hallmarks Here, we show for the first time that the extent of early hippocampal neurodegeneration and progressive microstructural changes in the dentate gyrus translate to the severity of hippocampal sclerosis and seizure burden in chronic epilepsy. Moreover, we demonstrate that structural MRI biomarkers reflect the extent of sclerosis in human hippocampi. Our findings may allow an early prognosis of disease severity in mTLE before its first clinical manifestations, thus expanding the therapeutic window. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25742.001 PMID:28746029

An Early Prediction of Sunspot Cycle 25

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nandy, D.; Bhowmik, P.

2017-12-01

The Sun's magnetic activity governs our space environment, creates space weather and impacts our technologies and climate. With increasing reliance on space- and ground-based technologies that are subject to space weather, the need to be able to forecast the future activity of the Sun has assumed increasing importance. However, such long-range, decadal-scale space weather prediction has remained a great challenge as evident in the diverging forecasts for solar cycle 24. Based on recently acquired understanding of the physics of solar cycle predictability, we have devised a scheme to extend the forecasting window of solar cycles. Utilizing this we present an early forecast for sunspot cycle 25 which would be of use for space mission planning, satellite life-time estimates, and assessment of the long-term impacts of space weather on technological assets and planetary atmospheres.

Prediction (early recognition) of emerging flu strain clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Phillips, J. C.

2017-08-01

Early detection of incipient dominant influenza strains is one of the key steps in the design and manufacture of an effective annual influenza vaccine. Here we report the most current results for pandemic H3N2 flu vaccine design. A 2006 model of dimensional reduction (compaction) of viral mutational complexity derives two-dimensional Cartesian mutational maps (2DMM) that exhibit an emergent dominant strain as a small and distinct cluster of as few as 10 strains. We show that recent extensions of this model can detect incipient strains one year or more in advance of their dominance in the human population. Our structural interpretation of our unexpectedly rich 2DMM involves sialic acid, and is based on nearly 6000 strains in a series of recent 3-year time windows. Vaccine effectiveness is predicted best by analyzing dominant mutational epitopes.

Platform for Postprocessing Waveform-Based NDE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, Don

2008-01-01

Taking advantage of the similarities that exist among all waveform-based non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods, a common software platform has been developed containing multiple- signal and image-processing techniques for waveforms and images. The NASA NDE Signal and Image Processing software has been developed using the latest versions of LabVIEW, and its associated Advanced Signal Processing and Vision Toolkits. The software is useable on a PC with Windows XP and Windows Vista. The software has been designed with a commercial grade interface in which two main windows, Waveform Window and Image Window, are displayed if the user chooses a waveform file to display. Within these two main windows, most actions are chosen through logically conceived run-time menus. The Waveform Window has plots for both the raw time-domain waves and their frequency- domain transformations (fast Fourier transform and power spectral density). The Image Window shows the C-scan image formed from information of the time-domain waveform (such as peak amplitude) or its frequency-domain transformation at each scan location. The user also has the ability to open an image, or series of images, or a simple set of X-Y paired data set in text format. Each of the Waveform and Image Windows contains menus from which to perform many user actions. An option exists to use raw waves obtained directly from scan, or waves after deconvolution if system wave response is provided. Two types of deconvolution, time-based subtraction or inverse-filter, can be performed to arrive at a deconvolved wave set. Additionally, the menu on the Waveform Window allows preprocessing of waveforms prior to image formation, scaling and display of waveforms, formation of different types of images (including non-standard types such as velocity), gating of portions of waves prior to image formation, and several other miscellaneous and specialized operations. The menu available on the Image Window allows many further image processing and analysis operations, some of which are found in commercially-available image-processing software programs (such as Adobe Photoshop), and some that are not (removing outliers, Bscan information, region-of-interest analysis, line profiles, and precision feature measurements).

75 FR 74687 - Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Construction of the Parsons Slough...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-01

.... Actual pile driving time during this work window will depend on a number of factors, such as sediments... period beginning in November 2010, and ending in February 2011. This work window was selected to coincide.... The work window also coincides with the USFWS' required construction work window to avoid the peak...

A Window-Washing Challenge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roman, Harry T.

2010-01-01

Skyscrapers sure do have a lot of windows, and these windows are cleaned and checked regularly. All this takes time, money, and puts workers at potential risk. Might there be a better way to do it? In this article, the author discusses a window-washing challenge and describes how students can tackle this task, pick up the challenge, and creatively…

High resolution windows into early Holocene climate: Sr/(Ca) coral records from the Huon Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCulloch, Malcolm; Mortimer, Graham; Esat, Tezer; Xianhua, Li; Pillans, Brad; Chappell, John

1996-02-01

High-precision measurements of Sr/Ca ratios are reported for Porites corals from the uplifted Holocene coral terraces at Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea. The early Holocene Porites have UTh mass spectrometric ages of 8920 ± 60 yr and 7370 ± 50 yr, and δ 234U(t) values of 145 ± 2, similar to modern seawater. The Sr/Ca coral records provide 5-6 year high resolution (near weekly) time windows into early Holocene sea surface temperatures. Seasonal temperature fluctuations are generally in the range of ± 1°C, with occasional excursions of ± 2°C, which may indicate the more frequent recurrence of very strong ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) events. Mean annual Sr/Ca temperatures of 24.2 ± 1.1°C and 22.9 ± 0.8°C have been obtained, which are ˜ 2-3°C cooler than that exhibited by a modern Porites. These results indicate that, during the early Holocene, the equatorial western Pacific ocean was at least several degrees cooler than present-day temperatures. This is consistent with late glacial coral records from the Caribbean that indicate lower (˜ 6°C) sea surface temperatures for the equatorial oceans. The Huon Peninsula corals also indicate that SSTs were several degrees cooler than those in the Caribbean during the early Holocene. Thus, although the northern hemisphere summer radiation maximum occurred at ˜ 10 ka, there appears to have been a significant lag in the response of the equatorial western Pacific ocean to this warming. Cooler early Holocene sea surface temperatures in the western Pacific may have been due to changing patterns of ocean-atmosphere circulation, resulting from the exposure of large areas of continental shelf in the southeast Asia region, a consequence of lower glacial sea levels. It is likely that ocean temperatures in the Huon Peninsula were influenced by the opening at ˜ 7 ka of the Torres Strait, that now separates New Guinea from the Australian mainland.

Children Are Not Little Adults!

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

They are often more likely to be at risk from environmental hazards because of unique activity patterns/behavior, physiological differences, and windows of susceptibility during early lifestages including fetal development and puberty.

Design and implementation of laser target simulator in hardware-in-the-loop simulation system based on LabWindows/CVI and RTX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Qiujie; Wang, Qianqian; Li, Xiaoyang; Shan, Bin; Cui, Xuntai; Li, Chenyu; Peng, Zhong

2016-11-01

In order to satisfy the requirements of the real-time and generality, a laser target simulator in semi-physical simulation system based on RTX+LabWindows/CVI platform is proposed in this paper. Compared with the upper-lower computers simulation platform architecture used in the most of the real-time system now, this system has better maintainability and portability. This system runs on the Windows platform, using Windows RTX real-time extension subsystem to ensure the real-time performance of the system combining with the reflective memory network to complete some real-time tasks such as calculating the simulation model, transmitting the simulation data, and keeping real-time communication. The real-time tasks of simulation system run under the RTSS process. At the same time, we use the LabWindows/CVI to compile a graphical interface, and complete some non-real-time tasks in the process of simulation such as man-machine interaction, display and storage of the simulation data, which run under the Win32 process. Through the design of RTX shared memory and task scheduling algorithm, the data interaction between the real-time tasks process of RTSS and non-real-time tasks process of Win32 is completed. The experimental results show that this system has the strongly real-time performance, highly stability, and highly simulation accuracy. At the same time, it also has the good performance of human-computer interaction.

Rapidity window dependences of higher order cumulants and diffusion master equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitazawa, Masakiyo

2015-10-01

We study the rapidity window dependences of higher order cumulants of conserved charges observed in relativistic heavy ion collisions. The time evolution and the rapidity window dependence of the non-Gaussian fluctuations are described by the diffusion master equation. Analytic formulas for the time evolution of cumulants in a rapidity window are obtained for arbitrary initial conditions. We discuss that the rapidity window dependences of the non-Gaussian cumulants have characteristic structures reflecting the non-equilibrium property of fluctuations, which can be observed in relativistic heavy ion collisions with the present detectors. It is argued that various information on the thermal and transport properties of the hot medium can be revealed experimentally by the study of the rapidity window dependences, especially by the combined use, of the higher order cumulants. Formulas of higher order cumulants for a probability distribution composed of sub-probabilities, which are useful for various studies of non-Gaussian cumulants, are also presented.

Low temperature thermochronology in the Easter Alps. New data, interpretations and perspectives.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wölfler, Andreas

2015-04-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate new and published low temperature thermochronological data of the Eastern Alps in terms of its Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonic evolution and the possible connection with deep seated lithospheric processes. In the Eastern Alps, the tectonic units that originate from the Penninic domain are buried beneath the Austroalpine nappe stack. Overthrusting of the Austroalpine nappes over the Penninic units occurred throughout the Cretaceous and lasted until the Eocene. During lateral tectonic extrusion in Oligocene to Miocene times the footwall penninic units exposed in the Tauern Window, were tectonically exhumed from below the Austroalpine hanging wall. This is well documented by Miocene to Pliocene zircon- and apatite fission track (ZFT, AFT) and (U-Th)/He data. However, the Austroalpine hanging wall shows a more complex age pattern. Late Cretaceous ZFT data reflect post-metamorphic exhumational cooling after Eo-Alpine metamorphism that goes along with an extensional phase that affected large parts of the Eastern Alps. Paleogene AFT and apatite (U-Th)/He data of the Austroalpine units to the east of the Tauern Window reflect exhumation of this area that supplied clastic material, the so-called Augenstein formation. Exhumation and erosion of the area left a probably hilly surface in Early Miocene times that was only moderately uplifted since then. These areas are well known for paleosurfaces exposed in the Gurktal- Kor- and Seckauer Alps to the east of the Tauern Window and in the central and eastern Northern Calcareous Alps. However, distinct parts of the Austroalpine hanging wall experienced substantial exhumation and surface uplift in the Miocene, contemporaneous to the exhumation of Penninic units and lateral extrusion of the Eastern Alps. These areas are restricted to the south and northeast of the Tauern Window and are characterized by steep and rugged reliefs that contrast the hilly and moderately shaped reliefs of the paleosurfaces. To summarize, low temperature thermochronological data of the Eastern Alps display at least three different exhumation scenarios during Cretaceous, Paleogene and Neogene times. Recent studies suggest that these time frames mark substantial changes in the lithosphere beneath the European Alps. Therefore exhumation in the Eastern Alps may reflect processes like lithsopheric thinning, changes in slab polarities and the formation of slab gaps.

Age at adoption from institutional care as a window into the lasting effects of early experiences

PubMed Central

Julian, Megan M.

2013-01-01

One of the major questions of human development is how early experience impacts the course of development years later. Children adopted from institutional care experience varying levels of deprivation in their early life followed by qualitatively better care in an adoptive home, providing a unique opportunity to study the lasting effects of early deprivation and its timing. The effects of age at adoption from institutional care are discussed for multiple domains of social and behavioral development within the context of several prominent developmental hypotheses about the effects of early deprivation (cumulative effects, experience-expectant developmental programming, and experience-adaptive developmental programming). Age at adoption effects are detected in a majority of studies, particularly when children experienced global deprivation and were assessed in adolescence. For most outcomes, institutionalization beyond a certain age is associated with a step-like increase in risk for lasting social and behavioral problems, with the step occurring at an earlier age for children who experienced more severe levels of deprivation. Findings are discussed in terms of their concordance and discordance with our current hypotheses, and speculative explanations for the findings are offered. PMID:23576122

Optimization of ramp area aircraft push back time windows in the presence of uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coupe, William Jeremy

It is well known that airport surface traffic congestion at major airports is responsible for increased taxi-out times, fuel burn and excess emissions and there is potential to mitigate these negative consequences through optimizing airport surface traffic operations. Due to a highly congested voice communication channel between pilots and air traffic controllers and a data communication channel that is used only for limited functions, one of the most viable near-term strategies for improvement of the surface traffic is issuing a push back advisory to each departing aircraft. This dissertation focuses on the optimization of a push back time window for each departing aircraft. The optimization takes into account both spatial and temporal uncertainties of ramp area aircraft trajectories. The uncertainties are described by a stochastic kinematic model of aircraft trajectories, which is used to infer distributions of combinations of push back times that lead to conflict among trajectories from different gates. The model is validated and the distributions are included in the push back time window optimization. Under the assumption of a fixed taxiway spot schedule, the computed push back time windows can be integrated with a higher level taxiway scheduler to optimize the flow of traffic from the gate to the departure runway queue. To enable real-time decision making the computational time of the push back time window optimization is critical and is analyzed throughout.

Impact of Hypokalemia on Electromechanical Window, Excitation Wavelength and Repolarization Gradients in Guinea-Pig and Rabbit Hearts

PubMed Central

Osadchii, Oleg E.

2014-01-01

Normal hearts exhibit a positive time difference between the end of ventricular contraction and the end of QT interval, which is referred to as the electromechanical (EM) window. Drug-induced prolongation of repolarization may lead to the negative EM window, which was proposed to be a novel proarrhythmic marker. This study examined whether abnormal changes in the EM window may account for arrhythmogenic effects produced by hypokalemia. Left ventricular pressure, electrocardiogram, and epicardial monophasic action potentials were recorded in perfused hearts from guinea-pig and rabbit. Hypokalemia (2.5 mM K+) was found to prolong repolarization, reduce the EM window, and promote tachyarrhythmia. Nevertheless, during both regular pacing and extrasystolic excitation, the increased QT interval invariably remained shorter than the duration of mechanical systole, thus yielding positive EM window values. Hypokalemia-induced arrhythmogenicity was associated with slowed ventricular conduction, and shortened effective refractory periods, which translated to a reduced excitation wavelength index. Hypokalemia also evoked non-uniform prolongation of action potential duration in distinct epicardial regions, which resulted in increased spatial variability in the repolarization time. These findings suggest that arrhythmogenic effects of hypokalemia are not accounted for by the negative EM window, and are rather attributed to abnormal changes in ventricular conduction times, refractoriness, excitation wavelength, and spatial repolarization gradients. PMID:25141124

Study of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen state for space-time variables in a two photon interference experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shih, Y. H.; Sergienko, A. V.; Rubin, M. H.

1993-01-01

A pair of correlated photons generated from parametric down conversion was sent to two independent Michelson interferometers. Second order interference was studied by means of a coincidence measurement between the outputs of two interferometers. The reported experiment and analysis studied this second order interference phenomena from the point of view of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox. The experiment was done in two steps. The first step of the experiment used 50 psec and 3 nsec coincidence time windows simultaneously. The 50 psec window was able to distinguish a 1.5 cm optical path difference in the interferometers. The interference visibility was measured to be 38 percent and 21 percent for the 50 psec time window and 22 percent and 7 percent for the 3 nsec time window, when the optical path difference of the interferometers were 2 cm and 4 cm, respectively. By comparing the visibilities between these two windows, the experiment showed the non-classical effect which resulted from an E.P.R. state. The second step of the experiment used a 20 psec coincidence time window, which was able to distinguish a 6 mm optical path difference in the interferometers. The interference visibilities were measured to be 59 percent for an optical path difference of 7 mm. This is the first observation of visibility greater than 50 percent for a two interferometer E.P.R. experiment which demonstrates nonclassical correlation of space-time variables.

Intertrial auditory neural stability supports beat synchronization in preschoolers

PubMed Central

Carr, Kali Woodruff; Tierney, Adam; White-Schwoch, Travis; Kraus, Nina

2016-01-01

The ability to synchronize motor movements along with an auditory beat places stringent demands on the temporal processing and sensorimotor integration capabilities of the nervous system. Links between millisecond-level precision of auditory processing and the consistency of sensorimotor beat synchronization implicate fine auditory neural timing as a mechanism for forming stable internal representations of, and behavioral reactions to, sound. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate a systematic relationship between consistency of beat synchronization and trial-by-trial stability of subcortical speech processing in preschoolers (ages 3 and 4 years old). We conclude that beat synchronization might provide a useful window into millisecond-level neural precision for encoding sound in early childhood, when speech processing is especially important for language acquisition and development. PMID:26760457

Signatures of particle acceleration at SN1987a

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaisser, T. K.; Stanev, Todor; Harding, Alice

1988-01-01

Young SNRs may be bright sources of energetic photons and neutrinos generated by the collisions of particles accelerated within the remnant. Due to the large opacity of the shell at these early times, a photon signal may be suppressed; at later times, due to adiabatic losses of the magnetically-trapped particles in the expanding envelope, both neutron and neutrino signals will begin to decrease. There is therefore a window during which the secondary photon signal will be at its maximum. It is presently noted that if the observed decline of the optical light curve of SN1987a is due to Ni-56, Co-56 decay, this may place upper limits on such other sources of light as a central pulsar.

Negative electro-mechanical windows are required for drug-induced Torsades de Pointes in the anesthetized guinea pig.

PubMed

Guns, P-J; Johnson, D M; Weltens, E; Lissens, J

2012-09-01

Assessment of the propensity of novel drugs to cause proarrhythmia is essential in the drug development process. It is increasingly recognized, however, that QT prolongation alone is an imperfect surrogate marker for Torsades de Pointes (TdP) arrhythmia prediction. In the present study we investigated the behavior of a novel surrogate marker for TdP, the electro-mechanical (E-M) window, prior to triggering of TdP episodes with sympathetic stimulation after administration of a number of reference compounds. Experiments were carried out in closed chest pentobarbital anesthetized guinea pigs. Test compounds were administered intravenously together with a specific I(Ks) blocker (JNJ303; 0.2 mgkg(-1)min(-1) for 3 min) and adrenaline (0.06 mgkg(-1)min(-1) for 2 min) was applied to trigger TdP. ECG, blood- and left ventricular pressure signals were measured continuously throughout the experiments. The E-M window i.e. the duration of the mechanical systole (QLVP(end) interval) minus the duration of the electrical activity (QT interval) was assessed for individual beats. Drugs with documented TdP liability (quinidine, haloperidol, domperidone, terfenadine, moxifloxacin, ciprofloxacin and dofetilide) produced TdP in the protocol after adrenaline infusion, whereas negative control compounds (verapamil, ranolazine, amiodarone and saline) did not cause TdP arrhythmia, even though increases in repolarization times were observed. TdP were typically preceded by large (greater than -50 ms) negative electro-mechanical windows and were accompanied by aftercontractions. The present study in anesthetized guinea pigs indicates that negative E-M windows are a prerequisite for sympathetically-driven TdP induction after the administration of various agents with known proarrhythmic potential. These data are a first step in the validation of this novel protocol; however we believe that this proarrhythmia model in small animals might be a valuable additional tool in the prediction of TdP risk of new chemical entities at the early stages of drug discovery. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A scan statistic for identifying optimal risk windows in vaccine safety studies using self-controlled case series design.

PubMed

Xu, Stanley; Hambidge, Simon J; McClure, David L; Daley, Matthew F; Glanz, Jason M

2013-08-30

In the examination of the association between vaccines and rare adverse events after vaccination in postlicensure observational studies, it is challenging to define appropriate risk windows because prelicensure RCTs provide little insight on the timing of specific adverse events. Past vaccine safety studies have often used prespecified risk windows based on prior publications, biological understanding of the vaccine, and expert opinion. Recently, a data-driven approach was developed to identify appropriate risk windows for vaccine safety studies that use the self-controlled case series design. This approach employs both the maximum incidence rate ratio and the linear relation between the estimated incidence rate ratio and the inverse of average person time at risk, given a specified risk window. In this paper, we present a scan statistic that can identify appropriate risk windows in vaccine safety studies using the self-controlled case series design while taking into account the dependence of time intervals within an individual and while adjusting for time-varying covariates such as age and seasonality. This approach uses the maximum likelihood ratio test based on fixed-effects models, which has been used for analyzing data from self-controlled case series design in addition to conditional Poisson models. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Integrating TWES and Satellite-based remote sensing: Lessons learned from the Honshu 2011 Tsunami

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löwe, Peter; Wächter, Joachim

2013-04-01

The Boxing Day Tsunami killed 240,000 people and inundated the affected shorelines with waves reaching heights up to 30m. Tsunami Early Warning Capabilities have improved in the meantime by continuing development of modular Tsunami Early Warning Systems (TEWS). However, recent tsunami events, like the Chile 2010 and the Honshu 2011 tsunami demonstrate that the key challenge for TEWS research still lies in the timely issuing of reliable early warning messages to areas at risk, but also to other stakeholders professionally involved in the unfolding event. Until now remote sensing products for Tsunami events, including crisis maps and change detection products, are exclusively linked to those phases of the disaster life cycle, which follow after the early warning stage: Response, recovery and mitigation. The International Charter for Space and Major Disasters has been initiated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) in 1999. It coordinates a voluntary group of governmental space agencies and industry partners, to provide rapid crisis imaging and mapping to disaster and relief organisations to mitigate the effects of disasters on human life, property and the environment. The efficiency of this approach has been demonstrated in the field of Tsunami early warning by Charter activations following the Boxing Day Tsunami 2004, the Chile Tsunami 2010 and the Honshu Tsunami 2011. Traditional single-satellite operations allow at best bimonthly repeat rates over a given Area of Interest (AOI). This allows a lot of time for image acquisition campaign planning between imaging windows for the same AOI. The advent of constellations of identical remote sensing satellites in the early 21st century resulted both in daily AOI revisit capabilities and drastically reduced time frames for acquisition planning. However, the image acquisition planning for optical remote sensing satellite constellations is constrained by orbital and communication requirements: Defined time slots exist to commandeer the tasking of image acquisitions. If such a time slot has been missed, another attempt to image an AOI again can only be attempted ca. 24 hours later, due to the sun-synchronous satellite orbits Therefore it is critical to establish automated Disaster Early Warning dissemination services for the remote sensing community, to supply them with the timeliest opportunity to trigger the tasking process for the affected AOI. For very large events like a Tsunami in the Pacific, this approach provides the chance to gain additional pre-disaster imagery as a reference for change detection. In the case of the Tohoku earthquake, an ad-hoc warning dissemination process was manually dispatched by the Centre for Geoinformation Technology (CeGIT) at the German Research Centre for Geoscience, contacting RapidEye AG, once the severity of the earthquake event had been confirmed by the GEOFON geoseismic network. RapidEye AG decided to launch an imaging campaign which yielded 78 georectified image tiles (L3A) of Honshu island during the next imaging window. Of these, 26 tiles cover the affected coastline, resulting in 16,250km² of content for crisis mapping effort such as the Humanitarian Open Street Map (OSM) Team. This data was made available by RapidEye as a part of the Charter Activiation requested by Japan on March 11 2011. [1] Hoja, D., Schwinger, M.,Wendleder A.,Löwe, P., Konstanski, H., Weichelt, H.: Optimised Near-Real Time Data Acquisition for Disaster Related Rapid Mapping

Bayesian distributed lag interaction models to identify perinatal windows of vulnerability in children's health.

PubMed

Wilson, Ander; Chiu, Yueh-Hsiu Mathilda; Hsu, Hsiao-Hsien Leon; Wright, Robert O; Wright, Rosalind J; Coull, Brent A

2017-07-01

Epidemiological research supports an association between maternal exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and adverse children's health outcomes. Advances in exposure assessment and statistics allow for estimation of both critical windows of vulnerability and exposure effect heterogeneity. Simultaneous estimation of windows of vulnerability and effect heterogeneity can be accomplished by fitting a distributed lag model (DLM) stratified by subgroup. However, this can provide an incomplete picture of how effects vary across subgroups because it does not allow for subgroups to have the same window but different within-window effects or to have different windows but the same within-window effect. Because the timing of some developmental processes are common across subpopulations of infants while for others the timing differs across subgroups, both scenarios are important to consider when evaluating health risks of prenatal exposures. We propose a new approach that partitions the DLM into a constrained functional predictor that estimates windows of vulnerability and a scalar effect representing the within-window effect directly. The proposed method allows for heterogeneity in only the window, only the within-window effect, or both. In a simulation study we show that a model assuming a shared component across groups results in lower bias and mean squared error for the estimated windows and effects when that component is in fact constant across groups. We apply the proposed method to estimate windows of vulnerability in the association between prenatal exposures to fine particulate matter and each of birth weight and asthma incidence, and estimate how these associations vary by sex and maternal obesity status in a Boston-area prospective pre-birth cohort study. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Timing of the endometrial biopsy may be critical for the accurate diagnosis of luteal phase deficiency.

PubMed

Castelbaum, A J; Wheeler, J; Coutifaris, C B; Mastroianni, L; Lessey, B A

1994-03-01

To determine the optimal time to perform the endometrial biopsy for the detection of "out-of-phase" endometrium. Two endometrial biopsies were performed during a single menstrual cycle in each subject. The patient's chronological day was determined by counting forward from the midcycle LH surge, as assessed by urinary LH detection. The "early" biopsy was done on day LH + 7.4 +/- 0.8, and the "late" biopsy on day LH + 11.6 +/- 0.7. Each biopsy was independently read by two pathologists and was considered out of phase if the histologic date was > or = 3 days delayed compared with the chronological date. Infertility practice of an academic teaching hospital. Thirty-three ovulatory women seeking evaluation for infertility. Number of patients with out-of-phase endometrium detected by the early versus the late biopsy. There was a significantly greater detection rate for out-of-phase endometrium using the early biopsy (12.1% to 18.2% incidence depending on the observer) compared with the later biopsy (6.1% to 9.1% incidence). A majority of the early out-of-phase biopsies corrected by the time of the later biopsy. Our findings indicate that an endometrial biopsy performed in the midluteal phase may detect a greater number of women with delayed endometrial maturation during the temporal window of embryo implantation. The observation that most of the women with out-of-phase midluteal biopsies had normal late luteal endometrium may represent a cryptic form of luteal phase deficiency.

Optimization of finite difference forward modeling for elastic waves based on optimum combined window functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jian, Wang; Xiaohong, Meng; Hong, Liu; Wanqiu, Zheng; Yaning, Liu; Sheng, Gui; Zhiyang, Wang

2017-03-01

Full waveform inversion and reverse time migration are active research areas for seismic exploration. Forward modeling in the time domain determines the precision of the results, and numerical solutions of finite difference have been widely adopted as an important mathematical tool for forward modeling. In this article, the optimum combined of window functions was designed based on the finite difference operator using a truncated approximation of the spatial convolution series in pseudo-spectrum space, to normalize the outcomes of existing window functions for different orders. The proposed combined window functions not only inherit the characteristics of the various window functions, to provide better truncation results, but also control the truncation error of the finite difference operator manually and visually by adjusting the combinations and analyzing the characteristics of the main and side lobes of the amplitude response. Error level and elastic forward modeling under the proposed combined system were compared with outcomes from conventional window functions and modified binomial windows. Numerical dispersion is significantly suppressed, which is compared with modified binomial window function finite-difference and conventional finite-difference. Numerical simulation verifies the reliability of the proposed method.

Circulating Influenza Virus and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Time-Series Study.

PubMed

Fell, Deshayne B; Buckeridge, David L; Platt, Robert W; Kaufman, Jay S; Basso, Olga; Wilson, Kumanan

2016-08-01

Individual-level epidemiologic studies of pregnancy outcomes after maternal influenza are limited in number and quality and have produced inconsistent results. We used a time-series design to investigate whether fluctuation in influenza virus circulation was associated with short-term variation in population-level rates of preterm birth, stillbirth, and perinatal death in Ontario between 2003 and 2012. Using Poisson regression, we assessed the association between weekly levels of circulating influenza virus and counts of outcomes offset by the number of at-risk gestations during 3 gestational exposure windows. The rate of preterm birth was not associated with circulating influenza level in the week preceding birth (adjusted rate ratio = 1.01, 95% confidence interval: 1.00, 1.02) or in any other exposure window. These findings were robust to alternate specifications of the model and adjustment for potential confounding. Stillbirth and perinatal death rates were similarly not associated with gestational exposure to influenza circulation during late pregnancy. We could not assess mortality outcomes relative to early gestational exposure because of missing dates of conception for many stillbirths. In this time-series study, population-level influenza circulation was not associated with short-term variation in rates of preterm birth, stillbirth, or perinatal death. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

6. Historic American Buildings Survey, Ned Goode, Photographer September, 1959 ...

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

6. Historic American Buildings Survey, Ned Goode, Photographer September, 1959 WINDOW WITH EARLY VENETIAN BLINDS FIRST FLOOR EAST ROOM. - Hamilton-Hoffman House, Coggs Creek Parkway, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Hydrogen Drive

Science.gov Websites

, contact Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition. Download QuickTime Video QuickTime (.mov ) Download Windows Media Video Windows Media (.wmv) Video Download Help Text version See more videos provided

Topographic mapping of a hierarchy of temporal receptive windows using a narrated story

PubMed Central

Lerner, Y.; Honey, C.J.; Silbert, L.J.; Hasson, U.

2011-01-01

Real life activities, such as watching a movie or engaging in conversation, unfold over many minutes. In the course of such activities the brain has to integrate information over multiple time scales. We recently proposed that the brain uses similar strategies for integrating information across space and over time. Drawing a parallel with spatial receptive fields (SRF), we defined the temporal receptive window(TRW) of a cortical microcircuit as the length of time prior to a response during which sensory information may affect that response. Our previous findings in the visual system are consistent with the hypothesis that TRWs become larger when moving from low-level sensory to high-level perceptual and cognitive areas. In this study, we mapped TRWs in auditory and language areas by measuring fMRI activity in subjects listening to a real life story scrambled at the time scales of words, sentences and paragraphs. Our results revealed a hierarchical topography of TRWs. In early auditory cortices (A1+), brain responses were driven mainly by the momentary incoming input and were similarly reliable across all scrambling conditions. In areas with an intermediate TRW, coherent information at the sentence time scale or longer was necessary to evoke reliable responses. At the apex of the TRW hierarchy we found parietal and frontal areas which responded reliably only when intact paragraphs were heard in a meaningful sequence. These results suggest that the time scale of processing is a functional property that may provide a general organizing principle for the human cerebral cortex. PMID:21414912

Variability in urinary phthalate metabolite levels across pregnancy and sensitive windows of exposure for the risk of preterm birth

PubMed Central

Ferguson, Kelly K.; McElrath, Thomas F.; Ko, Yi-An; Mukherjee, Bhramar; Meeker, John D.

2014-01-01

Background Preterm birth is a significant public health problem, affecting over 1 in 10 live births and contributing largely to infant mortality and morbidity. Everyday exposure to environmental chemicals such as phthalates could contribute, and may be modifiable. In the present study we examine variability in phthalate exposure across gestation and identify windows of susceptibility for the relationship with preterm birth. Methods Women were recruited early in pregnancy as part of a prospective, longitudinal birth cohort at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Urine samples were collected at up to 4 time points during gestation for phthalate measurement, and birth outcomes were recorded at delivery. From this population we selected all 130 cases of preterm birth, defined as delivery before 37 weeks completed gestation, as well as 352 random controls. Results Urinary phthalate metabolite levels were moderately variable over pregnancy, but levels measured at multiple time points were associated with increased odds of preterm birth. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for spontaneous preterm birth were strongest in association with phthalate metabolite concentrations measured at the beginning of the third trimester (aOR for summed di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate metabolites [∑DEHP]=1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.02, 1.73). Odds ratios for placental preterm birth, defined as delivery with presentation of preeclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction, were slightly elevated in the first trimester for DEHP metabolites (aOR for ∑DEHP=1.33, 95% CI=0.99, 1.78). Conclusions Pregnant women with exposure to phthalates both early and late in pregnancy are at increased risk of delivering preterm, but mechanisms may differ based on etiology. PMID:24934852

On the relationship between instantaneous phase synchrony and correlation-based sliding windows for time-resolved fMRI connectivity analysis.

PubMed

Pedersen, Mangor; Omidvarnia, Amir; Zalesky, Andrew; Jackson, Graeme D

2018-06-08

Correlation-based sliding window analysis (CSWA) is the most commonly used method to estimate time-resolved functional MRI (fMRI) connectivity. However, instantaneous phase synchrony analysis (IPSA) is gaining popularity mainly because it offers single time-point resolution of time-resolved fMRI connectivity. We aim to provide a systematic comparison between these two approaches, on both temporal and topological levels. For this purpose, we used resting-state fMRI data from two separate cohorts with different temporal resolutions (45 healthy subjects from Human Connectome Project fMRI data with repetition time of 0.72 s and 25 healthy subjects from a separate validation fMRI dataset with a repetition time of 3 s). For time-resolved functional connectivity analysis, we calculated tapered CSWA over a wide range of different window lengths that were temporally and topologically compared to IPSA. We found a strong association in connectivity dynamics between IPSA and CSWA when considering the absolute values of CSWA. The association between CSWA and IPSA was stronger for a window length of ∼20 s (shorter than filtered fMRI wavelength) than ∼100 s (longer than filtered fMRI wavelength), irrespective of the sampling rate of the underlying fMRI data. Narrow-band filtering of fMRI data (0.03-0.07 Hz) yielded a stronger relationship between IPSA and CSWA than wider-band (0.01-0.1 Hz). On a topological level, time-averaged IPSA and CSWA nodes were non-linearly correlated for both short (∼20 s) and long (∼100 s) windows, mainly because nodes with strong negative correlations (CSWA) displayed high phase synchrony (IPSA). IPSA and CSWA were anatomically similar in the default mode network, sensory cortex, insula and cerebellum. Our results suggest that IPSA and CSWA provide comparable characterizations of time-resolved fMRI connectivity for appropriately chosen window lengths. Although IPSA requires narrow-band fMRI filtering, we recommend the use of IPSA given that it does not mandate a (semi-)arbitrary choice of window length and window overlap. A code for calculating IPSA is provided. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Multiphase Structural Evolution of a Continental Margin During Obduction Orogeny: Insights From the Jebel Akhdar Dome, Oman Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grobe, A.; Virgo, S.; von Hagke, C.; Urai, J. L.; Littke, R.

2018-03-01

The structural evolution of the carbonate platform in the footwall of the Semail ophiolite emplaced onto the passive continental margin of Arabia helps to better understand the early stages of obduction-related orogens. These early stages are rarely observable in other orogens as they are mostly overprinted by later mountain building phases. We present an extensive structural analysis of the Jebel Akhdar anticline, the largest tectonic window of the Oman Mountains, and integrate it on different scales. Outcrop observations can be linked to plate motion data, providing an absolute timeframe for structural generations consistent with radiometric dating of veins. Top-to-S overthrusting of the Semail ophiolite and Hawasina nappes onto the carbonate platform during high plate convergence rates between Arabia and Eurasia caused rapid burial and overpressure, generation and migration of hydrocarbons, and bedding-confined veins, but no major deformation in the carbonate platform. At reduced convergence rates, subsequent tectonic thinning of the ophiolite took place above a top-to-NNE, crustal-scale ductile shear zone, deforming existing veins and forming a cleavage in clay-rich layers in early Campanian times. Ongoing extension occurred along normal- to oblique-slip faults, forming horst-graben structures and a precursor of the Jebel Akhdar dome (Campanian to Maastrichtian). This was followed by NE-SW oriented ductile shortening and the formation of the Jebel Akhdar dome, deforming the earlier structures. Thereafter, exhumation was associated with low-angle normal faults on the northern flank of the anticline. We correlate the top-to-NNE crustal-scale shear zone with a similar structure in the Saih Hatat window to develop a unified model of the tectonic evolution of the Oman Mountains.

Fault Diagnosis of Induction Machines in a Transient Regime Using Current Sensors with an Optimized Slepian Window

PubMed Central

Burriel-Valencia, Jordi; Martinez-Roman, Javier; Sapena-Bano, Angel

2018-01-01

The aim of this paper is to introduce a new methodology for the fault diagnosis of induction machines working in the transient regime, when time-frequency analysis tools are used. The proposed method relies on the use of the optimized Slepian window for performing the short time Fourier transform (STFT) of the stator current signal. It is shown that for a given sequence length of finite duration, the Slepian window has the maximum concentration of energy, greater than can be reached with a gated Gaussian window, which is usually used as the analysis window. In this paper, the use and optimization of the Slepian window for fault diagnosis of induction machines is theoretically introduced and experimentally validated through the test of a 3.15-MW induction motor with broken bars during the start-up transient. The theoretical analysis and the experimental results show that the use of the Slepian window can highlight the fault components in the current’s spectrogram with a significant reduction of the required computational resources. PMID:29316650

Fault Diagnosis of Induction Machines in a Transient Regime Using Current Sensors with an Optimized Slepian Window.

PubMed

Burriel-Valencia, Jordi; Puche-Panadero, Ruben; Martinez-Roman, Javier; Sapena-Bano, Angel; Pineda-Sanchez, Manuel

2018-01-06

The aim of this paper is to introduce a new methodology for the fault diagnosis of induction machines working in the transient regime, when time-frequency analysis tools are used. The proposed method relies on the use of the optimized Slepian window for performing the short time Fourier transform (STFT) of the stator current signal. It is shown that for a given sequence length of finite duration, the Slepian window has the maximum concentration of energy, greater than can be reached with a gated Gaussian window, which is usually used as the analysis window. In this paper, the use and optimization of the Slepian window for fault diagnosis of induction machines is theoretically introduced and experimentally validated through the test of a 3.15-MW induction motor with broken bars during the start-up transient. The theoretical analysis and the experimental results show that the use of the Slepian window can highlight the fault components in the current's spectrogram with a significant reduction of the required computational resources.

An Early Window of Opportunity for Promoting Girls' Health: Policy Implications of the Girl's Puberty Book Project in Tanzania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sommer, Marni

2011-01-01

The onset of puberty, and specifically menstruation, is an opportune moment for reaching girls as they transition into adolescence and young womanhood. Despite the importance of this transitional period, the reproductive health community has tended to overlook the onset of menstruation and early puberty in global, national and local policy and…

Memory Club: A Group Intervention for People with Early-Stage Dementia and Their Care Partners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zarit, Steven H.; Femia, Elia E.; Watson, Jennifer; Rice-Oeschger, Laura; Kakos, Bernadette

2004-01-01

Purpose: Diagnosis of dementia in its early stages presents a window of opportunity for examining the immediate and long-term consequences of the illness at a point when the individual with memory loss can still participate in decision making. Design and Methods: Memory Club is a l0-session group program designed to provide information about…

The Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer: What Will it Take to Diagnose and Treat Curable Pancreatic Neoplasia?

PubMed Central

Lennon, Anne Marie; Wolfgang, Christopher L.; Canto, Marcia Irene; Klein, Alison P.; Herman, Joseph M.; Goggins, Michael; Fishman, Elliot K.; Kamel, Ihab; Weiss, Matthew J.; Diaz, Luis A.; Papadopoulos, Nickolas; Kinzler, Kenneth W.; Vogelstein, Bert; Hruban, Ralph H.

2014-01-01

Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest of all solid malignancies. Early detection offers the best hope for a cure, but characteristics of this disease such as the lack of early clinical symptoms, make the early detection difficult. Recent genetic mapping of the molecular evolution of pancreatic cancer suggests that a large window of opportunity exists for the early detection of pancreatic neoplasia, and developments in cancer genetics offer new, potentially highly specific, approaches for screening for curable pancreatic neoplasia. We review the challenges of screening for early pancreatic neoplasia, as well as opportunities presented by incorporating molecular genetics into these efforts. PMID:24924775

Hydrocarbon Reservoir Prediction Using Bi-Gaussian S Transform Based Time-Frequency Analysis Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Z.; Chen, Y.; Liu, Y.; Liu, W.; Zhang, G.

2015-12-01

Among those hydrocarbon reservoir detection techniques, the time-frequency analysis based approach is one of the most widely used approaches because of its straightforward indication of low-frequency anomalies from the time-frequency maps, that is to say, the low-frequency bright spots usually indicate the potential hydrocarbon reservoirs. The time-frequency analysis based approach is easy to implement, and more importantly, is usually of high fidelity in reservoir prediction, compared with the state-of-the-art approaches, and thus is of great interest to petroleum geologists, geophysicists, and reservoir engineers. The S transform has been frequently used in obtaining the time-frequency maps because of its better performance in controlling the compromise between the time and frequency resolutions than the alternatives, such as the short-time Fourier transform, Gabor transform, and continuous wavelet transform. The window function used in the majority of previous S transform applications is the symmetric Gaussian window. However, one problem with the symmetric Gaussian window is the degradation of time resolution in the time-frequency map due to the long front taper. In our study, a bi-Gaussian S transform that substitutes the symmetric Gaussian window with an asymmetry bi-Gaussian window is proposed to analyze the multi-channel seismic data in order to predict hydrocarbon reservoirs. The bi-Gaussian window introduces asymmetry in the resultant time-frequency spectrum, with time resolution better in the front direction, as compared with the back direction. It is the first time that the bi-Gaussian S transform is used for analyzing multi-channel post-stack seismic data in order to predict hydrocarbon reservoirs since its invention in 2003. The superiority of the bi-Gaussian S transform over traditional S transform is tested on a real land seismic data example. The performance shows that the enhanced temporal resolution can help us depict more clearly the edge of the hydrocarbon reservoir, especially when the thickness of the reservoir is small (such as the thin beds).

The method for detecting small lesions in medical image based on sliding window

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Guilai; Jiao, Yuan

2016-10-01

At present, the research on computer-aided diagnosis includes the sample image segmentation, extracting visual features, generating the classification model by learning, and according to the model generated to classify and judge the inspected images. However, this method has a large scale of calculation and speed is slow. And because medical images are usually low contrast, when the traditional image segmentation method is applied to the medical image, there is a complete failure. As soon as possible to find the region of interest, improve detection speed, this topic attempts to introduce the current popular visual attention model into small lesions detection. However, Itti model is mainly for natural images. But the effect is not ideal when it is used to medical images which usually are gray images. Especially in the early stages of some cancers, the focus of a disease in the whole image is not the most significant region and sometimes is very difficult to be found. But these lesions are prominent in the local areas. This paper proposes a visual attention mechanism based on sliding window, and use sliding window to calculate the significance of a local area. Combined with the characteristics of the lesion, select the features of gray, entropy, corner and edge to generate a saliency map. Then the significant region is segmented and distinguished. This method reduces the difficulty of image segmentation, and improves the detection accuracy of small lesions, and it has great significance to early discovery, early diagnosis and treatment of cancers.

Spreading the Clinical Window for Diagnosing Fetal-Onset Hypogonadism in Boys

PubMed Central

Grinspon, Romina P.; Loreti, Nazareth; Braslavsky, Débora; Valeri, Clara; Schteingart, Helena; Ballerini, María Gabriela; Bedecarrás, Patricia; Ambao, Verónica; Gottlieb, Silvia; Ropelato, María Gabriela; Bergadá, Ignacio; Campo, Stella M.; Rey, Rodolfo A.

2014-01-01

In early fetal development, the testis secretes – independent of pituitary gonadotropins – androgens and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) that are essential for male sex differentiation. In the second half of fetal life, the hypothalamic–pituitary axis gains control of testicular hormone secretion. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) controls Sertoli cell proliferation, responsible for testis volume increase and AMH and inhibin B secretion, whereas luteinizing hormone (LH) regulates Leydig cell androgen and INSL3 secretion, involved in the growth and trophism of male external genitalia and in testis descent. This differential regulation of testicular function between early and late fetal periods underlies the distinct clinical presentations of fetal-onset hypogonadism in the newborn male: primary hypogonadism results in ambiguous or female genitalia when early fetal-onset, whereas it becomes clinically undistinguishable from central hypogonadism when established later in fetal life. The assessment of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis in male has classically relied on the measurement of gonadotropin and testosterone levels in serum. These hormone levels normally decline 3–6 months after birth, thus constraining the clinical evaluation window for diagnosing male hypogonadism. The advent of new markers of gonadal function has spread this clinical window beyond the first 6 months of life. In this review, we discuss the advantages and limitations of old and new markers used for the functional assessment of the hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis in boys suspected of fetal-onset hypogonadism. PMID:24847309

Safety of intraparenchymal convection-enhanced delivery of cintredekin besudotox in early-phase studies.

PubMed

Kunwar, Sandeep; Chang, Susan M; Prados, Michael D; Berger, Mitchel S; Sampson, John H; Croteau, David; Sherman, Jeffrey W; Grahn, Amy Y; Shu, Vince S; Dul, Jeanne L; Husain, Syed R; Joshi, Bharat H; Pedain, Christoph; Puri, Raj K

2006-04-15

Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) is an increasingly used novel local/regional delivery method targeted directly to tissue. It relies on a continuous pressure gradient for distribution of therapeutic agents into the interstitial space, with administration of the infusate over a few days. Cintredekin besudotox (also known as IL13- PE38QQR) is a recombinant chimeric cytotoxin consisting of interleukin-13 and a truncated exotoxin produced by the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium, which targets malignant glioma cells. Cintredekin besudotox was administered via intraparenchymal CED after resection of supratentorial recurrent malignant glioma. The safety and toxicity profile was reviewed for 53 patients in whom infusion catheters had been placed; 51 of them received CED of the study drug. Adverse events were categorized based on time of onset in relation to CED, and the causal relationship with catheter placement or delivery of cintredekin besudotox. Catheters were placed in 53 patients, although only 51 of them received cintredekin besudotox. Most adverse events related to catheter placement or the study drug originated from the central nervous system. Three symptomatic windows were defined: the first one was between surgical procedure and CED; the second was during CED and up to 1 week after its completion; and the third window was 2 to 10 weeks after treatment. Those windows generally reflected adverse events related to surgical procedures, mass effect from infusate, and drug effect on tumor-infiltrated and normal brain parenchyma, respectively. The symptomatic windows identified in this study apply to any CED clinical trials, particularly those in which chimeric cytotoxins are used, and will help to determine the most likely underlying pathophysiological process causing symptoms. This information, in turn, will help to prevent adverse events or minimize their severity. Those events also have implications for dose escalation and outcome measures.

Single-agent parallel window search

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powley, Curt; Korf, Richard E.

1991-01-01

Parallel window search is applied to single-agent problems by having different processes simultaneously perform iterations of Iterative-Deepening-A(asterisk) (IDA-asterisk) on the same problem but with different cost thresholds. This approach is limited by the time to perform the goal iteration. To overcome this disadvantage, the authors consider node ordering. They discuss how global node ordering by minimum h among nodes with equal f = g + h values can reduce the time complexity of serial IDA-asterisk by reducing the time to perform the iterations prior to the goal iteration. Finally, the two ideas of parallel window search and node ordering are combined to eliminate the weaknesses of each approach while retaining the strengths. The resulting approach, called simply parallel window search, can be used to find a near-optimal solution quickly, improve the solution until it is optimal, and then finally guarantee optimality, depending on the amount of time available.

CAVE WINDOW

DOEpatents

Levenson, M.

1960-10-25

A cave window is described. It is constructed of thick glass panes arranged so that interior panes have smaller windowpane areas and exterior panes have larger areas. Exterior panes on the radiation exposure side are remotely replaceable when darkened excessively. Metal shutters minimize exposure time to extend window life.

Event-related potentials reveal linguistic suppression effect but not enhancement effect on categorical perception of color.

PubMed

Lu, Aitao; Yang, Ling; Yu, Yanping; Zhang, Meichao; Shao, Yulan; Zhang, Honghong

2014-08-01

The present study used the event-related potential technique to investigate the nature of linguistic effect on color perception. Four types of stimuli based on hue differences between a target color and a preceding color were used: zero hue step within-category color (0-WC); one hue step within-category color (1-WC); one hue step between-category color (1-BC); and two hue step between-category color (2-BC). The ERP results showed no significant effect of stimulus type in the 100-200 ms time window. However, in the 200-350 ms time window, ERP responses to 1-WC target color overlapped with that to 0-WC target color for right visual field (RVF) but not left visual field (LVF) presentation. For the 1-BC condition, ERP amplitudes were comparable in the two visual fields, both being significantly different from the 0-WC condition. The 2-BC condition showed the same pattern as the 1-BC condition. These results suggest that the categorical perception of color in RVF is due to linguistic suppression on within-category color discrimination but not between-category color enhancement, and that the effect is independent of early perceptual processes. © 2014 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Subliminal semantic priming changes the dynamic causal influence between the left frontal and temporal cortex.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Atsushi; Kakigi, Ryusuke

2014-01-01

Recent neuroimaging experiments have revealed that subliminal priming of a target stimulus leads to the reduction of neural activity in specific regions concerned with processing the target. Such findings lead to questions about the degree to which the subliminal priming effect is based only on decreased activity in specific local brain regions, as opposed to the influence of neural mechanisms that regulate communication between brain regions. To address this question, this study recorded EEG during performance of a subliminal semantic priming task. We adopted an information-based approach that used independent component analysis and multivariate autoregressive modeling. Results indicated that subliminal semantic priming caused significant modulation of alpha band activity in the left inferior frontal cortex and modulation of gamma band activity in the left inferior temporal regions. The multivariate autoregressive approach confirmed significant increases in information flow from the inferior frontal cortex to inferior temporal regions in the early time window that was induced by subliminal priming. In the later time window, significant enhancement of bidirectional causal flow between these two regions underlying subliminal priming was observed. Results suggest that unconscious processing of words influences not only local activity of individual brain regions but also the dynamics of neural communication between those regions.

How Semantic Radicals in Chinese characters Facilitate Hierarchical Category-Based Induction.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoxi; Ma, Xie; Tao, Yun; Tao, Yachen; Li, Hong

2018-04-03

Prior studies indicate that the semantic radical in Chinese characters contains category information that can support the independent retrieval of category information through the lexical network to the conceptual network. Inductive reasoning relies on category information; thus, semantic radicals may influence inductive reasoning. As most natural concepts are hierarchically structured in the human brain, this study examined how semantic radicals impact inductive reasoning for hierarchical concepts. The study used animal and plant nouns, organized in basic, superordinate, and subordinate levels; half had a semantic radical and half did not. Eighteen participants completed an inductive reasoning task. Behavioural and event-related potential (ERP) data were collected. The behavioural results showed that participants reacted faster and more accurately in the with-semantic-radical condition than in the without-semantic-radical condition. For the ERPs, differences between the conditions were found, and these differences lasted from the very early cognitive processing stage (i.e., the N1 time window) to the relatively late processing stages (i.e., the N400 and LPC time windows). Semantic radicals can help to distinguish the hierarchies earlier (in the N400 period) than characters without a semantic radical (in the LPC period). These results provide electrophysiological evidence that semantic radicals may improve sensitivity to distinguish between hierarchical concepts.

Temporal Patterns of Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol-Related Road Accidents in Young Swiss Men: Seasonal, Weekday and Public Holiday Effects.

PubMed

Foster, Simon; Gmel, Gerhard; Estévez, Natalia; Bähler, Caroline; Mohler-Kuo, Meichun

2015-09-01

To assess seasonal, weekday, and public holiday effects on alcohol-related road accidents and drinking diaries among young Swiss men. Federal road accident data (35,485 accidents) from Switzerland and drinking diary data from a large cohort of young Swiss men (11,930 subjects) were analysed for temporal effects by calendar week, weekday and public holiday (Christmas, New Years, National Day). Alcohol-related accidents were analysed using rate ratios for observed versus expected numbers of accidents and proportions of alcohol-related accidents relative to the total number. Drinking diaries were analysed for the proportion of drinkers, median number of drinks consumed, and the 90th percentile's number of drinks consumed. Several parallel peaks were identified in alcohol-related accidents and drinking diaries. These included increases on Fridays and Saturdays, with Saturday drinking extending until early Sunday morning, an increase during the summer on workdays but not weekends, an increase at the end of the year, and increases on public holidays and the evening before. Our results suggest specific time-windows that are associated with increases in drinking and alcohol-related harm. Established prevention measures should be enforced during these time-windows to reduce associated peaks. © The Author 2015. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

The silver effect of admission glucose level on excellent outcome in thrombolysed stroke patients.

PubMed

Rosso, Charlotte; Baronnet, Flore; Diaz, Belen; Le Bouc, Raphael; Frasca Polara, Giulia; Moulton, Eric Jr; Deltour, Sandrine; Leger, Anne; Crozier, Sophie; Samson, Yves

2018-05-18

Higher admission glucose levels (AGL) are associated with less favorable outcome in thrombolysis. But, could AGL's impact on outcome vary by onset-to-treatment (OTT) time? Is hyperglycemia associated with a shorter therapeutic time window for excellent outcome for thrombolysed stroke patients? We assessed predictive values of AGL, baseline NIHSS, age, and OTT time quartiles on excellent outcome (3-month modified Rankin score of 0-1) in 773 patients treated by rt-Pa. We added the AGL × OTT time quartile interaction in the model and separately analyzed the predictive values of AGL, age, and NIHSS for each OTT time quartile if the interaction was significant. AGL, baseline NIHSS, age, and OTT time quartiles were significant predictors. When added in the model, the AGL × OTT interaction was significant (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.94-0.99, p: 0.0009). AGL was predictive only during the third OTT time quartile (181-224 min). During this period, the predicted rate of excellent outcome was 16% for AGL = 6.5 mmol/L and 8% for AGL = 8 mmol/L. The rate of excellent outcome was not decreased in hyperglycemic patients for OTT time ≤ 180 min (20 vs. 24.5% p: 0.37), but was decreased for OTT time > 180 min (9.6 vs. 26.7% p: 0.00001). Similar results were found in patients with MCA recanalization, but not in patients without recanalization. The therapeutic time window for excellent outcome is shortened in hyperglycemic patients. This would support the design of "freezing penumbra" randomized trials based on ultra-early AGL control.

The risk of a second diagnostic window with 4th generation HIV assays: Two cases.

PubMed

Niederhauser, C; Ströhle, A; Stolz, M; Müller, F; Tinguely, C

2009-08-01

Despite the improved sensitivity of the 4th generation combined antigen/antibody HIV assays, detection of HIV in the early phase of an infection may still be ineffective. Description of two cases that highlight the existence of the "second diagnostic window phase" observed with commonly used sensitive 4th generation HIV assays. Samples were screened with different 4th generation HIV assays. HIV infection was confirmed with an HIV I/II antibody assay, a HIV-1 p24 antigen assay, the INNO-LIA HIV I/II Score Line immunoassay and HIV-1 PCR. In both investigated cases, the limitations of the 4th generation HIV assays within the second diagnostic window were apparent. The overall sensitivity of the commercial 4th generation HIV assays is currently higher than the 3rd generation HIV assays. Nevertheless, the rare occurrence of a second diagnostic window with 4th generation HIV assays strongly suggests that the following up testing algorithms need to be adjusted accordingly.

Regarding the optimization of O1-mode ECRH and the feasibility of EBW startup on NSTX-U

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez, N. A.; Poli, F. M.

2018-06-01

Recently published scenarios for fully non-inductive startup and operation on the National Spherical Torus eXperiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) (Menard et al 2012 Nucl. Fusion 52 083015) show Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) as an important component in preparing a target plasma for efficient High Harmonic Fast Wave and Neutral Beam heating. The modeling of the propagation and absorption of EC waves in the evolving plasma is required to define the most effective window of operation, and to optimize the launcher geometry for maximal heating and current drive during this window. Here, we extend a previous optimization of O1-mode ECRH on NSTX-U to account for the full time-dependent performance of the ECRH using simulations performed with TRANSP. We find that the evolution of the density profile has a prominent role in the optimization by defining the time window of operation, which in certain cases may be a more important metric to compare launcher performance than the average power absorption. This feature cannot be captured by analysis on static profiles, and should be accounted for when optimizing ECRH on any device that operates near the cutoff density. Additionally, the utility of the electron Bernstein wave (EBW) in driving current and generating closed flux surfaces in the early startup phase has been demonstrated on a number of devices. Using standalone GENRAY simulations, we find that efficient EBW current drive is possible on NSTX-U if the injection angle is shifted below the midplane and aimed towards the top half of the vacuum vessel. However, collisional damping of the EBW is projected to be significant, in some cases accounting for up to 97% of the absorbed EBW power.

Organizational effects of the antiandrogen, Vinclozolin, on penis development in the mouse.

PubMed

Amato, Ciro M; Boyd, Morgan; Yang, Joshua; McCoy, Krista A

2018-04-14

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are pollutants found throughout the environment that disrupt normal endocrine processes. In mice, penis development is thought to be most susceptible to EDCs during a critical developmental window occurring on embryonic days (E) 15.5-17.5. However, androgen signaling begins on E13.5 when Androgen Receptor (AR) protein is found in the genitalia and testosterone is circulating. We hypothesize that disrupting androgen signaling prior to the established critical window sensitizes the penis to future androgen disruption. To test this hypothesis, CD1 dams were exposed to Vinclozolin or a corn oil solvent control on E13.5 and E14.5 and AR levels were measured with immunohistochemistry on E14.5. Early antiandrogen exposure reduced AR within nuclei and decreased intensity of AR expression within E14.5 genitalia. To evaluate the influence of antiandrogen exposure before the known critical window of penis development, two groups of pregnant dams (n = 3) were exposed to Vinclozolin starting at either E13.5 or E14.5 and continued exposure through E16.5. Histology and M.O.U.S.E. scoring were used to quantify penis abnormalities. To account for differences in total doses mice experienced due to differences in length of dosing time, we compared animals that received the same total doses. Exposure to antiandrogens on E13.5 exacerbated malformations when exposure was continued through sexually dimorphic development. Both exposure time and Vinclozolin dose are important for severity of Vinclozolin-induced penis abnormalities in mice. This work shows, antiandrogen exposure prior to sensitive periods can exacerbate the effects of later antiandrogen exposure on reproductive development.

Regarding the optimization of O1-mode ECRH and the feasibility of EBW startup on NSTX-U

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

Lopez, Nicolas; Poli, Francesca M.

Recently published scenarios for fully non-inductive startup and operation on the National Spherical Torus eXperiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) [Menard J et al 2012 Nucl. Fusion 52 083015] show Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) as an important component in preparing a target plasma for efficient High Harmonic Fast Wave and Neutral Beam heating. The modelling of the propagation and absorption of EC waves in the evolving plasma is required to define the most effective window of operation, and to optimize the launcher geometry for maximal heating and current drive during this window. Here in this paper, we extend a previous optimization ofmore » O1-mode ECRH on NSTX-U to account for the full time-dependent performance of the ECRH using simulations performed with TRANSP. We find that the evolution of the density profile has a prominent role in the optimization by defining the time window of operation, which in certain cases may be a more important metric to compare launcher performance than the average power absorption. This feature cannot be captured by analysis on static profiles, and should be accounted for when optimizing ECRH on any device that operates near the cutoff density. Additionally, the utility of the electron Bernstein wave (EBW) in driving current and generating closed flux surfaces in the early startup phase has been demonstrated on a number of devices. Using standalone GENRAY simulations, we find that efficient EBW current drive is possible on NSTX-U if the injection angle is shifted below the midplane and aimed towards the top half of the vacuum vessel. However, collisional damping of the EBW is projected to be significant, in some cases accounting for up to 97\\% of the absorbed EBW power.« less

Regarding the optimization of O1-mode ECRH and the feasibility of EBW startup on NSTX-U

DOE PAGES

Lopez, Nicolas; Poli, Francesca M.

2018-03-29

Recently published scenarios for fully non-inductive startup and operation on the National Spherical Torus eXperiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) [Menard J et al 2012 Nucl. Fusion 52 083015] show Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) as an important component in preparing a target plasma for efficient High Harmonic Fast Wave and Neutral Beam heating. The modelling of the propagation and absorption of EC waves in the evolving plasma is required to define the most effective window of operation, and to optimize the launcher geometry for maximal heating and current drive during this window. Here in this paper, we extend a previous optimization ofmore » O1-mode ECRH on NSTX-U to account for the full time-dependent performance of the ECRH using simulations performed with TRANSP. We find that the evolution of the density profile has a prominent role in the optimization by defining the time window of operation, which in certain cases may be a more important metric to compare launcher performance than the average power absorption. This feature cannot be captured by analysis on static profiles, and should be accounted for when optimizing ECRH on any device that operates near the cutoff density. Additionally, the utility of the electron Bernstein wave (EBW) in driving current and generating closed flux surfaces in the early startup phase has been demonstrated on a number of devices. Using standalone GENRAY simulations, we find that efficient EBW current drive is possible on NSTX-U if the injection angle is shifted below the midplane and aimed towards the top half of the vacuum vessel. However, collisional damping of the EBW is projected to be significant, in some cases accounting for up to 97\\% of the absorbed EBW power.« less

Sunlight Responsive Thermochromic Window System

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

Millett, F,A; Byker,H, J

2006-10-27

Pleotint has embarked on a novel approach with our Sunlight Responsive Thermochromic, SRT™, windows. We are integrating dynamic sunlight control, high insulation values and low solar heat gain together in a high performance window. The Pleotint SRT window is dynamic because it reversibly changes light transmission based on thermochromics activated directly by the heating effect of sunlight. We can achieve a window package with low solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), a low U value and high insulation. At the same time our windows provide good daylighting. Our innovative window design offers architects and building designers the opportunity to choose theirmore » desired energy performance, excellent sound reduction, external pane can be self-cleaning, or a resistance to wind load, blasts, bullets or hurricanes. SRT windows would provide energy savings that are estimated at up to 30% over traditional window systems. Glass fabricators will be able to use existing equipment to make the SRT window while adding value and flexibility to the basic design. Glazing installers will have the ability to fit the windows with traditional methods without wires, power supplies and controllers. SRT windows can be retrofit into existing buildings,« less

Threshold network of a financial market using the P-value of correlation coefficients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ha, Gyeong-Gyun; Lee, Jae Woo; Nobi, Ashadun

2015-06-01

Threshold methods in financial networks are important tools for obtaining important information about the financial state of a market. Previously, absolute thresholds of correlation coefficients have been used; however, they have no relation to the length of time. We assign a threshold value depending on the size of the time window by using the P-value concept of statistics. We construct a threshold network (TN) at the same threshold value for two different time window sizes in the Korean Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI). We measure network properties, such as the edge density, clustering coefficient, assortativity coefficient, and modularity. We determine that a significant difference exists between the network properties of the two time windows at the same threshold, especially during crises. This implies that the market information depends on the length of the time window when constructing the TN. We apply the same technique to Standard and Poor's 500 (S&P500) and observe similar results.

Effect of the time window on the heat-conduction information filtering model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Qiang; Song, Wen-Jun; Hou, Lei; Zhang, Yi-Lu; Liu, Jian-Guo

2014-05-01

Recommendation systems have been proposed to filter out the potential tastes and preferences of the normal users online, however, the physics of the time window effect on the performance is missing, which is critical for saving the memory and decreasing the computation complexity. In this paper, by gradually expanding the time window, we investigate the impact of the time window on the heat-conduction information filtering model with ten similarity measures. The experimental results on the benchmark dataset Netflix indicate that by only using approximately 11.11% recent rating records, the accuracy could be improved by an average of 33.16% and the diversity could be improved by 30.62%. In addition, the recommendation performance on the dataset MovieLens could be preserved by only considering approximately 10.91% recent records. Under the circumstance of improving the recommendation performance, our discoveries possess significant practical value by largely reducing the computational time and shortening the data storage space.

Defining the therapeutic time window for suppressing the inflammatory prostaglandin E2 signaling after status epilepticus

PubMed Central

Du, Yifeng; Kemper, Timothy; Qiu, Jiange; Jiang, Jianxiong

2016-01-01

Neuroinflammation is a common feature in nearly all neurological and some psychiatric disorders. Resembling its extraneural counterpart, neuroinflammation can be both beneficial and detrimental depending on the responding molecules. The overall effect of inflammation on disease progression is highly dependent on the extent of inflammatory mediator production and the duration of inflammatory induction. The time-dependent aspect of inflammatory responses suggests that the therapeutic time window for quelling neuroinflammation might vary with molecular targets and injury types. Therefore, it is important to define the therapeutic time window for anti-inflammatory therapeutics, as contradicting or negative results might arise when different treatment regimens are utilized even in similar animal models. Herein, we discuss a few critical factors that can help define the therapeutic time window and optimize treatment paradigm for suppressing the cyclooxygenase-2/prostaglandin-mediated inflammation after status epilepticus. These determinants should also be relevant to other anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategies for the CNS diseases. PMID:26689339

Smart windows with functions of reflective display and indoor temperature-control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, I.-Hui; Chao, Yu-Ching; Hsu, Chih-Cheng; Chang, Liang-Chao; Chiu, Tien-Lung; Lee, Jiunn-Yih; Kao, Fu-Jen; Lee, Chih-Kung; Lee, Jiun-Haw

2010-02-01

In this paper, a switchable window based on cholestreric liquid crystal (CLC) was demonstrated. Under different applied voltages, incoming light at visible and infrared wavelengths was modulated, respectively. A mixture of CLC with a nematic liquid crystal and a chiral dopant selectively reflected infrared light without bias, which effectively reduced the indoor temperature under sunlight illumination. At this time, transmission at visible range was kept at high and the windows looked transparent. With increasing the voltage to 15V, CLC changed to focal conic state and can be used as a reflective display, a privacy window, or a screen for projector. Under a high voltage (30V), homeotropic state was achieved. At this time, both infrared and visible light can transmit which acted as a normal window, which permitted infrared spectrum of winter sunlight to enter the room so as to reduce the heating requirement. Such a device can be used as a switchable window in smart buildings, green houses and windshields.

KSC-97PC957

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-07-01

STS-94 Payload Specialist Roger K. Crouch is helped into his launch/entry suit by a suit technician in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building after the suit has been given a pressure test. He is the Chief Scientist of the NASA Microgravity Space and Applications Division. He also has served as a Program Scientist for previous Spacelab microgravity missions and is an expert in semiconductor crystal growth. Since Crouch has more than 25 years of experience as a materials scientist, he will be concentrating on the five physics of materials processing experiments in the Middeck Glovebox Facility on the Blue shift. He will also share the workload with Thomas by monitoring the materials furnace experiments during this time. Crouch and six fellow crew members will shortly depart the O&C and head for Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Columbia will lift off during a launch window that opens at 1:50 p.m. EDT, July 1. The launch window was opened 47 minutes early to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center

Hyporheic Interfaces Serve as Ecological Control Points for Mountainous Landscape Biological Productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newcomer, M. E.; Dwivedi, D.; Raberg, J.; Fox, P. M.; Nico, P. S.; Wainwright, H. M.; Conrad, M. E.; Bill, M.; Bouskill, N.; Williams, K. H.; Hubbard, S.; Steefel, C. I.

2017-12-01

Riverine systems in snow-dominated mountainous regions often express complex biogeochemistry and river nutrient indicators as a function of hydrologic variability. In early spring, meltwater infiltration from a ripened snowpack creates a hydrological gradient through hillslopes, floodplains, and hyporheic zones. During this time, these systems are more-or-less a passive filter that allows the rising limb of the hydrograph to display chemo-dynamic relationships (inversely proportional) with solutes and nutrients. During the growing season, temperatures, plants, microbes, and hydrologic gradients shift dramatically and activate hyporheic-zone biogeochemistry as a major control on water nutrient degradation. Hyporheic biogeochemical reliance on the timing of meltwater infiltration and the possibility of a longer vernal window under future climate change indicates the importance of hyporheic cycling as the dominant ecological control point on carbon and nitrogen fluxes and transformations. The objective of our study is to develop a predictive understanding of the subsurface and surface controls on hyporheic biogeochemical behavior through data-model integration. Data from our 2017 field campaign in the East River, Colorado, a pristine, mountainous watershed, were taken at key times during the rising, peak, falling, and dry limb of the hydrograph. Throughout multiple locations across this spatial and temporal gradient, we measured surface and subsurface gases, geochemistry, isotopes, and hydrological flow conditions and used this data to constrain a numerical flow and reactive transport model of the hyporheic zone that included microbial and flow feedback dynamics. Our data coupled with the predictive power of our numerical model reveal that the hyporheic zone serves dual roles throughout the year—as a net source of nutrients and solutes during the early vernal phase, shifting to a net sink of nutrients during the summer dry season. The possibility of a future lengthened vernal window motivates a better understanding of the role each ecological control point plays in processing landscape biological productivity and for understanding biogeochemical cycling in riverine systems.

Atypical neurophysiology underlying episodic and semantic memory in adults with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Massand, Esha; Bowler, Dermot M

2015-02-01

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show atypicalities in episodic memory (Boucher et al. in Psychological Bulletin, 138 (3), 458-496, 2012). We asked participants to recall the colours of a set of studied line drawings (episodic judgement), or to recognize line drawings alone (semantic judgement). Cycowicz et al. (Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 65, 171-237, 2001) found early (300 ms onset) posterior old-new event-related potential effects for semantic judgements in typically developing (TD) individuals, and occipitally focused negativity (800 ms onset) for episodic judgements. Our results replicated findings in TD individuals and demonstrate attenuated early old-new effects in ASD. Late posterior negativity was present in the ASD group, but was not specific to this time window. This non-specificity may contribute to the atypical episodic memory judgements characteristic of individuals with ASD.

Genetic Insights in Barrett’s Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

PubMed Central

Reid, Brian J.; Paulson, Thomas G.; Li, Xiaohong

2015-01-01

Beginning in the 1980s, an alarming rise in the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) led to screening of patients with reflux to detect Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and surveillance of BE to detect early EA. This strategy, based on linear progression disease models, resulted in selective detection of BE that does not progress to EA over a lifetime (overdiagnosis) and missed BE that rapidly progresses to EA (underdiagnosis). Here we review the historical thought processes that resulted in this undesired outcome and the transformation in our understanding of genetic and evolutionary principles governing neoplastic progression that has come from application of modern genomic technologies to cancers and their precursors. This new synthesis provides improved strategies for prevention and early detection of EA by addressing the environmental and mutational processes that can determine “windows of opportunity” in time to detect rapidly progressing BE and distinguish it from slowly or non-progressing BE. PMID:26208895

Childhood Stuttering – Where are we and Where are we going?

PubMed Central

Smith, Anne; Weber, Christine

2017-01-01

Remarkable progress has been made over the past two decades in expanding our understanding of the behavioral, peripheral physiological, and central neurophysiological bases of stuttering in early childhood. It is clear that stuttering is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by atypical development of speech motor planning and execution networks. The speech motor system must interact in complex ways with neural systems mediating language, other cognitive, and emotional processes. During the time window when stuttering typically appears and follows its path to either recovery or persistence, all of these neurobehavioral systems are undergoing rapid and dramatic developmental changes. We summarize our current understanding of the various developmental trajectories relevant for the understanding of stuttering in early childhood. We also present theoretical and experimental approaches that we believe will be optimal for even more rapid progress toward developing better and more targeted treatment for stuttering in the preschool children who are more likely to persist in stuttering. PMID:27701705

Bird-Window Collisions at a West-Coast Urban Park Museum: Analyses of Bird Biology and Window Attributes from Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

PubMed

Kahle, Logan Q; Flannery, Maureen E; Dumbacher, John P

2016-01-01

Bird-window collisions are a major and poorly-understood generator of bird mortality. In North America, studies of this topic tend to be focused east of the Mississippi River, resulting in a paucity of data from the Western flyways. Additionally, few available data can critically evaluate factors such as time of day, sex and age bias, and effect of window pane size on collisions. We collected and analyzed 5 years of window strike data from a 3-story building in a large urban park in San Francisco, California. To evaluate our window collision data in context, we collected weekly data on local bird abundance in the adjacent parkland. Our study asks two overarching questions: first-what aspects of a bird's biology might make them more likely to fatally strike windows; and second, what characteristics of a building's design contribute to bird-window collisions. We used a dataset of 308 fatal bird strikes to examine the relationships of strikes relative to age, sex, time of day, time of year, and a variety of other factors, including mitigation efforts. We found that actively migrating birds may not be major contributors to collisions as has been found elsewhere. We found that males and young birds were both significantly overrepresented relative to their abundance in the habitat surrounding the building. We also analyzed the effect of external window shades as mitigation, finding that an overall reduction in large panes, whether covered or in some way broken up with mullions, effectively reduced window collisions. We conclude that effective mitigation or design will be required in all seasons, but that breeding seasons and migratory seasons are most critical, especially for low-rise buildings and other sites away from urban migrant traps. Finally, strikes occur throughout the day, but mitigation may be most effective in the morning and midday.

Bird-Window Collisions at a West-Coast Urban Park Museum: Analyses of Bird Biology and Window Attributes from Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

PubMed Central

Kahle, Logan Q.; Flannery, Maureen E.; Dumbacher, John P.

2016-01-01

Bird-window collisions are a major and poorly-understood generator of bird mortality. In North America, studies of this topic tend to be focused east of the Mississippi River, resulting in a paucity of data from the Western flyways. Additionally, few available data can critically evaluate factors such as time of day, sex and age bias, and effect of window pane size on collisions. We collected and analyzed 5 years of window strike data from a 3-story building in a large urban park in San Francisco, California. To evaluate our window collision data in context, we collected weekly data on local bird abundance in the adjacent parkland. Our study asks two overarching questions: first–what aspects of a bird’s biology might make them more likely to fatally strike windows; and second, what characteristics of a building’s design contribute to bird-window collisions. We used a dataset of 308 fatal bird strikes to examine the relationships of strikes relative to age, sex, time of day, time of year, and a variety of other factors, including mitigation efforts. We found that actively migrating birds may not be major contributors to collisions as has been found elsewhere. We found that males and young birds were both significantly overrepresented relative to their abundance in the habitat surrounding the building. We also analyzed the effect of external window shades as mitigation, finding that an overall reduction in large panes, whether covered or in some way broken up with mullions, effectively reduced window collisions. We conclude that effective mitigation or design will be required in all seasons, but that breeding seasons and migratory seasons are most critical, especially for low-rise buildings and other sites away from urban migrant traps. Finally, strikes occur throughout the day, but mitigation may be most effective in the morning and midday. PMID:26731417

Runaway and moist greenhouse atmospheres and the evolution of earth and Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kasting, James F.

1988-01-01

For the case of fully moisture-saturated and cloud-free conditions, the present one-dimensional climate model for the response of an earthlike atmosphere to large solar flux increases notes the critical solar flux at which runaway greenhouse (total evaporation of oceans) occurs to be 1.4 times the present flux at the earth's orbit, almost independently of the CO2 content of the atmophere. The value is, however, sensitive to the H2O absorption coefficient in the 8-12 micron window. Venus oceans may have been lost early on due to rapid water vapor photodissociation, followed by hydrogen escape into space.

Optimal Window and Lattice in Gabor Transform. Application to Audio Analysis.

PubMed

Lachambre, Helene; Ricaud, Benjamin; Stempfel, Guillaume; Torrésani, Bruno; Wiesmeyr, Christoph; Onchis-Moaca, Darian

2015-01-01

This article deals with the use of optimal lattice and optimal window in Discrete Gabor Transform computation. In the case of a generalized Gaussian window, extending earlier contributions, we introduce an additional local window adaptation technique for non-stationary signals. We illustrate our approach and the earlier one by addressing three time-frequency analysis problems to show the improvements achieved by the use of optimal lattice and window: close frequencies distinction, frequency estimation and SNR estimation. The results are presented, when possible, with real world audio signals.

An Efficient Adaptive Window Size Selection Method for Improving Spectrogram Visualization.

PubMed

Nisar, Shibli; Khan, Omar Usman; Tariq, Muhammad

2016-01-01

Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT) is an important technique for the time-frequency analysis of a time varying signal. The basic approach behind it involves the application of a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to a signal multiplied with an appropriate window function with fixed resolution. The selection of an appropriate window size is difficult when no background information about the input signal is known. In this paper, a novel empirical model is proposed that adaptively adjusts the window size for a narrow band-signal using spectrum sensing technique. For wide-band signals, where a fixed time-frequency resolution is undesirable, the approach adapts the constant Q transform (CQT). Unlike the STFT, the CQT provides a varying time-frequency resolution. This results in a high spectral resolution at low frequencies and high temporal resolution at high frequencies. In this paper, a simple but effective switching framework is provided between both STFT and CQT. The proposed method also allows for the dynamic construction of a filter bank according to user-defined parameters. This helps in reducing redundant entries in the filter bank. Results obtained from the proposed method not only improve the spectrogram visualization but also reduce the computation cost and achieves 87.71% of the appropriate window length selection.

To electrify bilingualism: Electrophysiological insights into bilingual metaphor comprehension

PubMed Central

Jankowiak, Katarzyna; Rataj, Karolina; Naskręcki, Ryszard

2017-01-01

Though metaphoric language comprehension has previously been investigated with event-related potentials, little attention has been devoted to extending this research from the monolingual to the bilingual context. In the current study, late proficient unbalanced Polish (L1)–English (L2) bilinguals performed a semantic decision task to novel metaphoric, conventional metaphoric, literal, and anomalous word pairs presented in L1 and L2. The results showed more pronounced P200 amplitudes to L2 than L1, which can be accounted for by differences in the subjective frequency of the native and non-native lexical items. Within the early N400 time window (300–400 ms), L2 word dyads evoked delayed and attenuated amplitudes relative to L1 word pairs, possibly indicating extended lexical search during foreign language processing, and weaker semantic interconnectivity for L2 compared to L1 words within the memory system. The effect of utterance type was observed within the late N400 time window (400–500 ms), with smallest amplitudes evoked by literal, followed by conventional metaphoric, novel metaphoric, and anomalous word dyads. Such findings are interpreted as reflecting more resource intensive cognitive mechanisms governing novel compared to conventional metaphor comprehension in both the native and non-native language. Within the late positivity time window (500–800 ms), Polish novel metaphors evoked reduced amplitudes relative to literal utterances. In English, on the other hand, this effect was observed for both novel and conventional metaphoric word dyads. This finding might indicate continued effort in information retrieval or access to the non-literal route during novel metaphor comprehension in L1, and during novel and conventional metaphor comprehension in L2. Altogether, the present results point to decreased automaticity of cognitive mechanisms engaged in non-native and non-dominant language processing, and suggest a decreased sensitivity to the levels of conventionality of metaphoric meanings in late proficient unbalanced bilingual speakers. PMID:28414742

Army Reserve Component Personal Empowerment Program #2 (ARCPEP 2)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT It is widely acknowledged that cardiovascular disease prevention requires intervention as early in the human lifespan...as practical. A window of opportunity presents in early adulthood when students gain independence as young adults attending university. In a three...Recruited subjects were screened for eligibility based on the following exclusion criteria: below age 18 and above age 30, pregnancy or suspected pregnancy

Early Experience With a Partial Stapled Hemorrhoidopexy for Treating Patients With Grades III–IV Prolapsing Hemorrhoids

PubMed Central

Jeong, Hyeonseok; Ryu, Kil O; Lim, Jiyong; Kim, Hyun Tae; Yu, Hye Mi; Yoon, Jihoon; Lee, Ju-Young; Kim, Hyoung Rae; Choi, Young Gil

2017-01-01

Purpose Circular stapled hemorrhoidopexy (CSH) is widely used to treat patients with grades III–IV hemorrhoids because of less pain and short hospital stay. However, this procedure is associated with some complications, such as urge to defecate, anal stenosis, staple line dehiscence, abscess and sepsis. To avoid these complications, surgeons perform a partial stapled hemorrhoidopexy (PSH). The aim of this study is to present our early experience with the PSH. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 58 patients with hemorrhoids who were treated with a PSH at Busan Hang-Un Hospital from January 2016 to June 2016. A specially designed tri-window anoscope was used, and a purse string suture was made at the mucosae of the protruding hemorrhoids through the window of the anoscope. The hemorrhoidopexy was done by using a circular stapler. Results Of the 58 patients included in this study, 34 were male and 24 were female patients (mean age, 50.4 years). The mean operation time was 12.4 minutes, and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 3.8 days. Three patients experienced bleeding (5.1%) 5 urinary retention (8.6%) and 5 skin tags (8.6%). Urge to defecate, tenesmus, abscess, rectovaginal fistula, anal stricture, incontinence, and recurrence did not occur. Conclusion PSH is a minimally invasive, feasible, and safe technique for treating patients with grades III–IV hemorrhoids. A PSH, instead of a CSH, can be used to treat certain patients with hemorrhoids. PMID:28289661

Communicating likelihoods and probabilities in forecasts of volcanic eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doyle, Emma E. H.; McClure, John; Johnston, David M.; Paton, Douglas

2014-02-01

The issuing of forecasts and warnings of natural hazard events, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquake aftershock sequences and extreme weather often involves the use of probabilistic terms, particularly when communicated by scientific advisory groups to key decision-makers, who can differ greatly in relative expertise and function in the decision making process. Recipients may also differ in their perception of relative importance of political and economic influences on interpretation. Consequently, the interpretation of these probabilistic terms can vary greatly due to the framing of the statements, and whether verbal or numerical terms are used. We present a review from the psychology literature on how the framing of information influences communication of these probability terms. It is also unclear as to how people rate their perception of an event's likelihood throughout a time frame when a forecast time window is stated. Previous research has identified that, when presented with a 10-year time window forecast, participants viewed the likelihood of an event occurring ‘today’ as being of less than that in year 10. Here we show that this skew in perception also occurs for short-term time windows (under one week) that are of most relevance for emergency warnings. In addition, unlike the long-time window statements, the use of the phrasing “within the next…” instead of “in the next…” does not mitigate this skew, nor do we observe significant differences between the perceived likelihoods of scientists and non-scientists. This finding suggests that effects occurring due to the shorter time window may be ‘masking’ any differences in perception due to wording or career background observed for long-time window forecasts. These results have implications for scientific advice, warning forecasts, emergency management decision-making, and public information as any skew in perceived event likelihood towards the end of a forecast time window may result in an underestimate of the likelihood of an event occurring ‘today’ leading to potentially inappropriate action choices. We thus present some initial guidelines for communicating such eruption forecasts.

The ZEUS 1 & 2 INvestigated Galaxy Reference Sample (ZINGRS): A window into galaxies in the early Universe.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferkinhoff, Carl; Hershey, Deborah; Scrabeck, Alex; Higdon, Sarah; Higdon, James L.; Tidwell, Hannah; Lamarche, Cody; Vishwas, Amit; Nikola, Thomas; Stacey, Gordon J.; Brisbin, Drew

2018-06-01

Galaxies have evolved significantly from the early Universe until today. Star formation rates, stellar and molecular gas masses, sizes and metal enrichment of galaxies have all changed significantly from early epochs until the present. Probing the physical conditions of galaxy at high redshift is vital to understanding this evolution. ZINGRS, the ZEUS 1 and 2 INvestigated Galaxy Reference Sample, provides a unique and powerful window for this work. The sample consists of more than ~30 galaxies from z ~ 1 - 4.5 for which the far-IR fine-structure lines (e.g. [CII] 158 micron, [NII] 122micron, [OIII] 88 micron) have been observed with the ZEUS-1 and 2 instruments. These lines are ideal for studying high-z systems since they require low energies for excitation, are typically optically thin, and are not susceptible to extinction from dust. ZINGRS is the largest collection of far-IR fine-structure line detections at high-z. Here we describe the sample, including extensive multifrequency supporting observations like CO & radio continuum, and summarize what we have learned so far.

Effects of Hatching Time on Behavior and Weight Development of Chickens

PubMed Central

Løtvedt, Pia; Jensen, Per

2014-01-01

The length of the embryonic period varies both among and within species and can affect the individual phenotype in many ways, both physiologically and behaviorally. In chickens, the hatch window may last 24–48 hours (up to 10% of the incubation time), and studies have shown that incubation length may affect post-hatch growth and physiology. However, little is known about effects on behavior. We therefore investigated how behavior variation correlates with hatching time in the early life of chickens. We also measured egg weight and egg weight loss in relation to hatching time, as well as post-hatch growth. For females, there was a negative correlation between hatch time and body weight from day 4 and throughout the experiment. For males, such a correlation was only observed when testing all hatched males up until day 10. The birds were exposed to a number of behavioral tests, and a principal components analysis was performed on the variables, resulting in four components. For the largest component, termed “Passivity”, a tendency of a difference was found between early and middle male hatchers. Furthermore, a significant difference between early and middle male hatchers was found in the second component, termed “Response to novelty”. In a spatial learning test, late hatchers tended to learn slower. The behavior of females was not significantly affected by hatching time in any of these tests. This study is among the first to demonstrate a link between time of hatching and early behavior in a precocial species like the chicken, and may help shedding light on the evolutionary trade-offs between incubation length and post-hatch traits. The results may also be relevant from a perspective of stress coping and therefore also for animal welfare and productivity in the chicken industry. The mechanisms linking hatching time with post-hatch phenotype remain to be investigated. PMID:25058654

Evaluation of heart rate variability indices using a real-time handheld remote ECG monitor.

PubMed

Singh, Swaroop S; Carlson, Barbara W; Hsiao, Henry S

2007-12-01

Studies on retrospective electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings of patients during cardiac arrest have shown significant changes in heart rate variability (HRV) indices prior to the onset of cardiac arrhythmia. The early detection of these changes in HRV indices increases the chances for a successful medical intervention by increasing the response time window. A portable, handheld remote ECG monitor designed in this research detects the QRS complex and calculates short-term HRV indices in real-time. The QRS detection of the ECG recordings of subjects from the MIT-Arrhythmia database yielded a mean sensitivity of 99.34% and a specificity of 99.31%. ECG recordings from normal subjects and subjects with congestive heart failure were used to identify the differences in HRV indices. An increase in heart rate, high-frequency spectral power (HFP), total spectral power, the ratio of HFP to low-frequency spectral power (LFP), and a decrease in root mean square sum of RR differences were observed. No difference was found on comparison of the standard deviation of normal to normal interval between adjacent R-waves, LFP, and very-low-frequency spectral power. Based on these, additional analytical calculations could be made to provide early warnings of impending cardiac conditions.

Hypoglycemia early alarm systems based on recursive autoregressive partial least squares models.

PubMed

Bayrak, Elif Seyma; Turksoy, Kamuran; Cinar, Ali; Quinn, Lauretta; Littlejohn, Elizabeth; Rollins, Derrick

2013-01-01

Hypoglycemia caused by intensive insulin therapy is a major challenge for artificial pancreas systems. Early detection and prevention of potential hypoglycemia are essential for the acceptance of fully automated artificial pancreas systems. Many of the proposed alarm systems are based on interpretation of recent values or trends in glucose values. In the present study, subject-specific linear models are introduced to capture glucose variations and predict future blood glucose concentrations. These models can be used in early alarm systems of potential hypoglycemia. A recursive autoregressive partial least squares (RARPLS) algorithm is used to model the continuous glucose monitoring sensor data and predict future glucose concentrations for use in hypoglycemia alarm systems. The partial least squares models constructed are updated recursively at each sampling step with a moving window. An early hypoglycemia alarm algorithm using these models is proposed and evaluated. Glucose prediction models based on real-time filtered data has a root mean squared error of 7.79 and a sum of squares of glucose prediction error of 7.35% for six-step-ahead (30 min) glucose predictions. The early alarm systems based on RARPLS shows good performance. A sensitivity of 86% and a false alarm rate of 0.42 false positive/day are obtained for the early alarm system based on six-step-ahead predicted glucose values with an average early detection time of 25.25 min. The RARPLS models developed provide satisfactory glucose prediction with relatively smaller error than other proposed algorithms and are good candidates to forecast and warn about potential hypoglycemia unless preventive action is taken far in advance. © 2012 Diabetes Technology Society.

Hypoglycemia Early Alarm Systems Based on Recursive Autoregressive Partial Least Squares Models

PubMed Central

Bayrak, Elif Seyma; Turksoy, Kamuran; Cinar, Ali; Quinn, Lauretta; Littlejohn, Elizabeth; Rollins, Derrick

2013-01-01

Background Hypoglycemia caused by intensive insulin therapy is a major challenge for artificial pancreas systems. Early detection and prevention of potential hypoglycemia are essential for the acceptance of fully automated artificial pancreas systems. Many of the proposed alarm systems are based on interpretation of recent values or trends in glucose values. In the present study, subject-specific linear models are introduced to capture glucose variations and predict future blood glucose concentrations. These models can be used in early alarm systems of potential hypoglycemia. Methods A recursive autoregressive partial least squares (RARPLS) algorithm is used to model the continuous glucose monitoring sensor data and predict future glucose concentrations for use in hypoglycemia alarm systems. The partial least squares models constructed are updated recursively at each sampling step with a moving window. An early hypoglycemia alarm algorithm using these models is proposed and evaluated. Results Glucose prediction models based on real-time filtered data has a root mean squared error of 7.79 and a sum of squares of glucose prediction error of 7.35% for six-step-ahead (30 min) glucose predictions. The early alarm systems based on RARPLS shows good performance. A sensitivity of 86% and a false alarm rate of 0.42 false positive/day are obtained for the early alarm system based on six-step-ahead predicted glucose values with an average early detection time of 25.25 min. Conclusions The RARPLS models developed provide satisfactory glucose prediction with relatively smaller error than other proposed algorithms and are good candidates to forecast and warn about potential hypoglycemia unless preventive action is taken far in advance. PMID:23439179

Neuroprotection as initial therapy in acute stroke. Third Report of an Ad Hoc Consensus Group Meeting. The European Ad Hoc Consensus Group.

PubMed

1998-01-01

Although a considerable body of scientific data is now available on neuroprotection in acute ischaemic stroke, this field is not yet established in clinical practice. At its third meeting, the European Ad Hoc Consensus Group considered the potential for neuroprotection in acute stroke and the practical problems attendant on the existence of a very limited therapeutic window before irreversible brain damage occurs, and came to the following conclusions. NEUROPROTECTANTS IN CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT: Convincing clinical evidence for an efficacious neuroprotective treatment in acute stroke is still required. Caution should be exercised in interpreting and extrapolating experimental results to stroke patients, who are a very heterogeneous group. The limitations of the time windows and the outcome measures chosen in trials of acute stroke therapy have an important influence on the results. The overall distribution of functional outcomes provides more statistical information than the proportion above a threshold outcome value. Neurological outcome should also be assessed. Neuroprotectants should not be tested clinically in phase II or phase III trials in a time window that exceeds those determined in experimental studies. The harmful effects of a drug in humans may override its neuroprotective potential determined in animals. Agents that act at several different levels in the ischaemic cascade may be more effective than those with a single mechanism of action. CURRENT IN-HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE STROKE: The four major physiological variables that must be monitored and managed are blood pressure, arterial blood gas levels, body temperature, and glycaemia. The effects of controlling these physiological variables have not been studied in prospective trials, though they may all contribute to the outcome of acute ischaemic stroke and affect the duration of the therapeutic window. Optimal physiological parameters are inherently neuroprotective. Trials of new agents for the treatment of acute stroke should aim to maintain these physiological variables as close to normal as possible, and certainly within strictly defined limits. THE PLACE OF NEUROPROTECTANTS IN ACUTE STROKE MANAGEMENT: Stroke patients are a very heterogeneous group with respect to stroke mechanisms and severity, general condition, age and co-morbidities. At the present time, the only firm guideline than can be proposed for patient selection is the need for early admission to enable neuroprotectant and/or thrombolytic treatment to be started as soon as possible within the therapeutic window. The severity of potential side-effects will largely determine who should assess a patient with suspected stroke and initiate treatment. There is little information on which to base the duration of neuroprotectant therapy, and more experimental data are needed. Even if prehospital treatment proves to be feasible, it should not replace comprehensive stroke management in a specialist hospital unit. Clinical trials of neuroprotectants should only be performed in stroke units. The combined approach of restoring blood flow and providing neuroprotection may be the most productive in human stroke, but current clinical trial design will have to change in order to test combination therapy. Important side-effects are those that interfere with any possible benefit or increase mortality. PHARMACO-ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF NEUROPROTECTANTS: The early increase in hospital cost associated with neuroprotectant therapy may be balanced by the shorter length of hospital stay and lesser degree of disability of the surviving patients. The overall direct financial cost is highly dependent on the number of patients eligible for neuroprotectant therapy, which is itself dependent on the length of the therapeutic window and the severity of potential side-effects. A treatment that achieves a good functional outcome is the most cost-effective approach.

Genetic evolution of pancreatic cancer: lessons learnt from the pancreatic cancer genome sequencing project

PubMed Central

Iacobuzio-Donahue, Christine A

2012-01-01

Pancreatic cancer is a disease caused by the accumulation of genetic alterations in specific genes. Elucidation of the human genome sequence, in conjunction with technical advances in the ability to perform whole exome sequencing, have provided new insight into the mutational spectra characteristic of this lethal tumour type. Most recently, exomic sequencing has been used to clarify the clonal evolution of pancreatic cancer as well as provide time estimates of pancreatic carcinogenesis, indicating that a long window of opportunity may exist for early detection of this disease while in the curative stage. Moving forward, these mutational analyses indicate potential targets for personalised diagnostic and therapeutic intervention as well as the optimal timing for intervention based on the natural history of pancreatic carcinogenesis and progression. PMID:21749982

Evaluation of sliding window correlation performance for characterizing dynamic functional connectivity and brain states

PubMed Central

Shakil, Sadia; Lee, Chin-Hui; Keilholz, Shella Dawn

2016-01-01

A promising recent development in the study of brain function is the dynamic analysis of resting-state functional MRI scans, which can enhance understanding of normal cognition and alterations that result from brain disorders. One widely used method of capturing the dynamics of functional connectivity is sliding window correlation (SWC). However, in the absence of a “gold standard” for comparison, evaluating the performance of the SWC in typical resting-state data is challenging. This study uses simulated networks (SNs) with known transitions to examine the effects of parameters such as window length, window offset, window type, noise, filtering, and sampling rate on the SWC performance. The SWC time course was calculated for all node pairs of each SN and then clustered using the k-means algorithm to determine how resulting brain states match known configurations and transitions in the SNs. The outcomes show that the detection of state transitions and durations in the SWC is most strongly influenced by the window length and offset, followed by noise and filtering parameters. The effect of the image sampling rate was relatively insignificant. Tapered windows provide less sensitivity to state transitions than rectangular windows, which could be the result of the sharp transitions in the SNs. Overall, the SWC gave poor estimates of correlation for each brain state. Clustering based on the SWC time course did not reliably reflect the underlying state transitions unless the window length was comparable to the state duration, highlighting the need for new adaptive window analysis techniques. PMID:26952197

NEURODEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES

EPA Science Inventory

Neurodevelopmental Effects of Environmental Exposures
Sherry G. Selevan, Pauline Mendola, Deborah C. Rice (US EPA, Washington,
DC)

The nervous system starts development early in gestation and continues to develop through adolescence. Thus, critical windows of vuln...

22. INTERIOR OF SOUTHERN ROOM LOOKING SOUTH TOWARD DOORS AND ...

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

22. INTERIOR OF SOUTHERN ROOM LOOKING SOUTH TOWARD DOORS AND WINDOWS. EARLY TENSION DEVICE VISIBLE ABOVE DOORWAY. - Chollas Heights Naval Radio Transmitting Facility, Transmitter Building, 6410 Zero Road, San Diego, San Diego County, CA

Surface Transient Binding-Based Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (STB-FCS), a Simple and Easy-to-Implement Method to Extend the Upper Limit of the Time Window to Seconds.

PubMed

Peng, Sijia; Wang, Wenjuan; Chen, Chunlai

2018-05-10

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy is a powerful single-molecule tool that is able to capture kinetic processes occurring at the nanosecond time scale. However, the upper limit of its time window is restricted by the dwell time of the molecule of interest in the confocal detection volume, which is usually around submilliseconds for a freely diffusing biomolecule. Here, we present a simple and easy-to-implement method, named surface transient binding-based fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (STB-FCS), which extends the upper limit of the time window to seconds. We further demonstrated that STB-FCS enables capture of both intramolecular and intermolecular kinetic processes whose time scales cross several orders of magnitude.

Developmental programming of the metabolic syndrome - critical windows for intervention

PubMed Central

Vickers, Mark H

2011-01-01

Metabolic disease results from a complex interaction of many factors, including genetic, physiological, behavioral and environmental influences. The recent rate at which these diseases have increased suggests that environmental and behavioral influences, rather than genetic causes, are fuelling the present epidemic. In this context, the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis has highlighted the link between the periconceptual, fetal and early infant phases of life and the subsequent development of adult obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Although the mechanisms are yet to be fully elucidated, this programming was generally considered an irreversible change in developmental trajectory. Recent work in animal models suggests that developmental programming of metabolic disorders is potentially reversible by nutritional or targeted therapeutic interventions during the period of developmental plasticity. This review will discuss critical windows of developmental plasticity and possible avenues to ameliorate the development of postnatal metabolic disorders following an adverse early life environment. PMID:21954418

Region of interest and windowing-based progressive medical image delivery using JPEG2000

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagaraj, Nithin; Mukhopadhyay, Sudipta; Wheeler, Frederick W.; Avila, Ricardo S.

2003-05-01

An important telemedicine application is the perusal of CT scans (digital format) from a central server housed in a healthcare enterprise across a bandwidth constrained network by radiologists situated at remote locations for medical diagnostic purposes. It is generally expected that a viewing station respond to an image request by displaying the image within 1-2 seconds. Owing to limited bandwidth, it may not be possible to deliver the complete image in such a short period of time with traditional techniques. In this paper, we investigate progressive image delivery solutions by using JPEG 2000. An estimate of the time taken in different network bandwidths is performed to compare their relative merits. We further make use of the fact that most medical images are 12-16 bits, but would ultimately be converted to an 8-bit image via windowing for display on the monitor. We propose a windowing progressive RoI technique to exploit this and investigate JPEG 2000 RoI based compression after applying a favorite or a default window setting on the original image. Subsequent requests for different RoIs and window settings would then be processed at the server. For the windowing progressive RoI mode, we report a 50% reduction in transmission time.

Hospital-treated mental and behavioral disorders and risk of Alzheimer's disease: A nationwide nested case-control study.

PubMed

Tapiainen, V; Hartikainen, S; Taipale, H; Tiihonen, J; Tolppanen, A-M

2017-06-01

Studies investigating psychiatric disorders as Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk factors have yielded heterogeneous findings. Differences in time windows between the exposure and outcome could be one explanation. We examined whether (1) mental and behavioral disorders in general or (2) specific mental and behavioral disorder categories increase the risk of AD and (3) how the width of the time window between the exposure and outcome affects the results. A nationwide nested case-control study of all Finnish clinically verified AD cases, alive in 2005 and their age, sex and region of residence matched controls (n of case-control pairs 27,948). History of hospital-treated mental and behavioral disorders was available since 1972. Altogether 6.9% (n=1932) of the AD cases and 6.4% (n=1784) of controls had a history of any mental and behavioral disorder. Having any mental and behavioral disorder (adjusted OR=1.07, 95% CI=1.00-1.16) or depression/other mood disorder (adjusted OR=1.17, 95% CI=1.05-1.30) were associated with higher risk of AD with 5-year time window but not with 10-year time window (adjusted OR, 95% CI 0.99, 0.91-1.08 for any disorder and 1.08, 0.96-1.23 for depression). The associations between mental and behavioral disorders and AD were modest and dependent on the time window. Therefore, some of the disorders may represent misdiagnosed prodromal symptoms of AD, which underlines the importance of proper differential diagnostics among older persons. These findings also highlight the importance of appropriate time window in psychiatric and neuroepidemiology research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Human Mars Mission: Launch Window from Earth Orbit. Pt. 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Archie

1999-01-01

The determination of orbital window characteristics is of major importance in the analysis of human interplanetary missions and systems. The orbital launch window characteristics are directly involved in the selection of mission trajectories, the development of orbit operational concepts, and the design of orbital launch systems. The orbital launch window problem arises because of the dynamic nature of the relative geometry between outgoing (departure) asymptote of the hyperbolic escape trajectory and the earth parking orbit. The orientation of the escape hyperbola asymptotic relative to earth is a function of time. The required hyperbola energy level also varies with time. In addition, the inertial orientation of the parking orbit is a function of time because of the perturbations caused by the Earth's oblateness. Thus, a coplanar injection onto the escape hyperbola can be made only at a point in time when the outgoing escape asymptote is contained by the plane of parking orbit. Even though this condition may be planned as a nominal situation, it will not generally represent the more probable injection geometry. The general case of an escape injection maneuver performed at a time other than the coplanar time will involve both a path angle and plane change and, therefore, a DELTA V penalty. Usually, because of the DELTA V penalty the actual departure injection window is smaller in duration than that determined by energy requirement alone. This report contains the formulation, characteristics, and test cases for five different launch window modes for Earth orbit. These modes are: (1) One impulsive maneuver from a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) (2) Two impulsive maneuvers from a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) (3) One impulsive maneuver from a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (4) Two impulsive maneuvers from LEO (5) Three impulsive maneuvers from LEO.

Programming by early nutrition: an experimental approach.

PubMed

Lucas, A

1998-02-01

That events during critical or sensitive periods of development may "program" long-term or life-time structure or function of the organism is well recognized. Evidence for programming by nutrition is established in animals, in whom brief pre- or postnatal nutritional manipulations may program adult size, metabolism, blood lipids, diabetes, blood pressure, obesity, atherosclerosis, learning, behavior and life span. Human epidemiological data link potential markers of early nutrition (size at birth or in infancy) to cardiovascular disease and its risk factors in adulthood. However, these retrospective data cannot prove nutritional cause or underpin health policies. After 16 y, however, of ethical, randomized intervention studies of early nutrition in humans with long-term follow-up to test experimentally the nutritional programming hypothesis, we find that humans, like other species, have sensitive windows for nutrition in terms of later outcomes; for instance, perinatal diet influences neurodevelopment and bone mineralization into mid-childhood. Possible biological mechanisms for storing throughout life the "memory" of early nutritional experience and its expression in adulthood include adaptive changes in gene expression, preferential clonal selection of adapted cells in programmed tissues and programmed differential proliferation of tissue cell types. Animal and human evidence supporting nutritional programming has major potential biological and medical significance.

Calculation of Retention Time Tolerance Windows with Absolute Confidence from Shared Liquid Chromatographic Retention Data

PubMed Central

Boswell, Paul G.; Abate-Pella, Daniel; Hewitt, Joshua T.

2015-01-01

Compound identification by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is a tedious process, mainly because authentic standards must be run on a user’s system to be able to confidently reject a potential identity from its retention time and mass spectral properties. Instead, it would be preferable to use shared retention time/index data to narrow down the identity, but shared data cannot be used to reject candidates with an absolute level of confidence because the data are strongly affected by differences between HPLC systems and experimental conditions. However, a technique called “retention projection” was recently shown to account for many of the differences. In this manuscript, we discuss an approach to calculate appropriate retention time tolerance windows for projected retention times, potentially making it possible to exclude candidates with an absolute level of confidence, without needing to have authentic standards of each candidate on hand. In a range of multi-segment gradients and flow rates run among seven different labs, the new approach calculated tolerance windows that were significantly more appropriate for each retention projection than global tolerance windows calculated for retention projections or linear retention indices. Though there were still some small differences between the labs that evidently were not taken into account, the calculated tolerance windows only needed to be relaxed by 50% to make them appropriate for all labs. Even then, 42% of the tolerance windows calculated in this study without standards were narrower than those required by WADA for positive identification, where standards must be run contemporaneously. PMID:26292624

Calculation of retention time tolerance windows with absolute confidence from shared liquid chromatographic retention data.

PubMed

Boswell, Paul G; Abate-Pella, Daniel; Hewitt, Joshua T

2015-09-18

Compound identification by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is a tedious process, mainly because authentic standards must be run on a user's system to be able to confidently reject a potential identity from its retention time and mass spectral properties. Instead, it would be preferable to use shared retention time/index data to narrow down the identity, but shared data cannot be used to reject candidates with an absolute level of confidence because the data are strongly affected by differences between HPLC systems and experimental conditions. However, a technique called "retention projection" was recently shown to account for many of the differences. In this manuscript, we discuss an approach to calculate appropriate retention time tolerance windows for projected retention times, potentially making it possible to exclude candidates with an absolute level of confidence, without needing to have authentic standards of each candidate on hand. In a range of multi-segment gradients and flow rates run among seven different labs, the new approach calculated tolerance windows that were significantly more appropriate for each retention projection than global tolerance windows calculated for retention projections or linear retention indices. Though there were still some small differences between the labs that evidently were not taken into account, the calculated tolerance windows only needed to be relaxed by 50% to make them appropriate for all labs. Even then, 42% of the tolerance windows calculated in this study without standards were narrower than those required by WADA for positive identification, where standards must be run contemporaneously. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A fast algorithm for vertex-frequency representations of signals on graphs

PubMed Central

Jestrović, Iva; Coyle, James L.; Sejdić, Ervin

2016-01-01

The windowed Fourier transform (short time Fourier transform) and the S-transform are widely used signal processing tools for extracting frequency information from non-stationary signals. Previously, the windowed Fourier transform had been adopted for signals on graphs and has been shown to be very useful for extracting vertex-frequency information from graphs. However, high computational complexity makes these algorithms impractical. We sought to develop a fast windowed graph Fourier transform and a fast graph S-transform requiring significantly shorter computation time. The proposed schemes have been tested with synthetic test graph signals and real graph signals derived from electroencephalography recordings made during swallowing. The results showed that the proposed schemes provide significantly lower computation time in comparison with the standard windowed graph Fourier transform and the fast graph S-transform. Also, the results showed that noise has no effect on the results of the algorithm for the fast windowed graph Fourier transform or on the graph S-transform. Finally, we showed that graphs can be reconstructed from the vertex-frequency representations obtained with the proposed algorithms. PMID:28479645

Early treatment of minocycline alleviates white matter and cognitive impairments after chronic cerebral hypoperfusion

PubMed Central

Ma, Jing; Zhang, Jing; Hou, Wei Wei; Wu, Xiao Hua; Liao, Ru Jia; Chen, Ying; Wang, Zhe; Zhang, Xiang Nan; Zhang, Li San; Zhou, Yu Dong; Chen, Zhong; Hu, Wei Wei

2015-01-01

Subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SIVD) caused by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion develops with progressive white matter and cognitive impairments, yet no effective therapy is available. We investigated the temporal effects of minocycline on an experimental SIVD exerted by right unilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (rUCCAO). Minocycline treated at the early stage (day 0–3), but not the late stage after rUCCAO (day 4–32) alleviated the white matter and cognitive impairments, and promoted remyelination. The actions of minocycline may not involve the inhibition of microglia activation, based on the effects after the application of a microglial activation inhibitor, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, and co-treatment with lipopolysaccharides. Furthermore, minocycline treatment at the early stage promoted the proliferation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) in subventricular zone, increased OPC number and alleviated apoptosis of mature oligodendrocytes in white matter. In vitro, minocycline promoted OPC proliferation and increased the percentage of OPCs in S and G2/M phases. We provided direct evidence that early treatment is critical for minocycline to alleviate white matter and cognitive impairments after chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, which may be due to its robust effects on OPC proliferation and mature oligodendrocyte loss. So, early therapeutic time window may be crucial for its application in SIVD. PMID:26174710

77 FR 46950 - Post Office Organization and Administration: Establishment, Classification, and Discontinuance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-07

... defines a remotely managed Post Office (RMPO) as a Post Office that offers part-time window service hours... Administrative Post Office. The final rule also defines a part-time Post Office (PTPO) as a Post Office that offers part-time window service hours, is staffed by a Postal Service employee, and reports to a district...

Exploring the feasibility of a nationwide earthquake early warning system in Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picozzi, M.; Zollo, A.; Brondi, P.; Colombelli, S.; Elia, L.; Martino, C.

2015-04-01

When accompanied by appropriate training and preparedness of a population, Earthquake Early Warning Systems (EEWS) are effective and viable tools for the real-time reduction of societal exposure to seismic events in metropolitan areas. The Italian Accelerometric Network, RAN, which consists of about 500 stations installed over all the active seismic zones, as well as many cities and strategic infrastructures in Italy, has the potential to serve as a nationwide early warning system. In this work, we present a feasibility study for a nationwide EEWS in Italy obtained by the integration of the RAN and the software platform PRobabilistic and Evolutionary early warning SysTem (PRESTo). The performance of the RAN-PRESTo EEWS is first assessed by testing it on real strong motion recordings of 40 of the largest earthquakes that have occurred during the last 10 years in Italy. Furthermore, we extend the analysis to regions that did not experience earthquakes by considering a nationwide grid of synthetic sources capable of generating Gutenberg-Richter sequences corresponding to the one adopted by the seismic hazard map of the Italian territory. Our results indicate that the RAN-PRESTo EEWS could theoretically provide for higher seismic hazard areas reliable alert messages within about 5 to 10 s and maximum lead times of about 25 s. In case of large events (M > 6.5), this amount of lead time would be sufficient for taking basic protective measures (e.g., duck and cover, move away from windows or equipment) in tens to hundreds of municipalities affected by large ground shaking.

Recalibration of the Multisensory Temporal Window of Integration Results from Changing Task Demands

PubMed Central

Mégevand, Pierre; Molholm, Sophie; Nayak, Ashabari; Foxe, John J.

2013-01-01

The notion of the temporal window of integration, when applied in a multisensory context, refers to the breadth of the interval across which the brain perceives two stimuli from different sensory modalities as synchronous. It maintains a unitary perception of multisensory events despite physical and biophysical timing differences between the senses. The boundaries of the window can be influenced by attention and past sensory experience. Here we examined whether task demands could also influence the multisensory temporal window of integration. We varied the stimulus onset asynchrony between simple, short-lasting auditory and visual stimuli while participants performed two tasks in separate blocks: a temporal order judgment task that required the discrimination of subtle auditory-visual asynchronies, and a reaction time task to the first incoming stimulus irrespective of its sensory modality. We defined the temporal window of integration as the range of stimulus onset asynchronies where performance was below 75% in the temporal order judgment task, as well as the range of stimulus onset asynchronies where responses showed multisensory facilitation (race model violation) in the reaction time task. In 5 of 11 participants, we observed audio-visual stimulus onset asynchronies where reaction time was significantly accelerated (indicating successful integration in this task) while performance was accurate in the temporal order judgment task (indicating successful segregation in that task). This dissociation suggests that in some participants, the boundaries of the temporal window of integration can adaptively recalibrate in order to optimize performance according to specific task demands. PMID:23951203

Imaging windows for long-term intravital imaging

PubMed Central

Alieva, Maria; Ritsma, Laila; Giedt, Randy J; Weissleder, Ralph; van Rheenen, Jacco

2014-01-01

Intravital microscopy is increasingly used to visualize and quantitate dynamic biological processes at the (sub)cellular level in live animals. By visualizing tissues through imaging windows, individual cells (e.g., cancer, host, or stem cells) can be tracked and studied over a time-span of days to months. Several imaging windows have been developed to access tissues including the brain, superficial fascia, mammary glands, liver, kidney, pancreas, and small intestine among others. Here, we review the development of imaging windows and compare the most commonly used long-term imaging windows for cancer biology: the cranial imaging window, the dorsal skin fold chamber, the mammary imaging window, and the abdominal imaging window. Moreover, we provide technical details, considerations, and trouble-shooting tips on the surgical procedures and microscopy setups for each imaging window and explain different strategies to assure imaging of the same area over multiple imaging sessions. This review aims to be a useful resource for establishing the long-term intravital imaging procedure. PMID:28243510

Imaging windows for long-term intravital imaging: General overview and technical insights.

PubMed

Alieva, Maria; Ritsma, Laila; Giedt, Randy J; Weissleder, Ralph; van Rheenen, Jacco

2014-01-01

Intravital microscopy is increasingly used to visualize and quantitate dynamic biological processes at the (sub)cellular level in live animals. By visualizing tissues through imaging windows, individual cells (e.g., cancer, host, or stem cells) can be tracked and studied over a time-span of days to months. Several imaging windows have been developed to access tissues including the brain, superficial fascia, mammary glands, liver, kidney, pancreas, and small intestine among others. Here, we review the development of imaging windows and compare the most commonly used long-term imaging windows for cancer biology: the cranial imaging window, the dorsal skin fold chamber, the mammary imaging window, and the abdominal imaging window. Moreover, we provide technical details, considerations, and trouble-shooting tips on the surgical procedures and microscopy setups for each imaging window and explain different strategies to assure imaging of the same area over multiple imaging sessions. This review aims to be a useful resource for establishing the long-term intravital imaging procedure.

Composition, Production and Procurement of Glass at San Vincenzo al Volturno: An Early Medieval Monastic Complex in Southern Italy

PubMed Central

Schibille, Nadine; Freestone, Ian C.

2013-01-01

136 glasses from the ninth-century monastery of San Vincenzo and its workshops have been analysed by electron microprobe in order to situate the assemblage within the first millennium CE glass making tradition. The majority of the glass compositions can be paralleled by Roman glass from the first to third centuries, with very few samples consistent with later compositional groups. Colours for trailed decoration on vessels, for vessel bodies and for sheet glass for windows were largely produced by melting the glass tesserae from old Roman mosaics. Some weakly-coloured transparent glass was obtained by re-melting Roman window glass, while some was produced by melting and mixing of tesserae, excluding the strongly coloured cobalt blues. Our data suggest that to feed the needs of the glass workshop, the bulk of the glass was removed as tesserae and windows from a large Roman building. This is consistent with a historical account according to which the granite columns of the monastic church were spolia from a Roman temple in the region. The purported shortage of natron from Egypt does not appear to explain the dependency of San Vincenzo on old Roman glass. Rather, the absence of contemporary primary glass may reflect the downturn in long-distance trade in the later first millennium C.E., and the role of patronage in the “ritual economy” founded upon donations and gift-giving of the time. PMID:24146876

Composition, production and procurement of glass at San Vincenzo Al Volturno: an early Medieval monastic complex in Southern Italy.

PubMed

Schibille, Nadine; Freestone, Ian C

2013-01-01

136 glasses from the ninth-century monastery of San Vincenzo and its workshops have been analysed by electron microprobe in order to situate the assemblage within the first millennium CE glass making tradition. The majority of the glass compositions can be paralleled by Roman glass from the first to third centuries, with very few samples consistent with later compositional groups. Colours for trailed decoration on vessels, for vessel bodies and for sheet glass for windows were largely produced by melting the glass tesserae from old Roman mosaics. Some weakly-coloured transparent glass was obtained by re-melting Roman window glass, while some was produced by melting and mixing of tesserae, excluding the strongly coloured cobalt blues. Our data suggest that to feed the needs of the glass workshop, the bulk of the glass was removed as tesserae and windows from a large Roman building. This is consistent with a historical account according to which the granite columns of the monastic church were spolia from a Roman temple in the region. The purported shortage of natron from Egypt does not appear to explain the dependency of San Vincenzo on old Roman glass. Rather, the absence of contemporary primary glass may reflect the downturn in long-distance trade in the later first millennium C.E., and the role of patronage in the "ritual economy" founded upon donations and gift-giving of the time.

Photorefractive-based adaptive optical windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yuexin; Yang, Yi; Wang, Bo; Fu, John Y.; Yin, Shizhuo; Guo, Ruyan; Yu, Francis T.

2004-10-01

Optical windows have been widely used in optical spectrographic processing system. In this paper, various window profiles, such as rectangular, triangular, Hamming, Hanning, and Blackman etc., have been investigated in detail, regarding their effect on the generated spectrograms, such as joint time-frequency resolution ΔtΔw, the sidelobe amplitude attenuation etc.. All of these windows can be synthesized in a photorefractive crystal by angular multiplexing holographic technique, which renders the system more adaptive. Experimental results are provided.

The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation - A Unique Window on the Early Universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinshaw, Gary F.

2009-01-01

The cosmic microwave background radiation is the remnant heat from the Big Bang. It provides us with a unique probe of conditions in the early universe, long before any organized structures had yet formed. The anisotropy in the radiation's brightness yields important clues about primordial structure and additionally provides a wealth of information about the physics of the early universe. Within the framework of inflationary dark matter models, observations of the anisotropy on sub-degree angular scales reveals the signatures of acoustic oscillations of the photon-baryon fluid at a redshift of approx. 1100. Data from the first five years of operation of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite provide detailed full-sky maps of the cosmic microwave background temperature and polarization anisotropy. Together, the data provide a wealth of cosmological information, including the age of the universe, the epoch when the first stars formed, and the overall composition of baryonic matter, dark matter, and dark energy. The results also provide constraints on the period of inflationary expansion in the very first moments of time.

Early Adolescence: A View from the Window.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brien, Shirley

1985-01-01

Describes the activities of three 11- to 13-year-old cousins and one two-year-old during a family vacation. Discusses the youngsters' swings from adult-like behavior to childish rambunctiousness in terms of adult expectations and attitudes. (CB)

Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic findings in healthy non-sedated red-eared slider terrapins (Trachemys scripta elegans).

PubMed

Poser, H; Russello, G; Zanella, A; Bellini, L; Gelli, D

2011-12-01

Echocardiographic evaluation was performed in six healthy young adult non-sedated terrapins (Trachemys scripta elegans). The best imaging quality was obtained through the right cervical window. Base-apex inflow and outflow views were recorded, ventricular size, ventricular wall thickness and ventricular outflow tract were measured, and fractional shortening was calculated. Pulsed-wave Doppler interrogation enabled the diastolic biphasic atrio-ventricular flow and the systolic ventricular outflow patterns to be recorded. The following Doppler-derived functional parameters were calculated: early diastolic (E) and late diastolic (A) wave peak velocities, E/A ratio, ventricular outflow systolic peak and mean velocities and gradients, Velocity-Time Integral, acceleration and deceleration times, and Ejection Time. For each parameter the mean, standard deviation and 95% confidence interval were calculated. Echocardiography resulted as a useful and easy-to-perform diagnostic tool in this poorly known species that presents difficulties during evaluation.

Identification of bearing faults using time domain zero-crossings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

William, P. E.; Hoffman, M. W.

2011-11-01

In this paper, zero-crossing characteristic features are employed for early detection and identification of single point bearing defects in rotating machinery. As a result of bearing defects, characteristic defect frequencies appear in the machine vibration signal, normally requiring spectral analysis or envelope analysis to identify the defect type. Zero-crossing features are extracted directly from the time domain vibration signal using only the duration between successive zero-crossing intervals and do not require estimation of the rotational frequency. The features are a time domain representation of the composite vibration signature in the spectral domain. Features are normalized by the length of the observation window and classification is performed using a multilayer feedforward neural network. The model was evaluated on vibration data recorded using an accelerometer mounted on an induction motor housing subjected to a number of single point defects with different severity levels.

Noise normalization and windowing functions for VALIDAR in wind parameter estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyon, Jeffrey Y.; Koch, Grady J.; Li, Zhiwen

2006-05-01

The wind parameter estimates from a state-of-the-art 2-μm coherent lidar system located at NASA Langley, Virginia, named VALIDAR (validation lidar), were compared after normalizing the noise by its estimated power spectra via the periodogram and the linear predictive coding (LPC) scheme. The power spectra and the Doppler shift estimates were the main parameter estimates for comparison. Different types of windowing functions were implemented in VALIDAR data processing algorithm and their impact on the wind parameter estimates was observed. Time and frequency independent windowing functions such as Rectangular, Hanning, and Kaiser-Bessel and time and frequency dependent apodized windowing function were compared. The briefing of current nonlinear algorithm development for Doppler shift correction subsequently follows.

Spatiotemporal frequency characteristics of cerebral oscillations during the perception of fundamental frequency contour changes in one-syllable intonation.

PubMed

Ueno, Sanae; Okumura, Eiichi; Remijn, Gerard B; Yoshimura, Yuko; Kikuchi, Mitsuru; Shitamichi, Kiyomi; Nagao, Kikuko; Mochiduki, Masayuki; Haruta, Yasuhiro; Hayashi, Norio; Munesue, Toshio; Tsubokawa, Tsunehisa; Oi, Manabu; Nakatani, Hideo; Higashida, Haruhiro; Minabe, Yoshio

2012-05-02

Accurate perception of fundamental frequency (F0) contour changes in the human voice is important for understanding a speaker's intonation, and consequently also his/her attitude. In this study, we investigated the neural processes involved in the perception of F0 contour changes in the Japanese one-syllable interjection "ne" in 21 native-Japanese listeners. A passive oddball paradigm was applied in which "ne" with a high falling F0 contour, used when urging a reaction from the listener, was randomly presented as a rare deviant among a frequent "ne" syllable with a flat F0 contour (i.e., meaningless intonation). We applied an adaptive spatial filtering method to the neuromagnetic time course recorded by whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) and estimated the spatiotemporal frequency dynamics of event-related cerebral oscillatory changes in the oddball paradigm. Our results demonstrated a significant elevation of beta band event-related desynchronization (ERD) in the right temporal and frontal areas, in time windows from 100 to 300 and from 300 to 500 ms after the onset of deviant stimuli (high falling F0 contour). This is the first study to reveal detailed spatiotemporal frequency characteristics of cerebral oscillations during the perception of intonational (not lexical) F0 contour changes in the human voice. The results further confirmed that the right hemisphere is associated with perception of intonational F0 contour information in the human voice, especially in early time windows. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-impact resistance optical sensor windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Askinazi, Joel; Ceccorulli, Mark L.; Goldman, Lee

2011-06-01

Recent field experience with optical sensor windows on both ground and airborne platforms has shown a significant increase in window fracturing from foreign object debris (FOD) impacts and as a by-product of asymmetrical warfare. Common optical sensor window materials such as borosilicate glass do not typically have high impact resistance. Emerging advanced optical window materials such as aluminum oxynitride offer the potential for a significant improvement in FOD impact resistance due to their superior surface hardness, fracture toughness and strength properties. To confirm the potential impact resistance improvement achievable with these emerging materials, Goodrich ISR Systems in collaboration with Surmet Corporation undertook a set of comparative FOD impact tests of optical sensor windows made from borosilicate glass and from aluminum oxynitride. It was demonstrated that the aluminum oxynitride windows could withstand up to three times the FOD impact velocity (as compared with borosilicate glass) before fracture would occur. These highly encouraging test results confirm the utility of this new highly viable window solution for use on new ground and airborne window multispectral applications as well as a retrofit to current production windows. We believe that this solution can go a long way to significantly reducing the frequency and life cycle cost of window replacement.

Application of MEMS-based x-ray optics as tuneable nanosecond choppers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Pice; Walko, Donald A.; Jung, Il Woong; Li, Zhilong; Gao, Ya; Shenoy, Gopal K.; Lopez, Daniel; Wang, Jin

2017-08-01

Time-resolved synchrotron x-ray measurements often rely on using a mechanical chopper to isolate a set of x-ray pulses. We have started the development of micro electromechanical systems (MEMS)-based x-ray optics, as an alternate method to manipulate x-ray beams. In the application of x-ray pulse isolation, we recently achieved a pulse-picking time window of half a nanosecond, which is more than 100 times faster than mechanical choppers can achieve. The MEMS device consists of a comb-drive silicon micromirror, designed for efficiently diffracting an x-ray beam during oscillation. The MEMS devices were operated in Bragg geometry and their oscillation was synchronized to x-ray pulses, with a frequency matching subharmonics of the cycling frequency of x-ray pulses. The microscale structure of the silicon mirror in terms of the curvature and the quality of crystallinity ensures a narrow angular spread of the Bragg reflection. With the discussion of factors determining the diffractive time window, this report showed our approaches to narrow down the time window to half a nanosecond. The short diffractive time window will allow us to select single x-ray pulse out of a train of pulses from synchrotron radiation facilities.

Windows of sensitivity to toxic chemicals in the motor effects development.

PubMed

Ingber, Susan Z; Pohl, Hana R

2016-02-01

Many chemicals currently used are known to elicit nervous system effects. In addition, approximately 2000 new chemicals introduced annually have not yet undergone neurotoxicity testing. This review concentrated on motor development effects associated with exposure to environmental neurotoxicants to help identify critical windows of exposure and begin to assess data needs based on a subset of chemicals thoroughly reviewed by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in Toxicological Profiles and Addenda. Multiple windows of sensitivity were identified that differed based on the maturity level of the neurological system at the time of exposure, as well as dose and exposure duration. Similar but distinct windows were found for both motor activity (GD 8-17 [rats], GD 12-14 and PND 3-10 [mice]) and motor function performance (insufficient data for rats, GD 12-17 [mice]). Identifying specific windows of sensitivity in animal studies was hampered by study designs oriented towards detection of neurotoxicity that occurred at any time throughout the developmental process. In conclusion, while this investigation identified some critical exposure windows for motor development effects, it demonstrates a need for more acute duration exposure studies based on neurodevelopmental windows, particularly during the exposure periods identified in this review. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Windows of sensitivity to toxic chemicals in the motor effects development✩

PubMed Central

Ingber, Susan Z.; Pohl, Hana R.

2017-01-01

Many chemicals currently used are known to elicit nervous system effects. In addition, approximately 2000 new chemicals introduced annually have not yet undergone neurotoxicity testing. This review concentrated on motor development effects associated with exposure to environmental neurotoxicants to help identify critical windows of exposure and begin to assess data needs based on a subset of chemicals thoroughly reviewed by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in Toxicological Profiles and Addenda. Multiple windows of sensitivity were identified that differed based on the maturity level of the neurological system at the time of exposure, as well as dose and exposure duration. Similar but distinct windows were found for both motor activity (GD 8–17 [rats], GD 12–14 and PND 3–10 [mice]) and motor function performance (insufficient data for rats, GD 12–17 [mice]). Identifying specific windows of sensitivity in animal studies was hampered by study designs oriented towards detection of neurotoxicity that occurred at any time throughout the developmental process. In conclusion, while this investigation identified some critical exposure windows for motor development effects, it demonstrates a need for more acute duration exposure studies based on neurodevelopmental windows, particularly during the exposure periods identified in this review. PMID:26686904

Simple Estimation of Incident HIV Infection Rates in Notification Cohorts Based on Window Periods of Algorithms for Evaluation of Line-Immunoassay Result Patterns

PubMed Central

Schüpbach, Jörg; Gebhardt, Martin D.; Scherrer, Alexandra U.; Bisset, Leslie R.; Niederhauser, Christoph; Regenass, Stephan; Yerly, Sabine; Aubert, Vincent; Suter, Franziska; Pfister, Stefan; Martinetti, Gladys; Andreutti, Corinne; Klimkait, Thomas; Brandenberger, Marcel; Günthard, Huldrych F.

2013-01-01

Background Tests for recent infections (TRIs) are important for HIV surveillance. We have shown that a patient's antibody pattern in a confirmatory line immunoassay (Inno-Lia) also yields information on time since infection. We have published algorithms which, with a certain sensitivity and specificity, distinguish between incident (< = 12 months) and older infection. In order to use these algorithms like other TRIs, i.e., based on their windows, we now determined their window periods. Methods We classified Inno-Lia results of 527 treatment-naïve patients with HIV-1 infection < = 12 months according to incidence by 25 algorithms. The time after which all infections were ruled older, i.e. the algorithm's window, was determined by linear regression of the proportion ruled incident in dependence of time since infection. Window-based incident infection rates (IIR) were determined utilizing the relationship ‘Prevalence  =  Incidence x Duration’ in four annual cohorts of HIV-1 notifications. Results were compared to performance-based IIR also derived from Inno-Lia results, but utilizing the relationship ‘incident  =  true incident + false incident’ and also to the IIR derived from the BED incidence assay. Results Window periods varied between 45.8 and 130.1 days and correlated well with the algorithms' diagnostic sensitivity (R2 = 0.962; P<0.0001). Among the 25 algorithms, the mean window-based IIR among the 748 notifications of 2005/06 was 0.457 compared to 0.453 obtained for performance-based IIR with a model not correcting for selection bias. Evaluation of BED results using a window of 153 days yielded an IIR of 0.669. Window-based IIR and performance-based IIR increased by 22.4% and respectively 30.6% in 2008, while 2009 and 2010 showed a return to baseline for both methods. Conclusions IIR estimations by window- and performance-based evaluations of Inno-Lia algorithm results were similar and can be used together to assess IIR changes between annual HIV notification cohorts. PMID:23990968

75 FR 11889 - Request for Comments on Proposed NIH, AHRQ and CDC Process Change for Electronic Submission of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-12

... impact of eliminating the correction window from the electronic grant application submission process on... process a temporary error correction window to ensure a smooth and successful transition for applicants. This window provides applicants a period of time beyond the grant application due date to correct any...

Human Mars Mission: Launch Window from Earth Orbit. Pt. 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Archie

1999-01-01

The determination of orbital window characteristics is of major importance in the analysis of human interplanetary missions and systems. The orbital launch window characteristics are directly involved in the selection of mission trajectories, the development of orbit operational concepts, and the design of orbital launch systems. The orbital launch window problem arises because of the dynamic nature of the relative geometry between outgoing (departure) asymptote of the hyperbolic escape trajectory and the earth parking orbit. The orientation of the escape hyperbola asymptotic relative to the earth is a function of time. The required hyperbola energy level also varies with time. In addition, the inertial orientation of the parking orbit is a function of time because of the perturbations caused by the Earth's oblateness. Thus, a coplanar injection onto the escape hyperbola can be made only at a point in time when the outgoing escape asymptote is contained by the plane of parking orbit. Even though this condition may be planned as a nominal situation, it will not generally represent the more probable injection geometry. The general case of an escape injection maneuver performed at a time other than the coplanar time will involve both a path angle and plane change and, therefore, a delta V penalty. Usually, because of the delta V penalty the actual departure injection window is smaller in duration than that determined by energy requirement alone. This report contains the formulation, characteristics, and test cases for five different launch window modes for Earth orbit. These modes are: 1) One impulsive maneuver from a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO); 2) Two impulsive maneuvers from a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO); 3) One impulsive maneuver from a Low Earth Orbit (LEO); 4) Two impulsive maneuvers form LEO; and 5) Three impulsive maneuvers form LEO. The formulation of these five different launch window modes provides a rapid means of generating realistic parametric data for space exploration studies. Also the formulation provides vector and geometrical data sufficient for use as a good starting point in detail trajectory analysis based on calculus of variations, steepest descent, or parameter optimization program techniques.

Human Exploration Missions Study Launch Window from Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Archie

2001-01-01

The determination of orbital launch window characteristics is of major importance in the analysis of human interplanetary missions and systems. The orbital launch window characteristics are directly involved in the selection of mission trajectories, the development of orbit operational concepts, and the design of orbital launch systems. The orbital launch window problem arises because of the dynamic nature of the relative geometry between outgoing (departure) asymptote of the hyperbolic escape trajectory and the earth parking orbit. The orientation of the escape hyperbola asymptotic relative to earth is a function of time. The required hyperbola energy level also varies with time. In addition, the inertial orientation of the parking orbit is a function of time because of the perturbations caused by the Earth's oblateness. Thus, a coplanar injection onto the escape hyperbola can be made only at a point in time when the outgoing escape asymptote is contained by the plane of parking orbit. Even though this condition may be planned as a nominal situation, it will not generally represent the more probable injection geometry. The general case of an escape injection maneuver performed at a time other than the coplanar time will involve both a path angle and plane change and, therefore, a Delta(V) penalty. Usually, because of the Delta(V) penalty the actual departure injection window is smaller in duration than that determined by energy requirement alone. This report contains the formulation, characteristics, and test cases for five different launch window modes for Earth orbit. These modes are: (1) One impulsive maneuver from a Low Earth Orbit (LEO), (2) Two impulsive maneuvers from LEO, (3) Three impulsive maneuvers from LEO, (4) One impulsive maneuvers from a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO), (5) Two impulsive maneuvers from a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) The formulation of these five different launch window modes provides a rapid means of generating realistic parametric data for space exploration studies. Also the formulation provides vector and geometrical data sufficient for use as a good starting point in detail trajectory analysis based on calculus of variations, steepest descent, or parameter optimization program techniques.

Probabilistic and Evolutionary Early Warning System: concepts, performances, and case-studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zollo, A.; Emolo, A.; Colombelli, S.; Elia, L.; Festa, G.; Martino, C.; Picozzi, M.

2013-12-01

PRESTo (PRobabilistic and Evolutionary early warning SysTem) is a software platform for Earthquake Early Warning that integrates algorithms for real-time earthquake location, magnitude estimation and damage assessment into a highly configurable and easily portable package. In its regional configuration, the software processes, in real-time, the 3-component acceleration data streams coming from seismic stations, for P-waves arrival detection and, in the case a quite large event is occurring, can promptly performs event detection and location, magnitude estimation and peak ground-motion prediction at target sites. The regional approach has been integrated with a threshold-based early warning method that allows, in the very first seconds after a moderate-to-large earthquake, to identify the most Probable Damaged Zone starting from the real-time measurement at near-source stations located at increasing distances from the earthquake epicenter, of the peak displacement (Pd) and predominant period of P-waves (τc), over a few-second long window after the P-wave arrival. Thus, each recording site independently provides an evolutionary alert level, according to the Pd and τc it measured, through a decisional table. Since 2009, PRESTo has been under continuous real-time testing using data streaming from the Iripinia Seismic Network (Southern Italy) and has produced a bulletin of some hundreds low magnitude events, including all the M≥2.5 earthquakes occurred in that period in Irpinia. Recently, PRESTo has been also implemented at the accelerometric network and broad-band networks in South Korea and in Romania, and off-line tested in Iberian Peninsula, in Turkey, in Israel, and in Japan. The feasibility of an Early Warning System at national scale, is currently under testing by studying the performances of the PRESTo platform for the Italian Accelerometric Network. Moreover, PRESTo is under experimentation in order to provide alert in a high-school located in the neighborhood of Naples at about 100 km from the Irpinia region.

GlastCam: A Telemetry-Driven Spacecraft Visualization Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoneking, Eric T.; Tsai, Dean

2009-01-01

Developed for the GLAST project, which is now the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, GlastCam software ingests telemetry from the Integrated Test and Operations System (ITOS) and generates four graphical displays of geometric properties in real time, allowing visual assessment of the attitude, configuration, position, and various cross-checks. Four windows are displayed: a "cam" window shows a 3D view of the satellite; a second window shows the standard position plot of the satellite on a Mercator map of the Earth; a third window displays star tracker fields of view, showing which stars are visible from the spacecraft in order to verify star tracking; and the fourth window depicts

Automated Measurement of P- and S-Wave Differential Times for Imaging Spatial Distributions of Vp/Vs Ratio, with Moving-Window Cross-Correlation Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taira, T.; Kato, A.

2013-12-01

A high-resolution Vp/Vs ratio estimate is one of the key parameters to understand spatial variations of composition and physical state within the Earth. Lin and Shearer (2007, BSSA) recently developed a methodology to obtain local Vp/Vs ratios in individual similar earthquake clusters, based on P- and S-wave differential times. A waveform cross-correlation approach is typically employed to measure those differential times for pairs of seismograms from similar earthquakes clusters, at narrow time windows around the direct P and S waves. This approach effectively collects P- and S-wave differential times and however requires the robust P- and S-wave time windows that are extracted based on either manually or automatically picked P- and S-phases. We present another technique to estimate P- and S-wave differential times by exploiting temporal properties of delayed time as a function of elapsed time on the seismograms with a moving-window cross-correlation analysis (e.g., Snieder, 2002, Phys. Rev. E; Niu et al. 2003, Nature). Our approach is based on the principle that the delayed time for the direct S wave differs from that for the direct P wave. Two seismograms aligned by the direct P waves from a pair of similar earthquakes yield that delayed times become zero around the direct P wave. In contrast, delayed times obtained from time windows including the direct S wave have non-zero value. Our approach, in principle, is capable of measuring both P- and S-wave differential times from single-component seismograms. In an ideal case, the temporal evolution of delayed time becomes a step function with its discontinuity at the onset of the direct S wave. The offset in the resulting step function would be the S-wave differential time, relative to the P-wave differential time as the two waveforms are aligned by the direct P wave. We apply our moving-window cross-correlation technique to the two different data sets collected at: 1) the Wakayama district, Japan and 2) the Geysers geothermal field, California. The both target areas are characterized by earthquake swarms that provide a number of similar events clusters. We use the following automated procedure to systematically analyze the two data sets: 1) the identification of the direct P arrivals by using an Akaike Information Criterion based phase picking algorithm introduced by Zhang and Thurber (2003, BSSA), 2) the waveform alignment by the P-wave with a waveform cross-correlation to obtain P-wave differential time, 3) the moving-time window analysis to estimate the S-differential time. Kato et al. (2010, GRL) have estimated the Vp/Vs ratios for a few similar earthquake clusters from the Wakayama data set, by a conventional approach to obtain differential times. We find that the resulting Vp/Vs ratios from our approach for the same earthquake clusters are comparable with those obtained from Kato et al. (2010, GRL). We show that the moving-window cross-correlation technique effectively measures both P- and S-wave differential times for the seismograms in which the clear P and S phases are not observed. We will show spatial distributions in Vp/Vs ratios in our two target areas.

Neural Correlates of Emotion Processing in Word Detection Task

PubMed Central

Zhao, Wenshuang; Chen, Liang; Zhou, Chunxia; Luo, Wenbo

2018-01-01

In our previous study, we have proposed a three-stage model of emotion processing; in the current study, we investigated whether the ERP component may be different when the emotional content of stimuli is task-irrelevant. In this study, a dual-target rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task was used to investigate how the emotional content of words modulates the time course of neural dynamics. Participants performed the task in which affectively positive, negative, and neutral adjectives were rapidly presented while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from 18 undergraduates. The N170 component was enhanced for negative words relative to positive and neutral words. This indicates that automatic processing of negative information occurred at an early perceptual processing stage. In addition, later brain potentials such as the late positive potential (LPP) were only enhanced for positive words in the 480–580-ms post-stimulus window, while a relatively large amplitude signal was elicited by positive and negative words between 580 and 680 ms. These results indicate that different types of emotional content are processed distinctly at different time windows of the LPP, which is in contrast with the results of studies on task-relevant emotional processing. More generally, these findings suggest that a negativity bias to negative words remains to be found in emotion-irrelevant tasks, and that the LPP component reflects dynamic separation of emotion valence. PMID:29887824

Amplification of local changes along the timescale processing hierarchy.

PubMed

Yeshurun, Yaara; Nguyen, Mai; Hasson, Uri

2017-08-29

Small changes in word choice can lead to dramatically different interpretations of narratives. How does the brain accumulate and integrate such local changes to construct unique neural representations for different stories? In this study, we created two distinct narratives by changing only a few words in each sentence (e.g., "he" to "she" or "sobbing" to "laughing") while preserving the grammatical structure across stories. We then measured changes in neural responses between the two stories. We found that differences in neural responses between the two stories gradually increased along the hierarchy of processing timescales. For areas with short integration windows, such as early auditory cortex, the differences in neural responses between the two stories were relatively small. In contrast, in areas with the longest integration windows at the top of the hierarchy, such as the precuneus, temporal parietal junction, and medial frontal cortices, there were large differences in neural responses between stories. Furthermore, this gradual increase in neural differences between the stories was highly correlated with an area's ability to integrate information over time. Amplification of neural differences did not occur when changes in words did not alter the interpretation of the story (e.g., sobbing to "crying"). Our results demonstrate how subtle differences in words are gradually accumulated and amplified along the cortical hierarchy as the brain constructs a narrative over time.

Windows Into the Real World From a Virtual Globe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rich, J.; Urban-Rich, J.

2007-12-01

Virtual globes such as Google Earth can be great tools for learning about the geographical variation of the earth. The key to virtual globes is the use of satellite imagery to provide a highly accurate view of the earth's surface. However, because the images are not updated regularly, variations in climate and vegetation over time can not be easily seen. In order to enhance the view of the earth and observe these changes by region and over time we are working to add near real time "windows" into the real world from a virtual globe. For the past 4 years we have been installing web cameras in areas of the world that will provide long term monitoring of global changes. By archiving hourly images from arctic, temperate and tropical regions we are creating a visual data set that is already beginning to tell the story of climate variability. The cameras are currently installed in 10 elementary schools in 3 countries and show the student's view out each window. The Windows Around the World program (http://www.WindowsAroundTheWorld.org) uses the images from these cameras to help students gain a better understanding of earth process and variability in climate and vegetation between different regions and over time. Previously we have used standard web based technologies such as DHTML and AJAX to provide near real-time access to these images and also provide enhanced functionality such as dynamic time lapse movies that allow users to see changes over months, days or hours up to the current hour (http://www.windowsaroundtheworld.org/north_america.aspx). We have integrated the camera images from Windows Around the World into Google Earth. Through network links and models we are creating a way for students to "fly" to another school in the program and see what the current view is out the window. By using a model as a screen, the image can be viewed from the same direction as the students who are sitting in a classroom at the participating school. Once at the school, visiting students can move around the area in three dimensions and gain a better understanding of what they are seeing out the window. Currently time-lapse images can be viewed at a lower resolution for all schools on the globe or when flying into an individual school, higher resolution time-lapse images can be seen. The observation of shadows, precipitation, movement of the sun and changes in vegetation allows the viewer to gain a better understanding of how the earth works and how the environment changes between regions and over time. World.org

Effects of mixing eggs of different initial incubation time on the hatching pattern, chick embryonic development and post-hatch performance.

PubMed

Zhong, Zhentao; Yu, Yue; Jin, Shufang; Pan, Jinming

2018-01-01

The hatch window that varies from 24 to 48 h is known to influence post-hatch performance of chicks. A narrow hatch window is needed for commercial poultry industry to acquire a high level of uniformity of chick quality. Hatching synchronization observed in avian species presents possibilities in altering hatch window in artificial incubation. Layer eggs which were laid on the same day by a single breeder flock and stored for no more than two days started incubation 12 h apart to obtain developmental distinction. The eggs of different initial incubation time were mixed as rows adjacent to rows on day 12 of incubation. During the hatching period (since day 18), hatching time of individual eggs and hatch window were obtained by video recordings. Embryonic development (day 18 and 20) and post-hatch performance up to day 7 were measured. The manipulation of mixing eggs of different initial incubation time shortened the hatch window of late incubated eggs in the manipulated group by delaying the onset of hatching process, and improved the hatchability. Compared to the control groups, chick embryos or chicks in the egg redistribution group showed no significant difference in embryonic development and post-hatch performance up to day 7. We have demonstrated that eggs that were incubated with advanced eggs performed a narrow spread of hatch with higher hatchability, normal embryonic development as well as unaffected chick quality. This specific manipulation is applicable in industrial poultry production to shorten hatch window and improve the uniformity of chick quality.

Timing of Gestational Weight Gain on Fetal Growth and Infant Size at Birth in Vietnam

PubMed Central

Young, Melissa F.; Hong Nguyen, Phuong; Addo, O. Yaw; Pham, Hoa; Nguyen, Son; Martorell, Reynaldo; Ramakrishnan, Usha

2017-01-01

Objective To examine the importance of timing of gestational weight gain during three time periods: 1: ≤ 20 weeks gestation), 2: 21–29 weeks) and 3: ≥ 30 weeks) on fetal growth and infant birth size. Methods Study uses secondary data from the PRECONCEPT randomized controlled trial in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam (n = 1436). Prospective data were collected on women starting pre-pregnancy through delivery. Maternal conditional weight gain (CWG) was defined as window-specific weight gains, uncorrelated with pre-pregnancy body mass index and all prior body weights. Fetal biometry, was assessed by ultrasound measurements of head and abdomen circumferences, biparietal diameter, and femoral length throughout pregnancy. Birth size outcomes included weight and length, and head, abdomen and mid upper arm circumferences as well as small for gestational age (SGA). Adjusted generalized linear and logistic models were used to examine associations. Results Overall, three-quarters of women gained below the Institute of Medicine guidelines, and these women were 2.5 times more likely to give birth to a SGA infant. Maternal CWG in the first window (≤ 20 weeks), followed by 21–29 weeks, had the greatest association on all parameters of fetal growth (except abdomen circumference) and infant size at birth. For birth weight, a 1 SD increase CWG in the first 20 weeks had 3 times the influence compared to later CWG (≥ 30 weeks) (111 g vs. 39 g) and was associated with a 43% reduction in SGA risk (OR (95% CI): 0.57 (0.46–0.70). Conclusion There is a need to target women before or early in pregnancy to ensure adequate nutrition to maximize impact on fetal growth and birth size. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01665378 PMID:28114316

Timing of Gestational Weight Gain on Fetal Growth and Infant Size at Birth in Vietnam.

PubMed

Young, Melissa F; Hong Nguyen, Phuong; Addo, O Yaw; Pham, Hoa; Nguyen, Son; Martorell, Reynaldo; Ramakrishnan, Usha

2017-01-01

To examine the importance of timing of gestational weight gain during three time periods: 1: ≤ 20 weeks gestation), 2: 21-29 weeks) and 3: ≥ 30 weeks) on fetal growth and infant birth size. Study uses secondary data from the PRECONCEPT randomized controlled trial in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam (n = 1436). Prospective data were collected on women starting pre-pregnancy through delivery. Maternal conditional weight gain (CWG) was defined as window-specific weight gains, uncorrelated with pre-pregnancy body mass index and all prior body weights. Fetal biometry, was assessed by ultrasound measurements of head and abdomen circumferences, biparietal diameter, and femoral length throughout pregnancy. Birth size outcomes included weight and length, and head, abdomen and mid upper arm circumferences as well as small for gestational age (SGA). Adjusted generalized linear and logistic models were used to examine associations. Overall, three-quarters of women gained below the Institute of Medicine guidelines, and these women were 2.5 times more likely to give birth to a SGA infant. Maternal CWG in the first window (≤ 20 weeks), followed by 21-29 weeks, had the greatest association on all parameters of fetal growth (except abdomen circumference) and infant size at birth. For birth weight, a 1 SD increase CWG in the first 20 weeks had 3 times the influence compared to later CWG (≥ 30 weeks) (111 g vs. 39 g) and was associated with a 43% reduction in SGA risk (OR (95% CI): 0.57 (0.46-0.70). There is a need to target women before or early in pregnancy to ensure adequate nutrition to maximize impact on fetal growth and birth size. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01665378.

Hippocampus age-related microstructural changes in schizophrenia: a case-control mean diffusivity study.

PubMed

Chiapponi, Chiara; Piras, Fabrizio; Fagioli, Sabrina; Girardi, Paolo; Caltagirone, Carlo; Spalletta, Gianfranco

2014-08-01

Macrostructural-volumetric abnormalities of the hippocampus have been described in schizophrenia. Here, we characterized age-related changes of hippocampal mean diffusivity as an index of microstructural damage by carrying out a neuroimaging study in 85 patients with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of schizophrenia and 85 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. We performed analyses of covariance, with diagnosis as fixed factor, mean diffusivity as dependent variable and age as covariate. Patients showed an early increase in mean diffusivity in the right and left hippocampus that increased with age. Thus, microstructural hippocampal changes associated with schizophrenia cannot be confined to a specific time window. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seismic signal time-frequency analysis based on multi-directional window using greedy strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yingpin; Peng, Zhenming; Cheng, Zhuyuan; Tian, Lin

2017-08-01

Wigner-Ville distribution (WVD) is an important time-frequency analysis technology with a high energy distribution in seismic signal processing. However, it is interfered by many cross terms. To suppress the cross terms of the WVD and keep the concentration of its high energy distribution, an adaptive multi-directional filtering window in the ambiguity domain is proposed. This begins with the relationship of the Cohen distribution and the Gabor transform combining the greedy strategy and the rotational invariance property of the fractional Fourier transform in order to propose the multi-directional window, which extends the one-dimensional, one directional, optimal window function of the optimal fractional Gabor transform (OFrGT) to a two-dimensional, multi-directional window in the ambiguity domain. In this way, the multi-directional window matches the main auto terms of the WVD more precisely. Using the greedy strategy, the proposed window takes into account the optimal and other suboptimal directions, which also solves the problem of the OFrGT, called the local concentration phenomenon, when encountering a multi-component signal. Experiments on different types of both the signal models and the real seismic signals reveal that the proposed window can overcome the drawbacks of the WVD and the OFrGT mentioned above. Finally, the proposed method is applied to a seismic signal's spectral decomposition. The results show that the proposed method can explore the space distribution of a reservoir more precisely.

Air transparent soundproof window

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

Kim, Sang-Hoon, E-mail: shkim@mmu.ac.kr; Lee, Seong-Hyun

2014-11-15

A soundproof window or wall which is transparent to airflow is presented. The design is based on two wave theories: the theory of diffraction and the theory of acoustic metamaterials. It consists of a three-dimensional array of strong diffraction-type resonators with many holes centered on each individual resonator. The negative effective bulk modulus of the resonators produces evanescent wave, and at the same time the air holes with subwavelength diameter existed on the surfaces of the window for macroscopic air ventilation. The acoustic performance levels of two soundproof windows with air holes of 20mm and 50mm diameters were measured. Themore » sound level was reduced by about 30 - 35dB in the frequency range of 400 - 5,000Hz with the 20mm window, and by about 20 - 35dB in the frequency range of 700 - 2,200Hz with the 50mm window. Multi stop-band was created by the multi-layers of the window. The attenuation length or the thickness of the window was limited by background noise. The effectiveness of the soundproof window with airflow was demonstrated by a real installation.« less

Fiber-optic laser-induced fluorescence probe for the detection of environmental pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bublitz, J.; Dickenhausen, M.; Grätz, M.; Todt, S.; Schade, W.

1995-06-01

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy in combination with fiber optics is shown to be a powerful tool for qualitative and quantitative diagnostics of environmental pollutants in water and soil. Time-integrated data accumulation of the LIF signals in early and late time windows with respect to the excitation pulse simplifies the method so that it becomes attractive for practical applications. Results from field measurements are reported, as oil contaminations under a gas station and in an industrial sewer system are investigated. A KrF-excimer laser and a hydrogen Raman shifter can be applied for multiwavelength excitation. This allows a discrimination between benzene, toluene, xylene, and ethylbenzene aromatics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules in the samples under investigation. For a rough theoretical approach, a computer simulation is developed to describe the experimental results.

Neuroprotective Interventions: Is It Too Late?

PubMed Central

Jenkins, Dorothea; Chang, Eugene; Singh, Inderjit

2013-01-01

In most cases of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, the exact timing of the hypoxic-ischemic event is unknown, and we have few reliable biomarkers to precisely identify the phase of injury or recovery in an individual patient. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that for neuroprotection in neonates to succeed, an understanding of the phase of injury is important to ascertain. In addition, in utero antecedents of chronic hypoxia, hypoxic preconditioning, intrauterine infection, and fetal gender may change the expected time course of injury. Neuroprotective interventions, such as hypothermia and N-acetylcysteine, currently have efficacy in human and animal studies only if instituted early in the inflammatory cascade. While these cascades are currently being investigated, molecular mechanisms of recovery have received little attention and may ultimately reveal a window for therapeutic intervention that is much longer than current paradigms. PMID:19745093

Lifestyle and Pregnancy Loss in a Contemporary Cohort of Women Recruited Prior to Conception, LIFE Study

PubMed Central

Buck Louis, Germaine M.; Sapra, Katherine J.; Schisterman, Enrique F.; Lynch, Courtney D.; Maisog, José M.; Grantz, Katherine L.; Sundaram, Rajeshwari

2016-01-01

Objective To estimate pregnancy loss incidence in a contemporary cohort of couples whose lifestyles were measured during sensitive windows of reproduction to identify factors associated with pregnancy loss for the continual refinement of preconception guidance. Design Prospective cohort with preconception enrollment. Setting 16 counties in Michigan and Texas. Patients 344 couples with a singleton pregnancy followed daily through 7 post-conception weeks of gestation. Interventions None. Daily, couples recorded use of cigarettes, caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, and multivitamins. Women used fertility “monitors” for ovulation detection and digital pregnancy tests. Pregnancy loss was denoted by conversion to a negative pregnancy test, onset of menses or clinical confirmation depending upon gestation. Using proportional hazards regression and accounting for right censoring, we estimated adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (aHR; 95% CI) for couples’ lifestyles (cigarette smoking, alcoholic and caffeinated drinks, multivitamins) during three sensitive windows: preconception, early pregnancy and periconception. Main outcomes measured Incidence and risk factors for pregnancy loss. Results 98/344 (28%) women with a singleton pregnancy experienced an observed pregnancy loss. In the preconception window, loss was associated with female age ≥35 years (1.96; 1.13-3.38) accounting for couples’ ages, female and male consumption >2 daily caffeinated beverages (1.74; 1.07-2.81 and 1.73; 1.10-2.72, respectively), and females’ vitamin adherence (0.45; 0.25-0.80). The findings were similar for lifestyle during the early pregnancy and periconception windows. Conclusions Couples’ preconception lifestyle factors were associated with pregnancy loss, though women’s multivitamin adherence dramatically reduced risk. The findings support continual refinement and implementation of preconception guidance. PMID:27016456

Lifestyle and pregnancy loss in a contemporary cohort of women recruited before conception: The LIFE Study.

PubMed

Buck Louis, Germaine M; Sapra, Katherine J; Schisterman, Enrique F; Lynch, Courtney D; Maisog, José M; Grantz, Katherine L; Sundaram, Rajeshwari

2016-07-01

To estimate pregnancy loss incidence in a contemporary cohort of couples whose lifestyles were measured during sensitive windows of reproduction to identify factors associated with pregnancy loss for the continual refinement of preconception guidance. Prospective cohort with preconception enrollment. Sixteen counties in Michigan and Texas. Three hundred forty-four couples with a singleton pregnancy followed daily through 7 postconception weeks of gestation. None. Couples daily recorded use of cigarettes, caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, and multivitamins. Women used fertility monitors for ovulation detection and digital pregnancy tests. Pregnancy loss was denoted by conversion to a negative pregnancy test, onset of menses, or clinical confirmation depending upon gestation. Using proportional hazards regression and accounting for right censoring, we estimated adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (aHR, 95% CI) for couples' lifestyles (cigarette smoking, alcoholic and caffeinated drinks, multivitamins) during three sensitive windows: preconception, early pregnancy, and periconception. Incidence and risk factors for pregnancy loss. Ninety-eight of 344 (28%) women with a singleton pregnancy experienced an observed pregnancy loss. In the preconception window, loss was associated with female age ≥35 years (1.96, 1.13-3.38) accounting for couples' ages, women's and men's consumption of >2 daily caffeinated beverages (1.74, 1.07-2.81; and 1.73, 1.10-2.72, respectively), and women's vitamin adherence (0.45, 0.25-0.80). The findings were similar for lifestyle during the early pregnancy and periconception windows. Couples' preconception lifestyle factors were associated with pregnancy loss, although women's multivitamin adherence dramatically reduced risk. The findings support continual refinement and implementation of preconception guidance. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Schwan's Home Service Delivers With

Science.gov Websites

distribute products across the United States. For information about this project, contact Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition. Download QuickTime Video QuickTime (.mov) Download Windows Media Video Windows Media (.wmv) Video Download Help Text version See more videos provided by Clean Cities TV and FuelEconomy.gov

Displaying Special Characters and Symbols in Computer-Controlled Reaction Time Experiments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friel, Brian M.; Kennison, Shelia M.

A procedure for using MEL2 (Version 2.0 of Microcomputer Experimental Laboratory) and FontWINDOW to present special characters and symbols in computer-controlled reaction time experiments is described. The procedure permits more convenience and flexibility than in tachistocopic and projection techniques. FontWINDOW allows researchers to design…

Attosecond light sources in the water window

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Xiaoming; Li, Jie; Yin, Yanchun; Zhao, Kun; Chew, Andrew; Wang, Yang; Hu, Shuyuan; Cheng, Yan; Cunningham, Eric; Wu, Yi; Chini, Michael; Chang, Zenghu

2018-02-01

As a compact and burgeoning alternative to synchrotron radiation and free-electron lasers, high harmonic generation (HHG) has proven its superiority in static and time-resolved extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy for the past two decades and has recently gained many interests and successes in generating soft x-ray emissions covering the biologically important water window spectral region. Unlike synchrotron and free-electron sources, which suffer from relatively long pulse width or large time jitter, soft x-ray sources from HHG could offer attosecond time resolution and be synchronized with their driving field to investigate time-resolved near edge absorption spectroscopy, which could reveal rich structural and dynamical information of the interrogated samples. In this paper, we review recent progresses on generating and characterizing attosecond light sources in the water window region. We show our development of an energetic, two-cycle, carrier-envelope phase stable laser source at 1.7 μm and our achievement in producing a 53 as soft x-ray pulse covering the carbon K-edge in the water window. Such source paves the ways for the next generation x-ray spectroscopy with unprecedented temporal resolution.

Ultrasound-guided identification of cardiac imaging windows.

PubMed

Liu, Garry; Qi, Xiu-Ling; Robert, Normand; Dick, Alexander J; Wright, Graham A

2012-06-01

Currently, the use of cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify cardiac quiescent periods relative to the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is insufficient for producing submillimeter-resolution coronary MR angiography (MRA) images. In this work, the authors perform a time series comparison between tissue Doppler echocardiograms of the interventricular septum (IVS) and concurrent biplane x-ray angiograms. Our results indicate very close agreement between the diastasis gating windows identified by both the IVS and x-ray techniques. Seven cath lab patients undergoing diagnostic angiograms were simultaneously scanned during a breath hold by ultrasound and biplane x-ray for six to eight heartbeats. The heart rate of each patient was stable. Dye was injected into either the left or right-coronary vasculature. The IVS was imaged using color tissue Doppler in an apical four-chamber view. Diastasis was estimated on the IVS velocity curve. On the biplane angiograms, proximal, mid, and distal regions were identified on the coronary artery (CA). Frame by frame correlation was used to derive displacement, and then velocity, for each region. The quiescent periods for a CA and its subsegments were estimated based on velocity. Using Pearson's correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman analysis, the authors compared the start and end times of the diastasis windows as estimated from the IVS and CA velocities. The authors also estimated the vessel blur across the diastasis windows of multiple sequential heartbeats of each patient. In total, 17 heartbeats were analyzed. The range of heart rate observed across patients was 47-79 beats per minute (bpm) with a mean of 57 bpm. Significant correlations (R > 0.99; p < 0.01) were observed between the IVS and x-ray techniques for the identification of the start and end times of diastasis windows. The mean difference in the starting times between IVS and CA quiescent windows was -12.0 ms. The mean difference in end times between IVS and CA quiescent windows was -3.5 ms. In contrast, the correlation between RR interval and both the start and duration of the x-ray gating windows were relatively weaker: R = 0.63 (p = 0.13) and R = 0.86 (p = 0.01). For IVS gating windows, the average estimated vessel blurs during single and multiple heartbeats were 0.5 and 0.66 mm, respectively. For x-ray gating windows, the corresponding values were 0.26 and 0.44 mm, respectively. In this study, the authors showed that IVS velocity can be used to identify periods of diastasis for coronary arteries. Despite variability in mid-diastolic rest positions over multiple steady rate heartbeats, vessel blurring of 0.5-1 mm was found to be achievable using the IVS gating technique. The authors envision this leading to a new cardiac gating system that, compared with conventional ECG gating, provides better resolution and shorter scan times for coronary MRA. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Image-guided adaptive gating of lung cancer radiotherapy: a computer simulation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aristophanous, Michalis; Rottmann, Joerg; Park, Sang-June; Nishioka, Seiko; Shirato, Hiroki; Berbeco, Ross I.

2010-08-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect that image-guided adaptation of the gating window during treatment could have on the residual tumor motion, by simulating different gated radiotherapy techniques. There are three separate components of this simulation: (1) the 'Hokkaido Data', which are previously measured 3D data of lung tumor motion tracks and the corresponding 1D respiratory signals obtained during the entire ungated radiotherapy treatments of eight patients, (2) the respiratory gating protocol at our institution and the imaging performed under that protocol and (3) the actual simulation in which the Hokkaido Data are used to select tumor position information that could have been collected based on the imaging performed under our gating protocol. We simulated treatments with a fixed gating window and a gating window that is updated during treatment. The patient data were divided into different fractions, each with continuous acquisitions longer than 2 min. In accordance to the imaging performed under our gating protocol, we assume that we have tumor position information for the first 15 s of treatment, obtained from kV fluoroscopy, and for the rest of the fractions the tumor position is only available during the beam-on time from MV imaging. The gating window was set according to the information obtained from the first 15 s such that the residual motion was less than 3 mm. For the fixed gating window technique the gate remained the same for the entire treatment, while for the adaptive technique the range of the tumor motion during beam-on time was measured and used to adapt the gating window to keep the residual motion below 3 mm. The algorithm used to adapt the gating window is described. The residual tumor motion inside the gating window was reduced on average by 24% for the patients with regular breathing patterns and the difference was statistically significant (p-value = 0.01). The magnitude of the residual tumor motion depended on the regularity of the breathing pattern suggesting that image-guided adaptive gating should be combined with breath coaching. The adaptive gating window technique was able to track the exhale position of the breathing cycle quite successfully. Out of a total of 53 fractions the duty cycle was greater than 20% for 42 fractions for the fixed gating window technique and for 39 fractions for the adaptive gating window technique. The results of this study suggest that real-time updating of the gating window can result in reliably low residual tumor motion and therefore can facilitate safe margin reduction.

Multi-Window Controllers for Autonomous Space Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lurie, B, J.; Hadaegh, F. Y.

1997-01-01

Multi-window controllers select between elementary linear controllers using nonlinear windows based on the amplitude and frequency content of the feedback error. The controllers are relatively simple to implement and perform much better than linear controllers. The commanders for such controllers only order the destination point and are freed from generating the command time-profiles. The robotic missions rely heavily on the tasks of acquisition and tracking. For autonomous and optimal control of the spacecraft, the control bandwidth must be larger while the feedback can (and, therefore, must) be reduced.. Combining linear compensators via multi-window nonlinear summer guarantees minimum phase character of the combined transfer function. It is shown that the solution may require using several parallel branches and windows. Several examples of multi-window nonlinear controller applications are presented.

Blood glutathione S-transferase-π as a time indicator of stroke onset.

PubMed

Turck, Natacha; Robin, Xavier; Walter, Nadia; Fouda, Catherine; Hainard, Alexandre; Sztajzel, Roman; Wagner, Ghislaine; Hochstrasser, Denis F; Montaner, Joan; Burkhard, Pierre R; Sanchez, Jean-Charles

2012-01-01

Ability to accurately determine time of stroke onset remains challenging. We hypothesized that an early biomarker characterized by a rapid increase in blood after stroke onset may help defining better the time window during which an acute stroke patient may be candidate for intravenous thrombolysis or other intravascular procedures. The blood level of 29 proteins was measured by immunoassays on a prospective cohort of stroke patients (N = 103) and controls (N = 132). Mann-Whitney U tests, ROC curves and diagnostic odds ratios were applied to evaluate their clinical performances. Among the 29 molecules tested, GST-π concentration was the most significantly elevated marker in the blood of stroke patients (p<0.001). More importantly, GST-π displayed the best area under the curve (AUC, 0.79) and the best diagnostic odds ratios (10.0) for discriminating early (N = 22, <3 h of stroke onset) vs. late stroke patients (N = 81, >3 h after onset). According to goal-oriented distinct cut-offs (sensitivity(Se)-oriented: 17.7 or specificity(Sp)-oriented: 65.2 ug/L), the GST-π test obtained 91%Se/50%Sp and 50%Se/91%Sp, respectively. Moreover, GST-π showed also the highest AUC (0.83) and performances for detecting patients treated with tPA (N = 12) compared to ineligible patients (N = 103). This study demonstrates that GST-π can accurately predict the time of stroke onset in over 50% of early stroke patients. The GST-π test could therefore complement current guidelines for tPA administration and potentially increase the number of patients accessing thrombolysis.

Paleobotanical Evidence for Coupling of Temperature and pCO2 during the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, R. Y.; Greenwood, D. R.; Basinger, J. F.

2009-12-01

The Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO) was the warmest period of the Cenozoic, indicated by multiple proxy mean annual temperature estimates for sea and land surface. However, estimates of pCO2 from geochemical, modeling, and paleontological proxies show a wide range of values, from near modern day levels to an order of magnitude greater. Resolving the pCO2 record for this time period, and correlating it with trends in temperature, is a key task in understanding the interaction of climate and pCO2 in globally warm periods. Here we present a fine scale study of trends in temperature and pCO2 based on paleobotanical data from an early Eocene site from the Okanagan Highlands of British Columbia, Canada. Plant macrofossils were collected using an unbiased census approach from three informal units, allowing for quantitative comparison of trends within the site. Temperature estimates derived from multiple paleobotanical techniques (physiognomic and floristic approaches) suggest microthermal (MAT <13°C) but equable (CMMT >0°C) conditions for this upland site, and show a trend in declining MAT over time reflected in the three units. At the same time, stomatal frequency of Ginkgo suggests that pCO2 was high (>2x modern values), but also declining over time. These results suggest that temperature and pCO2 were coupled during this globally warm period, and that fine scale trends on the order of 103 - 104 years can be tracked within fossil sites to provide a window on climate/pCO2 interactions.

Critical developmental windows for morphology and hematology revealed by intermittent and continuous hypoxic incubation in embryos of quail (Coturnix coturnix).

PubMed

Burggren, Warren W; Elmonoufy, Nourhan A

2017-01-01

Hypoxia during embryonic growth in embryos is frequently a powerful determinant of development, but at least in avian embryos the effects appear to show considerable intra- and inter-specific variation. We hypothesized that some of this variation may arise from different protocols that may or may not result in exposure during the embryo's critical window for hypoxic effects. To test this hypothesis, quail embryos (Coturnix coturnix) in the intact egg were exposed to hypoxia (~15% O2) during "early" (Day 0 through Day 5, abbreviated as D0-D5), "middle" (D6-D10) or "late" (D11-D15) incubation or for their entire 16-18 day incubation ("continuous hypoxia") to determine critical windows for viability and growth. Viability, body mass, beak and toe length, heart mass, and hematology (hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration) were measured on D5, D10, D15 and at hatching typically between D16 and D18 Viability rate was ~50-70% immediately following the exposure period in the early, middle and late hypoxic groups, but viability improved in the early and late groups once normoxia was restored. Middle hypoxia groups showed continuing low viability, suggesting a critical period from D6-D10 for embryo viability. The continuous hypoxia group experienced viability reaching <10% after D15. Hypoxia, especially during late and continuous hypoxia, also inhibited growth of body, beak and toe when measured at D15. Full recovery to normal body mass upon hatching occurred in all other groups except for continuous hypoxia. Contrary to previous avian studies, heart mass, hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration were not altered by any hypoxic incubation pattern. Although hypoxia can inhibit embryo viability and organ growth during most incubation periods, the greatest effects result from continuous or middle incubation hypoxic exposure. Hypoxic inhibition of growth can subsequently be "repaired" by catch-up growth if a final period of normoxic development is available. Collectively, these data indicate a critical developmental window for hypoxia susceptibility during the mid-embryonic period of development.

Comparing on-road real-time simultaneous in-cabin and outdoor particulate and gaseous concentrations for a range of ventilation scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leavey, Anna; Reed, Nathan; Patel, Sameer; Bradley, Kevin; Kulkarni, Pramod; Biswas, Pratim

2017-10-01

Advanced automobile technology, developed infrastructure, and changing economic markets have resulted in increasing commute times. Traffic is a major source of harmful pollutants and consequently daily peak exposures tend to occur near roadways or while travelling on them. The objective of this study was to measure simultaneous real-time particulate matter (particle numbers, lung-deposited surface area, PM2.5, particle number size distributions) and CO concentrations outside and in-cabin of an on-road car during regular commutes to and from work. Data was collected for different ventilation parameters (windows open or closed, fan on, AC on), whilst travelling along different road-types with varying traffic densities. Multiple predictor variables were examined using linear mixed-effects models. Ambient pollutants (NOx, PM2.5, CO) and meteorological variables (wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, dew point) explained 5-44% of outdoor pollutant variability, while the time spent travelling behind a bus was statistically significant for PM2.5, lung-deposited SA, and CO (adj-R2 values = 0.12, 0.10, 0.13). The geometric mean diameter (GMD) for outdoor aerosol was 34 nm. Larger cabin GMDs were observed when windows were closed compared to open (b = 4.3, p-value = <0.01). When windows were open, cabin total aerosol concentrations tracked those outdoors. With windows closed, the pollutants took longer to enter the vehicle cabin, but also longer to exit it. Concentrations of pollutants in cabin were influenced by outdoor concentrations, ambient temperature, and the window/ventilation parameters. As expected, particle number concentrations were impacted the most by changes to window position/ventilation, and PM2.5 the least. Car drivers can expect their highest exposures when driving with windows open or the fan on, and their lowest exposures during windows closed or the AC on. Final linear mixed-effects models could explain between 88 and 97% of cabin pollutant concentration variability. An individual may control their commuting exposure by applying dynamic behavior modification to adapt to changing pollutant scenarios.

Comparing on-road real-time simultaneous in-cabin and outdoor particulate and gaseous concentrations for a range of ventilation scenarios

PubMed Central

Leavey, Anna; Reed, Nathan; Patel, Sameer; Bradley, Kevin; Kulkarni, Pramod; Biswas, Pratim

2017-01-01

Advanced automobile technology, developed infrastructure, and changing economic markets have resulted in increasing commute times. Traffic is a major source of harmful pollutants and consequently daily peak exposures tend to occur near roadways or while traveling on them. The objective of this study was to measure simultaneous real-time particulate matter (particle numbers, lung-deposited surface area, PM2.5, particle number size distributions) and CO concentrations outside and in-cabin of an on-road car during regular commutes to and from work. Data was collected for different ventilation parameters (windows open or closed, fan on, AC on), whilst traveling along different road-types with varying traffic densities. Multiple predictor variables were examined using linear mixed-effects models. Ambient pollutants (NOx, PM2.5, CO) and meteorological variables (wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, dew point) explained 5–44% of outdoor pollutant variability, while the time spent travelling behind a bus was statistically significant for PM2.5, lung-deposited SA, and CO (adj-R2 values = 0.12, 0.10, 0.13). The geometric mean diameter (GMD) for outdoor aerosol was 34 nm. Larger cabin GMDs were observed when windows were closed compared to open (b = 4.3, p-value = <0.01). When windows were open, cabin total aerosol concentrations tracked those outdoors. With windows closed, the pollutants took longer to enter the vehicle cabin, but also longer to exit it. Concentrations of pollutants in cabin were influenced by outdoor concentrations, ambient temperature, and the window/ventilation parameters. As expected, particle number concentrations were impacted the most by changes to window position / ventilation, and PM2.5 the least. Car drivers can expect their highest exposures when driving with windows open or the fan on, and their lowest exposures during windows closed or the AC on. Final linear mixed-effects models could explain between 88–97% of cabin pollutant concentration variability. An individual may control their commuting exposure by applying dynamic behavior modification to adapt to changing pollutant scenarios. PMID:29284988

Comparing on-road real-time simultaneous in-cabin and outdoor particulate and gaseous concentrations for a range of ventilation scenarios.

PubMed

Leavey, Anna; Reed, Nathan; Patel, Sameer; Bradley, Kevin; Kulkarni, Pramod; Biswas, Pratim

2017-10-01

Advanced automobile technology, developed infrastructure, and changing economic markets have resulted in increasing commute times. Traffic is a major source of harmful pollutants and consequently daily peak exposures tend to occur near roadways or while traveling on them. The objective of this study was to measure simultaneous real-time particulate matter (particle numbers, lung-deposited surface area, PM 2.5 , particle number size distributions) and CO concentrations outside and in-cabin of an on-road car during regular commutes to and from work. Data was collected for different ventilation parameters (windows open or closed, fan on, AC on), whilst traveling along different road-types with varying traffic densities. Multiple predictor variables were examined using linear mixed-effects models. Ambient pollutants (NO x , PM 2.5 , CO) and meteorological variables (wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, dew point) explained 5-44% of outdoor pollutant variability, while the time spent travelling behind a bus was statistically significant for PM 2.5, lung-deposited SA, and CO (adj-R 2 values = 0.12, 0.10, 0.13). The geometric mean diameter (GMD) for outdoor aerosol was 34 nm. Larger cabin GMDs were observed when windows were closed compared to open (b = 4.3, p-value = <0.01). When windows were open, cabin total aerosol concentrations tracked those outdoors. With windows closed, the pollutants took longer to enter the vehicle cabin, but also longer to exit it. Concentrations of pollutants in cabin were influenced by outdoor concentrations, ambient temperature, and the window/ventilation parameters. As expected, particle number concentrations were impacted the most by changes to window position / ventilation, and PM 2.5 the least. Car drivers can expect their highest exposures when driving with windows open or the fan on, and their lowest exposures during windows closed or the AC on. Final linear mixed-effects models could explain between 88-97% of cabin pollutant concentration variability. An individual may control their commuting exposure by applying dynamic behavior modification to adapt to changing pollutant scenarios.

Dose-dependent effects of ouabain on spiral ganglion neurons and Schwann cells in mouse cochlea.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhi-Jian; Guan, Hong-Xia; Yang, Kun; Xiao, Bo-Kui; Liao, Hua; Jiang, Yang; Zhou, Tao; Hua, Qing-Quan

2017-10-01

This study aimed in fully investigating the toxicities of ouabain to mouse cochlea and the related cellular environment, and providing an optimal animal model system for cell transplantation in the treatment of auditory neuropathy (AN) and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Different dosages of ouabain were applied to mouse round window. The auditory brainstem responses and distortion product otoacoustic emissions were used to evaluate the cochlear function. The immunohistochemical staining and cochlea surface preparation were performed to detect the spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs), Schwann cells and hair cells. Ouabain at the dosages of 0.5 mM, 1 mM and 3 mM selectively and permanently destroyed SGNs and their functions, while leaving the hair cells relatively intact. Ouabain at 3 mM resulted in the most severe SGNs loss and induced significant loss of Schwann cells started as early as 7 days and with further damages at 14 and 30 days after ouabain exposure. The application of ouabain to mouse round window induces damages of SGNs and Schwann cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, this study established a reliable and accurate animal model system of AN and SNHL.

Constraints of nonresponding flows based on cross layers in the networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhi-Chao; Xiao, Yang; Wang, Dong

2016-02-01

In the active queue management (AQM) scheme, core routers cannot manage and constrain user datagram protocol (UDP) data flows by the sliding window control mechanism in the transport layer due to the nonresponsive nature of such traffic flows. However, the UDP traffics occupy a large part of the network service nowadays which brings a great challenge to the stability of the more and more complex networks. To solve the uncontrollable problem, this paper proposes a cross layers random early detection (CLRED) scheme, which can control the nonresponding UDP-like flows rate effectively when congestion occurs in the access point (AP). The CLRED makes use of the MAC frame acknowledgement (ACK) transmitting congestion information to the sources nodes and utilizes the back-off windows of the MAC layer throttling data rate. Consequently, the UDP-like flows data rate can be restrained timely by the sources nodes in order to alleviate congestion in the complex networks. The proposed CLRED can constrain the nonresponsive flows availably and make the communication expedite, so that the network can sustain stable. The simulation results of network simulator-2 (NS2) verify the proposed CLRED scheme.

An improvement of drought monitoring through the use of a multivariate magnitude index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Real-Rangel, R. A.; Alcocer-Yamanaka, V. H.; Pedrozo-Acuña, A.; Breña-Naranjo, J. A.; Ocón-Gutiérrez, A. R.

2017-12-01

In drought monitoring activities it is widely acknowledged that the severity of an event is determined in relation to monthly values of univariate indices of one or more hydrological variables. Normally, these indices are estimated using temporal windows from 1 to 12 months or more to aggregate the effects of deficits in the variable of interest. However, the use of these temporal windows may lead to a misperception of both, the drought event intensity and the timing of its occurrence. In this context, this work presents the implementation of a trivariate drought magnitude index, considering key hydrological variables (e.g., precipitation, soil moisture and runoff) using for this the framework of the Multivariate Standardized Drought Index (MSDI). Despite the popularity and simplicity of the concept of drought magnitude for standardized drought indices, its implementation in drought monitoring and early warning systems has not been reported. This approach has been tested for operational purposes in the recently launched Multivariate Drought Monitor of Mexico (MOSEMM) and the results shows that the inclusion of a Magnitude index facilitates the drought detection and, thus, improves the decision making process for emergency managers.

Prognostic models based on patient snapshots and time windows: Predicting disease progression to assisted ventilation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

PubMed

Carreiro, André V; Amaral, Pedro M T; Pinto, Susana; Tomás, Pedro; de Carvalho, Mamede; Madeira, Sara C

2015-12-01

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease and the most common neurodegenerative disorder of young adults. ALS patients present a rapidly progressive motor weakness. This usually leads to death in a few years by respiratory failure. The correct prediction of respiratory insufficiency is thus key for patient management. In this context, we propose an innovative approach for prognostic prediction based on patient snapshots and time windows. We first cluster temporally-related tests to obtain snapshots of the patient's condition at a given time (patient snapshots). Then we use the snapshots to predict the probability of an ALS patient to require assisted ventilation after k days from the time of clinical evaluation (time window). This probability is based on the patient's current condition, evaluated using clinical features, including functional impairment assessments and a complete set of respiratory tests. The prognostic models include three temporal windows allowing to perform short, medium and long term prognosis regarding progression to assisted ventilation. Experimental results show an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) in the test set of approximately 79% for time windows of 90, 180 and 365 days. Creating patient snapshots using hierarchical clustering with constraints outperforms the state of the art, and the proposed prognostic model becomes the first non population-based approach for prognostic prediction in ALS. The results are promising and should enhance the current clinical practice, largely supported by non-standardized tests and clinicians' experience. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ultrafast fluorescence imaging in vivo with conjugated polymer fluorophores in the second near-infrared window

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Guosong; Zou, Yingping; Antaris, Alexander L.; Diao, Shuo; Wu, Di; Cheng, Kai; Zhang, Xiaodong; Chen, Changxin; Liu, Bo; He, Yuehui; Wu, Justin Z.; Yuan, Jun; Zhang, Bo; Tao, Zhimin; Fukunaga, Chihiro; Dai, Hongjie

2014-06-01

In vivo fluorescence imaging in the second near-infrared window (1.0-1.7 μm) can afford deep tissue penetration and high spatial resolution, owing to the reduced scattering of long-wavelength photons. Here we synthesize a series of low-bandgap donor/acceptor copolymers with tunable emission wavelengths of 1,050-1,350 nm in this window. Non-covalent functionalization with phospholipid-polyethylene glycol results in water-soluble and biocompatible polymeric nanoparticles, allowing for live cell molecular imaging at >1,000 nm with polymer fluorophores for the first time. Importantly, the high quantum yield of the polymer allows for in vivo, deep-tissue and ultrafast imaging of mouse arterial blood flow with an unprecedented frame rate of >25 frames per second. The high time-resolution results in spatially and time resolved imaging of the blood flow pattern in cardiogram waveform over a single cardiac cycle (~200 ms) of a mouse, which has not been observed with fluorescence imaging in this window before.

Low-complexity image processing for real-time detection of neonatal clonic seizures.

PubMed

Ntonfo, Guy Mathurin Kouamou; Ferrari, Gianluigi; Raheli, Riccardo; Pisani, Francesco

2012-05-01

In this paper, we consider a novel low-complexity real-time image-processing-based approach to the detection of neonatal clonic seizures. Our approach is based on the extraction, from a video of a newborn, of an average luminance signal representative of the body movements. Since clonic seizures are characterized by periodic movements of parts of the body (e.g., the limbs), by evaluating the periodicity of the extracted average luminance signal it is possible to detect the presence of a clonic seizure. The periodicity is investigated, through a hybrid autocorrelation-Yin estimation technique, on a per-window basis, where a time window is defined as a sequence of consecutive video frames. While processing is first carried out on a single window basis, we extend our approach to interlaced windows. The performance of the proposed detection algorithm is investigated, in terms of sensitivity and specificity, through receiver operating characteristic curves, considering video recordings of newborns affected by neonatal seizures.

Temporal precision in the visual pathway through the interplay of excitation and stimulus-driven suppression.

PubMed

Butts, Daniel A; Weng, Chong; Jin, Jianzhong; Alonso, Jose-Manuel; Paninski, Liam

2011-08-03

Visual neurons can respond with extremely precise temporal patterning to visual stimuli that change on much slower time scales. Here, we investigate how the precise timing of cat thalamic spike trains-which can have timing as precise as 1 ms-is related to the stimulus, in the context of both artificial noise and natural visual stimuli. Using a nonlinear modeling framework applied to extracellular data, we demonstrate that the precise timing of thalamic spike trains can be explained by the interplay between an excitatory input and a delayed suppressive input that resembles inhibition, such that neuronal responses only occur in brief windows where excitation exceeds suppression. The resulting description of thalamic computation resembles earlier models of contrast adaptation, suggesting a more general role for mechanisms of contrast adaptation in visual processing. Thus, we describe a more complex computation underlying thalamic responses to artificial and natural stimuli that has implications for understanding how visual information is represented in the early stages of visual processing.

Smart glass as the method of improving the energy efficiency of high-rise buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamayunova, Olga; Gumerova, Eliza; Miloradova, Nadezda

2018-03-01

The question that has to be answered in high-rise building is glazing and its service life conditions. Contemporary market offers several types of window units, for instance, wooden, aluminum, PVC and combined models. Wooden and PVC windows become the most widespread and competitive between each other. In recent times design engineers choose smart glass. In this article, the advantages and drawbacks of all types of windows are reviewed, and the recommendations are given according to choice of window type in order to improve energy efficiency of buildings.

Determining the optimal window length for pattern recognition-based myoelectric control: balancing the competing effects of classification error and controller delay.

PubMed

Smith, Lauren H; Hargrove, Levi J; Lock, Blair A; Kuiken, Todd A

2011-04-01

Pattern recognition-based control of myoelectric prostheses has shown great promise in research environments, but has not been optimized for use in a clinical setting. To explore the relationship between classification error, controller delay, and real-time controllability, 13 able-bodied subjects were trained to operate a virtual upper-limb prosthesis using pattern recognition of electromyogram (EMG) signals. Classification error and controller delay were varied by training different classifiers with a variety of analysis window lengths ranging from 50 to 550 ms and either two or four EMG input channels. Offline analysis showed that classification error decreased with longer window lengths (p < 0.01 ). Real-time controllability was evaluated with the target achievement control (TAC) test, which prompted users to maneuver the virtual prosthesis into various target postures. The results indicated that user performance improved with lower classification error (p < 0.01 ) and was reduced with longer controller delay (p < 0.01 ), as determined by the window length. Therefore, both of these effects should be considered when choosing a window length; it may be beneficial to increase the window length if this results in a reduced classification error, despite the corresponding increase in controller delay. For the system employed in this study, the optimal window length was found to be between 150 and 250 ms, which is within acceptable controller delays for conventional multistate amplitude controllers.

Determination of Equine Cytochrome c Backbone Amide Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Rates by Mass Spectrometry Using a Wider Time Window and Isotope Envelope.

PubMed

Hamuro, Yoshitomo

2017-03-01

A new strategy to analyze amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) data is proposed, utilizing a wider time window and isotope envelope analysis of each peptide. While most current scientific reports present HDX-MS data as a set of time-dependent deuteration levels of peptides, the ideal HDX-MS data presentation is a complete set of backbone amide hydrogen exchange rates. The ideal data set can provide single amide resolution, coverage of all exchange events, and the open/close ratio of each amide hydrogen in EX2 mechanism. Toward this goal, a typical HDX-MS protocol was modified in two aspects: measurement of a wider time window in HDX-MS experiments and deconvolution of isotope envelope of each peptide. Measurement of a wider time window enabled the observation of deuterium incorporation of most backbone amide hydrogens. Analysis of the isotope envelope instead of centroid value provides the deuterium distribution instead of the sum of deuteration levels in each peptide. A one-step, global-fitting algorithm optimized exchange rate and deuterium retention during the analysis of each amide hydrogen by fitting the deuterated isotope envelopes at all time points of all peptides in a region. Application of this strategy to cytochrome c yielded 97 out of 100 amide hydrogen exchange rates. A set of exchange rates determined by this approach is more appropriate for a patent or regulatory filing of a biopharmaceutical than a set of peptide deuteration levels obtained by a typical protocol. A wider time window of this method also eliminates false negatives in protein-ligand binding site identification. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Determination of Equine Cytochrome c Backbone Amide Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Rates by Mass Spectrometry Using a Wider Time Window and Isotope Envelope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamuro, Yoshitomo

2017-03-01

A new strategy to analyze amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) data is proposed, utilizing a wider time window and isotope envelope analysis of each peptide. While most current scientific reports present HDX-MS data as a set of time-dependent deuteration levels of peptides, the ideal HDX-MS data presentation is a complete set of backbone amide hydrogen exchange rates. The ideal data set can provide single amide resolution, coverage of all exchange events, and the open/close ratio of each amide hydrogen in EX2 mechanism. Toward this goal, a typical HDX-MS protocol was modified in two aspects: measurement of a wider time window in HDX-MS experiments and deconvolution of isotope envelope of each peptide. Measurement of a wider time window enabled the observation of deuterium incorporation of most backbone amide hydrogens. Analysis of the isotope envelope instead of centroid value provides the deuterium distribution instead of the sum of deuteration levels in each peptide. A one-step, global-fitting algorithm optimized exchange rate and deuterium retention during the analysis of each amide hydrogen by fitting the deuterated isotope envelopes at all time points of all peptides in a region. Application of this strategy to cytochrome c yielded 97 out of 100 amide hydrogen exchange rates. A set of exchange rates determined by this approach is more appropriate for a patent or regulatory filing of a biopharmaceutical than a set of peptide deuteration levels obtained by a typical protocol. A wider time window of this method also eliminates false negatives in protein-ligand binding site identification.

Statistical tests for power-law cross-correlated processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podobnik, Boris; Jiang, Zhi-Qiang; Zhou, Wei-Xing; Stanley, H. Eugene

2011-12-01

For stationary time series, the cross-covariance and the cross-correlation as functions of time lag n serve to quantify the similarity of two time series. The latter measure is also used to assess whether the cross-correlations are statistically significant. For nonstationary time series, the analogous measures are detrended cross-correlations analysis (DCCA) and the recently proposed detrended cross-correlation coefficient, ρDCCA(T,n), where T is the total length of the time series and n the window size. For ρDCCA(T,n), we numerically calculated the Cauchy inequality -1≤ρDCCA(T,n)≤1. Here we derive -1≤ρDCCA(T,n)≤1 for a standard variance-covariance approach and for a detrending approach. For overlapping windows, we find the range of ρDCCA within which the cross-correlations become statistically significant. For overlapping windows we numerically determine—and for nonoverlapping windows we derive—that the standard deviation of ρDCCA(T,n) tends with increasing T to 1/T. Using ρDCCA(T,n) we show that the Chinese financial market's tendency to follow the U.S. market is extremely weak. We also propose an additional statistical test that can be used to quantify the existence of cross-correlations between two power-law correlated time series.

Ube3a reinstatement identifies distinct developmental windows in a murine Angelman syndrome model

PubMed Central

Silva-Santos, Sara; van Woerden, Geeske M.; Bruinsma, Caroline F.; Mientjes, Edwin; Jolfaei, Mehrnoush Aghadavoud; Distel, Ben; Kushner, Steven A.; Elgersma, Ype

2015-01-01

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder that results from loss of function of the maternal ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) allele. Due to neuron-specific imprinting, the paternal UBE3A copy is silenced. Previous studies in murine models have demonstrated that strategies to activate the paternal Ube3a allele are feasible; however, a recent study showed that pharmacological Ube3a gene reactivation in adulthood failed to rescue the majority of neurocognitive phenotypes in a murine AS model. Here, we performed a systematic study to investigate the possibility that neurocognitive rescue can be achieved by reinstating Ube3a during earlier neurodevelopmental windows. We developed an AS model that allows for temporally controlled Cre-dependent induction of the maternal Ube3a allele and determined that there are distinct neurodevelopmental windows during which Ube3a restoration can rescue AS-relevant phenotypes. Motor deficits were rescued by Ube3a reinstatement in adolescent mice, whereas anxiety, repetitive behavior, and epilepsy were only rescued when Ube3a was reinstated during early development. In contrast, hippocampal synaptic plasticity could be restored at any age. Together, these findings suggest that Ube3a reinstatement early in development may be necessary to prevent or rescue most AS-associated phenotypes and should be considered in future clinical trial design. PMID:25866966

Switch of Sensitivity Dynamics Revealed with DyGloSA Toolbox for Dynamical Global Sensitivity Analysis as an Early Warning for System's Critical Transition

PubMed Central

Baumuratova, Tatiana; Dobre, Simona; Bastogne, Thierry; Sauter, Thomas

2013-01-01

Systems with bifurcations may experience abrupt irreversible and often unwanted shifts in their performance, called critical transitions. For many systems like climate, economy, ecosystems it is highly desirable to identify indicators serving as early warnings of such regime shifts. Several statistical measures were recently proposed as early warnings of critical transitions including increased variance, autocorrelation and skewness of experimental or model-generated data. The lack of automatized tool for model-based prediction of critical transitions led to designing DyGloSA – a MATLAB toolbox for dynamical global parameter sensitivity analysis (GPSA) of ordinary differential equations models. We suggest that the switch in dynamics of parameter sensitivities revealed by our toolbox is an early warning that a system is approaching a critical transition. We illustrate the efficiency of our toolbox by analyzing several models with bifurcations and predicting the time periods when systems can still avoid going to a critical transition by manipulating certain parameter values, which is not detectable with the existing SA techniques. DyGloSA is based on the SBToolbox2 and contains functions, which compute dynamically the global sensitivity indices of the system by applying four main GPSA methods: eFAST, Sobol's ANOVA, PRCC and WALS. It includes parallelized versions of the functions enabling significant reduction of the computational time (up to 12 times). DyGloSA is freely available as a set of MATLAB scripts at http://bio.uni.lu/systems_biology/software/dyglosa. It requires installation of MATLAB (versions R2008b or later) and the Systems Biology Toolbox2 available at www.sbtoolbox2.org. DyGloSA can be run on Windows and Linux systems, -32 and -64 bits. PMID:24367574

Switch of sensitivity dynamics revealed with DyGloSA toolbox for dynamical global sensitivity analysis as an early warning for system's critical transition.

PubMed

Baumuratova, Tatiana; Dobre, Simona; Bastogne, Thierry; Sauter, Thomas

2013-01-01

Systems with bifurcations may experience abrupt irreversible and often unwanted shifts in their performance, called critical transitions. For many systems like climate, economy, ecosystems it is highly desirable to identify indicators serving as early warnings of such regime shifts. Several statistical measures were recently proposed as early warnings of critical transitions including increased variance, autocorrelation and skewness of experimental or model-generated data. The lack of automatized tool for model-based prediction of critical transitions led to designing DyGloSA - a MATLAB toolbox for dynamical global parameter sensitivity analysis (GPSA) of ordinary differential equations models. We suggest that the switch in dynamics of parameter sensitivities revealed by our toolbox is an early warning that a system is approaching a critical transition. We illustrate the efficiency of our toolbox by analyzing several models with bifurcations and predicting the time periods when systems can still avoid going to a critical transition by manipulating certain parameter values, which is not detectable with the existing SA techniques. DyGloSA is based on the SBToolbox2 and contains functions, which compute dynamically the global sensitivity indices of the system by applying four main GPSA methods: eFAST, Sobol's ANOVA, PRCC and WALS. It includes parallelized versions of the functions enabling significant reduction of the computational time (up to 12 times). DyGloSA is freely available as a set of MATLAB scripts at http://bio.uni.lu/systems_biology/software/dyglosa. It requires installation of MATLAB (versions R2008b or later) and the Systems Biology Toolbox2 available at www.sbtoolbox2.org. DyGloSA can be run on Windows and Linux systems, -32 and -64 bits.

Early hominins in Europe: The Galerian migration hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muttoni, Giovanni; Scardia, Giancarlo; Kent, Dennis V.

2018-01-01

Our updated review of sites bearing hominin remains and/or tools from Europe, including new findings from the Balkans, still indicates that the only compelling evidence of main hominin presence in these regions was only since ∼0.9 million years ago (Ma), bracketed by the end of the Jaramillo geomagnetic polarity subchron (0.99 Ma) and the Brunhes-Matuyama polarity chron boundary (0.78 Ma). This time window straddled the late Early Pleistocene climate transition (EPT) at the onset of enhanced glacial/interglacial activity that reverberated worldwide. Europe may have become initially populated during the EPT when, possibly for the first time in the Pleistocene, vast and exploitable ecosystems were generated along the eustatically emergent Po-Danube terrestrial conduit. These newly formed settings, characterized by stable terrestrial lowlands with open grasslands and reduced woody cover especially during glacial/interglacial transitions, are regarded as optimal ecosystems for several large Galerian immigrant mammals such as African and Asian megaherbivores, possibly linked with hominins in a common food web, to expand into en route to Europe. The question of when hominins first arrived in Europe thus places the issue in the context of changes in climate, paleogeography and faunal associations as potential environmental drivers and controlling agents in a specific time frame, a key feature of the Galerian migration hypothesis.

Early hominins in Europe: The Galerian migration hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muttoni, G.; Scardia, G.; Kent, D.

2017-12-01

Our updated review of sites bearing hominin remains and/or tools from Europe, including new findings from the Balkans, still indicates that the only compelling evidence of hominin presence in these regions was only since 0.9 Ma (million-years-ago), bracketed by the end of the Jaramillo geomagnetic polarity subchron (0.99 Ma) and the Brunhes-Matuyama polarity boundary (0.78 Ma). This time window straddled the late Early Pleistocene climate transition (EPR) at the onset of enhanced glacial/interglacial activity that reverberated worldwide. Europe may have become initially populated during the EPR when, possibly for the first time in the Pleistocene, vast and exploitable ecosystems were generated along the eustatically emergent Danube-Po migration gateway. These newly formed settings, characterized by lowlands with open grasslands and reduced woody cover during glacial/interglacial transitions, represented the closest analogues to the savanna environment to which several large Galerian immigrant mammals (e.g., African and Asian megaherbivores) linked with hominins in a common food web were adapted and could expand into en route to Europe. The question of when hominins first arrived in Europe thus places the issue in the context of changes in climate, paleogeography and faunal associations as potential environmental drivers and controlling agents in a specific time frame, a key feature of the Galerian migration hypothesis.

The temporal program of chromosome replication: genomewide replication in clb5{Delta} Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

McCune, Heather J; Danielson, Laura S; Alvino, Gina M; Collingwood, David; Delrow, Jeffrey J; Fangman, Walton L; Brewer, Bonita J; Raghuraman, M K

2008-12-01

Temporal regulation of origin activation is widely thought to explain the pattern of early- and late-replicating domains in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome. Recently, single-molecule analysis of replication suggested that stochastic processes acting on origins with different probabilities of activation could generate the observed kinetics of replication without requiring an underlying temporal order. To distinguish between these possibilities, we examined a clb5Delta strain, where origin firing is largely limited to the first half of S phase, to ask whether all origins nonspecifically show decreased firing (as expected for disordered firing) or if only some origins ("late" origins) are affected. Approximately half the origins in the mutant genome show delayed replication while the remainder replicate largely on time. The delayed regions can encompass hundreds of kilobases and generally correspond to regions that replicate late in wild-type cells. Kinetic analysis of replication in wild-type cells reveals broad windows of origin firing for both early and late origins. Our results are consistent with a temporal model in which origins can show some heterogeneity in both time and probability of origin firing, but clustering of temporally like origins nevertheless yields a genome that is organized into blocks showing different replication times.

Designing prospective cohort studies for assessing reproductive and developmental toxicity during sensitive windows of human reproduction and development--the LIFE Study.

PubMed

Buck Louis, Germaine M; Schisterman, Enrique F; Sweeney, Anne M; Wilcosky, Timothy C; Gore-Langton, Robert E; Lynch, Courtney D; Boyd Barr, Dana; Schrader, Steven M; Kim, Sungduk; Chen, Zhen; Sundaram, Rajeshwari

2011-09-01

The relationship between the environment and human fecundity and fertility remains virtually unstudied from a couple-based perspective in which longitudinal exposure data and biospecimens are captured across sensitive windows. In response, we completed the LIFE Study with methodology that intended to empirically evaluate a priori purported methodological challenges: implementation of population-based sampling frameworks suitable for recruiting couples planning pregnancy; obtaining environmental data across sensitive windows of reproduction and development; home-based biospecimen collection; and development of a data management system for hierarchical exposome data. We used two sampling frameworks (i.e., fish/wildlife licence registry and a direct marketing database) for 16 targeted counties with presumed environmental exposures to persistent organochlorine chemicals to recruit 501 couples planning pregnancies for prospective longitudinal follow-up while trying to conceive and throughout pregnancy. Enrolment rates varied from <1% of the targeted population (n = 424,423) to 42% of eligible couples who were successfully screened; 84% of the targeted population could not be reached, while 36% refused screening. Among enrolled couples, ∼ 85% completed daily journals while trying; 82% of pregnant women completed daily early pregnancy journals, and 80% completed monthly pregnancy journals. All couples provided baseline blood/urine samples; 94% of men provided one or more semen samples and 98% of women provided one or more saliva samples. Women successfully used urinary fertility monitors for identifying ovulation and home pregnancy test kits. Couples can be recruited for preconception cohorts and will comply with intensive data collection across sensitive windows. However, appropriately sized sampling frameworks are critical, given the small percentage of couples contacted found eligible and reportedly planning pregnancy at any point in time. © Published 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Technology in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gladhart, Marsha A.

1994-01-01

Reviews two computer software programs for children: (1) "Ready, Set, Read with Bananas and Jack" (Sierra Discovery Series), available for Windows or Macintosh systems, which uses animation and sound to teach early reading skills; and (2) "Word Connection" (Action Software), a Macintosh program that creates word puzzles. (MDM)

Windowed time-reversal music technique for super-resolution ultrasound imaging

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

Huang, Lianjie; Labyed, Yassin

Systems and methods for super-resolution ultrasound imaging using a windowed and generalized TR-MUSIC algorithm that divides the imaging region into overlapping sub-regions and applies the TR-MUSIC algorithm to the windowed backscattered ultrasound signals corresponding to each sub-region. The algorithm is also structured to account for the ultrasound attenuation in the medium and the finite-size effects of ultrasound transducer elements.

Control of Malaria Vector Mosquitoes by Insecticide-Treated Combinations of Window Screens and Eave Baffles.

PubMed

Killeen, Gerry F; Masalu, John P; Chinula, Dingani; Fotakis, Emmanouil A; Kavishe, Deogratius R; Malone, David; Okumu, Fredros

2017-05-01

We assessed window screens and eave baffles (WSEBs), which enable mosquitoes to enter but not exit houses, as an alternative to indoor residual spraying (IRS) for malaria vector control. WSEBs treated with water, the pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin, or the organophosphate pirimiphos-methyl, with and without a binding agent for increasing insecticide persistence on netting, were compared with IRS in experimental huts. Compared with IRS containing the same insecticide, WSEBs killed similar proportions of Anopheles funestus mosquitoes that were resistant to pyrethroids, carbamates and organochlorines and greater proportions of pyrethroid-resistant, early exiting An. arabiensis mosquitoes. WSEBs with pirimiphos-methyl killed greater proportions of both vectors than lambda-cyhalothrin or lambda-cyhalothrin plus pirimiphos-methyl and were equally efficacious when combined with binding agent. WSEBs required far less insecticide than IRS, and binding agents might enhance durability. WSEBs might enable affordable deployment of insecticide combinations to mitigate against physiologic insecticide resistance and improve control of behaviorally resistant, early exiting vectors.

Strategies for Reversing the Effects of Metabolic Disorders Induced as a Consequence of Developmental Programming

PubMed Central

Vickers, M. H.; Sloboda, D. M.

2012-01-01

Obesity and the metabolic syndrome have reached epidemic proportions worldwide with far-reaching health care and economic implications. The rapid increase in the prevalence of these disorders suggests that environmental and behavioral influences, rather than genetic causes, are fueling the epidemic. The developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis has highlighted the link between the periconceptual, fetal, and early infant phases of life and the subsequent development of metabolic disorders in later life. In particular, the impact of poor maternal nutrition on susceptibility to later life metabolic disease in offspring is now well documented. Several studies have now shown, at least in experimental animal models, that some components of the metabolic syndrome, induced as a consequence of developmental programming, are potentially reversible by nutritional or targeted therapeutic interventions during windows of developmental plasticity. This review will focus on critical windows of development and possible therapeutic avenues that may reduce metabolic and obesogenic risk following an adverse early life environment. PMID:22783205

The Golden Cage: Growing up in the Socialist Yugoslavia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marjanovic-Shane, Ana

2018-01-01

From the mid 1950s through roughly the 1980s, some or many children and youth of the Socialist Yugoslavia, especially those of us in Belgrade, the capital, lived in a curious, almost surreal "window" in the space and time. This surreal window of space-time, offered to children and youth of Yugoslavia, unprecedented opportunities for…

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Maine's Only Biodiesel Manufacturer Powers

Science.gov Websites

this project, contact Maine Clean Communities. Download QuickTime Video QuickTime (.mov) Download Windows Media Video Windows Media (.wmv) Video Download Help Text version See more videos provided by truck Krug Energy Opens Natural Gas Fueling Station in Arkansas June 18, 2016 photo of natural gas

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Texas Taxis Go Hybrid

Science.gov Websites

information about this project, contact Alamo Area Clean Cities (San Antonio). Download QuickTime Video QuickTime (.mov) Download Windows Media Video Windows Media (.wmv) Video Download Help Text version See more car Hydrogen Powers Fuel Cell Vehicles in California Nov. 18, 2017 Photo of a car Smart Car Shopping

Early development of Science Opportunity Analysis tools for the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardesin Moinelo, Alejandro; Vallat, Claire; Altobelli, Nicolas; Frew, David; Llorente, Rosario; Costa, Marc; Almeida, Miguel; Witasse, Olivier

2016-10-01

JUICE is the first large mission in the framework of ESA's Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 program. JUICE will survey the Jovian system with a special focus on three of the Galilean Moons: Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.The mission has recently been adopted and big efforts are being made by the Science Operations Center (SOC) at the European Space and Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Madrid for the development of tools to provide the necessary support to the Science Working Team (SWT) for science opportunity analysis and early assessment of science operation scenarios. This contribution will outline some of the tools being developed within ESA and in collaboration with the Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF) at JPL.The Mission Analysis and Payload Planning Support (MAPPS) is developed by ESA and has been used by most of ESA's planetary missions to generate and validate science observation timelines for the simulation of payload and spacecraft operations. MAPPS has the capability to compute and display all the necessary geometrical information such as the distances, illumination angles and projected field-of-view of an imaging instrument on the surface of the given body and a preliminary setup is already in place for the early assessment of JUICE science operations.NAIF provides valuable SPICE support to the JUICE mission and several tools are being developed to compute and visualize science opportunities. In particular the WebGeoCalc and Cosmographia systems are provided by NAIF to compute time windows and create animations of the observation geometry available via traditional SPICE data files, such as planet orbits, spacecraft trajectory, spacecraft orientation, instrument field-of-view "cones" and instrument footprints. Other software tools are being developed by ESA and other collaborating partners to support the science opportunity analysis for all missions, like the SOLab (Science Operations Laboratory) or new interfaces for observation definitions and opportunity window databases.

Temporal coordination of olfactory cortex sharp-wave activity with up- and downstates in the orbitofrontal cortex during slow-wave sleep.

PubMed

Onisawa, Naomi; Manabe, Hiroyuki; Mori, Kensaku

2017-01-01

During slow-wave sleep, interareal communications via coordinated, slow oscillatory activities occur in the large-scale networks of the mammalian neocortex. Because olfactory cortex (OC) areas, which belong to paleocortex, show characteristic sharp-wave (SPW) activity during slow-wave sleep, we examined whether OC SPWs in freely behaving rats occur in temporal coordination with up- and downstates of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) slow oscillation. Simultaneous recordings of local field potentials and spike activities in the OC and OFC showed that during the downstate in the OFC, the OC also exhibited downstate with greatly reduced neuronal activity and suppression of SPW generation. OC SPWs occurred during two distinct phases of the upstate of the OFC: early-phase SPWs occurred at the start of upstate shortly after the down-to-up transition in the OFC, whereas late-phase SPWs were generated at the end of upstate shortly before the up-to-down transition. Such temporal coordination between neocortical up- and downstates and olfactory system SPWs was observed between the prefrontal cortex areas (OFC and medial prefrontal cortex) and the OC areas (anterior piriform cortex and posterior piriform cortex). These results suggest that during slow-wave sleep, OC and OFC areas communicate preferentially in specific time windows shortly after the down-to-up transition and shortly before the up-to-down transition. Simultaneous recordings of local field potentials and spike activities in the anterior piriform cortex (APC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) during slow-wave sleep showed that APC sharp waves tended to occur during two distinct phases of OFC upstate: early phase, shortly after the down-to-up transition, and late phase, shortly before the up-to-down transition, suggesting that during slow-wave sleep, olfactory cortex and OFC areas communicate preferentially in the specific time windows. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Temporal coordination of olfactory cortex sharp-wave activity with up- and downstates in the orbitofrontal cortex during slow-wave sleep

PubMed Central

Onisawa, Naomi; Mori, Kensaku

2016-01-01

During slow-wave sleep, interareal communications via coordinated, slow oscillatory activities occur in the large-scale networks of the mammalian neocortex. Because olfactory cortex (OC) areas, which belong to paleocortex, show characteristic sharp-wave (SPW) activity during slow-wave sleep, we examined whether OC SPWs in freely behaving rats occur in temporal coordination with up- and downstates of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) slow oscillation. Simultaneous recordings of local field potentials and spike activities in the OC and OFC showed that during the downstate in the OFC, the OC also exhibited downstate with greatly reduced neuronal activity and suppression of SPW generation. OC SPWs occurred during two distinct phases of the upstate of the OFC: early-phase SPWs occurred at the start of upstate shortly after the down-to-up transition in the OFC, whereas late-phase SPWs were generated at the end of upstate shortly before the up-to-down transition. Such temporal coordination between neocortical up- and downstates and olfactory system SPWs was observed between the prefrontal cortex areas (OFC and medial prefrontal cortex) and the OC areas (anterior piriform cortex and posterior piriform cortex). These results suggest that during slow-wave sleep, OC and OFC areas communicate preferentially in specific time windows shortly after the down-to-up transition and shortly before the up-to-down transition. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Simultaneous recordings of local field potentials and spike activities in the anterior piriform cortex (APC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) during slow-wave sleep showed that APC sharp waves tended to occur during two distinct phases of OFC upstate: early phase, shortly after the down-to-up transition, and late phase, shortly before the up-to-down transition, suggesting that during slow-wave sleep, olfactory cortex and OFC areas communicate preferentially in the specific time windows. PMID:27733591

Multicenter Comparison of Machine Learning Methods and Conventional Regression for Predicting Clinical Deterioration on the Wards.

PubMed

Churpek, Matthew M; Yuen, Trevor C; Winslow, Christopher; Meltzer, David O; Kattan, Michael W; Edelson, Dana P

2016-02-01

Machine learning methods are flexible prediction algorithms that may be more accurate than conventional regression. We compared the accuracy of different techniques for detecting clinical deterioration on the wards in a large, multicenter database. Observational cohort study. Five hospitals, from November 2008 until January 2013. Hospitalized ward patients None Demographic variables, laboratory values, and vital signs were utilized in a discrete-time survival analysis framework to predict the combined outcome of cardiac arrest, intensive care unit transfer, or death. Two logistic regression models (one using linear predictor terms and a second utilizing restricted cubic splines) were compared to several different machine learning methods. The models were derived in the first 60% of the data by date and then validated in the next 40%. For model derivation, each event time window was matched to a non-event window. All models were compared to each other and to the Modified Early Warning score, a commonly cited early warning score, using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). A total of 269,999 patients were admitted, and 424 cardiac arrests, 13,188 intensive care unit transfers, and 2,840 deaths occurred in the study. In the validation dataset, the random forest model was the most accurate model (AUC, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.80-0.80]). The logistic regression model with spline predictors was more accurate than the model utilizing linear predictors (AUC, 0.77 vs 0.74; p < 0.01), and all models were more accurate than the MEWS (AUC, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.70-0.70]). In this multicenter study, we found that several machine learning methods more accurately predicted clinical deterioration than logistic regression. Use of detection algorithms derived from these techniques may result in improved identification of critically ill patients on the wards.

Modified Maturity Offset Prediction Equations: Validation in Independent Longitudinal Samples of Boys and Girls.

PubMed

Kozieł, Sławomir M; Malina, Robert M

2018-01-01

Predicted maturity offset and age at peak height velocity are increasingly used with youth athletes, although validation studies of the equations indicated major limitations. The equations have since been modified and simplified. The objective of this study was to validate the new maturity offset prediction equations in independent longitudinal samples of boys and girls. Two new equations for boys with chronological age and sitting height and chronological age and stature as predictors, and one equation for girls with chronological age and stature as predictors were evaluated in serial data from the Wrocław Growth Study, 193 boys (aged 8-18 years) and 198 girls (aged 8-16 years). Observed age at peak height velocity for each youth was estimated with the Preece-Baines Model 1. The original prediction equations were included for comparison. Predicted age at peak height velocity was the difference between chronological age at prediction and maturity offset. Predicted ages at peak height velocity with the new equations approximated observed ages at peak height velocity in average maturing boys near the time of peak height velocity; a corresponding window for average maturing girls was not apparent. Compared with observed age at peak height velocity, predicted ages at peak height velocity with the new and original equations were consistently later in early maturing youth and earlier in late maturing youth of both sexes. Predicted ages at peak height velocity with the new equations had reduced variation compared with the original equations and especially observed ages at peak height velocity. Intra-individual variation in predicted ages at peak height velocity with all equations was considerable. The new equations are useful for average maturing boys close to the time of peak height velocity; there does not appear to be a clear window for average maturing girls. The new and original equations have major limitations with early and late maturing boys and girls.

Stromal cell markers are differentially expressed in the synovial tissue of patients with early arthritis.

PubMed

Choi, Ivy Y; Karpus, Olga N; Turner, Jason D; Hardie, Debbie; Marshall, Jennifer L; de Hair, Maria J H; Maijer, Karen I; Tak, Paul P; Raza, Karim; Hamann, Jörg; Buckley, Christopher D; Gerlag, Danielle M; Filer, Andrew

2017-01-01

Previous studies have shown increased expression of stromal markers in synovial tissue (ST) of patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here, ST expression of stromal markers in early arthritis in relationship to diagnosis and prognostic outcome was studied. ST from 56 patients included in two different early arthritis cohorts and 7 non-inflammatory controls was analysed using immunofluorescence to detect stromal markers CD55, CD248, fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and podoplanin. Diagnostic classification (gout, psoriatic arthritis, unclassified arthritis (UA), parvovirus associated arthritis, reactive arthritis and RA), disease outcome (resolving vs persistent) and clinical variables were determined at baseline and after follow-up, and related to the expression of stromal markers. We observed expression of all stromal markers in ST of early arthritis patients, independent of diagnosis or prognostic outcome. Synovial expression of FAP was significantly higher in patients developing early RA compared to other diagnostic groups and non-inflammatory controls. In RA FAP protein was expressed in both lining and sublining layers. Podoplanin expression was higher in all early inflammatory arthritis patients than controls, but did not differentiate diagnostic outcomes. Stromal marker expression was not associated with prognostic outcomes of disease persistence or resolution. There was no association with clinical or sonographic variables. Stromal cell markers CD55, CD248, FAP and podoplanin are expressed in ST in the earliest stage of arthritis. Baseline expression of FAP is higher in early synovitis patients who fulfil classification criteria for RA over time. These results suggest that significant fibroblast activation occurs in RA in the early window of disease.

Ca2+ signalling and early embryonic patterning during zebrafish development.

PubMed

Webb, Sarah E; Miller, Andrew L

2007-09-01

1. It has been proposed that Ca2+ signalling, in the form of pulses, waves and steady gradients, may play a crucial role in key pattern-forming events during early vertebrate development. 2. With reference to the embryo of the zebrafish (Danio rerio), herein we review the Ca2+ transients reported from the cleavage to segmentation periods. This time-window includes most of the major pattern-forming events of early development, which transform a single-cell zygote into a complex multicellular embryo with established primary germ layers and body axes. 3. Data are presented to support our proposal that intracellular Ca2+ waves are an essential feature of embryonic cytokinesis and that propagating intercellular Ca2+ waves (both long and short range) may play a crucial role in: (i) the establishment of the embryonic periderm and the coordination of cell movements during epiboly, convergence and extension; (ii) the establishment of the basic embryonic axes and germ layers; and (iii) definition of the morphological boundaries of specific tissue domains and embryonic structures, including future organ anlagen. 4. The potential downstream targets of these Ca2+ transients are also discussed, as well as how they may integrate with other pattern-forming signalling pathways known to modulate early developmental events.

Iconic Meaning in Music: An Event-Related Potential Study.

PubMed

Cai, Liman; Huang, Ping; Luo, Qiuling; Huang, Hong; Mo, Lei

2015-01-01

Although there has been extensive research on the processing of the emotional meaning of music, little is known about other aspects of listeners' experience of music. The present study investigated the neural correlates of the iconic meaning of music. Event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded while a group of 20 music majors and a group of 20 non-music majors performed a lexical decision task in the context of implicit musical iconic meaning priming. ERP analysis revealed a significant N400 effect of congruency in time window 260-510 ms following the onset of the target word only in the group of music majors. Time-course analysis using 50 ms windows indicated significant N400 effects both within the time window 410-460 ms and 460-510 ms for music majors, whereas only a partial N400 effect during time window 410-460 ms was observed for non-music majors. There was also a trend for the N400 effects in the music major group to be stronger than those in the non-major group in the sub-windows of 310-360 ms and 410-460 ms. Especially in the sub-window of 410-460 ms, the topographical map of the difference waveforms between congruent and incongruent conditions revealed different N400 distribution between groups; the effect was concentrated in bilateral frontal areas for music majors, but in central-parietal areas for non-music majors. These results imply probable neural mechanism differences underlying automatic iconic meaning priming of music. Our findings suggest that processing of the iconic meaning of music can be accomplished automatically and that musical training may facilitate the understanding of the iconic meaning of music.

Iconic Meaning in Music: An Event-Related Potential Study

PubMed Central

Luo, Qiuling; Huang, Hong; Mo, Lei

2015-01-01

Although there has been extensive research on the processing of the emotional meaning of music, little is known about other aspects of listeners’ experience of music. The present study investigated the neural correlates of the iconic meaning of music. Event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded while a group of 20 music majors and a group of 20 non-music majors performed a lexical decision task in the context of implicit musical iconic meaning priming. ERP analysis revealed a significant N400 effect of congruency in time window 260-510 ms following the onset of the target word only in the group of music majors. Time-course analysis using 50 ms windows indicated significant N400 effects both within the time window 410-460 ms and 460-510 ms for music majors, whereas only a partial N400 effect during time window 410-460 ms was observed for non-music majors. There was also a trend for the N400 effects in the music major group to be stronger than those in the non-major group in the sub-windows of 310-360ms and 410-460ms. Especially in the sub-window of 410-460 ms, the topographical map of the difference waveforms between congruent and incongruent conditions revealed different N400 distribution between groups; the effect was concentrated in bilateral frontal areas for music majors, but in central-parietal areas for non-music majors. These results imply probable neural mechanism differences underlying automatic iconic meaning priming of music. Our findings suggest that processing of the iconic meaning of music can be accomplished automatically and that musical training may facilitate the understanding of the iconic meaning of music. PMID:26161561

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

Nyagah, K.; Cloeter, J.J.; Maende, A.

The Lamu basin occupies the coastal onshore and offshore areas of south-east Kenya. This fault bounded basin formed as a result of the Paleozoic-early Mesozoic phase of rifting that developed at the onset of Gondwana dismemberment. The resultant graben was filled by Karroo (Permian-Early Jurassic) continental siliciclastic sediments. Carbonate deposits associated with the Tethyan sea invasion, dominate the Middle to Late Jurassic basin fill. Cessation of the relative motion between Madagascar and Africa in the Early Cretaceous, heralded passive margin development and deltaic sediment progradation until the Paleogene. Shallow seas transgressed the basin in the Miocene when another carbonate regimemore » prevailed. The basin depositional history is characterized by pulses of transgressive and regressive cycles, bounded by tectonically enhanced unconformities dividing the total sedimentary succession into discrete megasequences. Source rock strata occur within Megasequence III (Paleogene) depositional cycle and were lowered into the oil window in Miocene time, when the coastal parts of the basin experienced the greatest amount of subsidence. The tectono-eustatic pulses of the Tertiary brought about source and reservoir strata into a spatial relationship in which hydrocarbons could be entrapped. A basement high on the continental shelf has potential for Karroo sandstone and Jurassic limestone reservoirs. Halokinesis of Middle Jurassic salt in Miocene time provides additional prospects in the offshore area. Paleogene deltaic sands occur in rotated listric fault blacks. A Miocene reef Play coincides with an Eocene source rock kitchen.« less

Prenatal Particulate Air Pollution and Asthma Onset in Urban Children. Identifying Sensitive Windows and Sex Differences.

PubMed

Hsu, Hsiao-Hsien Leon; Chiu, Yueh-Hsiu Mathilda; Coull, Brent A; Kloog, Itai; Schwartz, Joel; Lee, Alison; Wright, Robert O; Wright, Rosalind J

2015-11-01

The influence of particulate air pollution on respiratory health starts in utero. Fetal lung growth and structural development occurs in stages; thus, effects on postnatal respiratory disorders may differ based on timing of exposure. We implemented an innovative method to identify sensitive windows for effects of prenatal exposure to particulate matter with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 μm (PM2.5) on children's asthma development in an urban pregnancy cohort. Analyses included 736 full-term (≥37 wk) children. Each mother's daily PM2.5 exposure was estimated over gestation using a validated satellite-based spatiotemporal resolved model. Using distributed lag models, we examined associations between weekly averaged PM2.5 levels over pregnancy and physician-diagnosed asthma in children by age 6 years. Effect modification by sex was also examined. Most mothers were ethnic minorities (54% Hispanic, 30% black), had 12 or fewer years of education (66%), and did not smoke in pregnancy (80%). In the sample as a whole, distributed lag models adjusting for child age, sex, and maternal factors (education, race and ethnicity, smoking, stress, atopy, prepregnancy obesity) showed that increased PM2.5 exposure levels at 16-25 weeks gestation were significantly associated with early childhood asthma development. An interaction between PM2.5 and sex was significant (P = 0.01) with sex-stratified analyses showing that the association exists only for boys. Higher prenatal PM2.5 exposure at midgestation was associated with asthma development by age 6 years in boys. Methods to better characterize vulnerable windows may provide insight into underlying mechanisms.

Optical coherence microscopy of mouse cortical vasculature surrounding implanted electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammer, Daniel X.; Lozzi, Andrea; Abliz, Erkinay; Greenbaum, Noah; Turner, Kevin P.; Pfefer, T. Joshua; Agrawal, Anant; Krauthamer, Victor; Welle, Cristin G.

2014-03-01

Optical coherence microscopy (OCM) provides real-time, in-vivo, three-dimensional, isotropic micron-resolution structural and functional characterization of tissue, cells, and other biological targets. Optical coherence angiography (OCA) also provides visualization and quantification of vascular flow via speckle-based or phase-resolved techniques. Performance assessment of neuroprosthetic systems, which allow direct thought control of limb prostheses, may be aided by OCA. In particular, there is a need to examine the underlying mechanisms of chronic functional degradation of implanted electrodes. Angiogenesis, capillary network remodeling, and changes in flow velocity are potential indicators of tissue changes that may be associated with waning electrode performance. The overall goal of this investigation is to quantify longitudinal changes in vascular morphology and capillary flow around neural electrodes chronically implanted in mice. We built a 1315-nm OCM system to image vessels in neocortical tissue in a cohort of mice. An optical window was implanted on the skull over the primary motor cortex above a penetrating shank-style microelectrode array. The mice were imaged bi-weekly to generate vascular maps of the region surrounding the implanted microelectrode array. Acute effects of window and electrode implantation included vessel dilation and profusion of vessels in the superficial layer of the cortex (0-200 μm). In deeper layers surrounding the electrode, no qualitative differences were seen in this early phase. These measurements establish a baseline vascular tissue response from the cortical window preparation and lay the ground work for future longitudinal studies to test the hypothesis that vascular changes will be associated with chronic electrode degradation.

Issues in visual support to real-time space system simulation solved in the Systems Engineering Simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yuen, Vincent K.

1989-01-01

The Systems Engineering Simulator has addressed the major issues in providing visual data to its real-time man-in-the-loop simulations. Out-the-window views and CCTV views are provided by three scene systems to give the astronauts their real-world views. To expand the window coverage for the Space Station Freedom workstation a rotating optics system is used to provide the widest field of view possible. To provide video signals to as many viewpoints as possible, windows and CCTVs, with a limited amount of hardware, a video distribution system has been developed to time-share the video channels among viewpoints at the selection of the simulation users. These solutions have provided the visual simulation facility for real-time man-in-the-loop simulations for the NASA space program.

Split delivery vehicle routing problem with time windows: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latiffianti, E.; Siswanto, N.; Firmandani, R. A.

2018-04-01

This paper aims to implement an extension of VRP so called split delivery vehicle routing problem (SDVRP) with time windows in a case study involving pickups and deliveries of workers from several points of origin and several destinations. Each origin represents a bus stop and the destination represents either site or office location. An integer linear programming of the SDVRP problem is presented. The solution was generated using three stages of defining the starting points, assigning busses, and solving the SDVRP with time windows using an exact method. Although the overall computational time was relatively lengthy, the results indicated that the produced solution was better than the existing routing and scheduling that the firm used. The produced solution was also capable of reducing fuel cost by 9% that was obtained from shorter total distance travelled by the shuttle buses.

The Use of Variable Q1 Isolation Windows Improves Selectivity in LC-SWATH-MS Acquisition.

PubMed

Zhang, Ying; Bilbao, Aivett; Bruderer, Tobias; Luban, Jeremy; Strambio-De-Castillia, Caterina; Lisacek, Frédérique; Hopfgartner, Gérard; Varesio, Emmanuel

2015-10-02

As tryptic peptides and metabolites are not equally distributed along the mass range, the probability of cross fragment ion interference is higher in certain windows when fixed Q1 SWATH windows are applied. We evaluated the benefits of utilizing variable Q1 SWATH windows with regards to selectivity improvement. Variable windows based on equalizing the distribution of either the precursor ion population (PIP) or the total ion current (TIC) within each window were generated by an in-house software, swathTUNER. These two variable Q1 SWATH window strategies outperformed, with respect to quantification and identification, the basic approach using a fixed window width (FIX) for proteomic profiling of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs). Thus, 13.8 and 8.4% additional peptide precursors, which resulted in 13.1 and 10.0% more proteins, were confidently identified by SWATH using the strategy PIP and TIC, respectively, in the MDDC proteomic sample. On the basis of the spectral library purity score, some improvement warranted by variable Q1 windows was also observed, albeit to a lesser extent, in the metabolomic profiling of human urine. We show that the novel concept of "scheduled SWATH" proposed here, which incorporates (i) variable isolation windows and (ii) precursor retention time segmentation further improves both peptide and metabolite identifications.

An ERP investigation of conditional reasoning with emotional and neutral contents.

PubMed

Blanchette, Isabelle; El-Deredy, Wael

2014-11-01

In two experiments we investigate conditional reasoning using event-related potentials (ERPs). Our goal was to examine the time course of inference making in two conditional forms, one logically valid (Modus Ponens, MP) and one logically invalid (Affirming the Consequent, AC). We focus particularly on the involvement of semantically-based inferential processes potentially marked by modulations of the N400. We also compared reasoning about emotional and neutral contents with separate sets of stimuli of differing linguistic complexity across the two experiments. Both MP and AC modulated the N400 component, suggesting the involvement of a semantically-based inferential mechanism common across different logical forms, content types, and linguistic features of the problems. Emotion did not have an effect on early components, and did not interact with components related to inference making. There was a main effect of emotion in the 800-1050 ms time window, consistent with an effect on sustained attention. The results suggest that conditional reasoning is not a purely formal process but that it importantly implicates semantic processing, and that the effect of emotion on reasoning does not primarily operate through a modulation of early automatic stages of information processing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Primordial gravitational waves in running vacuum cosmologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamayo, D. A.; Lima, J. A. S.; Alves, M. E. S.; de Araujo, J. C. N.

2017-01-01

We investigate the cosmological production of gravitational waves in a nonsingular flat cosmology powered by a "running vacuum" energy density described by ρΛ ≡ ρΛ(H), a phenomenological expression potentially linked with the renormalization group approach in quantum field theory in curved spacetimes. The model can be interpreted as a particular case of the class recently discussed by Perico et al. (2013) [25] which is termed complete in the sense that the cosmic evolution occurs between two extreme de Sitter stages (early and late time de Sitter phases). The gravitational wave equation is derived and its time-dependent part numerically integrated since the primordial de Sitter stage. The generated spectrum of gravitons is also compared with the standard calculations where an abrupt transition, from the early de Sitter to the radiation phase, is usually assumed. It is found that the stochastic background of gravitons is very similar to the one predicted by the cosmic concordance model plus inflation except at higher frequencies (ν ≳ 100 kHz). This remarkable signature of a "running vacuum" cosmology combined with the proposed high frequency gravitational wave detectors and measurements of the CMB polarization (B-modes) may provide a new window to confront more conventional models of inflation.

Time-Frequency Distribution Analyses of Ku-Band Radar Doppler Echo Signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bujaković, Dimitrije; Andrić, Milenko; Bondžulić, Boban; Mitrović, Srđan; Simić, Slobodan

2015-03-01

Real radar echo signals of a pedestrian, vehicle and group of helicopters are analyzed in order to maximize signal energy around central Doppler frequency in time-frequency plane. An optimization, preserving this concentration, is suggested based on three well-known concentration measures. Various window functions and time-frequency distributions were optimization inputs. Conducted experiments on an analytic and three real signals have shown that energy concentration significantly depends on used time-frequency distribution and window function, for all three used criteria.

Magnitude Scaling of the early displacement for the 2007, Mw 7.8 Tocopilla sequence (Chile)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lancieri, M.; Fuenzalida, A.; Ruiz, S.; Madariaga, R. I.

2009-12-01

We investigate the empirical relationships between the initial portion of P and S-phase and the final event magnitude, on the Tocopilla (Chile) event and its aftershocks. Such correlations, on which real-time magnitude estimation for seismic early warning is founded, have been widely studied on several data sets, merging earthquakes generated in different tectonic settings and recorded with very different networks. The Tocopilla (Mw 7.8) earthquake, occurred along the northern Chile seismic gap on 14 November 2007, provides, together with its aftershocks, a unique opportunity of studying a homogeneous data set in terms of tectonic environment, focal mechanism, and recording network. The preliminary analysis required to build the seismic catalogue includes the automatic identification of more than 570 aftershocks using an automatic phase detector and picker algorithm, and the subsequent location of the events through a non-linear and probabilistic code. The seismic moment (M0) has been calculated by spectral modeling of P and S waves, assuming a Brune omega-square model. This analysis also yields values for the corner frequency and quality factor. The estimated range of moment magnitude for the aftershocks sequence is [2.8 - 6.8]. The correlation between the low pass filtered peak displacement (PD) and the final magnitude has been investigated for 90 events with magnitude greater than 4. These include the main event, its larger aftershock (Mw 6.8 occurred twenty-four hours after the main shock), and seven events with magnitude greater than 5.7. The recovered relationships confirm the observations of Zollo et al. [2006, 2007] of a clear correlation between distance corrected PD and final magnitude in the magnitude range [4.0 - 7.4], when considering time windows of 4 sec of P- or 2 sec of S- wave. In contrast with the previous studies, when examining time windows of 2 sec of P-wave, we surprisingly do not observe any saturation effect for magnitudes greater than 6.5, but rather a slope change in the regression curve. To explain the causative link between the PD and the final magnitude, it has been argued that an earthquake fracture that initiates with a higher flow rate of the elastic energy has an increased probability of propagating to longer distances. As consequence, the stress drop and/or active slip surface have to scale with seismic moment in the initial stage of seismic ruptures. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the correlation between radiated energy (E), corner frequency (fc) and seismic moment (M0). A first analysis performed on the entire S-phase confirms that M0 is proportional to fc^3; the apparent stress drop does not depend from M0 and that the E and M0 scale with a slope of 1.5. Therefore it appears to be no clear violation of the self-similarity. The same relationships will be investigated on signal windows of 2 sec of P- and 2 sec S-wave, used for early warning.

Low-back electromyography (EMG) data-driven load classification for dynamic lifting tasks.

PubMed

Totah, Deema; Ojeda, Lauro; Johnson, Daniel D; Gates, Deanna; Mower Provost, Emily; Barton, Kira

2018-01-01

Numerous devices have been designed to support the back during lifting tasks. To improve the utility of such devices, this research explores the use of preparatory muscle activity to classify muscle loading and initiate appropriate device activation. The goal of this study was to determine the earliest time window that enabled accurate load classification during a dynamic lifting task. Nine subjects performed thirty symmetrical lifts, split evenly across three weight conditions (no-weight, 10-lbs and 24-lbs), while low-back muscle activity data was collected. Seven descriptive statistics features were extracted from 100 ms windows of data. A multinomial logistic regression (MLR) classifier was trained and tested, employing leave-one subject out cross-validation, to classify lifted load values. Dimensionality reduction was achieved through feature cross-correlation analysis and greedy feedforward selection. The time of full load support by the subject was defined as load-onset. Regions of highest average classification accuracy started at 200 ms before until 200 ms after load-onset with average accuracies ranging from 80% (±10%) to 81% (±7%). The average recall for each class ranged from 69-92%. These inter-subject classification results indicate that preparatory muscle activity can be leveraged to identify the intent to lift a weight up to 100 ms prior to load-onset. The high accuracies shown indicate the potential to utilize intent classification for assistive device applications. Active assistive devices, e.g. exoskeletons, could prevent back injury by off-loading low-back muscles. Early intent classification allows more time for actuators to respond and integrate seamlessly with the user.

Two phase genetic algorithm for vehicle routing and scheduling problem with cross-docking and time windows considering customer satisfaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baniamerian, Ali; Bashiri, Mahdi; Zabihi, Fahime

2018-03-01

Cross-docking is a new warehousing policy in logistics which is widely used all over the world and attracts many researchers attention to study about in last decade. In the literature, economic aspects has been often studied, while one of the most significant factors for being successful in the competitive global market is improving quality of customer servicing and focusing on customer satisfaction. In this paper, we introduce a vehicle routing and scheduling problem with cross-docking and time windows in a three-echelon supply chain that considers customer satisfaction. A set of homogeneous vehicles collect products from suppliers and after consolidation process in the cross-dock, immediately deliver them to customers. A mixed integer linear programming model is presented for this problem to minimize transportation cost and early/tardy deliveries with scheduling of inbound and outbound vehicles to increase customer satisfaction. A two phase genetic algorithm (GA) is developed for the problem. For investigating the performance of the algorithm, it was compared with exact and lower bound solutions in small and large-size instances, respectively. Results show that there are at least 86.6% customer satisfaction by the proposed method, whereas customer satisfaction in the classical model is at most 33.3%. Numerical examples results show that the proposed two phase algorithm could achieve optimal solutions in small-size instances. Also in large-size instances, the proposed two phase algorithm could achieve better solutions with less gap from the lower bound in less computational time in comparison with the classic GA.

Trajectories and phenotypes with estrogen exposures across the lifespan: What does Goldilocks have to do with it?

PubMed Central

Koebele, Stephanie V.; Bimonte-Nelson, Heather A.

2015-01-01

Estrogens impact the organization and activation of the mammalian brain in both sexes, with sex-specific critical windows. Throughout the female lifespan estrogens activate brain substrates previously organized by estrogens, and estrogens can induce non-transient brain and behavior changes into adulthood. Therefore, from early life through the transition to reproductive senescence and beyond, estrogens are potent modulators of the brain and behavior. Organizational, reorganizational, and activational hormone events likely impact the trajectory of brain profiles during aging. A “brain profile,” or quantitative brain measurement for research purposes, is typically a snapshot in time, but in life a brain profile is anything but static – it is in flux, variable, and dynamic. Akin to this, the only thing continuous and consistent about hormone exposures across a female's lifespan is that they are noncontinuous and inconsistent, building and rebuilding on past exposures to create a present brain and behavioral landscape. Thus, hormone variation is especially rich in females, and is likely the destiny for maximal responsiveness in the female brain. The magnitude and direction of estrogenic effects on the brain and its functions depend on a myriad of factors; a “Goldilocks” phenomenon exists for estrogens, whereby if the timing, dose, and regimen for an individual are just right, markedly efficacious effects present. Data indicate that exogenously-administered estrogens can bestow beneficial cognitive effects in some circumstances, especially when initiated in a window of opportunity such as the menopause transition. Could it be that the age-related reduction in efficacy of estrogens reflects the closure of a late-in-life critical window occurring around the menopause transition? Information from classic and contemporary works studying organizational/activational estrogen actions, in combination with acknowledging the tendency for maximal responsiveness to cyclicity, will elucidate ways to extend sensitivity and efficacy into post-menopause. PMID:26122297

A Short and Distinct Time Window for Recovery of Arm Motor Control Early After Stroke Revealed With a Global Measure of Trajectory Kinematics.

PubMed

Cortes, Juan C; Goldsmith, Jeff; Harran, Michelle D; Xu, Jing; Kim, Nathan; Schambra, Heidi M; Luft, Andreas R; Celnik, Pablo; Krakauer, John W; Kitago, Tomoko

2017-06-01

Studies demonstrate that most arm motor recovery occurs within three months after stroke, when measured with standard clinical scales. Improvements on these measures, however, reflect a combination of recovery in motor control, increases in strength, and acquisition of compensatory strategies. To isolate and characterize the time course of recovery of arm motor control over the first year poststroke. Longitudinal study of 18 participants with acute ischemic stroke. Motor control was evaluated using a global kinematic measure derived from a 2-dimensional reaching task designed to minimize the need for antigravity strength and prevent compensation. Arm impairment was evaluated with the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the upper extremity (FMA-UE), activity limitation with the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), and strength with biceps dynamometry. Assessments were conducted at: 1.5, 5, 14, 27, and 54 weeks poststroke. Motor control in the paretic arm improved up to week 5, with no further improvement beyond this time point. In contrast, improvements in the FMA-UE, ARAT, and biceps dynamometry continued beyond 5 weeks, with a similar magnitude of improvement between weeks 5 and 54 as the one observed between weeks 1.5 and 5. Recovery after stroke plateaued much earlier for arm motor control, isolated with a global kinematic measure, compared to motor function assessed with clinical scales. This dissociation between the time courses of kinematic and clinical measures of recovery may be due to the contribution of strength improvement to the latter. Novel interventions, focused on the first month poststroke, will be required to exploit the narrower window of spontaneous recovery for motor control.

Implementing Audio-CASI on Windows’ Platforms

PubMed Central

Cooley, Philip C.; Turner, Charles F.

2011-01-01

Audio computer-assisted self interviewing (Audio-CASI) technologies have recently been shown to provide important and sometimes dramatic improvements in the quality of survey measurements. This is particularly true for measurements requiring respondents to divulge highly sensitive information such as their sexual, drug use, or other sensitive behaviors. However, DOS-based Audio-CASI systems that were designed and adopted in the early 1990s have important limitations. Most salient is the poor control they provide for manipulating the video presentation of survey questions. This article reports our experiences adapting Audio-CASI to Microsoft Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 platforms. Overall, our Windows-based system provided the desired control over video presentation and afforded other advantages including compatibility with a much wider array of audio devices than our DOS-based Audio-CASI technologies. These advantages came at the cost of increased system requirements --including the need for both more RAM and larger hard disks. While these costs will be an issue for organizations converting large inventories of PCS to Windows Audio-CASI today, this will not be a serious constraint for organizations and individuals with small inventories of machines to upgrade or those purchasing new machines today. PMID:22081743

USB Storage Device Forensics for Windows 10.

PubMed

Arshad, Ayesha; Iqbal, Waseem; Abbas, Haider

2018-05-01

Significantly increased use of USB devices due to their user-friendliness and large storage capacities poses various threats for many users/companies in terms of data theft that becomes easier due to their efficient mobility. Investigations for such data theft activities would require gathering critical digital information capable of recovering digital forensics artifacts like date, time, and device information. This research gathers three sets of registry and logs data: first, before insertion; second, during insertion; and the third, after removal of a USB device. These sets are analyzed to gather evidentiary information from Registry and Windows Event log that helps in tracking a USB device. This research furthers the prior research on earlier versions of Microsoft Windows and compares it with latest Windows 10 system. Comparison of Windows 8 and Windows 10 does not show much difference except for new subkey under USB Key in registry. However, comparison of Windows 7 with latest version indicates significant variances. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

How to select a proper early warning threshold to detect infectious disease outbreaks based on the China infectious disease automated alert and response system (CIDARS).

PubMed

Wang, Ruiping; Jiang, Yonggen; Michael, Engelgau; Zhao, Genming

2017-06-12

China Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) developed the China Infectious Disease Automated Alert and Response System (CIDARS) in 2005. The CIDARS was used to strengthen infectious disease surveillance and aid in the early warning of outbreak. The CIDARS has been integrated into the routine outbreak monitoring efforts of the CDC at all levels in China. Early warning threshold is crucial for outbreak detection in the CIDARS, but CDCs at all level are currently using thresholds recommended by the China CDC, and these recommended thresholds have recognized limitations. Our study therefore seeks to explore an operational method to select the proper early warning threshold according to the epidemic features of local infectious diseases. The data used in this study were extracted from the web-based Nationwide Notifiable Infectious Diseases Reporting Information System (NIDRIS), and data for infectious disease cases were organized by calendar week (1-52) and year (2009-2015) in Excel format; Px was calculated using a percentile-based moving window (moving window [5 week*5 year], x), where x represents one of 12 centiles (0.40, 0.45, 0.50….0.95). Outbreak signals for the 12 Px were calculated using the moving percentile method (MPM) based on data from the CIDARS. When the outbreak signals generated by the 'mean + 2SD' gold standard were in line with a Px generated outbreak signal for each week during the year of 2014, this Px was then defined as the proper threshold for the infectious disease. Finally, the performance of new selected thresholds for each infectious disease was evaluated by simulated outbreak signals based on 2015 data. Six infectious diseases were selected in this study (chickenpox, mumps, hand foot and mouth diseases (HFMD), scarlet fever, influenza and rubella). Proper thresholds for chickenpox (P75), mumps (P80), influenza (P75), rubella (P45), HFMD (P75), and scarlet fever (P80) were identified. The selected proper thresholds for these 6 infectious diseases could detect almost all simulated outbreaks within a shorter time period compared to thresholds recommended by the China CDC. It is beneficial to select the proper early warning threshold to detect infectious disease aberrations based on characteristics and epidemic features of local diseases in the CIDARS.

Determination of injection molding process windows for optical lenses using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Tsai, Kuo-Ming; Wang, He-Yi

2014-08-20

This study focuses on injection molding process window determination for obtaining optimal imaging optical properties, astigmatism, coma, and spherical aberration using plastic lenses. The Taguchi experimental method was first used to identify the optimized combination of parameters and significant factors affecting the imaging optical properties of the lens. Full factorial experiments were then implemented based on the significant factors to build the response surface models. The injection molding process windows for lenses with optimized optical properties were determined based on the surface models, and confirmation experiments were performed to verify their validity. The results indicated that the significant factors affecting the optical properties of lenses are mold temperature, melt temperature, and cooling time. According to experimental data for the significant factors, the oblique ovals for different optical properties on the injection molding process windows based on melt temperature and cooling time can be obtained using the curve fitting approach. The confirmation experiments revealed that the average errors for astigmatism, coma, and spherical aberration are 3.44%, 5.62%, and 5.69%, respectively. The results indicated that the process windows proposed are highly reliable.

The Use of Cryotherapy for Papilloma and Early Laryngeal Cancers: Long-term Results.

PubMed

Benninger, Michael S; Derakhshan, Adeeb; Milstein, Claudio F

2015-07-01

Retrospective chart review. To determine the efficacy of adjuvant cryotherapy in the treatment of early glottic cancer and laryngeal papillomatosis. The use of cryotherapy in conjunction with traditional modalities has recently been proposed to improve voice outcomes in patients with early laryngeal cancer as compared to pretreatment conditions. This study investigates its utility in improving oncological outcomes and decreasing recurrences of laryngeal papillomatosis. Patients with either early glottic cancer or laryngeal papillomatosis that received cryotherapy as part of their surgical regimen were investigated. All patients were seen at a large tertiary care center within a 10-year window. Demographic data were collected and all postoperative notes were reviewed. Recurrences of the laryngeal cancer were noted, as was the duration of time between successive papillomatosis operations. The charts of 54 glottic cancer and 29 papillomatosis patients that received cryotherapy were reviewed. One patient from the papillomatosis cohort was excluded from statistical analysis due to lack of follow-up. Overall, 16 (30%) of the laryngeal cancer patient experienced a malignant recurrence. The overall 5-year survival of these patients was 98% and the 5-year disease-free survival was 74%. The use of adjuvant cryotherapy in the treatment of laryngeal papillomatosis extended the duration of time between surgeries by an average of 79 days (P=.23). The use of adjuvant cryotherapy in the treatment of early glottic cancer does not improve the rate of carcinoma recurrences. Additionally, cryotherapy does not result in a statistically significant increase in the duration of disease-free period for laryngeal papillomatosis patients, although the observed increase may be clinically important. © The Author(s) 2015.

The windows of SETI - Frequency and time in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliver, Bernard M.

1987-01-01

Since interstellar travel is not economically possible on the time scale of a human lifetime, communication with extraterrestrials can be achieved only by sending some form of energy or matter across space; photons (electromagnetic waves) are best. Of particular interest to SETI is the region from about 1,000-60,000 MHz known as the free-space microwave window. During the course of NASA's Cyclops program, it was pointed out that the hydrogen and hydroxyl lines bounded a band in which there were no other known lines. The threatened loss of the microwave window to earth-based services is discussed.

Synchronization as a biological, psychological and social mechanism to create common time: A theoretical frame and a single case study.

PubMed

Bao, Yan; Pöppel, Ernst; Wang, Lingyan; Lin, Xiaoxiong; Yang, Taoxi; Avram, Mihai; Blautzik, Janusch; Paolini, Marco; Silveira, Sarita; Vedder, Aline; Zaytseva, Yuliya; Zhou, Bin

2015-12-01

Synchronizing neural processes, mental activities, and social interactions is considered to be fundamental for the creation of temporal order on the personal and interpersonal level. Several different types of synchronization are distinguished, and for each of them examples are given: self-organized synchronizations on the neural level giving rise to pre-semantically defined time windows of some tens of milliseconds and of approximately 3 s; time windows that are created by synchronizing different neural representations, as for instance in aesthetic appreciations or moral judgments; and synchronization of biological rhythms with geophysical cycles, like the circadian clock with the 24-hr rhythm of day and night. For the latter type of synchronization, an experiment is described that shows the importance of social interactions for sharing or avoiding common time. In a group study with four subjects being completely isolated together for 3 weeks from the external world, social interactions resulted both in intra- and interindividual circadian synchronization and desynchronization. A unique phenomenon in circadian regulation is described, the "beat phenomenon," which has been made visible by the interaction of two circadian rhythms with different frequencies in one body. The separation of the two physiological rhythms was the consequence of social interactions, that is, by the desire of a subject to share and to escape common time during different phases of the long-term experiment. The theoretical arguments on synchronization are summarized with the general statement: "Nothing in cognitive science makes sense except in the light of time windows." The hypothesis is forwarded that time windows that express discrete timing mechanisms in behavioral control and on the level of conscious experiences are the necessary bases to create cognitive order, and it is suggested that time windows are implemented by neural oscillations in different frequency domains. © 2015 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

VO2 thermochromic smart window for energy savings and generation

PubMed Central

Zhou, Jiadong; Gao, Yanfeng; Zhang, Zongtao; Luo, Hongjie; Cao, Chuanxiang; Chen, Zhang; Dai, Lei; Liu, Xinling

2013-01-01

The ability to achieve energy saving in architectures and optimal solar energy utilisation affects the sustainable development of the human race. Traditional smart windows and solar cells cannot be combined into one device for energy saving and electricity generation. A VO2 film can respond to the environmental temperature to intelligently regulate infrared transmittance while maintaining visible transparency, and can be applied as a thermochromic smart window. Herein, we report for the first time a novel VO2-based smart window that partially utilises light scattering to solar cells around the glass panel for electricity generation. This smart window combines energy-saving and generation in one device, and offers potential to intelligently regulate and utilise solar radiation in an efficient manner. PMID:24157625

VO₂ thermochromic smart window for energy savings and generation.

PubMed

Zhou, Jiadong; Gao, Yanfeng; Zhang, Zongtao; Luo, Hongjie; Cao, Chuanxiang; Chen, Zhang; Dai, Lei; Liu, Xinling

2013-10-24

The ability to achieve energy saving in architectures and optimal solar energy utilisation affects the sustainable development of the human race. Traditional smart windows and solar cells cannot be combined into one device for energy saving and electricity generation. A VO2 film can respond to the environmental temperature to intelligently regulate infrared transmittance while maintaining visible transparency, and can be applied as a thermochromic smart window. Herein, we report for the first time a novel VO2-based smart window that partially utilises light scattering to solar cells around the glass panel for electricity generation. This smart window combines energy-saving and generation in one device, and offers potential to intelligently regulate and utilise solar radiation in an efficient manner.

Optimal pulse design for communication-oriented slow-light pulse detection.

PubMed

Stenner, Michael D; Neifeld, Mark A

2008-01-21

We present techniques for designing pulses for linear slow-light delay systems which are optimal in the sense that they maximize the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and signal-to-noise-plus-interference ratio (SNIR) of the detected pulse energy. Given a communication model in which input pulses are created in a finite temporal window and output pulse energy in measured in a temporally-offset output window, the SNIR-optimal pulses achieve typical improvements of 10 dB compared to traditional pulse shapes for a given output window offset. Alternatively, for fixed SNR or SNIR, window offset (detection delay) can be increased by 0.3 times the window width. This approach also invites a communication-based model for delay and signal fidelity.

Inter-relationship between testicular dysgenesis and Leydig cell function in the masculinization programming window in the rat.

PubMed

van den Driesche, Sander; Kolovos, Petros; Platts, Sophie; Drake, Amanda J; Sharpe, Richard M

2012-01-01

The testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS) hypothesis proposes that maldevelopment of the testis, irrespective of cause, leads to malfunction of the somatic (Leydig, Sertoli) cells and consequent downstream TDS disorders. Studies in rats exposed in utero to di(n-butyl) phthalate (DBP) have strongly supported the TDS concept, but so far no direct evidence has been produced that links dysgenesis per se to somatic cell dysfunction, in particular to androgen production/action during the 'masculinization programming window' (MPW; e15.5-e18.5). Normal reproductive tract development and anogenital distance (AGD) are programmed within the MPW, and TDS disorders arise because of deficiencies in this programming. However, DBP-induced focal testicular dysgenesis (Leydig cell aggregation, ectopic Sertoli cells, malformed seminiferous cords) is not evident until after the MPW. Therefore, we used AGD as a read-out of androgen exposure in the MPW, and investigated if this measure was related to objectively quantified dysgenesis (Leydig cell aggregation) at e21.5 in male fetuses exposed to vehicle, DBP (500 or 750 mg/kg/day) or the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (Dex; alone or plus DBP-500) from e15.5-e18.5 (MPW), e13.5-e20.5 or e19.5-e20.5 (late window). Dysgenesis was found only in animals exposed to DBP during the MPW, and was negatively correlated (R² = -0.5) with AGD at e21.5 and at postnatal day 8, irrespective of treatment period. Dysgenesis was also negatively correlated (R² = -0.5) with intratesticular testosterone (ITT) at e21.5, but only when treatments in short windows (MPW, late window) were excluded; the same was true for correlation between AGD and ITT. We conclude that AGD, reflecting Leydig cell function solely within the MPW, is strongly related to focal dysgenesis. Our results point to this occurring because of a common early mechanism, targeted by DBP that determines both dysgenesis and early (during the MPW) fetal Leydig cell dysfunction. The findings provide strong validation of the TDS hypothesis.

Early applications of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) can stabilize the blood-optic-nerve barrier and ameliorate inflammation in a rat model of anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (rAION).

PubMed

Wen, Yao-Tseng; Huang, Tzu-Lun; Huang, Sung-Ping; Chang, Chung-Hsing; Tsai, Rong-Kung

2016-10-01

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was reported to have a neuroprotective effect in a rat model of anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (rAION model). However, the therapeutic window and anti-inflammatory effects of G-CSF in a rAION model have yet to be elucidated. Thus, this study aimed to determine the therapeutic window of G-CSF and investigate the mechanisms of G-CSF via regulation of optic nerve (ON) inflammation in a rAION model. Rats were treated with G-CSF on day 0, 1, 2 or 7 post-rAION induction for 5 consecutive days, and a control group were treated with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Visual function was assessed by flash visual evoked potentials at 4 weeks post-rAION induction. The survival rate and apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells were determined by FluoroGold labeling and TUNEL assay, respectively. ON inflammation was evaluated by staining of ED1 and Iba1, and ON vascular permeability was determined by Evans Blue extravasation. The type of macrophage polarization was evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The protein levels of TNF-α and IL-1β were analyzed by western blotting. A therapeutic window during which G-CSF could rescue visual function and retinal ganglion cell survival was demonstrated at day 0 and day 1 post-infarct. Macrophage infiltration was reduced by 3.1- and 1.6-fold by G-CSF treatment starting on day 0 and 1 post-rAION induction, respectively, compared with the PBS-treated group (P<0.05). This was compatible with 3.3- and 1.7-fold reductions in ON vascular permeability after G-CSF treatment compared with PBS treatment (P<0.05). Microglial activation was increased by 3.8- and 3.2-fold in the early (beginning treatment at day 0 or 1) G-CSF-treated group compared with the PBS-treated group (P<0.05). Immediate (within 30 mins of infarct) treatment with G-CSF also induced M2 microglia/macrophage activation. The cytokine levels were lower in the group that received immediate G-CSF treatment compared to those in the later G-CSF treatment group (P<0.05). Early treatment with G-CSF stabilized the blood-ON barrier to reduce macrophage infiltration and induced M2 microglia/macrophage polarization to decrease the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines in this rAION model. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: America's Largest Home Runs on Biodiesel in

Science.gov Websites

Coalition (Western North Carolina). Download QuickTime Video QuickTime (.mov) Download Windows Media Video Windows Media (.wmv) Video Download Help Text version See more videos provided by Clean Cities TV and Photo of a car Hydrogen Powers Fuel Cell Vehicles in California Nov. 18, 2017 Photo of a car Smart Car

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Rhode Island EV Initiative Adds Chargers

Science.gov Websites

Ocean State Clean Cities. Download QuickTime Video QuickTime (.mov) Download Windows Media Video Windows Media (.wmv) Video Download Help Text version See more videos provided by Clean Cities TV and Photo of a car Hydrogen Powers Fuel Cell Vehicles in California Nov. 18, 2017 Photo of a car Smart Car

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Worcester Regional Transit Authority Drives

Science.gov Websites

Clean Cities. Download QuickTime Video QuickTime (.mov) Download Windows Media Video Windows Media (.wmv ) Video Download Help Text version See more videos provided by Clean Cities TV and FuelEconomy.gov Fuel Cell Vehicles in California Nov. 18, 2017 Photo of a car Smart Car Shopping Nov. 4, 2017 Image of

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Propane Powers Airport Shuttles in New

Science.gov Websites

Clean Fuel Partnership. Download QuickTime Video QuickTime (.mov) Download Windows Media Video Windows Media (.wmv) Video Download Help Text version See more videos provided by Clean Cities TV and Vehicles in California Nov. 18, 2017 Photo of a car Smart Car Shopping Nov. 4, 2017 Photo of a truck

Automated variance reduction for MCNP using deterministic methods.

PubMed

Sweezy, J; Brown, F; Booth, T; Chiaramonte, J; Preeg, B

2005-01-01

In order to reduce the user's time and the computer time needed to solve deep penetration problems, an automated variance reduction capability has been developed for the MCNP Monte Carlo transport code. This new variance reduction capability developed for MCNP5 employs the PARTISN multigroup discrete ordinates code to generate mesh-based weight windows. The technique of using deterministic methods to generate importance maps has been widely used to increase the efficiency of deep penetration Monte Carlo calculations. The application of this method in MCNP uses the existing mesh-based weight window feature to translate the MCNP geometry into geometry suitable for PARTISN. The adjoint flux, which is calculated with PARTISN, is used to generate mesh-based weight windows for MCNP. Additionally, the MCNP source energy spectrum can be biased based on the adjoint energy spectrum at the source location. This method can also use angle-dependent weight windows.

Early diagnosis of orthopedic implant failure using macromolecular imaging agents.

PubMed

Ren, Ke; Dusad, Anand; Zhang, Yijia; Purdue, P Edward; Fehringer, Edward V; Garvin, Kevin L; Goldring, Steven R; Wang, Dong

2014-08-01

To develop and evaluate diagnostic tools for early detection of wear particle-induced orthopaedic implant loosening. N-(2-Hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer was tagged with a near infrared dye and used to detect the inflammation induced by polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particles in a murine peri-implant osteolysis model. It was established by inserting an implant into the distal femur and challenging with routine PMMA particles infusion. The osteolysis was evaluated by micro-CT and histological analysis at different time points. Significant peri-implant osteolysis was found 3-month post PMMA particle challenge by micro-CT and histological analysis. At 1-month post challenge, when there was no significant peri-implant bone loss, the HPMA copolymer-near infrared dye conjugate was found to specifically target the femur with PMMA particles deposition, but not the contralateral control femur with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) infusion. The results from this study demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing the macromolecular diagnostic agent to detect particle-induced peri-implant inflammation prior to the development of detectable osteolysis. Recognition of this early pathological event would provide the window of opportunity for prevention of peri-implant osteolysis and subsequent orthopaedic implant failure.

Investigational drugs in early development for treating dengue infection.

PubMed

Beesetti, Hemalatha; Khanna, Navin; Swaminathan, Sathyamangalam

2016-09-01

Dengue has emerged as the most significant arboviral disease of the current century. A drug for dengue is an urgent unmet need. As conventional drug discovery efforts have not produced any promising clinical candidates, there is a shift toward re-positioning pre-existing drugs for dengue to fast-track dengue drug development. This article provides an update on the current status of recently completed and ongoing dengue drug trials. All dengue drug trials described in this article were identified from a list of >230 trials that were returned upon searching the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform web portal using the search term 'dengue' on December 31(st), 2015. None of the handful of drugs tested so far has yielded encouraging results. Early trial experience has served to emphasize the challenge of drug testing in the short therapeutic time window available, the need for tools to predict 'high-risk' patients early on and the limitations of the existing pre-clinical model systems. Significant investment of efforts and resources is a must before the availability of a safe, effective and inexpensive dengue drug becomes a reality. Currently, supportive fluid therapy remains the only option available for dengue treatment.

ASTP (SA-210) Launch vehicle operational flight trajectory. Part 3: Final documentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, A. B.; Klug, G. W.; Williams, N. W.

1975-01-01

Trajectory data are presented for a nominal and two launch window trajectory simulations. These trajectories are designed to insert a manned Apollo spacecraft into a 150/167 km. (81/90 n. mi.) earth orbit inclined at 51.78 degrees for rendezvous with a Soyuz spacecraft, which will be orbiting at approximately 225 km. (121.5 n. mi.). The launch window allocation defined for this launch is 500 pounds of S-IVB stage propellant. The launch window opening trajectory simulation depicts the earliest launch time deviation from a planar flight launch which conforms to this constraint. The launch window closing trajectory simulation was developed for the more stringent Air Force Eastern Test Range (AFETR) flight azimuth restriction of 37.4 degrees east-of-north. These trajectories enclose a 12.09 minute launch window, pertinent features of which are provided in a tabulation. Planar flight data are included for mid-window reference.

Effects of the window openings on the micro-environmental condition in a school bus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Fei; Lee, Eon S.; Zhou, Bin; Liu, Junjie; Zhu, Yifang

2017-10-01

School bus is an important micro-environment for children's health because the level of in-cabin air pollution can increase due to its own exhaust in addition to on-road traffic emissions. However, it has been challenging to understand the in-cabin air quality that is associated with complex airflow patterns inside and outside a school bus. This study conducted Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling analyses to determine the effects of window openings on the self-pollution for a school bus. Infiltration through the window gaps is modeled by applying variable numbers of active computational cells as a function of the effective area ratio of the opening. The experimental data on ventilation rates from the literature was used to validate the model. Ultrafine particles (UFPs) and black carbon (BC) concentrations were monitored in ;real world; field campaigns using school buses. This modeling study examined the airflow pattern inside the school bus under four different types of side-window openings at 20, 40, and 60 mph (i.e., a total of 12 cases). We found that opening the driver's window could allow the infiltration of exhaust through window/door gaps in the back of school bus; whereas, opening windows in the middle of the school bus could mitigate this phenomenon. We also found that an increased driving speed (from 20 mph to 60 mph) could result in a higher ventilation rate (up to 3.4 times) and lower mean age of air (down to 0.29 time) inside the bus.

Effect of transmitter turn-off time on transient soundings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitterman, D.V.; Anderson, W.L.

1987-01-01

A general procedure for computing the effect of non-zero turn-off time on the transient electromagnetic response is presented which can be applied to forward and inverse calculation methods for any transmitter-receiver configuration. We consider in detail the case of a large transmitter loop which has a receiver coil located at the center of the loop (central induction or in-loop array). For a linear turn-off ramp of width t0, the voltage response is shown to be the voltage due to an ideal step turn-off averaged over windows of width t0. Thus the effect is similar to that obtained by using averaging windows in the receiver. In general when time zero is taken to be the end of the ramp, the apparent resistivity increases for a homogeneous half-space over a limited time range. For time zero taken to be the start of the ramp the apparent resistivity is affected in the opposite direction. The effect of the ramp increases with increasing t0 and first-layer resistivity, is largest during the intermediate stage, and decreases with increasing time. It is shown that for a ramp turn-off, there is no effect in the early and late stages. For two-layered models with a resistive first layer (??1>??2), the apparent resistivity is increased in the intermediate stage. When the first layer is more conductive than the second layer (??1

Still feeling it: the time course of emotional recovery from an attentional perspective

PubMed Central

Morriss, Jayne; Taylor, Alexander N. W.; Roesch, Etienne B.; van Reekum, Carien M.

2013-01-01

Emotional reactivity and the time taken to recover, particularly from negative, stressful, events, are inextricably linked, and both are crucial for maintaining well-being. It is unclear, however, to what extent emotional reactivity during stimulus onset predicts the time course of recovery after stimulus offset. To address this question, 25 participants viewed arousing (negative and positive) and neutral pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) followed by task-relevant face targets, which were to be gender categorized. Faces were presented early (400–1500 ms) or late (2400–3500 ms) after picture offset to capture the time course of recovery from emotional stimuli. Measures of reaction time (RT), as well as face-locked N170 and P3 components were taken as indicators of the impact of lingering emotion on attentional facilitation or interference. Electrophysiological effects revealed negative and positive images to facilitate face-target processing on the P3 component, regardless of temporal interval. At the individual level, increased reactivity to: (1) negative pictures, quantified as the IAPS picture-locked Late Positive Potential (LPP), predicted larger attentional interference on the face-locked P3 component to faces presented in the late time window after picture offset. (2) Positive pictures, denoted by the LPP, predicted larger facilitation on the face-locked P3 component to faces presented in the earlier time window after picture offset. These results suggest that subsequent processing is still impacted up to 3500 ms after the offset of negative pictures and 1500 ms after the offset of positive pictures for individuals reacting more strongly to these pictures, respectively. Such findings emphasize the importance of individual differences in reactivity when predicting the temporality of emotional recovery. The current experimental model provides a novel basis for future research aiming to identify profiles of adaptive and maladaptive recovery. PMID:23734116

Dynamic subcellular imaging of cancer cell mitosis in the brain of live mice.

PubMed

Momiyama, Masashi; Suetsugu, Atsushi; Kimura, Hiroaki; Chishima, Takashi; Bouvet, Michael; Endo, Itaru; Hoffman, Robert M

2013-04-01

The ability to visualize cancer cell mitosis and apoptosis in the brain in real time would be of great utility in testing novel therapies. In order to achieve this goal, the cancer cells were labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the nucleus and red fluorescent protein (RFP) in the cytoplasm, such that mitosis and apoptosis could be clearly imaged. A craniotomy open window was made in athymic nude mice for real-time fluorescence imaging of implanted cancer cells growing in the brain. The craniotomy window was reversibly closed with a skin flap. Mitosis of the individual cancer cells were imaged dynamically in real time through the craniotomy-open window. This model can be used to evaluate brain metastasis and brain cancer at the subcellular level.

[Event-related synchronization/desynhronization during processing of target, no target and unknown visually presented words].

PubMed

Rebreikina, A B; Larionova, E B; Varlamov, A A

2015-01-01

The aim of this investigation is to study neurophysiologic mechanisms of processing of relevant words and unknown words. Event-related synchronization/desynchronization during categorization of three types of stimuli (known targets, known no targets and unknown words) was examined. The main difference between known targets and unknown stimuli was revealed in the thetal and theta2 bands at the early stage after stimuli onset (150-300 ms) and in the delta band (400-700 ms). In the late time window at about 800-1500 ms thetal ERS in response to the target stimuli was smaller than to other stimuli, but theta2 and alpha ERD in response to the target stimuli was larger than to known nontarget words.

Spacecraft Design Considerations for Piloted Reentry and Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stroud, Kenneth J.; Klaus, David M.

2006-01-01

With the end of the Space Shuttle era anticipated in this decade and the requirements for the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) now being defined, an opportune window exists for incorporating 'lessons learned' from relevant aircraft and space flight experience into the early stages of designing the next generation of human spacecraft. This includes addressing not only the technological and overall mission challenges, but also taking into account the comprehensive effects that space flight has on the pilot, all of which must be balanced to ensure the safety of the crew. This manuscript presents a unique and timely overview of a multitude of competing, often unrelated, requirements and constraints governing spacecraft design that must be collectively considered in order to ensure the success of future space exploration missions.

Percutaneous window chamber method for chronic intravital microscopy of sensor-tissue interactions.

PubMed

Koschwanez, Heidi E; Klitzman, Bruce; Reichert, W Monty

2008-11-01

A dorsal, two-sided skin-fold window chamber model was employed previously by Gough in glucose sensor research to characterize poorly understood physiological factors affecting sensor performance. We have extended this work by developing a percutaneous one-sided window chamber model for the rodent dorsum that offers both a larger subcutaneous area and a less restrictive tissue space than previous animal models. A surgical procedure for implanting a sensor into the subcutis beneath an acrylic window (15 mm diameter) is presented. Methods to quantify changes in the microvascular network and red blood cell perfusion around the sensors using noninvasive intravital microscopy and laser Doppler flowmetry are described. The feasibility of combining interstitial glucose monitoring from an implanted sensor with intravital fluorescence microscopy was explored using a bolus injection of fluorescein and dextrose to observe real-time mass transport of a small molecule at the sensor-tissue interface. The percutaneous window chamber provides an excellent model for assessing the influence of different sensor modifications, such as surface morphologies, on neovascularization using real-time monitoring of the microvascular network and tissue perfusion. However, the tissue response to an implanted sensor was variable, and some sensors migrated entirely out of the field of view and could not be observed adequately. A percutaneous optical window provides direct, real-time images of the development and dynamics of microvascular networks, microvessel patency, and fibrotic encapsulation at the tissue-sensor interface. Additionally, observing microvessels following combined bolus injections of a fluorescent dye and glucose in the local sensor environment demonstrated a valuable technique to visualize mass transport at the sensor surface.

Towards component-based validation of GATE: aspects of the coincidence processor

PubMed Central

Moraes, Eder R.; Poon, Jonathan K.; Balakrishnan, Karthikayan; Wang, Wenli; Badawi, Ramsey D.

2014-01-01

GATE is public domain software widely used for Monte Carlo simulation in emission tomography. Validations of GATE have primarily been performed on a whole-system basis, leaving the possibility that errors in one sub-system may be offset by errors in others. We assess the accuracy of the GATE PET coincidence generation sub-system in isolation, focusing on the options most closely modeling the majority of commercially available scanners. Independent coincidence generators were coded by teams at Toshiba Medical Research Unit (TMRU) and UC Davis. A model similar to the Siemens mCT scanner was created in GATE. Annihilation photons interacting with the detectors were recorded. Coincidences were generated using GATE, TMRU and UC Davis code and results compared to “ground truth” obtained from the history of the photon interactions. GATE was tested twice, once with every qualified single event opening a time window and initiating a coincidence check (the “multiple window method”), and once where a time window is opened and a coincidence check initiated only by the first single event to occur after the end of the prior time window (the “single window method”). True, scattered and random coincidences were compared. Noise equivalent count rates were also computed and compared. The TMRU and UC Davis coincidence generators agree well with ground truth. With GATE, reasonable accuracy can be obtained if the single window method option is chosen and random coincidences are estimated without use of the delayed coincidence option. However in this GATE version, other parameter combinations can result in significant errors. PMID:25240897

Solving the chemical master equation using sliding windows

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The chemical master equation (CME) is a system of ordinary differential equations that describes the evolution of a network of chemical reactions as a stochastic process. Its solution yields the probability density vector of the system at each point in time. Solving the CME numerically is in many cases computationally expensive or even infeasible as the number of reachable states can be very large or infinite. We introduce the sliding window method, which computes an approximate solution of the CME by performing a sequence of local analysis steps. In each step, only a manageable subset of states is considered, representing a "window" into the state space. In subsequent steps, the window follows the direction in which the probability mass moves, until the time period of interest has elapsed. We construct the window based on a deterministic approximation of the future behavior of the system by estimating upper and lower bounds on the populations of the chemical species. Results In order to show the effectiveness of our approach, we apply it to several examples previously described in the literature. The experimental results show that the proposed method speeds up the analysis considerably, compared to a global analysis, while still providing high accuracy. Conclusions The sliding window method is a novel approach to address the performance problems of numerical algorithms for the solution of the chemical master equation. The method efficiently approximates the probability distributions at the time points of interest for a variety of chemically reacting systems, including systems for which no upper bound on the population sizes of the chemical species is known a priori. PMID:20377904

Social Origins of Developmental Risk for Mental and Physical Illness.

PubMed

Cameron, Judy L; Eagleson, Kathie L; Fox, Nathan A; Hensch, Takao K; Levitt, Pat

2017-11-08

Adversity in early childhood exerts an enduring impact on mental and physical health, academic achievement, lifetime productivity, and the probability of interfacing with the criminal justice system. More science is needed to understand how the brain is affected by early life stress (ELS), which produces excessive activation of stress response systems broadly throughout the child's body (toxic stress). Our research examines the importance of sex, timing and type of stress exposure, and critical periods for intervention in various brain systems across species. Neglect (the absence of sensitive and responsive caregiving) or disrupted interaction with offspring induces robust, lasting consequences in mice, monkeys, and humans. Complementary assessment of internalizing disorders and brain imaging in children suggests that early adversity can interfere with white matter development in key brain regions, which may increase risk for emotional difficulties in the long term. Neural circuits that are most plastic during ELS exposure in monkeys sustain the greatest change in gene expression, offering a mechanism whereby stress timing might lead to markedly different long-term behaviors. Rodent models reveal that disrupted maternal-infant interactions yield metabolic and behavioral outcomes often differing by sex. Moreover, ELS may further accelerate or delay critical periods of development, which reflect GABA circuit maturation, BDNF, and circadian Clock genes. Such factors are associated with several mental disorders and may contribute to a premature closure of plastic windows for intervention following ELS. Together, complementary cross-species studies are elucidating principles of adaptation to adversity in early childhood with molecular, cellular, and whole organism resolution. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/3710783-09$15.00/0.

Automatic Semantic Facilitation in Anterior Temporal Cortex Revealed through Multimodal Neuroimaging

PubMed Central

Gramfort, Alexandre; Hämäläinen, Matti S.; Kuperberg, Gina R.

2013-01-01

A core property of human semantic processing is the rapid, facilitatory influence of prior input on extracting the meaning of what comes next, even under conditions of minimal awareness. Previous work has shown a number of neurophysiological indices of this facilitation, but the mapping between time course and localization—critical for separating automatic semantic facilitation from other mechanisms—has thus far been unclear. In the current study, we used a multimodal imaging approach to isolate early, bottom-up effects of context on semantic memory, acquiring a combination of electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements in the same individuals with a masked semantic priming paradigm. Across techniques, the results provide a strikingly convergent picture of early automatic semantic facilitation. Event-related potentials demonstrated early sensitivity to semantic association between 300 and 500 ms; MEG localized the differential neural response within this time window to the left anterior temporal cortex, and fMRI localized the effect more precisely to the left anterior superior temporal gyrus, a region previously implicated in semantic associative processing. However, fMRI diverged from early EEG/MEG measures in revealing semantic enhancement effects within frontal and parietal regions, perhaps reflecting downstream attempts to consciously access the semantic features of the masked prime. Together, these results provide strong evidence that automatic associative semantic facilitation is realized as reduced activity within the left anterior superior temporal cortex between 300 and 500 ms after a word is presented, and emphasize the importance of multimodal neuroimaging approaches in distinguishing the contributions of multiple regions to semantic processing. PMID:24155321

Early Intravascular Events are Associated with Development of ARDS.

PubMed

Abdulnour, Raja-Elie E; Gunderson, Tina; Barkas, Ioanna; Timmons, Jack Y; Barnig, Cindy; Gong, Michelle; Kor, Daryl J; Gajic, Ognjen; Talmor, Daniel; Carter, Rickey E; Levy, Bruce D

2018-05-21

The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a devastating illness with limited therapeutic options. A better understanding of early biochemical and immunological events in ARDS could inform the development of new preventive and treatment strategies. To determine select peripheral blood lipid mediator and leukocyte responses in patients at-risk for ARDS. Patients at risk for ARDS were randomized as part of a multicenter, double-blind clinical trial of aspirin versus placebo (LIPS-A; NCT01504867). Plasma thromboxane B2 (TxB2), 15-epi-LXA4 (aspirin-triggered lipoxin A4, ATL), and peripheral blood leukocyte number and activation were determined upon enrollment and after treatment with either aspirin or placebo. Thirty-three of 367 subjects (9.0%) developed ARDS after randomization. Baseline ATL levels, total monocyte counts, intermediate monocyte (IntMo) counts, and Mo-PA were associated with the development of ARDS. Peripheral blood neutrophil count and monocyte-platelet aggregates significantly decreased over time. Of note, 9 subjects developed ARDS after randomization yet prior to study drug initiation, including 7 subjects assigned to aspirin treatment. Subjects without ARDS at the time of first dose demonstrated a lower incidence of ARDS with aspirin treatment. Compared with placebo, aspirin significantly decreased TxB2 and increased the ATL/TxB2 ratio. Biomarkers of intravascular monocyte activation in at-risk patients were associated with development of ARDS. The potential clinical benefit of early aspirin for prevention of ARDS remains uncertain. Together, results of the biochemical and immunological analyses provide a window into the early pathogenesis of human ARDS, and represent potential vascular biomarkers of ARDS risk.

Window-Based Channel Impulse Response Prediction for Time-Varying Ultra-Wideband Channels.

PubMed

Al-Samman, A M; Azmi, M H; Rahman, T A; Khan, I; Hindia, M N; Fattouh, A

2016-01-01

This work proposes channel impulse response (CIR) prediction for time-varying ultra-wideband (UWB) channels by exploiting the fast movement of channel taps within delay bins. Considering the sparsity of UWB channels, we introduce a window-based CIR (WB-CIR) to approximate the high temporal resolutions of UWB channels. A recursive least square (RLS) algorithm is adopted to predict the time evolution of the WB-CIR. For predicting the future WB-CIR tap of window wk, three RLS filter coefficients are computed from the observed WB-CIRs of the left wk-1, the current wk and the right wk+1 windows. The filter coefficient with the lowest RLS error is used to predict the future WB-CIR tap. To evaluate our proposed prediction method, UWB CIRs are collected through measurement campaigns in outdoor environments considering line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios. Under similar computational complexity, our proposed method provides an improvement in prediction errors of approximately 80% for LOS and 63% for NLOS scenarios compared with a conventional method.

Window-Based Channel Impulse Response Prediction for Time-Varying Ultra-Wideband Channels

PubMed Central

Al-Samman, A. M.; Azmi, M. H.; Rahman, T. A.; Khan, I.; Hindia, M. N.; Fattouh, A.

2016-01-01

This work proposes channel impulse response (CIR) prediction for time-varying ultra-wideband (UWB) channels by exploiting the fast movement of channel taps within delay bins. Considering the sparsity of UWB channels, we introduce a window-based CIR (WB-CIR) to approximate the high temporal resolutions of UWB channels. A recursive least square (RLS) algorithm is adopted to predict the time evolution of the WB-CIR. For predicting the future WB-CIR tap of window wk, three RLS filter coefficients are computed from the observed WB-CIRs of the left wk−1, the current wk and the right wk+1 windows. The filter coefficient with the lowest RLS error is used to predict the future WB-CIR tap. To evaluate our proposed prediction method, UWB CIRs are collected through measurement campaigns in outdoor environments considering line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios. Under similar computational complexity, our proposed method provides an improvement in prediction errors of approximately 80% for LOS and 63% for NLOS scenarios compared with a conventional method. PMID:27992445

Strategies of statistical windows in PET image reconstruction to improve the user’s real time experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moliner, L.; Correcher, C.; Gimenez-Alventosa, V.; Ilisie, V.; Alvarez, J.; Sanchez, S.; Rodríguez-Alvarez, M. J.

2017-11-01

Nowadays, with the increase of the computational power of modern computers together with the state-of-the-art reconstruction algorithms, it is possible to obtain Positron Emission Tomography (PET) images in practically real time. These facts open the door to new applications such as radio-pharmaceuticals tracking inside the body or the use of PET for image-guided procedures, such as biopsy interventions, among others. This work is a proof of concept that aims to improve the user experience with real time PET images. Fixed, incremental, overlapping, sliding and hybrid windows are the different statistical combinations of data blocks used to generate intermediate images in order to follow the path of the activity in the Field Of View (FOV). To evaluate these different combinations, a point source is placed in a dedicated breast PET device and moved along the FOV. These acquisitions are reconstructed according to the different statistical windows, resulting in a smoother transition of positions for the image reconstructions that use the sliding and hybrid window.

Time-resolved two-window measurement of Wigner functions for coherent backscatter from a turbid medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reil, Frank; Thomas, John E.

2002-05-01

For the first time we are able to observe the time-resolved Wigner function of enhanced backscatter from a random medium using a novel two-window technique. This technique enables us to directly verify the phase-conjugating properties of random media. An incident divergent beam displays a convergent enhanced backscatter cone. We measure the joint position and momentum (x, p) distributions of the light field as a function of propagation time in the medium. The two-window technique allows us to independently control the resolutions for position and momentum, thereby surpassing the uncertainty limit associated with Fourier transform pairs. By using a low-coherence light source in a heterodyne detection scheme, we observe enhanced backscattering resolved by path length in the random medium, providing information about the evolution of optical coherence as a function of penetration depth in the random medium.

Krikalev in front of flight deck windows

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-03-12

STS102-E-5139 (12 March 2001) --- Cosmonaut Sergei K. Krikalev, now a member of the STS-102 crew, prepares to use a camera on Discovery's flight deck. Krikalev, representing Rosaviakosmos, had been onboard the International Space Station (ISS) since early November 2000. The photograph was taken with a digital still camera.

Sex Differentiation as a Target of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in Early Life Stage Fathead Minnows (Pimephales promelas)

EPA Science Inventory

The occurrence of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in concentrated animal feed operation (CAFO) waste, and the potential effects of these chemicals on aquatic ecosystems have been of recent concern. There is evidence that exposure to EDCs during enhanced windows of sensitiv...

Analysis of oil-pipeline distribution of multiple products subject to delivery time-windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jittamai, Phongchai

This dissertation defines the operational problems of, and develops solution methodologies for, a distribution of multiple products into oil pipeline subject to delivery time-windows constraints. A multiple-product oil pipeline is a pipeline system composing of pipes, pumps, valves and storage facilities used to transport different types of liquids. Typically, products delivered by pipelines are petroleum of different grades moving either from production facilities to refineries or from refineries to distributors. Time-windows, which are generally used in logistics and scheduling areas, are incorporated in this study. The distribution of multiple products into oil pipeline subject to delivery time-windows is modeled as multicommodity network flow structure and mathematically formulated. The main focus of this dissertation is the investigation of operating issues and problem complexity of single-source pipeline problems and also providing solution methodology to compute input schedule that yields minimum total time violation from due delivery time-windows. The problem is proved to be NP-complete. The heuristic approach, a reversed-flow algorithm, is developed based on pipeline flow reversibility to compute input schedule for the pipeline problem. This algorithm is implemented in no longer than O(T·E) time. This dissertation also extends the study to examine some operating attributes and problem complexity of multiple-source pipelines. The multiple-source pipeline problem is also NP-complete. A heuristic algorithm modified from the one used in single-source pipeline problems is introduced. This algorithm can also be implemented in no longer than O(T·E) time. Computational results are presented for both methodologies on randomly generated problem sets. The computational experience indicates that reversed-flow algorithms provide good solutions in comparison with the optimal solutions. Only 25% of the problems tested were more than 30% greater than optimal values and approximately 40% of the tested problems were solved optimally by the algorithms.

Window Performance in Extreme Cold,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

outdoor temperatures ranging between -40 and 20*F Alaska that have undergone an extensive window re- as shown in Table 2. We made these observations in...good predictor of when We made icing and condensation observations over moisture or ice would occur on a window pane. the temperature spectrum shown...tions were made during the daytime, it was often likely sashes or frames, and 4) vapor-loose indoor sashes that ATIo at the time of observation would

Design and comparison of laser windows for high-power lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Yanxiong; Liu, Wenwen; Liu, Haixia; Wang, Caili; Niu, Haisha; Man, Da

2014-11-01

High-power laser systems are getting more and more widely used in industry and military affairs. It is necessary to develop a high-power laser system which can operate over long periods of time without appreciable degradation in performance. When a high-energy laser beam transmits through a laser window, it is possible that the permanent damage is caused to the window because of the energy absorption by window materials. So, when we design a high-power laser system, a suitable laser window material must be selected and the laser damage threshold of the window must be known. In this paper, a thermal analysis model of high-power laser window is established, and the relationship between the laser intensity and the thermal-stress field distribution is studied by deducing the formulas through utilizing the integral-transform method. The influence of window radius, thickness and laser intensity on the temperature and stress field distributions is analyzed. Then, the performance of K9 glass and the fused silica glass is compared, and the laser-induced damage mechanism is analyzed. Finally, the damage thresholds of laser windows are calculated. The results show that compared with K9 glass, the fused silica glass has a higher damage threshold due to its good thermodynamic properties. The presented theoretical analysis and simulation results are helpful for the design and selection of high-power laser windows.

Novel windowing technique realized in FPGA for radar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escamilla-Hernandez, E.; Kravchenko, V. F.; Ponomaryov, V. I.; Ikuo, Arai

2006-02-01

To improve the weak target detection ability in radar applications a pulse compression is usually used that in the case linear FM modulation can improve the SNR. One drawback in here is that it can add the range side-lobes in reflectivity measurements. Using weighting window processing in time domain it is possible to decrease significantly the side-lobe level (SLL) and resolve small or low power targets those are masked by powerful ones. There are usually used classical windows such as Hamming, Hanning, etc. in window processing. Additionally to classical ones in this paper we also use a novel class of windows based on atomic functions (AF) theory. For comparison of simulation and experimental results we applied the standard parameters, such as coefficient of amplification, maximum level of side-lobe, width of main lobe, etc. To implement the compression-windowing model on hardware level it has been employed FPGA. This work aims at demonstrating a reasonably flexible implementation of FM-linear signal, pulse compression and windowing employing FPGA's. Classical and novel AF window technique has been investigated to reduce the SLL taking into account the noise influence and increasing the detection ability of the small or weak targets in the imaging radar. Paper presents the experimental hardware results of windowing in pulse compression radar resolving several targets for rectangular, Hamming, Kaiser-Bessel, (see manuscript for formula) functions windows. The windows created by use the atomic functions offer sufficiently better decreasing of the SLL in case of noise presence and when we move away of the main lobe in comparison with classical windows.

The Timing of the Excitatory-to-Inhibitory GABA Switch Is Regulated by the Oxytocin Receptor via KCC2

PubMed Central

Leonzino, Marianna; Busnelli, Marta; Antonucci, Flavia; Verderio, Claudia; Mazzanti, Michele; Chini, Bice

2016-01-01

Summary Oxytocin and its receptor (Oxtr) play a crucial role in the postnatal transition of neuronal GABA neurotransmission from excitatory to inhibitory, a developmental process known as the GABA switch. Using hippocampal neurons from Oxtr-null mice, we show that (1) Oxtr is necessary for the correct timing of the GABA switch by upregulating activity of the chloride cotransporter KCC2, (2) Oxtr, in a very early and narrow time window, directly modulates the functional activity of KCC2 by promoting its phosphorylation and insertion/stabilization at the neuronal surface, and (3) in the absence of Oxtr, electrophysiological alterations are recorded in mature neurons, a finding consistent with a reduced level of KCC2 and increased susceptibility to seizures observed in adult Oxtr-null mice. These data identify KCC2 as a key target of oxytocin in postnatal events that may be linked to pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders. PMID:27052180

Different Neural Correlates of Emotion-Label Words and Emotion-Laden Words: An ERP Study.

PubMed

Zhang, Juan; Wu, Chenggang; Meng, Yaxuan; Yuan, Zhen

2017-01-01

It is well-documented that both emotion-label words (e.g., sadness, happiness) and emotion-laden words (e.g., death, wedding) can induce emotion activation. However, the neural correlates of emotion-label words and emotion-laden words recognition have not been examined. The present study aimed to compare the underlying neural responses when processing the two kinds of words by employing event-related potential (ERP) measurements. Fifteen Chinese native speakers were asked to perform a lexical decision task in which they should judge whether a two-character compound stimulus was a real word or not. Results showed that (1) emotion-label words and emotion-laden words elicited similar P100 at the posteriors sites, (2) larger N170 was found for emotion-label words than for emotion-laden words at the occipital sites on the right hemisphere, and (3) negative emotion-label words elicited larger Late Positivity Complex (LPC) on the right hemisphere than on the left hemisphere while such effect was not found for emotion-laden words and positive emotion-label words. The results indicate that emotion-label words and emotion-laden words elicit different cortical responses at both early (N170) and late (LPC) stages. In addition, right hemisphere advantage for emotion-label words over emotion-laden words can be observed in certain time windows (i.e., N170 and LPC) while fails to be detected in some other time window (i.e., P100). The implications of the current findings for future emotion research were discussed.

Brain Activity in Fairness Consideration during Asset Distribution: Does the Initial Ownership Play a Role?

PubMed Central

Wu, Yin; Hu, Jie; van Dijk, Eric; Leliveld, Marijke C.; Zhou, Xiaolin

2012-01-01

Previous behavioral studies have shown that initial ownership influences individuals’ fairness consideration and other-regarding behavior. However, it is not entirely clear whether initial ownership influences the brain activity when a recipient evaluates the fairness of asset distribution. In this study, we randomly assigned the bargaining property (monetary reward) to either the allocator or the recipient in the ultimatum game and let participants of the study, acting as recipients, receive either disadvantageous unequal, equal, or advantageous unequal offers from allocators while the event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. Behavioral results showed that participants were more likely to reject disadvantageous unequal and equal offers when they initially owned the property as compared to when they did not. The two types of unequal offers evoked more negative going ERPs (the MFN) than the equal offers in an early time window and the differences were not modulated by the initial ownership. In a late time window, however, the P300 responses to division schemes were affected not only by the type of unequal offers but also by whom the property was initially assigned to. These findings suggest that while the MFN may function as a general mechanism that evaluates whether the offer is consistent or inconsistent with the equity rule, the P300 is sensitive to top-down controlled processes, into which factors related to the allocation of attentional resources, including initial ownership and personal interests, come to play. PMID:22761850

Judo strategy. The competitive dynamics of Internet time.

PubMed

Yoffie, D B; Cusumano, M A

1999-01-01

Competition on the Internet is creating fierce battles between industry giants and small-scale start-ups. Smart start-ups can avoid those conflicts by moving quickly to uncontested ground and, when that's no longer possible, turning dominant players' strengths against them. The authors call this competitive approach judo strategy. They use the Netscape-Microsoft battles to illustrate the three main principles of judo strategy: rapid movement, flexibility, and leverage. In the early part of the browser wars, for instance, Netscape applied the principle of rapid movement by being the first company to offer a free stand-alone browser. This allowed Netscape to build market share fast and to set the market standard. Flexibility became a critical factor later in the browser wars. In December 1995, when Microsoft announced that it would "embrace and extend" competitors' Internet successes, Netscape failed to give way in the face of superior strength. Instead it squared off against Microsoft and even turned down numerous opportunities to craft deep partnerships with other companies. The result was that Netscape lost deal after deal when competing with Microsoft for common distribution channels. Netscape applied the principle of leverage by using Microsoft's strengths against it. Taking advantage of Microsoft's determination to convert the world to Windows or Windows NT, Netscape made its software compatible with existing UNIX systems. While it is true that these principles can't replace basic execution, say the authors, without speed, flexibility, and leverage, very few companies can compete successfully on Internet time.

climwin: An R Toolbox for Climate Window Analysis.

PubMed

Bailey, Liam D; van de Pol, Martijn

2016-01-01

When studying the impacts of climate change, there is a tendency to select climate data from a small set of arbitrary time periods or climate windows (e.g., spring temperature). However, these arbitrary windows may not encompass the strongest periods of climatic sensitivity and may lead to erroneous biological interpretations. Therefore, there is a need to consider a wider range of climate windows to better predict the impacts of future climate change. We introduce the R package climwin that provides a number of methods to test the effect of different climate windows on a chosen response variable and compare these windows to identify potential climate signals. climwin extracts the relevant data for each possible climate window and uses this data to fit a statistical model, the structure of which is chosen by the user. Models are then compared using an information criteria approach. This allows users to determine how well each window explains variation in the response variable and compare model support between windows. climwin also contains methods to detect type I and II errors, which are often a problem with this type of exploratory analysis. This article presents the statistical framework and technical details behind the climwin package and demonstrates the applicability of the method with a number of worked examples.

Quantitative correlational study of microbubble-enhanced ultrasound imaging and magnetic resonance imaging of glioma and early response to radiotherapy in a rat model.

PubMed

Yang, Chen; Lee, Dong-Hoon; Mangraviti, Antonella; Su, Lin; Zhang, Kai; Zhang, Yin; Zhang, Bin; Li, Wenxiao; Tyler, Betty; Wong, John; Wang, Ken Kang-Hsin; Velarde, Esteban; Zhou, Jinyuan; Ding, Kai

2015-08-01

Radiotherapy remains a major treatment method for malignant tumors. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the standard modality for assessing glioma treatment response in the clinic. Compared to MRI, ultrasound imaging is low-cost and portable and can be used during intraoperative procedures. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively compare contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging and MRI of irradiated gliomas in rats and to determine which quantitative ultrasound imaging parameters can be used for the assessment of early response to radiation in glioma. Thirteen nude rats with U87 glioma were used. A small thinned skull window preparation was performed to facilitate ultrasound imaging and mimic intraoperative procedures. Both CEUS and MRI with structural, functional, and molecular imaging parameters were performed at preradiation and at 1 day and 4 days postradiation. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the correlations between MRI and CEUS parameters and the changes between pre- and postradiation imaging. Area under the curve (AUC) in CEUS showed significant difference between preradiation and 4 days postradiation, along with four MRI parameters, T2, apparent diffusion coefficient, cerebral blood flow, and amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) (all p < 0.05). The APTw signal was correlated with three CEUS parameters, rise time (r = - 0.527, p < 0.05), time to peak (r = - 0.501, p < 0.05), and perfusion index (r = 458, p < 0.05). Cerebral blood flow was correlated with rise time (r = - 0.589, p < 0.01) and time to peak (r = - 0.543, p < 0.05). MRI can be used for the assessment of radiotherapy treatment response and CEUS with AUC as a new technique and can also be one of the assessment methods for early response to radiation in glioma.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Kentucky Charges Forward with All-Electric

Science.gov Websites

Partnership. Download QuickTime Video QuickTime (.mov) Download Windows Media Video Windows Media (.wmv) Video Fuel Cell Vehicles in California Nov. 18, 2017 Photo of a car Smart Car Shopping Nov. 4, 2017 Image of Photo of a truck Natural Gas Fuels School Buses and Refuse Trucks in Tulsa, Oklahoma Feb. 18, 2017 Photo

Study of wavefront error and polarization of a side mounted infrared window

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jiaguo; Li, Lin; Hu, Xinqi; Yu, Xin

2008-03-01

The wavefront error and polarization of a side mounted infrared window made of ZnS are studied. The Infrared windows suffer from temperature gradient and stress during their launch process. Generally, the gradient in temperature changes the refractive index of the material whereas stress produces deformation and birefringence. In this paper, a thermal finite element analysis (FEA) of an IR window is presented. For this purpose, we employed an FEA program Ansys to obtain the time-varying temperature field. The deformation and stress of the window are derived from a structural FEA with the aerodynamic force and the temperature field previously obtained as being the loads. The deformation, temperature field, stress field, ray tracing and Jones Calculus are used to calculate the wavefront error and the change of polarization state.

KSC-04PD-2099

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At the Space Station Processing Facility, a trailer delivers the Cupola, an element scheduled to be installed on the International Space Station in early 2009. It was shipped from Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy, for the European Space Agency. A dome-shaped module with seven windows, the Cupola will give astronauts a panoramic view for observing many operations on the outside of the orbiting complex. The view out of the Cupola windows will enhance an arm operator's situational awareness, supplementing television camera views and graphics. It will provide external observation capabilities during spacewalks, docking operations and hardware surveys and for Earth and celestial studies. The Cupola is the final element of the Space Station core.

Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Report: Development of Advanced Window Coatings

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

Bolton, Ladena A.; Alvine, Kyle J.; Schemer-Kohrn, Alan L.

2014-08-05

Advanced fenestration technologies for light and thermal management in building applications are of great recent research interest for improvements in energy efficiency. Of these technologies, there is specific interest in advanced window coating technologies that have tailored control over the visible and infrared (IR) scattering into a room for both static and dynamic applications. Recently, PNNL has investigated novel subwavelength nanostructured coatings for both daylighting, and IR thermal management applications. Such coatings rese still in the early stages and additional research is needed in terms of scalable manufacturing. This project investigates aspects of a potential new methodology for low-cost scalablemore » manufacture of said subwavelength coatings.« less

KSC-04PD-2100

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Inside the Space Station Processing Facility, the Cupola is uncrated. It was shipped from Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy, for the European Space Agency. The Cupola is an element scheduled to be installed on the International Space Station in early 2009. A dome-shaped module with seven windows, the Cupola will give astronauts a panoramic view for observing many operations on the outside of the orbiting complex. The view out of the Cupola windows will enhance an arm operator's situational awareness, supplementing television camera views and graphics. It will provide external observation capabilities during spacewalks, docking operations and hardware surveys and for Earth and celestial studies. The Cupola is the final element of the Space Station core.

KSC-04PD-2098

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. The Cupola, an element scheduled to be installed on the International Space Station in early 2009, arrives at KSC on the flatbed of a trailer. It was shipped from Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy, for the European Space Agency. A dome-shaped module with seven windows, the Cupola will give astronauts a panoramic view for observing many operations on the outside of the orbiting complex. The view out of the Cupola windows will enhance an arm operator's situational awareness, supplementing television camera views and graphics. It will provide external observation capabilities during spacewalks, docking operations and hardware surveys and for Earth and celestial studies. The Cupola is the final element of the Space Station core.

Real-time image sequence segmentation using curve evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jun; Liu, Weisong

2001-04-01

In this paper, we describe a novel approach to image sequence segmentation and its real-time implementation. This approach uses the 3D structure tensor to produce a more robust frame difference signal and uses curve evolution to extract whole objects. Our algorithm is implemented on a standard PC running the Windows operating system with video capture from a USB camera that is a standard Windows video capture device. Using the Windows standard video I/O functionalities, our segmentation software is highly portable and easy to maintain and upgrade. In its current implementation on a Pentium 400, the system can perform segmentation at 5 frames/sec with a frame resolution of 160 by 120.

Development of novel murine mammary imaging windows to examine wound healing effects on leukocyte trafficking in mammary tumors with intravital imaging

PubMed Central

Sobolik, Tammy; Su, Ying-Jun; Ashby, Will; Schaffer, David K.; Wells, Sam; Wikswo, John P.; Zijlstra, Andries; Richmond, Ann

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT We developed mammary imaging windows (MIWs) to evaluate leukocyte infiltration and cancer cell dissemination in mouse mammary tumors imaged by confocal microscopy. Previous techniques relied on surgical resection of a skin flap to image the tumor microenvironment restricting imaging time to a few hours. Utilization of mammary imaging windows offers extension of intravital imaging of the tumor microenvironment. We have characterized strengths and identified some previously undescribed potential weaknesses of MIW techniques. Through iterative enhancements of a transdermal portal we defined conditions for improved quality and extended confocal imaging time for imaging key cell-cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment. PMID:28243517

Development of novel murine mammary imaging windows to examine wound healing effects on leukocyte trafficking in mammary tumors with intravital imaging.

PubMed

Sobolik, Tammy; Su, Ying-Jun; Ashby, Will; Schaffer, David K; Wells, Sam; Wikswo, John P; Zijlstra, Andries; Richmond, Ann

2016-01-01

We developed mammary imaging windows (MIWs) to evaluate leukocyte infiltration and cancer cell dissemination in mouse mammary tumors imaged by confocal microscopy. Previous techniques relied on surgical resection of a skin flap to image the tumor microenvironment restricting imaging time to a few hours. Utilization of mammary imaging windows offers extension of intravital imaging of the tumor microenvironment. We have characterized strengths and identified some previously undescribed potential weaknesses of MIW techniques. Through iterative enhancements of a transdermal portal we defined conditions for improved quality and extended confocal imaging time for imaging key cell-cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment.

Early stage of weathering of medieval-like potash-lime model glass: evaluation of key factors.

PubMed

Gentaz, Lucile; Lombardo, Tiziana; Loisel, Claudine; Chabas, Anne; Vallotto, Marta

2011-02-01

Throughout history, a consequent part of the medieval stained glass windows have been lost, mostly because of deliberate or accidental mechanic destruction during war or revolution, but, in some cases, did not withstand the test of time simply because of their low durability. Indeed, the glasses that remain nowadays are for many in a poor state of conservation and are heavily deteriorated. Under general exposure conditions, stained glass windows undergo different kinds of weathering processes that modify their optical properties, chemistry, and structure: congruent dissolution, leaching, and particle deposition (the combination of those two leading together to the formation of neocrystallisations and eventually crusts). Previous research has studied the weathering forms and the mechanisms from which they are originated, some others identified the main environmental parameters responsible for the deterioration and highlighted that both intrinsic (glass composition) and extrinsic (environmental parameters) factors influence glass degradation. Nevertheless, a clear quantification of the impact of the different deterioration extrinsic factors has not been performed. By analysing the results obtained with model glass (durable and nondurable) exposed in the field, this paper proposes a simple mathematical computation evaluating the contribution of the different weathering factors for the early stages of exposure of the stained glasses. In the case of non durable glass, water runoff was identified as the main factor inducing the leaching (83.4 ± 2.6% contribution), followed by gas (6.4 ± 1.5%) and particle deposition (6.8 ± 2.2%) and adsorbed water (3.4 ± 0.6%). Moreover, it was shown that the extrinsic stimuli superimposes with the impact of glass composition to the weathering. Those results show that the role played by dry deposition, even if less important than that of the wet deposition, cannot be neglected.

Neural Patterns of the Implicit Association Test

PubMed Central

Healy, Graham F.; Boran, Lorraine; Smeaton, Alan F.

2015-01-01

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is a reaction time based categorization task that measures the differential associative strength between bipolar targets and evaluative attribute concepts as an approach to indexing implicit beliefs or biases. An open question exists as to what exactly the IAT measures, and here EEG (Electroencephalography) has been used to investigate the time course of ERPs (Event-related Potential) indices and implicated brain regions in the IAT. IAT-EEG research identifies a number of early (250–450 ms) negative ERPs indexing early-(pre-response) processing stages of the IAT. ERP activity in this time range is known to index processes related to cognitive control and semantic processing. A central focus of these efforts has been to use IAT-ERPs to delineate the implicit and explicit factors contributing to measured IAT effects. Increasing evidence indicates that cognitive control (and related top-down modulation of attention/perceptual processing) may be components in the effective measurement of IAT effects, as factors such as physical setting or task instruction can change an IAT measurement. In this study we further implicate the role of proactive cognitive control and top-down modulation of attention/perceptual processing in the IAT-EEG. We find statistically significant relationships between D-score (a reaction-time based measure of the IAT-effect) and early ERP-time windows, indicating where more rapid word categorizations driving the IAT effect are present, they are at least partly explainable by neural activity not significantly correlated with the IAT measurement itself. Using LORETA, we identify a number of brain regions driving these ERP-IAT relationships notably involving left-temporal, insular, cingulate, medial frontal and parietal cortex in time regions corresponding to the N2- and P3-related activity. The identified brain regions involved with reduced reaction times on congruent blocks coincide with those of previous studies. PMID:26635570

High-Temperature Optical Window Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roeloffs, Norman; Taranto, Nick

1995-01-01

A high-temperature optical window is essential to the optical diagnostics of high-temperature combustion rigs. Laser Doppler velocimetry, schlieren photography, light sheet visualization, and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy are a few of the tests that require optically clear access to the combustor flow stream. A design was developed for a high-temperature window that could withstand the severe environment of the NASA Lewis 3200 F Lean Premixed Prevaporized (LPP) Flame Tube Test Rig. The development of this design was both time consuming and costly. This report documents the design process and the lessons learned, in an effort to reduce the cost of developing future designs for high-temperature optical windows.

The energy radiated by the 26 December 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake estimated from 10-minute P-wave windows

USGS Publications Warehouse

Choy, G.L.; Boatwright, J.

2007-01-01

The rupture process of the Mw 9.1 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake lasted for approximately 500 sec, nearly twice as long as the teleseismic time windows between the P and PP arrival times generally used to compute radiated energy. In order to measure the P waves radiated by the entire earthquake, we analyze records that extend from the P-wave to the S-wave arrival times from stations at distances ?? >60??. These 8- to 10-min windows contain the PP, PPP, and ScP arrivals, along with other multiply reflected phases. To gauge the effect of including these additional phases, we form the spectral ratio of the source spectrum estimated from extended windows (between TP and TS) to the source spectrum estimated from normal windows (between TP and TPP). The extended windows are analyzed as though they contained only the P-pP-sP wave group. We analyze four smaller earthquakes that occurred in the vicinity of the Mw 9.1 mainshock, with similar depths and focal mechanisms. These smaller events range in magnitude from an Mw 6.0 aftershock of 9 January 2005 to the Mw 8.6 Nias earthquake that occurred to the south of the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake on 28 March 2005. We average the spectral ratios for these four events to obtain a frequency-dependent operator for the extended windows. We then correct the source spectrum estimated from the extended records of the 26 December 2004 mainshock to obtain a complete or corrected source spectrum for the entire rupture process (???600 sec) of the great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake. Our estimate of the total seismic energy radiated by this earthquake is 1.4 ?? 1017 J. When we compare the corrected source spectrum for the entire earthquake to the source spectrum from the first ???250 sec of the rupture process (obtained from normal teleseismic windows), we find that the mainshock radiated much more seismic energy in the first half of the rupture process than in the second half, especially over the period range from 3 sec to 40 sec.

Factors influencing the efficacy of round window dexamethasone protection of residual hearing post-cochlear implant surgery.

PubMed

Chang, Andrew; Eastwood, Hayden; Sly, David; James, David; Richardson, Rachael; O'Leary, Stephen

2009-09-01

To protect hearing in an experimental model of cochlear implantation by the application of dexamethasone to the round window prior to surgery. The present study examined the dosage and timing relationships required to optimise the hearing protection. Dexamethasone or saline (control) was absorbed into a pledget of the carboxymethylcellulose and hyaluronic acid and applied to the round window of the guinea pig prior to cochlear implantation. The treatment groups were 2% w/v dexamethasone for 30, 60 and 120min; 20% dexamethasone applied for 30min. Auditory sensitivity was determined pre-operatively, and at 1 week after surgery, with pure-tone auditory brainstem response audiometry (2-32kHz). Cochlear implantation was performed via a cochleostomy drilled into the basal turn of the cochlea, into which a miniature cochlear implant dummy electrode was inserted using soft-surgery techniques. ABR thresholds were elevated after cochlear implantation, maximally at 32kHz and to a lesser extent at lower frequencies. Thresholds were less elevated after dexamethasone treatment, and the hearing protection improved when 2% dexamethasone was applied to the round window for longer periods of time prior to implantation. The time that dexamethasone need be applied to achieve hearing protection could be reduced by increasing the concentration of steroid, with a 20% application for 30min achieving similar levels of protection to a 60min application of 2% dexamethasone. Hearing protection is improved by increasing the time that dexamethasone is applied to the round window prior to cochlear implantation, and the waiting time can be reduced by increasing the steroid concentration. These results suggest that the diffusion dexamethasone through the cochlea is the prime determinant of the extent of hearing protection.

High contrast near-infrared polarized reflectance images of demineralization on tooth buccal and occlusal surfaces at lambda = 1310-nm.

PubMed

Wu, J; Fried, D

2009-03-01

Sound enamel manifests peak transparency in the near-IR (NIR) at 1310-nm, therefore the near-IR is ideally suited for high contrast imaging of dental caries. The purpose of this study was to acquire images of early demineralized enamel on the buccal and occlusal surfaces of extracted human teeth using NIR reflectance imaging and compare the contrast of those images with the contrast of images taken using other methods. Fifteen human molars were used in this in vitro study. Teeth were painted with a clear acid-resistant varnish, leaving two 2 mm x 2 mm windows on the buccal and occlusal surfaces of each tooth for demineralization. Artificial lesions were produced in the exposed windows after a 2-day exposure to a demineralizing solution at pH 4.5. Lesions were imaged using NIR transillumination, NIR and visible light reflectance, and fluorescence imaging methods. Crossed polarizers were used where appropriate to improve contrast. Polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) was also used to non-destructively assess the depth and severity of demineralization in each sample window. NIR reflectance imaging had the highest image contrast for both the buccal and occlusal groups and it was significantly higher contrast than visible light reflectance (P < 0.05). The results of the study suggest that NIR reflectance imaging is a promising new method for acquiring high contrast images of early demineralization on tooth surfaces. Copyright 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Delay of cognitive gamma responses in Alzheimer's disease

PubMed Central

Başar, Erol; Emek-Savaş, Derya Durusu; Güntekin, Bahar; Yener, Görsev G.

2016-01-01

Event-related oscillations (EROs) reflect cognitive brain dynamics, while sensory-evoked oscillations (SEOs) reflect sensory activities. Previous reports from our lab have shown that those with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have decreased activity and/or coherence in delta, theta, alpha and beta cognitive responses. In the current study, we investigated gamma responses in visual SEO and ERO in 15 patients with AD and in 15 age-, gender- and education-matched healthy controls. The following parameters were analyzed over the parietal-occipital regions in both groups: (i) latency of the maximum gamma response over a 0–800 ms time window; (ii) the maximum peak-to-peak amplitudes for each participant's averaged SEO and ERO gamma responses in 3 frequency ranges (25–30, 30–35, 40–48 Hz); and (iii) the maximum peak-to-peak amplitudes for each participant's averaged SEO and ERO gamma responses over a 0–800 ms time block containing four divided time windows (0–200, 200–400, 400–600, and 600–800 ms). There were main group effects in terms of both latency and peak-to-peak amplitudes of gamma ERO. However, peak-to-peak gamma ERO amplitude differences became noticeable only when the time block was divided into four time windows. SEO amplitudes in the 25–30 Hz frequency range of the 0–200 ms time window over the left hemisphere were greater in the healthy controls than in those with AD. Gamma target ERO latency was delayed up to 138 ms in AD patients when compared to healthy controls. This finding may be an effect of lagged neural signaling in cognitive circuits, which is reflected by the delayed gamma responses in those with AD. Based on the results of this study, we propose that gamma responses should be examined in a more detailed fashion using multiple frequency and time windows. PMID:26937378

Therapeutic time window and underlying therapeutic mechanism of breviscapine injection against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.

PubMed

Guo, Chao; Zhu, Yanrong; Weng, Yan; Wang, Shiquan; Guan, Yue; Wei, Guo; Yin, Ying; Xi, Miaomaio; Wen, Aidong

2014-01-01

Breviscapine injection is a Chinese herbal medicine standardized product extracted from Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand.-Mazz. It has been widely used for treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, the therapeutic time window and the action mechanism of breviscapine are still unclear. The present study was designed to investigate the therapeutic time window and underlying therapeutic mechanism of breviscapine injection against cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion for 2h followed by 24h of reperfusion. Experiment part 1 was used to investigate the therapeutic time window of breviscapine. Rats were injected intravenously with 50mg/kg breviscapine at different time-points of reperfusion. After 24h of reperfusion, neurologic score, infarct volume, brain water content and serum level of neuron specific enolase (NSE) were measured in a masked fashion. Part 2 was used to explore the therapeutic mechanism of breviscapine. 4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), 8-hydroxyl-2'- deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and the antioxidant capacity of ischemia cortex were measured by ELISA and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, respectively. Immunofluorescence and western blot analysis were used to analyze the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Part 1: breviscapine injection significantly ameliorated neurologic deficit, reduced infarct volume and water content, and suppressed the levels of NSE in a time-dependent manner. Part 2: breviscapine inhibited the increased levels of 4-HNE and 8-OHdG, and enhanced the antioxidant capacity of cortex tissue. Moreover, breviscapine obviously raised the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins after 24h of reperfusion. The therapeutic time window of breviscapine injection for cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury seemed to be within 5h after reperfusion. By up-regulating the expression of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway might be involved in the therapeutic mechanism of breviscapine injection. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic Aberration Correction for Conformal Window of High-Speed Aircraft Using Optimized Model-Based Wavefront Sensorless Adaptive Optics.

PubMed

Dong, Bing; Li, Yan; Han, Xin-Li; Hu, Bin

2016-09-02

For high-speed aircraft, a conformal window is used to optimize the aerodynamic performance. However, the local shape of the conformal window leads to large amounts of dynamic aberrations varying with look angle. In this paper, deformable mirror (DM) and model-based wavefront sensorless adaptive optics (WSLAO) are used for dynamic aberration correction of an infrared remote sensor equipped with a conformal window and scanning mirror. In model-based WSLAO, aberration is captured using Lukosz mode, and we use the low spatial frequency content of the image spectral density as the metric function. Simulations show that aberrations induced by the conformal window are dominated by some low-order Lukosz modes. To optimize the dynamic correction, we can only correct dominant Lukosz modes and the image size can be minimized to reduce the time required to compute the metric function. In our experiment, a 37-channel DM is used to mimic the dynamic aberration of conformal window with scanning rate of 10 degrees per second. A 52-channel DM is used for correction. For a 128 × 128 image, the mean value of image sharpness during dynamic correction is 1.436 × 10(-5) in optimized correction and is 1.427 × 10(-5) in un-optimized correction. We also demonstrated that model-based WSLAO can achieve convergence two times faster than traditional stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) method.

Beyond the Time Window of Intravenous Thrombolysis: Standing by or by Stenting?

PubMed Central

Liu, Xinfeng

2012-01-01

Intravenous administration of tissue plasminogen activator within 4.5 h of symptom onset is presently the ‘golden rule’ for treating acute ischemic stroke. However, many patients miss the time window and others reject this treatment due to a long list of contraindications. Mechanical embolectomy has recently progressed as a potential alternative for treating patients beyond the time window for IV thrombolysis. In this paper, recent progress in mechanical embolectomy, angioplasty, and stenting in acute stroke is reviewed. Despite worries concerning the long-term clinical outcomes and increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage, favorable clinical outcomes may be achieved after mechanical embolectomy in carefully selected patients even 4.5 h after stroke onset. Potential steps should be prepared and attempted in these patients whose opportunity for recovery will elapse in a flash. PMID:25187761

Hardware Implementation of a Bilateral Subtraction Filter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huertas, Andres; Watson, Robert; Villalpando, Carlos; Goldberg, Steven

2009-01-01

A bilateral subtraction filter has been implemented as a hardware module in the form of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). In general, a bilateral subtraction filter is a key subsystem of a high-quality stereoscopic machine vision system that utilizes images that are large and/or dense. Bilateral subtraction filters have been implemented in software on general-purpose computers, but the processing speeds attainable in this way even on computers containing the fastest processors are insufficient for real-time applications. The present FPGA bilateral subtraction filter is intended to accelerate processing to real-time speed and to be a prototype of a link in a stereoscopic-machine- vision processing chain, now under development, that would process large and/or dense images in real time and would be implemented in an FPGA. In terms that are necessarily oversimplified for the sake of brevity, a bilateral subtraction filter is a smoothing, edge-preserving filter for suppressing low-frequency noise. The filter operation amounts to replacing the value for each pixel with a weighted average of the values of that pixel and the neighboring pixels in a predefined neighborhood or window (e.g., a 9 9 window). The filter weights depend partly on pixel values and partly on the window size. The present FPGA implementation of a bilateral subtraction filter utilizes a 9 9 window. This implementation was designed to take advantage of the ability to do many of the component computations in parallel pipelines to enable processing of image data at the rate at which they are generated. The filter can be considered to be divided into the following parts (see figure): a) An image pixel pipeline with a 9 9- pixel window generator, b) An array of processing elements; c) An adder tree; d) A smoothing-and-delaying unit; and e) A subtraction unit. After each 9 9 window is created, the affected pixel data are fed to the processing elements. Each processing element is fed the pixel value for its position in the window as well as the pixel value for the central pixel of the window. The absolute difference between these two pixel values is calculated and used as an address in a lookup table. Each processing element has a lookup table, unique for its position in the window, containing the weight coefficients for the Gaussian function for that position. The pixel value is multiplied by the weight, and the outputs of the processing element are the weight and pixel-value weight product. The products and weights are fed to the adder tree. The sum of the products and the sum of the weights are fed to the divider, which computes the sum of products the sum of weights. The output of the divider is denoted the bilateral smoothed image. The smoothing function is a simple weighted average computed over a 3 3 subwindow centered in the 9 9 window. After smoothing, the image is delayed by an additional amount of time needed to match the processing time for computing the bilateral smoothed image. The bilateral smoothed image is then subtracted from the 3 3 smoothed image to produce the final output. The prototype filter as implemented in a commercially available FPGA processes one pixel per clock cycle. Operation at a clock speed of 66 MHz has been demonstrated, and results of a static timing analysis have been interpreted as suggesting that the clock speed could be increased to as much as 100 MHz.

Frequency of open windows in motor vehicles under varying temperature conditions: a videotape survey in Central North Carolina during 2001.

PubMed

Long, Tom; Johnson, Ted; Ollison, Will

2004-07-01

Air pollution exposures in the motor vehicle cabin are significantly affected by air exchange rate, a function of vehicle speed, window position, vent status, fan speed, and air conditioning use. A pilot study conducted in Houston, Texas, during September 2000 demonstrated that useful information concerning the position of windows, sunroofs, and convertible tops as a function of temperature and vehicle speed could be obtained through the use of video recorders. To obtain similar data representing a wide range of temperature and traffic conditions, a follow-up study was conducted in and around Chapel Hill, North Carolina at five sites representing a central business district, an arterial road, a low-income commercial district, an interstate highway, and a rural road. Each site permitted an elevated view of vehicles as they proceeded through a turn, thereby exposing all windows to the stationary camcorder. A total of 32 videotaping sessions were conducted between February and October 2001, in which temperature varied from 41 degrees F to 93 degrees F and average vehicle speed varied from 21 to 77 mph. The resulting video tapes were processed to create a vehicle-specific database that included site location, date, time, vehicle type, vehicle color, vehicle age, window configuration, number of windows in each of three position categories (fully open, partially open, and closed), meteorological factors, and vehicle speed. Of the 4715 vehicles included in the database, 1905 (40.4%) were labeled as "open," indicating a window, sunroof, or convertible top was fully or partially open. Stepwise linear regression analyses indicated that "open" window status was affected by wind speed, relative humidity, vehicle speed, cloud cover, apparent temperature, day of week, time of day, vehicle type, vehicle age, vehicle color, number of windows, sunroofs, location, and air quality season. Open windows tended to occur less frequently when relative humidity was high, apparent temperature (a parameter incorporating wind chill and heat index) was below 50 degrees F, or the vehicle was relatively new. Although the effects of the identified parameters were relatively weak, they are statistically significant and should be considered by researchers attempting to model vehicle air exchange rates.

Activity Recognition on Streaming Sensor Data.

PubMed

Krishnan, Narayanan C; Cook, Diane J

2014-02-01

Many real-world applications that focus on addressing needs of a human, require information about the activities being performed by the human in real-time. While advances in pervasive computing have lead to the development of wireless and non-intrusive sensors that can capture the necessary activity information, current activity recognition approaches have so far experimented on either a scripted or pre-segmented sequence of sensor events related to activities. In this paper we propose and evaluate a sliding window based approach to perform activity recognition in an on line or streaming fashion; recognizing activities as and when new sensor events are recorded. To account for the fact that different activities can be best characterized by different window lengths of sensor events, we incorporate the time decay and mutual information based weighting of sensor events within a window. Additional contextual information in the form of the previous activity and the activity of the previous window is also appended to the feature describing a sensor window. The experiments conducted to evaluate these techniques on real-world smart home datasets suggests that combining mutual information based weighting of sensor events and adding past contextual information into the feature leads to best performance for streaming activity recognition.

WINCADRE INORGANIC (WINDOWS COMPUTER-AIDED DATA REVIEW AND EVALUATION)

EPA Science Inventory

WinCADRE (Computer-Aided Data Review and Evaluation) is a Windows -based program designed for computer-assisted data validation. WinCADRE is a powerful tool which significantly decreases data validation turnaround time. The electronic-data-deliverable format has been designed in...

14 CFR 1214.117 - Launch and orbit parameters for a standard launch.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) Launch at a time, selected by NASA, from a launch window of not less than 1 hour (a more restrictive launch window may be provided as an optional service). (b) For shared flights from KSC to the standard...

Multispectral near-IR reflectance imaging of simulated early occlusal lesions: Variation of lesion contrast with lesion depth and severity

PubMed Central

Simon, Jacob C.; Chan, Kenneth H.; Darling, Cynthia L.; Fried, Daniel

2014-01-01

Background and Objectives Early demineralization appears with high contrast at near-IR wavelengths due to a ten to twenty fold difference in the magnitude of light scattering between sound and demineralized enamel. Water absorption in the near-IR has a significant effect on the lesion contrast and the highest contrast has been measured in spectral regions with higher water absorption. The purpose of this study was to determine how the lesion contrast changes with lesion severity and depth for different spectral regions in the near-IR and compare that range of contrast with visible reflectance and fluorescence. Materials and Methods Forty-four human molars were used in this in vitro study. Teeth were painted with an acid-resistant varnish, leaving a 4×4 mm window on the occlusal surface of each tooth exposed for demineralization. Artificial lesions were produced in the unprotected windows after 12–48 hr exposure to a demineralizing solution at pH-4.5. Near-IR reflectance images were acquired over several near-IR spectral distributions, visible light reflectance, and fluorescence with 405-nm excitation and detection at wavelengths greater than 500-nm. Crossed polarizers were used for reflectance measurements to reduce interference from specular reflectance. Cross polarization optical coherence tomography (CP-OCT) was used to non-destructively assess the depth and severity of demineralization in each sample window. Matching two dimensional CP-OCT images of the lesion depth and integrated reflectivity were compared with the reflectance and fluorescence images to determine how accurately the variation in the lesion contrast represents the variation in the lesion severity. Results Artificial lesions appear more uniform on tooth surfaces exposed to an acid challenge at visible wavelengths than they do in the near-IR. Measurements of the lesion depth and severity using CP-OCT show that the lesion severity varies markedly across the sample windows and that the lesion contrast in the visible does not accurately reflect the large variation in the lesion severity. Reflectance measurements at certain near-IR wavelengths more accurately reflect variation in the depth and severity of the lesions. Conclusion The results of the study suggest that near-IR reflectance measurements at longer wavelengths coincident with higher water absorption are better suited for imaging early caries lesions. PMID:24375543

Early-time radiation flux symmetry optimization and its effect on gas-filled hohlraum ignition targets on the National Ignition Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milovich, J. L.; Dewald, E. L.; Pak, A.; Michel, P.; Town, R. P. J.; Bradley, D. K.; Landen, O.; Edwards, M. J.

2016-03-01

Achieving ignition on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is tied to our ability to control and minimize deviations from sphericity of the capsule implosion. Low-mode asymmetries of the hot spot result from the combined effect of radiation drive asymmetries throughout the laser pulse and initial roughness on the capsule surface. In this paper, we report on simulations and experiments designed to assess, measure, and correct the drive asymmetries produced by the early-time (≈first 2 ns or "picket") period of the laser pulse. The drive asymmetry during the picket is commonly thought to introduce distortions in the hot-spot shape at ignition time. However, a more subtle effect not previously considered is that it also leads to an asymmetry in shock velocity and timing, thereby increasing the fuel adiabat and reducing the margin for ignition. It is shown via hydrodynamic simulations that minimizing this effect requires that the early-time asymmetry be kept below 7.5% in the second Legendre mode (P2), thus keeping the loss of performance margin below ≈10% for a layered implosion. Asymmetries during the picket of the laser pulse are measured using the instantaneous self-emission of a high-Z re-emission sphere in place of an ignition capsule in a hohlraum with large azimuthal diagnostic windows. Three dimensional simulations using the code HYDRA (to capture the effect of non-azimuthal hohlraum features) coupled to a cross-beam energy transfer model [Michel et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056305 (2010)] are used to establish the surrogacy of the re-emit target and to assess the early-time drive symmetry. Calculations using this model exhibit the same sensitivity to variations in the relative input powers between the different cones of NIF beams as measured for the "Rev5" CH target [Haan et al., Phys Plasmas 18, 051001 (2011)] and reported by Dewald et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 235001 (2013)]. The same methodology applied to recently improved implosions using different hohlraum geometries and picket powers show good agreement with experimental data.

Early-time radiation flux symmetry optimization and its effect on gas-filled hohlraum ignition targets on the National Ignition Facility

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

Milovich, J. L., E-mail: milovich1@llnl.gov; Dewald, E. L.; Pak, A.

2016-03-15

Achieving ignition on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is tied to our ability to control and minimize deviations from sphericity of the capsule implosion. Low-mode asymmetries of the hot spot result from the combined effect of radiation drive asymmetries throughout the laser pulse and initial roughness on the capsule surface. In this paper, we report on simulations and experiments designed to assess, measure, and correct the drive asymmetries produced by the early-time (≈first 2 ns or “picket”) period of the laser pulse. The drive asymmetry during the picket is commonly thought to introduce distortions in the hot-spot shape at ignition time.more » However, a more subtle effect not previously considered is that it also leads to an asymmetry in shock velocity and timing, thereby increasing the fuel adiabat and reducing the margin for ignition. It is shown via hydrodynamic simulations that minimizing this effect requires that the early-time asymmetry be kept below 7.5% in the second Legendre mode (P{sub 2}), thus keeping the loss of performance margin below ≈10% for a layered implosion. Asymmetries during the picket of the laser pulse are measured using the instantaneous self-emission of a high-Z re-emission sphere in place of an ignition capsule in a hohlraum with large azimuthal diagnostic windows. Three dimensional simulations using the code HYDRA (to capture the effect of non-azimuthal hohlraum features) coupled to a cross-beam energy transfer model [Michel et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056305 (2010)] are used to establish the surrogacy of the re-emit target and to assess the early-time drive symmetry. Calculations using this model exhibit the same sensitivity to variations in the relative input powers between the different cones of NIF beams as measured for the “Rev5” CH target [Haan et al., Phys Plasmas 18, 051001 (2011)] and reported by Dewald et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 235001 (2013)]. The same methodology applied to recently improved implosions using different hohlraum geometries and picket powers show good agreement with experimental data.« less

Robust sliding-window reconstruction for Accelerating the acquisition of MR fingerprinting.

PubMed

Cao, Xiaozhi; Liao, Congyu; Wang, Zhixing; Chen, Ying; Ye, Huihui; He, Hongjian; Zhong, Jianhui

2017-10-01

To develop a method for accelerated and robust MR fingerprinting (MRF) with improved image reconstruction and parameter matching processes. A sliding-window (SW) strategy was applied to MRF, in which signal and dictionary matching was conducted between fingerprints consisting of mixed-contrast image series reconstructed from consecutive data frames segmented by a sliding window, and a precalculated mixed-contrast dictionary. The effectiveness and performance of this new method, dubbed SW-MRF, was evaluated in both phantom and in vivo. Error quantifications were conducted on results obtained with various settings of SW reconstruction parameters. Compared with the original MRF strategy, the results of both phantom and in vivo experiments demonstrate that the proposed SW-MRF strategy either provided similar accuracy with reduced acquisition time, or improved accuracy with equal acquisition time. Parametric maps of T 1 , T 2 , and proton density of comparable quality could be achieved with a two-fold or more reduction in acquisition time. The effect of sliding-window width on dictionary sensitivity was also estimated. The novel SW-MRF recovers high quality image frames from highly undersampled MRF data, which enables more robust dictionary matching with reduced numbers of data frames. This time efficiency may facilitate MRF applications in time-critical clinical settings. Magn Reson Med 78:1579-1588, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Towards component-based validation of GATE: aspects of the coincidence processor.

PubMed

Moraes, Eder R; Poon, Jonathan K; Balakrishnan, Karthikayan; Wang, Wenli; Badawi, Ramsey D

2015-02-01

GATE is public domain software widely used for Monte Carlo simulation in emission tomography. Validations of GATE have primarily been performed on a whole-system basis, leaving the possibility that errors in one sub-system may be offset by errors in others. We assess the accuracy of the GATE PET coincidence generation sub-system in isolation, focusing on the options most closely modeling the majority of commercially available scanners. Independent coincidence generators were coded by teams at Toshiba Medical Research Unit (TMRU) and UC Davis. A model similar to the Siemens mCT scanner was created in GATE. Annihilation photons interacting with the detectors were recorded. Coincidences were generated using GATE, TMRU and UC Davis code and results compared to "ground truth" obtained from the history of the photon interactions. GATE was tested twice, once with every qualified single event opening a time window and initiating a coincidence check (the "multiple window method"), and once where a time window is opened and a coincidence check initiated only by the first single event to occur after the end of the prior time window (the "single window method"). True, scattered and random coincidences were compared. Noise equivalent count rates were also computed and compared. The TMRU and UC Davis coincidence generators agree well with ground truth. With GATE, reasonable accuracy can be obtained if the single window method option is chosen and random coincidences are estimated without use of the delayed coincidence option. However in this GATE version, other parameter combinations can result in significant errors. Copyright © 2014 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Severe malformations of eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) fry are induced by maternal estrogenic exposure during early embryogenesis.

PubMed

Morthorst, Jane E; Korsgaard, Bodil; Bjerregaard, Poul

2016-02-01

Pregnant eelpout were exposed via the water to known endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) to clarify if EDCs could be causing the increased eelpout fry malformation frequencies observed in coastal areas receiving high anthropogenic input. The presence of a teratogenic window for estrogen-induced malformations was also investigated by starting the exposure at different times during eelpout pregnancy. Both 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) (17.8 ng/L) and pyrene (0.5 μg/L) significantly increased fry malformation frequency whereas 4-t-octylphenol (4-t-OP) up to 14.3 μg/L did not. Vitellogenin was significantly induced by EE2 (5.7 and 17.8 ng/L) but not by 4-t-OP and pyrene. A critical period for estrogen-induced fry malformations was identified and closed between 14 and 22 days post fertilization (dpf). Exposure to 17β-estradiol (E2) between 0 and 14 dpf caused severe malformations and severity increased the closer exposure start was to fertilization, whereas malformations were absent by exposure starting later than 14 dpf. Data on ovarian fluid volume and larval length supported the suggested teratogenic window. Larval mortality also increased when exposure started right after fertilization. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KSC-2009-6806

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-12-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the interior of the International Space Station's Node 3, named Tranquility, is seen for the last time on Earth before its hatch is shut. Hatch closure follows the completion of preparations for the node's transport to the pad and is a significant milestone in launch processing activities. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission, Tranquility is a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the space station's life support systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission is targeted for launch in early February 2010. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Retinal pulse wave velocity measurement using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

PubMed

Li, Qian; Li, Lin; Fan, Shanhui; Dai, Cuixia; Chai, Xinyu; Zhou, Chuanqing

2018-02-01

The human eyes provide a natural window for noninvasive measurement of the pulse wave velocity (PWV) of small arteries. By measuring the retinal PWV, the stiffness of small arteries can be assessed, which may better detect early vascular diseases. Therefore, retinal PWV measurement has attracted increasing attention. In this study, a jump-scanning method was proposed for noninvasive measurement of retinal PWV using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The jump-scanning method uses the phase-resolved Doppler OCT to obtain the pulse shapes. To realize PWV measurement, the jump-scanning method extracts the transit time of the pulse wave from an original OCT scanning site to another through a transient jump. The measured retinal arterial PWV of a young human subject with normal blood pressure was in the order of 20 to 30 mm/s, which was consistent with previous studies. As a comparison, PWV of 50 mm/s was measured for a young human subject with prehypertension, which was in accordance with the finding of strong association between retinal PWV and blood pressure. In summary, it is believed the proposed jump-scanning method could benefit the research and diagnosis of vascular diseases through the window of human eyes. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Modern fertility awareness methods: Wrist wearables capture the changes of temperature associated with the menstrual cycle.

PubMed

Shilaih, Mohaned; Goodale, Brianna M; Falco, Lisa; Kübler, Florian; De Clerck, Valerie; Leeners, Brigitte

2017-11-24

Core and peripheral body temperatures are affected by changes in reproductive hormones during the menstrual cycle. Women worldwide use the basal body temperature (BBT) method to aid and prevent conception. However, prior research suggests taking one's daily temperature can prove inconvenient and subject to environmental factors. We investigate whether a more automatic, non-invasive temperature measurement system can detect changes in temperature across the menstrual cycle. We examined how wrist-skin temperature (WST), measured with wearable sensors, correlates with urinary tests of ovulation and may serve as a new method of fertility tracking. One hundred and thirty-six eumenorrheic, non-pregnant women participated in an observational study. Participants wore WST biosensors during sleep and reported their daily activities. An at-home luteinizing hormone test was used to confirm ovulation. WST was recorded across 437 cycles (mean cycles/participant=3.21, S.D.=2.25). We tested the relationship between the fertile window and WST temperature shifts, using the BBT three-over-six rule. A sustained three-day temperature shift was observed in 357/437 cycles (82%), with the lowest cycle temperature occurring in the fertile window 41% of the time. Most temporal shifts (307/357, 86%) occurred on ovulation day or later. The average early-luteal phase temperature was 0.33°C higher than in the fertile window. Menstrual cycle changes in WST were impervious to lifestyle factors, like having sex, alcohol or eating prior to bed, that, in prior work, have been shown to obfuscate BBT readings. Although currently costlier than BBT, this study suggests that WST could be a promising, convenient parameter for future multi-parameter fertility-awareness methods. ©2017 The Author(s).

Prenatal fine particulate exposure and early childhood asthma: Effect of maternal stress and fetal sex.

PubMed

Lee, Alison; Leon Hsu, Hsiao-Hsien; Mathilda Chiu, Yueh-Hsiu; Bose, Sonali; Rosa, Maria José; Kloog, Itai; Wilson, Ander; Schwartz, Joel; Cohen, Sheldon; Coull, Brent A; Wright, Robert O; Wright, Rosalind J

2018-05-01

The impact of prenatal ambient air pollution on child asthma may be modified by maternal stress, child sex, and exposure dose and timing. We prospectively examined associations between coexposure to prenatal particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 microns (PM 2.5 ) and maternal stress and childhood asthma (n = 736). Daily PM 2.5 exposure during pregnancy was estimated using a validated satellite-based spatiotemporally resolved prediction model. Prenatal maternal negative life events (NLEs) were dichotomized around the median (high: NLE ≥ 3; low: NLE < 3). We used Bayesian distributed lag interaction models to identify sensitive windows for prenatal PM 2.5 exposure on children's asthma by age 6 years, and determine effect modification by maternal stress and child sex. Bayesian distributed lag interaction models identified a critical window of exposure (19-23 weeks' gestation, cumulative odds ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.03-1.26; per interquartile range [1.7 μg/m 3 ] increase in prenatal PM 2.5 level) during which children concomitantly exposed to prenatal PM 2.5 and maternal stress had increased risk of asthma. No significant association was seen in children born to women reporting low prenatal stress. When examining modifying effects of prenatal stress and fetal sex, we found that boys born to mothers with higher prenatal stress were most vulnerable (19-21 weeks' gestation; cumulative odds ratio, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.15-1.41; per interquartile range increase in PM 2.5 ). Prenatal PM 2.5 exposure during sensitive windows is associated with increased risk of child asthma, especially in boys concurrently exposed to elevated maternal stress. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adaptive Window Zero-Crossing-Based Instantaneous Frequency Estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekhar, S. Chandra; Sreenivas, TV

2004-12-01

We address the problem of estimating instantaneous frequency (IF) of a real-valued constant amplitude time-varying sinusoid. Estimation of polynomial IF is formulated using the zero-crossings of the signal. We propose an algorithm to estimate nonpolynomial IF by local approximation using a low-order polynomial, over a short segment of the signal. This involves the choice of window length to minimize the mean square error (MSE). The optimal window length found by directly minimizing the MSE is a function of the higher-order derivatives of the IF which are not available a priori. However, an optimum solution is formulated using an adaptive window technique based on the concept of intersection of confidence intervals. The adaptive algorithm enables minimum MSE-IF (MMSE-IF) estimation without requiring a priori information about the IF. Simulation results show that the adaptive window zero-crossing-based IF estimation method is superior to fixed window methods and is also better than adaptive spectrogram and adaptive Wigner-Ville distribution (WVD)-based IF estimators for different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

Temperature rise and Heat build up inside a parked Car

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coady, Rose; Maheswaranathan, Ponn

2001-11-01

We have studied the heat build up inside a parked car under the hot summer Sun. Inside and outside temperatures were monitored every ten seconds from 9 AM to about 4 PM for a 2000 Toyota Camry parked in a Winthrop University parking lot without any shades or trees. Two PASCO temperature sensors, one inside the car and the other outside the car, are used along with PASCO-750 interface to collect the data. Data were collected under the following conditions while keeping track of the outside weather: fully closed windows, slightly open windows, half way open windows, fully open windows, and with window shades inside and outside. Inside temperatures reached as high as 150 degrees Fahrenheit on a sunny day with outside high temperature of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. These results will be presented along with results from car cover and window tint manufacturers and suggestions to keep your car cool next time you park it under the Sun.

Salience Effects: L2 Sentence Production as a Window on L1 Speech Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antón-Méndez, Inés; Gerfen, Chip; Ramos, Miguel

2016-01-01

Salience influences grammatical structure during production in a language-dependent manner because different languages afford different options to satisfy preferences. During production, speakers may always try to satisfy all syntactic encoding preferences (e.g., salient entities to be mentioned early, themes to be assigned the syntactic function…

Development of Vocal Protests from 3 to 18 Months

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Xin; Green, James A.; Gustafson, Gwen E.

2009-01-01

Infants often protest the activities of their caregivers, and this particular social interaction may provide an important window on early communication and its development. This study used naturalistic methods to investigate the development of vocal protests. Fifteen mother-infant dyads at each of 5 ages, from 3 to 18 months, were observed at…

75 FR 28619 - Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-21

... began prior to the availability of tests for HIV in early 1985. The deferral has existed in its current form since September 1985. This and other related FDA policies are designed to address the major... screened using highly sensitive tests, screening tests can be falsely negative during the ``window period...

An Experiment in American Educational Philosophy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zahner, Mary

2016-01-01

The nineteenth century educational experiment by Amos Bronson Alcott and Elizabeth Palmer Peabody at the Temple School in Boston from 1834-1836 was generally considered a failure. Nevertheless, a narrow window of the experiment planted the seed for future interest in early childhood education by means of Peabody's (1836) "Record of a School:…

Windows of lead exposure sensitivity, attained height, and body mass index at 48 months.

PubMed

Afeiche, Myriam; Peterson, Karen E; Sánchez, Brisa N; Schnaas, Lourdes; Cantonwine, David; Ettinger, Adrienne S; Solano-González, Maritsa; Hernández-Avila, Mauricio; Hu, Howard; Téllez-Rojo, Martha M

2012-06-01

To examine longitudinal associations of prenatal, infancy, and early childhood lead exposure during sensitive periods with height and body mass index (BMI). A total of 773 participants were recruited between 1994 and 2005 in Mexico City. Lead exposure history categories were constructed for the prenatal period (maternal patellar lead concentration) and for infancy and childhood (mean child blood lead concentration at birth to 24 months and 30-48 months, respectively). Linear regression models were used to study lead exposure history with height and BMI at 48 months. Mean height at age 48 months was significantly lower in children with a blood lead level exceeding the median during infancy (-0.84 cm; 95% CI, -1.42 to -0.25) than in children with a level below the median. Prenatal lead exposure was not associated with height at 48 months. Results for attained BMI generally trended in the same direction as for height. Our findings suggest an effect of lead exposure early in life on height attainment at 48 months, with the exposure window of greatest sensitivity in infancy. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Brain early infarct detection using gamma correction extreme-level eliminating with weighting distribution.

PubMed

Teh, V; Sim, K S; Wong, E K

2016-11-01

According to the statistic from World Health Organization (WHO), stroke is one of the major causes of death globally. Computed tomography (CT) scan is one of the main medical diagnosis system used for diagnosis of ischemic stroke. CT scan provides brain images in Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) format. The presentation of CT brain images is mainly relied on the window setting (window center and window width), which converts an image from DICOM format into normal grayscale format. Nevertheless, the ordinary window parameter could not deliver a proper contrast on CT brain images for ischemic stroke detection. In this paper, a new proposed method namely gamma correction extreme-level eliminating with weighting distribution (GCELEWD) is implemented to improve the contrast on CT brain images. GCELEWD is capable of highlighting the hypodense region for diagnosis of ischemic stroke. The performance of this new proposed technique, GCELEWD, is compared with four of the existing contrast enhancement technique such as brightness preserving bi-histogram equalization (BBHE), dualistic sub-image histogram equalization (DSIHE), extreme-level eliminating histogram equalization (ELEHE), and adaptive gamma correction with weighting distribution (AGCWD). GCELEWD shows better visualization for ischemic stroke detection and higher values with image quality assessment (IQA) module. SCANNING 38:842-856, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A biological approach to characterizing exposure to metalworking fluids and risk of prostate cancer (United States).

PubMed

Agalliu, Ilir; Eisen, Ellen A; Kriebel, David; Quinn, Margaret M; Wegman, David H

2005-05-01

Prostate cancer is hormone-related and chemicals that interfere with hormones may contribute to carcinogenesis. In a cohort of autoworkers we characterized exposure to metalworking fluids (MWF) into age windows with homogenous biological risk for prostate cancer, and examined exposure-response relationships using semi-parametric modeling. Incident cases (n=872) were identified via Michigan cancer registry from 1985 through 2000. Controls were selected using incidence-density sampling, 5:1 ratio. Using a hormonal-based model, exposure was accumulated in three windows: (1) late puberty, (2) adulthood, and (3) middle age. We used penalized splines to model risk as a smooth function of exposure, and controlled for race and calendar year of diagnosis in a Cox model. Risk of prostate cancer linearly increased with exposure to straight MWF in the first window, with a relative risk of 2.4 per 10 mg/m(3)-years. Autoworkers exposed to MWF at a young age also had an increased risk associated with MWF exposure incurred later in life. For soluble MWF there was a slightly increased risk in the third window. Exposure characterization based on a hormonal model identified heightened risk with early age of exposure to straight MWF. Results also support a long latency period for exposure related prostate cancer.

Stellar haloes in massive early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buitrago, F.

2017-03-01

The Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) opens up an unique window to witness galaxy assembly at all cosmic distances. Thanks to its extraordinary depth, it is a privileged tool to beat the cosmological dimming, which affects any extragalactic observations and has a very strong dependence with redshift (1 +z)^4. In particular, massive (M_{stellar}>5 × 10^{10} M_⊙) Early Type Galaxies (ETGs) are the most interesting candidates for these studies, as they must grow in an inside-out fashion developing an extended stellar envelope/halo that accounts for their remarkable size evolution (˜5 times larger in the nearby Universe than at z=2-3). To this end we have analysed the 6 most massive ETGs at z <1 in the HUDF12. Because of the careful data reduction and the exhaustive treatment of the Point Spread Function (PSF), we are able to trace the galaxy surface brightness profiles up to the same levels as in the local Universe but this time at = 0.65 (31 mag arcsec^{-2} in all 8 HST bands, ˜ 29 mag arcsec^{-2} restframe or beyond 25 effective radii). This fact enables us to investigate the galactic outskirts or stellar haloes at a previously unexplored era, characterising their light and mass profiles, colors and for the first time the amount of mass in ongoing mergers.

Adaptive synchrosqueezing based on a quilted short-time Fourier transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berrian, Alexander; Saito, Naoki

2017-08-01

In recent years, the synchrosqueezing transform (SST) has gained popularity as a method for the analysis of signals that can be broken down into multiple components determined by instantaneous amplitudes and phases. One such version of SST, based on the short-time Fourier transform (STFT), enables the sharpening of instantaneous frequency (IF) information derived from the STFT, as well as the separation of amplitude-phase components corresponding to distinct IF curves. However, this SST is limited by the time-frequency resolution of the underlying window function, and may not resolve signals exhibiting diverse time-frequency behaviors with sufficient accuracy. In this work, we develop a framework for an SST based on a "quilted" short-time Fourier transform (SST-QSTFT), which allows adaptation to signal behavior in separate time-frequency regions through the use of multiple windows. This motivates us to introduce a discrete reassignment frequency formula based on a finite difference of the phase spectrum, ensuring computational accuracy for a wider variety of windows. We develop a theoretical framework for the SST-QSTFT in both the continuous and the discrete settings, and describe an algorithm for the automatic selection of optimal windows depending on the region of interest. Using synthetic data, we demonstrate the superior numerical performance of SST-QSTFT relative to other SST methods in a noisy context. Finally, we apply SST-QSTFT to audio recordings of animal calls to demonstrate the potential of our method for the analysis of real bioacoustic signals.

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

Ojeda-Gonzalez, A.; Prestes, A.; Klausner, V.

Spatio-temporal entropy (STE) analysis is used as an alternative mathematical tool to identify possible magnetic cloud (MC) candidates. We analyze Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) data using a time interval of only 10 days. We select a convenient data interval of 2500 records moving forward by 200 record steps until the end of the time series. For every data segment, the STE is calculated at each step. During an MC event, the STE reaches values close to zero. This extremely low value of STE is due to MC structure features. However, not all of the magnetic components in MCs have STEmore » values close to zero at the same time. For this reason, we create a standardization index (the so-called Interplanetary Entropy, IE, index). This index is a worthwhile effort to develop new tools to help diagnose ICME structures. The IE was calculated using a time window of one year (1999), and it has a success rate of 70% over other identifiers of MCs. The unsuccessful cases (30%) are caused by small and weak MCs. The results show that the IE methodology identified 9 of 13 MCs, and emitted nine false alarm cases. In 1999, a total of 788 windows of 2500 values existed, meaning that the percentage of false alarms was 1.14%, which can be considered a good result. In addition, four time windows, each of 10 days, are studied, where the IE method was effective in finding MC candidates. As a novel result, two new MCs are identified in these time windows.« less

Childhood predictors of first chance to use and use of cannabis by young adulthood.

PubMed

Storr, Carla L; Wagner, Fernando A; Chen, Chuan-Yu; Anthony, James C

2011-08-01

To prospectively examine the linkage between childhood antecedents and progression to early cannabis involvement as manifest in first chance to try it and then first onset of cannabis use. Two consecutive cohorts of children entering first grade of a public school system of a large mid-Atlantic city in the mid 1980s (n=2311) were assessed (mean age 6.5 years) and then followed into young adulthood (15 years later, mean age 21) when first chance to try and first use were assessed for 75% (n=1698) of the original sample. Assessments obtained at school included standardized readiness scores (reading; math) and teacher ratings of behavioral problems. Regression and time to event models included covariates for sex, race, and family disadvantage. Early classroom misconduct, better reading readiness, and better math readiness predicted either occurrence or timing of first chance to try cannabis, first use, or both. Higher levels of childhood concentration problems and lower social connectedness were not predictive. Childhood school readiness and behavioral problems may influence the risk for cannabis smoking indirectly via an increased likelihood of first chance to use. Prevention efforts that seek to shield youths from having a chance to try cannabis might benefit from attention to early predictive behavioral and school readiness characteristics. When a youth's chance to try cannabis is discovered, there are new windows of opportunity for prevention and intervention. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biosurveillance applying scan statistics with multiple, disparate data sources.

PubMed

Burkom, Howard S

2003-06-01

Researchers working on the Department of Defense Global Emerging Infections System (DoD-GEIS) pilot system, the Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics (ESSENCE), have applied scan statistics for early outbreak detection using both traditional and nontraditional data sources. These sources include medical data indexed by International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision (ICD-9) diagnosis codes, as well as less-specific, but potentially timelier, indicators such as records of over-the-counter remedy sales and of school absenteeism. Early efforts employed the Kulldorff scan statistic as implemented in the SaTScan software of the National Cancer Institute. A key obstacle to this application is that the input data streams are typically based on time-varying factors, such as consumer behavior, rather than simply on the populations of the component subregions. We have used both modeling and recent historical data distributions to obtain background spatial distributions. Data analyses have provided guidance on how to condition and model input data to avoid excessive clustering. We have used this methodology in combining data sources for both retrospective studies of known outbreaks and surveillance of high-profile events of concern to local public health authorities. We have integrated the scan statistic capability into a Microsoft Access-based system in which we may include or exclude data sources, vary time windows separately for different data sources, censor data from subsets of individual providers or subregions, adjust the background computation method, and run retrospective or simulated studies.

Childhood predictors of first chance to use and use of cannabis by young adulthood

PubMed Central

Storr, Carla L.; Wagner, Fernando A.; Chen, Chuan-Yu; Anthony, James C.

2011-01-01

Aims To prospectively examine the linkage between childhood antecedents and progression to early cannabis involvement as manifest in first chance to try it and then first onset of cannabis use. Methods Two consecutive cohorts of children entering first grade of a public school system of a large mid-Atlantic city in the mid 1980s (n=2311) were assessed (mean age 6.5 years) and then followed into young adulthood (15 years later, mean age 21) when first chance to try and first use were assessed for 75% (n=1698) of the original sample. Assessments obtained at school included standardized readiness scores (reading; math) and teacher ratings of behavioral problems. Regression and time to event models included covariates for sex, race, and family disadvantage. Results Early classroom misconduct, better reading readiness, and better math readiness predicted either occurrence or timing of first chance to try cannabis, first use, or both. Higher levels of childhood concentration problems and lower social connectedness were not predictive. Conclusions Childhood school readiness and behavioral problems may influence the risk for cannabis smoking indirectly via an increased likelihood of first chance to use. Prevention efforts that seek to shield youths from having a chance to try cannabis might benefit from attention to early predictive behavioral and school readiness characteristics. When a youth’s chance to try cannabis is discovered, there are new windows of opportunity for prevention and intervention. PMID:21288658

Early-Life Nutritional Programming of Cognition-The Fundamental Role of Epigenetic Mechanisms in Mediating the Relation between Early-Life Environment and Learning and Memory Process.

PubMed

Moody, Laura; Chen, Hong; Pan, Yuan-Xiang

2017-03-01

The perinatal period is a window of heightened plasticity that lays the groundwork for future anatomic, physiologic, and behavioral outcomes. During this time, maternal diet plays a pivotal role in the maturation of vital organs and the establishment of neuronal connections. However, when perinatal nutrition is either lacking in specific micro- and macronutrients or overloaded with excess calories, the consequences can be devastating and long lasting. The brain is particularly sensitive to perinatal insults, with several neurologic and psychiatric disorders having been linked to a poor in utero environment. Diseases characterized by learning and memory impairments, such as autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer disease, are hypothesized to be attributed in part to environmental factors, and evidence suggests that the etiology of these conditions may date back to very early life. In this review, we discuss the role of the early-life diet in shaping cognitive outcomes in offspring. We explore the endocrine and immune mechanisms responsible for these phenotypes and discuss how these systemic factors converge to change the brain's epigenetic landscape and regulate learning and memory across the lifespan. Through understanding the maternal programming of cognition, critical steps may be taken toward preventing and treating diseases that compromise learning and memory. © 2017 American Society for Nutrition.

Impact of an Early Decrease in Systolic Blood Pressure on The Risk of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

PubMed

Li, Hualong; Huang, Shuijin; He, Yiting; Liu, Yong; Liu, Yuanhui; Chen, Jiyan; Zhou, Yingling; Tan, Ning; Duan, Chongyang; Chen, Pingyan

2016-02-01

The early postprocedural period was thought to be the rush hour of contrast media excretion, causing rapid and prolonged renal hypoperfusion, which was the critical time window for contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). 349 consecutive patients were enrolled into the study. The relation between an early postprocedural decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and the risk of CIN was assessed using multivariate logistic regression. A postprocedural decrease in SBP was observed in 63% of patients and CIN developed in 28 (8.0%) patients. The CIN group had a lower postprocedural SBP (114.5±13.5 vs. 123.7±15.6mmHg, P=0.003) and a greater postprocedural decrease in SBP (16.2±19.1 vs. 5.9±18.7mmHg, P=0.005) than the no-CIN group. ROC analysis revealed that the optimum cutoff value for the SBP decrease in detecting CIN was >10mmHg (sensitivity 60.7%, specificity 59.5%, AUC=0.66). Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that a postprocedural decrease in SBP >10mmHg was a significant independent predictor of CIN (OR 2.368, 95%CI: 1.043-5.379, P=0.039), after adjustment for other risk factors. An early moderate postprocedural decrease in SBP may increase the risk of CIN in patients undergoing PCI. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Observing the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation: A Unique Window on the Early Universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinshaw, Gary; Fisher, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The cosmic microwave background radiation is the remnant heat from the Big Bang. It provides us with a unique probe of conditions in the early universe, long before any organized structures had yet formed. The anisotropy in the radiation's brightness yields important clues about primordial structure and additionally provides a wealth of information about the physics,of the early universe. Within the framework of inflationary dark matter models observations of the anisotropy on sub-degree angular scales will reveal the signatures of acoustic oscillations of the photon-baryon fluid at a redshift of approx. 1100. The validity of inflationary models will be tested and, if agreement is found, accurate values for most of the key cosmological parameters will result. If disagreement is found, we will need to rethink our basic ideas about the physics of the early universe. I will present an overview of the physical processes at work in forming the anisotropy and discuss what we have already learned from current observations. I will conclude with a brief overview of the recently launched Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) mission which will observe the anisotropy over the full sky with 0.21 degree angular resolution. At the time of this meeting, MAP will have just arrived at the L2 Lagrange point, marking the start of its observing campaign. The MAP hardware is being produced by Goddard in partnership with Princeton University.

Changes in seasonal streamflow extremes experienced in rivers of Northwestern South America (Colombia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierini, J. O.; Restrepo, J. C.; Aguirre, J.; Bustamante, A. M.; Velásquez, G. J.

2017-04-01

A measure of the variability in seasonal extreme streamflow was estimated for the Colombian Caribbean coast, using monthly time series of freshwater discharge from ten watersheds. The aim was to detect modifications in the streamflow monthly distribution, seasonal trends, variance and extreme monthly values. A 20-year length time moving window, with 1-year successive shiftments, was applied to the monthly series to analyze the seasonal variability of streamflow. The seasonal-windowed data were statistically fitted through the Gamma distribution function. Scale and shape parameters were computed using the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) and the bootstrap method for 1000 resample. A trend analysis was performed for each windowed-serie, allowing to detect the window of maximum absolute values for trends. Significant temporal shifts in seasonal streamflow distribution and quantiles (QT), were obtained for different frequencies. Wet and dry extremes periods increased significantly in the last decades. Such increase did not occur simultaneously through the region. Some locations exhibited continuous increases only at minimum QT.