Self-Perceived Mate Value, Facial Attractiveness, and Mate Preferences: Do Desirable Men Want It All?

PubMed

Arnocky, Steven

2018-01-01

Ten years ago, Buss and Shackelford demonstrated that high mate value (i.e., physically attractive) women held more discerning mate preferences relative to lower mate value women. Since then, researchers have begun to consider the equally important role of men's sexual selectivity in human mate choice. Yet, little research has focused on whether high mate value men are similarly choosy in their mate preferences. In a sample of 139 undergraduate men, relationships between self-perceived mate value as well as female-rated facial attractiveness were examined in relation to men's expressed mate preferences. Results showed that self-perceived mate value was unrelated to men's facial attractiveness as rated by women. Men who believed they were of high mate value were more likely than lower mate value men to prefer to marry at a younger age; to have a spouse who was younger than them; and to have a partner who was sociable, ambitious, high in social status, with good financial prospects, a desire for children, health, good looks, and mutual attraction. Objective male facial attractiveness was generally unrelated to heightened mate preferences, with the exception of heightened preference for similar religious background and good physical health. Findings suggest that men who perceive themselves as high in overall mate value are selective in their mate choice in a manner similar to high mate value women.

An assessment of the radiological scenario around uranium mines in Singhbhum East district, Jharkhand, India.

PubMed

Tripathi, R M; Sahoo, S K; Mohapatra, S; Patra, A C; Lenka, P; Dubey, J S; Jha, V N; Puranik, V D

2012-07-01

The present work deals with the prevalent radiological scenario around uranium-mining sites in the Singhbhum East district of Jharkhand state, India. The concentration of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) was estimated from 27 soil samples collected around three regions in the study area, namely Bagjata, Turamdih and Jaduguda. The mean activity concentrations of (238)U in Bagjata, Turamdih and Jaduguda regions were found to be 128.6, 95.7 and 49.2 Bq kg(-1), respectively. Similarly for (232)Th and (40)K the activity concentrations were found to be 57.3, 78.4, 68.9 and 530, 425 and 615 Bq kg(-1) in the Bagjata, Turamdih and Jaduguda regions, respectively, which are comparable with other reported values worldwide, except for some high values. The calculated gamma dose rate, obtained from the concentrations of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K in the samples, was compared with the observed dose rate in air. A good correlation (0.96) was observed between the calculated and the observed gamma dose rate. The annual outdoor effective dose rate was estimated and the values falls between 0.04-0.3, 0.07-0.3 and 0.07-.14 mSv y(-1) with mean values of 0.14, 0.12 and 0.11 mSv y(-1) for the Bagjata, Turamdih and Jaduguda regions, respectively. The terrestrial dose rates in all the three regions are comparable with other reported values worldwide, except for a few high values in Greece, Rio Grande Do Norte (Brazil) and Kalpakkam (India).

In vitro activity of echinocandins against 562 clinical yeast isolates from a Romanian multicentre study.

PubMed

Mares, Mihai; Minea, Bogdan; Nastasa, Valentin; Rosca, Irina; Bostanaru, Andra-Cristina; Marincu, Iosif; Toma, Vasilica; Cristea, Violeta Corina; Murariu, Carmen; Pinteala, Mariana

2018-06-01

The study presents the echinocandin susceptibility profile of a multi-centre collection of pathogenic yeast isolates from Romanian tertiary hospitals. The 562 isolates were identified using ID32C strips, MALDI-TOF MS and DNA sequencing. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of caspofungin (CAS), micafungin (MCA), and anidulafungin (ANI) were assessed and interpreted according to EUCAST guidelines. Minimal fungicidal concentrations (MFC) were determined by plating content from the clear MIC wells. The activity was considered fungicidal at MFC/MIC ≤ 4. The three echinocandins had strongly correlated MICs and high percentages of MIC essential agreement. Most often, MCA had the lowest MICs, followed by CAS and ANI. Against C. parapsilosis and C. kefyr, CAS had the lowest MIC values. The MIC50 values were between 0.03 and 0.25 mg/l, except C. parapsilosis. The MIC90 values were usually one dilution higher. MFCs and MICs were weakly correlated. ANI and MCA had the lowest MFC values. The MFC50 values were between 0.06 and 0.5 mg/l, except C. parapsilosis, C. guilliermondii, and C. dubliniensis. The MFC90 values were usually two dilutions higher. Based on EUCAST breakpoints, 47 isolates (8.4%) were resistant to at least one echinocandin, most often ANI. Most resistant isolates were of C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. krusei. There were 17 isolates (3%) resistant to echinocandins and fluconazole and most belonged to the same three species. MCA and ANI had the highest rates of fungicidal activity. The high rates of echinocandin resistance and significant multidrug resistance make prophylaxis and empiric therapy difficult.

Portuguese preschool children: Benefit (EPA+DHA and Se) and risk (MeHg) assessment through the consumption of selected fish species.

PubMed

Cardoso, C; Bernardo, I; Bandarra, N M; Louro Martins, L; Afonso, C

2018-05-01

This study aimed to assess the risk-benefit balance associated to fish consumption by Portuguese preschool children. For this purpose, databases (from IPMA and literature) were mined and mathematically processed by a model based on the Extreme Value Theory assuming consumption scenarios. Eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and selenium (Se) and methylmercury (MeHg) were selected as critical components of fish, given their health impact and significant contents in some fish species. Assessment also took into account that Se may protect against MeHg toxicity. With exception of blue shark, Se Health Benefit Value (Se-HBV), was always positive (ranging between 3.3 and 14.9) and Se:MeHg ratio was always higher than one (3.8 to 32.3). It was also estimated that the deleterious effects of MeHg on children IQ were offset by the beneficial impact of EPA+DHA in fish except for grilled black scabbardfish consumed every day. Blue shark, regardless of the culinary treatment, yielded very high probabilities of exceeding MeHg TWI (higher than 84 % with a single weekly meal), thus raising serious concerns. EPA+DHA benefits were high in salmon regardless of culinary treatment (> 84 %). Fish consumption by children is advisable with exception of blue shark and boiled and grilled tuna. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extremely high absolute internal quantum efficiency of photoluminescence in co-doped GaN:Zn,Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reshchikov, M. A.; Willyard, A. G.; Behrends, A.; Bakin, A.; Waag, A.

2011-10-01

We report on the fabrication of GaN co-doped with silicon and zinc by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy and a detailed study of photoluminescence in this material. We observe an exceptionally high absolute internal quantum efficiency of blue photoluminescence in GaN:Zn,Si. The value of 0.93±0.04 has been obtained from several approaches based on rate equations.

A Hungarian Preschool for the Children, Teachers, and Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szilagyi, Janka; Szecsi, Tunde

2005-01-01

This article describes an exceptional Eastern European preschool where all stakeholders--children, teachers, and parents--place a high value on the unique synergy of inclusive and bilingual education. In this environment, each child is able to experience love and happiness, while developing at his or her own pace. The families feel involved in…

Interocular symmetry in macular choroidal thickness in children.

PubMed

Al-Haddad, Christiane; El Chaar, Lama; Antonios, Rafic; El-Dairi, Mays; Noureddin, Baha'

2014-01-01

Objective. To report interocular differences in choroidal thickness in children using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and correlate findings with biometric data. Methods. This observational cross-sectional study included 91 (182 eyes) healthy children aged 6 to 17 years with no ocular abnormality except refractive error. After a comprehensive eye exam and axial length measurement, high definition macular scans were performed using SD-OCT. Two observers manually measured the choroidal thickness at the foveal center and at 1500 µm nasally, temporally, inferiorly, and superiorly. Interocular differences were computed; correlations with age, gender, refractive error, and axial length were performed. Results. Mean age was 10.40 ± 3.17 years; mean axial length and refractive error values were similar between fellow eyes. There was excellent correlation between the two observers' measurements. No significant interocular differences were observed at any location. There was only a trend for right eyes to have higher values in all thicknesses, except the superior thickness. Most of the choroidal thickness measurements correlated positively with spherical equivalent but not with axial length, age, or gender. Conclusion. Choroidal thickness measurements in children as performed using SD-OCT revealed a high level of interobserver agreement and consistent interocular symmetry. Values correlated positively with spherical equivalent refraction.

Characterization and diagenesis of strong-acid carboxyl groups in humic substances

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leenheer, J.A.; Wershaw, R. L.; Brown, G.K.; Reddy, M.M.

2003-01-01

A small fraction of carboxylic acid functional groups in humic substances are exceptionally acidic with pKa values as low as 0.5. A review of acid-group theory eliminated most models and explanations for these exceptionally acidic carboxyl groups. These acidic carboxyl groups in Suwannee River fulvic acid were enriched by a 2-stage fractionation process and the fractions were characterized by elemental, molecular-weight, and titrimetric analyses, and by infrared and 13C- and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. An average structural model of the most acidic fraction derived from the characterization data indicated a high density of carboxyl groups clustered on oxygen-heterocycle alicyclic rings. Intramolecular H-bonding between adjacent carboxyl groups in these ring structures enhanced stabilization of the carboxylate anion which results in low pKa1 values. The standard, tetrahydrofuran tetracarboxylic acid, was shown to have similar acidity characteristics to the highly acidic fulvic acid fraction. The end products of 3 known diagenetic pathways for the formation of humic substances were shown to result in carboxyl groups clustered on oxygen-heterocycle alicyclic rings.

40 CFR Table C-1 to Subpart C of... - Default CO2 Emission Factors and High Heat Values for Various Types of Fuel

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Heat Values for Various Types of Fuel C Table C-1 to Subpart C of Part 98 Protection of Environment... Stationary Fuel Combustion Sources Pt. 98, Subpt. C, Table C-1 Table C-1 to Subpart C of Part 98—Default CO2... exception of ethylene. 2 Ethylene HHV determined at 41 °F (5 °C) and saturation pressure. 3 Use of this...

Distribution patterns of mercury in Lakes and Rivers of northeastern North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dennis, Ian F.; Clair, Thomas A.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Kamman, Neil; Chalmers, Ann T.; Shanley, Jamie; Norton, Stephen A.; Kahl, Steve

2005-01-01

We assembled 831 data points for total mercury (Hgt) and 277 overlapping points for methyl mercury (CH3Hg+) in surface waters from Massachussetts, USA to the Island of Newfoundland, Canada from State, Provincial, and Federal government databases. These geographically indexed values were used to determine: (a) if large-scale spatial distribution patterns existed and (b) whether there were significant relationships between the two main forms of aquatic Hg as well as with total organic carbon (TOC), a well know complexer of metals. We analyzed the catchments where samples were collected using a Geographical Information System (GIS) approach, calculating catchment sizes, mean slope, and mean wetness index. Our results show two main spatial distribution patterns. We detected loci of high Hgt values near urbanized regions of Boston MA and Portland ME. However, except for one unexplained exception, the highest Hgt and CH3Hg+ concentrations were located in regions far from obvious point sources. These correlated to topographically flat (and thus wet) areas that we relate to wetland abundances. We show that aquatic Hgt and CH3Hg+ concentrations are generally well correlated with TOC and with each other. Over the region, CH3Hg+ concentrations are typically approximately 15% of Hgt. There is an exception in the Boston region where CH3Hg+ is low compared to the high Hgt values. This is probably due to the proximity of point sources of inorganic Hg and a lack of wetlands. We also attempted to predict Hg concentrations in water with statistical models using catchment features as variables. We were only able to produce statistically significant predictive models in some parts of regions due to the lack of suitable digital information, and because data ranges in some regions were too narrow for meaningful regression analyses.

Genetic variation in Indian populations of Scirpophaga incertulas as revealed by RAPD-PCR analysis.

PubMed

Kumar, L S; Sawant, A S; Gupta, V S; Ranjekar, P K

2001-02-01

Scirpophaga incertulas, commonly referred to as yellow stem borer, is a predominant pest of rice causing serious losses in its yield. Genetic variation among populations of Scirpophaga incertulas collected from 28 hotspot locations in India was examined using the randomly amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR). In all, 32 primers were used and 354 amplification products were observed. No RAPD-PCR bands diagnostic to the pest population from any specific region were identified. Cluster analysis using UPGMA showed that, with the exception of the pest population from Pattambi, all the populations cluster as one group with GD values in the range of 6-22%, suggesting that gene flow between populations is independent of geographic distance and appears to be unrestricted. The relatively high GD value of 48% exhibited by the pest population from Pattambi was the only exception.

Three sympatric clusters of the malaria vector Anopheles culicifacies E (Diptera: Culicidae) detected in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Harischandra, Iresha Nilmini; Dassanayake, Ranil Samantha; De Silva, Bambaranda Gammacharige Don Nissanka Kolitha

2016-01-04

The disease re-emergence threat from the major malaria vector in Sri Lanka, Anopheles culicifacies, is currently increasing. To predict malaria vector dynamics, knowledge of population genetics and gene flow is required, but this information is unavailable for Sri Lanka. This study was carried out to determine the population structure of An. culicifacies E in Sri Lanka. Eight microsatellite markers were used to examine An. culicifacies E collected from six sites in Sri Lanka during 2010-2012. Standard population genetic tests and analyses, genetic differentiation, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, linkage disequilibrium, Bayesian cluster analysis, AMOVA, SAMOVA and isolation-by-distance were conducted using five polymorphic loci. Five microsatellite loci were highly polymorphic with high allelic richness. Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) was significantly rejected for four loci with positive F(IS) values in the pooled population (p < 0.0100). Three loci showed high deviations in all sites except Kataragama, which was in agreement with HWE for all loci except one locus (p < 0.0016). Observed heterozygosity was less than the expected values for all sites except Kataragama, where reported negative F(IS) values indicated a heterozygosity excess. Genetic differentiation was observed for all sampling site pairs and was not supported by the isolation by distance model. Bayesian clustering analysis identified the presence of three sympatric clusters (gene pools) in the studied population. Significant genetic differentiation was detected in cluster pairs with low gene flow and isolation by distance was not detected between clusters. Furthermore, the results suggested the presence of a barrier to gene flow that divided the populations into two parts with the central hill region of Sri Lanka as the dividing line. Three sympatric clusters were detected among An. culicifacies E specimens isolated in Sri Lanka. There was no effect of geographic distance on genetic differentiation and the central mountain ranges in Sri Lanka appeared to be a barrier to gene flow.

Water quality of selected lakes in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington with respect to lake acidification

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turney, G.L.; Dion, N.P.; Sumioka, S.S.

1986-01-01

Thirteen lakes in Mount Rainier National Park were evaluated for general chemical characteristics, sensitivity to acidification by acidic precipitation, and degree of existing acidification. The lakes studies were Allen, one of the Chenuis group, Crescent , Crystal, Eleanor, Fan, one of the Golden group, Marsh, Mowich, Mystic, Shriner, and two unnamed lakes. The lakes were sampled in August 1983. Specific conductance values were generally 21 microsiemens/cm at 25 C or less, and dissolved solids concentrations were generally 20 mg/L or less. The major cations were calcium and sodium, and the major anion was bicarbonate. Alkalinity concentrations ranged from 2.1 to 9.0 mg/L in 12 of the lakes. Allen Lake was the exception, having an alkalinity concentration of 27 mg/L. The pH values for all of the lakes ranged from 5.8 to 6.5. In most of the lakes, vertical profiles of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance were relatively uniform. In the deeper lakes, temperature decreased with depth and dissolved-oxygen concentrations increased to about 20 feet, remained constant to 80 ft, then decreased with increasing depth. Exceptions to general water quality patterns were observed in three lakes. Allen Lake had a specific conductance value of 58 Microsiemens/cm. The lake of the Golden group was anaerobic at the bottom and had relatively high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and dissolved metals, and a lower light transmission than the other lakes studied. One of the unnamed lakes had relatively high concentrations of phytoplankton and dissolved organic carbon and relatively low levels of light transmission. Comparisons of lake data to acid-sensitivity thresholds for specific conductance and alkalinity indicated that all of the lakes except Allen would be sensitive to acidic precipitation. The small sizes of the lakes, and their locations in basins of high precipitation and weathering-resistant rock types, enhance their sensitivity. None of the lakes in this study appeared to be presently acidified. (Lantz-PTT)

An Industrial Physics Toolkit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cummings, Bill

2004-03-01

Physicists possess many skills highly valued in industrial companies. However, with the exception of a decreasing number of positions in long range research at large companies, job openings in industry rarely say "Physicist Required." One key to a successful industrial career is to know what subset of your physics skills is most highly valued by a given industry and to continue to build these skills while working. This combination of skills from both academic and industrial experience becomes your "Industrial Physics Toolkit" and is a transferable resource when you change positions or companies. This presentation will describe how one builds and sells your own "Industrial Physics Toolkit" using concrete examples from the speaker's industrial experience.

Insertion of operation-and-indicate instructions for optimized SIMD code

DOEpatents

Eichenberger, Alexander E; Gara, Alan; Gschwind, Michael K

2013-06-04

Mechanisms are provided for inserting indicated instructions for tracking and indicating exceptions in the execution of vectorized code. A portion of first code is received for compilation. The portion of first code is analyzed to identify non-speculative instructions performing designated non-speculative operations in the first code that are candidates for replacement by replacement operation-and-indicate instructions that perform the designated non-speculative operations and further perform an indication operation for indicating any exception conditions corresponding to special exception values present in vector register inputs to the replacement operation-and-indicate instructions. The replacement is performed and second code is generated based on the replacement of the at least one non-speculative instruction. The data processing system executing the compiled code is configured to store special exception values in vector output registers, in response to a speculative instruction generating an exception condition, without initiating exception handling.

7 CFR 760.613 - De minimis exception.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false De minimis exception. 760.613 Section 760.613....613 De minimis exception. (a) Participants seeking the de minimis exception to the risk management... coverage for a crop exceeds 10 percent of the value of that coverage. (b) To be eligible for a de minimis...

26 CFR 20.2010-2T - Portability provisions applicable to estate of a decedent survived by a spouse (temporary).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... executor is not required to report a value for such property on the estate tax return (except to the extent... with regard to establishing the value of the property) and the instructions for the estate tax return... tax return and § 20.2056(a)-1(b) (except with regard to establishing the value of the property). In...

26 CFR 20.2010-2T - Portability provisions applicable to estate of a decedent survived by a spouse (temporary).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... executor is not required to report a value for such property on the estate tax return (except to the extent... with regard to establishing the value of the property) and the instructions for the estate tax return... tax return and § 20.2056(a)-1(b) (except with regard to establishing the value of the property). In...

Want to Improve Your Leadership Skills? Play Chess!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Samuel J.; Cangemi, Joseph

2014-01-01

This paper explores the value of the "Game of Kings," Chess, as a tool for developing highly successful leaders. This paper highlights and demonstrates how the methods of the game of Chess can have strong influence on the ability and performance of exceptional leaders in any field, and how the game of Chess can enhance the cognitive…

Biomass conversion to high value chemicals: from furfural to chiral hydrofuroins in two steps.

PubMed

Kabro, Anzhelika; Escudero-Adán, Eduardo C; Grushin, Vladimir V; van Leeuwen, Piet W N M

2012-08-03

Catalytic asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of rac-furoin and furil produces hydrofuroin with up to 99% ee and 9:1 dr. This reaction provides an exceptionally easy access to optically active hydrofuroins in two straightforward steps from biomass-derived furfural (global production 200,000-300,000 t annually) using benzoin condensation.

Cottonwood - A Promising Tree for Intensive Management

Treesearch

Henry Bull

1945-01-01

Eastern cottonwood is by far the most important of ten closely related native species of cottonwood-most of which have numerous varieties and apparently hybridize frequently. It is one of our fastest-growing native trees and the wood is widely used in many different product8. Because of exceptionally fast growth and relatively high value. eastern cottonwood is a very...

A preliminary evaluation of stream sediment sampling for the detection of cobalt mineralization in the Bou Azzer District, Morocco

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foose, M.P.

1983-01-01

Analyses of 28 stream sediment samples collected in the Bou Azzer district, Morocco, show that this sampling technique may be useful in locating the cobalt arsenide mineralization that exists in this area. The absence of exceptionally high values of cobalt and arsenic, the nearly lognormal distribution of cobalt values, and the lack of correlation between the highest values of cobalt and arsenic were unanticipated results that do not support the use of this sampling technique. However, highest values of several metals, including cobalt, were associated with an identified area of cobalt mineralization, and high cobalt was present near a second area in which cobalt mineralization is suspected. Although probably mostly reflecting the geochemistry of unexposed ultramafic rocks, the association of these metals with mineralization shows that this type of sampling can independently locate areas of known or potential cobalt mineralization.

Rambutan Seed (Nephelium Lappaceum L.) Optimization as Raw Material of High Nutrition Value Processed Food

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahini, M.; Miranti, M. G.; Lukitasari, F.; Novela, L.

2018-02-01

Rambutan (Nephelium Lappaceum L.) is a plant that identical with Southeast Asian countries, in some areas of Indonesia no exception, but rambutan seed is considered as a waste. Therefore, it needs to be optimized into raw materials of food and processed with high nutritional value and has economic value. The purpose of this research were: 1) to find the best rambutan seed immersion formula; 2) to know the nutritional value of the best immersed rambutan seed; 3) to produce raw material and various processed of rambutan seed product. The research method was quasi experiment with 6 treatments and 2 factorial design, materials for immersion was NaCl and Ca(OH)2. The results showed that: 1) the best rambutan seed immersion formula was using Ca(OH)2; 2) the best rambutan seed contains 1,6 ash, 31,2 protein, 26,9 fat; 3) the best rambutan seed produce flour and processed of seasoned nuts. This research indicates that rambutan seed is very potential to be an alternative high-value raw materials.

Exceptional damage-tolerance of a medium-entropy alloy CrCoNi at cryogenic temperatures

DOE PAGES

Gludovatz, Bernd; Hohenwarter, Anton; Thurston, Keli V. S.; ...

2016-02-02

The high-entropy alloys are an intriguing new class of metallic materials that derive their properties not from a single dominant constituent, such as iron in steels, nor from the presence of a second phase, such as in nickel-base superalloys, but rather comprise multi-element systems that crystallize as a single phase, despite containing high concentrations (~20 at.%) of five or more elements with different crystal structures. Indeed, we have recently reported on one such single-phase high-entropy alloy, NiCoCrFeMn, which displays exceptional strength and toughness at cryogenic temperatures. Here which displays unprecedented strength-toughness properties that exceed those of all high-entropy alloys andmore » most multi-phase alloys. With roomtemperature tensile strengths of almost 1 GPa and KJIc fracture-toughness values above 200 MPa.m 1/2 (with crack-growth toughnesses exceeding 300 MPa.m 1/2), the strength, ductility and toughness of the NiCoCr alloy actually improve at cryogenic temperatures to unprecedented levels of strengths above 1.3 GPa, failure strains up to 90% and K JIc values of 275 MPa.m 1/2 (with crackgrowth toughnesses above 400 MPa.m 1/2). These properties appear to result from continuous steady strain hardening, which acts to suppress plastic instability, resulting from pronounced dislocation activity and deformation-induced nano-twinning.« less

A look into the relationship between personality traits and basic values: A longitudinal investigation.

PubMed

Vecchione, Michele; Alessandri, Guido; Roccas, Sonia; Caprara, Gian Vittorio

2018-05-27

The present study examines the longitudinal association between basic personal values and the Big Five personality traits. A sample of 546 young adults (57% females) with a mean age of 21.68 years (SD = 1.60) completed the Portrait Values Questionnaire and the Big Five Questionnaire at three-time points, each separated by an interval of four years. Cross-lagged models were used to investigate the possible reciprocal relations between traits and values, after the stability of the variables was taken into account. We found that values did not affect trait development. Traits, by contrast, have some effects on how values change. Specifically, high levels of agreeableness predict an increase over time in the importance assigned to benevolence values. Similarly, high levels of openness predict a later increase in the importance assigned to self-direction values. The same effect was not found for the other traits. Additionally, except for in the case of emotional stability, traits showed synchronous (i.e., within wave) correlations with values, suggesting that part of this relationship is due to common antecedents. Mechanisms underlying the associations between traits and values are discussed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluation of Flammability of Footwear Upper Materials. Patent and Regular Shoe Upper Leather vs. Porvair and Clarino Poromerics

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-01

leather is thus designated ŗ-ounce leather." -ll specimens, except the UL, had high-gloss polyurethane finishes. The UL ’eLi wr contained a...ITT Research Institute, October 1965, p. 18. 4.4 %d :i.bie 2. Comparativ ~e heat transfer values of shoe uppe materials vs. shoe upper materials with

Singularities of Three-Layered Complex-Valued Neural Networks With Split Activation Function.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Masaki

2018-05-01

There are three important concepts related to learning processes in neural networks: reducibility, nonminimality, and singularity. Although the definitions of these three concepts differ, they are equivalent in real-valued neural networks. This is also true of complex-valued neural networks (CVNNs) with hidden neurons not employing biases. The situation of CVNNs with hidden neurons employing biases, however, is very complicated. Exceptional reducibility was found, and it was shown that reducibility and nonminimality are not the same. Irreducibility consists of minimality and exceptional reducibility. The relationship between minimality and singularity has not yet been established. In this paper, we describe our surprising finding that minimality and singularity are independent. We also provide several examples based on exceptional reducibility.

Development of a problematic mobile phone use scale for Turkish adolescents.

PubMed

Güzeller, Cem Oktay; Coşguner, Tolga

2012-04-01

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Scale (PMPUS) for Turkish Adolescents. The psychometric properties of PMPUS were tested in two separate sample groups that consisted of 950 Turkish high school students. The first sample group (n=309) was used to determine the factor structure of the scale. The second sample group (n=461) was used to test data conformity with the identified structure, discriminant validity and concurrent scale validity, internal consistency reliability calculations, and item statistics calculations. The results of exploratory factor analyses indicated that the scale had three factors: interference with negative effect, compulsion/persistence, and withdrawal/tolerance. The results showed that item and construct reliability values yielded satisfactory rates in general for the three-factor construct. On the other hand, the average variance extracted value remained below the scale value for three subscales. The scores for the scale significantly correlated with depression and loneliness. In addition, the discriminant validity value was above the scale in all sub-dimensions except one. Based on these data, the reliability of the PMPUS scale appears to be satisfactory and provides good internal consistency. Therefore, with limited exception, the PMPUS was found to be reliable and valid in the context of Turkish adolescents.

Determination of steroid hormones and their metabolite in several types of meat samples by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry.

PubMed

López-García, Marina; Romero-González, Roberto; Garrido Frenich, Antonia

2018-03-09

A new analytical method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (Orbitrap-HRMS) has been developed for the determination of steroid hormones (hydrocortisone, cortisone, progesterone, prednisone, prednisolone, testosterone, melengesterol acetate, hydrocortisone-21-acetate, cortisone-21-acetate, testosterone propionate, 17α-methyltestosterone, 6α-methylprednisolone and medroxyprogesterone) and their metabolite (17α-hydroxyprogesterone) in three meat samples (chicken, pork and beef). Two different extraction approaches were tested (QuEChERS "quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe" and "dilute and shoot"), observing that the QuEChERS method provided the best results in terms of recovery. A clean-up step was applied comparing several sorbents, obtaining the best results when florisil and aluminum oxide were used. The optimized method was validated, obtaining suitable results for all validation parameters in the three meat matrices evaluated. Recovery values ranged from 70% to 103% (except for prednisone in beef samples), meanwhile repeatability and reproducibility were obtained at values lower than 18% and 21%, respectively. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was established for most of the compounds at 1.0 μg/kg, except for testosterone in chicken and hydrocortisone-21-acetate and cortisone-21-acetate in pork at 2.0 μg/kg. Decision limit (CCα) and detection capability (CCβ) values ranged from 1.0-2.7 μg/kg and 1.9-5.5 μg/kg, respectively, in the three matrices. Finally, thirty one meat samples were analyzed and two hormones, progesterone and hydrocortisone, were detected in a beef and pork sample at 1.7 and 2.8 μg/kg respectively. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toward a Serial International Approach of the High Mountain Observatories, within important Dark Sky Value

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cotte, Michel

2015-08-01

Practical approach of Dark Sky places as possible WH sites leads some of us to underline the exceptional role of high mountain observatories as “Windows to the Universe” for the Human being. Till today, such places keep very important dark sky properties and consequently important astronomical functions.We have to take count that quality of the sky at a given place and dark sky conservation policy is something very important, but not enough by itself to justify inscription on the WH List. It must be related to important cultural or/and natural value. That means presence of significant heritage features in the field of astronomy and science for listing as WH cultural property, or with other natural attributes of exceptional significance to be listed as WH natural property. Case of both natural and cultural WH high value place is also possible as “mixt WH site”.The Dark Sky place must also meet to a sufficient integrity/authenticity degree for the today tangible heritage of astronomy and to a very significant contribution to the international history of science and astronomy as intangible attribute of the place. That point must be demonstrated by a serious comparative analysis with similar places in the world and in the region. In case of serial nomination as examined there, each individual site must contribute significantly to the Outstanding Universal Value of the global series.First, we intend to give a short account of the today trend for a possible serial nomination of the most significant high mountain observatory keeping important heritage of their major periods for the sky observation (Western Europe, Chile, North America, etc.).Second, communication will present a case study with Pic du Midi in French Pyrenees, coming from the early origin of mountain scientific stations and observatories (end of 19th C) in Europe, with a long, continuous and important astronomical and scientific history till today with active programs of sky and atmosphere observations.

Exceptional thermoelectric performance of a "star-like" SnSe nanotube with ultra-low thermal conductivity and a high power factor.

PubMed

Lin, Chensheng; Cheng, Wendan; Guo, Zhengxiao; Chai, Guoliang; Zhang, Hao

2017-08-30

Efficient thermoelectric energy conversion is both crucial and challenging, and requires new material candidates by design. From first principles simulations, we identify that a "star-like" SnSe nanotube - with alternating dense and loose rings along the tube direction - gives rise to an ultra-low lattice thermal conductivity, 0.18 W m -1 K -1 at 750 K, and a large Seebeck coefficient, compared with single crystal SnSe. The power factor of the p-type SnSe nanotube reaches its maximum value of 235 μW cm -1 K -2 at a moderate doping level of around 10 20 -10 21 cm -3 . The p-type nanotube shows better thermoelectric properties than the n-type one. The phonon anharmonic scattering rate of the SnSe nanotube is larger than that of the SnSe crystal. All of these factors lead to an exceptional figure-of-merit (ZT) value of 3.5-4.6 under the optimal conditions, compared to 0.6-2.6 for crystalline SnSe. Such a large ZT value should lead to a six-fold increase in the energy conversion efficiency to about 30%.

Single-layer nanosheets with exceptionally high and anisotropic hydroxyl ion conductivity

PubMed Central

Sun, Pengzhan; Ma, Renzhi; Bai, Xueyin; Wang, Kunlin; Zhu, Hongwei; Sasaki, Takayoshi

2017-01-01

When the dimensionality of layered materials is reduced to the physical limit, an ultimate two-dimensional (2D) anisotropy and/or confinement effect may bring about extraordinary physical and chemical properties. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), bearing abundant hydroxyl groups covalently bonded within 2D host layers, have been proposed as inorganic anion conductors. However, typical hydroxyl ion conductivities for bulk or lamellar LDHs, generally up to 10−3 S cm−1, are considered not high enough for practical applications. We show that single-layer LDH nanosheets exhibited exceptionally high in-plane conductivities approaching 10−1 S cm−1, which were the highest among anion conductors and comparable to proton conductivities in commercial proton exchange membranes (for example, Nafion). The in-plane conductivities were four to five orders of magnitude higher than the cross-plane or cross-membrane values of restacked LDH nanosheets. This 2D superionic transport characteristic might have great promises in a variety of applications including alkaline fuel cells and water electrolysis. PMID:28439551

Plasticity of trophic interactions among sharks from the oceanic south-western Indian Ocean revealed by stable isotope and mercury analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiszka, Jeremy J.; Aubail, Aurore; Hussey, Nigel E.; Heithaus, Michael R.; Caurant, Florence; Bustamante, Paco

2015-02-01

Sharks are a major component of the top predator guild in oceanic ecosystems, but the trophic relationships of many populations remain poorly understood. We examined chemical tracers of diet and habitat (δ15N and δ13C, respectively) and total mercury (Hg) concentrations in muscle tissue of seven pelagic sharks: blue shark (Prionace glauca), short-fin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus), scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus), crocodile shark (Pseudocarcharias kamoharai) and silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis), from the data poor south-western tropical Indian Ocean. Minimal interspecific variation in mean δ15N values and a large degree of isotopic niche overlap - driven by high intraspecific variation in δ15N values - was observed among pelagic sharks. Similarly, δ13C values of sharks overlapped considerably for all species with the exception of P. glauca, which had more 13C-depleted values indicating possibly longer residence times in purely pelagic waters. Geographic variation in δ13C, δ15N and Hg were observed for P. glauca and I. oxyrinchus. Mean Hg levels were similar among species with the exception of P. kamoharai which had significantly higher Hg concentrations likely related to mesopelagic feeding. Hg concentrations increased with body size in I. oxyrinchus, P. glauca and C. longimanus. Values of δ15N and δ13C varied with size only in P. glauca, suggesting ontogenetic shifts in diets or habitats. Together, isotopic data indicate that - with few exceptions - variance within species in trophic interactions or foraging habitats is greater than differentiation among pelagic sharks in the south-western Indian Ocean. Therefore, it is possible that this group exhibits some level of trophic redundancy, but further studies of diets and fine-scale habitat use are needed to fully test this hypothesis.

Oxygen-isotopic Compositions of Low-FeO relicts in High-FeO Host Chondrules in Acfer 094, a Type 3.0 Carbonaceous Chondrite Closely Related to CM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, Alan E.; Kunihiro, Tak; Wasson, John T.

2006-01-01

With one exception, the low-FeO relict olivine grains within high-FeO porphyritic chondrules in the type 3.0 Acfer 094 carbonaceous chondrite have DELTA O-17 ( = delta O-17 - 0.52 X delta O-18) values that are substantially more negative than those of the high-FeO olivine host materials. These results are similar to observations made earlier on chondrules in C03.0 chondrites and are consistent with two independent models: (1) Nebular solids evolved from low-FeO, low-DELTA O-17 compositions towards high-FeO, more positive DELTA O-17 compositions; and (2) the range of compositions resulted from the mixing of two independently formed components. The two models predict different trajectories on a DELTA O-17 vs. log Fe/Mg (olivine) diagram, but our sample set has too few values at intermediate Fe/Mg ratios to yield a definitive answer. Published data showing that Acfer 094 has higher volatile contents than CO chondrites suggest a closer link to CM chondrites. This is consistent with the high modal matrix abundance in Acfer 094 (49 vol.%). Acfer 094 may be an unaltered CM chondrite or an exceptionally matrix-rich CO chondrite. Chondrules in Acfer 094 and in CO and CM carbonaceous chondrites appear to sample the same population. Textural differences between Acfer 094 and CM chondrites are largely attributable to the high degree of hydrothermal alteration that the CM chondrites experienced in an asteroidal setting.

The validation of ozone measurements from the improved stratospheric and mesospheric sounder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connor, Brian J.; Scheuer, Christopher J.; Chu, D. A.; Remedios, John J.; Marks, C. J.; Rodgers, Clive D.; Taylor, Fredric W.

1994-01-01

We present preliminary results of the validation of ozone measurements from the Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS). The indications are that the ISAMS provides ozone data which generally agrees with other experiments and climatological values, except in regions of large thermal gradients or high aerosol loading. Corrections for these effects will be included in future reprocessing of the data.

Exceptions to the Stark law: practical considerations for surgeons.

PubMed

Satiani, Bhagwan

2006-03-01

The purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the applicable legislative exceptions to prohibitions under the Stark law, which governs common legitimate business relationships in surgical practice. Stark I and II prohibits all referrals (and claims) for the provision of designated health services for federal reimbursement if a physician or immediate family member has any financial relationship with the entity. Regardless of intent (unlike the antikickback statute), any financial relationship is illegal unless specifically excepted by statute. These exceptions are relevant to ownership, compensation arrangements, or both. The most important ones relevant to surgeons are as follows: physician service exception (services rendered in an intragroup referral); in-office ancillary services exception (office-based vascular laboratory); the whole hospital exception (ownership interest in a hospital or department); lease exception (conditions that must be met for a lease not to be considered illegal); bona fide employment exception (important to academic medical centers); personal services arrangement exception (vascular laboratory medical directorship); physician incentive plans exception (if volume or value of referrals are an issue); hospital-affiliated group practice exception (physician services billed by a hospital); recruitment arrangement exception (inducements by hospitals to relocate); items/services exception (transcription services purchased from a hospital); fair market value exception (covers services provided to health care entities); indirect compensation arrangements (dealings between a hospital and entity owned by physicians); and academic medical centers exception (new phase II rules broaden the definition of academic medical centers and ease the requirement that practice plans be tax-exempt organizations, among other changes. Although expert legal advice is required for navigation through the maze of Stark laws, it is incumbent on surgeons in private practice and at academic centers to have basic knowledge of exceptions under this burdensome statute. Antikickback "safe harbors" provide some protection against possible Stark violations. Penalties for violating Stark laws are severe, including fines of up to $15,000 per service and the economic threat of exclusion from participation in federal health care programs.

Middle ear impedance measurements in large vestibular aqueduct syndrome.

PubMed

Bilgen, Cem; Kirkim, Günay; Kirazli, Tayfun

2009-06-01

To assess the effect of inner ear pressure on middle ear impedance in patients with large vestibular aqueduct syndrome (LVAS). Data from admittance tympanometry and multifrequency tympanometry on 8 LVAS patients and control subjects were studied. Static acoustic compliance (SAC) values for the ears with stable sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) were within the limits of the mean values of control groups except for two ears. The resonance frequency (RF) values of the ears with stable SNHL were lower than the mean values of control groups except for three ears. SAC values for the two ears with fluctuating SNHL were lower and the RF values were higher than the mean values of control groups. Decreased SAC values and increased RF values found in the ears with fluctuating SNHL might be an indirect indicator of increased inner ear pressure, while low RF values in the ears with stable SNHL might reflect the decreased inner ear impedance.

Investigation of degradation mechanisms in composite matrices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giori, C.; Yamauchi, T.

1982-01-01

Degradation mechanisms were investigated for graphite/polysulfone and graphite/epoxy laminates exposed to ultraviolet and high-energy electron radiations in vacuum up to 960 equivalent sun hours and 10 to the ninth power rads respectively. Based on GC and combined GC/MS analysis of volatile by-products evolved during irradiation, several free radical mechanisms of composite degradation were identified. The radiation resistance of different matrices was compared in terms of G values and quantum yields for gas formation. All the composite materials evaluated show high electron radiation stability and relatively low ultraviolet stability as indicated by low G values and high quantum for gas formation. Mechanical property measurements of irradiated samples did not reveal significant changes, with the possible exception of UV exposed polysulfone laminates. Hydrogen and methane were identified as the main by-products of irradiation, along with unexpectedly high levels of CO and CO2.

High conductance values in π-folded molecular junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carini, Marco; Ruiz, Marta P.; Usabiaga, Imanol; Fernández, José A.; Cocinero, Emilio J.; Melle-Franco, Manuel; Diez-Perez, Ismael; Mateo-Alonso, Aurelio

2017-05-01

Folding processes play a crucial role in the development of function in biomacromolecules. Recreating this feature on synthetic systems would not only allow understanding and reproducing biological functions but also developing new functions. This has inspired the development of conformationally ordered synthetic oligomers known as foldamers. Herein, a new family of foldamers, consisting of an increasing number of anthracene units that adopt a folded sigmoidal conformation by a combination of intramolecular hydrogen bonds and aromatic interactions, is reported. Such folding process opens up an efficient through-space charge transport channel across the interacting anthracene moieties. In fact, single-molecule conductance measurements carried out on this series of foldamers, using the scanning tunnelling microscopy-based break-junction technique, reveal exceptionally high conductance values in the order of 10-1 G0 and a low length decay constant of 0.02 Å-1 that exceed the values observed in molecular junctions that make use of through-space charge transport pathways.

Direct X-ray detection with hybrid solar cells based on organolead halide perovskites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gill, Hardeep Singh; Elshahat, Bassem; Sajo, Erno; Kumar, Jayant; Kokil, Akshay; Zygmanski, Piotr; Li, Lian; Mosurkal, Ravi

2014-03-01

Organolead halide perovskite materials are attracting considerable interest due to their exceptional opto-electronic properties, such as, high charge carrier mobilities, high exciton diffusion length, high extinction coefficients and broad-band absorption. These interesting properties have enabled their application in high performance hybrid photovoltaic devices. The high Z value of their constituents also makes these materials efficient for absorbing X-rays. Here we will present on the efficient use of hybrid solar cells based on organolead perovskite materials as X-ray detectors. Hybrid solar cells based on CH3NH3PbI3 were fabricated using facile processing techniques on patterned indium tin oxide coated glass substrates. The solar cells typically had a planar configuration of ITO/CH3NH3PbI3/P3HT/Ag. High sensitivity for X-rays due to high Z value, larger carrier mobility and better charge collection was observed. Detecting X-rays with energies relevant to medical oncology applications opens up the potential for diagnostic imaging applications.

Comparison of the color of natural teeth measured by a colorimeter and Shade Vision System.

PubMed

Cho, Byeong-Hoon; Lim, Yong-Kyu; Lee, Yong-Keun

2007-10-01

The objectives were to measure the difference in the color and color parameters of natural teeth measured by a tristimulus colorimeter (CM, used as a reference) and Shade Vision System (SV), and to determine the influence of color parameters on the color difference between the values measured by two instruments. Color of 12 maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth was measured by CM and SV for 47 volunteers (number of teeth=564). Color parameters such as CIE L*, a* and b* values, chroma and hue angle measured by two instruments were compared. Chroma was calculated as C*ab=(a*2 = b*2)1/2, and hue angle was calculated as h degrees =arctan(b*/a*). The influence of color parameters measured by CM on the color difference (DeltaE*(ab)) between the values measured by two instruments was analyzed with multiple regression analysis (alpha=0.01). Mean DeltaE*(ab) value between the values measured by two instruments was 21.7 (+/-3.7), and the mean difference in lightness (CIE L*) and chroma was 16.2 (+/-3.9) and 13.2 (+/-3.0), respectively. Difference in hue angle was high as 132.7 (+/-53.3) degrees . Except for the hue angle, all the color parameters showed significant correlations and the coefficient of determination (r(2)) was in the range of 0.089-0.478. Based on multiple regression analysis, the standardized partial correlation coefficient (beta) of the included predictors for the color difference was -0.710 for CIE L* and -0.300 for C*(ab) (p<0.01). All the color parameters showed significant but weak correlations except for hue angle. When lightness and chroma of teeth were high, color difference between the values measured by two instruments was small. Clinical accuracy of two instruments should be investigated further.

Electrocoagulation and nanofiltration integrated process application in purification of bilge water using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Akarsu, Ceyhun; Ozay, Yasin; Dizge, Nadir; Elif Gulsen, H; Ates, Hasan; Gozmen, Belgin; Turabik, Meral

Marine pollution has been considered an increasing problem because of the increase in sea transportation day by day. Therefore, a large volume of bilge water which contains petroleum, oil and hydrocarbons in high concentrations is generated from all types of ships. In this study, treatment of bilge water by electrocoagulation/electroflotation and nanofiltration integrated process is investigated as a function of voltage, time, and initial pH with aluminum electrode as both anode and cathode. Moreover, a commercial NF270 flat-sheet membrane was also used for further purification. Box-Behnken design combined with response surface methodology was used to study the response pattern and determine the optimum conditions for maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and minimum metal ion contents of bilge water. Three independent variables, namely voltage (5-15 V), initial pH (4.5-8.0) and time (30-90 min) were transformed to coded values. The COD removal percent, UV absorbance at 254 nm, pH value (after treatment), and concentration of metal ions (Ti, As, Cu, Cr, Zn, Sr, Mo) were obtained as responses. Analysis of variance results showed that all the models were significant except for Zn (P > 0.05), because the calculated F values for these models were less than the critical F value for the considered probability (P = 0.05). The obtained R(2) and Radj(2) values signified the correlation between the experimental data and predicted responses: except for the model of Zn concentration after treatment, the high R(2) values showed the goodness of fit of the model. While the increase in the applied voltage showed negative effects, the increases in time and pH showed a positive effect on COD removal efficiency; also the most effective linear term was found as time. A positive sign of the interactive coefficients of the voltage-time and pH-time systems indicated synergistic effect on COD removal efficiency, whereas interaction between voltage and pH showed an antagonistic effect.

Automated measurement of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin using the Bio-Rad %CDT by the HPLC test on a Variant HPLC system: evaluation and comparison with other routine procedures.

PubMed

Schellenberg, François; Mennetrey, Louise; Girre, Catherine; Nalpas, Bertrand; Pagès, Jean Christophe

2008-01-01

In this study, we evaluated the new %CDT by the HPLC method (Bio-Rad, Germany) on a Varianttrade mark HPLC system (Bio-Rad), checked the correlation with well-known methods and calculated the diagnostic value of the test. Intra-run and day-to-day precision values were calculated for samples with extreme serum transferrin concentrations, high trisialotransferrin and interfering conditions (haemolysed, lactescent and icteric samples). The method was compared with two routine procedures, the %CDT TIA (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA) and the Capillarystrade mark CDT (Sebia, France). A total of 350 clinical sera samples were used for a case-control study. Precision values were better in high CDT and medium CDT pools than in low CDT pools. The serum transferrin concentration had no effect on CDT measurement, except in samples with serum transferrin <1 g/L. Haemolysis was the only interfering situation. The method showed high correlation (r(2) > 0.95) with the two other methods (%CDT TIA and CZE %CDT). The global predictive value of the test was >0.90 at 1.9% cut-off. These results demonstrate that the %CDT by the HPLC test is suitable for CDT routine measurement; the results from the high-throughput Varianttrade mark system are well correlated with other methods and are of high diagnostic value.

Accelerated Discovery of High-Refractive-Index Polymers Using First-Principles Modeling, Virtual High-Throughput Screening, and Data Mining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afzal, Mohammad Atif Faiz; Cheng, Chong; Hachmann, Johannes

Organic materials with refractive index (RI) values higher than 1.7 have attracted considerable interest in recent years due to the tremendous potential for their application in optical, optometric, and optoelectronic devices, and thus for shaping technological innovation in numerous related areas. Our work is concerned with creating predictive models for the optical properties of organic polymers, which will guide our experimentalist partners and allow them to target the most promising candidates. The RI model is developed based on a synergistic combination of first-principles electronic structure theory and machine learning techniques. The RI values predicted for common polymers using this model are in very good agreement with the experimental values. We also benchmark different DFT approximations along with various basis sets for their predictive performance in this model. We demonstrate that this combination of first-principles and data modeling is both successful and highly economical in determining the RI values of a wide range of organic polymers. To accelerate the development process, we cast this modeling approach into the high-throughput screening, materials informatics, and rational design framework that is developed in the group. This framework is a powerful tool and has shown to be highly promising for rapidly identifying polymer candidates with exceptional RI values as well as discovering design rules for advanced materials.

A high resolution computer tomography scoring system to predict culture-positive pulmonary tuberculosis in the emergency department.

PubMed

Yeh, Jun-Jun; Neoh, Choo-Aun; Chen, Cheng-Ren; Chou, Christine Yi-Ting; Wu, Ming-Ting

2014-01-01

This study evaluated the use of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) to predict the presence of culture-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in adult patients with pulmonary lesions in the emergency department (ED). The study included a derivation phase and validation phase with a total of 8,245 patients with pulmonary disease. There were 132 patients with culture-positive PTB in the derivation phase and 147 patients with culture-positive PTB in the validation phase. Imaging evaluation of pulmonary lesions included morphology and segmental distribution. The post-test probability ratios between both phases in three prevalence areas were analyzed. In the derivation phase, a multivariate analysis model identified cavitation, consolidation, and clusters/nodules in right or left upper lobe (except anterior segment) and consolidation of the superior segment of the right or left lower lobe as independent positive factors for culture-positive PTB, while consolidation of the right or left lower lobe (except superior segment) were independent negative factors. An ideal cutoff point based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was obtained at a score of 1. The sensitivity, specificity, positivity predictive value, and negative predictive value from derivation phase were 98.5% (130/132), 99.7% (3997/4008), 92.2% (130/141), and 99.9% (3997/3999). Based on the predicted positive likelihood ratio value of 328.33 in derivation phase, the post-test probability was observed to be 91.5% in the derivation phase, 92.5% in the validation phase, 94.5% in a high TB prevalence area, 91.0% in a moderate prevalence area, and 76.8% in moderate-to-low prevalence area. Our model using HRCT, which is feasible to perform in the ED, can promptly diagnose culture-positive PTB in moderate and moderate-to-low prevalence areas.

31 CFR 101.7 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... TREASURY MITIGATION OF FORFEITURE OF COUNTERFEIT GOLD COINS § 101.7 Exceptions. The provisions of this part shall not apply where the cost of smelting the gold coins exceeds the value of the gold bullion to be...

31 CFR 101.7 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... TREASURY MITIGATION OF FORFEITURE OF COUNTERFEIT GOLD COINS § 101.7 Exceptions. The provisions of this part shall not apply where the cost of smelting the gold coins exceeds the value of the gold bullion to be...

31 CFR 101.7 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... TREASURY MITIGATION OF FORFEITURE OF COUNTERFEIT GOLD COINS § 101.7 Exceptions. The provisions of this part shall not apply where the cost of smelting the gold coins exceeds the value of the gold bullion to be...

31 CFR 101.7 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... TREASURY MITIGATION OF FORFEITURE OF COUNTERFEIT GOLD COINS § 101.7 Exceptions. The provisions of this part shall not apply where the cost of smelting the gold coins exceeds the value of the gold bullion to be...

Hematologic and serum chemistry reference intervals for free-ranging lions (Panthera leo).

PubMed

Maas, Miriam; Keet, Dewald F; Nielen, Mirjam

2013-08-01

Hematologic and serum chemistry values are used by veterinarians and wildlife researchers to assess health status and to identify abnormally high or low levels of a particular blood parameter in a target species. For free-ranging lions (Panthera leo) information about these values is scarce. In this study 7 hematologic and 11 serum biochemistry values were evaluated from 485 lions from the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Significant differences between sexes and sub-adult (≤ 36 months) and adult (>36 months) lions were found for most of the blood parameters and separate reference intervals were made for those values. The obtained reference intervals include the means of the various blood parameter values measured in captive lions, except for alkaline phosphatase in the subadult group. These reference intervals can be utilized for free-ranging lions, and may likely also be used as reference intervals for captive lions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plant growth-promoting activities of Streptomyces spp. in sorghum and rice.

PubMed

Gopalakrishnan, Subramaniam; Srinivas, Vadlamudi; Sree Vidya, Meesala; Rathore, Abhishek

2013-01-01

Five strains of Streptomyces (CAI-24, CAI-121, CAI-127, KAI-32 and KAI-90) were earlier reported by us as biological control agents against Fusarium wilt of chickpea caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri (FOC). In the present study, the Streptomyces were characterized for enzymatic activities, physiological traits and further evaluated in greenhouse and field for their plant growth promotion (PGP) of sorghum and rice. All the Streptomyces produced lipase, β-1-3-glucanase and chitinase (except CAI-121 and CAI-127), grew in NaCl concentrations of up to 6%, at pH values between 5 and 13 and temperatures between 20 and 40°C and were highly sensitive to Thiram, Benlate, Captan, Benomyl and Radonil at field application level. When the Streptomyces were evaluated in the greenhouse on sorghum all the isolates significantly enhanced all the agronomic traits over the control. In the field, on rice, the Streptomyces significantly enhanced stover yield (up to 25%; except CAI-24), grain yield (up to 10%), total dry matter (up to 18%; except CAI-24) and root length, volume and dry weight (up to 15%, 36% and 55%, respectively, except CAI-24) over the control. In the rhizosphere soil, the Streptomyces significantly enhanced microbial biomass carbon (except CAI-24), nitrogen, dehydrogenase (except CAI-24), total N, available P and organic carbon (up to 41%, 52%, 75%, 122%, 53% and 13%, respectively) over the control. This study demonstrates that the selected Streptomyces which were antagonistic to FOC also have PGP properties.

Can superior natural amenities create high-quality employment opportunities? The case of nonconsumptive river recreation in central Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKean, J.R.; Johnson, D.M.; Johnson, Richard L.; Taylor, R.G.

2005-01-01

Central Idaho has superior environmental amenities, as evidenced by exceptionally high-value tourism, such as guided whitewater rafting. The focus of our study concerns the attainment of high-quality jobs in a high-quality natural environment. We estimate cumulative wage rate effects unique to nonconsumptive river recreation in central Idaho for comparison with other sectors. The cumulative effects are based on a detailed survey of recreation spending and a modified synthesized input–output model. Cumulative wage rate effects support using the abundance of environmental amenities to expand and attract high-wage, environmentally sensitive firms, as opposed to expanded tourism to improve employment quality.

Lactic acid bacterium and yeast microbiotas of sixteen French traditional sourdoughs.

PubMed

Lhomme, Emilie; Lattanzi, Anna; Dousset, Xavier; Minervini, Fabio; De Angelis, Maria; Lacaze, Guylaine; Onno, Bernard; Gobbetti, Marco

2015-12-23

Sixteen sourdoughs (FS1-FS16) used for the manufacture of traditional French breads were characterized by strongly acid conditions (median value of pH 3.5). The concentration of free amino acids (FAA) was highly variable, due to different proteolytic activity of flour used for back slopping and of dominant microorganisms. Median value of cell density of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was 9.2 log CFU/g. The ratio between LAB and yeasts ranged from 10,000:1 to 10:1. According to the culture-dependent method and 16S metagenetics, Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis was the dominant species in French sourdoughs. FS5 and FS15, propagated according to protocols including one back slopping step at 14 °C, were the only exceptions. High positive correlations were found between L. sanfranciscensis, temperature of back slopping and FAA. The results of this study highlighted the broad adaptability of L. sanfranciscensis to very acid sourdough. Besides species frequently encountered (e.g., Lactobacillus parabrevis/Lactobacillus hammesii, Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides), first Lactobacillus xiangfangensis (FS5) and Lactobacillus diolivorans (FS15) were found in sourdough. As determined by RAPD-PCR analyses, the sourdough samples showed a different number of strains, ranging from 5 (FS9, FS11 and FS15) to 12 (FS1 and FS13), meaning a highly variable bacterial diversity. Cluster analysis showed that different sourdoughs, especially when propagated in the same bakery, may harbor similar strains. Except for L. plantarum (FS5) and Ln. mesenteroides (FS3), all the dominant species were detected by both 16S metagenetics and culture-dependent method. Yeast diversity was lower than LAB. Except for FS4 (solely dominated by Kazachstania servazzii), yeast microbiota of French sourdoughs was dominated by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Strains isolated in this study could be a useful base for developing new basic researches on physiology, metabolism, and intraspecific diversity of L. sanfranciscensis, as well as for standardizing the quality of traditional French breads. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Significant genetic differentiation among populations of Anomalocardia brasiliana (Gmelin, 1791): A bivalve with planktonic larval dispersion

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Four Brazilian populations of Anomalocardia brasiliana were tested for mutual genetic homogeneity, using data from 123 sequences of the mtDNA cytochrome oxidase c subunit I gene. A total of 36 haplotypes were identified, those shared being H3 (Canela Island, Prainha and Acupe) and both H5 and H9 (Prainha and Acupe). Haplotype diversity values were high, except for the Camurupim population, whereas nucleotide values were low in all the populations, except for that of Acupe. Only the Prainha population showed a deviation from neutrality and the SSD test did not reject the demographic expansion hypothesis. Fst values showed that the Prainha and Acupe populations represent a single stock, whereas in both the Canela Island and Camurupim stocks, population structures are different and independent. The observed structure at Canela Island may be due to the geographic distance between this population and the remainder. The Camurupim population does not share any haplotype with the remaining populations in northeastern Brazil. The apparent isolation could be due to the rocky barrier located facing the mouth of the Mamanguape River. The results highlight the importance of wide-scale studies to identify and conserve local genetic diversity, especially where migration is restricted. PMID:21637701

An improved high-performance lithium-air battery.

PubMed

Jung, Hun-Gi; Hassoun, Jusef; Park, Jin-Bum; Sun, Yang-Kook; Scrosati, Bruno

2012-06-10

Although dominating the consumer electronics markets as the power source of choice for popular portable devices, the common lithium battery is not yet suited for use in sustainable electrified road transport. The development of advanced, higher-energy lithium batteries is essential in the rapid establishment of the electric car market. Owing to its exceptionally high energy potentiality, the lithium-air battery is a very appealing candidate for fulfilling this role. However, the performance of such batteries has been limited to only a few charge-discharge cycles with low rate capability. Here, by choosing a suitable stable electrolyte and appropriate cell design, we demonstrate a lithium-air battery capable of operating over many cycles with capacity and rate values as high as 5,000 mAh g(carbon)(-1) and 3 A g(carbon)(-1), respectively. For this battery we estimate an energy density value that is much higher than those offered by the currently available lithium-ion battery technology.

Formant characteristics of human laughter.

PubMed

Szameitat, Diana P; Darwin, Chris J; Szameitat, André J; Wildgruber, Dirk; Alter, Kai

2011-01-01

Although laughter is an important aspect of nonverbal vocalization, its acoustic properties are still not fully understood. Extreme articulation during laughter production, such as wide jaw opening, suggests that laughter can have very high first formant (F(1)) frequencies. We measured fundamental frequency and formant frequencies of the vowels produced in the vocalic segments of laughter. Vocalic segments showed higher average F(1) frequencies than those previously reported and individual values could be as high as 1100 Hz for male speakers and 1500 Hz for female speakers. To our knowledge, these are the highest F(1) frequencies reported to date for human vocalizations, exceeding even the F(1) frequencies reported for trained soprano singers. These exceptionally high F(1) values are likely to be based on the extreme positions adopted by the vocal tract during laughter in combination with physiological constraints accompanying the production of a "pressed" voice. Copyright © 2011 The Voice Foundation. All rights reserved.

Dissecting variation in biomass conversion factors across China's forests: implications for biomass and carbon accounting.

PubMed

Luo, Yunjian; Zhang, Xiaoquan; Wang, Xiaoke; Ren, Yin

2014-01-01

Biomass conversion factors (BCFs, defined as the ratios of tree components (i.e. stem, branch, foliage and root), as well as aboveground and whole biomass of trees to growing stock volume, Mg m-3) are considered as important parameters in large-scale forest biomass carbon estimation. To date, knowledge of possible sources of the variation in BCFs is still limited at large scales. Using our compiled forest biomass dataset of China, we presented forest type-specific values of BCFs, and examined the variation in BCFs in relation to forest type, stand development and environmental factors (climate and soil fertility). BCFs exhibited remarkable variation across forest types, and also were significantly related to stand development (especially growing stock volume). BCFs (except Stem BCF) had significant relationships with mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) (P<0.001). Climatic data (MAT and MAP) collectively explained 10.0-25.0% of the variation in BCFs (except Stem BCFs). Moreover, stronger climatic effects were found on BCFs for functional components (i.e. branch, foliage and root) than BCFs for combined components (i.e. aboveground section and whole trees). A general trend for BCFs was observed to decrease and then increase from low to high soil fertility. When qualitative soil fertility and climatic data (MAT and MAP) were combined, they explained 14.1-29.7% of the variation in in BCFs (except Stem BCFs), adding only 4.1-4.9% than climatic data used. Therefore, to reduce the uncertainty induced by BCFs in forest carbon estimates, we should apply values of BCFs for a specified forest type, and also consider climatic and edaphic effects, especially climatic effect, in developing predictive models of BCFs (except Stem BCF).

Dissecting Variation in Biomass Conversion Factors across China’s Forests: Implications for Biomass and Carbon Accounting

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiaoke; Ren, Yin

2014-01-01

Biomass conversion factors (BCFs, defined as the ratios of tree components (i.e. stem, branch, foliage and root), as well as aboveground and whole biomass of trees to growing stock volume, Mg m−3) are considered as important parameters in large-scale forest biomass carbon estimation. To date, knowledge of possible sources of the variation in BCFs is still limited at large scales. Using our compiled forest biomass dataset of China, we presented forest type-specific values of BCFs, and examined the variation in BCFs in relation to forest type, stand development and environmental factors (climate and soil fertility). BCFs exhibited remarkable variation across forest types, and also were significantly related to stand development (especially growing stock volume). BCFs (except Stem BCF) had significant relationships with mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) (P<0.001). Climatic data (MAT and MAP) collectively explained 10.0–25.0% of the variation in BCFs (except Stem BCFs). Moreover, stronger climatic effects were found on BCFs for functional components (i.e. branch, foliage and root) than BCFs for combined components (i.e. aboveground section and whole trees). A general trend for BCFs was observed to decrease and then increase from low to high soil fertility. When qualitative soil fertility and climatic data (MAT and MAP) were combined, they explained 14.1–29.7% of the variation in in BCFs (except Stem BCFs), adding only 4.1–4.9% than climatic data used. Therefore, to reduce the uncertainty induced by BCFs in forest carbon estimates, we should apply values of BCFs for a specified forest type, and also consider climatic and edaphic effects, especially climatic effect, in developing predictive models of BCFs (except Stem BCF). PMID:24728222

Investigation of dynamic properties of a polymer matrix composite with different angles of fiber orientations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadioglu, F.; Coskun, T.; Elfarra, M.

2018-05-01

For the dynamic values of fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite materials, elastic modulus and damping values are emphasized, and the two are desired to be high as much as possible, as the first is related to load bearing capacity, the latter provides the capability of energy absorption. In the composites, while fibers are usually utilized for reinforcement providing high elastic modulus and so high strength, matrix introduces a medium for high damping. Correct measurement of damping values is a critical step in designing composite materials. The aim of the current study is to measure the dynamic values of a glass fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite, Hexply 913/33%/UD280, produced by Hexcel, using a vibrating beam technique. The specimens with different angles of fiber orientations (0, ±10°, ±20°, ±35, ±45°, ±55°, ±70, ±80 and 90) were manufactured from the composite prepreg and subjected to the clamped-free boundary conditions. Two different methods, the half power bandwidth and the logarithmic free decay, were used to measure the damping values to be able to compare the results. It has been revealed that the dynamic values are affected by the fiber orientations; for high flexural modulus the specimens with small angles of orientation, but for high damping those with large angles of orientation should be preferred. In general, the results are comparable, and the free decay method gave smaller values compared to the bandwidth method, with a little exception. It is suggested that the results (data) obtained from the test can be used for modal analysis reliably.

Amorphous vanadium oxide coating on graphene by atomic layer deposition for stable high energy lithium ion anodes.

PubMed

Sun, Xiang; Zhou, Changgong; Xie, Ming; Hu, Tao; Sun, Hongtao; Xin, Guoqing; Wang, Gongkai; George, Steven M; Lian, Jie

2014-09-21

Uniform amorphous vanadium oxide films were coated on graphene via atomic layer deposition and the nano-composite displays an exceptional capacity of ~900 mA h g(-1) at 200 mAg(-1) with an excellent capacity retention at 1 A g(-1) after 200 cycles. The capacity contribution (1161 mA h g(-1)) from vanadium oxide only almost reaches its theoretical value.

Simple fundamental equation of state for liquid, gas, and fluid of argon, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplun, A. B.; Meshalkin, A. B.

2017-07-01

A new fundamental low-parametric equation of state in the form of reduced Helmholtz function for describing thermodynamic properties of normal substances was obtained using the methods and approaches developed earlier by the authors. It allows us to describe the thermal properties of gas, liquid, and fluid in the range from the density in ideal-gas state to the density at a triple point (except the critical region) with sufficiently high accuracy close to the accuracy of experiment. The caloric properties and sound velocity of argon, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide are calculated without involving any caloric data, except the ideal gas enthalpy. The obtained values of isochoric heat capacity, sound velocity, and other thermodynamic properties are in good agreement with experimental (reliable tabular) data.

A low-parametric state equation for calculating the thermodynamic properties of substances in liquid and gaseous state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplun, A. B.; Meshalkin, A. B.

2013-08-01

Using methods and approaches developed by the authors, a new low-parametric state equation for describing the thermal properties of normal substances is obtained that allows us to describe the thermal properties of gases, liquids, and fluids over a range of densities from the ideal gas state to the triple point, except for a critical region, with a high degree of accuracy close to that of an experiment. The caloric properties and speed of sound are calculated for argon, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide without using any caloric data except for the enthalpy of an ideal gas. It is established that the calculated values of enthalpy, heat capacity, the speed of speed of sound, etc., are in good agreement with the experimental (reliably tabulated) data.

In situ evaluation of the fruit and oil characteristics of the main Lebanese olive germplasm.

PubMed

Chehade, Ali; Bitar, Ahmad El; Kadri, Aline; Choueiri, Elia; Nabbout, Rania; Youssef, Hiyam; Smeha, Maha; Awada, Ali; Chami, Ziad Al; Dubla, Eustachio; Trani, Antonio; Mondelli, Donato; Famiani, Franco

2016-05-01

Very little information is available on the characteristics of the Lebanese olive germplasm. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the fruit and oil characteristics of the main Lebanese olive varieties (Aayrouni, Abou chawkeh, Baladi, Del and Soury) from two successive crop seasons (2010-2011). All of the genotypes had medium-high oil content in the fruit, indicating their suitability for oil production; Aayrouni had particularly high values. The variety Abou chawkeh also had a high pulp/pit ratio, which is a very desirable trait in table olives. For all the varieties the values of free fatty acids, peroxide values, absorbances in ultraviolet, fatty acid composition, sterol content and composition and erythrodiol + uvaol content of the oils were within the requirements of the International Olive Council's Trade Standard for extra virgin olive oil. The only exception was for the values of Δ-7-stigmastenol in 2011 in Soury and, especially, in Baladi, which were higher than 0.5%. In some cases, stearic and arachidic acids fluctuated around the maximum values allowed. The findings of this study provide a first picture of the main characteristics of olives and oils currently produced in Lebanon. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

EVALUATION OF THE I-STAT PORTABLE CLINICAL ANALYZER FOR MEASUREMENT OF IONIZED CALCIUM AND SELECTED BLOOD CHEMISTRY VALUES IN ASIAN ELEPHANTS (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS).

PubMed

Tarbert, Danielle K; Behling-Kelly, Erica; Priest, Heather; Childs-Sanford, Sara

2017-06-01

Thei-STAT® portable clinical analyzer (PCA) provides patient-side results for hematologic, biochemical, and blood gas values when immediate results are desired. This analyzer is commonly used in nondomestic animals; however, validation of this method in comparison with traditional benchtop methods should be performed for each species. In this study, the i-STAT PCA was compared with the Radiometer ABL 800 Flex benchtop analyzer using 24 heparinized whole blood samples obtained from healthy E. maximus . In addition, the effect of sample storage was evaluated on the i-STAT PCA. Analytes evaluated were hydrogen ion concentration (pH), glucose, potassium (K + ), sodium (Na + ), bicarbonate (HCO 3 - ), total carbon dioxide (TCO 2 ), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO 2 ), and ionized calcium (iCa 2+ ). Statistical analysis using correlation coefficients, Passing-Bablok regression analysis, and Bland-Altman plots found good agreement between results from samples run immediately after phlebotomy and 4 hr postsampling on the i-STAT PCA with the exception of K + , which is known to change with sample storage. Comparison of the results from the two analyzers at 4 hr postsampling found very strong or strong correlation in all values except K + , with statistically significant bias in all values except glucose and PCO 2 . Despite bias, mean differences assessed via Bland-Altman plots were clinically acceptable for all analytes excluding K + . Within the reference range for iCa 2+ , the iCa 2+ values obtained by the i-STAT PCA and Radiometer ABL 800 Flex were close in value, however in light of the constant and proportionate biases detected, overestimation at higher values and underestimation at lower values of iCa 2+ by the i-STAT PCA would be of potential concern. This study supports the use of the i-STAT PCA for the evaluation of these analytes, with the exception of K + , in the Asian elephant.

Effect of dietary restriction on sperm characteristic and oxidative status on testicular tissue in young rats exposed to long-term heat stress.

PubMed

Aydilek, N; Varisli, O; Kocyigit, A; Taskin, A; Kaya, M S

2015-11-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary restriction on oxidative status and sperm parameters in rats exposed to long-term heat stress. Forty healthy Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 2.5 month, were divided into four groups of 10 with respect to feeding and temperature regimen (room temperature (22 °C)-ad libitum, room temperature-dietary restriction (40%), high temperature (38 °C)-ad libitum, high temperature-dietary restriction). At the end of the 9th week, some oxidants (lipid hydroperoxide, total oxidant status, oxidative stress index) and antioxidants (total antioxidant status, sulfhydryl groups, ceruloplasmin, paraoxonase and arylesterase activities) were measured in the testis tissue. The concentration, motility, volume, abnormal sperm count, acrosome and membrane integrity of epididymal spermatozoon and intratesticular testosterone levels were evaluated. High temperature did not change oxidative and antioxidative parameters except for sulfhydryl groups and ceruloplasmin, yet it impaired all sperm values. Neither sperm values nor oxidative status apart from sulfhydryl groups, ceruloplasmin and arylesterase was affected by dietary restriction in the testis tissue. These results suggest that long-term heat stress does not have a significant effect on testicular oxidative status, while the spermatozoa are sensitive to heat stress in young rats. Dietary restriction failed to improve the sperm quality and oxidative status except some individual antioxidant parameters; conversely, it decreased intratesticular testosterone level in the young rats exposed to long-term heat stress. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

7 CFR 1221.17 - Net market value.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Net market value. 1221.17 Section 1221.17 Agriculture... INFORMATION ORDER Sorghum Promotion, Research, and Information Order Definitions § 1221.17 Net market value. Net market value means: (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b)and (c) of this section, the value...

Wide spread cross resistance to pyrethroids in Aedes aegypti (L.) from Veracruz State Mexico

PubMed Central

Flores, Adriana E.; Ponce, Gustavo; Silva, Brenda G.; Gutierrez, Selene M.; Bobadilla, Cristina; Lopez, Beatriz; Mercado, Roberto; Black, William C.

2014-01-01

Seven F1 strains of Aedes aegypti (L.) were evaluated by bottle bioassay for resistance to the pyrethroids d-phenothrin, permethrin, deltamethrin, λ-cyalothrin, bifenthrin, cypermethrin, α-cypermethrin and z-cypermethrin. The New Orleans strain was used as a susceptible control. Mortality rates after a 1h exposure and following a 24h recovery period were determined. The resistance ratio between the 50% knockdown values (RRKC50) of the F1 and New Orleans strains indicated high levels of knockdown resistance (kdr). The RRKC50 with α-cypermethrin varied from 10–100 among strains indicating high levels of kdr. Most of the strains had moderate resistance to d-phenothrin. Significant but much lower levels of resistance were detected for λ–cyalothrin, permethrin and cypermethrin. For z-cypermethrin and bifenthrin, only one strain exhibited resistance with RRKC50 values of 10- and 21-fold, respectively. None of the strains showed RRKC50 >10 with deltamethrin, and moderate resistance was seen in three strains, while the rest were susceptible. Mosquitoes from all strains exhibited some recovery from all pyrethroids except d-phenothrin. Regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between RRLC50 and RRKC50. Both were highly correlated (R2 = 0.84 – 0.97) so that the slope could be used to determine how much additional pyrethroid was needed to insure lethality. Slopes ranged from 0.875 for d-phenothrin (RRLC50 ≃ RRKC50) to 8.67 for λ–cyalothrin (~8.5 fold more insecticide needed to kill). Both RRLC50 and RRKC50 values were highly correlated for all pyrethroids except bifenthrin indicating strong cross resistance. Bifenthrin appears to be an alternative pyrethroid without strong cross resistance that could be used as an alternative to the current widespread use of permethrin in Mexico. PMID:23786088

Factors affecting running performance in 6-12-year-olds: The Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP).

PubMed

Fredriksen, Per Morten; Mamen, Asgeir; Gammelsrud, Heidi; Lindberg, Morten; Hjelle, Ole Petter

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study was to examine factors affecting running performance in children. A cross-sectional study exploring the relationships between height, weight, waist circumference, muscle mass, body fat percentage, relevant biomarkers, and the Andersen intermittent running test in 2272 children aged 6 to 12 years. Parental education level was used as a non-physiological explanatory variable. Mean values (SD) and percentiles are presented as reference values. Height (β = 6.4, p < .0001), high values of haemoglobin (β = 18, p = .013) and low percentage of body fat (β = -7.5, p < .0001) showed an association with results from the running test. In addition, high parental education level showed a positive association with the running test. Boys display better running performance than girls at all age ages, except 7 years old, probably because of additional muscle mass and less fatty tissue. Height and increased level of haemoglobin positively affected running performance. Lower body fat percentage and high parental education level correlated with better running performance.

Morphological responses of wheat to changes in phytochrome photoequilibrium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnes, C.; Bugbee, B.

1991-01-01

Wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L.) were grown at the same photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), 200 micromoles per square meter per second, but with phytochrome photoequilibrium (phi) values of 0.81, 0.55, and 0.33. Plants grown at phi values of 0.55 and 0.33 tillered 43 and 56%, less compared with plants grown at phi of 0.81. Main culm development (Haun stage) was slightly more advanced at lower values of phi, and leaf sheaths, but not leaf lamina, were longer at lower phi. Dry-mass accumulation was not affected by different levels of phi. Three levels of PPF (100, 200, and 400 micromoles per square meter per second) and two lamp types, metal halide and high pressure sodium, were also tested. Higher levels of PPF resulted in more dry mass, more tillering, and a more advanced Haun stage. There was no difference in plant dry mass or development under metal halide versus high pressure sodium lamps, except for total leaf length, which was greater under high pressure sodium lamps (49.5 versus 44.9 centimeters, P < 0.01).

48 CFR 1404.7003 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... operational purposes that have no public interest, educational, scientific, or research value; (b) Classified... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Exceptions. 1404.7003 Section 1404.7003 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE...

26 CFR 1.197-0 - Table of contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

.... (9) Covenants not to compete and other similar arrangements. (10) Franchises, trademarks, and trade...) Exceptions. (10) Professional sports franchises. (11) Mortgage servicing rights. (12) Certain transaction... going concern value. (2) Franchise, trademark, or trade name. (i) In general. (ii) Exceptions. (3...

26 CFR 1.197-0 - Table of contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

.... (9) Covenants not to compete and other similar arrangements. (10) Franchises, trademarks, and trade...) Exceptions. (10) Professional sports franchises. (11) Mortgage servicing rights. (12) Certain transaction... going concern value. (2) Franchise, trademark, or trade name. (i) In general. (ii) Exceptions. (3...

26 CFR 1.197-0 - Table of contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

.... (9) Covenants not to compete and other similar arrangements. (10) Franchises, trademarks, and trade...) Exceptions. (10) Professional sports franchises. (11) Mortgage servicing rights. (12) Certain transaction... going concern value. (2) Franchise, trademark, or trade name. (i) In general. (ii) Exceptions. (3...

26 CFR 1.197-0 - Table of contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

.... (9) Covenants not to compete and other similar arrangements. (10) Franchises, trademarks, and trade...) Exceptions. (10) Professional sports franchises. (11) Mortgage servicing rights. (12) Certain transaction... going concern value. (2) Franchise, trademark, or trade name. (i) In general. (ii) Exceptions. (3...

Ada Compiler Validation Summary Report: NATO SWG on APSE Compiler for VAX/VMS to MC68020 Version VCM1.82-02, VAX 8350 under VMS 5.4-1 with CAIS 5.5E Host Motorola MVME 133XT (MC68020 bare machine) Target

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-06

and their respective value. Macro Parameter Macro Value SACCSIZE 32 $ AL IGNMENT 4 $COUNT-LAST 2 147 483 647 SDEFAULT KMNSIZE 2147483648 $DEFAULT-STOR...The subprogram raise..exception- Azif a raises the exception -described by the information record supplied as parameter. -In addition to the subprogram

Second-harmonic generation at angular incidence in a negative-positive index photonic band-gap structure.

PubMed

D'Aguanno, Giuseppe; Mattiucci, Nadia; Scalora, Michael; Bloemer, Mark J

2006-08-01

In the spectral region where the refractive index of the negative index material is approximately zero, at oblique incidence, the linear transmission of a finite structure composed of alternating layers of negative and positive index materials manifests the formation of a new type of band gap with exceptionally narrow band-edge resonances. In particular, for TM-polarized (transverse magnetic) incident waves, field values that can be achieved at the band edge may be much higher compared to field values achievable in standard photonic band-gap structures. We exploit the unique properties of these band-edge resonances for applications to nonlinear frequency conversion, second-harmonic generation, in particular. The simultaneous availability of high field localization and phase matching conditions may be exploited to achieve second-harmonic conversion efficiencies far better than those achievable in conventional photonic band-gap structures. Moreover, we study the role played by absorption within the negative index material, and find that the process remains efficient even for relatively high values of the absorption coefficient.

Ecological and Cultural Importance of a Species at Risk of Extinction, Pacific Lamprey, 1964-2002 Technical Report.

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

Close, David A.

2002-07-01

The cultural and ecological values of Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata) have not been understood by Euro-Americans and thus their great decline has almost gone unnoticed except by Native Americans, who elevated the issue and initiated research to restore its populations, at least in the Columbia Basin. They regard Pacific lamprey as a highly valued resource and as a result ksuyas (lamprey) has become one of their cultural icons. Ksuyas are harvested to this day as a subsistence food by various tribes along the Pacific coast and are highly regarded for their cultural value. Interestingly, our review suggests that the Pacificmore » lamprey plays an important role in the food web, may have acted as a buffer for salmon from predators, and may have been an important source of marine nutrients to oligotrophic watersheds. This is very different from the Euro-American perception that lampreys are pests. We suggest that cultural biases affected management policies.« less

Quantum models with energy-dependent potentials solvable in terms of exceptional orthogonal polynomials

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

Schulze-Halberg, Axel, E-mail: axgeschu@iun.edu; Department of Physics, Indiana University Northwest, 3400 Broadway, Gary IN 46408; Roy, Pinaki, E-mail: pinaki@isical.ac.in

We construct energy-dependent potentials for which the Schrödinger equations admit solutions in terms of exceptional orthogonal polynomials. Our method of construction is based on certain point transformations, applied to the equations of exceptional Hermite, Jacobi and Laguerre polynomials. We present several examples of boundary-value problems with energy-dependent potentials that admit a discrete spectrum and the corresponding normalizable solutions in closed form.

Statistical tests to compare motif count exceptionalities

PubMed Central

Robin, Stéphane; Schbath, Sophie; Vandewalle, Vincent

2007-01-01

Background Finding over- or under-represented motifs in biological sequences is now a common task in genomics. Thanks to p-value calculation for motif counts, exceptional motifs are identified and represent candidate functional motifs. The present work addresses the related question of comparing the exceptionality of one motif in two different sequences. Just comparing the motif count p-values in each sequence is indeed not sufficient to decide if this motif is significantly more exceptional in one sequence compared to the other one. A statistical test is required. Results We develop and analyze two statistical tests, an exact binomial one and an asymptotic likelihood ratio test, to decide whether the exceptionality of a given motif is equivalent or significantly different in two sequences of interest. For that purpose, motif occurrences are modeled by Poisson processes, with a special care for overlapping motifs. Both tests can take the sequence compositions into account. As an illustration, we compare the octamer exceptionalities in the Escherichia coli K-12 backbone versus variable strain-specific loops. Conclusion The exact binomial test is particularly adapted for small counts. For large counts, we advise to use the likelihood ratio test which is asymptotic but strongly correlated with the exact binomial test and very simple to use. PMID:17346349

14C content in vegetation in the vicinities of Brazilian nuclear power reactors.

PubMed

Dias, Cíntia Melazo; Santos, Roberto Ventura; Stenström, Kristina; Nícoli, Iêda Gomes; Skog, Göran; da Silveira Corrêa, Rosangela

2008-07-01

(14)C specific activities were measured in grass samples collected around Brazilian nuclear power reactors. The specific activity values varied between 227 and 299 Bq/kg C. Except for two samples which showed (14)C specific activities 22% above background values, half of the samples showed background specific activities, and the other half had a (14)C excess of 1-18%. The highest specific activities were found close to the nuclear power plants and along the main wind directions (NE and NNE). The activity values were found to decrease with increasing distance from the reactors. The unexpectedly high (14)C excess values found in two samples were related to the local topography, which favors (14)C accumulation and limits the dispersion of the plume. The results indicate a clear (14)C anthropogenic signal within 5 km around the nuclear power plants which is most prominent along northeastwards, the prevailing wind direction.

Groundwater Quality Assessment in the Upper East Region of Ghana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apambire, W. B.

2001-05-01

In Ghana, West Africa, fluoride occurs as a natural pollutant in some groundwaters, while the presence of isolated high levels of nitrate and arsenic in groundwater is due to human activities such as poor sanitation, garbage disposal and mining practices. The challenge for Ghana is to ensure that groundwater quality and environmental adversities such as water level decline are not compromised by attempts to increase water quantity. Concentrations of groundwater fluoride in the study area range from 0.11 to 4.60 mg/L, with the highest concentrations found in the fluorine-enriched Bongo granitoids. Eighty-five out of 400 wells sampled have fluoride concentrations above the World Health Organization maximum guideline value of 1.5 mg/L and thus causes dental fluorosis in children drinking from the wells. The distribution of fluoride in groundwater is highly related to the distribution of dental fluorosis in the UER. Nitrate concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 211.00 mg/L and the mean value was 16.11 mg/L. Twenty-one samples had concentrations in excess of the guideline value of 45 mg/L. Consumption of water in excess of the guideline value, by infants, may cause an infantile disease known as methaemoglobinaemia. It is inferred that groundwaters with exceptionally high NO3 values have been contaminated principally through human activities such as farming and waste disposal. This is because wells with high nitrate concentrations are all located in and around towns and sizable villages. Also, there is good correlation between Cl and NO3 (r = +0.74), suggesting that both elements come from the same sources of pollution. Only two well waters had concentrations of iron in excess of the guideline value of 0.3 mg/L. These samples come from shallow hand-dug wells. The maximum concentration of iron in groundwaters is 3.5 mg/L. The recommended guideline limit for Al in drinking water is 0.2 mg/L; two wells had Al concentrations of 12.0 and 4.0 mg/L, respectively. Other high concentrations of Al are associated with shallow wells and ponds. There is a highly positive correlation (r = +1) between Fe and Al, suggesting that dissolution of weathered lateritic material (e.g., Fe oxides, gibbsite, etc.) is the common source for these elements. Manganese concentrations are generally within acceptable limits, except for 11 wells that have concentrations above the guideline limit of 0.1 mg/L. These anomalous concentrations may be associated with manganiferous deposits in the study area. A majority of the samples contain very low concentrations of the trace elements Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, As and Se; however, the highest concentrations occur in areas where small-scale mining is practiced.

19 CFR 10.1016 - Value of materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... included under paragraph (a) of this section, may be added to the value of the originating material: (i... 19 Customs Duties 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Value of materials. 10.1016 Section 10.1016... Agreement Rules of Origin § 10.1016 Value of materials. (a) Calculating the value of materials. Except as...

19 CFR 10.916 - Value of materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... added to the value of the originating material: (i) The costs of freight, insurance, packing, and all... 19 Customs Duties 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Value of materials. 10.916 Section 10.916 Customs... Rules of Origin § 10.916 Value of materials. (a) Calculating the value of materials. Except as provided...

19 CFR 10.1016 - Value of materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... included under paragraph (a) of this section, may be added to the value of the originating material: (i... 19 Customs Duties 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Value of materials. 10.1016 Section 10.1016... Agreement Rules of Origin § 10.1016 Value of materials. (a) Calculating the value of materials. Except as...

19 CFR 10.916 - Value of materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... added to the value of the originating material: (i) The costs of freight, insurance, packing, and all... 19 Customs Duties 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Value of materials. 10.916 Section 10.916 Customs... Rules of Origin § 10.916 Value of materials. (a) Calculating the value of materials. Except as provided...

19 CFR 10.1016 - Value of materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... included under paragraph (a) of this section, may be added to the value of the originating material: (i... 19 Customs Duties 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Value of materials. 10.1016 Section 10.1016... Agreement Rules of Origin § 10.1016 Value of materials. (a) Calculating the value of materials. Except as...

19 CFR 10.916 - Value of materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... added to the value of the originating material: (i) The costs of freight, insurance, packing, and all... 19 Customs Duties 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Value of materials. 10.916 Section 10.916 Customs... Rules of Origin § 10.916 Value of materials. (a) Calculating the value of materials. Except as provided...

Exceptional running and turning performance in a mite.

PubMed

Rubin, Samuel; Young, Maria Ho-Yan; Wright, Jonathan C; Whitaker, Dwight L; Ahn, Anna N

2016-03-01

The Southern California endemic mite Paratarsotomus macropalpis was filmed in the field on a concrete substrate and in the lab to analyze stride frequency, gait and running speed under different temperature conditions and during turning. At ground temperatures ranging from 45 to 60 °C, mites ran at a mean relative speed of 192.4 ± 2.1 body lengths (BL) s(-1), exceeding the highest previously documented value for a land animal by 12.5%. Stride frequencies were also exceptionally high (up to 135 Hz), and increased with substrate temperature. Juveniles exhibited higher relative speeds than adults and possess proportionally longer legs, which allow for greater relative stride lengths. Although mites accelerated and decelerated rapidly during straight running (7.2 ± 1.2 and -10.1 ± 2.1 m s(-2), respectively), the forces involved were comparable to those found in other animals. Paratarsotomus macropalpis employs an alternating tetrapod gait during steady running. Shallow turns were accomplished by a simple asymmetry in stride length. During tight turns, mites pivoted around the tarsus of the inside third leg (L3), which thus behaved like a grappling hook. Pivot turns were characterized by a 42% decrease in turning radius and a 40% increase in angular velocity compared with non-pivot turns. The joint angle amplitudes of the inner L2 and L3 were negligible during a pivot turn. While exceptional, running speeds in P. macropalpis approximate values predicted from inter-specific scaling relationships. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Access: Exceptional Children and Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. Div. for Exceptional Children.

The Exceptional Children and New Technology project sought to meet the instructional needs of physically handicapped, emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, and mentally handicapped children through the use of computer technology. The goals of the project were to test the instructional value of adaptive/assistive devices with exceptional…

Appropriate clinical use of human leukocyte antigen typing for coeliac disease: an Australasian perspective

PubMed Central

Tye-Din, J A; Cameron, D J S; Daveson, A J; Day, A S; Dellsperger, P; Hogan, C; Newnham, E D; Shepherd, S J; Steele, R H; Wienholt, L; Varney, M D

2015-01-01

The past decade has seen human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing emerge as a remarkably popular test for the diagnostic work-up of coeliac disease with high patient acceptance. Although limited in its positive predictive value for coeliac disease, the strong disease association with specific HLA genes imparts exceptional negative predictive value to HLA typing, enabling a negative result to exclude coeliac disease confidently. In response to mounting evidence that the clinical use and interpretation of HLA typing often deviates from best practice, this article outlines an evidence-based approach to guide clinically appropriate use of HLA typing, and establishes a reporting template for pathology providers to improve communication of results. PMID:25827511

19 CFR 10.536 - Value of materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Value of materials. 10.536 Section 10.536 Customs... Rules of Origin § 10.536 Value of materials. (a) Calculating the value of materials. Except as provided in § 10.541, for purposes of calculating the regional value content of a good under General Note 25(o...

19 CFR 10.536 - Value of materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Value of materials. 10.536 Section 10.536 Customs... Rules of Origin § 10.536 Value of materials. (a) Calculating the value of materials. Except as provided in § 10.541, for purposes of calculating the regional value content of a good under General Note 25(o...

19 CFR 10.536 - Value of materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Value of materials. 10.536 Section 10.536 Customs... Rules of Origin § 10.536 Value of materials. (a) Calculating the value of materials. Except as provided in § 10.541, for purposes of calculating the regional value content of a good under General Note 25(o...

19 CFR 10.536 - Value of materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Value of materials. 10.536 Section 10.536 Customs... Rules of Origin § 10.536 Value of materials. (a) Calculating the value of materials. Except as provided in § 10.541, for purposes of calculating the regional value content of a good under General Note 25(o...

19 CFR 10.536 - Value of materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Value of materials. 10.536 Section 10.536 Customs... Rules of Origin § 10.536 Value of materials. (a) Calculating the value of materials. Except as provided in § 10.541, for purposes of calculating the regional value content of a good under General Note 25(o...

Soil-plant-animal continuum in relation to macro and micro mineral status of dairy cattle in subtropical hill agro ecosystem.

PubMed

Kumaresan, A; Bujarbaruah, K M; Pathak, K A; Brajendra; Ramesh, T

2010-04-01

The purpose of the present study was to study the soil-plant-animal continuum in subtropical hilly areas. Soil (n = 96), fodder (n = 96), and blood serum samples from dairy cattle (n = 120) were collected from eight districts of Mizoram, a hilly state in India. The samples were digested using diacid mixture (HNO(3):HClO(4); 10:4) and analyzed for macro (Ca, P, Mg, Na, and K) and micro (Cu, Co, Mn, Fe, and Zn) mineral concentrations. The macro and micro mineral concentrations varied among the different districts. The correlation values between fodder and cattle were significant for all the minerals studied except for P and K. The correlation value between fodder and cattle was highly significant (P < 0.01) for Ca (0.878), Mg (0.88), Cu (0.885), and Zn (0.928). However, such correlations were not observed between the mineral levels in cattle and mineral levels in soil except for Ca (0.782). Equations developed in the present study for prediction of Ca (R(2) = 0.797), Mg (R(2) = 0.777), Zn (R(2) = 0.937), Fe (R(2) = 0.861), and Cu (R(2) = 0.794) had significant R(2) values. Further, it is inferred that dairy cattle reared under smallholder production system were deficient in most of the minerals and supplementation of required minerals is essential for optimum production.

Evaluation of How Integrative Oncology Services Are Valued between Hematology/Oncology Patients and Hematologists/Oncologists at a Tertiary Care Center.

PubMed

Hansra, D M; McIntyre, K; Ramdial, J; Sacks, S; Patrick, C S; Cutler, J; McIntyre, B; Feister, K; Miller, M; Taylor, A K; Farooq, F; de Mayolo, J Antunez; Ahn, E

2018-01-01

Evidence regarding opinions on integrative modalities by patients and physicians is lacking. Methods . A survey study was conducted assessing how integrative modalities were valued among hematology/oncology patients and hematologists and oncologists at a major tertiary medical center. Results. 1008 patients and 55 physicians were surveyed. With the exception of support groups, patients valued nutrition services, exercise therapy, spiritual/religious counseling, supplement/herbal advice, support groups, music therapy, and other complimentary medicine services significantly more than physicians ( P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion . With the exception of support groups, patients value integrative modalities more than physicians. Perhaps with increasing education, awareness, and acceptance by providers and traditional institutions, integrative modalities could be equally valued between patients and providers. It is possible that increased availability and utilization of integrative oncology modalities at tertiary hospital sites could improve patient satisfaction, quality of life, and other clinical endpoints.

26 CFR 1.382-1 - Table of contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... certain issuances of stock. (1) Introduction. (2) Small issuance exception. (i) In general. (ii) Small...) Adjustments for stock splits and similar transactions. (D) Exception. (iv) Short taxable years. (3) Other...) Computation of value. (c) Short taxable year. (d) Successive ownership changes and absorption of a section 382...

Platinum group element abundances in the upper continental crust revisited - New constraints from analyses of Chinese loess

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jung-Woo; Hu, Zhaochu; Gao, Shan; Campbell, Ian H.; Gong, Hujun

2012-09-01

Platinum group element (PGE) abundances in the upper continental crust (UCC) are poorly constrained with published values varying by up to an order of magnitude. We evaluated the validity of using loess to estimate PGE abundances in the UCC by measuring these elements in seven Chinese loess samples using a precise method that combines NiS fire assay with isotope dilution. Major and trace elements of the Chinese loess show a typical upper crustal composition and PGE abundances are consistent with literature data on Chinese loess, except for Ru, which is a factor of 10 lowe than published values. We suggest that the high Ru data and RuN/IrN values of Chinese loess reported by Peucker-Ehrenbrink and Jahn (2001) (Geochem. Geophys. Geosys.2, 2001GC000172) are an analytical artifact, rather than a true geochemical characteristic of loess because likely sources of loess are not significantly enriched in Ru and transport and deposition processes cannot preferentially enrich Ru in loess. The effect of eolian fractionation on PGE abundances in loess appears to be limited because Chinese loess from different locations shows similar PGE patterns and concentrations. This conclusion is supported by strong positive correlations between the PGE (except for Pt) and other compatible elements such as Fe2O3, Ni, Cr, Co. Using a compilation of PGE data for loess from China, Argentina and Europe, including our data but excluding one sample with an anomalously high Pt content, we propose average PGE abundances for global loess of Ir = 0.022 ppb (ng/g), Ru = 0.030 ppb, Rh = 0.018 ppb, Pt = 0.599 ppb, and Pd = 0.526 ppb, and suggest that these are the best current estimates for the PGE abundances of the UCC.

Beyond Values Clarification: Addressing Client Values in Clinical Behavior Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonow, Jordan T.; Follette, William C.

2009-01-01

Ethical principles of psychology, as exemplified in the American Psychological Association (APA) Code of Ethics (2002), provide impractical advice for addressing client values during psychotherapy. These principles seem to argue that each client's values should be respected and protected at all times, except in cases in which this would result in…

16 CFR 460.5 - R-value tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... INSULATION 460.5 R-value tests. R-value measures resistance to heat flow. R-values given in labels, fact...) All types of insulation except aluminum foil must be tested with ASTM C 177-04, “Standard Test Method for Steady-State Heat Flux Measurements and Thermal Transmission Properties by Means of the Guarded...

16 CFR 460.5 - R-value tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... INSULATION 460.5 R-value tests. R-value measures resistance to heat flow. R-values given in labels, fact...) All types of insulation except aluminum foil must be tested with ASTM C 177-04, “Standard Test Method for Steady-State Heat Flux Measurements and Thermal Transmission Properties by Means of the Guarded...

16 CFR 460.5 - R-value tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... INSULATION 460.5 R-value tests. R-value measures resistance to heat flow. R-values given in labels, fact...) All types of insulation except aluminum foil must be tested with ASTM C 177-04, “Standard Test Method for Steady-State Heat Flux Measurements and Thermal Transmission Properties by Means of the Guarded...

16 CFR 460.5 - R-value tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... INSULATION 460.5 R-value tests. R-value measures resistance to heat flow. R-values given in labels, fact...) All types of insulation except aluminum foil must be tested with ASTM C 177-04, “Standard Test Method for Steady-State Heat Flux Measurements and Thermal Transmission Properties by Means of the Guarded...

16 CFR 460.5 - R-value tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... INSULATION 460.5 R-value tests. R-value measures resistance to heat flow. R-values given in labels, fact...) All types of insulation except aluminum foil must be tested with ASTM C 177-04, “Standard Test Method for Steady-State Heat Flux Measurements and Thermal Transmission Properties by Means of the Guarded...

Non-destructive decontamination of building materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holecek, Josef; Otahal, Petr

2015-11-01

For nondestructive radiation decontamination of surfaces it is necessary to use varnishes, such as ARGONNE, DG1101, DG1108, etc. This text evaluates the use of manufactured strippable coatings for radiation decontamination. To evaluate decontamination capability of such coatings the following varnishes were selected and subsequently used: AZ 1-700 and AXAL 1807S. The varnishes were tested on different building materials surfaces contaminated by short-term radioisotopes of Na-24 or La-140, in water soluble or water insoluble forms. Decontamination quality was assessed by the decontamination efficiency value, defined as the proportion of removed activity to the applied activity. It was found that decontamination efficiency of both used varnishes depends not only on the form of contaminant, but in the case of application of AXAL 1807S varnish it also depends on the method of its application on the contaminated surface. The values of the decontamination efficiency for AZ1-700 varnish range from 46% for decontamination of a soluble form of the radioisotope from concrete surface to 98% for the decontamination of a soluble form of the radioisotope from ceramic tile surface. The decontamination efficiency values determined for AXAL 1807S varnish range from 48% for decontamination of a soluble form of the radioisotope from concrete surface to 96% for decontamination of an insoluble form of the radioisotope from ceramic tile surface. Comparing these values to the values given for the decontaminating varnishes we can conclude that AXAL 1807S varnish is possible to use on all materials, except highly porous materials, such as plasterboard or breeze blocks, or plastic materials. AZ 1-700 varnish can be used for all dry materials except plasterboard.

45 CFR 73a.735-504 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...'s decision. The following is an example of the format of such memorandum (in a hypothetical employee situation): (1) Employee: Joe Doe. (2) Title: Research Chemist. (3) Grade/Salary: GS-14. (4) Organization... designed to increase the value/shares of the “excepted” ABC Foods interests. This exception is considered...

45 CFR 73a.735-504 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...'s decision. The following is an example of the format of such memorandum (in a hypothetical employee situation): (1) Employee: Joe Doe. (2) Title: Research Chemist. (3) Grade/Salary: GS-14. (4) Organization... designed to increase the value/shares of the “excepted” ABC Foods interests. This exception is considered...

45 CFR 73a.735-504 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...'s decision. The following is an example of the format of such memorandum (in a hypothetical employee situation): (1) Employee: Joe Doe. (2) Title: Research Chemist. (3) Grade/Salary: GS-14. (4) Organization... designed to increase the value/shares of the “excepted” ABC Foods interests. This exception is considered...

45 CFR 73a.735-504 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...'s decision. The following is an example of the format of such memorandum (in a hypothetical employee situation): (1) Employee: Joe Doe. (2) Title: Research Chemist. (3) Grade/Salary: GS-14. (4) Organization... designed to increase the value/shares of the “excepted” ABC Foods interests. This exception is considered...

Feasibility Study of Using Gemstone Spectral Imaging (GSI) and Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction (ASIR) for Reducing Radiation and Iodine Contrast Dose in Abdominal CT Patients with High BMI Values.

PubMed

Zhu, Zheng; Zhao, Xin-ming; Zhao, Yan-feng; Wang, Xiao-yi; Zhou, Chun-wu

2015-01-01

To prospectively investigate the effect of using Gemstone Spectral Imaging (GSI) and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) for reducing radiation and iodine contrast dose in abdominal CT patients with high BMI values. 26 patients (weight > 65kg and BMI ≥ 22) underwent abdominal CT using GSI mode with 300mgI/kg contrast material as study group (group A). Another 21 patients (weight ≤ 65kg and BMI ≥ 22) were scanned with a conventional 120 kVp tube voltage for noise index (NI) of 11 with 450mgI/kg contrast material as control group (group B). GSI images were reconstructed at 60keV with 50%ASIR and the conventional 120kVp images were reconstructed with FBP reconstruction. The CT values, standard deviation (SD), signal-noise-ratio (SNR), contrast-noise-ratio (CNR) of 26 landmarks were quantitatively measured and image quality qualitatively assessed using statistical analysis. As for the quantitative analysis, the difference of CNR between groups A and B was all significant except for the mesenteric vein. The SNR in group A was higher than B except the mesenteric artery and splenic artery. As for the qualitative analysis, all images had diagnostic quality and the agreement for image quality assessment between the reviewers was substantial (kappa = 0.684). CT dose index (CTDI) values for non-enhanced, arterial phase and portal phase in group A were decreased by 49.04%, 40.51% and 40.54% compared with group B (P = 0.000), respectively. The total dose and the injection rate for the contrast material were reduced by 14.40% and 14.95% in A compared with B. The use of GSI and ASIR provides similar enhancement in vessels and image quality with reduced radiation dose and contrast dose, compared with the use of conventional scan protocol.

A biomimetic high-capacity phenazine-based anolyte for aqueous organic redox flow batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hollas, Aaron; Wei, Xiaoliang; Murugesan, Vijayakumar; Nie, Zimin; Li, Bin; Reed, David; Liu, Jun; Sprenkle, Vincent; Wang, Wei

2018-06-01

Aqueous soluble organic (ASO) redox-active materials have recently attracted significant attention as alternatives to traditional transition metal ions in redox flow batteries (RFB). However, reported reversible capacities of ASO are often substantially lower than their theoretical values based on the reported maximum solubilities. Here, we describe a phenazine-based ASO compound with an exceptionally high reversible capacity that exceeds 90% of its theoretical value. By strategically modifying the phenazine molecular structure, we demonstrate an increased solubility from near-zero with pristine phenazine to as much as 1.8 M while also shifting its redox potential by more than 400 mV. An RFB based on a phenazine derivative (7,8-dihydroxyphenazine-2-sulfonic acid) at its near-saturation concentration exhibits an operating voltage of 1.4 V with a reversible anolyte capacity of 67 Ah l-1 and a capacity retention of 99.98% per cycle over 500 cycles.

Antioxidant Activity of Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) Protein Fractions.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Zheng, Yajun; Zhang, Yufeng; Xu, Jianguo; Gao, Gang

2018-03-20

Coconut cake is an abundant and good potential edible protein source. However, until now it has not been extensively used in the food industry. To promote its usage, the characterization, nutrition value and antioxidant activity of coconut cake protein fractions (albumin, globulin, prolamine, glutelin-1 and glutelin-2) were studied. Results revealed that all the albumin, globulin, glutelin-1 and glutelin-2 fractions showed a high nutrition value. The prolamine, glutelin-1 and glutelin-2 all exhibited good radical scavenging activity and reducing power, and the globulin and prolamine showed high ion chelating ability (89.14-80.38%). Moreover, all the fractions except glutelin-2 could effectively protect DNA against oxidative damage. Several peptides containing five to eight amino acids with antioxidant activity were also identified by LC-MS/MS from the globulin and glutelin-2 fractions. The results demonstrated that the coconut cake protein fractions have potential usages in functional foods.

Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment detailed geochemical survey for Edgemont, South Dakota; Wyoming

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

Butz, T.R.; Dean, N.E.; Bard, C.S.

1980-05-31

Results of the Edgemont detailed geochemical survey are reported. Field and laboratory data are presented for 109 groundwater and 419 stream sediment samples. Statistical and areal distributions of uranium and possible uranium-related variables are given. A generalized geologic map of the survey area is provided, and pertinent geologic factors which may be of significance in evaluating the potential for uranium mineralization are briefly discussed. Groundwaters containing greater than or equal to 7.35 ppB uranium are present in scattered clusters throughout the area sampled. Most of these groundwaters are from wells drilled where the Inyan Kara Group is exposed at themore » surface. The exceptions are a group of samples in the northwestern part of the area sampled and south of the Dewey Terrace. These groundwaters are also produced from the Inyan Kara Group where it is overlain by the Graneros Group and alluvium. The high uranium groundwaters along and to the south of the terrace are characterized by high molybdenum, uranium/specific conductance, and uranium/sulfate values. Many of the groundwaters sampled along the outcrop of the Inyan Kara Group are near uranium mines. Groundwaters have high amounts of uranium and molybdenum. Samples taken downdip are sulfide waters with low values of uranium and high values of arsenic, molybdenum, selenium, and vanadium. Stream sediments containing greater than or equal to 5.50 ppM soluble uranium are concentrated in basins draining the Graneros and Inyan Kara Groups. These values are associated with high values for arsenic, selenium, and vanadium in samples from both groups. Anomalous values for these elements in the Graneros Group may be caused by bentonite beds contained in the rock units. As shown on the geochemical distribution plot, high uranium values that are located in the Inyan Kara Group are almost exclusively draining open-pit uranium mines.« less

Fundamental studies in X-ray astrophysics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lamb, D. Q.; Lightman, A. P.

1982-01-01

An analytical model calculation of the ionization structure of matter accreting onto a degenerate dwarf was carried out. Self-consistent values of the various parameters are used. The possibility of nuclear burning of the accreting matter is included. We find the blackbody radiation emitted from the stellar surface keeps hydrogen and helium ionized out to distances much larger than a typical binary separation. Except for low mass stars or high accretion rates, the assumption of complete ionization of the elements heavier than helium is a good first approximation. For low mass stars or high accretion rates the validity of assuming complete ionization depends sensitivity on the distribution of matter in the binary system.

Determination of the absolute internal quantum efficiency of photoluminescence in GaN co-doped with Si and Zn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reshchikov, M. A.; Foussekis, M.; McNamara, J. D.; Behrends, A.; Bakin, A.; Waag, A.

2012-04-01

The optical properties of high-quality GaN co-doped with silicon and zinc are investigated by using temperature-dependent continuous-wave and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements. The blue luminescence band is related to the ZnGa acceptor in GaN:Si,Zn, which exhibits an exceptionally high absolute internal quantum efficiency (IQE). An IQE above 90% was calculated for several samples having different concentrations of Zn. Accurate and reliable values of the IQE were obtained by using several approaches based on rate equations. The concentrations of the ZnGa acceptors and free electrons were also estimated from the photoluminescence measurements.

Lethally Hot Temperatures During the Early Triassic Greenhouse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yadong; Joachimski, Michael M.; Wignall, Paul B.; Yan, Chunbo; Chen, Yanlong; Jiang, Haishui; Wang, Lina; Lai, Xulong

2012-10-01

Global warming is widely regarded to have played a contributing role in numerous past biotic crises. Here, we show that the end-Permian mass extinction coincided with a rapid temperature rise to exceptionally high values in the Early Triassic that were inimical to life in equatorial latitudes and suppressed ecosystem recovery. This was manifested in the loss of calcareous algae, the near-absence of fish in equatorial Tethys, and the dominance of small taxa of invertebrates during the thermal maxima. High temperatures drove most Early Triassic plants and animals out of equatorial terrestrial ecosystems and probably were a major cause of the end-Smithian crisis.

Exceptional high fatigue strength in Cu-15at.%Al alloy with moderate grain size

PubMed Central

Liu, Rui; Tian, Yanzhong; Zhang, Zhenjun; An, Xianghai; Zhang, Peng; Zhang, Zhefeng

2016-01-01

It is commonly proposed that the fatigue strength can be enhanced by increasing the tensile strength, but this conclusion needs to be reconsidered according to our study. Here a recrystallized α-Cu-15at.%Al alloy with moderate grain size of 0.62 μm was fabricated by cold rolling and annealing, and this alloy achieved exceptional high fatigue strength of 280 MPa at 107 cycles. This value is much higher than the fatigue strength of 200 MPa for the nano-crystalline counterpart (0.04 μm in grain size) despite its higher tensile strength. The remarkable improvement of fatigue strength should be mainly attributed to the microstructure optimization, which helps achieve the reduction of initial damage and the dispersion of accumulated damage. A new strategy of “damage reduction” was then proposed for fatigue strength improvement, to supplement the former strengthening principle. The methods and strategies summarized in this work offer a general pathway for further improvement of fatigue strength, in order to ensure the long-term safety of structural materials. PMID:27264347

19 CFR 10.813 - Value of materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Value of materials. 10.813 Section 10.813 Customs... Rules of Origin § 10.813 Value of materials. (a) General. For purposes of § 10.810(b) of this subpart and, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the value of a material produced in the...

19 CFR 10.773 - Value of materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Value of materials. 10.773 Section 10.773 Customs... Rules of Origin § 10.773 Value of materials. (a) General. For purposes of § 10.770(b) of this subpart and, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the value of a material produced in the...

Using Publicly Available Data to Construct a Transparent Measure of Health Care Value: A Method and Initial Results.

PubMed

Weeks, William B; Kotzbauer, Gregory R; Weinstein, James N

2016-06-01

Using publicly available Hospital Compare and Medicare data, we found a substantial range of hospital-level performance on quality, expenditure, and value measures for 4 common reasons for admission. Hospitals' ability to consistently deliver high-quality, low-cost care varied across the different reasons for admission. With the exception of coronary artery bypass grafting, hospitals that provided the highest-value care had more beds and a larger average daily census than those providing the lowest-value care. Transparent data like those we present can empower patients to compare hospital performance, make better-informed treatment decisions, and decide where to obtain care for particular health care problems. In the United States, the transition from volume to value dominates discussions of health care reform. While shared decision making might help patients determine whether to get care, transparency in procedure- and hospital-specific value measures would help them determine where to get care. Using Hospital Compare and Medicare expenditure data, we constructed a hospital-level measure of value from a numerator composed of quality-of-care measures (satisfaction, use of timely and effective care, and avoidance of harms) and a denominator composed of risk-adjusted 30-day episode-of-care expenditures for acute myocardial infarction (1,900 hospitals), coronary artery bypass grafting (884 hospitals), colectomy (1,252 hospitals), and hip replacement surgery (1,243 hospitals). We found substantial variation in aggregate measures of quality, cost, and value at the hospital level. Value calculation provided additional richness when compared to assessment based on quality or cost alone: about 50% of hospitals in an extreme quality- (and about 65% more in an extreme cost-) quintile were in the same extreme value quintile. With the exception of coronary artery bypass grafting, higher-value hospitals were larger and had a higher average daily census than lower-value hospitals, but were no more likely to be accredited by the Joint Commission or to have a residency program accredited by the American Council of Graduate Medical Education. While future efforts to compose value measures will certainly be modified and expanded to examine other reasons for admission, the construct that we present could allow patients to transparently compare procedure- and hospital-specific quality, spending, and value and empower them to decide where to obtain care. © 2016 Milbank Memorial Fund.

The cost of being valuable: predictors of extinction risk in marine invertebrates exploited as luxury seafood

PubMed Central

Purcell, Steven W.; Polidoro, Beth A.; Hamel, Jean-François; Gamboa, Ruth U.; Mercier, Annie

2014-01-01

Extinction risk has been linked to biological and anthropogenic variables. Prediction of extinction risk in valuable fauna may not follow mainstream drivers when species are exploited for international markets. We use results from an International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List assessment of extinction risk in all 377 known species of sea cucumber within the order Aspidochirotida, many of which are exploited worldwide as luxury seafood for Asian markets. Extinction risk was primarily driven by high market value, compounded by accessibility and familiarity (well known) in the marketplace. Extinction risk in marine animals often relates closely to body size and small geographical range but our study shows a clear exception. Conservation must not lose sight of common species, especially those of high value. Greater human population density and poorer economies in the geographical ranges of endangered species illustrate that anthropogenic variables can also predict extinction risks in marine animals. Local-level regulatory measures must prevent opportunistic exploitation of high-value species. Trade agreements, for example CITES, may aid conservation but will depend on international technical support to low-income tropical countries. The high proportion of data deficient species also stresses a need for research on the ecology and population demographics of unglamorous invertebrates. PMID:24598425

The cost of being valuable: predictors of extinction risk in marine invertebrates exploited as luxury seafood.

PubMed

Purcell, Steven W; Polidoro, Beth A; Hamel, Jean-François; Gamboa, Ruth U; Mercier, Annie

2014-04-22

Extinction risk has been linked to biological and anthropogenic variables. Prediction of extinction risk in valuable fauna may not follow mainstream drivers when species are exploited for international markets. We use results from an International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List assessment of extinction risk in all 377 known species of sea cucumber within the order Aspidochirotida, many of which are exploited worldwide as luxury seafood for Asian markets. Extinction risk was primarily driven by high market value, compounded by accessibility and familiarity (well known) in the marketplace. Extinction risk in marine animals often relates closely to body size and small geographical range but our study shows a clear exception. Conservation must not lose sight of common species, especially those of high value. Greater human population density and poorer economies in the geographical ranges of endangered species illustrate that anthropogenic variables can also predict extinction risks in marine animals. Local-level regulatory measures must prevent opportunistic exploitation of high-value species. Trade agreements, for example CITES, may aid conservation but will depend on international technical support to low-income tropical countries. The high proportion of data deficient species also stresses a need for research on the ecology and population demographics of unglamorous invertebrates.

19 CFR 10.844 - Value-content requirement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... assembled or knit-to-shape in Haiti and are entered during the initial applicable one-year period (except as... assembled or knit-to-shape in Haiti and are entered during the preceding applicable one-year period (except... calculation. The entry of an apparel article that is wholly assembled or knit-to-shape in Haiti and is...

Examining the effect of dietary electrolyte balance, energy source, and length of feeding of nitrogen-free diets on ileal endogenous amino acid losses in broilers.

PubMed

Adedokun, S A; Pescatore, A J; Ford, M J; Jacob, J P; Helmbrecht, A

2017-09-01

The effect of dietary electrolyte balance (DEB), energy source (ES), and length of feeding of nitrogen-free diet (NFD) on ileal endogenous amino acid (EAA) loss in mg/kg dry matter intake (DMI) was evaluated in broiler chickens. In Experiment 1, 720 chickens consisting of 15 replicate cages with 6 chickens/replicate were used. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial and consisted of 4 NFD with 2 levels (low or high) of DEB and 2 ES [corn starch (CS) or dextrose (DX)], and 2 sampling time-points (diets were fed for either 72 h (d 16 to 19) or 120 h (d 16 to 21). Experiment 2 used 360 chickens in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with 2 levels (low or high) of DEB and 2 ES (CS or DX). Diets were fed for 72 h (d 18 to 21). All birds had access to feed and water on an ad libitum basis. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS appropriate for a completely randomized design for a factorial arrangement of treatments. For Experiment 1, there were interactions (P < 0.05) between the 3 main factors for nitrogen and all the AA except Trp. Broilers that were fed DX-based NFD with high DEB for 72 h had the highest (P < 0.05) EAA losses. In Experiment 2, there was no interaction between DEB and ES except for His and Lys. When ileal EAA losses from birds fed the low DEB, CS-based NFD were used to standardize apparent ileal digestibility values from a previous study, there was no effect of length of feeding on standardized ileal AA digestibility values. In conclusion, DX-based NFD with high DEB increased endogenous AA loses. Despite differences in ileal EAA losses from CS-based NFD, standardized ileal AA digestibility values were not influenced by the length of feeding of NFD. Based on the results from these studies, NFD could be fed for 72 h without influencing SIAAD values. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effect of stacking fault energy on mechanism of plastic deformation in nanotwinned FCC metals

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

Borovikov, Valery; Mendelev, Mikhail I.; King, Alexander H.

Starting from a semi-empirical potential designed for Cu, we have developed a series of potentials that provide essentially constant values of all significant (calculated) materials properties except for the intrinsic stacking fault energy, which varies over a range that encompasses the lowest and highest values observed in nature. In addition, these potentials were employed in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate how stacking fault energy affects the mechanical behavior of nanotwinned face-centered cubic (FCC) materials. The results indicate that properties such as yield strength and microstructural stability do not vary systematically with stacking fault energy, but rather fall into twomore » distinct regimes corresponding to 'low' and 'high' stacking fault energies.« less

Effect of stacking fault energy on mechanism of plastic deformation in nanotwinned FCC metals

DOE PAGES

Borovikov, Valery; Mendelev, Mikhail I.; King, Alexander H.; ...

2015-05-15

Starting from a semi-empirical potential designed for Cu, we have developed a series of potentials that provide essentially constant values of all significant (calculated) materials properties except for the intrinsic stacking fault energy, which varies over a range that encompasses the lowest and highest values observed in nature. In addition, these potentials were employed in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate how stacking fault energy affects the mechanical behavior of nanotwinned face-centered cubic (FCC) materials. The results indicate that properties such as yield strength and microstructural stability do not vary systematically with stacking fault energy, but rather fall into twomore » distinct regimes corresponding to 'low' and 'high' stacking fault energies.« less

12 CFR 220.12 - Supplement: margin requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... current market value of the security or the percentage set by the regulatory authority where the trade... security, except for a non-equity security: (1) 150 percent of the current market value of the security; or (2) 100 percent of the current market value if a security exchangeable or convertible within 90...

Math-related career aspirations and choices within Eccles et al.'s expectancy-value theory of achievement-related behaviors.

PubMed

Lauermann, Fani; Tsai, Yi-Miau; Eccles, Jacquelynne S

2017-08-01

Which occupation to pursue is one of the more consequential decisions people make and represents a key developmental task. Yet the underlying developmental processes associated with either individual or group differences in occupational choices are still not well understood. This study contributes toward filling this gap, focusing in particular on the math domain. We examined two aspects of Eccles et al.'s (1983) expectancy-value theory of achievement-related behaviors: (a) the reciprocal associations between adolescents' expectancy and subjective task value beliefs and adolescents' career plans and (b) the multiplicative association between expectancies and values in predicting occupational outcomes in the math domain. Our analyses indicate that adolescents' expectancy and subjective task value beliefs about math and their math- or science-related career plans reported at the beginning and end of high school predict each other over time, with the exception of intrinsic interest in math. Furthermore, multiplicative associations between adolescents' expectancy and subjective task value beliefs about math predict math-related career attainment approximately 15 years after graduation from high school. Gender differences emerged regarding career-related beliefs and career attainment, with male students being more likely than female to both pursue and attain math-related careers. These gender differences could not be explained by differences in beliefs about math as an academic subject. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Isotopic Fingerprints of Iron-Cyanide Complexes in the Environment.

PubMed

Mansfeldt, Tim; Höhener, Patrick

2016-07-19

Tracing the origin of iron-cyanide complexes in the environment is important because these compounds are potentially toxic. We determined the stable isotopic compositions of cyanide-carbon (CCN) and cyanide-nitrogen (NCN) in 127 contaminated solids and 11 samples of contaminated groundwater from coal carbonization sites, blast furnace operations, and commercial cyanide applications. Coal-carbonization-related cyanides had unique high mean δ(13)CCN values of -10.5 ± 3.5‰ for the solids and -16.1 ± 1.2‰ for the groundwater samples, while the values for blast furnace sludge (-26.9 ± 1.5‰), commercial cyanides (-26.0 ± 3.0‰), and their corresponding groundwaters were significantly lower. Determination of δ(13)CCN is a promising tool for identifying the source of cyanide contamination. However, for coal carbonization sites, historical research into the manufacturing process is necessary because a nonconventional gas works site exhibited exceptionally low δ(13)CCN values of -22.7 ± 1.7‰. The δ(15)NCN values for samples related to coal carbonization and blast furnaces overlapped within a range of +0.1 to +10.3‰, but very high δ(15)NCN values seemed to be indicative for a cyanide source in the blast furnace. In contrast, commercial cyanides tend to have lower δ(15)NCN values of -5.6 to +1.9‰ in solids and -0.5 to +3.0‰ in the groundwater.

Leak Rate Performance of Silicone Elastomer O-Rings Contaminated with JSC-1A Lunar Regolith Simulant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oravec, Heather Ann; Daniels, Christopher C.

2014-01-01

Contamination of spacecraft components with planetary and foreign object debris is a growing concern. Face seals separating the spacecraft cabin from the debris filled environment are particularly susceptible; if the seal becomes contaminated there is potential for decreased performance, mission failure, or catastrophe. In this study, silicone elastomer O-rings were contaminated with JSC- 1A lunar regolith and their leak rate performance was evaluated. The leak rate values of contaminated O-rings at four levels of seal compression were compared to those of as-received, uncontaminated, O-rings. The results showed a drastic increase in leak rate after contamination. JSC-1A contaminated O-rings lead to immeasurably high leak rate values for all levels of compression except complete closure. Additionally, a mechanical method of simulant removal was examined. In general, this method returned the leak rate to as-received values.

Potential value of satellite cloud pictures in weather modification projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biswas, K. R.

1972-01-01

Satellite imagery for one project season of cloud seeding programs in the northern Great Plains has been surveyed for its probable usefulness in weather modification programs. The research projects and the meteorological information available are described. A few illustrative examples of satellite imagery analysis are cited and discussed, along with local observations of weather and the seeding decisions made in the research program. This analysis indicates a definite correlation between satellite-observed cloud patterns and the types of cloud seeding activity undertaken, and suggests a high probability of better and/or earlier decisions if the imagery is available in real time. Infrared imagery provides better estimates of cloud height which can be useful in assessing the possibility of a hail threat. The satellite imagery appears to be of more value to area-seeding projects than to single-cloud seeding experiments where the imagery is of little value except as an aid in local forecasting and analysis.

Radiocarbon and stable isotopes in Palmyra corals during the past century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Druffel-Rodriguez, Kevin C.; Vetter, Desiree; Griffin, Sheila; Druffel, Ellen R. M.; Dunbar, Robert B.; Mucciarone, David A.; Ziolkowski, Lori A.; Sanchez-Cabeza, Joan-Albert

2012-04-01

Annual samples from two Palmyra Atoll corals (Porites lutea) that lived during the past 110 years were analyzed for radiocarbon (Δ14C) and δ18O. The Δ14C values decreased 7.6‰ from 1896 to 1953, similar to other coral records from the tropical and subtropical Pacific. Δ14C values rose from ˜-60‰ to ˜+110‰ by 1980 due to the input of bomb radiocarbon from the atmosphere. Elevated Δ14C values were observed for the mid- to late-1950s, suggesting early input of bomb radiocarbon, possibly from the largest Marshall Islands bomb tests in 1954. Secondary aragonite precipitation was identified in a portion of one core using scanning electron microscopy and X-radiography, and was responsible for high δ18O and δ13C values and a correlation between them. The Δ14C results were more resistant to alteration, except when contamination was from the bomb era (>1956).

Comparative nutrient composition of selected wild edible mushrooms from two agro-ecological zones, Uganda.

PubMed

Nakalembe, Immaculate; Kabasa, John David; Olila, Deogratias

2015-01-01

In Uganda, wild mushrooms are mainly collected during the rainy season and valued as a traditionally nutritious food by the rural poor. However, their nutritional attributes have not been adequately studied and documented. Comparative nutrient composition of five wild edible mushroom species was determined, namely: P. tenucuilus, T. tyleranus, T. clypeatus, V. speciosa and T. microcarpus of sub-humid and humid agro-ecological zones. Standard analytical techniques following the AOAC were used for proximate and mineral contents determinations. Vitamins determination followed the established standard protocols of the laboratories where the analyses were conducted. Combined use of nutrient concentration and scores were used to compare the level of the contents in the mushroom species. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in nutrient values were demonstrated between and among the mushroom species obtained from the two agro-ecological zones. On dry weight basis, all proximate compositions were high in mushroom species obtained from the humid zone with exception of the total carbohydrates and energy values. Irrespective of the source of the mushrooms, significant amounts were demonstrated in protein, dry matter, ash and total carbohydrates ranging between 11.56-27.42%, 82.34-99.76%, 10.79-16.87%, and 37.12-61.05%, respectively. In comparison with recommended dietary daily intakes, the K, P, Se, Mn, Cu and Fe contents were relatively high with low Ca, Mg, Zn and Na. Thiamin, folic acid, vitamin C, and niacin levels were high but below the recommended FAO references. Considering mushrooms from different agro-ecological zones, significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in all mushroom species in P except in T. clypeatus, T. tyleranus, T. microcarpus and T. clypeatus in potassium, T. clypeatus and T. microcarpus in Mg. Mushrooms from humid agro-ecological zones had relatively high overall mineral and vitamin supply potential. In conclusion, consumption of these mushrooms should be encouraged in supplementation of the staple food of the poor people. Hence, solving malnutrition problems in children, pregnant mothers, and the immune compromised patients such as the HIV/AIDs.

Characteristics and present trends of wave extremes in the Mediterranean Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pino, Cosimo; Lionello, Piero; Galati, Maria Barbara

2010-05-01

Wind generated surface waves are an important factor characterizing marine storminess and the marine environment. This contribution considers characteristics and trends of SWH (Significant Wave Height) extremes (both high and low extremes, such as dead calm duration are analyzed). The data analysis is based on a 44-year long simulation (1958-2001) of the wave field in the Mediterranean Sea. The quality of the model simulation is controlled using satellite data. The results show the different characteristics of the different parts of the basin with the variability being higher in the western (where the highest values are produced) than in the eastern areas of the basin (where absence of wave is a rare condition). In fact, both duration of storms and of dead calm episodes is larger in the east than in the west part of the Mediterranean. The African coast and the southern Ionian Sea are the areas were exceptional values of SWH are expected to occur in correspondence with exceptional meteorological events. Significant trends of storm characteristics are present only in sparse areas and suggest a decrease of both storm intensity and duration (a marginal increase of storm intensity is present in the center of the Mediterranean). The statistics of extremes and high SWH values is substantially steady during the second half of the 20th century. The influence of the large-scale teleconnection patterns (TlcP) that are known to be relevant for the Mediterranean climate on the intensity and spatial distribution of extreme SWH (Significant Wave Height) has been investigated. The analysis was focused on the monthly scale analysing the variability of links along the annual cycle. The considered TlcP are the North Atlantic Oscillation, the East-Atlantic / West-Russian pattern and the Scandinavian pattern and their effect on the intensity and the frequency of high/low SWH conditions. The results show it is difficult to establish a dominant TlcP for SWH extremes, because all 4 patterns considered are important for at least few months in the year and none of them is important for the whole year. High extremes in winter and fall are more influenced by the TlcPs than in other seasons and low extremes.

Plutonium, curium, and other radionuclide uptake by the rice plant from a naturally weathered, contaminated soil

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

Adriano, D.C.; McLeod, K.W.; Ciravolo, T.G.

1981-07-01

A greenhouse study using three United States rice varieties (Belle Patna, Nato, and Starbonnet) varying in maturity period and a widely used Asian variety (IR-1561) indicates that, with the exception of /sup 137/Cs, no significant differences were obtained among varieties in the foliage uptake of selected gamma-emitters. On the average, /sup 137/Cs and /sup 40/K were translocated less to the grain than to the foliage. The concentration ratio (CR) values for the gamma-emitters, with the exception of /sup 40/K, were approximately one order of magnitude higher than those for subterranean crops grown in experimental plots adjacent to a chemical separationsmore » facility at the Savannah River Plant. The CR values for /sup 238/Pu and /sup 244/Cm are within the range of values published in the open literature. The CR values for /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu, however, were higher than the normally reported values for plants grown in nonamended soils.« less

Accessing the exceptional points of parity-time symmetric acoustics

PubMed Central

Shi, Chengzhi; Dubois, Marc; Chen, Yun; Cheng, Lei; Ramezani, Hamidreza; Wang, Yuan; Zhang, Xiang

2016-01-01

Parity-time (PT) symmetric systems experience phase transition between PT exact and broken phases at exceptional point. These PT phase transitions contribute significantly to the design of single mode lasers, coherent perfect absorbers, isolators, and diodes. However, such exceptional points are extremely difficult to access in practice because of the dispersive behaviour of most loss and gain materials required in PT symmetric systems. Here we introduce a method to systematically tame these exceptional points and control PT phases. Our experimental demonstration hinges on an active acoustic element that realizes a complex-valued potential and simultaneously controls the multiple interference in the structure. The manipulation of exceptional points offers new routes to broaden applications for PT symmetric physics in acoustics, optics, microwaves and electronics, which are essential for sensing, communication and imaging. PMID:27025443

High pressure extraction of phenolic compounds from citrus peels†

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casquete, R.; Castro, S. M.; Villalobos, M. C.; Serradilla, M. J.; Queirós, R. P.; Saraiva, J. A.; Córdoba, M. G.; Teixeira, P.

2014-10-01

This study evaluated the effect of high pressure processing on the recovery of high added value compounds from citrus peels. Overall, the total phenolic content in orange peel was significantly (P < .05) higher than that in lemon peel, except when pressure treated at 500 MPa. However, lemon peel demonstrated more antioxidant activity than orange peel. Pressure-treated samples (300 MPa, 10 min; 500 MPa, 3 min) demonstrated higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity comparatively to the control samples. For more severe treatments (500 MPa, 10 min), the phenolic content and antioxidant activity decreased in both lemon and orange peels. This paper was presented at the 8th International Conference on High Pressure Bioscience & Biotechnology (HPBB 2014), in Nantes (France), 15-18 July 2014.

16 CFR 801.10 - Value of voting securities, non-corporate interests and assets to be acquired.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Value of voting securities, non-corporate... ACT OF 1976 COVERAGE RULES § 801.10 Value of voting securities, non-corporate interests and assets to be acquired. Except as provided in § 801.13, the value of voting securities and assets to be acquired...

16 CFR 801.10 - Value of voting securities, non-corporate interests and assets to be acquired.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Value of voting securities, non-corporate... ACT OF 1976 COVERAGE RULES § 801.10 Value of voting securities, non-corporate interests and assets to be acquired. Except as provided in § 801.13, the value of voting securities and assets to be acquired...

26 CFR 1.430(g)-1 - Valuation date and valuation of plan assets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) Valuation date—(1) In general. The determination of the funding target, target normal cost, and value of...—(1) In general—(i) General use of fair market value. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (c), the value of plan assets for purposes of section 430 is equal to the fair market value of plan...

76 FR 19381 - Buy American Exceptions Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-07

... Green High Rise Apartments. An exception was also granted to the Housing Authority of the City of Runge... work, using CFRFC grant funds, in connection with the Bowling Green High Rise Apartments. The exception...

Sedation and mechanical antinociception after intravenous administration of detomidine in donkeys: a dosage-effect study.

PubMed

Lizarraga, Ignacio; Castillo-Alcala, Fernanda; Varner, Kelley M; Robinson, Lauren S

2015-02-21

There is limited, useful, scientific information on detomidine in donkeys. This study compared the effects of intravenous saline, detomidine (10, 13.5, 17 and 20 μg/kg) and acepromazine (50 μg/kg) in donkeys by computing areas under the curve for 0-30, 30-60 and 60-120 minutes (AUC0-30, AUC30-60 and AUC60-120) for sedation scores, head heights and mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs). For sedation scores, all detomidine treatments, except 10 μg/kg, increased AUC0-30 values compared with saline, and AUC0-30 values were larger for 17 μg/kg detomidine than for acepromazine. All head height AUC values were lower for detomidine than for saline (except AUC60-120 for 10 μg/kg detomidine) and acepromazine (except AUC0-30 for 10 and 20 μg/kg detomidine, and AUC60-120 for 10 μg/kg detomidine). For MNTs, all detomidine treatments increased AUC0-30 and AUC30-60 values compared with saline and acepromazine; AUC30-60 values were smaller for 10 μg/kg than for 17 and 20 μg/kg detomidine. MNT AUC60-120 values were larger for 20 μg/kg detomidine than for saline, 10 μg/kg detomidine and acepromazine. Detomidine induced sedation and antinociception, but only antinociception was dosage dependent. Selection of detomidine dosage for donkeys may depend on the required duration of sedation and/or degree of analgesia. British Veterinary Association.

Health Related Quality of Life in a Dutch Rehabilitation Population: Reference Values and the Effect of Physical Activity.

PubMed

Krops, Leonie A; Jaarsma, Eva A; Dijkstra, Pieter U; Geertzen, Jan H B; Dekker, Rienk

2017-01-01

To establish reference values for Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in a Dutch rehabilitation population, and to study effects of patient characteristics, diagnosis and physical activity on HRQoL in this population. Former rehabilitation patients (3169) were asked to fill in a questionnaire including the Dutch version of the RAND-36. Differences between our rehabilitation patients and Dutch reference values were analyzed (t-tests). Effects of patient characteristics, diagnosis and movement intensity on scores on the subscales of the RAND-36 were analyzed using block wise multiple regression analyses. In total 1223 patients (39%) returned the questionnaire. HRQoL was significantly poorer in the rehabilitation patients compared to Dutch reference values on all subscales (p<0.001) except for health change (p = 0.197). Longer time between questionnaire and last treatment was associated with a smaller health change (p = 0.035). Higher age negatively affected physical functioning (p<0.001), social functioning (p = 0.004) and health change (p = 0.001). Diagnosis affected outcomes on all subscales except role limitations physical, and mental health (p ranged <0.001 to 0.643). Higher movement intensity was associated with better outcomes on all subscales except for mental health (p ranged <0.001 to 0.190). HRQoL is poorer in rehabilitation patients compared to Dutch reference values. Physical components of HRQoL are affected by diagnosis. In rehabilitation patients an association between movement intensity and HRQoL was found. For clinical purposes, results of this study can be used as reference values for HRQoL in a rehabilitation setting.

Spatial distribution and potential sources of trace metals in insoluble particles of snow from Urumqi, China.

PubMed

Li, Xiaolan; Jiang, Fengqing; Wang, Shaoping; Turdi, Muyesser; Zhang, Zhaoyong

2015-01-01

The purpose of this work is to characterize trace elements in snow in urban-suburb gradient over Urumqi city, China. The spatial distribution patterns of 11 trace metals in insoluble particulate matters of snow were revealed by using 102 snow samples collected in and around urban areas of Urumqi, a city suffering from severe wintertime air pollution in China. Similar spatial distribution for Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Pb was found and their two significant high-value areas located in the west and east, respectively, and a high-value area in the south, which were correlated with factory emissions, traffic activities, and construction fugitive dust. The high-value areas of Cr, Ni, and V occurred in the northeast corner and along main traffic paths, which were linked to oil refinery and vehicular emissions. High value of Be presented in the west of the city. The high-value area of Co in the northeast could be related to local soil. Cd and U displayed relatively even spatial patterns in the urban area. In view of distance from the urban center, e.g., from the first circular belt to the fourth circular belt, except Be, V, Cd, and U, the contents of other metals generally decreased from the first circular belt to the forth circular belt, implying the effect of human activity clearly. Additionally, prevailing northwesterly winds and occasionally southeasterly winds in winter were associated with decreased, generally, concentrations of trace metal in snow from the urban center to the southern suburb along a northwest and southeast transect. The information on concentrations and spatial distributions of these metals in insoluble particles of snow in winter will be valuable for further environmental protection and planning.

Expert-Recommended Strategies for Teaching the Twice-Exceptional Student in the General Education Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moody, Cherylynn Jody

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the best practice strategies, those that bring the most value for the twice-exceptional (2e) student (giftedness with autism spectrum disorder [ASD], attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], specific learning disabilities [SLD], and/or emotional and behavioral disorder [EBD]) in the…

Observations of soil moisture and infiltrability in contour-aligned, banded chenopod shrubland at Fowlers Gap, arid western NSW, Australia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunkerley, D.

2009-04-01

Speculation abounds concerning the drivers of spatial patterning in dryland vegetation, and many numerical analyses have been built with little use of field evidence for parameterisation or validation. In fact, studies of soil moisture distribution, the most commonly hypothesised driver of pattern formation, are uncommon. Here, soil infiltrability and soil moisture data are presented from a banded vegetation community in arid western NSW Australia. The site had received 40 mm of rain in one day a week prior to field measurement. This is an exceptional rain event for this region, and provided the opportunity to observe resulting distributions of soil moisture within various mosaics, including contour-aligned groves and intergroves in chenopod shrubland. Results taken at 2 m intervals across many cycles of the repeating banded pattern show that near-surface (6 cm) soil moisture is relatively constant, except in lower intergroves, which were drier. Patterns of soil infiltrability by cylinder infiltrometer follow the same pattern, with lowest values at the same locations as the soil moisture minima. Locally high soil infiltrabilities occur in both grove and intergrove, but low values are restricted to intergroves. These results suggest that any runoff-runon system operating at the site is driven largely from the intergroves, where high bulk density, hydrophobic biological soil crusts, and mantles of small stones with associated vesicular horizons, limit water entry. If this is so, it suggests that attention must be paid to intergrove processes, which may be more significant that plant facilitation within groves. Model developments will thus need to address the evolution of low infiltrability in intergroves in parallel with any high infiltrability within groves.

Constraints on the Intergalactic Magnetic Field with Gamma-Ray Observations of Blazars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finke, Justin D.; Reyes, Luis C.; Georganopoulos, Markos; Reynolds, Kaeleigh; Ajello, Marco; Fegan, Stephen J.; McCann, Kevin

2015-11-01

Distant BL Lacertae objects emit γ-rays that interact with the extragalactic background light (EBL), creating electron-positron pairs, and reducing the flux measured by ground-based imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) at very-high energies (VHE). These pairs can Compton-scatter the cosmic microwave background, creating a γ-ray signature at slightly lower energies that is observable by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). This signal is strongly dependent on the intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF) strength (B) and its coherence length (LB). We use IACT spectra taken from the literature for 5 VHE-detected BL Lac objects and combine them with LAT spectra for these sources to constrain these IGMF parameters. Low B values can be ruled out by the constraint that the cascade flux cannot exceed that observed by the LAT. High values of B can be ruled out from the constraint that the EBL-deabsorbed IACT spectrum cannot be greater than the LAT spectrum extrapolated into the VHE band, unless the cascade spectrum contributes a sizable fraction of the LAT flux. We rule out low B values (B ≲ 10-19 G for LB ≥ 1 Mpc) at >5σ in all trials with different EBL models and data selection, except when using >1 GeV spectra and the lowest EBL models. We were not able to constrain high values of B.

5 CFR 2635.204 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... than to his employing agency. Example 5: During off-duty time, an employee of the Department of Defense... the full $60 value of the two tickets. Example 2: An employee of the Defense Mapping Agency has been... value of $18 and a book about the history of cartography with a market value of $15. The employee may...

12 CFR 552.14 - Dissenter and appraisal rights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... demand payment of fair or appraised value. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, any... right to demand payment of the fair or appraised value of his stock: Provided, That such stockholder has... stock shall have the right under this section to demand payment of the stock's fair or appraised value...

12 CFR 552.14 - Dissenter and appraisal rights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... demand payment of fair or appraised value. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, any... right to demand payment of the fair or appraised value of his stock: Provided, That such stockholder has... stock shall have the right under this section to demand payment of the stock's fair or appraised value...

Individual dose reconstruction among residents living in the vicinity of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site using EPR spectroscopy of tooth enamel.

PubMed

Ivannikov, A I; Zhumadilov, Zh; Gusev, B I; Miyazawa, Ch; Jiao, L; Skvortsov, V G; Stepanenko, V F; Takada, J; Hoshi, M

2002-08-01

Individual accumulated doses were determined by EPR spectroscopy of tooth enamel for 26 adult persons residing in territories adjacent to the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS). The absorbed dose values due to radiation from nuclear tests were obtained after subtracting the contribution of natural background radiation from the total accumulated dose. The determined dose values ranged up to 250 mGy, except for one person from Semipalatinsk city with a measured dose of 2.8 +/- 0.4 Gy. Increased dose values were determined for the individuals whose teeth were formed before 1962, the end of the atmospheric nuclear tests. These values were found to be significantly larger than those obtained for a group of younger residents of heavily exposed territories and the residents of territories not exposed to radioactive fallout. These increased dose values are consistent with those based on officially registered data for the Northeastern part of Kazakstan adjacent to SNTS, which was exposed to high levels of radioactive fallout from nuclear tests in period 1949-1962.

Assessment of field re-entry exposure to pesticides: A dislodgeable foliar residue study.

PubMed

Kasiotis, Konstantinos M; Tsakirakis, Angelos N; Richard Glass, C; Charistou, Agathi N; Anastassiadou, Pelagia; Gerritsen-Ebben, Rianda; Machera, Kyriaki

2017-10-15

A dislodgeable foliar residue study was conducted in greenhouse pepper and tomato on the island of Crete, Greece, following the spray application of an SC insecticide (with active substance (a.s.) tebufenozide) and an EC fungicide (a.s. bupirimate). Furthermore, for the assessment of worker exposure to pesticides - as a result of re-entering the treated crops - a worker dermal exposure study was carried out during the tasks of tying or pruning, which allowed the transfer coefficient values for the specific tasks to be determined. Pesticide residues were analysed with an in house developed and fully validated HPLC-ESI/MS analytical method. The results from the study resulted in transfer coefficient values which were in agreement with current EFSA guideline values in most of the cases with the exception of bupirimate in a tomato greenhouse. In that case, high potential dermal exposure and low dislodgeable foliar residue values were observed, which is thought to be due to the moist leaves collected during sampling and monitoring, which led to greater than expected transfer coefficient values. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of fuel using the Direct LSC method determination of bio-originated fuel in the presence of quenching

DOE PAGES

Doll, Charles G.; Wright, Cherylyn W.; Morley, Shannon M.; ...

2017-02-01

In this paper, a modified version of the Direct LSC method to correct for quenching effect was investigated for the determination of bio-originated fuel content in fuel samples produced from multiple biological starting materials. The modified method was found to be accurate in determining the percent bio-originated fuel to within 5% of the actual value for samples with quenching effects ≤43%. Finally, analysis of highly quenched samples was possible when diluted with the exception of one sample with a 100% quenching effect.

Financial analysis for the infusion alliance.

PubMed

Perucca, Roxanne

2010-01-01

Providing high-quality, cost-efficient care is a major strategic initiative of every health care organization. Today's health care environment is transparent; very competitive; and focused upon providing exceptional service, safety, and quality. Establishing an infusion alliance facilitates the achievement of organizational strategic initiatives, that is, increases patient throughput, decreases length of stay, prevents the occurrence of infusion-related complications, enhances customer satisfaction, and provides greater cost-efficiency. This article will discuss how to develop a financial analysis that promotes value and enhances the financial outcomes of an infusion alliance.

Analysis of fuel using the Direct LSC method determination of bio-originated fuel in the presence of quenching

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

Doll, Charles G.; Wright, Cherylyn W.; Morley, Shannon M.

A modified version of the Direct LSC method to correct for quenching effect was investigated for the determination of bio-originated fuel content in fuel samples produced from multiple biological starting materials. The modified method was found to be accurate in determining the percent bio-originated fuel to within 5% of the actual value for samples with quenching effects ≤43%. Analysis of highly quenched samples was possible when diluted with the exception of one sample with a 100% quenching effect.

Now is the Time for Psychology to Support the Transformation of Academic Health Centers.

PubMed

Linton, John C

2017-06-01

Psychologists have made important contributions in academic health centers (AHC), but the reputation of psychology as a discipline has been mixed, by turns viewed as a superfluous soft science, or seen as an important contributor to the AHC mission. AHCs currently face exceptional challenges to the viability of AHCs, including: planned alterations from fee-for-service to value-based funding that requires high quality at lower cost; and rising demands to demonstrate competence in trainees. Now more than ever, psychologists can and must help AHCs to meet these challenges.

Analysis of fuel using the Direct LSC method determination of bio-originated fuel in the presence of quenching

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

Doll, Charles G.; Wright, Cherylyn W.; Morley, Shannon M.

In this paper, a modified version of the Direct LSC method to correct for quenching effect was investigated for the determination of bio-originated fuel content in fuel samples produced from multiple biological starting materials. The modified method was found to be accurate in determining the percent bio-originated fuel to within 5% of the actual value for samples with quenching effects ≤43%. Finally, analysis of highly quenched samples was possible when diluted with the exception of one sample with a 100% quenching effect.

Hydrogen sensors based on electrophoretically deposited Pd nanoparticles onto InP

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Electrophoretic deposition of palladium nanoparticles prepared by the reverse micelle technique onto InP substrates is addressed. We demonstrate that the substrate pre-deposition treatment and the deposition conditions can extensively influence the morphology of the deposited palladium nanoparticle films. Schottky diodes based on these films show notably high values of the barrier height and of the rectification ratio giving evidence of a small degree of the Fermi level pinning. Moreover, electrical characteristics of these diodes are exceptionally sensitive to the exposure to gas mixtures with small hydrogen content. PMID:21711912

Evaluation of the impact of computed high b-value diffusion-weighted imaging on prostate cancer detection.

PubMed

Verma, Sadhna; Sarkar, Saradwata; Young, Jason; Venkataraman, Rajesh; Yang, Xu; Bhavsar, Anil; Patil, Nilesh; Donovan, James; Gaitonde, Krishnanath

2016-05-01

The purpose of this study was to compare high b-value (b = 2000 s/mm(2)) acquired diffusion-weighted imaging (aDWI) with computed DWI (cDWI) obtained using four diffusion models-mono-exponential (ME), intra-voxel incoherent motion (IVIM), stretched exponential (SE), and diffusional kurtosis (DK)-with respect to lesion visibility, conspicuity, contrast, and ability to predict significant prostate cancer (PCa). Ninety four patients underwent 3 T MRI including acquisition of b = 2000 s/mm(2) aDWI and low b-value DWI. High b = 2000 s/mm(2) cDWI was obtained using ME, IVIM, SE, and DK models. All images were scored on quality independently by three radiologists. Lesions were identified on all images and graded for lesion conspicuity. For a subset of lesions for which pathological truth was established, lesion-to-background contrast ratios (LBCRs) were computed and binomial generalized linear mixed model analysis was conducted to compare clinically significant PCa predictive capabilities of all DWI. For all readers and all models, cDWI demonstrated higher ratings for image quality and lesion conspicuity than aDWI except DK (p < 0.001). The LBCRs of ME, IVIM, and SE were significantly higher than LBCR of aDWI (p < 0.001). Receiver Operating Characteristic curves obtained from binomial generalized linear mixed model analysis demonstrated higher Area Under the Curves for ME, SE, IVIM, and aDWI compared to DK or PSAD alone in predicting significant PCa. High b-value cDWI using ME, IVIM, and SE diffusion models provide better image quality, lesion conspicuity, and increased LBCR than high b-value aDWI. Using cDWI can potentially provide comparable sensitivity and specificity for detecting significant PCa as high b-value aDWI without increased scan times and image degradation artifacts.

Parallel Analysis of 124 Universal SNPs for Human Identification by Targeted Semiconductor Sequencing

PubMed Central

Zhang, Suhua; Bian, Yingnan; Zhang, Zheren; Zheng, Hancheng; Wang, Zheng; Zha, Lagabaiyila; Cai, Jifeng; Gao, Yuzhen; Ji, Chaoneng; Hou, Yiping; Li, Chengtao

2015-01-01

SNPs, abundant in human genome with lower mutation rate, are attractive to genetic application like forensic, anthropological and evolutionary studies. Universal SNPs showing little allelic frequency variation among populations while remaining highly informative for human identification were obtained from previous studies. However, genotyping tools target only dozens of markers simultaneously, limiting their applications. Here, 124 SNPs were simultaneous tested using Ampliseq technology with Ion Torrent PGM platform. Concordance study was performed with 2 reference samples of 9947A and 9948 between NGS and Sanger sequencing. Full concordance were obtained except genotype of rs576261 with 9947A. Parameter of FMAR (%) was introduced for NGS data analysis for the first time, evaluating allelic performance, sensitivity testing and mixture testing. FMAR values for accurate heterozygotes should be range from 50% to 60%, for homozygotes or Y-SNP should be above 90%. SNPs of rs7520386, rs4530059, rs214955, rs1523537, rs2342747, rs576261 and rs12997453 were recognized as poorly performing loci, either with allelic imbalance or with lower coverage. Sensitivity testing demonstrated that with DNA range from 10 ng-0.5 ng, all correct genotypes were obtained. For mixture testing, a clear linear correlation (R2 = 0.9429) between the excepted FMAR and observed FMAR values of mixtures was observed. PMID:26691610

Morphological observation and length-weight relationship of critically endangered riverine catfish Rita rita (Hamilton).

PubMed

Amin, M R; Mollah, M F A; Taslima, K; Muhammadullah

2014-01-15

The experiment was conducted to investigate the morphological status of the critically endangered riverine catfish Rita rita using morphometric and meristic traits. About 158 species of Rita were collected from the old Brahmaputra river in Mymensingh district and were studied in the laboratory of the Fisheries Biology and Genetics Department, Bangladesh Agricultural University. Measurement of length and weight of Rita were recorded by using measuring scale and electric balance respectively. Significant curvilinear relationship existed between total length and other morphometric characters and between head length and other characters of the head. Relationships between total length and various body measurements of the fish were highly significant (p < 0.01) except the relationship between total length and pelvic fin length of male fish (p < 0.05). In case of meristic characters-dorsal fin rays, pelvic fin rays, pectoral fin rays, anal fin rays, caudal fin rays, number of vertebrae and branchiostegal rays were found to be more or less similar except slight differences. The values of condition factors (k) in the total length body-weight relationships for female and male were found to be 0.41 and 0.38, respectively. The mean values of relative condition factors (kn) were 1.0 and 1.005 for female and male, respectively.

Sorption behaviour of nonylphenol and nonylphenol monoethoxylate in soils.

PubMed

Milinovic, J; Lacorte, S; Rigol, A; Vidal, M

2015-11-01

Sorption behaviour of two alkylphenolic compounds (APCs), nonylphenol (NP) and nonylphenol monoethoxylate (NP1EO), was studied in five soils with contrasting characteristics. Sorption isotherms were obtained by equilibrating the soil samples with 0.01 mol L(-1) CaCl2 solutions containing different initial concentrations of NP or NP1EO. Linear fitting was generally appropriate for describing the sorption behaviour of NP and NP1EO in the soils, with the exception of two cases, for which the Freundlich model was more suitable for describing the sorption pattern of NP1EO. Solid-liquid distribution coefficients derived from sorption isotherms (Kd) varied from 24 to 1059 mL g(-1) for NP and from 51 to 740 mL g(-1) for NP1EO. For most soils, sorption Kd values were higher for NP than for NP1EO due to the higher hydrophobicity of NP. Sorption reversibility of NP and NP1EO was also tested from desorption isotherms. Desorption solid-liquid distribution coefficients (Kd,des), obtained from linear fitting, were between 130 and 1467 mL g(-1) for NP and between 24 and 1285 mL g(-1) for NP1EO. Kd,des values were higher than Kd values, which demonstrated that target compounds were irreversibly sorbed into soils, with the exception of the high desorption yield (45%) of NP1EO in the soil with the lowest content of organic matter. The fraction of soil organic carbon (FOC) was a key parameter that influenced the sorption of NP and NP1EO in soils, with logKOC values of 4.0 and 3.8, respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

78 FR 40503 - Notice of Realty Action: Direct Sale of Public Lands in Pima County, AZ

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-05

... cultural resource values have been identified. There are no impacts to resource values that are expected... of appropriation under the public land laws, including the mining laws, except for the sale and...

Point-contact electron tunneling into the high-Tc superconductor Y-Ba-Cu-O

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirk, M. D.; Smith, D. P. E.; Mitzi, D. B.; Sun, J. Z.; Webb, D. J.

1987-06-01

Results are reported from a study of electron tunneling into bulk samples of the new high-Tc superconductor Y-Ba-Cu-O using point-contact tunneling. Based on a superconductive tunneling interpretation, the results show exceptionally large energy gaps in these materials (roughly 2Delta = 100 MeV), implying 2Delta/kBTc = about 13. Similar values were found for La-Sr-Cu-O. The structure in the I-V curves is also similar to that seen in La-Sr-Cu-O. From the asymmetries observed in the I-V characteristics, it is inferred that the natural tunneling barrier on this material is of the Schottky type.

High Curie temperature of Ce-Fe-Si compounds with ThMn12 structure

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

Zhou, C; Pinkerton, FE; Herbst, JF

2015-01-15

We report the discovery of ternary CeFe(12-x)Si(x)compounds possessing the ThMn12 structure. The samples were prepared by melt spinning followed by annealing. In contrast to other known Ce Fe-based binary and ternary compounds, CeFe12-xSix compounds exhibit exceptionally high Curie temperatures whose values increase with added Si substitution. The highest T. = 583 K in CeFe10Si2 rivals that of the well-established Nd2Fe14B compound. We ascribe the T-c behavior to a combination of Si-induced 3d band structure changes and partial Ce3+ stabilization. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evaluation of advanced displays for engine monitoring and control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Summers, L. G.

1993-01-01

The relative effectiveness of two advanced display concepts for monitoring engine performance for commercial transport aircraft was studied. The concepts were the Engine Monitoring and Control System (EMACS) display developed by NASA Langley and a display by exception design. Both of these concepts were based on the philosophy of providing information that is directly related to the pilot's task. Both concepts used a normalized thrust display. In addition, EMACS used column deviation indicators; i.e., the difference between the actual parameter value and the value predicted by an engine model, for engine health monitoring; while the Display by Exception displayed the engine parameters if the automated system detected a difference between the actual and the predicted values. The results showed that the advanced display concepts had shorter detection and response times. There were no differences in any of the results between manual and auto throttles. There were no effects upon perceived workload or performance on the primary flight task. The majority of pilots preferred the advanced displays and thought they were operationally acceptable. Certification of these concepts depends on the validation of the engine model. Recommendations are made to improve both the EMACS and the display by exception display formats.

High-Density Genomewide Linkage Analysis of Exceptional Human Longevity Identifies Multiple Novel Loci

PubMed Central

Boyden, Steven E.; Kunkel, Louis M.

2010-01-01

Background Human lifespan is approximately 25% heritable, and genetic factors may be particularly important for achieving exceptional longevity. Accordingly, siblings of centenarians have a dramatically higher probability of reaching extreme old age than the general population. Methodology/Principal Findings To map the loci conferring a survival advantage, we performed the second genomewide linkage scan on human longevity and the first using a high-density marker panel of single nucleotide polymorphisms. By systematically testing a range of minimum age cutoffs in 279 families with multiple long-lived siblings, we identified a locus on chromosome 3p24-22 with a genomewide significant allele-sharing LOD score of 4.02 (empirical P = 0.037) and a locus on chromosome 9q31-34 with a highly suggestive LOD score of 3.89 (empirical P = 0.054). The empirical P value for the combined result was 0.002. A third novel locus with a LOD score of 4.05 on chromosome 12q24 was detected in a subset of the data, and we also obtained modest evidence for a previously reported interval on chromosome 4q22-25. Conclusions/Significance Our linkage data should facilitate the discovery of both common and rare variants that determine genetic variability in lifespan. PMID:20824210

Exceptional but Not an Exception: Understanding How African American Women Make Their Way

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Ebony E.

2017-01-01

Success in the US has been defined in White American terms (Katz 1985; Mangino, 2014), which may not reflect the values of African American women. The goal of this study was to provide practitioners (e.g., counselors, educators, researchers) with a perspective of African American women from their standpoint. African American women who were raised…

PROMIS (Procurement Management Information System)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

The PROcurement Management Information System (PROMIS) provides both detailed and summary level information on all procurement actions performed within NASA's procurement offices at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). It provides not only on-line access, but also schedules procurement actions, monitors their progress, and updates Forecast Award Dates. Except for a few computational routines coded in FORTRAN, the majority of the systems is coded in a high level language called NATURAL. A relational Data Base Management System called ADABAS is utilized. Certain fields, called descriptors, are set up on each file to allow the selection of records based on a specified value or range of values. The use of like descriptors on different files serves as the link between the falls, thus producing a relational data base. Twenty related files are currently being maintained on PROMIS.

Semi-empirical correlation for binary interaction parameters of the Peng-Robinson equation of state with the van der Waals mixing rules for the prediction of high-pressure vapor-liquid equilibrium.

PubMed

Fateen, Seif-Eddeen K; Khalil, Menna M; Elnabawy, Ahmed O

2013-03-01

Peng-Robinson equation of state is widely used with the classical van der Waals mixing rules to predict vapor liquid equilibria for systems containing hydrocarbons and related compounds. This model requires good values of the binary interaction parameter kij . In this work, we developed a semi-empirical correlation for kij partly based on the Huron-Vidal mixing rules. We obtained values for the adjustable parameters of the developed formula for over 60 binary systems and over 10 categories of components. The predictions of the new equation system were slightly better than the constant-kij model in most cases, except for 10 systems whose predictions were considerably improved with the new correlation.

[The assessment of the quality of water from sources of decentralized water supply of Ekaterinburg and surrounding areas].

PubMed

Konshina, Lidia G

2016-01-01

The availability of high-quality drinking water is currently the one out of the most acute problems in the Russian Federation. There was performed an analysis of the chemical composition of drinking water from sources of decentralized supply of inhabitants of the city of Yekaterinburg and the surrounding areas. Average values of indices of the water quality in the wells for individual use in the district of the city of Yekaterinburg not go beyond the standards, with the exception of manganese content. In some sources there were revealed elevated values of chromatic level, oxidability, hardness, content of iron, nitrates, barium, dry residue, ammonium nitrogen, silicon. Percentage of sources that do not meet hygienic requirements on a number of indices can reach 21-23%.

Thermal Optical Properties of Lunar Dust Simulants and Their Constituents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Ellis, Shaneise; Hanks, Nichole

2011-01-01

The total reflectance spectra of lunar simulant dusts (< 20 mm particles) were measured in order to determine their integrated solar absorptance (alpha) and their thermal emittance (epsilon) for the purpose of analyzing the effect of dust on the performance of thermal control surfaces. All of the simulants except one had a wavelength-dependent reflectivity (p (lambda)) near 0.10 over the wavelength range of 8 to 25 microns and so are highly emitting at room temperature and lower. The 300 K emittance (epsilon) of all the lunar simulants except one ranged from 0.78 to 0.92. The exception was Minnesota Lunar Simulant 1 (MLS-1), which has little or no glassy component. In all cases the epsilon was lower for the < 20 micron particles than for larger particles reported earlier. There was considerably more variation in the lunar simulant reflectance in the solar spectral range (250 to 2500 nm) than in the thermal infrared. As expected, the lunar highlands simulants were more reflective in this wavelength range than the lunar mare simulants. The integrated solar absorptance (alpha) of the simulants ranged from 0.39 to 0.75. This is lower than values reported earlier for larger particles of the same simulants (0.41 to 0.82), and for representative mare and highlands lunar soils (0.74 to 0.91). Since the of some mare simulants more closely matched that of highlands lunar soils, it is recommended that and values be the criteria for choosing a simulant for assessing the effects of dust on thermal control surfaces, rather than whether a simulant has been formulated as a highlands or a mare simulant.

Thermal Optical Properties of Lunar Dust Simulants and Their Constituents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Ellis, Shaneise; Hanks, Nichole

2011-01-01

The total reflectance spectra of lunar simulant dusts (less than 20 micrometer particles) were measured in order to determine their integrated solar absorptance (alpha) and their thermal emittance (e) for the purpose of analyzing the effect of dust on the performance of thermal control surfaces. All of the simulants except one had a wavelength-dependant reflectivity (p(lambda)) near 0.10 over the wavelength range of 8 to 25 micrometers, and so are highly emitting at room temperature and lower. The 300 K emittance (epsilon) of all the lunar simulants except one ranged from 0.78 to 0.92. The exception was Minnesota Lunar Simulant 1 (MLS-1), which has little or no glassy component. In all cases the epsilon was lower for the less 20 micrometer particles than for larger particles reported earlier. There was considerably more variation in the lunar simulant reflectance in the solar spectral range (250 to 2500 nanometers) than in the thermal infrared. As expected, the lunar highlands simulants were more reflective in this wavelength range than the lunar mare simulants. The integrated solar absorptance (alpha) of the simulants ranged from 0.39 to 0.75. This is lower than values reported earlier for larger particles of the same simulants (0.41 to 0.82), and for representative mare and highlands lunar soils (0.74 to 0.91). Since the alpha of some mare simulants more closely matched that of highlands lunar soils, it is recommended that and values be the criteria for choosing a simulant for assessing the effects of dust on thermal control surfaces, rather than whether a simulant has been formulated as a highlands or a mare simulant.

Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion is preserved in young patients with pulmonary hypertension except when associated with repaired congenital heart disease.

PubMed

Hauck, Amanda; Guo, Ruixin; Ivy, D Dunbar; Younoszai, Adel

2017-04-01

Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) is a measure of right ventricular (RV) longitudinal function that correlates with functional status and mortality in adults with pulmonary hypertension (PH). The diagnostic and predictive value of TAPSE in children with PH has not been fully examined. We aimed to define TAPSE across aetiologies of paediatric PH and assess the correlation between TAPSE and measures of disease severity. TAPSE measurements were obtained in 84 children and young adults undergoing treatment for PH and 315 healthy children to establish z-scores at moderate altitude for comparison. The relationships between TAPSE and echocardiographic, biomarker, and functional measures of disease severity between aetiologies were assessed. TAPSE z-scores in PH patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) repaired with open cardiac surgery (n = 20, mean -2.73) were significantly decreased compared with normal children and patients with other aetiologies of PH (P < 0.001) but did not reflect poorer clinical status. TAPSE z-scores in children with idiopathic PH (n = 29, -0.41), unrepaired CHD (n = 11, -0.1), and PH related to systemic disease (n = 14, -0.39) were not different from normal. TAPSE correlated modestly with brain natriuretic peptide, echocardiographic function parameters, and functional class except in patients with repaired CHD. Children with PH maintain normal TAPSE values early except when associated with repaired CHD. Superior RV adaptation to high afterload in children compared with adults may account for this finding. Reduced TAPSE after repair of CHD does not correlate with functional status and may reflect post-operative changes rather than poor function primarily due to PH. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

31 CFR Appendix A to Part 359 - Redemption Value Calculations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Redemption Value Calculations A... of a State, except for estate or inheritance taxes. (See 31 U.S.C. 3124.) 2. What is an example of a book-entry Series I savings bonds redemption value calculation? Assume a New Treasury Direct par...

31 CFR Appendix A to Part 359 - Redemption Value Calculations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Redemption Value Calculations A... of a State, except for estate or inheritance taxes. (See 31 U.S.C. 3124.) 2. What is an example of a book-entry Series I savings bonds redemption value calculation? Assume a New Treasury Direct par...

31 CFR Appendix A to Part 359 - Redemption Value Calculations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Redemption Value Calculations A... of a State, except for estate or inheritance taxes. (See 31 U.S.C. 3124.) 2. What is an example of a book-entry Series I savings bonds redemption value calculation? Assume a New Treasury Direct par...

31 CFR Appendix A to Part 359 - Redemption Value Calculations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Redemption Value Calculations A... of a State, except for estate or inheritance taxes. (See 31 U.S.C. 3124.) 2. What is an example of a book-entry Series I savings bonds redemption value calculation? Assume a New Treasury Direct par...

46 CFR 160.076-31 - Production tests and examinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... meet UL 1180 section 7.15. Prior to initiating the test at the specified values, samples may be... the specified values, test samples may be prestressed by inflating to a pressure greater than the... accordance with and meet UL 1180 section 7.2.2-7.2.10, except 7.2.5. Each buoyancy value must fall within the...

26 CFR 1.679-4 - Exceptions to general rule.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... property to a foreign trust to the extent the transfer is for fair market value. (b) Transfers for fair market value—(1) In general. For purposes of this section, a transfer is for fair market value only to... trust are transfers for fair market value only to the extent that the payments reflect an arm's length...

Forest values and attitudes in the South: Past and future research

Treesearch

Michael A. Tarrant; R. Bruce Hull

2004-01-01

At the turn of the 20th century, southerners favored economic utilization of forests over environmental protection. Today with few exceptions, southerners rate environmental protection and noneconomic values as higher priorities than economic uses of forests. We consider a vision of forest science and management that reflects the changing values and attitudes of...

26 CFR 31.3402(t)-4 - Certain payments excepted from withholding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... contemplated in the agreement. (n) Sales tax, excise tax, value-added tax, and other taxes. For purposes of this section, section 3402(t) withholding applies to any payment of sales tax, excise tax, value-added.... Notwithstanding the foregoing, the payment of sales tax, excise tax, value-added tax, or other tax may be excluded...

Modification of the health-promoting value of potato tubers field grown under drought stress: emphasis on dietary antioxidant and glycoalkaloid contents in five native andean cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.).

PubMed

Andre, Christelle M; Schafleitner, Roland; Guignard, Cédric; Oufir, Mouhssin; Aliaga, Carlos Alberto Alvarado; Nomberto, Giannina; Hoffmann, Lucien; Hausman, Jean-François; Evers, Danièle; Larondelle, Yvan

2009-01-28

The effects of drought stress on dietary antioxidant and glycoalkaloid contents in potato tubers were investigated using a selection of five native Andean cultivars. Both freshly harvested and 4 month-stored tubers were analyzed. Responses to drought stress were highly cultivar-specific. The antioxidant contents of the yellow tuber-bearing cultivars (Sipancachi and SS-2613) were weakly affected by the drought treatment, whereas the pigmented cultivars demonstrated highly cultivar-dependent variations. A drastic reduction of anthocyanins and other polyphenols was revealed in the red- (Sullu) and purple-fleshed (Guincho Negra) cultivars, whereas an increase was shown in the purple-skinned and yellow-fleshed cultivar (Huata Colorada). The hydrophilic antioxidant capacity (evaluated by Folin-Ciocalteu and H-oxygen radical absorbance capacity assays) was highly correlated with the polyphenol content and followed, therefore, the same behavior upon drought. Carotenoid contents, including beta-carotene, as well as vitamin E, tended to increase or remain stable following drought exposure, except for the cultivar Sullu, in which the level of these lipophilic antioxidants was decreased. Vitamin C contents were not affected by drought with the exception of Guincho Negra, in which the level was increased. These variations of health-promoting compounds were associated with increased or stable levels of the toxic glycoalkaloids, alpha-solanine and alpha-chaconine. Storage at 10 degrees C for 4 months tended to decrease the concentrations of all dietary antioxidants, except those of vitamin E. This storage also reduced the drought-induced variations observed in freshly harvested tubers. These results were discussed in terms of their implications for human diet and health as well as in plant stress defense mechanisms.

Glycaemic Index and Load Values Tested in Normoglycemic Adults for Five Staple Foodstuffs: Pounded Yam, Pounded Cassava-Plantain, Placali, Attieke and Maize Meal Stiff Porridge

PubMed Central

Kouamé, Adam C.; Kouassi, Kouakou N.; N’dri, Yao D.; Amani, N’guessan G.

2015-01-01

There is currently an increased global interest in the published glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) values of foods. However, data on the GI and GL values of different varieties of foods within Côte d’Ivoire are very limited. The study therefore aimed at finding the GI and GL of the main food staples in Côte d’Ivoire. Following the International Standard Organisation’s protocol (ISO/FDI 26642:2010), a selection of five staple foodstuffs were tested for their GI and GL. Fasted healthy subjects were given 50 g of available carbohydrate servings of a glucose reference, which was tested twice, and test foods which were tested once, on separate occasions. Excepted attieke (GI 63), the majority of foods tested have a high GI (GI > 70). Attieke (agbodjama) had a high GL (GL 29) while placali (GL 17) and maize meal stiff porridge (GL 16) had medium GLs. The GLs of pounded cassava-plantain and pounded yam are 26 and 22. Consumption of attieke could minimize postprandial blood glucose spikes, in spite of high GL and potentially have benefit in the management and prevention of some chronic diseases. PMID:25690417

Columnar travertines: bio-influenced genesis, Porcelana Geysers, Northern Patagonia, Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz, B. S.; Morata, D.; Díez, B.; Daniele, L.

2017-12-01

Porcelana Geysers are located on the slopes of Barranco Colorado volcano, southern Chile, and is characterized by having a lateral hydrothermal fluid transport and an important CO2 content, having high gas exsolution rates on the surface at temperatures above 80°C. But it does not seem to be enough to explain the genesis of columnar travertines more than 3 meters high, considering that precipitation rates counteracts erosive rates due to rainy climate of the zone and the high slope gradient (>10 mm/h). The presence of extremophilic microbial diversity could explain this exceptional travertine morphology, particularly Phyla Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Order Thermales, which is evidenced by the vast visible presence of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), reducing conditions in hot springs waters, microscopic and macroscopic textures and isotopic compositions of travertines, which are lower than the values that thermogenic travertines usually present (δ13C values from -4.85‰ to -3.37‰). These biotic processes would increase total dissolved gas pressure and [CO2]AQ values (over 0.05 mmol/L), and hence making the hydrostatic and bubbling pressure lower in the geysers vent fluids, which increases the amount of bubbles and their size and precipitation total rate of calcium carbonate (about 0.003 mm/h)

Performance of High-frequency High-flux Magnetic Cores at Cryogenic Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerber, Scott S.; Hammoud, Ahmad; Elbuluk, Malik E.; Patterson, Richard L.

2002-01-01

Three magnetic powder cores and one ferrite core, which are commonly used in inductor and transformer design for switch mode power supplies, were selected for investigation at cryogenic temperatures. The powder cores are Molypermalloy Core (MPC), High Flux Core (HFC), and Kool Mu Core (KMC). The performance of four inductors utilizing these cores has been evaluated as a function of temperature from 20 C to -180 C. All cores were wound with the same wire type and gauge to obtain equal values of inductance at room temperature. Each inductor was evaluated in terms of its inductance, quality (Q) factor, resistance, and dynamic hysteresis characteristics (B-H loop) as a function of temperature and frequency. Both sinusoidal and square wave excitations were used in these investigations. Measured data obtained on the inductance showed that both the MPC and the HFC cores maintain a constant inductance value, whereas with the KMC and ferrite core hold a steady value in inductance with frequency but decrease as temperature is decreased. All cores exhibited dependency, with varying degrees, in their quality factor and resistance on test frequency and temperature. Except for the ferrite, all cores exhibited good stability in the investigated properties with temperature as well as frequency. Details of the experimental procedures and test results are presented and discussed in the paper.

Vocal tract resonances in singing: The soprano voice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joliveau, Elodie; Smith, John; Wolfe, Joe

2004-10-01

The vocal tract resonances of trained soprano singers were measured while they sang a range of vowels softly at different pitches. The measurements were made by broad band acoustic excitation at the mouth, which allowed the resonances of the tract to be measured simultaneously with and independently from the harmonics of the voice. At low pitch, when the lowest resonance frequency R1 exceeded f0, the values of the first two resonances R1 and R2 varied little with frequency and had values consistent with normal speech. At higher pitches, however, when f0 exceeded the value of R1 observed at low pitch, R1 increased with f0 so that R1 was approximately equal to f0. R2 also increased over this high pitch range, probably as an incidental consequence of the tuning of R1. R3 increased slightly but systematically, across the whole pitch range measured. There was no evidence that any resonances are tuned close to harmonics of the pitch frequency except for R1 at high pitch. The variations in R1 and R2 at high pitch mean that vowels move, converge, and overlap their positions on the vocal plane (R2,R1) to an extent that implies loss of intelligibility. .

36 CFR 62.1 - Purpose

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Landmarks Program focuses attention on areas of exceptional natural value to the nation as a whole rather... identifies and preserves natural areas that best illustrate the biological and geological character of the United States, enhances the scientific and educational values of preserved areas, strengthens public...

Chemical and biological assessment of sediments and water of Khalid Khor, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

PubMed

Samara, Fatin; Elsayed, Yehya; Soghomonian, Balik; Knuteson, Sandra L

2016-10-15

Water and sediments were collected on March 2013 and April 2014 from Khalid Khor creek area in United Arab Emirates to assess their quality parameters. The pH and alkalinity of the water samples were measured and their values were similar to those of shallow saltwater ecosystems. In addition, elemental analyses and organic compounds were done using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS), respectively. The concentration of heavy and trace metals in the water samples were within the acceptable limits except for lead which showed high values, while the concentrations of metals in the sediment samples were relatively high and ranged from 6517 to 13,768mg/kg. GC-MS analysis showed the presence of polyaromatic heterocyclic (PAHs) compounds in sediments near the shipping area and in amounts classified as highly carcinogenic; however, no polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were identified. Moreover, fecal bacterial contamination in water was detected in concentrations that range between 300 and 10,140 organisms/100mL. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controls on Highly Siderophile Element Concentrations in Martian Basalt: Sulfide Saturation and Under-Saturation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Righter, Kevin

2009-01-01

Highly siderophile elements (HSE; Re, Au and the platinum group elements) in shergottites exhibit a wide range from very high, similar to the terrestrial mantle, to very low, similar to sulfide saturated mid ocean ridge basalt (e.g., [1]). This large range has been difficult to explain without good constraints on sulfide saturation or under-saturation [2]. A new model for prediction of sulfide saturation places new constraints on this problem [3]. Shergottite data: For primitive shergottites, pressure and temperature estimates are between 1.2-1.5 GPa, and 1350-1470 C [4]. The range of oxygen fugacities is from FMQ-2 to IW, where the amount of Fe2O3 is low and thus does not have a significant effect on the S saturation values. Finally, the bulk compositions of shergottites have been reported in many recent studies (e.g., [5]). All of this information will be used to test whether shergottites are sulfide saturated [3]. Modeling values and results: The database for HSE partition coefficients has been growing with many new data for silicates and oxides [6-8] to complement a large sulfide database [9- 11]. Combining these data with simple batch melting models allows HSE contents of mantle melts to be estimated for sulfide-bearing vs. sulfide-free mantle. Combining such models with fractional crystallization modeling (e.g., [12]) allows HSE contents of more evolved liquids to be modeled. Most primitive shergottites have high HSE contents (and low S contents) that can be explained by sulfide under-saturated melting of the mantle. An exception is Dhofar 019 which has high S contents and very low HSE contents suggesting sulfide saturation. Most evolved basaltic shergottites have lower S contents than saturation, and intermediate HSE contents that can be explained by olivine, pyroxene, and chromite fractionation. An exception is EET A79001 lithology B, which has very low HSE contents and S contents higher than sulfide saturation values . evidence for sulfide saturation during late fractional crystallization. These results show that shergottite HSE contents are controlled by silicates, oxides, and sulfides. In addition, the mantle producing the most primitive shergottites did not contain near chondritic relative ratios of the HSEs like the terrestrial mantle, and did not experience a late chondritic veneer.

Are volcanic seismic b-values high, and if so when?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Nick S.; Bell, Andrew F.; Main, Ian G.

2015-12-01

The Gutenberg-Richter exponent b is a measure of the relative proportion of large and small earthquakes. It is commonly used to infer material properties such as heterogeneity, or mechanical properties such as the state of stress from earthquake populations. It is 'well known' that the b-value tends to be high or very high for volcanic earthquake populations relative to b = 1 for those of tectonic earthquakes, and that b varies significantly with time during periods of unrest. We first review the supporting evidence from 34 case studies, and identify weaknesses in this argument due predominantly to small sample size, the narrow bandwidth of magnitude scales available, variability in the methods used to assess the minimum or cutoff magnitude Mc, and to infer b. Informed by this, we use synthetic realisations to quantify the effect of choice of the cutoff magnitude on maximum likelihood estimates of b, and suggest a new work flow for this choice. We present the first quantitative estimate of the error in b introduced by uncertainties in estimating Mc, as a function of the number of events and the b-value itself. This error can significantly exceed the commonly-quoted statistical error in the estimated b-value, especially for the case that the underlying b-value is high. We apply the new methods to data sets from recent periods of unrest in El Hierro and Mount Etna. For El Hierro we confirm significantly high b-values of 1.5-2.5 prior to the 10 October 2011 eruption. For Mount Etna the b-values are indistinguishable from b = 1 within error, except during the flank eruptions at Mount Etna in 2001-2003, when 1.5 < b < 2.0. For the time period analysed, they are rarely lower than b = 1. Our results confirm that these volcano-tectonic earthquake populations can have systematically high b-values, especially when associated with eruptions. At other times they can be indistinguishable from those of tectonic earthquakes within the total error. The results have significant implications for operational forecasting informed by b-value variability, in particular in assessing the significance of b-value variations identified by sample sizes with fewer than 200 events above the completeness threshold.

Reef structure drives parrotfish species composition on shelf edge reefs in La Parguera, Puerto Rico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tzadik, Orian E.; Appeldoorn, Richard S.

2013-02-01

Shelf edge reefs that exist in coral reef ecosystems provide essential habitats for a large variety of fish and other marine organisms. Marine herbivores act as differential algal grazers that advocate coral reef colonization. In the Caribbean basin parrotfishes make up a large contingency of such herbivores and act as important ecological ichthyofauna. By investigating parrotfish relationship with habitat, this study aims to aid in future predictive mapping techniques that will outline parrotfish distributions via benthic quantification. Parrotfish communities were evaluated on the shelf edge reef off of La Parguera, Puerto Rico. Parrotfish abundances were found to positively correlate with high values of overall reef structure. High values of coral cover and of rugosity were strong indicators of most parrotfish species. The lone exception, Scarus taeniopterus, negatively correlated with these factors and positively correlated with algal cover. Indications exist that Scarus taeniopterus and Scarus iseri are sympatric species and can be found in abundance at opposite locations.

The effect of biotechnology education on Australian high school students' understandings and attitudes about biotechnology processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Vaille; Soames, Christina

2006-11-01

Our education system aims to equip young people with the knowledge, problem-solving skills and values to cope with an increasingly technological society. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of biotechnology education on adolescents’ understanding and attitudes about processes associated with biotechnology. Data were drawn from teacher and student interviews and surveys in the context of innovative Year 10 biotechnology courses conducted in three Western Australian high schools. The results indicate that after completing a biotechnology course students’ understanding increased but their attitudes remained constant with the exception of their views about human uses of gene technology. The findings of this study have ramifications for the design and implementation of biotechnology education courses in high schools.

Nucleotide diversity and linkage disequilibrium in wild avocado (Persea americana Mill.).

PubMed

Chen, Haofeng; Morrell, Peter L; de la Cruz, Marlene; Clegg, Michael T

2008-01-01

Resequencing studies provide the ultimate resolution of genetic diversity because they identify all mutations in a gene that are present within the sampled individuals. We report a resequencing study of Persea americana, a subtropical tree species native to Meso- and Central America and the progenitor of cultivated avocado. The sample includes 21 wild accessions from Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic. Estimated levels of nucleotide polymorphism and linkage disequilibrium (LD) are obtained from fully resolved haplotype data from 4 nuclear loci that span 5960 nucleotide sites. Results show that, although avocado is a subtropical tree crop and a predominantly outcrossing plant, the overall level of genetic variation is not exceptionally high (nucleotide diversity at silent sites, pi(sil) = 0.0102) compared with available estimates from temperate plant species. Intralocus LD decays rapidly to half the initial value within about 1 kb. Estimates of recombination rate (based on the sequence data) show that the rate is not exceptionally high when compared with annual plants such as wild barley or maize. Interlocus LD is significant owing to substantial population structure induced by mixing of the 3 botanical races of avocado.

Freeboard reactions in fluidized coal combustion

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

Walsh, P.M.; Dutta, A.; Beer, J.M.

1984-05-11

The objective of this study was to determine the contribution of freeboard combustion to overall fixed carbon conversion during atmospheric pressure fluidized bed combustion of Kentucky No. 9 high volatile bituminous coal. The progress of the O/sub 2//char reaction in the freeboard was inferred from O/sub 2/ profiles determined by gas sampling. The rates of O/sub 2/ consumption were in good agreement with the O/sub 2//char rate expression of Sergeant and Smith (1973), except at the lowest temperature investigated (964 K). The discrepancy in this case might be due to catalysis of the O/sub 2//char reaction by lime, since thismore » was the first run of the series. Extrapolation of the O/sub 2/ profile to the bed surface using the rate expression of Sergeant and Smith showed that approximately all of the fixed carbon conversion could be accounted for by freeboard combustion. A simple model is proposed in which devolatilization, fragmentation, attrition, and volatile combustion are limited to the bed; with combustion of the finely ground char occurring only in the freeboard. This model predicts O/sub 2/ at the combustor outlet within 60% of the measured values, except in the low temperature/high lime case.« less

Hyperventilation in anticipatory music performance anxiety.

PubMed

Studer, Regina Katharina; Danuser, Brigitta; Hildebrandt, Horst; Arial, Marc; Wild, Pascal; Gomez, Patrick

2012-09-01

Self-report studies have shown an association between music performance anxiety (MPA) and hyperventilation complaints. However, hyperventilation was never assessed physiologically in MPA. This study investigated the self-reported affective experience, self-reported physiological symptoms, and cardiorespiratory variables including partial pressure of end-tidal CO(2) (Petco(2)), which is an indicator for hyperventilation, in 67 music students before a private and a public performance. The response coherence between these response domains was also investigated. From the private to the public session, the intensity of all self-report variables increased (all p values < .001). As predicted, the higher the musician's usual MPA level, the larger were these increases (p values < .10). With the exception of Petco(2), the main cardiorespiratory variables also increased from the private to the public session (p values < .05). These increases were not modulated by the usual MPA level (p values > .10). Petco(2) showed a unique response pattern reflected by an MPA-by-session interaction (p < .01): it increased from the private to the public session for musicians with low MPA levels and decreased for musicians with high MPA levels. Self-reported physiological symptoms were related to the self-reported affective experience (p values < .05) rather than to physiological measures (p values > .17). These findings show for the first time how respiration is stimulated before a public performance in music students with different MPA levels. The hypothesis of a hyperventilation tendency in high-performance-anxious musicians is supported. The response coherence between physiological symptoms and physiological activation is weak.

Unification of Gauge Couplings in the E{sub 6}SSM

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

Athron, P.; King, S. F.; Luo, R.

2010-02-10

We argue that in the two--loop approximation gauge coupling unification in the exceptional supersymmetric standard model (E{sub 6}SSM) can be achieved for any phenomenologically reasonable value of alpha{sub 3}(M{sub Z}) consistent with the experimentally measured central value.

41 CFR 102-42.85 - What gifts or decorations must we report to GSA?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... gifts of more than minimal value, except for monetary gifts that have no historic or numismatic value... retained for official use or have not been returned to the donor; or (b) Received by a Senator or a Senate...

Proposal of a production and management index (PMI) for tilapia farms.

PubMed

Muniesa, A; Rey-Castaño, A L; Ruiz-Zarzuela, I; Guarín, M; Iregui, C; de Blas, I

2016-11-01

Tilapia is one of the most important species in aquaculture; however, there is no available index to show the performance of a production unit. It is desirable to assess the productivity using indexes, such as the production and management index for shrimps and the European production efficacy factor for broilers. These indexes are based on data production: growth, survival, and feed conversion of a full production cycle. Taking into account these parameters, we propose a production and management index (PMI) for tilapia that is applicable for a specific period of the production cycle. For the construction and validation of the PMI we have used production data from 8,614 monthly records of 2 tilapia farms in Huila Department (Colombia), and because of the complexity of tilapia management, different anomalous situations have been detected and then defined as exceptions. As a result, 419 records were considered extreme values because 1 or more exceptions were met. The value of the PMI varies from 0 (the worst situation) to 3.55, which reflects high variability. We have constructed a PMI for tilapia as the product of 3 elements to obtain a positive value index. Instead of classic parameters, we had to calculate an adapted version of them: the relative average daily growth, the survival (as a complementary value of the estimated monthly mortality), and a feed conversion ratio index. To assess the utility of the PMI, some comparisons were performed using records from black and red tilapia. We observed significant differences depending on tilapia strain (PMI = 1.0248 vs. PMI = 1.1661; < 0.001), age (better values for small fish), and season (PMI = 1.0847 vs. PMI = 1.1011; = 0.026). According to these results, we can conclude that the PMI could be a useful tool for tilapia farmers, despite the complexity of the calculation.

Energy Emergency Management Information System (EEMIS): Functional requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1980-10-01

These guidelines state that in order to create the widest practicable competition, the system's requirements, with few exceptions, must be expressed in functional terms without reference to specific hardware or software products, and that wherever exceptions are made a statement of justification must be provided. In addition, these guidelines set forth a recommended maximum threshold limit of annual contract value for schedule contract procurements.

75 FR 35832 - Notice of Realty Action: Competitive Sale of Public Lands in Tehama County, CA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-23

... for sale are considered to have no known mineral value except for oil and gas, which will be reserved to the United States. With the exception of oil and gas, the proposed sale would include the... reservation of all oil and gas to the United States together with the right to prospect for, mine, and remove...

Global medicinal uses of Euphorbia L. (Euphorbiaceae).

PubMed

Ernst, Madeleine; Grace, Olwen M; Saslis-Lagoudakis, C Haris; Nilsson, Niclas; Simonsen, Henrik Toft; Rønsted, Nina

2015-12-24

The genus Euphorbia (spurges, Euphorbiaceae) is the third largest genus of flowering plants, with almost 2000 species. Its exceptional diversity of growth forms and near-cosmopolitan distribution have attracted human interest since ancient times. For instance in Australia, topical application of latex of Euphorbia peplus L. is used as a home treatment for skin cancer and actinic keratosis. Its use in Australian folk medicine has inspired the release of the drug Picato® (ingenol mebutate), and further fostered interest in natural products and medicinal uses of Euphorbia in recent years. To provide an indicative overview of medicinal uses of the genus Euphorbia driven by the recent interest in biologically active natural products from Euphorbia in drug discovery. We assess documented medicinal knowledge and value of the genus Euphorbia and the taxonomic distribution of this value. We undertook an extensive survey of over 260 multidisciplinary publications on the online repository JSTOR using the search term "Euphorbia medicinal". Medicinal uses were identified for >5% of the species in the genus, including descriptions of treatments for a variety of diseases. The most-cited medicinal uses around the world were treatments for digestive system disorders, skin ailments and, especially in the Southern hemisphere, infections. Consensus ratios indicated that the most-valued medicinal uses of Euphorbia species are in the treatment of digestive and respiratory complaints, inflammation and injuries, especially by members of Euphorbia subg. Chamaesyce. The present study gives a first indicative overview of Euphorbia species used for health and wellbeing around the world. The exceptional diversity of the genus Euphorbia is not only represented by its growth forms but also by its diverse medicinal uses. Our results highlight the importance of research into medicinal uses of Euphorbia species and their importance as a source of natural products. Furthermore the medicinally highly valuable subgenus Chamaesyce was identified as chemically under-investigated, emphasizing the need for further studies investigating the chemical diversity to which the high medicinal value of Euphorbia subg. Chamaesyce can be attributed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultra-High Performance, High-Temperature Superconducting Wires via Cost-effective, Scalable, Co-evaporation Process

PubMed Central

Kim, Ho-Sup; Oh, Sang-Soo; Ha, Hong-Soo; Youm, Dojun; Moon, Seung-Hyun; Kim, Jung Ho; Dou, Shi Xue; Heo, Yoon-Uk; Wee, Sung-Hun; Goyal, Amit

2014-01-01

Long-length, high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wires capable of carrying high critical current, Ic, are required for a wide range of applications. Here, we report extremely high performance HTS wires based on 5 μm thick SmBa2Cu3O7 − δ (SmBCO) single layer films on textured metallic templates. SmBCO layer wires over 20 meters long were deposited by a cost-effective, scalable co-evaporation process using a batch-type drum in a dual chamber. All deposition parameters influencing the composition, phase, and texture of the films were optimized via a unique combinatorial method that is broadly applicable for co-evaporation of other promising complex materials containing several cations. Thick SmBCO layers deposited under optimized conditions exhibit excellent cube-on-cube epitaxy. Such excellent structural epitaxy over the entire thickness results in exceptionally high Ic performance, with average Ic over 1,000 A/cm-width for the entire 22 meter long wire and maximum Ic over 1,500 A/cm-width for a short 12 cm long tape. The Ic values reported in this work are the highest values ever reported from any lengths of cuprate-based HTS wire or conductor. PMID:24752189

Stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen in killer whales (Orcinus orca) stranded on the coast of Hokkaido, Japan.

PubMed

Endo, Tetsuya; Kimura, Osamu; Sato, Rie; Kobayashi, Mari; Matsuda, Ayaka; Matsuishi, Takashi; Haraguchi, Koichi

2014-09-15

We analyzed δ(13)C, δ(15)N and δ(18)O in the muscle and liver from killer whales stranded on the coast of Japan. The δ(15)N values in the muscle samples from calves were apparently higher than those in their lactating mothers, suggesting that nursing may result in the higher δ(15)N values in the muscle samples of calves. The δ(15)N value in the muscle samples of male and female whales, except for the calves, were positively correlated with the δ(13)C values and body length, suggesting that the increases in δ(15)N were due to the growth of the whales and increase in their trophic level. In contrast, the δ(18)O values in the muscle samples of female whales except for the calves were negatively correlated with the δ(13)C and δ(15)N values. The δ(18)O may be lower in whales occupying higher trophic positions (δ(15)N), although it might also be affected by geographic and climatic conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cumulative Small Effect Genetic Markers and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia

PubMed Central

Serrano-Fernandez, Pablo; Dymerska, Dagmara; Kurzawski, Grzegorz; Derkacz, Róża; Sobieszczańska, Tatiana; Banaszkiewicz, Zbigniew; Roomere, Hanno; Oitmaa, Eneli; Metspalu, Andres; Janavičius, Ramūnas; Elsakov, Pavel; Razumas, Mindaugas; Petrulis, Kestutis; Irmejs, Arvīds; Miklaševičs, Edvīns; Scott, Rodney J.; Lubiński, Jan

2015-01-01

The continued identification of new low-penetrance genetic variants for colorectal cancer (CRC) raises the question of their potential cumulative effect among compound carriers. We focused on 6 SNPs (rs380284, rs4464148, rs4779584, rs4939827, rs6983267, and rs10795668), already described as risk markers, and tested their possible independent and combined contribution to CRC predisposition. Material and Methods. DNA was collected and genotyped from 2330 unselected consecutive CRC cases and controls from Estonia (166 cases and controls), Latvia (81 cases and controls), Lithuania (123 cases and controls), and Poland (795 cases and controls). Results. Beyond individual effects, the analysis revealed statistically significant linear cumulative effects for these 6 markers for all samples except of the Latvian one (corrected P value = 0.018 for the Estonian, corrected P value = 0.0034 for the Lithuanian, and corrected P value = 0.0076 for the Polish sample). Conclusions. The significant linear cumulative effects demonstrated here support the idea of using sets of low-risk markers for delimiting new groups with high-risk of CRC in clinical practice that are not carriers of the usual CRC high-risk markers. PMID:26101521

Cumulative Small Effect Genetic Markers and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia.

PubMed

Serrano-Fernandez, Pablo; Dymerska, Dagmara; Kurzawski, Grzegorz; Derkacz, Róża; Sobieszczańska, Tatiana; Banaszkiewicz, Zbigniew; Roomere, Hanno; Oitmaa, Eneli; Metspalu, Andres; Janavičius, Ramūnas; Elsakov, Pavel; Razumas, Mindaugas; Petrulis, Kestutis; Irmejs, Arvīds; Miklaševičs, Edvīns; Scott, Rodney J; Lubiński, Jan

2015-01-01

The continued identification of new low-penetrance genetic variants for colorectal cancer (CRC) raises the question of their potential cumulative effect among compound carriers. We focused on 6 SNPs (rs380284, rs4464148, rs4779584, rs4939827, rs6983267, and rs10795668), already described as risk markers, and tested their possible independent and combined contribution to CRC predisposition. Material and Methods. DNA was collected and genotyped from 2330 unselected consecutive CRC cases and controls from Estonia (166 cases and controls), Latvia (81 cases and controls), Lithuania (123 cases and controls), and Poland (795 cases and controls). Results. Beyond individual effects, the analysis revealed statistically significant linear cumulative effects for these 6 markers for all samples except of the Latvian one (corrected P value = 0.018 for the Estonian, corrected P value = 0.0034 for the Lithuanian, and corrected P value = 0.0076 for the Polish sample). Conclusions. The significant linear cumulative effects demonstrated here support the idea of using sets of low-risk markers for delimiting new groups with high-risk of CRC in clinical practice that are not carriers of the usual CRC high-risk markers.

Development of cookies made with cocoyam, fermented sorghum and germinated pigeon pea flour blends using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Okpala, Laura C; Okoli, Eric C

2014-10-01

Cookies were produced from blends of cocoyam, fermented sorghum and germinated pigeon pea flours. The study was carried out to evaluate the effects of varying the proportions of these components on the sensory and protein quality of the cookies. The sensory attributes studied were colour, taste, texture, crispness and general acceptability while the protein quality indices were biological value (BV) and net protein utilization (NPU). Mixture response surface methodology was used to model the sensory and protein quality with single, binary and ternary combinations of germinated pigeon pea, fermented sorghum and cocoyam flours. Results showed that BV and NPU of most of the cookies were above minimum acceptable levels. With the exception of cookies containing high levels of pigeon pea flour, cookies had acceptable sensory scores. Increase in pigeon pea flour resulted in increase in the BV and NPU. Regression equations suggested that the ternary blends produced the highest increase in all the sensory attributes (with the exception of colour).

Potential highwall use by raptors in coal mine reclamation

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

Waage, B.

In 1982, Western Energy Company`s Rosebud Mine, located in southeastern Montana, received legal exception, {open_quotes}a first{close_quotes} in Montana to leave a standing mine highwall extending a native bluff. This bluff extension stands 110 feet high and 900 feet long. Normally, all highwalls by law are reduced to a 5:1 slope. This legal exception was accomplished with the support of several governmental agencies and was justified on the highwalls potential value for raptors. Enhancement measures undertaken on the highwall included the construction of three artificial eryies and the release of young prairie falcons (Falco mexicanus) employing hacking methods of the Peregrinemore » Fund. The hack is now in its fourth year with a total of 46 young falcons having been released. Opportunities exist for creating a more diverse habitat for raptors and other cliff obligate species on reclaimed mine lands in the west. It is believed that this practical approach should be explored.« less

Physical profile of elite young motorcyclists.

PubMed

Sánchez-Muñoz, C; Rodríguez, M A; Casimiro-Andújar, A J; Ortega, F B; Mateo-March, M; Zabala, M

2011-10-01

The aim of the study was to describe anthropometric and physical characteristics of elite young road-race motorcyclists (MC). 27 riders (15.6±1.1 years, 54.6±6.9 kg, 166.9±6.7 cm) competing at international elite level participated in this study. Anthropometric variables, hand grip and lumbar isometric strength, and lower-body muscular strength were measured. Comparisons of the MC and a reference group of Spanish physically active adolescents (16.0±0.6 years) showed that the riders were significantly lighter (-12.5 kg), and smaller (-4.7 cm). Riders also had significantly lower values for almost all skinfolds, and for all the measured girths (except forearm) than the reference group. Motorcyclists showed significantly less percent body fat (%BF) and higher muscle mass, and differences were observed for somatotype components compared to the reference group, except for the ectomorphy. Somatotype could be defined as mesomorphic-ectomorph (2.5-4.4-3.7). Mean (±SD) values of all riders were 34.8±5.0 cm for vertical jump height, 402.1±74.5 N for the right hand and 370.7±77.5 N for the left hand strengths, and 120.6±19.3 kg for lumbar isometric strength, respectively. Results demonstrate that MC are small and light, with lower body mass index, skinfolds, girth and breadth dimensions, and %BF than a reference group and other athletes, with high values of hand grip and lumbar isometric strength. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Characterization of the non-metal fraction of the processed waste printed circuit boards.

PubMed

Kumar, Amit; Holuszko, Maria E; Janke, Travis

2018-05-01

Electronic waste is one the fastest growing waste streams in the world and waste printed circuit boards (PCB) are the most valuable part of this stream due to the presence of gold, silver, copper, and palladium. The metal present in PCBs is mostly recovered for the market value whereas the nonmetal fractions are often ignored. This research explored the characteristics of the non-metal fraction (NMF) obtained after the processing of milled waste PCBs with a focus on responsible end-of-life solutions, in the form of non-hazardous landfilling or incineration. The NMF was characterized using sizing, assaying, loss on ignition, calorific value measurement, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The result showed that the metal content in the NMF increased with decrease in the particle size for most of the metals except antimony and the result from loss on ignition (LOI) also showed that over 50% of the coarser fraction represented organic matter compared to less than 30% for the finest fraction. The study also showed that after the recovery of metals from the waste PCBs, landfill leaching for most of the metal is reduced below the environmental limits, with lead being the only exception. The lead leachate concentration of 18 mg/L was observed, which requires further treatment prior to landfilling. With an energy value of 16 GJ/t, the NMF could provide high energy recovery if incinerated but 194 mg/kg of hazardous flame retardants present in the NMF might be released if the combustion process is not closely monitored. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Office of the Ombuds Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2010

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-22

Academic Honesty, plagiarism , Code of Conduct, conflict of interest) 9b. Values and Culture (questions, concerns or issues about the values or culture...decisions, decisions about requests for administrative and academic services, e.g., exceptions to policy deadlines or limits, refund requests, appeals of

Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project Federal Facilities Agreement: Quarterly environmental data summary for third quarter 1998

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

NONE

1998-11-06

In support of the Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project Federal Facilities Agreement, a copy of the Quarterly Environmental Data Summary (QEDS) for the third quarter of 1998 is enclosed. The data presented in this letter and attachment constitute the QEDS. The data, except for air monitoring data and site KPA generated data (uranium analyses), were received from the contract laboratories, verified by the Weldon Spring Site verification group, and merged into the database during the third quarter of 1998. Air monitoring data presented are the most recent complete sets of quarterly data. Significant data, defined as data values thatmore » have exceeded defined above normal Level 2 values, are discussed in this letter for Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) generated data only. Above normal Level 2 values are based, in ES and H procedures, on historical high values, DOE Derived Concentration Guides (DCGs), NPDES limits, and other guidelines. The procedures also establish actions to be taken in the event that above normal data occur.« less

An Exclusion Zone for Ca2+ Channels around Docked Vesicles Explains Release Control by Multiple Channels at a CNS Synapse

PubMed Central

Keller, Daniel; Babai, Norbert; Kochubey, Olexiy; Han, Yunyun; Markram, Henry; Schürmann, Felix; Schneggenburger, Ralf

2015-01-01

The spatial arrangement of Ca2+ channels and vesicles remains unknown for most CNS synapses, despite of the crucial importance of this geometrical parameter for the Ca2+ control of transmitter release. At a large model synapse, the calyx of Held, transmitter release is controlled by several Ca2+ channels in a "domain overlap" mode, at least in young animals. To study the geometrical constraints of Ca2+ channel placement in domain overlap control of release, we used stochastic MCell modelling, at active zones for which the position of docked vesicles was derived from electron microscopy (EM). We found that random placement of Ca2+ channels was unable to produce high slope values between release and presynaptic Ca2+ entry, a hallmark of domain overlap, and yielded excessively large release probabilities. The simple assumption that Ca2+ channels can be located anywhere at active zones, except below a critical distance of ~ 30 nm away from docked vesicles ("exclusion zone"), rescued high slope values and low release probabilities. Alternatively, high slope values can also be obtained by placing all Ca2+ channels into a single supercluster, which however results in significantly higher heterogeneity of release probabilities. We also show experimentally that high slope values, and the sensitivity to the slow Ca2+ chelator EGTA-AM, are maintained with developmental maturation of the calyx synapse. Taken together, domain overlap control of release represents a highly organized active zone architecture in which Ca2+ channels must obey a certain distance to docked vesicles. Furthermore, domain overlap can be employed by near-mature, fast-releasing synapses. PMID:25951120

Three-dimensional skyrmions in spin-2 Bose–Einstein condensates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiurev, Konstantin; Ollikainen, Tuomas; Kuopanportti, Pekko; Nakahara, Mikio; Hall, David S.; Möttönen, Mikko

2018-05-01

We introduce topologically stable three-dimensional skyrmions in the cyclic and biaxial nematic phases of a spin-2 Bose–Einstein condensate. These skyrmions exhibit exceptionally high mapping degrees resulting from the versatile symmetries of the corresponding order parameters. We show how these structures can be created in existing experimental setups and study their temporal evolution and lifetime by numerically solving the three-dimensional Gross–Pitaevskii equations for realistic parameter values. Although the biaxial nematic and cyclic phases are observed to be unstable against transition towards the ferromagnetic phase, their lifetimes are long enough for the skyrmions to be imprinted and detected experimentally.

A step ahead: strategies for excellence in critical care nursing practice.

PubMed

Albano, Amy; Elliott, Sheila; Lusardi, Paula; Scott, Susan; Thomas, Diane

2005-06-01

The adult intensive care unit (ICU) at Baystate Medical Center is a 24-bed medical-surgical-trauma ICU that provides high-quality care to critically ill patients. Collaboration and expertise among the nursing staff, intensivists, and interdisciplinary colleagues have contributed to its development into a Beacon Award-winning unit. Its primary goal is reflected in the unit's mission: "Care for our patients is guided by knowledge, motivated by compassion, and performed in collaboration with others." Common interests, values, and purposes have created an environment of communication that supports the delivery of exceptional critical care to patients and their families.

Universally stable black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bueno, Pablo; Cano, Pablo A.

We argue that, when certain higher-curvature corrections are added to the four-dimensional Einstein-Hilbert action, black holes become stable below certain mass. We show this to be the case for an infinite family of ghost-free theories involving terms of arbitrarily high order in curvature. The thermodynamic behavior of the new black holes is universal for arbitrary values of the couplings, with the only exception of the Schwarzschild solution itself, which is recovered when all the couplings are set to zero. For this class of theories, the issue of non-unitary evolution is inexistent, as black holes never evaporate completely.

Analysis of fuel using the Direct LSC method determination of bio-originated fuel in the presence of quenching.

PubMed

Doll, Charles G; Wright, Cherylyn W; Morley, Shannon M; Wright, Bob W

2017-04-01

A modified version of the Direct LSC method to correct for quenching effect was investigated for the determination of bio-originated fuel content in fuel samples produced from multiple biological starting materials. The modified method was found to be accurate in determining the percent bio-originated fuel to within 5% of the actual value for samples with quenching effects ≤43%. Analysis of highly quenched samples was possible when diluted with the exception of one sample with a 100% quenching effect. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Maximizing value and minimizing barriers: Patient-centered community consultation for research in emergency settings.

PubMed

Fordyce, Christopher B; Roe, Matthew T; Dickert, Neal W

2017-02-01

Patients with cardiac arrest and other life-threatening emergencies are unable to provide prospective consent for clinical trials. In the United States and other countries, regulations permit an exception from the requirement for informed consent in emergency settings. However, many potential barriers exist, as evidenced by the scarcity of US trials conducted under exception from the requirement for informed consent. One persistent challenge is the requirement that investigators consult communities prior to study approval. To improve the community consultation process for emergency studies under exception from the requirement for informed consent, we propose that prioritizing engagement of individuals who have experienced the condition under study, or are at high risk for the condition, fulfills regulatory goals and represents the interests of potential enrollees and the community without impeding research. Prioritizing patients engages individuals who are more likely to understand the concerns and experiences of study subjects, to appreciate risks and benefits of the study, and to understand the impact of the disease and intervention on patients' lives than are members of the general public. Similarly, those explicitly at high risk are more likely to identify as potential participants and may impart some level of accountability on the investigator. Finally, the most logical community of relevance is defined by a combination of condition-related experience and living in the area where a study will be conducted; geographic and condition-related communities should not be treated as distinct. In this sense, patients, their family members, and individuals at high risk within the catchment area represent the appropriate "community." Exception from the requirement for informed consent regulations have advanced the goal of improving care for emergency conditions, but common interpretations of the community consultation requirement threaten research in the United States. Focusing on the goals of learning from and demonstrating respect for those most directly affected by a study through engaging people most connected to the condition of interest will make community consultation more valuable, better inform institutional review boards, and increase efficiency.

Nerve ultrasound normal values - Readjustment of the ultrasound pattern sum score UPSS.

PubMed

Grimm, Alexander; Axer, Hubertus; Heiling, Bianka; Winter, Natalie

2018-07-01

Reference values are crucial for nerve ultrasound. Here, we reevaluated normal nerve and fascicle cross-sectional area (CSA) values in humans and compared them to published values. Based on these data, ultrasound pattern sum score (UPSS) boundary values were revisited and readjusted. Ultrasound of different peripheral nerves was performed in 100 healthy subjects at anatomically defined landmarks. Correlations with age, gender, height and weight were calculated. Overall, correspondence to other published reference values was high. Gender-dependency was found for the proximal median nerve. Dependency from height occurred in the tibial nerve (TN). Weight-dependency was not found. However, the most obvious differences were found in the TN between men >60 years and women <60 years. Thus, general boundary values were defined using the mean plus the twofold standard deviation for all subjects and nerve segments except for the TN, in which different cut-offs were proposed for elder men. Accordingly, the cut-offs for the UPSS were re-adjusted, none of the individuals revealed more than 2 points at maximum. The influence of distinct epidemiological factors on nerve size is most prominent in the TN, for which thus several normal values are useful. Adjusted reference values improve the accuracy of the UPSS. Copyright © 2018 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Toric add-on intraocular lenses for correction of high astigmatism after pseudophakic keratoplasty].

PubMed

Hassenstein, A; Niemeck, F; Giannakakis, K; Klemm, M

2017-06-01

Perforating keratoplasty shows good morphological results with a clear cornea; however, a limiting factor is often the resulting astigmatism, which cannot be corrected with either glasses or contact lenses (CL) in up to 20% of the patients. We retrospectively investigated 15 patients after pseudophakic perforating keratoplasty, who received implantation of toric add-on intraocular lenses (IOL) to correct astigmatism. The mean preoperative astigmatism of 6.5 diopter (dpt) could be reduced to a mean postoperative value of 1.0 dpt. The mean visual acuity could be improved from a preoperative value of sc <0.05 (cc 0.6) to a postoperative value of sc 0.4 (cc 0.63). There were no complications except for one case of a lens extension tear. Based on our good experiences we now provide toric add-on IOL to all patients with pseudophakic perforating keratoplasty when this cannot be corrected or only insufficiently corrected by conservative methods.

Reliability, Factor Structure, and Associations With Measures of Problem Relationship and Behavior of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 in a Sample of Italian Community-Dwelling Adolescents.

PubMed

Somma, Antonella; Borroni, Serena; Maffei, Cesare; Giarolli, Laura E; Markon, Kristian E; Krueger, Robert F; Fossati, Andrea

2017-10-01

In order to assess the reliability, factorial validity, and criterion validity of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) among adolescents, 1,264 Italian high school students were administered the PID-5. Participants were also administered the Questionnaire on Relationships and Substance Use as a criterion measure. In the full sample, McDonald's ω values were adequate for the PID-5 scales (median ω = .85, SD = .06), except for Suspiciousness. However, all PID-5 scales showed average inter-item correlation values in the .20-.55 range. Exploratory structural equation modeling analyses provided moderate support for the a priori model of PID-5 trait scales. Ordinal logistic regression analyses showed that selected PID-5 trait scales predicted a significant, albeit moderate (Cox & Snell R 2 values ranged from .08 to .15, all ps < .001) amount of variance in Questionnaire on Relationships and Substance Use variables.

Solution Processed PEDOT Analogues in Electrochemical Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Österholm, Anna M; Ponder, James F; Kerszulis, Justin A; Reynolds, John R

2016-06-01

We have designed fully soluble ProDOTx-EDOTy copolymers that are electrochemically equivalent to electropolymerized PEDOT without using any surfactants or dispersants. We show that these copolymers can be incorporated as active layers in solution processed thin film supercapacitors to demonstrate capacitance, stability, and voltage similar to the values of those that use electrodeposited PEDOT as the active material with the added advantage of the possibility for large scale, high-throughput processing. These Type I supercapacitors provide exceptional cell voltages (up to 1.6 V), highly symmetrical charge/discharge behavior, promising long-term stability exceeding 50 000 charge/discharge cycles, as well as energy (4-18 Wh/kg) and power densities (0.8-3.3 kW/kg) that are comparable to those of electrochemically synthesized analogues.

N(G)-Acyl-argininamides as NPY Y(1) receptor antagonists: Influence of structurally diverse acyl substituents on stability and affinity.

PubMed

Weiss, Stefan; Keller, Max; Bernhardt, Günther; Buschauer, Armin; König, Burkhard

2010-09-01

N(G)-Acylated argininamides, covering a broad range of lipophilicity (calculated logD values: -1.8-12.5), were synthesized and investigated for NPY Y(1) receptor (Y(1)R) antagonism, Y(1)R affinity and stability in buffer (N(G)-deacylation, yielding BIBP 3226). Broad structural variation of substituents was tolerated. The K(i) (binding) and K(b) values (Y(1)R antagonism) varied from low nM to one-digit muM. Most of the compounds proved to be sufficiently stable at pH 7.4 over 90min to determine reliable pharmacological data in vitro. Exceptionally high instability was detected when a succinyl moiety was attached to the guanidine, probably, due to an intramolecular cleavage mechanism. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

36 CFR 219.28 - Determination of land suitable for timber harvest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... conditions and ecological sustainability, and is necessary to protect multiple-use values other than timber... justified by the ecological, social, or economic benefits considering physical, economic, and other... revision of the plan. (c) Lands where timber may be harvested for other multiple-use values. Except for...

Adding Albedo and Atmospheres

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LoPresto, Michael C.

2013-01-01

In a previous article in this journal, we reported on a laboratory activity in which students used a derivation from the Stefan-Boltzmann law to calculate planetary temperatures and compare them to measured values from various (mostly online) sources. The calculated temperatures matched observed values very well with the exceptions of Venus and…

7 CFR 3015.52 - Qualifications and exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... applied towards other Federal cost-sharing requirements. Recipient costs or the value of third party in... or cost-type contractors. These records shall show how the value placed on third party in-kind... paragraph (f) of this section. Volunteer services, to the extent possible, shall be supported by the same...

7 CFR 3015.52 - Qualifications and exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... applied towards other Federal cost-sharing requirements. Recipient costs or the value of third party in... or cost-type contractors. These records shall show how the value placed on third party in-kind... paragraph (f) of this section. Volunteer services, to the extent possible, shall be supported by the same...

7 CFR 3015.52 - Qualifications and exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... applied towards other Federal cost-sharing requirements. Recipient costs or the value of third party in... or cost-type contractors. These records shall show how the value placed on third party in-kind... paragraph (f) of this section. Volunteer services, to the extent possible, shall be supported by the same...

7 CFR 3015.52 - Qualifications and exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... applied towards other Federal cost-sharing requirements. Recipient costs or the value of third party in... or cost-type contractors. These records shall show how the value placed on third party in-kind... paragraph (f) of this section. Volunteer services, to the extent possible, shall be supported by the same...

5 CFR 2635.204 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... technology. At the conclusion of his speech, the association presents the employee a framed map with a market value of $18 and a book about the history of cartography with a market value of $15. The employee may... employee. Relevant factors in making such a determination include the history of the relationship and...

Effects of Offshore Oil Exploration and Development in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea: A Three-Decade Record for Sediment Metals.

PubMed

Trefry, John H; Neff, Jerry M

2018-06-19

Impacts from oil exploration, development and production in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska, are assessed using concentrations of metals in sediments collected during 2014-15, combined with a large dataset for 1985-2006. Concentrations of 7 (1980 s) or 17 (1999-2015) metals in 423 surface sediments from 134 stations, plus 563 samples from 30 cores were highly variable, primarily as a function of sediment granulometry with naturally greater metal concentrations in fine-grained, Al-rich sediment. Metals versus Al correlation plots were used to normalize metal concentrations and identify values significantly above background. Barium, Cr, Cu, Hg and Pb concentrations were above background, but variable, within 250 m of some offshore sites where drilling occurred between 1981-2001; these areas totaled <6 km 2 of 11,000 km 2 in the total lease area. Random and fixed sampling along the coastal Beaufort Sea from 1985-2015 yielded 40 positive anomalies for metals in surface sediments (∼0.8% of 5,082 data points). About 85% of the anomalies were from developed areas. Half the anomalies were for the five metals found enhanced near drilling sites. No metals concentrations, except As, exceeded accepted sediment quality criteria. Interannual shifts in metals values for surface sediments at inner shelf sites were common and linked to storm-induced transitions in granulometry; however, metal/Al ratios were uniform during these shifts. Sediment cores generally recorded centuries of background values, except for As, Fe and Mn. These three metals were naturally enriched in sediments from deeper water (>100 m) via diagenetic remobilization at sediment depths of 5-15 cm, upward diffusion, and precipitation in surface oxic layers. Minimal evidence for anthropogenic inputs of metals, except near some exploratory drilling sites, is consistent with extraction of most oil from land or barrier islands in the Alaskan Arctic and restricted offshore activity to date. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

HIF evaluation of In-Situ Aqua TROLL 400

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Evan F.

2017-10-18

The In-Situ Aqua TROLL 400 (Aqua TROLL 400) was tested at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF) against known standards over the Aqua TROLL 400’s operating temperature to verify the manufacturer’s stated accuracy specifications and the USGS recommendations for pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and specific conductance (SC). The Aqua TROLL 400 manufacturer’s specifications are within the USGS recommendations for all parameters tested, except for DO, which is outside the USGS recommendation at DO concentrations of 8.0 milligrams per liter (mg/L) and higher. The Aqua TROLL 400 was compliant with Serial Digital Interface at 1200 baud (SDI-12) version 1.3. During laboratory testing of pH, the Aqua TROLL 400 sonde met the U.S. Geological Survey “National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data” (NFM) recommendations for pH at all values tested, except at 4 degrees Celsius (°C) at pH 9.395 and pH 3.998. The Aqua TROLL 400 met the manufacturer specifications for pH at all values tested, except for pH buffers 3.998, 9.395, and 10.245 at 4 °C; pH 2.990 and 3.998 at 15 °C; and pH 3.040 at 40 °C. The Aqua TROLL 400 met the NFM recommendations at 93.7 percent of the SC values tested and met the manufacturer’s accuracy specifications at 56.3 percent of the SC values tested. During the laboratory testing for DO, the Aqua TROLL 400 met the manufacturer specifications, except at 5.55 mg/L, and met the NFM recommendations at all concentrations tested. An Aqua TROLL 400 was field tested at USGS Station 02492620, National Space Technology Laboratories (NSTL) Station, Mississippi, on the Pearl River for 6 weeks and showed good agreement with the well-maintained site sonde data for pH, DO, temperature, and SC.

The Influence of Teacher Expectations about Twice-Exceptional Students on the Use of High Quality Gifted Curriculum: A Case Study Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Missett, Tracy C.; Azano, Amy Price; Callahan, Carolyn M.; Landrum, Kimberly

2016-01-01

Twice-exceptional students show evidence of high academic performance or potential and also have a disability that impedes their ability to learn. Twice-exceptional students remain under-represented in gifted programs, and some researchers attribute such under-representation to the negative beliefs and low expectations about twice-exceptional…

Depletions in winter total ozone values over southern England

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lapworth, A.

1994-01-01

A study has been made of the recently re-evaluated time series of daily total ozone values for the period 1979 to 1992 for southern England. The series consists of measurements made at two stations, Bracknell and Camborne. The series shows a steady decline in ozone values in the spring months over the period, and this is consistent with data from an earlier decade that has been published but not re-evaluated. Of exceptional note is the monthly mean for January 1992 which was very significantly reduced from the normal value, and was the lowest so far measured for this month. This winter was also noteworthy for a prolonged period during which a blocking anticyclone dominated the region, and the possibility existed that this was related to the ozone anomaly. It was possible to determine whether the origin of the low ozone value lay in ascending stratospheric motions. A linear regression analysis of ozone value deviation against 100hPa temperature deviations was used to reduce ozone values to those expected in the absence of high pressure. The assumption was made that the normal regression relation was not affected by atmospheric anomalies during the winter. This showed that vertical motions in the stratosphere only accounted for part of the ozone anomaly and that the main cause of the ozone deficit lay either in a reduced stratospheric circulation to which the anticyclone may be related or in chemical effects in the reduced stratospheric temperatures above the high pressure area. A study of the ozone time series adjusted to remove variations correlated with meteorological quantities, showed that during the period since 1979, one other winter, that of 1982/3, showed a similar although less well defined deficit in total ozone values.

A hadronic origin for ultra-high-frequency-peaked BL Lac objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerruti, M.; Zech, A.; Boisson, C.; Inoue, S.

2015-03-01

Current Cherenkov telescopes have identified a population of ultra-high-frequency peaked BL Lac objects (UHBLs), also known as extreme blazars, that exhibit exceptionally hard TeV spectra, including 1ES 0229+200, 1ES 0347-121, RGB J0710+591, 1ES 1101-232, and 1ES 1218+304. Although one-zone synchrotron-self-Compton (SSC) models have been generally successful in interpreting the high-energy emission observed in other BL Lac objects, they are problematic for UHBLs, necessitating very large Doppler factors and/or extremely high minimum Lorentz factors of the emitting leptonic population. In this context, we have investigated alternative scenarios where hadronic emission processes are important, using a newly developed (lepto-)hadronic numerical code to systematically explore the physical parameters of the emission region that reproduces the observed spectra while avoiding the extreme values encountered in pure SSC models. Assuming a fixed Doppler factor δ = 30, two principal parameter regimes are identified, where the high-energy emission is due to: (1) proton-synchrotron radiation, with magnetic fields B ˜ 1-100 G and maximum proton energies Ep; max ≲ 1019 eV; and (2) synchrotron emission from p-γ-induced cascades as well as SSC emission from primary leptons, with B ˜ 0.1-1 G and Ep; max ≲ 1017 eV. This can be realized with plausible, sub-Eddington values for the total (kinetic plus magnetic) power of the emitting plasma, in contrast to hadronic interpretations for other blazar classes that often warrant highly super-Eddington values.

34 CFR 300.102 - Limitation-exception to FAPE for certain ages.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... from high school with a regular high school diploma. (ii) The exception in paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section does not apply to children who have graduated from high school but have not been awarded a regular high school diploma. (iii) Graduation from high school with a regular high school diploma constitutes a...

34 CFR 300.102 - Limitation-exception to FAPE for certain ages.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... from high school with a regular high school diploma. (ii) The exception in paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section does not apply to children who have graduated from high school but have not been awarded a regular high school diploma. (iii) Graduation from high school with a regular high school diploma constitutes a...

34 CFR 300.102 - Limitation-exception to FAPE for certain ages.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... from high school with a regular high school diploma. (ii) The exception in paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section does not apply to children who have graduated from high school but have not been awarded a regular high school diploma. (iii) Graduation from high school with a regular high school diploma constitutes a...

34 CFR 300.102 - Limitation-exception to FAPE for certain ages.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... from high school with a regular high school diploma. (ii) The exception in paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section does not apply to children who have graduated from high school but have not been awarded a regular high school diploma. (iii) Graduation from high school with a regular high school diploma constitutes a...

Intake port

DOEpatents

Mendler, Edward Charles

2005-02-01

The volumetric efficiency and power of internal combustion engines is improved with an intake port having an intake nozzle, a venturi, and a surge chamber. The venturi is located almost halfway upstream the intake port between the intake valves and the intake plenum enabling the venturi throat diameter to be exceptionally small for providing an exceptionally high ram velocity and an exceptionally long and in turn high efficiency diffuser flowing into the surge chamber. The intake port includes an exceptionally large surge chamber volume for blow down of the intake air into the working cylinder of the engine.

The Best Extraction Technique for Kaempferol and Quercetin Isolation from Guava Leaves (Psidium guajava)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batubara, I.; Suparto, I. H.; Wulandari, N. S.

2017-03-01

Guava leaves contain various compounds that have biological activity such as kaempferol and quercetin as anticancer. Twelve extraction techniques were performed to obtain the best extraction technique to isolate kaempferol and quercetin from the guava leaves. Toxicity of extracts was tested against Artemia salina larvae. All extracts were toxic (LC50 value less than 1000 ppm) except extract of direct soxhletation on guava leaves, and extract of sonication and soxhletation using n-hexane. The extract with high content of total phenols and total flavonoids, low content of tannins, intense color of spot on thin layer chromatogram was selected for high performance liquid chromatography analysis. Direct sonication of guava leaves was chosen as the best extraction technique with kampferol and quercetin content of 0.02% and 2.15%, respectively. In addition to high content of kaempferol and quercetin, direct sonication was chosen due to the shortest extraction time, lesser impurities and high toxicity.

Reusable self-healing hydrogels realized via in situ polymerization.

PubMed

Vivek, Balachandran; Prasad, Edamana

2015-04-09

In this work, a self-healing hydrogel has been prepared using in situ polymerization of acrylic acid and acrylamide in the presence of glycogen. The hydrogel was characterized using NMR, SEM, FT-IR, rheology, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies. The developed hydrogel exhibits self-healing properties at neutral pH, high swelling ability, high elasticity, and excellent mechanical strength. The hydrogel exhibits modulus values (G', G″) as high as 10(6) Pa and shows an exceptionally high degree of swelling ratio (∼3.5 × 10(3)). Further, the polymer based hydrogel adsorbs toxic metal ions (Cd(2+), Pb(2+), and Hg(2+)) and organic dyes (methylene blue and methyl orange) from contaminated water with remarkable efficiency (90-98%). The mechanistic analysis indicated the presence of pseudo-second-order reaction kinetics. The reusability of the hydrogel has been demonstrated by repeating the adsorption-desorption process over five cycles with identical results in the adsorption efficiency.

Prediction of textural attributes using color values of banana (Musa sapientum) during ripening.

PubMed

Jaiswal, Pranita; Jha, Shyam Narayan; Kaur, Poonam Preet; Bhardwaj, Rishi; Singh, Ashish Kumar; Wadhawan, Vishakha

2014-06-01

Banana is an important sub-tropical fruit in international trade. It undergoes significant textural and color transformations during ripening process, which in turn influence the eating quality of the fruit. In present study, color ('L', 'a' and 'b' value) and textural attributes of bananas (peel, fruit and pulp firmness; pulp toughness; stickiness) were studied simultaneously using Hunter Color Lab and Texture Analyser, respectively, during ripening period of 10 days at ambient atmosphere. There was significant effect of ripening period on all the considered textural characteristics and color properties of bananas except color value 'b'. In general, textural descriptors (peel, fruit and pulp firmness; and pulp toughness) decreased during ripening except stickiness, while color values viz 'a' and 'b' increased with ripening barring 'L' value. Among various textural attributes, peel toughness and pulp firmness showed highest correlation (r) with 'a' value of banana peel. In order to predict textural properties using color values of banana, five types of equations (linear/polynomial/exponential/logarithmic/power) were fitted. Among them, polynomial equation was found to be the best fit (highest coefficient of determination, R(2)) for prediction of texture using color properties for bananas. The pulp firmness, peel toughness and pulp toughness showed R(2) above 0.84 with indicating its potentiality of the fitted equations for prediction of textural profile of bananas non-destructively using 'a' value.

Effects of dietary supplementation with green tea waste on growth, digestive enzyme and lipid metabolism of juvenile hybrid tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus × O. aureus.

PubMed

Zheng, Qingmei; Han, Chunyan; Zhong, Yanmei; Wen, Rushu; Zhong, Ming

2017-04-01

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with green tea waste (GTW) on growth, digestive enzyme and lipid metabolism of juvenile hybrid tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus × O. aureus. The fish (initial mean body weight, 12.63 ± 0.75 g) were fed five experimental diets that included 0 (control), 0.8, 1.6, 3.2 or 6.4 % of GTW in triplicate aquaria, twice daily. Growth performance, plasma metabolites content and liver and intestine digestive enzyme activities were determined. Fish accepted well all experimental diets during the trial, and no mortality was observed. The weight gain increased (P < 0.05) with the increase in GTW inclusion level up to 1.6 %, after which it decreased, but no significant differences between the control and high level (3.2 or 6.4 % of GTW) groups were observed. Moreover, fish fed on diets containing 0.8 and 1.6 % GTW had lower feed conversion ratio (FCR, 1.75 and 1.73, respectively) and had better protein deposition (higher protein efficiency ratio, PER, 1.73 and 1.71, respectively), compared to other treatments. No differences among groups were observed in whole body and dorsal muscle composition with the exception of lipid content which was lower in fish fed 6.4 % GTW diets, compared to other treatments. Lipase activities in liver or intestine were higher in fish fed GTW-supplemented diets with the exception of intestine lipase activities, which was unaffected, compared to the control. Similarly, liver lipoprotein lipase activities were also increased in fish fed diets supplemented a medium dose of GTW (1.6 or 3.2 %), compared to other treatments. However, intestine amylase activities were decreased in fish fed diets containing a high dose of GTW (3.2 and 6.4 %); while the liver amylase activities were unaffected by the GTW supplementation. Blood chemistry parameters were affected by GTW inclusion, except the values of triglycerides, which was unaffected. The values of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol increased with increasing GTW inclusion level up to 3.2 %, after which the values decreased. These results indicate that diets supplemented with appropriate concentration of GTW (from 0.8 to 1.6 %) may potentially serve as an effective functional food and additive for tilapia to improve growth performance, digestion efficacy and fat metabolism.

Study of Genetic Diversity among Simmental Cross Cattle in West Sumatra Based on Microsatellite Markers

PubMed Central

Agung, Paskah Partogi; Saputra, Ferdy; Septian, Wike Andre; Lusiana; Zein, Moch. Syamsul Arifin; Sulandari, Sri; Anwar, Saiful; Wulandari, Ari Sulistyo; Said, Syahruddin; Tappa, Baharuddin

2016-01-01

A study was conducted to assess the genetic diversity among Simmental Cross cattle in West Sumatra using microsatellite DNA markers. A total of 176 individual cattle blood samples was used for obtaining DNA samples. Twelve primers of microsatellite loci as recommended by FAO were used to identify the genetic diversity of the Simmental Cross cattle population. Multiplex DNA fragment analysis method was used for allele identification. All the microsatellite loci in this study were highly polymorphic and all of the identified alleles were able to classify the cattle population into several groups based on their genetic distance. The heterozygosity values of microsatellite loci in this study ranged from 0.556 to 0.782. The polymorphism information content (PIC) value of the 12 observed loci is high (PIC>0.5). The highest PIC value in the Simmental cattle population was 0.893 (locus TGLA53), while the lowest value was 0.529 (locus BM1818). Based on the genetic distance value, the subpopulation of the Simmental Cross-Agam and the Simmental Cross-Limapuluh Kota was exceptionally close to the Simmental Purebred thus indicating that a grading-up process has taken place with the Simmental Purebred. In view of the advantages possessed by the Simmental Cross cattle and the evaluation of the genetic diversity results, a number of subpopulations in this study can be considered as the initial (base) population for the Simmental Cross cattle breeding programs in West Sumatra, Indonesia. PMID:26732442

Gendered motivational processes affecting high school mathematics participation, educational aspirations, and career plans: a comparison of samples from Australia, Canada, and the United States.

PubMed

Watt, Helen M G; Shapka, Jennifer D; Morris, Zoe A; Durik, Amanda M; Keating, Daniel P; Eccles, Jacquelynne S

2012-11-01

In this international, longitudinal study, we explored gender differences in, and gendered relationships among, math-related motivations emphasized in the Eccles (Parsons) et al. (1983) expectancy-value framework, high school math participation, educational aspirations, and career plans. Participants were from Australia, Canada, and the United States (Ns = 358, 471, 418, respectively) in Grades 9/10 at Time 1 and Grades 11/12 at Time 2. The 3 samples came from suburban middle to upper-middle socioeconomic backgrounds, primarily of Anglo-European descent. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed stereotypic gender differences in educational and occupational outcomes only among the Australian sample. Multigroup structural equation models identified latent mean differences where male adolescents held higher intrinsic value for math in the Australian sample and higher ability/success expectancy in both North American samples. Ability/success expectancy was a key predictor in the North American samples, in contrast to intrinsic value in the Australian sample. Attainment/utility ("importance") values were more important for female adolescents' career choices, except in the Australian sample. Findings are interpreted in relation to gender socialization practices, degree and type of early choice, and specialization across settings. Implications are discussed for long-term math engagement and career selection for female and male adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Longitudinal Study of Career Cluster Persistence from 8th Grade to 12th Grade with a Focus on the Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math Career Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Judson

Today's technology driven global economy has put pressure on the American education system to produce more students who are prepared for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Adding to this pressure is the demand for a more diverse workforce that can stimulate the development of new ideas and innovation. This in turn requires more female and under represented minority groups to pursue future careers in STEM. Though STEM careers include many of the highest paid professionals, school systems are dealing with exceptionally high numbers of students, especially female and under represented minorities, who begin but do not persist to STEM degree completion. Using the Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT) framework that attributes student motivation to a combination of intrinsic, utility, and attainment values, this study analyzed readily available survey data to gauge students' career related values. These values were indirectly investigated through a longitudinal approach, spanning five years, on the predictive nature of 8 th grade survey-derived recommendations for students to pursue a future in a particular career cluster. Using logistic regression analysis, it was determined that this 8 th grade data, particularly in STEM, provides significantly high probabilities of a 12th grader's average grade, SAT-Math score, the math and science elective courses they take, and most importantly, interest in the same career cluster.

Extreme flooding in the West African cities of Dakar and Ouagadougou - atmospheric dynamics and implications for flood risk assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engel, Thomas; Fink, Andreas; Knippertz, Peter

2017-04-01

In this study, two extreme, high-impact events of heavy rainfall and severe floods in West African urban areas (Ouagadougou in 2009, Dakar in 2012) are investigated in terms of their atmospheric causes and statistical return periods. In terms of the synoptic-convective dynamics, the Ouagadougou case is truly exceptional. A succession of two strong and temporarily slow-moving African Easterly Waves (AEWs) caused record-breaking values of tropospheric moisture and low-level relative vorticity, thereby providing the synoptic forcing for the nighttime genesis of Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs). Ouagadougou was hit by two successive MCSs, the latter being possible due to the rotation and swift moisture refuelling by the strong convergence in the AEW-related vortex. It is speculated that this case may allow a glimpse of a new type of extreme Sahelian rainstorms. Similarly to the Ouagadougou case, an AEW was instrumental in the overnight development of an MCSs to the east of Dakar, but neither the AEW vortex nor the tropospheric moisture content was as exceptional as in the Ouagadougou case. The Return Value (RV) analysis suggests that TRMM 3B42 data appears to be suitable to estimate centennial RVs using the "peak-over-threshold" approach with a GPD fit, though the good performance might be a result of errors in estimating extreme rainfall over the arid Sahel. On the contrary PERSIANN-CDR is inappropriate for this purpose, despite having a twice as long observational period. The Ouagadougou event also shows that highly unusual dynamical developments can create extreme situations well outside of any RV estimates from century-long daily rainfall observations.

American Exceptionalism: Essential Context for National Security Strategy Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-10

character emerge: a belief in the ethical importance of American elements of national power as means and ends in themselves; a belief in the universal...applicability of liberal values and institutions to mankind; a belief in the ethic of reciprocity as a normative means to achieve positive interactions among...nations ; and a belief in the value of maintaining strategic flexibility in an increasingly complex strategic environment. These ethical and value

Academic Manager or Managed Academic? Academic Identity Schisms in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winter, Richard

2009-01-01

The relationship between values and academic identity has received scant attention in the higher education literature with some notable exceptions (Churchman, 2006; Harley, 2002; Henkel, 2005). This paper contends that the perceived need to align all academics around corporate values and goals has given rise to academic identity schisms in higher…

30 CFR 882.13 - Liens.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... increase in the fair market value; except that— (1) A lien must not be placed against the property of a... necessitated the reclamation work. (2) The basis for making a determination of what constitutes a significant increase in market value or what factual situation constitutes a waiver of lien will be made by OSM, State...

30 CFR 882.13 - Liens.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... increase in the fair market value; except that— (1) A lien must not be placed against the property of a... necessitated the reclamation work. (2) The basis for making a determination of what constitutes a significant increase in market value or what factual situation constitutes a waiver of lien will be made by OSM, State...

75 FR 57539 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Order Approving...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-21

..., will also contain information and analysis of EOW and EOM trading patterns, and index price volatility... similar to regular index options, except the exercise settlement value will be based on the index value...\\ In light of historic Commission concerns about expanding p.m. settlement, CBOE has represented that...

47 CFR 54.513 - Resale and transfer of services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... subpart shall not be sold, resold, or transferred in consideration of money or any other thing of value... over the Internet. There is no prohibition on the resale of services that are not purchased pursuant to... of money or any other thing of value, for a period of three years after purchase, except that...

26 CFR 25.2701-5 - Adjustments to mitigate double taxation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... time of the initial transfer (or the remaining portion thereof). (b) Amount of reduction. Except as...) duplicated in the transfer tax base at the time of the transfer of the section 2701 interest (the duplicated... tax value of the section 2701 interest at the time of the subsequent transfer exceeds the value of...

26 CFR 25.2701-5 - Adjustments to mitigate double taxation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... time of the initial transfer (or the remaining portion thereof). (b) Amount of reduction. Except as...) duplicated in the transfer tax base at the time of the transfer of the section 2701 interest (the duplicated... tax value of the section 2701 interest at the time of the subsequent transfer exceeds the value of...

A Methodology for Determining Land Value and Associated Benefits Created from Dredged Material Containment.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-06-01

accessibility. 228. The diagram below represents the basic relationship among the physical criteria: n^^^o MLl»3 Geographic Location Setting ^ r-; 11 T>,r...value is the difference be- tween the raw site value and the development value. The diagram below illustrates the basic relationship among the...except for the effect of demand on market price and the length of time that a site would remain on the market. The diagram below illustrates the

Association of Interarm Systolic Blood Pressure Difference with Atherosclerosis and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

PubMed Central

Su, Ho-Ming; Lin, Tsung-Hsien; Hsu, Po-Chao; Chu, Chun-Yuan; Lee, Wen-Hsien; Chen, Szu-Chia; Lee, Chee-Siong; Voon, Wen-Chol; Lai, Wen-Ter; Sheu, Sheng-Hsiung

2012-01-01

An interarm systolic blood pressure (SBP) difference of 10 mmHg or more have been associated with peripheral artery disease and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. We investigated whether an association exists between this difference and ankle-brachial index (ABI), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), and echocardiographic parameters. A total of 1120 patients were included in the study. The bilateral arm blood pressures were measured simultaneously by an ABI-form device. The values of ABI and baPWV were also obtained from the same device. Clinical data, ABI<0.9, baPWV, echocariographic parameters, and an interarm SBP difference ≥10 mmHg were compared and analyzed. We performed two multivariate forward analyses for determining the factors associated with an interarm SBP difference ≥10 mmHg [model 1: significant variables in univariate analysis except left ventricular mass index (LVMI); model 2: significant variables in univariate analysis except ABI<0.9 and baPWV]. The ABI<0.9 and high baPWV in model 1 and high LVMI in model 2 were independently associated with an interarm SBP difference ≥10 mmHg. Female, hypertension, and high body mass index were also associated with an interarm SBP difference ≥10 mmHg. Our study demonstrated that ABI<0.9, high baPWV, and high LVMI were independently associated with an interarm SBP difference of 10 mmHg or more. Detection of an interarm SBP difference may provide a simple method of detecting patients at increased risk of atherosclerosis and left ventricular hypertrophy. PMID:22927905

Evaluation of the Nova StatSensor® XpressTM Creatinine Point-Of-Care Handheld Analyzer

PubMed Central

Kosack, Cara Simone; de Kieviet, Wim; Bayrak, Kubra; Milovic, Anastacija; Page, Anne Laure

2015-01-01

Creatinine is a parameter that is required to monitor renal function and is important to follow in patients under treatment with potentially toxic renal drugs, such as the anti-HIV drug Tenofovir. A point of care instrument to measure creatinine would be useful for patients monitoring in resource-limited settings, where more instruments that are sophisticated are not available. The StatSensor Xpress Creatinine (Nova Biomedical Cooperation, Waltham, MA, USA) point of care analyzer was evaluated for its diagnostic performance in indicating drug therapy change. Creatinine was measured in parallel using the Nova StatSensor Xpress Creatinine analyzer and the Vitros 5,1FS (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Inc, Rochester, USA), which served as reference standard. The precision (i.e., repeatability and reproducibility) and accuracy of the StatSensor Xpress Creatinine analyzer were calculated using a panel of specimens with normal, low pathological and high pathological values. Two different Nova StatSensor Xpress Creatinine analyzers were used for the assessment of accuracy using repeated measurements. The coefficient of variation of the StatSensor Xpress Creatinine analyzers ranged from 2.3 to 5.9% for repeatability and from 4.2 to 9.0% for between-run reproducibility. The concordance correlation agreement was good except for high values (>600 µmol/L). The Bland-Altman analysis in high pathological specimens suggests that the Nova StatSensor Xpress Creatinine test tends to underestimate high creatinine values (i.e., >600 µmol/L). The Nova StatSensor Xpress Creatinine analyzers showed acceptable to good results in terms of repeatability, inter-device reproducibility and between-run reproducibility over time using quality control reagents. The analyzer was found sufficiently accurate for detecting pathological values in patients (age >10 year) and can be used with a moderate risk of misclassification. PMID:25886375

Evaluation of the Nova StatSensor® Xpress(TM) Creatinine point-of-care handheld analyzer.

PubMed

Kosack, Cara Simone; de Kieviet, Wim; Bayrak, Kubra; Milovic, Anastacija; Page, Anne Laure

2015-01-01

Creatinine is a parameter that is required to monitor renal function and is important to follow in patients under treatment with potentially toxic renal drugs, such as the anti-HIV drug Tenofovir. A point of care instrument to measure creatinine would be useful for patients monitoring in resource-limited settings, where more instruments that are sophisticated are not available. The StatSensor Xpress Creatinine (Nova Biomedical Cooperation, Waltham, MA, USA) point of care analyzer was evaluated for its diagnostic performance in indicating drug therapy change. Creatinine was measured in parallel using the Nova StatSensor Xpress Creatinine analyzer and the Vitros 5,1FS (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Inc, Rochester, USA), which served as reference standard. The precision (i.e., repeatability and reproducibility) and accuracy of the StatSensor Xpress Creatinine analyzer were calculated using a panel of specimens with normal, low pathological and high pathological values. Two different Nova StatSensor Xpress Creatinine analyzers were used for the assessment of accuracy using repeated measurements. The coefficient of variation of the StatSensor Xpress Creatinine analyzers ranged from 2.3 to 5.9% for repeatability and from 4.2 to 9.0% for between-run reproducibility. The concordance correlation agreement was good except for high values (>600 µmol/L). The Bland-Altman analysis in high pathological specimens suggests that the Nova StatSensor Xpress Creatinine test tends to underestimate high creatinine values (i.e., >600 µmol/L). The Nova StatSensor Xpress Creatinine analyzers showed acceptable to good results in terms of repeatability, inter-device reproducibility and between-run reproducibility over time using quality control reagents. The analyzer was found sufficiently accurate for detecting pathological values in patients (age >10 year) and can be used with a moderate risk of misclassification.

Could digital imaging be an alternative for digital colorimeters?

PubMed

Caglar, Alper; Yamanel, Kivanc; Gulsahi, Kamran; Bagis, Bora; Ozcan, Mutlu

2010-12-01

This study evaluated the colour parameters of composite and ceramic shade guides determined using a colorimeter and digital imaging method with illuminants at different colour temperatures. Two different resin composite shade guides, namely Charisma (Heraeus Kulzer) and Premise (Kerr Corporation), and two different ceramic shade guides, Vita Lumin Vacuum (VITA Zahnfabrik) and Noritake (Noritake Co.), were evaluated at three different colour temperatures (2,700 K, 2,700-6,500 K, and 6500 K) of illuminants. Ten shade tabs were selected (A1, A2, A3, A3,5, A4, B1, B2, B3, C2 and C3) from each shade guide. CIE Lab values were obtained using digital imaging and a colorimeter (ShadeEye NCC Dental Chroma Meter, Shofu Inc.). The data were analysed using two-way ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation. While mean L* values of both composite and ceramic shade guides were not affected from the colour temperature, L* values obtained with the colorimeter showed significantly lower values than those of the digital imaging (p < 0.01). At combined 2,700-6500 K colour temperature, the means of a* values obtained from colorimeter and digital imaging did not show significant differences (p > 0.05). For both composite and ceramic shade guides, L* and b* values obtained from colorimeter and digital imaging method presented a high level of correlation. High-level correlations were also acquired for a* values in all shade guides except for the Charisma composite shade guide. Digital imaging method could be an alternative for the colorimeters unless the proper object-camera distance, digital camera settings and suitable illumination conditions could be supplied. However, variations in shade guides, especially for composites, may affect the correlation.

[Spatial Distribution of Stable Isotope from the Lakes in Typical Temperate Glacier Region].

PubMed

Shi, Xiao-yi; Pu, Tao; He, Yuan-qing; Lu, Hao; Niu, He-wen; Xia, Dun-sheng

2016-05-15

We focused mainly on the spatial variation and influencing factors of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes between water samples collected at the surface and different depths in the Lashi Lake in August, 2014. Hydrological supply characteristics of the lake in typical temperate glacier region were discussed. The results showed that the values of δ¹⁸O and δD in the Lashi Lake ranged from -12.98 per thousand to -8.16 per thousand with the mean of -9.75 per thousand and from -99.42 per thousand to -73.78 per thousand with the mean of -82.23 per thousand, respectively. There was a reversed spatial variation between δ¹⁸O and d. Relatively low values of δ¹⁸O with high values of d were found at the edge of the lake where the rivers drained into. Meanwhile, the values of d in the vertical profile varied little with depth, suggesting that the waters mixed sufficiently in the vertical direction. The d values increased at first and then decreased from east to west at different layers, but both increase and decrease exhibited different velocities, which were related to the river distribution, the locality of the lake and environmental conditions etc. River water and atmospheric precipitation were the main recharge sources of the Lashi Lake, and the melt-water of snow and ice might also be the supply resource. The δ¹⁸O values of lake water in glacier region decreased along the elevation (except for Lashi Lake), generally, this phenomenon was called "altitude effect". Moreover, high isotopic values of the lake water from non-glacier region were due to the evaporation effect.

Unrivaled combination of surface area and pore volume in micelle-templated carbon for supercapacitor energy storage

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

Pokrzywinski, Jesse; Keum, Jong K.; Ruther, Rose E.

Here, we created Immense Surface Area Carbons (ISACs) by a novel heat treatment that stabilized the micelle structure in a biological based precursor prior to high temperature combined activation – pyrolysis. While displaying a morphology akin to that of commercial activated carbon, ISACs contain an unparalleled combination of electrochemically active surface area and pore volume (up to 4051 m 2 g –1, total pore volume 2.60 cm 3 g –1, 76% small mesopores). The carbons also possess the benefit of being quite pure (combined O and N: 2.6–4.1 at%), thus allowing for a capacitive response that is primarily EDLC. Testedmore » at commercial mass loadings (~10 mg cm –2) ISACs demonstrate exceptional specific capacitance values throughout the entire relevant current density regime, with superior rate capability primarily due to the large fraction of mesopores. In the optimized ISAC, the specific capacitance ( C g) is 540 F g –1 at 0.2 A g –1, 409 F g –1 at 1 A g –1 and 226 F g –1 at a very high current density of 300 A g –1 (~0.15 second charge time). At intermediate and high currents, such capacitance values have not been previously reported for any carbon. Tested with a stable 1.8 V window in a 1 M Li 2SO 4 electrolyte, a symmetric supercapacitor cell yields a flat energy–power profile that is fully competitive with those of organic electrolyte systems: 29 W h kg –1 at 442 W kg –1 and 17 W h kg –1 at 3940 W kg –1. The cyclability of symmetric ISAC cells is also exceptional due to the minimization of faradaic reactions on the carbon surface, with 80% capacitance retention over 100 000 cycles in 1 M Li 2SO 4 and 75 000 cycles in 6 M KOH.« less

Unrivaled combination of surface area and pore volume in micelle-templated carbon for supercapacitor energy storage

DOE PAGES

Pokrzywinski, Jesse; Keum, Jong K.; Ruther, Rose E.; ...

2017-05-23

Here, we created Immense Surface Area Carbons (ISACs) by a novel heat treatment that stabilized the micelle structure in a biological based precursor prior to high temperature combined activation – pyrolysis. While displaying a morphology akin to that of commercial activated carbon, ISACs contain an unparalleled combination of electrochemically active surface area and pore volume (up to 4051 m 2 g –1, total pore volume 2.60 cm 3 g –1, 76% small mesopores). The carbons also possess the benefit of being quite pure (combined O and N: 2.6–4.1 at%), thus allowing for a capacitive response that is primarily EDLC. Testedmore » at commercial mass loadings (~10 mg cm –2) ISACs demonstrate exceptional specific capacitance values throughout the entire relevant current density regime, with superior rate capability primarily due to the large fraction of mesopores. In the optimized ISAC, the specific capacitance ( C g) is 540 F g –1 at 0.2 A g –1, 409 F g –1 at 1 A g –1 and 226 F g –1 at a very high current density of 300 A g –1 (~0.15 second charge time). At intermediate and high currents, such capacitance values have not been previously reported for any carbon. Tested with a stable 1.8 V window in a 1 M Li 2SO 4 electrolyte, a symmetric supercapacitor cell yields a flat energy–power profile that is fully competitive with those of organic electrolyte systems: 29 W h kg –1 at 442 W kg –1 and 17 W h kg –1 at 3940 W kg –1. The cyclability of symmetric ISAC cells is also exceptional due to the minimization of faradaic reactions on the carbon surface, with 80% capacitance retention over 100 000 cycles in 1 M Li 2SO 4 and 75 000 cycles in 6 M KOH.« less

Structures and electron affinity of XO30,-, XOF40,- and XO2F20,- (X = P, As, Sb, Bi): a theoretical study of novel superhalogen formulae and exceptions of superhalogen formulae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yi-Fan; Cui, Zhong-Hua; Ding, Yi-Hong

2015-03-01

Most superhalogen species are in the form of oxides or halides. To enrich the family of superhalogen species, herein, we investigated the structures and electron affinity (EA) values of higher group 15 elements (X = P, As, Sb, Bi) oxyfluoride species XO30,-, XOF40,- and XO2F20,-, at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ-pp & aug-cc-pVTZ //B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ-pp & aug-cc-pVTZ levels (aug-cc-pVTZ-pp for X = Sb and Bi). Some oxyfluoride species, i.e., PO2F20,-, AsO2F20,-, SbO2F20,-, POF40,-, AsOF40,-, SbOF40,- and BiOF40,-, were found to possess higher EA (VDE: 5.0-6.2 eV; ADE: 4.5-5.5 eV) than halogens (F: 3.4 eV; Cl: 3.6 eV). Thus, we recommended that the oxyfluorides in the form of XO2F20,- and XOF40,- should be considered as potential superhalogens, which have not been considered previously. Surprisingly, we showed that BiO3 and BiO2F2, in superhalogen formulae, possess a high vertical detachment energy (VDE) yet a low adiabatic detachment energy (ADE). This is in marked contrast to the previously reported superhalogens, which generally contain both the high VDE and high ADE values. It is the first report about exceptions of superhalogen formulae. These findings revealed that for the analogous main-group compounds with the same structural formula, the difference in the metallic property of the core element could lead to the significant difference in the ground structures of either the anionic or neutral structures, which would result in the much differed superhalogen features.

Chemical characteristics of urban stormwater sediments and implications for environmental management, Maricopa County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parker, J.T.C.; Fossum, K.D.; Ingersoll, T.L.

2000-01-01

Investigations of the chemical characteristics of urban stormwater sediments in the rapidly growing Phoenix metropolitan area of Maricopa County, Arizona, showed that the inorganic component of these sediments generally reflects geologic background values. Some concentrations of metals were above background values, especially cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc, indicating an anthropogenic contribution of these elements to the sediment chemistry. Concentrations, however, were not at levels that would require soil remediation according to guidelines of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Arsenic concentrations generally were above recommended values for remediation at a few sites, but these concentrations seem to reflect geologic rather than anthropogenic factors. Several organochlorine compounds no longer in use were ubiquitous in the Phoenix area, although concentrations generally were low. Chlordane, DDT and its decay products DDE and DDD, dieldrin, toxaphene, and PCBs were found at almost all sites sampled, although some of the pesticides in which these compounds are found have been banned for almost 30 years. A few sites showed exceptionally high concentrations of organochlorine compounds. On the basis of published guidelines, urban stormwater sediments do not appear to constitute a major regional environmental problem with respect to the chemical characteristics investigated here. At individual sites, high concentrations of organic compounds - chlordane, dieldrin, PCBs, and toxaphene - may require some attention. The possible environmental hazard presented by low-level organochlorine contamination is not addressed in this paper; however, high levels of toxicity in urban sediments are difficult to explain. Sediment toxicity varied significantly with time, which indicates that these tests should be evaluated carefully before they are used for management decisions.Investigations of the chemical characteristics of urban stormwater sediments in the rapidly growing Phoenix metropolitan area of Maricopa County, Arizona, showed that the inorganic component of these sediments generally reflects geologic background values. Some concentrations of metals were above background values, especially cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc, indicating an anthropogenic contribution of these elements to the sediment chemistry. Concentrations, however, were not at levels that would require soil remediation according to guidelines of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Arsenic concentrations generally were above recommended values for remediation at a few sites, but these concentrations seem to reflect geologic rather than anthropogenic factors. Several organochlorine compounds no longer in use were ubiquitous in the Phoenix area, although concentrations generally were low. Chlordane, DDT and its decay products DDE and DDD, dieldrin, toxaphene, and PCBs were found at almost all sites sampled, although some of the pesticides in which these compounds are found have been banned for almost 30 years. A few sites showed exceptionally high concentrations of organochlorine compounds. On the basis of published guidelines, urban stormwater sediments do not appear to constitute a major regional environmental problem with respect to the chemical characteristics investigated here. At individual sites, high concentrations of organic compounds - chlordane, dieldrin, PCBs, and toxaphene - may require some attention. The possible environmental hazard presented by low-level organochlorine contamination is not addressed in this paper; however, high levels of toxicity in urban sediments are difficult to explain. Sediment toxicity varied significantly with time, which indicates that these tests should be evaluated carefully before they are used for management decisions.

[Study of the reliability in one dimensional size measurement with digital slit lamp microscope].

PubMed

Wang, Tao; Qi, Chaoxiu; Li, Qigen; Dong, Lijie; Yang, Jiezheng

2010-11-01

To study the reliability of digital slit lamp microscope as a tool for quantitative analysis in one dimensional size measurement. Three single-blinded observers acquired and repeatedly measured the images with a size of 4.00 mm and 10.00 mm on the vernier caliper, which simulatated the human eye pupil and cornea diameter under China-made digital slit lamp microscope in the objective magnification of 4 times, 10 times, 16 times, 25 times, 40 times and 4 times, 10 times, 16 times, respectively. The correctness and precision of measurement were compared. The images with 4 mm size were measured by three investigators and the average values were located between 3.98 to 4.06. For the images with 10.00 mm size, the average values fell within 10.00 ~ 10.04. Measurement results of 4.00 mm images showed, except A4, B25, C16 and C25, significant difference was noted between the measured value and the true value. Regarding measurement results of 10.00 mm iamges indicated, except A10, statistical significance was found between the measured value and the true value. In terms of comparing the results of the same size measured at different magnifications by the same investigator, except for investigators A's measurements of 10.00 mm dimension, the measurement results by all the remaining investigators presented statistical significance at different magnifications. Compared measurements of the same size with different magnifications, measurements of 4.00 mm in 4-fold magnification had no significant difference among the investigators', the remaining results were statistically significant. The coefficient of variation of all measurement results were less than 5%; as magnification increased, the coefficient of variation decreased. The measurement of digital slit lamp microscope in one-dimensional size has good reliability,and should be performed for reliability analysis before used for quantitative analysis to reduce systematic errors.

Drinking water quality assessment.

PubMed

Aryal, J; Gautam, B; Sapkota, N

2012-09-01

Drinking water quality is the great public health concern because it is a major risk factor for high incidence of diarrheal diseases in Nepal. In the recent years, the prevalence rate of diarrhoea has been found the highest in Myagdi district. This study was carried out to assess the quality of drinking water from different natural sources, reservoirs and collection taps at Arthunge VDC of Myagdi district. A cross-sectional study was carried out using random sampling method in Arthunge VDC of Myagdi district from January to June,2010. 84 water samples representing natural sources, reservoirs and collection taps from the study area were collected. The physico-chemical and microbiological analysis was performed following standards technique set by APHA 1998 and statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 11.5. The result was also compared with national and WHO guidelines. Out of 84 water samples (from natural source, reservoirs and tap water) analyzed, drinking water quality parameters (except arsenic and total coliform) of all water samples was found to be within the WHO standards and national standards.15.48% of water samples showed pH (13) higher than the WHO permissible guideline values. Similarly, 85.71% of water samples showed higher Arsenic value (72) than WHO value. Further, the statistical analysis showed no significant difference (P<0.05) of physico-chemical parameters and total coliform count of drinking water for collection taps water samples of winter (January, 2010) and summer (June, 2010). The microbiological examination of water samples revealed the presence of total coliform in 86.90% of water samples. The results obtained from physico-chemical analysis of water samples were within national standard and WHO standards except arsenic. The study also found the coliform contamination to be the key problem with drinking water.

Effects of strain rate and temperature on the mechanical behavior of carbon black reinforced elastomers based on butyl rubber and high molecular weight polyethylene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussein, M.

2018-06-01

The influence of the mechanical property and morphology of different blend ratio of Butyl rubber (IIR)/high molecular weight polyethylene (PE) by temperature and strain rate are performed. Special attention has been considered to a ductile-brittle transition that is known to occur at around 60 °C. The idea is to explain the unexpected phenomenon of brittleness which directly related to all tensile mechanical properties such as the strength of blends, modulus of elasticity of filled and unfilled IIR-polyethylene blends. In particular, the initial Young's modulus, tensile strength and strain at failure exhibit similar dependency on strain rate and temperature. These quantities lowered and increased with an increment of temperature, whereas the increased with increasing of strain rate. Furthermore, the tensile strength and strain at failure decreases for all temperatures range with the increase of PE content in the blend, except Young's modulus in reverse. The strain rate sensitivity index parameter of the examined polymeric materials is consistent with the micro-mechanisms of deformation and the behavior was well described by an Eyring relationship leading to an activation volume of ∼1 nm3, except for the highest value of unfilled IIR ∼8.45 nm3.

Stereoselective bioaccumulation of syn- and anti-Dechlorane plus isomers in different tissues of common carp (Cyprinus carpio).

PubMed

Tang, Bin; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Huang, Chen-Chen; Sun, Run-Xia; Wang, Tao; Zeng, Yan-Hong; Mai, Bi-Xian

2018-03-01

Common carps (Cyprinus carpio) were exposed to syn- and anti-Dechlorane Plus (DP) isomers to investigate absorption, tissue distribution, and stereoselective bioaccumulation of DP isomers. The absorption efficiencies of anti-DP in the gastrointestinal system were higher than those of syn-DP. A linear accumulation was found for both isomers in all fish tissues except for serum; and the liver and gill exhibited the highest and lowest DP assimilation efficiency, respectively. The elimination of DP isomers in all tissues followed first-order kinetics, with the fastest depuration rate occurring in the liver and serum. The biomagnification factors (BMFs) of both isomers were less than one in all tissues, except for serum. Anti-DP was preferably accumulated in the liver, gill, and serum, whereas syn-DP was selectively accumulated in the carcass and gastrointestinal tract. As a whole, fish did not show selective accumulation of the syn- or anti-DP isomer in the uptake stage, whereas a selective accumulation of syn-DP in fish was observed during the depuration period, which could be due to a selective excretion of anti-DP. Metabolism cannot be ruled out as a possible reason considering the high f anti values and the high elimination rate of DPs in the liver. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Clinical study on application of intermittent hemofiltration combined with hemoperfusion in the early stage of severe burn in the prevention and treatment of sepsis].

PubMed

Guo, Wanli; Lei, Jin; Duan, Peng; Ma, Xiaoming

2015-08-01

To investigate the effects of application of intermittent hemofiltration combined with hemoperfusion (HP) in the early stage of severe burn in the prevention and treatment of sepsis. Forty severely burned patients, admitted to our burn ward from June 2011 to March 2013, conforming to the study criteria, were divided into conventional treatment group (CT, n=20) and blood purification group (BP, n=20) according to the random number table. Patients in group CT received CT according to the accepted principles of treatment for a severe burn. Patients in group BP received CT and intermittent hemofiltration combined with HP once respectively on post injury day (PID) 3, 5, and 7, spanning 6 to 8 hours for each treatment. On PID 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14, body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate were recorded; white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil granulocytes, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine were determined; levels of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in serum were determined by ELISA; level of LPS in serum was determined with the chromogenic substrate limulus amebocyte lysate method; level of procalcitonin (PCT) in serum was determined by double antibody sandwich immune chemiluminescence method. The symptoms and signs of sepsis were observed during the treatment. Data were processed with Fisher's exact test, chi-square test, analysis of variance for repeated measurement, and LSD-t test. (1) Except for that on PID 5, the mean body temperature of patients in group BP was significantly lower than that of group CT at each of the rest time points (with t values from 1.87 to 2.97, P values below 0.05). The heart rate was significantly slower in patients of group BP than in group CT from PID 3 to 14 (with t values from 1.78 to 3.59, P values below 0.05). Except for that on PID 3, the respiratory rate of patients in group BP was significantly slower than that of group CT at each of the rest time points (with t values from 1.93 to 2.85, P values below 0.05). (2) The levels of WBC, neutrophil granulocytes, BUN, and creatinine of patients in group BP were significantly lower than those of group CT (with t values from 1.78 to 4.23, P values below 0.05). (3) Except for that on PID 3, the level of IL-1 of patients in group BP was significantly lower than that of group CT at each of the rest time points (with t values from 1.97 to 4.16, P values below 0.05). Except for that on PID 7, the level of IL-6 of patients in group BP was significantly lower than that of group CT at each of the rest time points (with t values from 2.11 to 6.34, P values below 0.05). The levels of TNF-α and HMGB1 of patients in group BP were significantly lower than those of group CT from PID 3 to 14 (with t values from 1.98 to 5.29, P values below 0.05). (4) On PID 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14, the levels of LPS and PCT of patients in group BP were respectively (0.23 ± 0.07), (0.27 ± 0.09), (0.22 ± 0.06), (0.20 ± 0.08), (0.15 ± 0.07) EU/mL, and (0.44 ± 0.12), (0.67 ± 0.13), (0.74 ± 0.13), (0.64 ± 0.12), (0.71 ± 0.10) ng/mL, and they were lower than those of group CT [(0.37 ± 0.08), (0.45 ± 0.09), (0.56 ± 0.09), (0.48 ± 0.08), (0.40 ± 0.08) EU/mL, and (0.74 ± 0.11), (1.16 ± 0.12), (1.40 ± 0.13), (1.55 ± 0.15), (1.49 ± 0.14) ng/mL, with t values from 1.88 to 3.43, P values below 0.05]. (5) The incidence of sepsis of patients in group BP was obviously lower than that of group CT (χ² = 6.94, P<0.01). Intermittent hemofiltration combined with HP can effectively improve blood biochemical indexes and vital signs and reduce the occurrence of burn sepsis by decreasing the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, LPS, and PCT.

Values for digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAAS) for some dairy and plant proteins may better describe protein quality than values calculated using the concept for protein digestibility-corrected amino acid scores (PDCAAS).

PubMed

Mathai, John K; Liu, Yanhong; Stein, Hans H

2017-02-01

An experiment was conducted to compare values for digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAAS) for four animal proteins and four plant proteins with values calculated as recommended for protein digestibility-corrected amino acid scores (PDCAAS), but determined in pigs instead of in rats. Values for standardised total tract digestibility (STTD) of crude protein (CP) and standardised ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) were calculated for whey protein isolate (WPI), whey protein concentrate (WPC), milk protein concentrate (MPC), skimmed milk powder (SMP), pea protein concentrate (PPC), soya protein isolate (SPI), soya flour and whole-grain wheat. The PDCAAS-like values were calculated using the STTD of CP to estimate AA digestibility and values for DIAAS were calculated from values for SID of AA. Results indicated that values for SID of most indispensable AA in WPI, WPC and MPC were greater (P<0·05) than for SMP, PPC, SPI, soya flour and wheat. With the exception of arginine and tryptophan, the SID of all indispensable AA in SPI was greater (P<0·05) than in soya flour, and with the exception of threonine, the SID of all indispensable AA in wheat was less (P<0·05) than in all other ingredients. If the same scoring pattern for children between 6 and 36 months was used to calculate PDCAAS-like values and DIAAS, PDCAAS-like values were greater (P<0·05) than DIAAS values for SMP, PPC, SPI, soya flour and wheat indicating that PDCAAS-like values estimated in pigs may overestimate the quality of these proteins.

Anomalously high b-values in the South Flank of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii: Evidence for the distribution of magma below Kilauea's East rift zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wyss, M.; Klein, F.; Nagamine, K.; Wiemer, S.

2001-01-01

The pattern of b-value of the frequency-magnitude relation, or mean magnitude, varies little in the Kaoiki-Hilea area of Hawaii, and the b-values are normal, with b = 0.8 in the top 10 km and somewhat lower values below that depth. We interpret the Kaoiki-Hilea area as relatively stable, normal Hawaiian crust. In contrast, the b-values beneath Kilauea's South Flank are anomalously high (b = 1.3-1.7) at depths between 4 and 8 km, with the highest values near the East Rift zone, but extending 5-8 km away from the rift. Also, the anomalously high b-values vary along strike, parallel to the rift zone. The highest b-values are observed near Hiiaka and Pauahi craters at the bend in the rift, the next highest are near Makaopuhi and also near Puu Kaliu. The mildest anomalies occur adjacent to the central section of the rift. The locations of the three major and two minor b-value anomalies correspond to places where shallow magma reservoirs have been proposed based on analyses of seismicity, geodetic data and differentiated lava chemistry. The existence of the magma reservoirs is also supported by magnetic anomalies, which may be areas of dike concentration, and self-potential anomalies, which are areas of thermal upwelling above a hot source. The simplest explanation of these anomalously high b-values is that they are due to the presence of active magma bodies beneath the East Rift zone at depths down to 8 km. In other volcanoes, anomalously high b-values correlate with volumes adjacent to active magma chambers. This supports a model of a magma body beneath the East Rift zone, which may widen and thin along strike, and which may reach 8 km depth and extend from Kilauea's summit to a distance of at least 40 km down rift. The anomalously high b-values at the center of the South Flank, several kilometers away from the rift, may be explained by unusually high pore pressure throughout the South Flank, or by anomalously strong heterogeneity due to extensive cracking, or by both phenomena. The major b-value anomalies are located SSE of their parent reservoirs, in the direction of motion of the flank, suggesting that magma reservoirs leave an imprint in the mobile flank. We hypothesize that the extensive cracking may have been acquired when the anomalous parts of the South Flank, now several kilometers distant from the rift zone, were generated at the rift zone near persistent reservoirs. Since their generation, these volumes may have moved seaward, away from the rift, but earthquakes occurring in them still use the preexisting complex crack distribution. Along the decollement plane at 10 km depth, the b-values are exceptionally low (b = 0.5), suggesting faulting in a more homogeneous medium. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Property-tax incentives for implementing soil-conservation programs under constitutional taxing limitations

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

Massey, D.T.; Silver, M.B.

1982-01-01

This article describes how property-tax incentives can be used to implement soil-conservation programs on agricultural and open-space lands under the differential-assessment statutes and other exceptions to constitutional limitations on taxation powers. The article describes restrictions imposed on taxing powers by the constitutional uniformity clauses and methods for circumventing those limitations; various property-tax incentives available for conservation programs; types of differential or use-value assessments providing property-tax relief for farm, forest, and open-space land preservation; eligibility of lands for differential assessments; methods available to landowners for participation in differential assessments; and determination of value under differential assessment. The article next details howmore » each of the three primary types of differential or use-value assessment statutes for farm, forest, and open-space land preservation provides exceptions to the uniformity clauses for property tax incentives to implement soil-conservation programs. Other methods available for providing exceptions to the uniformity clauses to permit property-tax incentives are also described for each of the three states. Each of these states has statutes giving favorable tax treatment to certain types of property, such as pollution-abatement equipment, alternative energy-producing devices, and even country clubs. These statutes can be used as examples of finding a constitutional method for providing favorabe tax treatment to promote participation in soil-conservation programs.« less

Isoelectric focusing of dansylated amino acids in immobilized pH gradients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bianchi-Bosisio, Adriana; Righetti, Pier Giorgio; Egen, Ned B.; Bier, Milan

1986-01-01

The 21 free amino acids commonly encountered in proteins have been transformed into 'carrier ampholyte' species by reacting their primary amino groups with dansyl chloride. These derivatives can thus be focused in an immobilized pH gradient covering the pH interval 3.1 to 4.1, except for arginine, which still retains a pI of 8.8. Due to their inherent fluorescence, the dansyl derivatives are revealed in UV light, with a sensitivity of the order of 2-4 ng/sq mm. All nearest neighbors are separated except for the following couples: Asn-Gln, Gly-Thr, Val-Ile and Cys-Cys2, with a resolving power, in a Delta(pI) scale, of the order of 0.0018 pH units. Except for a few cases (notably the aromatic amino acids), the order of pI values is well correlated with the pK values of carboxyl groups, suggesting that the latter are not altered by dansylation. From the set of pK(COOH)-pI values of the different amino acids, the pK of the tertiary amino group in the dansyl label has been calculated to be 5.11 + or - 0.06. Knowing the pK of the amino-dansyl and the pI of the excess, free dansyl label (pI = 3.34), a pK of 1.57 is derived for its sulfonic acid group.

Comparison of four extraction/methylation analytical methods to measure fatty acid composition by gas chromatography in meat.

PubMed

Juárez, M; Polvillo, O; Contò, M; Ficco, A; Ballico, S; Failla, S

2008-05-09

Four different extraction-derivatization methods commonly used for fatty acid analysis in meat (in situ or one-step method, saponification method, classic method and a combination of classic extraction and saponification derivatization) were tested. The in situ method had low recovery and variation. The saponification method showed the best balance between recovery, precision, repeatability and reproducibility. The classic method had high recovery and acceptable variation values, except for the polyunsaturated fatty acids, showing higher variation than the former methods. The combination of extraction and methylation steps had great recovery values, but the precision, repeatability and reproducibility were not acceptable. Therefore the saponification method would be more convenient for polyunsaturated fatty acid analysis, whereas the in situ method would be an alternative for fast analysis. However the classic method would be the method of choice for the determination of the different lipid classes.

Benthic response to water quality and biotic pressures in lower south San Francisco Bay, Alviso Slough, and Coyote Creek

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parchaso, Francis; Thompson, Janet K.; Crauder, Jeff S.; Anduaga, Rosa I.; Pearson, Sarah A.

2015-12-22

Bivalve biomass is elevated in summer and fall relative to the spring and winter except in Artesian Slough, where bivalves did not establish a signifcant presence. Presence of certain species contributes to the prey value of the community to predators. Potamocorbula amurensis is a shallow-burrowing bivalve and hence is easy prey for bottom-feeding predators. In contrast, Macoma petalum is a deposit feeder and can burrow deeper into the substrate than Potamocorbula amurensis, making it harder to be preyed upon. The quantitative importance of such predator-prey relationships on phytoplankton dynamics requires further investigation. There were also more amphipods in the sloughs in March 2014; this group is another potential contributor to the benthic-pelagic biomass balance. There is no observed reason for Artesian Slough to have low bivalve biomass values and high amphipod abundances. 

Mid-latency auditory evoked potential response revealed as an evidence of neural plasticity in blinnd individuals.

PubMed

Muthusamy, Anbarasi; Gajendran, Rajkumar; Rao B, Vishwanatha

2014-01-01

There is a general impression that visually blind individuals show an exceptionally better perception of other sensory modalities such as hearing, touch and smell sensations. In this study, we intended to compare the mid-latency auditory evoked potential response (MLAEP) or Middle latency Response (MLR) to get an idea of the activity pattern of auditory thalamus and cortex between 30 visually handicapped subjects and 30 normal sighted subjects. The results showed a decrease in many of the MLR wave latencies, but highly significant for the wave Pa (P value <0.002). This fact can be reflected as an evidence of existence of cross-modal neuroplasticity. We also inferred that there are significant gender differences with latencies shorter in males than females (P value <0.02) in the blind subjects group which could be attributed to their rehabilitation training.

Generation of dynamo magnetic fields in thin Keplerian disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stepinski, T. F.; Levy, E. H.

1990-01-01

The combined action of nonuniform rotation and helical convection in protoplanetary disks, in the Galaxy, or in accretion disks surrounding black holes and other compact objects, enables an alpha-omega dynamo to generate a large-scale magnetic field. In this paper, the properties of such magnetic fields are investigated using a two-dimensional, partially numerical method. The structures of the lowest-order steady state and oscillatory modes are calculated for two kinds of external boundary conditions. A quadruple, steady state, highly localized mode is the most easily excited for low values of the dynamo number. The results indicate that, except under special conditions, disk dynamo modes tend to consist of relatively localized rings structures. For large values of the dynamo number, the magnetic field consists of a number of quasi-independent, spatially localized modes generated in various concentric rings filling the disk inward of a dynamo generation 'front'.

Comparative studies on Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus adult females trespassing commercial nets.

PubMed

Andrade, Carlos F S; Cabrini, Isaías

2010-03-01

ABSTRACT. The abilities of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus females in trespassing 5 different commercial nets, 2 nets impregnated with deltamethrin or permethrin and 3 non-impregnated nets (Guarany, Perame, and Ricca), were compared. The evaluating parameters were their percent trespassing success, the median trespassing time (TT50), and the relation between mosquito wing sizes and their trespassing success. Some mosquito behavioral traits were also observed. The trespassing success, directly related to opening areas, was found to be lower with impregnated nets for both species. The differences between the mosquito species were significant among all the nets except Ricca. Aedes albopictus showed a very high success rate in trespassing the non-impregnated Perame net and a lower success rate in trespassing Guarany. Aedes albopictus also showed a very high success rate in trespassing pyrethroid-impregnated nets. The TT50 values for the Ricca and Guarany nets were not significantly different between the species, but a significantly lower TT50 value was found for the net with the largest opening (Ricca). The smaller wingspan of Ae. albopictus seems to explain the higher trespassing success of this species.

Ab-initio study of thermal expansion in pure graphene

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

Mann, Sarita; Kumar, Ranjan; Jindal, V. K., E-mail: jindal@pu.ac.in

Graphene is a zero band gap semiconductor with exceptionally high thermal conductivity. The electronic properties having been studied, therole of phonon in contributing to thermal expansion, thermal conductivity and other thermodynamic properties, is required to be investigated. This paper focuses more on thermal expansion. Some others results like phonon dispersion, Grüneisenparameters and bulk modulus,which are essential to estimation of thermal expansion, are also presented. The dynamical matrix was calculated using VASP code using both DFT and DFPT and the phonon frequencies were calculated using phonopy code under harmonic approximation. The linear thermal expansion coefficient of graphene is found to bemore » strongly dependent on temperature but remains negative upto 470 K and positive thereafter, with a room temperature value of −1.44×10{sup −6}. The negative expansion coefficient is very interesting and is found to be in conformity with experimental as well as with recent theoretical estimates. There is only qualitative agreement of our results with experimental data and motivates further investigation, primarily on the high negative values of Grüneisen parameters.« less

Recovery and Utilization of Palm Oil Mill Effluent Source as Value-Added Food Products.

PubMed

Teh, Soek Sin; Hock Ong, Augustine Soon; Mah, Siau Hui

2017-01-01

The environmental impacts of palm oil mill effluent (POME) have been a concern due to the water pollution and greenhouse gases emissions. Thus, this study was conducted to recover the value-added products from POME source before being discharged. The samples, before (X) and after (Y) the pre-recovery system in the clarification tank were sampled and analysed and proximate analysis indicated that both samples are energy rich source of food due to high contents of fats and carbohydrates. GCMS analysis showed that the oil extracts contain predominantly palmitic, oleic, linoleic and stearic acids. Regiospecific analysis of oil extracts by quantitative 13 C-NMR spectroscopy demonstrated that both oil extracts contain similar degree of saturation of fatty acids at sn-2 and sn-1,3 positions. The samples are rich in various phytonutrients, pro-vitamin A, vitamin E, squalene and phytosterols, thus contributing to exceptionally high total flavonoid contents and moderate antioxidant activities. Overall, samples X and Y are good alternative food sources, besides reducing the environmental impact of POME.

Quarterly environmental data summary for first quarter 1998

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

NONE

1998-05-01

In support of the Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project Federal Facilities Agreement, a copy of the Quarterly Environmental Data Summary (QEDS) for the first quarter of 1998 is enclosed. The data presented in this letter and attachment constitute the QEDS. The data were received from the contract laboratories, verified by the Weldon Spring Site verification group and, except for air monitoring data and site KPA generated data (uranium analyses), merged into the data base during the first quarter of 1998. Air monitoring data presented are the most recent complete sets of quarterly data. Air data are not stored inmore » the data base, and KPA data are not merged into the regular data base. Significant data, defined as data values that have exceeded defined {open_quotes}above normal{close_quotes} Level 2 values, are discussed in this letter for Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) generated data only. Above normal Level 2 values are based, in ES&H procedures, on historical high values, DOE Derived Concentration Guides (DCGs), NPDES limits and other guidelines. The procedures also establish actions to be taken in the event that {open_quotes}above normal{close_quotes} data occur. All data received and verified during the first quarter were within a permissible range of variability except for those detailed below. Above normal occurrences are cited for groundwater, air, and NPDES data. There were none for springs or surface water. The following discussion offers a brief summary of the data merged during the first quarter that exceeded the above normal criteria and updates on past reported above normal data. The attached tables present the most recent data for air and the data merged into the data base during the first quarter 1998 for groundwater, NPDES, surface water, and springs. Graphs showing concentrations of selected contaminants of concern at some of the critical locations have also been included in this QEDS. The graphs are discussed in the separate sections.« less

Emergency medical technician-performed point-of-care blood analysis using the capillary blood obtained from skin puncture.

PubMed

Kim, Changsun; Kim, Hansol

2017-12-09

Comparing a point-of-care (POC) test using the capillary blood obtained from skin puncture with conventional laboratory tests. In this study, which was conducted at the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in April-July 2017, 232 patients were enrolled, and three types of blood samples (capillary blood from skin puncture, arterial and venous blood from blood vessel puncture) were simultaneously collected. Each blood sample was analyzed using a POC analyzer (epoc® system, USA), an arterial blood gas analyzer (pHOx®Ultra, Nova biomedical, USA) and venous blood analyzers (AU5800, DxH2401, Beckman Coulter, USA). Twelve parameters were compared between the epoc and reference analyzers, with an equivalence test, Bland-Altman plot analysis and linear regression employed to show the agreement or correlation between the two methods. The pH, HCO 3 , Ca 2+ , Na + , K + , Cl - , glucose, Hb and Hct measured by the epoc were equivalent to the reference values (95% confidence interval of mean difference within the range of the agreement target) with clinically inconsequential mean differences and narrow limits of agreement. All of them, except pH, had clinically acceptable agreements between the two methods (results within target value ≥80%). Of the remaining three parameters (pCO 2, pO 2 and lactate), the epoc pCO 2 and lactate values were highly correlated with the reference device values, whereas pO 2 was not. (pCO 2 : R 2 =0.824, y=-1.411+0.877·x; lactate: R 2 =0.902, y=-0.544+0.966·x; pO 2 : R 2 =0.037, y=61.6+0.431·x). Most parameters, except only pO 2 , measured by the epoc were equivalent to or correlated with those from the reference method. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radiopacity of Composite Luting Cements Using a Digital Technique.

PubMed

Dukic, Walter

2017-01-10

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the radiopacity of 20 common dental composite luting materials using a digital technique. A 1-mm-thick specimen of each material with a human tooth slice and aluminium step wedge were tested using digital radiographs under four combinations of exposure and voltage. The radiopacity in pixels was determined using computer software. The equivalent thickness of aluminium for each material was then calculated based on the calibration curve. All tested materials except one had higher radiopacity than dentin (p > α; α  =  0.01), and 80% of the materials had radiopacity above enamel value (p > α; α  =  0.01). Moreover, 40% of tested materials had radiopacity of three times above the minimal International Organization for Standardization (ISO) values for composite luting cements. At all exposure values, the highest radiopacity was for Solocem and Multilink groups of materials, at three to six times above dentin radiopacity. Only Variolink Veneer showed radiopacity below dentin and enamel. Composite luting materials should have radiopacity above ISO values or greater than the dentin or enamel equivalent. The highest radiopacity values were for the Solocem and Multilink family composite luting cements. Clinicians should choose materials with high radiopacity values, and manufacturers should be aware of the radiopacity values when introducing materials on the market. © 2017 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

Determination of ferrous and total iron in refractory spinels

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

Amonette, James E.; Matyas, Josef

2015-12-30

Accurate and precise determination of the redox state of iron (Fe) in spinels presents a significant challenge due to their refractory nature. The resultant extreme conditions needed to obtain complete dissolution generally oxidize some of the Fe(II) initially present and thus prevent the use of colorimetric methods for Fe(II) measurements. To overcome this challenge we developed a hybrid oxidimetric/colorimetric approach, using Ag(I) as the oxidimetric reagent for determination of Fe(II) and 1,10-phenanthroline as the colorimetric reagent for determination of total Fe. This approach, which allows determination of Fe(II) and total Fe on the same sample, was tested on a seriesmore » of four geochemical reference materials and then applied to the analysis of Fe(Ni) spinel crystals isolated from simulated high-level-waste (HLW) glass and of several reagent magnetites. Results for the reference materials were in excellent agreement with published values, with the exception of USGS BIR-1, for which higher Fe(II) values and lower total Fe values were obtained. The Fe(Ni) spinels showed Fe(II) values at the detection limit (ca. 0.05 wt% Fe) and total Fe values slightly higher than obtained by total elemental analysis. For the magnetite samples, total Fe values were in agreement with reference results, but a wide range in Fe(II) values was obtained indicating various degrees of conversion to maghemite.« less

Concentration of potentially toxic elements in field crops grown near and far from cities of the Pampas (Argentina).

PubMed

Lavado, Raúl S

2006-07-01

Soils of the Pampas show no signs of contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs), except in the areas that surround cities. The concentration of PTE in crops grown in this region is in most cases unknown. Our objective was to determine the PTE concentration in main field crops and pastures grown in 'a priori' non-contaminated areas and in potentially contaminated areas around cities. Forty-eight plots from farms located far from cities or roads and 36 plots from farms located very close to cities or to high traffic roads were sampled. The area ranged from 33 degrees 40' S to 36 degrees 0' S and from 57 degrees 35' W to 61 degrees 22' W. Maize, soybean, wheat, grazed grassland and pastures, and their top soils were sampled. All samples were acid digested. Cadmium, zinc, chromium, copper, nickel and lead were determined using ICPES. Standard t-tests were performed. All soils were within the known normal values of soil PTE concentrations, with the exception of a few cases around cities. PTE accumulation on grains and aerial biomass is considered almost negligible in crops grown in both studied areas, with the exception of a few elements in soybean. PTE concentrations in crops and pastures are in keeping with the low content of trace metals found in soils of the Pampas.

Coercivity enhancement in Mn-Al-Cu flakes produced by surfactant-assisted milling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saravanan, P.; Hsu, Jen-Hwa; Vinod, V. T. P.; Černík, Miroslav; Kamat, S. V.

2015-11-01

We herein report the achievement of exceptionally high coercivity (Hc) values: 9.92 and 5.86 kOe at 5 and 300 K, respectively, for Mn55Al43Cu2 flakes produced by surfactant-assisted milling process without employing any heat-treatment. The use of surfactants such as oleic acid and oleylamine during milling yielded high-aspect ratio flakes for the Mn-Al-Cu alloy. Structural studies confirmed the presence of τ- and β-phases as the major constituents in the Mn-Al-Cu flakes. The observed Hc enhancement is due to the increase in anisotropy field and structural defects, which is hypothesized to originate from the domain-wall pinning as a consequence of precipitation of fine Cu-particles present at the grain boundaries.

CONSTRAINTS ON THE INTERGALACTIC MAGNETIC FIELD WITH GAMMA-RAY OBSERVATIONS OF BLAZARS

DOE PAGES

Finke, Justin D.; Reyes, Luis C.; Georganopoulos, Markos; ...

2015-11-12

Distant BL Lacertae objects emit γ rays which interact with the extragalactic background light (EBL), creating electron-positron pairs, and reducing the flux measured by ground-based imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) at very-high energies (VHE). These pairs can Comptonscatter the cosmic microwave background, creating a γ-ray signature at slightly lower energies observable by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). This signal is strongly dependent on the intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF) strength (B) and its coherence length (LB). We use IACT spectra taken from the literature for 5 VHE-detected BL Lac objects, and combine it with LAT spectra for these sources tomore » constrain these IGMF parameters. Low B values can be ruled out by the constraint that the cascade flux cannot exceed that observed by the LAT. High values of B can be ruled out from the constraint that the EBL-deabsorbed IACT spectrum cannot be greater than the LAT spectrum extrapolated into the VHE band, unless the cascade spectrum contributes a sizable fraction of the LAT flux. We rule out low B values (B . 10 -19 G for LB ≥ 1 Mpc) at > 5σ in all trials with different EBL models and data selection, except when« less

The distribution of P-values in medical research articles suggested selective reporting associated with statistical significance.

PubMed

Perneger, Thomas V; Combescure, Christophe

2017-07-01

Published P-values provide a window into the global enterprise of medical research. The aim of this study was to use the distribution of published P-values to estimate the relative frequencies of null and alternative hypotheses and to seek irregularities suggestive of publication bias. This cross-sectional study included P-values published in 120 medical research articles in 2016 (30 each from the BMJ, JAMA, Lancet, and New England Journal of Medicine). The observed distribution of P-values was compared with expected distributions under the null hypothesis (i.e., uniform between 0 and 1) and the alternative hypothesis (strictly decreasing from 0 to 1). P-values were categorized according to conventional levels of statistical significance and in one-percent intervals. Among 4,158 recorded P-values, 26.1% were highly significant (P < 0.001), 9.1% were moderately significant (P ≥ 0.001 to < 0.01), 11.7% were weakly significant (P ≥ 0.01 to < 0.05), and 53.2% were nonsignificant (P ≥ 0.05). We noted three irregularities: (1) high proportion of P-values <0.001, especially in observational studies, (2) excess of P-values equal to 1, and (3) about twice as many P-values less than 0.05 compared with those more than 0.05. The latter finding was seen in both randomized trials and observational studies, and in most types of analyses, excepting heterogeneity tests and interaction tests. Under plausible assumptions, we estimate that about half of the tested hypotheses were null and the other half were alternative. This analysis suggests that statistical tests published in medical journals are not a random sample of null and alternative hypotheses but that selective reporting is prevalent. In particular, significant results are about twice as likely to be reported as nonsignificant results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hiding Techniques for Dynamic Encryption Text based on Corner Point

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullatif, Firas A.; Abdullatif, Alaa A.; al-Saffar, Amna

2018-05-01

Hiding technique for dynamic encryption text using encoding table and symmetric encryption method (AES algorithm) is presented in this paper. The encoding table is generated dynamically from MSB of the cover image points that used as the first phase of encryption. The Harris corner point algorithm is applied on cover image to generate the corner points which are used to generate dynamic AES key to second phase of text encryption. The embedded process in the LSB for the image pixels except the Harris corner points for more robust. Experimental results have demonstrated that the proposed scheme have embedding quality, error-free text recovery, and high value in PSNR.

Coexistence of superfluid and rigid moments of inertia in 76,78Kr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, M. S.; Saladin, J. X.; Faro, L.; Winchell, D. F.; Takai, H.; Knott, C. N.

1988-12-01

High spin states in 76,78Kr were populated via the 63Cu( 16O,n2p) 76Kr and 64Ni( 18O,4n) 78Kr reactions at 69 MeV and γγ coincidence data were collected. New band crossings and quasi-particle alignments are discussed. Moments of inertia of bands built on intrinsic excitations are found to be exceptionally constant with spin and equal to the rigid-body value, indicating strong suppression of coherent pairing correlations. The coexistence of such bands with bands of reduced, superfluid moments of inertia suggests the appearance of a new phenomenon: phase coexistence.

Infrared line intensity measurements in the v = 0-1 band of the ClO radical

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burkholder, James B.; Howard, Carleton J.; Hammer, Philip D.; Goldman, Aaron

1989-01-01

Integrated line intensity measurements in the ClO-radical fundamental vibrational v = 0-1 band were carried out using a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer coupled to a long-path-length absorption cell. The results of a series of measurements designed to minimize systematic errors, yielded a value of the fundamental IR band intensity of the ClO-radical equal to 9.68 + or - 1.45/sq cm per atm at 296 K. This result is consistent with all the earlier published results, with the exception of measurements reported by Kostiuk et al. (1986) and Lang et al. (1988).

High permittivity polyaniline-barium titanate nanocomposites with excellent electromagnetic interference shielding response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saini, Parveen; Arora, Manju; Gupta, Govind; Gupta, Bipin Kumar; Singh, Vidya Nand; Choudhary, Veena

2013-05-01

Organic conductive polymers are at the forefront of materials science research because of their diverse applications built around their interesting and unique properties. This work reports for the first time a correlation between the structural, electrical, and electromagnetic properties of polyaniline (PANI)-tetragonal BaTiO3 (TBT) nanocomposites prepared by in-situ emulsion polymerization. XRD studies and HRTEM micrographs of these nanocomposites clearly revealed the incorporation of TBT nanoparticles in the conducting PANI matrix. EPR and XPS measurements reveal that increase in loading level of BaTiO3 results in a reduction of the doping level of PANI. The Ku-Band (12.4-18 GHz) network analysis of these composites shows exceptional microwave shielding response with absorption dominated total shielding effectiveness (SET) value of -71.5 dB (blockage of more than 99.99999% of incident radiation) which is the highest value reported in the literature. Such a high attenuation level, which critically depends on the fraction of BaTiO3 is attributed to optimized dielectric and electrical attributes. This demonstrates the possibility of using these materials in stealth technology and for making futuristic radar absorbing materials (RAMs).Organic conductive polymers are at the forefront of materials science research because of their diverse applications built around their interesting and unique properties. This work reports for the first time a correlation between the structural, electrical, and electromagnetic properties of polyaniline (PANI)-tetragonal BaTiO3 (TBT) nanocomposites prepared by in-situ emulsion polymerization. XRD studies and HRTEM micrographs of these nanocomposites clearly revealed the incorporation of TBT nanoparticles in the conducting PANI matrix. EPR and XPS measurements reveal that increase in loading level of BaTiO3 results in a reduction of the doping level of PANI. The Ku-Band (12.4-18 GHz) network analysis of these composites shows exceptional microwave shielding response with absorption dominated total shielding effectiveness (SET) value of -71.5 dB (blockage of more than 99.99999% of incident radiation) which is the highest value reported in the literature. Such a high attenuation level, which critically depends on the fraction of BaTiO3 is attributed to optimized dielectric and electrical attributes. This demonstrates the possibility of using these materials in stealth technology and for making futuristic radar absorbing materials (RAMs). Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr00634d

75 FR 52622 - Amendment to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Removing Requirement for Prior...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-27

....S. Munitions List, valued at $7,000,000 or more for use by the armed forces of a foreign country (42... Organization (NATO), Australia, Japan, or New Zealand, except with respect to manufacturing license agreements... presentations to make a determination whether to purchase significant military equipment valued at $14,000,000...

26 CFR 1.307-2 - Exception.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... from gross income under section 305(a), shall be zero if the fair market value of such rights on the date of distribution is less than 15 percent of the fair market value of the old stock on that date... the election was made. Any shareholder making such an election shall retain a copy of the election and...

26 CFR 1.307-2 - Exception.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... excluded from gross income under section 305(a), shall be zero if the fair market value of such rights on the date of distribution is less than 15 percent of the fair market value of the old stock on that... for which the election was made. Any shareholder making such an election shall retain a copy of the...

26 CFR 1.307-2 - Exception.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... excluded from gross income under section 305(a), shall be zero if the fair market value of such rights on the date of distribution is less than 15 percent of the fair market value of the old stock on that... for which the election was made. Any shareholder making such an election shall retain a copy of the...

26 CFR 1.307-2 - Exception.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... excluded from gross income under section 305(a), shall be zero if the fair market value of such rights on the date of distribution is less than 15 percent of the fair market value of the old stock on that... for which the election was made. Any shareholder making such an election shall retain a copy of the...

26 CFR 1.307-2 - Exception.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... from gross income under section 305(a), shall be zero if the fair market value of such rights on the date of distribution is less than 15 percent of the fair market value of the old stock on that date... the election was made. Any shareholder making such an election shall retain a copy of the election and...

CULTURAL VARIATIONS IN THE CULTURES OF THE SOUTHWEST.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CAMPA, ARTHUR L.

THERE ARE MANY POINTS OF CONTACT WHERE THE SPANISH AND ANGLO-AMERICAN SOUTHWESTERN CULTURES NOT ONLY ACCEPT EACH OTHER, BUT RECOGNIZE VIRTUALLY INTRINSIC VALUES. IN CASES WHERE THE TWO CULTURES ARE APART THEY ARE NOT INIMICAL EXCEPT AMONG INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE LOST THE VALUES OF BOTH CULTURES. THE PROBLEM IS HOW TO BRING THE CULTURAL POLES…

7 CFR 1437.310 - Sea grass and sea oats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Sea grass and sea oats. 1437.310 Section 1437.310... Determining Coverage Using Value § 1437.310 Sea grass and sea oats. (a) Sea grass and sea oats are value loss... paragraphs (c) through (h) of this section, except to the extent that similar provisions apply to claims...

7 CFR 1437.310 - Sea grass and sea oats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Sea grass and sea oats. 1437.310 Section 1437.310... Determining Coverage Using Value § 1437.310 Sea grass and sea oats. (a) Sea grass and sea oats are value loss... paragraphs (c) through (h) of this section, except to the extent that similar provisions apply to claims...

The Value-Added Achievement Gains of NBPTS-Certified Teachers in Tennessee: A Brief Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, J. E.

This study investigated whether National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)-certified teachers in Tennessee were exceptionally effective in bringing about objectively measured student achievement gains. Tennessee has over 40 NBPTS-certified teachers, 16 of whom teach in grades 3-8 and have value-added teacher reports in the state…

40 CFR 209.26 - Evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... as practicable. The weight to be given evidence shall be determined by its reliability and probative value. (b) Witnesses shall be examined orally, under oath or affirmation, except as otherwise provided...

Diagnostic Values of DCE-MRI and DSC-MRI for Differentiation Between High-grade and Low-grade Gliomas: A Comprehensive Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Liang, Jianye; Liu, Dexiang; Gao, Peng; Zhang, Dong; Chen, Hanwei; Shi, Changzheng; Luo, Liangping

2018-03-01

This study aimed to collect the studies on the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI (DSC-MRI) in differentiating the grades of gliomas, and evaluate the diagnostic performances of relevant quantitative parameters in glioma grading. We systematically searched studies on the diagnosis of gliomas with DCE-MRI or DSC-MRI in Medline, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, Cochrane Library, and Embase published between January 2005 and December 2016. Standardized mean differences and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for volume transfer coefficient (K trans ), volume fraction of extravascular extracellular space (V e ), rate constant of backflux (K ep ), relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), and relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using Review Manager 5.2 software. Sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), and Begg test were calculated by Stata 12.0. Twenty-two studies with available outcome data were included in the analysis. The standardized mean difference of K trans values between high-grade glioma and low-grade glioma were 1.18 (0.91, 1.45); V e values were 1.43 (1.06, 1.80); K ep values were 0.65 (-0.05, 1.36); rCBV values were 1.44 (1.08, 1.81); and rCBF values were 1.17 (0.68, 1.67), respectively. The results were all significant statistically (P < .05) except K ep values (P = .07), and high-grade glioma had higher K trans , V e , rCBV, and rCBF values than low-grade glioma. AUC values of K trans , V e , rCBV, and rCBF were 0.90, 0.88, 0.93, and 0.73, respectively; rCBV had the largest AUC among the four parameters (P < .05). Both DCE-MRI and DSC-MRI are reliable techniques in differentiating the grades of gliomas, and rCBV was found to be the most sensitive one. Copyright © 2018 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Large thermoelectric power factor from crystal symmetry-protected non-bonding orbital in half-Heuslers.

PubMed

Zhou, Jiawei; Zhu, Hangtian; Liu, Te-Huan; Song, Qichen; He, Ran; Mao, Jun; Liu, Zihang; Ren, Wuyang; Liao, Bolin; Singh, David J; Ren, Zhifeng; Chen, Gang

2018-04-30

Modern society relies on high charge mobility for efficient energy production and fast information technologies. The power factor of a material-the combination of electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient-measures its ability to extract electrical power from temperature differences. Recent advancements in thermoelectric materials have achieved enhanced Seebeck coefficient by manipulating the electronic band structure. However, this approach generally applies at relatively low conductivities, preventing the realization of exceptionally high-power factors. In contrast, half-Heusler semiconductors have been shown to break through that barrier in a way that could not be explained. Here, we show that symmetry-protected orbital interactions can steer electron-acoustic phonon interactions towards high mobility. This high-mobility regime enables large power factors in half-Heuslers, well above the maximum measured values. We anticipate that our understanding will spark new routes to search for better thermoelectric materials, and to discover high electron mobility semiconductors for electronic and photonic applications.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in yogurt samples.

PubMed

Battisti, Chiara; Girelli, Anna Maria; Tarola, Anna Maria

2015-01-01

The concentrations and distributions of major polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in 20 kinds of yogurt specimens collected from Italian supermarkets using reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with fluorescence detection. The method was validated by determination of recovery percentages, precision (repeatability) and sensitivity (limits of detection) with yogurt samples fortified at 0.25, 0.5 and 1 µg/kg concentration levels. The recovery of 13 PAHs, with the exception of naphthalene and acenaphthene, ranged from 61% to 130% and from 60% to 97% at all the levels for yogurts with low (0.1%) and high (3.9%) fat content, respectively. The method is repeatable with relative standard deviation values <20% for all analytes. The results obtained demonstrate that acenaphthene, fluorantene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene were found in all samples with a similar distribution, but different content when yogurts with low and high fats were compared.

METCAN simulation of candidate metal matrix composites for high temperature applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Ho-Jun

1990-01-01

The METCAN (Metal Matrix Composite Analyzer) computer code is used to simulate the nonlinear behavior of select metal matrix composites in order to assess their potential for high temperature structural applications. Material properties for seven composites are generated at a fiber volume ratio of 0.33 for two bonding conditions (a perfect bond and a weak interphase case) at various temperatures. A comparison of the two bonding conditions studied shows a general reduction in value of all properties (except CTE) for the weak interphase case from the perfect bond case. However, in the weak interphase case, the residual stresses that develop are considerably less than those that form in the perfect bond case. Results of the computational simulation indicate that among the metal matrix composites examined, SiC/NiAl is the best candidate for high temperature applications at the given fiber volume ratio.

Changes in taste compounds, breaking properties, and sensory attributes during dry aging of beef from Japanese black cattle.

PubMed

Iida, Fumiko; Miyazaki, Yuki; Tsuyuki, Risako; Kato, Kenichi; Egusa, Ai; Ogoshi, Hiro; Nishimura, Toshihide

2016-02-01

Analysis of the quality of highly marbled beef during dry aging for 60days after slaughter showed that the changes in some qualities differed from those of conventional meat. The tenderness of these meats did not change during aging for 50days but then gradually increased until day 60. The juiciness of these meats, as determined by sensory evaluation, did not change during aging for 60days, except for a decrease on day 20. The umami intensity of these meats in the sensory evaluation and the value calculated by Glu and IMP quantification were highest on day 40. This high umami intensity was induced by the synergistic effect of umami compounds such as Glu and IMP. These results for tenderness, juiciness, umami intensity, and flavor intensity suggested that the best duration of dry aging for highly marbled beef was 40days. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anorthite: Thermal equation of state to high pressures. [for comparison with Earth interior and cratering properties of lunar surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeanloz, R.; Ahrens, T. J.

1979-01-01

The shock wave (Hugoniot) data on single crystal and porous anorthite (CaAl2Si208) to pressures of 120 GPa are presented. These data are inverted to yield high pressure values of the Grueneisen parameter, adiabatic bulk modulus, and coefficient of thermal expansion over a broad range of pressures and temperatures which in turn are used to reduce the raw Hugoniot data and construct an experimentally based, high pressure thermal equation of state for anorthite. The hypothesis that higher order anharmonic contributions to the thermal properties decrease more rapidly upon compression than the lowest order anharmonicities is supported. The properties of anorthite corrected to lower mantle conditions show that although the density of anorthite is comparable to that of the lower most mantle, its bulk modulus is considerably less, hence making enrichment in the mantle implausible except perhaps near its base.

A plasmapause-like density boundary at high latitudes in Saturn's magnetosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurnett, D. A.; Persoon, A. M.; Kopf, A. J.; Kurth, W. S.; Morooka, M. W.; Wahlund, J.-E.; Khurana, K. K.; Dougherty, M. K.; Mitchell, D. G.; Krimigis, S. M.; Krupp, N.

2010-08-01

Here we report the discovery of a well-defined plasma density boundary at high latitudes in Saturn's magnetosphere. The boundary separates a region of relatively high density at L less than about 8 to 15 from a region with densities nearly three orders of magnitude lower at higher L values. Magnetic field measurements show that strong field-aligned currents, probably associated with the aurora, are located just inside the boundary. Analyses of the anisotropy of energetic electrons show that the magnetic field lines are usually closed inside the boundary and open outside the boundary, although exceptions sometimes occur. The location of the boundary is also modulated at the ˜10.6 to 10.8 hr rotational period of the planet. Many of these characteristics are similar to those predicted by Brice and Ioannidis for the plasmapause at a strongly magnetized, rapidly rotating planet such as Saturn.

The use of LANDSAT-1 imagery in mapping and managing soil and range resources in the Sand Hills region of Nebraska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seevers, P. M. (Principal Investigator); Drew, J. V.

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Evaluation of ERTS-1 imagery for the Sand Hills region of Nebraska has shown that the data can be used to effectively measure several parameters of inventory needs. (1) Vegetative biomass can be estimated with a high degree of confidence using computer compatable tape data. (2) Soils can be mapped to the subgroup level with high altitude aircraft color infrared photography and to the association level with multitemporal ERTS-1 imagery. (3) Water quality in Sand Hills lakes can be estimated utilizing computer compatable tape data. (4) Center pivot irrigation can be inventoried from satellite data and can be monitored regarding site selection and relative success of establishment from high altitude aircraft color infrared photography. (5) ERTS-1 data is of exceptional value in wide-area inventory of natural resource data in the Sand Hills region of Nebraska.

Effects of heavy metal pollution in the Pilcomayo river system Bolivia, on resident human populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson-Edwards, K. A.; Miller, J. R.; Presto, D.; Lechler, P. J.; Macklin, M. G.; Miners, J. S.; Turner, J. N.

2003-05-01

The Pilcomayo river in Bolivia drains the Potosi mining district and flows downstream, exposing indigenous populations, who rely on the river for drinking water, irrigation and fish, to elevated levels of toxic metals. A preliminary analysis of agricultural soil and crops from four riverside Pilcomayo communities has shown that many agricultural fields are contaminated with heavy metals (Ag, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, Zn) and arsenic(As) However, concentrations of these elements in most crops are within guideline values. Concentrations of metals and As in samples of drinking water are, for the most part, lower than concentrations in Pilcomayo river water taken at the respective communities, and the drinking water concentrations are within guideline values. Exceptions are Sb and As concentrations in two of the communities. In irrigation waters, Zn and Pb exceed recommended guideline values in two of the communities, and may lead to highZn and Pb values in some crops and soils. The work carried out to date suggests that the strategies used by these communities appear to considerably reduce their risks to exposure. Work is ongoing to develop more complex and effective strategies based on further geochemical analyses and social science surveys.

Clonal Population Structure of Pseudomonas stutzeri, a Species with Exceptional Genetic Diversity

PubMed Central

Rius, Núria; Fusté, M. Carme; Guasp, Caterina; Lalucat, Jorge; Lorén, José G.

2001-01-01

Genetic diversity and genetic relationships among 42 Pseudomonas stutzeri strains belonging to several genomovars and isolated from different sources were investigated in an examination of 20 metabolic enzymes by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis analysis. Forty-two distinct allele profiles were identified, indicating that all multilocus genotypes were represented by a single strain. All 20 loci were exceptionally polymorphic, with an average of 15.9 alleles per locus. To the best of our knowledge, this P. stutzeri sample exhibited the highest mean genetic diversity (H = 0.876) found to date in all bacterial species studied by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. A high frequency of occurrence of null alleles was identified. The index of association (IA) for the P. stutzeri strains analyzed was 1.10. The IA values were always significantly different from zero for all subgroups studied, including clinical and environmental isolates and strains classified as genomovar 1. These results suggest that the population structure of P. stutzeri is strongly clonal, indicating that there is no significant level of assortative recombination that might destroy linkage disequilibrium. PMID:11133969

Antimicrobial property of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) oil against pathogenic bacteria isolated from pet turtles.

PubMed

De Silva, B C J; Jung, Won-Gi; Hossain, Sabrina; Wimalasena, S H M P; Pathirana, H N K S; Heo, Gang-Joon

2017-06-01

The usage of essential oils as antimicrobial agents is gaining attention. Besides, pet turtles were known to harbor a range of pathogenic bacteria while the turtle keeping is a growing trend worldwide.The current study examined the antimicrobial activity of lemon grass oil (LGO) against seven species of Gram negative bacteria namely; Aeromonas hydrophila , A. caviae , Citrobacter freundii , Salmonella enterica , Edwardsiella tarda , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Proteus mirabilis isolated from three popular species of pet turtles. Along with the results of disc diffusion, minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentration (MIC and MBC) tests, LGO was detected as effective against 6 species of bacteria excluding P. aeruginosa . MIC of LGO for the strains except P. aeruginosa ranged from 0.016 to 0.5% (V/V). The lowest MIC recorded in the E. tarda strain followed by A. hydrophilla , C. freundii , P. mirabilis , and S. enterica . Interestingly, all the bacterial species except E. tarda were showing high multiple antimicrobial resistance (MAR) index values ranging from 0.36 to 0.91 upon the 11 antibiotics tested although they were sensitive to LGO.

Antimicrobial property of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) oil against pathogenic bacteria isolated from pet turtles

PubMed Central

De Silva, B.C.J.; Jung, Won-Gi; Hossain, Sabrina; Wimalasena, S.H.M.P.; Pathirana, H.N.K.S.

2017-01-01

The usage of essential oils as antimicrobial agents is gaining attention. Besides, pet turtles were known to harbor a range of pathogenic bacteria while the turtle keeping is a growing trend worldwide.The current study examined the antimicrobial activity of lemon grass oil (LGO) against seven species of Gram negative bacteria namely; Aeromonas hydrophila, A. caviae, Citrobacter freundii, Salmonella enterica, Edwardsiella tarda, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis isolated from three popular species of pet turtles. Along with the results of disc diffusion, minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentration (MIC and MBC) tests, LGO was detected as effective against 6 species of bacteria excluding P. aeruginosa. MIC of LGO for the strains except P. aeruginosa ranged from 0.016 to 0.5% (V/V). The lowest MIC recorded in the E. tarda strain followed by A. hydrophilla, C. freundii, P. mirabilis, and S. enterica. Interestingly, all the bacterial species except E. tarda were showing high multiple antimicrobial resistance (MAR) index values ranging from 0.36 to 0.91 upon the 11 antibiotics tested although they were sensitive to LGO. PMID:28747972

Frying stability of rapeseed Kizakinonatane (Brassica napus) oil in comparison with canola oil.

PubMed

Ma, Jin-Kui; Zhang, Han; Tsuchiya, Tomohiro; Akiyama, Yoshinobu; Chen, Jie-Yu

2015-04-01

This study was carried out to investigate the frying performance of Kizakinonatane (Brassica napus) oil during deep-fat frying of frozen French fries with/without replenishment. Commercial regular canola oil was used for comparison. The frying oils were used during intermittent frying of frozen French fries at 180, 200, and 220 ℃ for 7 h daily over four consecutive days. The Kizakinonatane oil exhibited lower levels of total polar compounds, carbonyl value, and viscosity as well as comparable color (optical density) values to that of the canola oil. The monounsaturated fatty acid/polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios were lower than that of canola oil, whereas the polyunsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid ratios are higher than that of canola oil after heating. Results showed that fresh Kizakinonatane oil contains higher levels of acid value, viscosity, optical density values, tocopherols, and total phenolics contents than that of canola oil. Replenishment with fresh oil had significant effects on all chemical and physical parameters, except the acid value of the Kizakinonatane oil during frying processes. Based on the results, the Kizakinonatane oil is inherently suitable for preparing deep-fried foods at high temperatures. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

The application of a novel high-resolution mass spectrometry-based analytical strategy to rapid metabolite profiling of a dual drug combination in humans.

PubMed

Xing, Jie; Zang, Meitong; Liu, Huixiang

2017-11-15

Metabolite profiling of combination drugs in complex matrix is a big challenge. Development of an effective data mining technique for simultaneously extracting metabolites of one parent drug from both background matrix and combined drug-related signals could be a solution. This study presented a novel high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS)-based data-mining strategy to fast and comprehensive metabolite identification of combination drugs in human. The model drug combination was verapamil-irbesartan (VER-IRB), which is widely used in clinic to treat hypertension. First, mass defect filter (MDF), as a targeted data mining tool, worked effectively except for those metabolites with similar MDF values. Second, the accurate mass-based background subtraction (BS), as an untargeted data-mining tool, was able to recover all relevant metabolites of VER-IRB from the full-scan MS dataset except for trace metabolites buried in the background noise and/or combined drug-related signals. Third, the novel ring double bond (RDB; valence values of elements in structure) filter, could show rich structural information in more sensitive full-scan MS chromatograms; however, it had a low capability to remove background noise and was difficult to differentiate the metabolites with RDB coverage. Fourth, an integrated strategy, i.e., untargeted BS followed by RDB, was effective for metabolite identification of VER and IRB, which have different RDB values. Majority of matrix signals were firstly removed using BS. Metabolite ions for each parent drug were then isolated from remaining background matrix and combined drug-related signals by imposing of preset RDB values/ranges around the parent drug and selected core substructures. In parallel, MDF was used to recover potential metabolites with similar RDB. As a result, a total of 74 metabolites were found for VER-IRB in human plasma and urine, among which ten metabolites have not been previously reported in human. The results demonstrated that the combination of accurate mass-based multiple data-mining techniques, i.e., untargeted background subtraction followed by ring double bond filtering in parallel with targeted mass defect filtering, can be a valuable tool for rapid metabolite profiling of combination drug. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quality-assurance data for routine water quality analyses by the U. S. Geological Survey laboratory in Troy, New York; July 1993 through June 1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lincoln, Tricia A.; Horan-Ross, Debra A.; McHale, Michael R.; Lawrence, Gregory B.

2001-01-01

A laboratory for analysis of low-ionic strength water has been developed at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) office in Troy, N.Y., to analyze samples collected by USGS projects in the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures developed to ensure proper sample collection, processing, and analysis. The quality-assurance/quality-control data are stored in the laboratory's SAS data-management system, which provides efficient review, compilation, and plotting of quality-assurance/quality-control data. This report presents and discusses samples analyzed from July 1993 through June 1995. Quality-control results for 18 analytical procedures were evaluated for bias and precision. Control charts show that data from seven of the analytical procedures were biased throughout the analysis period for either high-concentration or low-concentration samples but were within control limits; these procedures were: acid-neutralizing capacity, dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon (soil expulsions), chloride, magnesium, nitrate (colorimetric method), and pH. Three of the analytical procedures were occasionally biased but were within control limits; they were: calcium (high for high-concentration samples for May 1995), dissolved organic carbon (high for highconcentration samples from January through September 1994), and fluoride (high in samples for April and June 1994). No quality-control sample has been developed for the organic monomeric aluminum procedure. Results from the filter-blank and analytical-blank analyses indicate that all analytical procedures in which blanks were run were within control limits, although values for a few blanks were outside the control limits. Blanks were not analyzed for acid-neutralizing capacity, dissolved inorganic carbon, fluoride, nitrate (colorimetric method), or pH. Sampling and analysis precision are evaluated herein in terms of the coefficient of variation obtained for triplicate samples in 14 of the 18 procedures. Data-quality objectives were met by more than 90 percent of the samples analyzed in all procedures except total monomeric aluminum (85 percent of samples met objectives), total aluminum (70 percent of samples met objectives), and dissolved organic carbon (85 percent of samples met objectives). Triplicate samples were not analyzed for ammonium, fluoride, dissolved inorganic carbon, or nitrate (colorimetric method). Results of the USGS interlaboratory Standard Reference Sample Program indicated high data quality with a median result of 3.6 of a possible 4.0. Environment Canada's LRTAP interlaboratory study results indicated that more than 85 percent of the samples met data-quality objectives in 6 of the 12 analyses; exceptions were calcium, dissolved organic carbon, chloride, pH, potassium, and sodium. Data-quality objectives were not met for calcium samples in one LRTAP study, but 94 percent of samples analyzed were within control limits for the remaining studies. Data-quality objectives were not met by 35 percent of samples analyzed for dissolved organic carbon, but 94 percent of sample values were within 20 percent of the most probable value. Data-quality objectives were not met for 30 percent of samples analyzed for chloride, but 90 percent of sample values were within 20 percent of the most probable value. Measurements of samples with a pH above 6.0 were biased high in 54 percent of the samples, although 85 percent of the samples met data-quality objectives for pH measurements below 6.0. Data-quality objectives for potassium and sodium were not met in one study (only 33 percent of the samples analyzed met the objectives), although 85 percent of the sample values were within control limits for the other studies. Measured sodium values were above the upper control limit in all studies. Results from blind reference-sample analyses indicated that data

Development of high toughness, high strength aluminide-bonded carbide ceramics

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

Becher, P.F.; Plucknett, K.P.; Tiegs, T.N.

1997-04-01

Cemented carbides are widely used in applications where resistance to abrasion and wear are important, particularly in combination with high strength and stiffness. In the present case, ductile aluminides have been used as a binder phase to fabricate dense carbide cermets by either sintering of mixed powders or a melt-infiltration sintering process. The choice of an aluminide binder was based on the exceptional high temperature strength and chemical stability exhibited by these alloys. For example, TiC-based composites with a Ni{sub 3}Al binder phase exhibit improved oxidation resistance, Young`s moduli > 375 GPa, high fracture strengths (> 1 GPa) that aremore » retained to {ge} 900{degrees}C, and fracture toughness values of 10 to 15 MPa{radical}m, identical to that measured in commercial cobalt-bonded WC with the same test method. The thermal diffusivity values at 200{degrees}C for these composites are {approximately} 0.070 to 0.075 cm{sup 2}/s while the thermal expansion coefficients rise with Ni3Al content from {approximately} 8 to {approximately}11 x 10{sup {minus}6}/{degrees}C over the range of 8 to 40 vol. % Ni{sub 3}Al. The oxidation and acidic corrosion resistances are quite promising as well. Finally, these materials also exhibit good electrical conductivity allowing them to be sectioned and shaped by electrical discharge machining (EDM) processes.« less

Values in Persons With Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Stanghellini, Giovanni; Ballerini, Massimo

2007-01-01

This is an explorative study on the values of persons with schizophrenia based on transcripts of individual therapy sessions conducted for 40 persons with chart diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizotypal disorder. Values are action-guiding attitudes that subject human activities to be worthy of praise or blame. The schizophrenic value system conveys an overall crisis of common sense. The outcome of this has been designated as antagonomia and idionomia. Antagonomia reflects the choice to take an eccentric stand in the face of commonly shared assumptions and the here and now “other.” Idionomia reflects the feeling of the radical uniqueness and exceptionality of one's being with respect to common sense and the other human beings. This sentiment of radical exceptionality is felt as a “gift,” often in view of an eschatological mission or a vocation to a superior, novel, metaphysical understanding of the world. The aim of this study is neither establishing new diagnostic criteria nor suggesting that values play an etio-pathogenetical role in the development of schizophrenia but improving our understanding of the “meaning” of schizophrenic experiences and beliefs, and by doing so reducing stigmatization, and enhancing the specificity and validity of “psychotic symptoms” (especially bizarre delusions) and of “social and occupational dysfunction” through a detailed description of the anthropological and existential matrix they arise from. PMID:16940339

Rheological characteristics of cold thickened beverages containing xanthan gum-based food thickeners used for dysphagia diets.

PubMed

Cho, Hyun M; Yoo, Byoungseung

2015-01-01

Cold beverages are commonly thickened with commercial gum-based food thickeners for consumption by patients with dysphagia. In this study, the rheological properties of a thickened water and five thickened beverages (orange juice, apple juice, grape juice, whole milk, and a sport drink) that were prepared with four commercial instant xanthan gum-based thickeners (coded A-D) were investigated at a 3% thickener concentration. All thickened samples showed high shear-thinning behavior with yield stress at the serving temperature of 8°C. The magnitudes of apparent viscosity (ηa,50), consistency index (K), storage modulus (G'), and loss modulus (G'') of the thickened beverages, except for water, with food thickener A were significantly higher compared with other thickeners (B, C, and D) (P<0.05). The largest increases in K values for thickened beverages were observed at 1-hour storage, and at longer times their K values, except for milk, remained approximately constant. Rheological parameters demonstrated statistically significant differences in flow and dynamic behaviors between the cold thickened beverages prepared with the xanthan gum-based food thickeners (P<0.05), indicating that their rheological properties are strongly influenced by the dispersing medium, the type of food thickener, and storage time. In particular, appropriately selecting a commercial food thickener for preparing thickened beverages seems to be of importance for managing dysphagia. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Methods for Estimating Adsorbed Uranium(VI) and Distribution Coefficients of Contaminated Sediments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kohler, M.; Curtis, G.P.; Meece, D.E.; Davis, J.A.

2004-01-01

Assessing the quantity of U(VI) that participates in sorption/desorption processes in a contaminated aquifer is an important task when investigating U migration behavior. U-contaminated aquifer sediments were obtained from 16 different locations at a former U mill tailings site at Naturita, CO (U.S.A.) and were extracted with an artificial groundwater, a high pH sodium bicarbonate solution, hydroxylamine hydrochloride solution, and concentrated nitric acid. With an isotopic exchange method, both a KD value for the specific experimental conditions as well as the total exchangeable mass of U(VI) was determined. Except for one sample, KD values determined by isotopic exchange with U-contaminated sediments that were in equilibrium with atmospheric CO2 agreed within a factor of 2 with KD values predicted from a nonelectrostatic surface complexation model (NEM) developed from U(VI) adsorption experiments with uncontaminated sediments. The labile fraction of U(VI) and U extracted by the bicarbonate solution were highly correlated (r2 = 0.997), with a slope of 0.96 ?? 0.01. The proximity of the slope to one suggests that both methods likely access the same reservoir of U(VI) associated with the sediments. The results indicate that the bicarbonate extraction method is useful for estimating the mass of labile U(VI) in sediments that do not contain U(IV). In-situ KD values calculated from the measured labile U(VI) and the dissolved U(VI) in the Naturita alluvial aquifer agreed within a factor of 3 with in-situ K D values predicted with the NEM and groundwater chemistry at each well.

Quality of life in asthma patients.

PubMed

Ferreira, Lara Noronha; Brito, Ulisses; Ferreira, Pedro Lopes

2010-01-01

In this paper we present a study whose main aim is the measurement of the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of patients with asthma and the presentation of a first draft of normative values as measured by the SF-6D for asthma patients. In addition, we investigate how far non-disease-specific HRQoL measures can distinguish groups in terms of sociodemographic characteristics. The Portuguese versions of the EQ-5D, SF-6D, AQLQ(S) and ACQ were administered using personal interviews to a representative sample of the Portuguese population with asthma. Most of the individuals did not report significant problems in the dimensions used, with the exception of the physical functioning, where individuals reported moderate limitations. The mean utility value was 0.86. Male gender, young, single, individuals with high educational attainment level, employed, individuals with high income and those residing in urban areas reported higher utility levels. As expected, those who were in a severe stadium of the disease reported lower mean utility levels than those who were in a less severe stadium of the disease. Normative values for the SF-6D were computed for patients with asthma by gender, age, marital status, educational attainment level, employment status, area of residence and average monthly net income. The preference-based measures used in this study distinguish patient groups with asthma in terms of socio- demographic groups. The normative values can be used in economic evaluation and clinical studies as they incorporate patients' preferences and translate the value attributed to patients' health state.

Biophysical properties affecting vegetative canopy reflectance and absorbed photosynthetically active radiation at the FIFE site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walter-Shea, E. A.; Blad, B. L.; Hays, C. J.; Mesarch, M. A.; Deering, D. W.; Middleton, E. M.

1992-01-01

Leaves of the dominant grass species of the ISCLP FIFE site reflect and transmit radiation in a like manner to other healthy green leaves. Visible reflectance factors (RFs) and transmittance factors (TFs) were less for older leaves than younger leaves except during senescence, when RF and TF values were greater. NIR-RF values increased and TF values decreased with leaf age, with the reverse occurring as the leaf went through senescence.

48 CFR 245.607-1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... the plant clearance officer after an on-site survey, if inventory is considered without value except for scrap. If approved, the contractor may make a single descriptive entry on an inventory schedule...

Quantification of physical activity using the QAPACE questionnaire: A two stage cluster sample design survey of children and adolescents attending urban school.

PubMed

Barbosa, N; Sanchez, C E; Patiño, E; Lozano, B; Thalabard, J; Le Bozec, S; Rieu, M

2015-07-01

Quantification of physical activity as energy expenditure is important since youth for the prevention of chronic non communicable diseases in adulthood. It is necessary to quantify physical activity expressed in daily energy expenditure (DEE) in school children and adolescents between 8-16 years, by age, gender and socioeconomic level (SEL) in Bogotá. This is a Two Stage Cluster Survey Sample. From a universe of 4700 schools and 760000 students from three existing socioeconomic levels in Bogotá (low, medium and high). The random sample was 20 schools and 1840 students (904 boys and 936 girls). Foreshadowing desertion of participants and inconsistency in the questionnaire responses, the sample size was increased. Thus, six individuals of each gender for each of the nine age groups were selected, resulting in a total sample of 2160 individuals. Selected students filled the QAPACE questionnaire under supervision. The data was analyzed comparing means with multivariate general linear model. Fixed factors used were: gender (boys and girls), age (8 to 16 years old) and tri-strata SEL (low, medium and high); as independent variables were assessed: height, weight, leisure time, expressed in hours/day and dependent variable: daily energy expenditure DEE (kJ.kg-1.day-1): during leisure time (DEE-LT), during school time (DEE-ST), during vacation time (DEE-VT), and total mean DEE per year (DEEm-TY) RESULTS: Differences in DEE by gender, in boys, LT and all DEE, with the SEL all variables were significant; but age-SEL was only significant in DEE-VT. In girls, with the SEL all variables were significant. The Post-hoc multiple comparisons tests were significant with age using Fisher's Least Significant Difference (LSD) test in all variables. For both genders and for all SELs the values in girls had the higher value except SEL high (5-6) The boys have higher values in DEE-LT, DEE-ST, DEE-VT; except in DEEm-TY in SEL (5-6) In SEL (5-6) all DEEs for both genders are highest. For SEL (3-4) all DEEs are lowest. Children and adolescents in Bogotá have less DEE than at other latitudes. Girls have more free time but lower energy expenditure in their different activities. The socioeconomic level has influence in DEE.

Quantification of physical activity using the QAPACE Questionnaire: a two stage cluster sample design survey of children and adolescents attending urban school.

PubMed

Barbosa, Nicolas; Sanchez, Carlos E; Patino, Efrain; Lozano, Benigno; Thalabard, Jean C; LE Bozec, Serge; Rieu, Michel

2016-05-01

Quantification of physical activity as energy expenditure is important since youth for the prevention of chronic non communicable diseases in adulthood. It is necessary to quantify physical activity expressed in daily energy expenditure (DEE) in school children and adolescents between 8-16 years, by age, gender and socioeconomic level (SEL) in Bogotá. This is a Two Stage Cluster Survey Sample. From a universe of 4700 schools and 760000 students from three existing socioeconomic levels in Bogotá (low, medium and high). The random sample was 20 schools and 1840 students (904 boys and 936 girls). Foreshadowing desertion of participants and inconsistency in the questionnaire responses, the sample size was increased. Thus, 6 individuals of each gender for each of the nine age groups were selected, resulting in a total sample of 2160 individuals. Selected students filled the QAPACE questionnaire under supervision. The data was analyzed comparing means with multivariate general linear model. Fixed factors used were: gender (boys and girls), age (8 to 16 years old) and tri-strata SEL (low, medium and high); as independent variables were assessed: height, weight, leisure time, expressed in hours/day and dependent variable: daily energy expenditure DEE (kJ.kg-1.day-1): during leisure time (DEE-LT), during school time (DEE-ST), during vacation time (DEE-VT), and total mean DEE per year (DEEm-TY) RESULTS: Differences in DEE by gender, in boys, LT and all DEE, with the SEL all variables were significant; but age-SEL was only significant in DEE-VT. In girls, with the SEL all variables were significant. The post hoc multiple comparisons tests were significant with age using Fisher's Least Significant Difference (LSD) test in all variables. For both genders and for all SELs the values in girls had the higher value except SEL high (5-6) The boys have higher values in DEE-LT, DEE-ST, DEE-VT; except in DEEm-TY in SEL (5-6) In SEL (5-6) all DEEs for both genders are highest. For SEL (3-4) all DEEs are lowest. Children and adolescents in Bogotá have less DEE than at other latitudes. Girls have more free time but lower energy expenditure in their different activities. The socioeconomic level has influence in DEE.

Study on chemical hydrography, chlorophyll-a and primary productivity in Liaodong Bay, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, Shaofeng; Laws, Edward A.; Zhang, Haibo; Ye, Siyuan; Kemper, Marc T.; Yuan, Hongming; Xu, Gang; Yang, Shixiong; Liu, Haiyue; Zhu, Yaxuan

2018-03-01

A field study was carried out during the summer of 2013 in Liaodong Bay, China to determine the dynamics of the phytoplankton in the bay and the extent to which primary production in the bay was constrained by environmental factors. There was little or no evidence of limitation of phytoplankton production by nutrient concentrations at any of the sampling stations, with the possible exception of a few offshore stations where phosphate concentrations were less than 30 nM. This assessment was consistent with the results of nutrient enrichment experiments and the values of light-saturated photosynthetic rates and areal photosynthetic rates. To examine the effects of irradiance and temperature on light-saturated photosynthetic rates normalized to chlorophyll a concentrations (Poptb) at twelve stations where photosynthetic rates were measured by 14C method, light-conditioned values were modeled as a function of the temperature with a satisfactory fit to our field data (R2 = 0.60, p = 0.003). According to this model, the light-conditioned Poptb values increased with temperatures from 22 °C to roughly 25 °C but declined precipitously at higher temperatures, and Poptb values and corresponding areal photosynthetic rates at all 66 stations were estimated to be 7.6 ± 2.4 g C g-1 Chl a h-1 and 532 ± 429 gC m-2 d-1 in average, respectively. The quanta absorbed per carbon atom fixed averaged 14 ± 2 and 37 ± 10 at six coastal stations and six estuarine stations, respectively. The relatively high Poptb values and low quantum requirements at the coastal stations implied the highly efficient usage of absorbed light by phytoplankton under nutrient-replete conditions and favorable temperatures. Comparatively, the low Poptb values and high quantum requirements at the estuarine stations suggested rather extreme light limitation and lowly efficient usage of absorbed light in photosynthesis in the Liaohe River estuary. Areal production in Liaodong Bay appears to be controlled by a combination of temperature and light limitation.

Diffusion tensor imaging detects early brain microstructure changes before and after ventriculoperitoneal shunt in children with high intracranial pressure hydrocephalus

PubMed Central

Zhao, Cailei; Li, Yongxin; Cao, Weiguo; Xiang, Kui; Zhang, Heye; Yang, Jian; Gan, Yungen

2016-01-01

Abstract To explore the use of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters in the quantitative assessment of early brain microstructure changes before and after ventriculoperitoneal shunt in children with high intracranial pressure hydrocephalus. Ten patients with communicating hydrocephalus (age: 2–36 months) and 14 age-/gender-matched controls (age: 2–36 months) were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent the ventriculoperitoneal shunt procedure. The imaging data were collected before and 3 months after the operation. Regions of interests (ROIs) included the white matter near the frontal horn of the lateral ventricles (FHLV), the occipital horn of the lateral ventricles (OHLV), occipital subcortical (OS) area, frontal subcortical (FS) area, and thalamus. Fractional anisotropies (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) of the ROIs before and after ventriculoperitoneal shunt were compared between the patients and the controls. Three months after surgery, the patients recovered from the surgery with ameliorated intracranial pressure and slight improvement of clinical intelligence scale and motor scale. Before ventriculoperitoneal shunt, the FA values (except the right FHLV) were significantly decreased and the ADC values were significantly increased in the patients with hydrocephalus, compared with the controls. After the ventriculoperitoneal shunt, the FA values in the FHLV and OHLV of the patients were similar to the controls, but the FA values in other ROIs were still significantly lower than controls. The ADC values in the FS and OS white matter areas of the patients were similar to the controls; however, the ADC values in other ROIs were still significantly higher in patients. The increase of FA and the reduction in ADC in the ROIs preceded the clinical function improvement in patients with high intracranial pressure hydrocephalus and reflected the early changes in brain tissue microstructure, such as the compression of the white matter areas in the ROIs. PMID:27759635

The predictive value of external continuous lumbar drainage, with cerebrospinal fluid outflow controlled by medium pressure valve, in normal pressure hydrocephalus.

PubMed

Panagiotopoulos, V; Konstantinou, D; Kalogeropoulos, A; Maraziotis, T

2005-09-01

Although sporadic studies have described temporary external cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lumbar drainage as a highly accurate test for predicting the outcome after ventricular shunting in normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) patients, a more recent study reports that the positive predictive value of external lumbar drainage (ELD) is high but the negative predictive value is deceptively low. Therefore, we conducted a prospective study in order to evaluate the predictive value of a continuous ELD, with CSF outflow controlled by medium pressure valve, in NPH patients. Twenty-seven patients with presumed NPH were admitted to our department and CSF drainage was carried out by a temporary (ELD) with CSF outflow controlled by a medium pressure valve for five days. All patients received a ventriculoperitoneal shunt using a medium pressure valve based upon preoperative clinical and radiographic criteria of NPH, regardless of ELD outcome. Clinical evaluation of gait disturbances, urinary incontinence and mental status, and radiological evaluation with brain CT was performed prior to and after ELD test, as well as three months after shunting. Twenty-two patients were finally shunted and included in this study. In a three-month follow-up, using a previously validated score system, overall improvement after permanent shunting correlated well to improvement after ELD test (Spearman's rho = 0.462, p = 0.03). When considering any degree of improvement as a positive response, ELD test yielded high positive predictive values for all individual parameters (gait disturbances 94%, 95% CI 71%-100%, urinary incontinence 100%, 95% CI 66%-100%, and mental status 100%, 95% CI 66%-100%) but negative predictive values were low (< 50%) except for cognitive impairment (85%, 95% CI 55%-98%). This study suggests that a positive ELD-valve system test should be considered a reliable criterion for preoperative selection of shunt-responsive NPH patients. In case of a negative ELD-valve system test, further investigation of the presumed NPH patients with additional tests should be performed.

New Insights into Handling Missing Values in Environmental Epidemiological Studies

PubMed Central

Roda, Célina; Nicolis, Ioannis; Momas, Isabelle; Guihenneuc, Chantal

2014-01-01

Missing data are unavoidable in environmental epidemiologic surveys. The aim of this study was to compare methods for handling large amounts of missing values: omission of missing values, single and multiple imputations (through linear regression or partial least squares regression), and a fully Bayesian approach. These methods were applied to the PARIS birth cohort, where indoor domestic pollutant measurements were performed in a random sample of babies' dwellings. A simulation study was conducted to assess performances of different approaches with a high proportion of missing values (from 50% to 95%). Different simulation scenarios were carried out, controlling the true value of the association (odds ratio of 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4), and varying the health outcome prevalence. When a large amount of data is missing, omitting these missing data reduced statistical power and inflated standard errors, which affected the significance of the association. Single imputation underestimated the variability, and considerably increased risk of type I error. All approaches were conservative, except the Bayesian joint model. In the case of a common health outcome, the fully Bayesian approach is the most efficient approach (low root mean square error, reasonable type I error, and high statistical power). Nevertheless for a less prevalent event, the type I error is increased and the statistical power is reduced. The estimated posterior distribution of the OR is useful to refine the conclusion. Among the methods handling missing values, no approach is absolutely the best but when usual approaches (e.g. single imputation) are not sufficient, joint modelling approach of missing process and health association is more efficient when large amounts of data are missing. PMID:25226278

Carbon isotopic composition of individual Precambrian microfossils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

House, C. H.; Schopf, J. W.; McKeegan, K. D.; Coath, C. D.; Harrison, T. M.; Stetter, K. O.

2000-01-01

Ion microprobe measurements of carbon isotope ratios were made in 30 specimens representing six fossil genera of microorganisms petrified in stromatolitic chert from the approximately 850 Ma Bitter Springs Formation, Australia, and the approximately 2100 Ma Gunflint Formation, Canada. The delta 13C(PDB) values from individual microfossils of the Bitter Springs Formation ranged from -21.3 +/- 1.7% to -31.9 +/- 1.2% and the delta 13C(PDB) values from microfossils of the Gunflint Formation ranged from -32.4 +/- 0.7% to -45.4 +/- 1.2%. With the exception of two highly 13C-depleted Gunflint microfossils, the results generally yield values consistent with carbon fixation via either the Calvin cycle or the acetyl-CoA pathway. However, the isotopic results are not consistent with the degree of fractionation expected from either the 3-hydroxypropionate cycle or the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle, suggesting that the microfossils studied did not use either of these pathways for carbon fixation. The morphologies of the microfossils suggest an affinity to the cyanobacteria, and our carbon isotopic data are consistent with this assignment.

In situ stratospheric measurements of CH4, (C-13)H4, N2O, and OC(O-18) using the BLISS tunable diode laser spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webster, Christopher R.; May, Randy D.

1992-01-01

Simultaneous in situ measurements of stratospheric CH4, (C-13)H4, N2O, OC(O-18), pressure, and temperature have been made from Palestine, Texas (32 deg N) in September 1988 with the JPL Balloon-borne Laser In Situ Sensor. Measurements of CH4 and N2O in the altitude range 30-35 km agree well with other measurements, except for an anomalously high value for the N2O at 31 km. Measurements of CH4 support earlier observations of fold in the vertical profile. A ratio for stratospheric (C-13)H4/CH4 of 0.0105 +/- 0.0010 implies an enrichment of delta(C-13) = -45 +/- 92 parts per thousand over the PDB value, in agreement with previous measurements in the troposphere. A large mixing ratio of 1.9 +/- 0.2 ppmv for OC(O-18) is measured, corresponding to an enrichment of delta(O-18) = 280 +/- 50 parts per thousand for the (O-18) isotopic species over the SMOW value.

Evaluation of SLAR and thematic mapper MSS data for forest cover mapping using computer-aided analysis techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffer, R. M. (Principal Investigator); Knowlton, D. J.; Dean, M. E.

1981-01-01

Supervised and cluster block training statistics were used to analyze the thematic mapper simulation MSS data (both 1979 and 1980 data sets). Cover information classes identified on SAR imagery include: hardwood, pine, mixed pine hardwood, clearcut, pasture, crops, emergent crops, bare soil, urban, and water. Preliminary analysis of the HH and HV polarized SAR data indicate a high variance associated with each information class except for water and bare soil. The large variance for most spectral classes suggests that while the means might be statistically separable, an overlap may exist between the classes which could introduce a significant classification error. The quantitative values of many cover types are much larger on the HV polarization than on the HH, thereby indicating the relative nature of the digitized data values. The mean values of the spectral classes in the areas with larger look angles are greater than the means of the same cover type in other areas having steeper look angles. Difficulty in accurately overlaying the dual polarization of the SAR data was resolved.

The Impacts of wetland restoration on Fish Productivity in Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayorinde, O. A.; Okunade, K. M.; Agboola, D. M.; Adesokan, Z. A.

2016-02-01

Wetland is one of the resources of high value which has been exposed to indiscriminate use. It is an important ecosystem to fish and loss or degradation of wetland will have a direct consequence on sustainable fisheries. This paper reviewed the term "wetland", its functions and values, importance to fish production in Nigeria and threats to its sustainability. The term "wetland" has been defined by various researchers especially based on their profession and their needs but up till today there is no single definition accepted by all users. In Nigeria, the most commonly adopted is that of RAMSAR convention. Wetland has both marketed and non-marketed functions and values. They provide essential link in the life cycle of 75 percent of the fish and shell fish commercially harvested in the world and are vital to fish health. Despite the importance, there have been exceptional losses of wetlands. Lagos state alone has witnessed more than 96 percent loss. Major threats to wetlands are: agriculture, development, pollution and climate change. Therefore proper management of the wetland ecosystem is important in other to ensure continuous fish production.

Reactivation of organophosphate-inhibited human acetylcholinesterase by isonitrosoacetone (MINA): a kinetic analysis.

PubMed

Worek, Franz; Thiermann, Horst

2011-11-15

Treatment of poisoning by highly toxic organophosphorus compounds (OP) with atropine and an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) reactivator (oxime) is of limited effectiveness in case of different nerve agents and pesticides. One challenge is the reactivation of OP-inhibited brain AChE which shows inadequate success with charged pyridinium oximes. Recent studies with high doses of the tertiary oxime isonitrosoacetone (MINA) indicated a beneficial effect on central and peripheral AChE and on survival in nerve agent poisoned guinea pigs. Now, an in vitro study was performed to determine the reactivation kinetics of MINA with tabun-, sarin-, cyclosarin-, VX- and paraoxon-inhibited human AChE. MINA showed an exceptionally low affinity to inhibited AChE but, with the exception of tabun-inhibited AChE, a moderate to high reactivity. In comparison to the pyridinium oximes obidoxime, 2-PAM and HI-6 the affinity and reactivity of MINA was in most cases lower and in relation to the most effective reactivators, the second order reactivation constant of MINA was 500 to 3400-fold lower. Hence, high in vivo MINA concentrations would be necessary to achieve at least partial reactivation. This assumption corresponds to in vivo data showing a dose-dependent effect on reactivation and survival in animals. In view, of the toxic potential of MINA in animals human studies would be necessary to determine the tolerability and pharmacokinetics of MINA in order to enable a proper assessment of the value of this oxime as an antidote in OP poisoning. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Variability in stream chemistry in relation to urban development and biological condition in seven metropolitan areas of the United States, 1999-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beaulieu, Karen M.; Bell, Amanda H.; Coles, James F.

2012-01-01

Beginning in 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program investigated the effects of urban development on stream ecosystems in nine metropolitan study areas across the United States. In seven of these study areas, stream-chemistry samples were collected every other month for 1 year at 6 to 10 sites. Within a study area, the sites collectively represented a gradient of urban development from minimally to highly developed watersheds, based on the percentage of urban land cover; depending on study area, the land cover before urban development was either forested or agricultural. The stream-chemistry factors measured in the samples were total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chloride, and pesticide toxicity. These data were used to characterize the stream-chemistry factors in four ways (hereafter referred to as characterizations)—seasonal high-flow value, seasonal low-flow value, the median value (representing a single integrated value of the factor over the year), and the standard deviation of values (representing the variation of the factor over the year). Aquatic macroinvertebrate communities were sampled at each site to infer the biological condition of the stream based on the relative sensitivity of the community to environmental stressors. A Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate relations between (1) urban development and each characterization of the stream-chemistry factors and (2) the biological condition of a stream and the different characterizations of chloride and pesticide toxicity. Overall, the study areas where the land cover before urban development was primarily forested had a greater number of moderate and strong relations compared with the study areas where the land cover before urban development was primarily agriculture; this was true when urban development was correlated with the stream-chemistry factors (except chloride) and when chloride and pesticide toxicity was correlated with the biological condition. Except for primarily phosphorus in two study areas, stream-chemistry factors generally increased with urban development, and among the different characterizations, the median value typically indicated the strongest relations. The variation in stream-chemistry factors throughout the year generally increased with urban development, indicating that water quality became less consistent as watersheds were developed. In study areas with high annual snow fall, the variation in chloride concentrations throughout the year was particularly strongly related to urban development, likely a result of road salt applications during the winter. The relations of the biological condition to chloride and pesticide toxicity were calculated irrespective of urban development, but the overall results indicated that the relations were still stronger in the study areas that had been forested before urban development. The weaker relations in the study areas that had been agricultural before urban development were likely the results of biological communities having been degraded from agricultural practices in the watersheds. Collectively, these results indicated that, compared with sampling a stream at a single point in time, sampling at regular intervals during a year may provide a more representative measure of water quality, especially in the areas of high urban development where water quality fluctuated more widely between samples. Furthermore, the use of "integrated" values of stream chemistry factors may be more appropriate when assessing relations to the biological condition of a stream because the taxa composition of a biological community typically reflects the water-quality conditions over time.

Zooplankton community response to the winter 2013 deep convection process in the NW Mediterranean Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donoso, Katty; Carlotti, François; Pagano, Marc; Hunt, Brian P. V.; Escribano, Rubén.; Berline, Léo.

2017-03-01

The Gulf of Lion is an important area of deep convection, where intense winter vertical mixing brings nutrients up from deeper layers, promoting the largest bloom in the Mediterranean at the end of winter/early spring. The DEWEX program conducted cruises in February and April 2013 to investigate the ecosystem level impacts of deep water convection. Zooplankton data were collected through net sampling and imaging with an Underwater Vision Profiler. In winter, low zooplankton abundance and biomass were observed in the Deep Convection Zone (DCZ) and higher values on its periphery. In spring, this pattern reversed with high biomass in the DCZ and lower values on the periphery. On average for the whole area, the potential grazing impact was estimated to increase by one order of magnitude from winter to spring. In April, all areas except the DCZ incurred top-down control by zooplankton on the phytoplankton stock. In the DCZ, the chlorophyll-a values remained high despite the high zooplankton biomass and carbon demand, indicating a sustained bottom-up control. The zooplankton community composition was comparable for both periods, typified by high copepod dominance, but with some differences between the DCZ and peripheral regions. In spring the DCZ was characterized by a strong increase in herbivorous species such as Centropages typicus and Calanus helgolandicus, and an increase in the number of large zooplankton individuals. Our study indicates that the DCZ is likely an area of both enhanced energy transfer to higher trophic levels and organic matter export in the North Western Mediterranean Sea.

Diamonds: Exploration, mines and marketing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Read, George H.; Janse, A. J. A. (Bram)

2009-11-01

The beauty, value and mystique of exceptional quality diamonds such as the 603 carat Lesotho Promise, recovered from the Letseng Mine in 2006, help to drive a multi-billion dollar diamond exploration, mining and marketing industry that operates in some 45 countries across the globe. Five countries, Botswana, Russia, Canada, South Africa and Angola account for 83% by value and 65% by weight of annual diamond production, which is mainly produced by four major companies, De Beers, Alrosa, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton (BHPB), which together account for 78% by value and 72% by weight of annual diamond production for 2007. During the last twelve years 16 new diamond mines commenced production and 4 re-opened. In addition, 11 projects are in advanced evaluation and may begin operations within the next five years. Exploration for diamondiferous kimberlites was still energetic up to the last quarter of 2008 with most work carried out in Canada, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Botswana. Many kimberlites were discovered but no new economic deposits were outlined as a result of this work, except for the discovery and possible development of the Bunder project by Rio Tinto in India. Exploration methods have benefitted greatly from improved techniques of high resolution geophysical aerial surveying, new research into the geochemistry of indicator minerals and further insights into the formation of diamonds and the relation to tectonic/structural events in the crust and mantle. Recent trends in diamond marketing indicate that prices for rough diamonds and polished goods were still rising up to the last quarter of 2008 and subsequently abruptly sank in line with the worldwide financial crisis. Most analysts predict that prices will rise again in the long term as the gap between supply and demand will widen because no new economic diamond discoveries have been made recently. The disparity between high rough and polished prices and low share prices of publicly traded diamond companies may be due to investors losing patience with the slow pace or absence of new promising discoveries and switching into shares of base metals and fertilizers for agriculture (potash and phosphates).

Hybrid Capture II detection of oncogenic human papillomavirus: a useful tool when evaluating men who have sex with men with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance on anal cytology.

PubMed

Goldstone, Stephen E; Kawalek, Adam Z; Goldstone, Robert N; Goldstone, Andrew B

2008-07-01

In the cervix and anus, patients with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance often do not have high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. In women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, Hybrid-Capture II testing for oncogenic high-risk human papillomavirus is performed and those without high-risk human papillomavirus often are observed. We endeavored to determine whether Hybrid-Capture II testing would be beneficial in men who have sex with men with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance. We performed a retrospective chart review of men who have sex with men with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance who had high-resolution anoscopy and Hybrid-Capture II. A total of 290 men were identified (mean age, 42 years), and 212 (73 percent) were HIV-negative. High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions were found in 50 (17 percent): 23 (10 percent) who were HIV-negative and 27 (35 percent) who were HIV-positive men. High-risk human papillomavirus was found in 138 (48 percent); 91 (43 percent) of HIV-negative and 47 (60 percent) of HIV-positive men. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of atypical cells of undetermined significance cytology combined with Hybrid-Capture II were 84, 60, 30, and 95 percent, respectively. There was no significant difference between all men vs. those who were HIV-positive or HIV-negative except for the positive predictive value. Hybrid-Capture II testing for high-risk human papillomavirus in men who have sex with men with atypical cells of undetermined significance and referring only those with high-risk human papillomavirus reduces the number who require high-resolution anoscopy by more than half. Five percent with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions would be missed.

75 FR 15388 - Amendment to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Removing Requirement for Prior...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-29

... significant military equipment valued at $14,000,000 or more (other than a member of NATO, Australia, New... export of an item on the U.S. Munitions List, valued at $7,000,000 or more for use by the armed forces of... the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Australia, Japan, or New Zealand, except with respect...

42 CFR 411.357 - Exceptions to the referral prohibition related to compensation arrangements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... remuneration to the physician based on the volume or value of any actual or anticipated referrals by the... payment based on the volume or value of any actual or anticipated referrals by the physician or any other... do not exceed the lessee's pro rata share of expenses for the space based upon the ratio of the space...

42 CFR 411.357 - Exceptions to the referral prohibition related to compensation arrangements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... remuneration to the physician based on the volume or value of any actual or anticipated referrals by the... payment based on the volume or value of any actual or anticipated referrals by the physician or any other... do not exceed the lessee's pro rata share of expenses for the space based upon the ratio of the space...

42 CFR 411.357 - Exceptions to the referral prohibition related to compensation arrangements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... remuneration to the physician based on the volume or value of any actual or anticipated referrals by the... payment based on the volume or value of any actual or anticipated referrals by the physician or any other... do not exceed the lessee's pro rata share of expenses for the space based upon the ratio of the space...

42 CFR 411.357 - Exceptions to the referral prohibition related to compensation arrangements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... remuneration to the physician based on the volume or value of any actual or anticipated referrals by the... payment based on the volume or value of any actual or anticipated referrals by the physician or any other... do not exceed the lessee's pro rata share of expenses for the space based upon the ratio of the space...

76 FR 20771 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Notice of Filing and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-13

... regular index options, with one general exception: The exercise settlement value is based on the index... note 5. Generally, EOWs and EOMs are priced in the market based on corresponding futures values. On the... on broad-based indexes to expire on (a) any Friday of the month, other than the third Friday-of- the...

40 CFR 63.10021 - How do I demonstrate continuous compliance with the emission limitations, operating limits, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... need only provide a single pre- and post-tune-up value rather than continual values before and after... quarters during which less than 168 boiler operating hours occur, except that a performance test must be conducted at least once every calendar year. (2) Must conduct the performance test as defined in Table 5 to...

Seasonal variation in the biochemical composition of red seaweed ( Catenella repens) from Gangetic delta, northeast coast of India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Kakoli; Ghosh, Rajrupa; Homechaudhuri, Sumit; Mitra, Abhijit

2009-10-01

The biochemical composition of red seaweeds, Catenella repens was investigated in this present study along with subsequent analysis of relevant physico-chemical variables. In this study, the relationship between the nutritive components of this species and the ambient environmental parameters was established. Protein content varied from 2.78 ± 0.30% of dry weight (stn.3) to 16.03 ± 0.96% of dry weight (stn.1) with highest values during monsoon. The protein levels were positively correlated with dissolved nitrate content and negatively correlated with water temperature (except stn.3) and salinity. Carbohydrate content of this species varied significantly ( p < 0.05) during pre-monsoon between stations and the values showed positive relationship with salinity and surface water temperature. In contrast to carbohydrate, lipid concentration was lowest in values and varied very slightly between seasons and stations. Astaxanthin content of the seaweed species was greater in pre-monsoon than monsoon and post-monsoon in all the selected stations. Compared with the three seasons, samples of red seaweed collected in pre-monsoon has high carbohydrate-astaxanthin in contrast to protein-lipid which showed high values during monsoon. Statistical analysis computed among the environmental and biochemical parameters suggests the potential role played by the abiotic parameters on biosynthetic pathways of seaweed. This paper also highlights the influence of the nutritional quality of water that can be used for mass cultivation of Catenella repens.

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

Cherdyntsev, V.V.; Kazachevskii, I.V.; Kuzmina, E.A.

The ratio of Th isotopes (Io,/sup -/UX/sub 1/, Th/sup 232/, RdTh) and U isotopes (U/sup 234/ and U/sup 238/) in natural waters, fossil bones, and soils, as well as in shells of fresh-water mollusks of the Paleolithic site Molodovo and other areas of the Dniester foreland was investigated. In the waters of Molodovo are distinguished waters of neogenic limestones with a low value of gamma =U/sup 234//U/sup 238/ = 10.3 x 10.5 and waters of the Paleozoic: gamma = 1.34, apparently feeding the quarternary stratum. The mineralization of fossil bones was realized in the Upper Paleolith by waters with lowmore » values and in the Middle Paleolith by waters with high gamma -values. Uranium migration was confirmed by the investigation of the radioelement ratios in fossil bones of the sites Molodovo I and Molodovo V. This process apparently did not affect the Mousterian layers of the site Molodovo V, so that the age of the layers, according to Io/UX/sub 1/ and gamma , equaling 130 thousand years, is near to the truth. The age of the fossil soil of the lower horizon of Molodovo I (end of Riss -RissWurm) is more than 260 thousand years. In the shells of fresh-water mollusks an intensive migration of U and Ra isotopes occurs For example, an exceptional high value RdTh/Th = 12.3 450 deg C in a 0.9 (activity units) was obtained. (auth)« less

Kinetics of styrene biodegradation by Pseudomonas sp. E-93486.

PubMed

Gąszczak, Agnieszka; Bartelmus, Grażyna; Greń, Izabela

2012-01-01

The research into kinetics of styrene biodegradation by bacterial strain Pseudomonas sp. E-93486 coming from VTT Culture Collection (Finland) was presented in this work. Microbial growth tests in the presence of styrene as the sole carbon and energy source were performed both in batch and continuous cultures. Batch experiments were conducted for initial concentration of styrene in the liquid phase changed in the range of 5-90 g m(-3). The Haldane model was found to be the best to fit the kinetic data, and the estimated constants of the equation were: μ (m) = 0.1188 h(-1), K(S) = 5.984 mg l(-1), and K (i) = 156.6 mg l(-1). The yield coefficient mean value [Formula in text] for the batch culture was 0.72 g(dry cells weight) (g(substrate))(-1). The experiments conducted in a chemostat at various dilution rates (D = 0.035-0.1 h(-1)) made it possible to determine the value of the coefficient for maintenance metabolism m (d) = 0.0165 h(-1) and the maximum yield coefficient value [Formula in text]. Chemostat experiments confirmed the high value of yield coefficient [Formula in text] observed in the batch culture. The conducted experiments showed high activity of the examined strain in the styrene biodegradation process and a relatively low sensitivity to inhibition of its growth at higher concentrations of styrene in the solution. Such exceptional features of Pseudomonas sp. E-93486 make this bacterial strain the perfect candidate for technical applications.

Validation of a virtual reality-based simulator for shoulder arthroscopy.

PubMed

Rahm, Stefan; Germann, Marco; Hingsammer, Andreas; Wieser, Karl; Gerber, Christian

2016-05-01

This study was to determine face and construct validity of a new virtual reality-based shoulder arthroscopy simulator which uses passive haptic feedback. Fifty-one participants including 25 novices (<20 shoulder arthroscopies) and 26 experts (>100 shoulder arthroscopies) completed two tests: for assessment of face validity, a questionnaire was filled out concerning quality of simulated reality and training potential using a 7-point Likert scale (range 1-7). Construct validity was tested by comparing simulator metrics (operation time in seconds, camera and grasper pathway in centimetre and grasper openings) between novices and experts test results. Overall simulated reality was rated high with a median value of 5.5 (range 2.8-7) points. Training capacity scored a median value of 5.8 (range 3-7) points. Experts were significantly faster in the diagnostic test with a median of 91 (range 37-208) s than novices with 1177 (range 81-383) s (p < 0.0001) and in the therapeutic test 102 (range 58-283) s versus 229 (range 114-399) s (p < 0.0001). Similar results were seen in the other metric values except in the camera pathway in the therapeutic test. The tested simulator achieved high scores in terms of realism and training capability. It reliably discriminated between novices and experts. Further improvements of the simulator, especially in the field of therapeutic arthroscopy, might improve its value as training and assessment tool for shoulder arthroscopy skills. II.

Comparison between Regional and Local Pulse-Wave Velocity Data.

PubMed

Simova, Iana; Katova, Tzvetana; Santoro, Ciro; Galderisi, Maurizio

2016-01-01

Gold standard for pulse-wave velocity (PWV) measurement is determination of the carotid-femoral cfPWV, reflecting regional aortic PWV. Nevertheless, in several echocardiographic laboratories, PWV is measured locally, most commonly at the common carotid artery (CCA). The aim of this study was to compare regional and local PWV values in healthy volunteers. The study population consisted of 22 prospectively enrolled healthy subjects, mean age 38.7 ± 11.1 years, 50% male. For regional PWV measurement, we evaluated cfPWV with a standard echo scanner. Regional PWV was measured at the CCA, with semiautomated dedicated software (MyLab, EsaOte, Italy). cfPWV and local PWV values correlated significantly with high Pearson correlation coefficient (0.62, P = 0.002). Mean regional cfPWV (9.29 ± 3.73 m/s), however, was significantly higher than mean local PWV value (5.96 ± 1.08 m/s) (P < 0.001). The difference persisted in the subgroup analysis using different cfPWV cutoff values (10, 9, 8, and 7 m/s), except for subjects with cfPWV ≤7 m/s, where regional and local PWV values were similar. In a group of healthy volunteers, regional and local PWV values showed a good correlation. However, regional PWV was significantly higher than local PWV. These findings should be carefully taken into account when using this technique in the clinical setting. © 2015, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

THE EFFECT OF RADIATION ON HEREDITY

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

Katsumi, T.

1963-07-01

A review of radiation genetics is presented. (BBB)<>18:017509Changes in plasma aldolase activity in 11 cases of cancer of the uterus (10 cervical and one endometrial adenocarcinoma) and one case of epithelioma of the vulva were studied before, during, and after radiotherapy. Only in two cases was aldolase activity higher than normal. After radium therapy these values increased in 10 cases, with a maximum increase of 4 U/ ml from a normal level of 4 to 8 U/ml. In four cases the increase was 3 to 4 U/ ml; in six, 0.2 to 1.5 U/ml; in two, there was a decreasemore » of 0.8 and 1 U/ml. The third determination, made a week after the end of therapy, indicated a drop in activity of plasma except in two cases. In five determinations made one month after therapy, a further decrease was noted, except in the one case of epithelioma of the vulva irradiated with a smaller total dose. The average control value of 17% for the increase in aldolase activity found here is less than that found in other studies of malignant tumors, and much less than that found in other diseases. There appears to be a relation between enzymatic activity and tissue necrosis, but equation of this increase and necrosis is oversimplified because of the many exceptions. The gradual elimination of the enzyme by natural routes of excretion and the possibility of an antienzyme, which can block aldolase and thus decrease its activity value below normal, deserve exploration. It is suggested that the value of study of plasma aldolase activity lies not in its diagnostic but in its prognostic significance. (BBB)« less

American Society for Dermatologic Surgery

MedlinePlus

... the Choose Skin Health program. Thank you for making the 2017 ASDS Annual Meeting a success! It ... partnership opportunities available for 2017 that will maximize market potential by providing exceptional visibility, outreach and value. ...

A three-stage treatment system for highly polluted urban road runoff.

PubMed

Hilliges, Rita; Schriewer, Alexander; Helmreich, Brigitte

2013-10-15

A three-stage treatment device for polluted urban road runoff was installed and tested at a highly trafficked urban road over a period of one year. In the first stage coarse material and particles from the runoff are removed by a special gutter system. The second stage eliminates particles using a hydrodynamic separator. In the third stage dissolved pollutants are adsorbed in a filter unit with lignite as filter material. Twenty-four rain events were sampled over the one year period and analyzed for dissolved and particulate copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), suspended solids (SS), total organic carbon (TOC), sodium (Na), and pH value. The treatment system was able to safely retain all relevant pollutants during the investigated period, except Na. In the effluent of the treatment device Pb could never be detected, values measured for Zn were in the range of the detection limit. Cu, the element most frequently detected in the effluent, never exceeded the critical value of 50 μg/L set by the German Federal Soil Protection Act and Ordinance. The median Cu concentration in the effluent of the treatment system was 8.13 μg/L. The treatment system proved to be very effective. Highly polluted road runoff can be purified by the system to an extent that no contamination risk for soil and groundwater remains when infiltrated into the soil. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The nutritive value of condensed wheat distillers solubles for cattle.

PubMed

De Boever, J L; Blok, M C; Millet, S; Vanacker, J; De Campeneere, S

2016-12-01

The chemical composition and the energy and protein value of five batches of condensed distillers solubles (CDS) originating from wheat were determined. The net energy for lactation (NEL) was derived from digestion coefficients obtained with sheep. The true protein digested in the small intestine (DVE) and the rumen degradable protein balance (OEB) were based on the rumen degradation rate (kd D ), the rumen undegradable fraction (U) and intestinal digestibility of undegraded protein (%DVBE) predicted by regression equations derived from a data set of 28 protein feeds with kd D , U and %DVBE determined in situ. The CDS is a by-product with a high, but very variable CP content (238 to 495 g/kg DM). The CP contained on average 81% amino acids, with glutamine as main component (on average 21.8% of CP) and a relatively good lysine proportion (3.0%). Further, CDS contains quite a lot of crude fat (mean±SD: 71±14 g/kg DM), glycerol (95±52 g/kg DM) and sugars (123±24 g/kg DM) resulting in a high organic matter digestibility (88.6±3.0%) and high NEL content (8.3±0.4 MJ/kg DM). The protein value showed a large variation, with DVE ranging from 122 to 244 g/kg DM and OEB from 50 to 204 g/kg DM. Wheat CDS is a rich source of minerals and trace elements with exception of calcium.

Searching for low-workfunction phases in the Cs-Te system: The case of Cs2Te5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruth, Anthony; Németh, Károly; Harkay, Katherine C.; Terdik, Joseph Z.; Spentzouris, Linda; Terry, Jeff

2013-05-01

We have computationally explored workfunction values of Cs2Te5 surfaces, an existing crystalline phase of the Cs-Te system and a small bandgap semiconductor, in order to search for reduced workfunction alternatives of Cs2Te that preserve the exceptionally high quantum efficiency of the Cs2Te seasoned photoemissive material. We have found that the Cs2Te5(010) surface exhibits a workfunction value of ≈1.9 eV when it is covered by Cs atoms. Cs2Te5 is analogous to our recently proposed low-workfunction materials, Cs2TeC2, and other ternary acetylides [J. Z. Terdik et al., Phys. Rev. B 86, 035142 (2012)], in as much as it also contains quasi one-dimensional substructures embedded in a Cs-matrix, forming the foundation for anomalous workfunction anisotropy and low workfunction values. The one-dimensional substructures in Cs2Te5 are polytelluride ions in a tetragonal rod-like packing. Cs2Te5 has the advantage of simpler composition and availability as compared to Cs2TeC2; however, its low workfunction surface is less energetically favored to the other surfaces than in Cs2TeC2. A significant and remarkable advantage of Cs2Te5 as compared to Cs2Te is its high optical absorption of visible photons that can allow for high quantum efficiency electron emission at visible photon energies.

Antioxidative activities of 62 wild mushrooms from Nepal and the phenolic profile of some selected species.

PubMed

Tamrakar, Sonam; Tran, Hai Bang; Nishida, Marina; Kaifuchi, Satoru; Suhara, Hiroto; Doi, Katsumi; Fukami, Katsuya; Parajuli, Gopal Prasad; Shimizu, Kuniyoshi

2016-10-01

Mushrooms have garnered immense popularity for their nutritional as well as medicinal values. The therapeutic potential of mushrooms in Nepal, a country well known for its biodiversity and natural medicinal resources, remains largely unstudied. Therefore, this study attempts to unveil the antioxidative properties of Nepalese wild mushrooms. Sixty-two wild mushroom samples were collected from several forests in different parts of Nepal. Ethanol and water extracts of the dried samples were tested for their antioxidative activities using total phenolic content (TPC), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and reducing power (RP) assays. Ethanol extracts of samples belonging to the order Hymenochaetales showed significantly high activity in all the assays. Inonotus clemensiae had an exceptionally high TPC of 643.2 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g extract and also exhibited the lowest EC50 values in DPPH (0.081 mg/mL), ABTS (0.409 mg/mL), and EC0.5 value in reducing power (RP; 0.031 mg/mL) assays. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the top ten samples with the highest TPC was done to identify the phenolic compounds in the extracts, followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis for some unknown compounds. These findings highlight the very strong antioxidative activity of Nepalese mushrooms, and paves the way for further research to explore their economic potential.

Twice-Exceptional Students Enrolled in Advanced Placement Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schultz, Susan M.

2012-01-01

Twice-exceptional students, those who have disabilities and display areas of gifts or talents, frequently spend their high school years with a focus on their disabilities. Using semistructured interviews, this study explores the perceptions of parents, teachers, and guidance counselors regarding participation of twice-exceptional students in…

Reliability of reference distances used in photogrammetry.

PubMed

Aksu, Muge; Kaya, Demet; Kocadereli, Ilken

2010-07-01

To determine the reliability of the reference distances used for photogrammetric assessment. The sample consisted of 100 subjects with mean ages of 22.97 +/- 2.98 years. Five lateral and four frontal parameters were measured directly on the subjects' faces. For photogrammetric assessment, two reference distances for the profile view and three reference distances for the frontal view were established. Standardized photographs were taken and all the parameters that had been measured directly on the face were measured on the photographs. The reliability of the reference distances was checked by comparing direct and indirect values of the parameters obtained from the subjects' faces and photographs. Repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bland-Altman analyses were used for statistical assessment. For profile measurements, the indirect values measured were statistically different from the direct values except for Sn-Sto in male subjects and Prn-Sn and Sn-Sto in female subjects. The indirect values of Prn-Sn and Sn-Sto were reliable in both sexes. The poorest results were obtained in the indirect values of the N-Sn parameter for female subjects and the Sn-Me parameter for male subjects according to the Sa-Sba reference distance. For frontal measurements, the indirect values were statistically different from the direct values in both sexes except for one in male subjects. The indirect values measured were not statistically different from the direct values for Go-Go. The indirect values of Ch-Ch were reliable in male subjects. The poorest results were obtained according to the P-P reference distance. For profile assessment, the T-Ex reference distance was reliable for Prn-Sn and Sn-Sto in both sexes. For frontal assessment, Ex-Ex and En-En reference distances were reliable for Ch-Ch in male subjects.

Intensification of biodiesel production from soybean oil and waste cooking oil in the presence of heterogeneous catalyst using high speed homogenizer.

PubMed

Joshi, Saurabh; Gogate, Parag R; Moreira, Paulo F; Giudici, Reinaldo

2017-11-01

In the present work, high speed homogenizer has been used for the intensification of biodiesel synthesis from soybean oil and waste cooking oil (WCO) used as a sustainable feedstock. High acid value waste cooking oil (27mg of KOH/g of oil) was first esterified with methanol using sulphuric acid as catalyst in two stages to bring the acid value to desired value of 1.5mg of KOH/g of oil. Transesterification of soybean oil (directly due to lower acid value) and esterified waste cooking oil was performed in the presence of heterogeneous catalyst (CaO) for the production of biodiesel. Various experiments were performed for understanding the effect of operating parameters viz. molar ratio, catalyst loading, reaction temperature and speed of rotation of the homogenizer. For soybean oil, the maximum biodiesel yield as 84% was obtained with catalyst loading of 3wt% and molar ratio of oil to methanol of 1:10 at 50°C with 12,000rpm as the speed of rotation in 30min. Similarly biodiesel yield of 88% was obtained from waste cooking oil under identical operating conditions except for the catalyst loading which was 1wt%. Significant increase in the rate of biodiesel production with yields from soybean oil as 84% (in 30min) and from WCO as 88% (30min) was established due to the use of high speed homogenizer as compared to the conventional stirring method (requiring 2-3h for obtaining similar biodiesel yield). The observed intensification was attributed to the turbulence caused at microscale and generation of fine emulsions due to the cavitational effects. Overall it can be concluded from this study that high speed homogenizer can be used as an alternate cavitating device to efficiently produce biodiesel in the presence of heterogeneous catalysts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stable isotope systematics in mesozoic granites of Central and Northern California and Southwestern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Masi, U.; O'Neil, J.R.; Kistler, R.W.

1981-01-01

18O, D, and H2O+ contents were measured for whole-rock specimens of granitoid rocks from 131 localitics in California and southwestern Oregon. With 41 new determinations in the Klamath Mountains and Sierra Nevada, initial strontium isotope ratios are known for 104 of these samples. Large variations in ??18O (5.5 to 12.4), ??D (-130 to -31), water contents (0.14 to 2.23 weight percent) and initial strontium isotope ratios (0.7028 to 0.7095) suggest a variety of source materials and identify rocks modified by secondary processes. Regular patterns of variation in each isotopic ratio exist over large geographical regions, but correlations between the ratios are generally absent except in restricted areas. For example, the regular decrease in ??D values from west to east in the Sierra Nevada batholith is not correlative with a quite complex pattern of ??18O values, implying that different processes were responsible for the isotopic variations in these two elements. In marked contrast to a good correlation between (87Sr/86Sr)o and ??18O observed in the Peninsular Ranges batholith to the south, such correlations are lacking except in a few areas. ??D values, on the other hand, correlate well with rock types, chemistry, and (87Sr/86Sr)o except in the Coast Ranges where few of the isotopic signatures are primary. The uniformly low ??D values of samples from the Mojave Desert indicate that meteoric water contributed much of the hydrogen to the rocks in that area. Even so, the ??18O values and 18O fractionations between quartz and feldspar are normal in these same rocks. This reconnaissance study has identified regularities in geochemical parameters over enormous geographical regions. These patterns are not well understood but merit more detailed examination because they contain information critical to our understanding of the development of granitoid batholiths. ?? 1981 Springer-Verlag.

T2 mapping in patellar chondromalacia.

PubMed

Ruiz Santiago, Fernando; Pozuelo Calvo, Rocío; Almansa López, Julio; Guzmán Álvarez, Luis; Castellano García, María Del Mar

2014-06-01

To study the correlation between the T2 relaxation times of the patellar cartilage and morphological MRI findings of chondromalacia. This prospective study comprises 50 patients, 27 men and 23 women suffering of anterior knee pain (mean age: 29.7, SD 8.3 years; range: 16-45 years). MRI of 97 knees were performed in these patients at 1.5T magnet including sagittal T1, coronal intermediate, axial intermediate fat sat and T2 mapping. Chondromalacia was assessed using a modified version of Noyes classification. The relaxation time, T2, was studied segmenting the full thickness of the patellar cartilage in 12 areas: 4 proximal (external facet-proximal-lateral (EPL), external facet-proximal-central (EPC), internal facet-proximal-central (IPC), internal facet-proximal-medial (IPM), 4 in the middle section (external facet-middle-lateral (EML), external facet-middle-central (EMC), internal facet-middle-central (IMC), internal facet-middle-medial (IMM) and 4 distal (external facet-distal-lateral (EDL), external facet-distal-central (EDC), internal facet-distal-central (IDC), internal facet-distal-medial (IDM). T2 values showed a significant increase in mild chondromalacia regarding normal cartilage in most of the cartilage areas (p<0.05), except in the internal distal facet (IDC and IDM), EPC, EDL, and IMM. Severe chondromalacia was characterized by a fall of T2 relaxation times with loss of statistical significant differences in comparison with normal cartilage, except in EMC and IMC, where similar values as mild chondromalacia were maintained (p<0.05). Steepest increase in T2 values of patellar cartilage occurs in early stages of patellar cartilage degeneration. Progression of morphologic changes of chondromalacia to more severe degrees is associated to a new drop of T2 relaxation times approaching basal values in most of the areas of the patellar cartilage, except in the central area of the middle section, where T2 values remain increased. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigating high concentrations of three greenhouse gases in the Los Angeles Basin and San Bernardino Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirpes, R.; Blake, D. R.; Marrero, J.

2013-12-01

Following the Montreal Protocol of 1987 calling for the phase-out of CFCs and other ozone depleting substances, HCFCs and HFCs were introduced as alternatives despite still being greenhouse gases with high global warming potentials. In this study, whole air samples were collected during four research flights over Southern California aboard the NASA DC-8 Airborne Science Laboratory as part of the NASA Student Airborne Science Program. These samples were then analyzed by gas chromatography using a suite of detectors for many compounds, including HFC-134a, HCFC-22, and HFC-152a. HCFC-22 is primarily used as a refrigerant, while HFC-134a and HFC-152a are also used as aerosol propellants and foam blowing agents. High concentrations of these three compounds were observed for samples taken at low altitudes over urban areas around Los Angeles and San Bernardino. Exceptionally high concentrations were seen for all three compounds in samples taken near the Ontario and San Bernardino airports. Concentrations of HFC-134a, HCFC-22, and HFC-152a were enhanced above background levels near other airports sampled in the Los Angeles Basin and San Bernardino Valley. It is clear that concentrations of these three gases are higher in the San Bernardino Valley than in the Los Angeles Basin, and locations with exceptionally high concentrations were investigated to identify potential point sources. Concentrations of these three compounds were also compared to data from past SARP missions and data collected at Trinidad Head, California since 2005 as part of the AGAGE network. Comparison of the average values for each of these campaigns reveal that the background concentrations of HFC-134a, HCFC-22, and HFC-152a are all increasing with a strong linear trend in Southern California.

14 CFR 67.203 - Eye.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... this paragraph are not required except for persons found to have more than 1 prism diopter of hyperphoria, 6 prism diopters of esophoria, or 6 prism diopters of exophoria. If any of these values are...

14 CFR 67.103 - Eye.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... this paragraph are not required except for persons found to have more than 1 prism diopter of hyperphoria, 6 prism diopters of esophoria, or 6 prism diopters of exophoria. If any of these values are...

14 CFR 67.203 - Eye.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... this paragraph are not required except for persons found to have more than 1 prism diopter of hyperphoria, 6 prism diopters of esophoria, or 6 prism diopters of exophoria. If any of these values are...

14 CFR 67.103 - Eye.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... this paragraph are not required except for persons found to have more than 1 prism diopter of hyperphoria, 6 prism diopters of esophoria, or 6 prism diopters of exophoria. If any of these values are...

14 CFR 67.203 - Eye.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... this paragraph are not required except for persons found to have more than 1 prism diopter of hyperphoria, 6 prism diopters of esophoria, or 6 prism diopters of exophoria. If any of these values are...

14 CFR 67.103 - Eye.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... this paragraph are not required except for persons found to have more than 1 prism diopter of hyperphoria, 6 prism diopters of esophoria, or 6 prism diopters of exophoria. If any of these values are...

26 CFR 48.4064-1 - Gas guzzler tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... powered by fuel; (ii) Manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways (except any... finishing operations, such as painting. For this purpose, gross vehicle weight means the value specified by...

26 CFR 48.4064-1 - Gas guzzler tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... powered by fuel; (ii) Manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways (except any... finishing operations, such as painting. For this purpose, gross vehicle weight means the value specified by...

26 CFR 48.4064-1 - Gas guzzler tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... powered by fuel; (ii) Manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways (except any... finishing operations, such as painting. For this purpose, gross vehicle weight means the value specified by...

Role of percent tissue altered on ectasia after LASIK in eyes with suspicious topography.

PubMed

Santhiago, Marcony R; Smadja, David; Wilson, Steven E; Krueger, Ronald R; Monteiro, Mario L R; Randleman, J Bradley

2015-04-01

To investigate the association of the percent tissue altered (PTA) with the occurrence of ectasia after LASIK in eyes with suspicious preoperative corneal topography. This retrospective comparative case-control study compared associations of reported ectasia risk factors in 129 eyes, including 57 eyes with suspicious preoperative Placido-based corneal topography that developed ectasia after LASIK (suspect ectasia group), 32 eyes with suspicious topography that remained stable for at least 3 years after LASIK (suspect control group), and 30 eyes that developed ectasia with bilateral normal topography (normal topography ectasia group). Groups were subdivided based on topographic asymmetry into high- or low-suspect groups. The PTA, preoperative central corneal thickness (CCT), residual stromal bed (RSB), and age (years) were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses. Average PTA values for normal topography ectasia (45), low-suspect ectasia (39), high-suspect ectasia (36), low-suspect control (32), and high-suspect control (29) were significantly different from one another in all comparisons (P < .003) except high- and low-suspect ectasia groups (P = .033), and presented the highest discriminative capability of all variables evaluated. Age was only significantly different between the high-suspect ectasia and normal topography ectasia groups, and CCT was not significantly different between any groups. Stepwise logistic regression revealed the PTA as the most significant independent variable (P < .0001), with RSB the next most significant parameter. There remains a significant correlation between PTA values and ectasia risk after LASIK, even in eyes with suspicious corneal topography. Less tissue alteration, or a lower PTA value, was necessary to induce ectasia in eyes with more remarkable signs of topographic abnormality, and PTA provided better discriminative capabilities than RSB for all study populations. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

Larson-Miller Constant of Heat-Resistant Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamura, Manabu; Abe, Fujio; Shiba, Kiyoyuki; Sakasegawa, Hideo; Tanigawa, Hiroyasu

2013-06-01

Long-term rupture data for 79 types of heat-resistant steels including carbon steel, low-alloy steel, high-alloy steel, austenitic stainless steel, and superalloy were analyzed, and a constant for the Larson-Miller (LM) parameter was obtained in the current study for each material. The calculated LM constant, C, is approximately 20 for heat-resistant steels and alloys except for high-alloy martensitic steels with high creep resistance, for which C ≈ 30 . The apparent activation energy was also calculated, and the LM constant was found to be proportional to the apparent activation energy with a high correlation coefficient, which suggests that the LM constant is a material constant possessing intrinsic physical meaning. The contribution of the entropy change to the LM constant is not small, especially for several martensitic steels with large values of C. Deformation of such martensitic steels should accompany a large entropy change of 10 times the gas constant at least, besides the entropy change due to self-diffusion.

Assessment of different methods to estimate heavy metal bioavailability in 30 contrasting Spanish and New Zealand soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soriano-Disla, J. M.; Speir, T. W.; Gómez, I.; Clucas, L. M.; McLaren, R. G.; Navarro-Pedreño, J.

2009-04-01

The accumulation of heavy metals in soil from different sources (atmospheric deposition, agricultural practices, urban-industrial activities, etc.) is of a great environmental concern because of metal persistence and toxicity. In this sense, there is a consensus in the literature that the estimation of the bioavailable heavy metals in soil is a preferable tool to determine potential risks from soil contamination than the total contents. However, controversy exists around the definition of an accurate and universal bioavailability estimator that is useful for soils with different properties, since many factors control this parameter. Thus, the main objective of this work was to compare the effectiveness of different methods to predict heavy metals plant uptake from soils with different properties and heavy metal contents. For the development of the present work, 30 contrasting soils from New Zealand and Spain were selected. Apart from the analysis of the basic soil properties, different methods to estimate heavy metal bioavailability were performed: total heavy metals, DTPA-extractable soil metals, diffusive gradient technique (DGT), and total heavy metals in soil solution. In these soils, a bioassay using wheat (Triticum aestivum) was carried out in a constant environment room for 25 days (12 hours photoperiod, day and night temperature of 20°C and 15°C respectively). After this time, the plants were divided in roots and shoots and heavy metal content was analysed in each part. Simple correlations were performed comparing the phytoavailable contents with the bioavailability estimated by the different methods. As expected, higher heavy metal concentrations were found in roots compared with shoots. Comparing the theoretical available heavy metals estimated by the different methods with the root and shoot uptake, better correlations were found with the root contents, thus, the discussion is based in the comparisons with the uptake by this part of the plant. According to the results, DTPA seemed to be the extractant that best estimated plant uptake (except for Cd, not estimated by any of the methods used). Similar good results were found using the total heavy metal contents, except for Ni and Zn. DGT also worked well, but its use for Pb is not advisable, since many values were below the detection level. The heavy metals in soil solution were less successful for predicting plant uptake. In general, the good results obtained for Cr and Zn seemed to be influenced by a few high values found in some soils. Taking this point into account, the soils with very high levels of these heavy metals were removed from the analysis and simple correlations were done again with the remaining soils having a lower range of these metals. For the case of Cr, four soils were removed (soils with ten times or more total Cr than the average of the others 26 samples) and three for the case of Zn (soils with two times or more total Zn than the average of the others 27 samples). After this, the correlations with total heavy metals and DTPA became very weak, being the heavy metals in soil solution for Cr, and DGT for Zn, the methods that best estimated the plant uptake of these metals. This work has proved the importance of careful revision of the data distribution, since good results can be influenced by just few samples with high values. In this sense and as a conclusion, DTPA and total heavy metals followed similar patterns and were good predictors of Cu and Pb uptake, and useful to distinguish between low and high values for Cr and Zn. On the other hand, DGT and heavy metals in soil solution showed a similar effectiveness to estimate Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Cr, but DGT presented, in general, higher correlation levels (except for Cr). Taking all of the results together, it seems that the most robust and efficient estimator for all metals studied (except Cd, impossible to predict with any of the methods used) was the DGT. Acknowledgements: Jose. M. Soriano-Disla gratefully acknowledges the Spanish Ministry of Innovation and Culture for a research fellowship (AP2005-0320).

High Performance Liquid Chromatography-mass Spectrometry Analysis of High Antioxidant Australian Fruits with Antiproliferative Activity Against Cancer Cells.

PubMed

Sirdaarta, Joseph; Maen, Anton; Rayan, Paran; Matthews, Ben; Cock, Ian Edwin

2016-05-01

High antioxidant capacities have been linked to the treatment and prevention of several cancers. Recent reports have identified several native Australian fruits with high antioxidant capacities. Despite this, several of these species are yet to be tested for anticancer activity. Solvent extracts prepared from high antioxidant native Australian fruits were analyzed for antioxidant capacity by the di (phenyl)-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) iminoazanium free radical scavenging assay. Antiproliferative activities against CaCo2 and HeLa cancer cells were determined by a multicellular tumor spheroid-based cell proliferation assay. Toxicity was determined by Artemia franciscana bioassay. Methanolic extracts of all plant species displayed high antioxidant contents (equivalent to approximately 7-16 mg of vitamin C per gram of fruit extracted). Most aqueous extracts also contained relatively high antioxidant capacities. In contrast, the ethyl acetate, chloroform, and hexane extracts of most species (except lemon aspen and bush tomato) had lower antioxidant contents (below 1.5 mg of vitamin C equivalents per gram of plant material extracted). The antioxidant contents correlated with the ability of the extracts to inhibit proliferation of CaCo2 and HeLa cancer cell lines. The high antioxidant methanolic extracts of all species were potent inhibitors of cell proliferation. The methanolic lemon aspen extract was particularly effective, with IC50 values of 480 and 769 μg/mL against HeLa and CaCo2 cells, respectively. In contrast, the lower antioxidant ethyl acetate and hexane extracts (except the lemon aspen ethyl acetate extract) generally did not inhibit cancer cell proliferation or inhibited to only a minor degree. Indeed, most of the ethyl acetate and hexane extracts induced potent cell proliferation. The native tamarind ethyl acetate extract displayed low-moderate toxicity in the A. franciscana bioassay (LC50 values below 1000 μg/mL). All other extracts were nontoxic. A total of 145 unique mass signals were detected in the lemon aspen methanolic and aqueous extracts by nonbiased high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Of these, 20 compounds were identified as being of particular interest due to their reported antioxidant and/or anticancer activities. The lack of toxicity and antiproliferative activity of the high antioxidant plant extracts against HeLa and CaCo2 cancer cell lines indicates their potential in the treatment and prevention of some cancers. Australian fruit extracts with high antioxidant contents were potent inhibitors of CaCo2 and HeLa carcinoma cell proliferationMethanolic lemon aspen extract was particularly potent, with IC50 values of 480 μg/mL (HeLa) and 769 μg/mL (CaCo2)High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-quadrupole time-of-flight analysis highlighted and putatively identified 20 compounds in the antiproliferative lemon aspen extractsIn contrast, lower antioxidant content extracts stimulated carcinoma cell proliferationAll extracts with antiproliferative activity were nontoxic in the Artemia nauplii assay. Abbreviations used: DPPH: di (phenyl)- (2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) iminoazanium, HPLC: High-performance liquid chromatography, IC50: The concentration required to inhibit by 50%, LC50: The concentration required to achieve 50% mortality, MS: Mass spectrometry.

Analysis of Interval Changes on Mammograms for Computer Aided Diagnosis

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-05-01

tizer was calibrated so that the gray values were linearly and erage pixel values in the template and ROI, respectively. The inversely proportional to the...earlier for linearly and inversely proportional to the OD within the alignment of the breast regions, except that the regions to be range 0-4 OD...results versely proportional to the radial distance r from the nipple. in a decrease in the value of (to 20 mm. This decrease helps For the data set

The complete mitochondrial genome of the medicinal fungus Ganoderma applanatum (Polyporales, Basidiomycota).

PubMed

Wang, Xin-Cun; Shao, Junjie; Liu, Chang

2016-07-01

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial genome of the medicinal fungus Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat. using the next-generation sequencing technology. The circular molecule is 119,803 bp long with a GC content of 26.66%. Gene prediction revealed genes encoding 15 conserved proteins, 25 tRNAs, the large and small ribosomal RNAs, all genes are located on the same strand except trnW-CCA. Compared with previously sequenced genomes of G. lucidum, G. meredithiae and G. sinense, the order of the protein and rRNA genes is highly conserved; however, the types of tRNA genes are slightly different. The mitochondrial genome of G. applanatum will contribute to the understanding of the phylogeny and evolution of Ganoderma and Ganodermataceae, the group containing many species with high medicinal values.

Sensitivity study for a remotely piloted microwave-powered sailplane used as a high-altitude observation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turriziani, R. V.

1979-01-01

The sensitivity of several performance characteristics of a proposed design for a microwave-powered, remotely piloted, high-altitude sailplane to changes in independently varied design parameters was investigated. Results were expressed as variations from baseline values of range, final climb altitude and onboard storage of radiated energy. Calculated range decreased with increases in either gross weight or parasite drag coefficient; it also decreased with decreases in lift coefficient, propeller efficiency, or microwave beam density. The sensitivity trends for range and final climb altitude were very similar. The sensitivity trends for stored energy were reversed from those for range, except for decreasing microwave beam density. Some study results for single parameter variations were combined to estimate the effect of the simultaneous variation of several parameters: for two parameters, this appeared to give reasonably accurate results.

Accessibility Attributes of Blood Glucose Meter and Home Blood Pressure Monitor Displays for Visually Impaired Persons

PubMed Central

Blubaugh, Morgan V.; Uslan, Mark M.

2012-01-01

The vast majority of diabetes-related self-management technology utilizes small visual displays (SVDs) that often produce a low level of contrast and suffer from high levels of reflection (glare). This is a major accessibility issue for the 3.5 million Americans with diabetes who have reduced vision. The purpose of this article is to gather comparative data on the key display attributes of the SVDs used in blood glucose meters (BGMs) and home blood pressure monitors (HBPMs) on the market today and determine which displays offer the best prospect for being accessible to people with reduced vision. Nine BGMs and eight HBPMs were identified for this study on the basis of amount of devices sold, full-functionality speech output, and advanced display technologies. An optical instrumentation system obtained contrast, reflection (glare), and font height measurements for all 17 displays. The contrast, reflection, and font-height values for the BGMs and HBPMs varied greatly between models. The Michelson contrast values for the BGMs ranged from 11% to 98% and font heights ranged 0.39–1.00 in. for the measurement results. The HBPMs had Michelson contrast values ranging 55–96% and font height ranging 0.28–0.94 in. for the measurement results. Due largely to the lack of display design standards for the technical requirements of SVDs, there is tremendous variability in the quality and readability of BGM and HBPM displays. There were two BGMs and one HBPM that exhibited high-contrast values and large font heights, but most of the devices exhibited either poor contrast or exceptionally high reflection. PMID:22538132

Accessibility attributes of blood glucose meter and home blood pressure monitor displays for visually impaired persons.

PubMed

Blubaugh, Morgan V; Uslan, Mark M

2012-03-01

The vast majority of diabetes-related self-management technology utilizes small visual displays (SVDs) that often produce a low level of contrast and suffer from high levels of reflection (glare). This is a major accessibility issue for the 3.5 million Americans with diabetes who have reduced vision. The purpose of this article is to gather comparative data on the key display attributes of the SVDs used in blood glucose meters (BGMs) and home blood pressure monitors (HBPMs) on the market today and determine which displays offer the best prospect for being accessible to people with reduced vision. Nine BGMs and eight HBPMs were identified for this study on the basis of amount of devices sold, fullfunctionality speech output, and advanced display technologies. An optical instrumentation system obtained contrast, reflection (glare), and font height measurements for all 17 displays. The contrast, reflection, and font-height values for the BGMs and HBPMs varied greatly between models. The Michelson contrast values for the BGMs ranged from 11% to 98% and font heights ranged 0.39-1.00 in. for the measurement results. The HBPMs had Michelson contrast values ranging 55-96% and font height ranging 0.28-0.94 in. for the measurement results. Due largely to the lack of display design standards for the technical requirements of SVDs, there is tremendous variability in the quality and readability of BGM and HBPM displays. There were two BGMs and one HBPM that exhibited high-contrast values and large font heights, but most of the devices exhibited either poor contrast or exceptionally high reflection. © 2012 Diabetes Technology Society.

Triiodothyronine and thyroxine in urine. I. Measurement and application.

PubMed

Shakespear, R A; Burke, C W

1976-03-01

Urinary triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) were measured by RIA, and T4 was also measured by competitive protein binding (CPB). pH 1-hydrolysable conjugates were 48% of total urinary T3, and enzyme- or pH 1-hydrolysable conjugates were 55% and 61% of total urinary T4. The mean unconjugated T3 excretion was 34.3 ng/h (0.99 mug T3/g creatinine) in normal subjects (no day-night rhythm found), 1.56 mug/g in late pregnancy, 0.82 mug/g in neonates (1-12 days), and was also unchanged in persons with high or low thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG). In thyrotoxicosis, mean T3 excretion was 281 ng/h, no values being in the normal range. In primary hypothyroidism it was 18.3 ng/h, but over half the values were in the normal range. The mean urinary unconjugated T4 was 82.2 ng/h (1.37 mug T4/g creatinine) in normal subjects, 1.6 mug/g in neonates, and unchanged in persons with high or low TBG, except that in pregnancy high values were compatible with increases protein excretion. Apparently increased day-time T4 excretion compared with night-time excretion may also be due to changes in protein excretion rate. The mean T4 in thyrotoxicosis was 337 ng/h (12% of values in the normal range) and 32.8 ng/h in primary hypothyroidism (over half the normal range). All the assays, especially that of T4 by CPB gave readings which were incorrect with protein concentrations above 100 mg/l. Urinary T3 and T4 assays for clinical purposes have few practical advantages over serum assays, despite the relationship of urine T3 and T4 to serum unbound levels.

Is a "Phoenician" reading style superior to a "Chinese" reading style? Evidence from fourth graders.

PubMed

Bowey, Judith A

2008-07-01

This study compared normally achieving fourth-grade "Phoenician" readers, who identify nonwords significantly more accurately than they do exception words, with "Chinese" readers, who show the reverse pattern. Phoenician readers scored lower than Chinese readers on word identification, exception word reading, orthographic choice, spelling, reading comprehension, and verbal ability. When compared with normally achieving children who read nonwords and exception words equally well, Chinese readers scored as well as these children on word identification, regular word reading, orthographic choice, spelling, reading comprehension, phonological sensitivity, and verbal ability and scored better on exception word reading. Chinese readers also used rhyme-based analogies to read nonwords derived from high-frequency exception words just as often as did these children. As predicted, Phoenician and Chinese readers adopted somewhat different strategies in reading ambiguous nonwords constructed by analogy to high-frequency exception words. Phoenician readers were more likely than Chinese readers to read ambiguous monosyllabic nonwords via context-free grapheme-phoneme correspondences and were less likely to read disyllabic nonwords by analogy to high-frequency analogues. Although the Chinese reading style was more common than the Phoenician style in normally achieving fourth graders, there were similar numbers of poor readers with phonological dyslexia (identifying nonwords significantly more accurately than exception words) and surface dyslexia (showing the reverse pattern), although surface dyslexia was more common in the severely disabled readers. However, few of the poor readers showed pure patterns of phonological or surface dyslexia.

Analytical simulation of nonlinear response to seismic test excitations of HDR-VKL (Heissdampfreaktor-Versuchskreislauf) piping system

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

Srinivasan, M.G.; Kot, C.A.; Mojtahed, M.

The paper describes the analytical modeling, calculations, and results of the posttest nonlinear simulation of high-level seismic testing of the VKL piping system at the HDR Test Facility in Germany. One of the objectives of the tests was to evaluate analytical methods for calculating the nonlinear response of realistic piping systems subjected to high-level seismic excitation that would induce significant plastic deformation. Two out of the six different pipe-support configurations, (ranging from a stiff system with struts and snubbers to a very flexible system with practically no seismic supports), subjected to simulated earthquakes, were tested at very high levels. Themore » posttest nonlinear calculations cover the KWU configuration, a reasonably compliant system with only rigid struts. Responses for 800% safe-shutdown-earthquake loading were calculated using the NONPIPE code. The responses calculated with NONPIPE were found generally to have the same time trends as the measurements but contained under-, over-, and correct estimates of peak values, almost in equal proportions. The only exceptions were the peak strut forces, which were underestimated as a group. The scatter in the peak value estimate of displacements and strut forces was smaller than that for the strains. The possible reasons for the differences and the effort on further analysis are discussed.« less

Comparative risk assessment of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other illicit drugs using the margin of exposure approach.

PubMed

Lachenmeier, Dirk W; Rehm, Jürgen

2015-01-30

A comparative risk assessment of drugs including alcohol and tobacco using the margin of exposure (MOE) approach was conducted. The MOE is defined as ratio between toxicological threshold (benchmark dose) and estimated human intake. Median lethal dose values from animal experiments were used to derive the benchmark dose. The human intake was calculated for individual scenarios and population-based scenarios. The MOE was calculated using probabilistic Monte Carlo simulations. The benchmark dose values ranged from 2 mg/kg bodyweight for heroin to 531 mg/kg bodyweight for alcohol (ethanol). For individual exposure the four substances alcohol, nicotine, cocaine and heroin fall into the "high risk" category with MOE < 10, the rest of the compounds except THC fall into the "risk" category with MOE < 100. On a population scale, only alcohol would fall into the "high risk" category, and cigarette smoking would fall into the "risk" category, while all other agents (opiates, cocaine, amphetamine-type stimulants, ecstasy, and benzodiazepines) had MOEs > 100, and cannabis had a MOE > 10,000. The toxicological MOE approach validates epidemiological and social science-based drug ranking approaches especially in regard to the positions of alcohol and tobacco (high risk) and cannabis (low risk).

Super-strong materials for temperatures exceeding 2000 °C.

PubMed

Silvestroni, Laura; Kleebe, Hans-Joachim; Fahrenholtz, William G; Watts, Jeremy

2017-01-19

Ceramics based on group IV-V transition metal borides and carbides possess melting points above 3000 °C, are ablation resistant and are, therefore, candidates for the design of components of next generation space vehicles, rocket nozzle inserts, and nose cones or leading edges for hypersonic aerospace vehicles. As such, they will have to bear high thermo-mechanical loads, which makes strength at high temperature of great importance. While testing of these materials above 2000 °C is necessary to prove their capabilities at anticipated operating temperatures, literature reports are quite limited. Reported strength values for zirconium diboride (ZrB 2 ) ceramics can exceed 1 GPa at room temperature, but these values rapidly decrease, with all previously reported strengths being less than 340 MPa at 1500 °C or above. Here, we show how the strength of ZrB 2 ceramics can be increased to more than 800 MPa at temperatures in the range of 1500-2100 °C. These exceptional strengths are due to a core-shell microstructure, which leads to in-situ toughening and sub-grain refinement at elevated temperatures. Our findings promise to open a new avenue to designing materials that are super-strong at ultra-high temperatures.

Super-strong materials for temperatures exceeding 2000 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silvestroni, Laura; Kleebe, Hans-Joachim; Fahrenholtz, William G.; Watts, Jeremy

2017-01-01

Ceramics based on group IV-V transition metal borides and carbides possess melting points above 3000 °C, are ablation resistant and are, therefore, candidates for the design of components of next generation space vehicles, rocket nozzle inserts, and nose cones or leading edges for hypersonic aerospace vehicles. As such, they will have to bear high thermo-mechanical loads, which makes strength at high temperature of great importance. While testing of these materials above 2000 °C is necessary to prove their capabilities at anticipated operating temperatures, literature reports are quite limited. Reported strength values for zirconium diboride (ZrB2) ceramics can exceed 1 GPa at room temperature, but these values rapidly decrease, with all previously reported strengths being less than 340 MPa at 1500 °C or above. Here, we show how the strength of ZrB2 ceramics can be increased to more than 800 MPa at temperatures in the range of 1500-2100 °C. These exceptional strengths are due to a core-shell microstructure, which leads to in-situ toughening and sub-grain refinement at elevated temperatures. Our findings promise to open a new avenue to designing materials that are super-strong at ultra-high temperatures.

Advanced fabrication of Si nanowire FET structures by means of a parallel approach.

PubMed

Li, J; Pud, S; Mayer, D; Vitusevich, S

2014-07-11

In this paper we present fabricated Si nanowires (NWs) of different dimensions with enhanced electrical characteristics. The parallel fabrication process is based on nanoimprint lithography using high-quality molds, which facilitates the realization of 50 nm-wide NW field-effect transistors (FETs). The imprint molds were fabricated by using a wet chemical anisotropic etching process. The wet chemical etch results in well-defined vertical sidewalls with edge roughness (3σ) as small as 2 nm, which is about four times better compared with the roughness usually obtained for reactive-ion etching molds. The quality of the mold was studied using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy image data. The use of the high-quality mold leads to almost 100% yield during fabrication of Si NW FETs as well as to an exceptional quality of the surfaces of the devices produced. To characterize the Si NW FETs, we used noise spectroscopy as a powerful method for evaluating device performance and the reliability of structures with nanoscale dimensions. The Hooge parameter of fabricated FET structures exhibits an average value of 1.6 × 10(-3). This value reflects the high quality of Si NW FETs fabricated by means of a parallel approach that uses a nanoimprint mold and cost-efficient technology.

Comparative risk assessment of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other illicit drugs using the margin of exposure approach

PubMed Central

Lachenmeier, Dirk W.; Rehm, Jürgen

2015-01-01

A comparative risk assessment of drugs including alcohol and tobacco using the margin of exposure (MOE) approach was conducted. The MOE is defined as ratio between toxicological threshold (benchmark dose) and estimated human intake. Median lethal dose values from animal experiments were used to derive the benchmark dose. The human intake was calculated for individual scenarios and population-based scenarios. The MOE was calculated using probabilistic Monte Carlo simulations. The benchmark dose values ranged from 2 mg/kg bodyweight for heroin to 531 mg/kg bodyweight for alcohol (ethanol). For individual exposure the four substances alcohol, nicotine, cocaine and heroin fall into the “high risk” category with MOE < 10, the rest of the compounds except THC fall into the “risk” category with MOE < 100. On a population scale, only alcohol would fall into the “high risk” category, and cigarette smoking would fall into the “risk” category, while all other agents (opiates, cocaine, amphetamine-type stimulants, ecstasy, and benzodiazepines) had MOEs > 100, and cannabis had a MOE > 10,000. The toxicological MOE approach validates epidemiological and social science-based drug ranking approaches especially in regard to the positions of alcohol and tobacco (high risk) and cannabis (low risk). PMID:25634572

Super-strong materials for temperatures exceeding 2000 °C

PubMed Central

Silvestroni, Laura; Kleebe, Hans-Joachim; Fahrenholtz, William G.; Watts, Jeremy

2017-01-01

Ceramics based on group IV-V transition metal borides and carbides possess melting points above 3000 °C, are ablation resistant and are, therefore, candidates for the design of components of next generation space vehicles, rocket nozzle inserts, and nose cones or leading edges for hypersonic aerospace vehicles. As such, they will have to bear high thermo-mechanical loads, which makes strength at high temperature of great importance. While testing of these materials above 2000 °C is necessary to prove their capabilities at anticipated operating temperatures, literature reports are quite limited. Reported strength values for zirconium diboride (ZrB2) ceramics can exceed 1 GPa at room temperature, but these values rapidly decrease, with all previously reported strengths being less than 340 MPa at 1500 °C or above. Here, we show how the strength of ZrB2 ceramics can be increased to more than 800 MPa at temperatures in the range of 1500–2100 °C. These exceptional strengths are due to a core-shell microstructure, which leads to in-situ toughening and sub-grain refinement at elevated temperatures. Our findings promise to open a new avenue to designing materials that are super-strong at ultra-high temperatures. PMID:28102327

Effects of Nutrient Dynamics, Light and Temperature on the Patchiness of Phytoplankton and Primary Production in the Estuarine and Coastal Zones of Liaodong Bay, China: A Typical Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, S.; Laws, E. A.; Ye, S.

2017-12-01

Fluvial inputs of nutrients and efficient nutrient recycling mechanisms make estuarine and coastal zones highly productive bodies of water. For the same reasons, they are susceptible to eutrophication problems. In China, eutrophication problems along coasts are becoming serious because of discharges of domestic sewage and industrial wastewater and runoff of agricultural fertilizer. Addressing these problems requires an informed assessment of the factors that controlling algal production. Our study aims at determining the factors that controlling patchiness of phytoplankton and primary production in Liaodong Bay, China that receives large inputs of nutrients from human activities in its watershed, and examining the variation patterns of phytoplankton photosynthesis under both stressors of climate change and human activities. Results of our field study suggest that nutrient concentrations were above growth-rate-saturating concentrations throughout Liaodong bay, with the possible exception of phosphate at some stations. This assessment was consistent with the results of nutrient enrichment experiments and the values of light-saturated photosynthetic rates and areal photosynthetic rates. Two large patches of high biomass and production with dimensions on the order of 10 km reflect the effects of water temperature and variation of light penetration restricted by water turbidity. To examine the effects of irradiance and temperature on light-saturated photosynthetic rates normalized to chlorophyll a concentrations (Popt), light-conditioned Popt values were modeled as a function of the temperature with a satisfactory fit to our field data (R2 = 0.60, p = 0.003). In this model, light-conditioned Popt values increased with temperatures from 22°C to roughly 25°C but declined precipitously at higher temperatures. The relatively high Popt values and low ratios of light absorbed to photosynthesis at coastal stations suggest the highly efficient usage of absorbed light by phytoplankton under replete nutrient levels and favorable temperatures. Comparatively, the low Popt values and high ratios of light absorbed to photosynthesis at estuarine stations suggest rather extreme light limitation and lowly efficient usage of absorbed light in photosynthesis in the Liaohe River estuary.

Fluoroacetic acid in guar gum.

PubMed

Vartiainen, T; Gynther, J

1984-04-01

The toxicity of guar gum, derived from the Indian leguminous plant Cyamopsis tetragonolobus, is thought to be due to a globulin which can be denaturated and made non-toxic. Another very toxic compound, fluoroacetic acid, has been detected at a low level in raw samples of guar gum (0.07-1.42 micrograms fluoroacetic acid/g). A sample of a guar-gum pharmaceutical formulation contained only 0.08 ppm fluoroacetate. One exceptionally high value of 9.5 micrograms/g was found in a guar-gum powder. The low concentrations of fluoroacetate found in guar gum dispel any considerations about possible health risks associated with fluoroacetate during the prolonged use of guar gum at the recommended doses.

From micelle supramolecular assemblies in selective solvents to isoporous membranes.

PubMed

Nunes, Suzana P; Karunakaran, Madhavan; Pradeep, Neelakanda; Behzad, Ali Reza; Hooghan, Bobby; Sougrat, Rachid; He, Haoze; Peinemann, Klaus-Viktor

2011-08-16

The supramolecular assembly of PS-b-P4VP copolymer micelles induced by selective solvent mixtures was used to manufacture isoporous membranes. Micelle order in solution was confirmed by cryo-scanning electron microscopy in casting solutions, leading to ordered pore morphology. When dioxane, a solvent that interacts poorly with the micelle corona, was added to the solution, polymer-polymer segment contact was preferential, increasing the intermicelle contact. Immersion in water gave rise to asymmetric porous membranes with exceptional pore uniformity and high porosity. The introduction of a small number of carbon nanotubes to the casting solution improved the membrane stability and the reversibility of the gate response in the presence of different pH values.

Sulfur dioxide emissions from la soufriere volcano, st. Vincent, west indies.

PubMed

Hoff, R M; Gallant, A J

1980-08-22

During the steady-state period of activity of La Soufriere Volcano in 1979, the mass emissions of sulfur dioxide into the troposphere amounted to a mean value of 339 +/- 126 metric tons per day. This value is similar to the sulfur dioxide emissions of other Central American volcanoes but less than those measured at Mount Etna, an exceptionally strong volcanic source of sulfur dioxide.

40 CFR 230.10 - Restrictions on discharge.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... diversity, productivity, and stability. Such effects may include, but are not limited to, loss of fish and... economic values. (d) Except as provided under section 404(b)(2), no discharge of dredged or fill material...

Copper and cobalt accumulation in plants: a critical assessment of the current state of knowledge.

PubMed

Lange, Bastien; van der Ent, Antony; Baker, Alan John Martin; Echevarria, Guillaume; Mahy, Grégory; Malaisse, François; Meerts, Pierre; Pourret, Olivier; Verbruggen, Nathalie; Faucon, Michel-Pierre

2017-01-01

This review synthesizes contemporary understanding of copper-cobalt (Cu-Co) tolerance and accumulation in plants. Accumulation of foliar Cu and Co to > 300 μg g -1 is exceptionally rare globally, and known principally from the Copperbelt of Central Africa. Cobalt accumulation is also observed in a limited number of nickel (Ni) hyperaccumulator plants occurring on ultramafic soils around the world. None of the putative Cu or Co hyperaccumulator plants appears to comply with the fundamental principle of hyperaccumulation, as foliar Cu-Co accumulation is strongly dose-dependent. Abnormally high plant tissue Cu concentrations occur only when plants are exposed to high soil Cu with a low root to shoot translocation factor. Most Cu-tolerant plants are Excluders sensu Baker and therefore setting nominal threshold values for Cu hyperaccumulation is not informative. Abnormal accumulation of Co occurs under similar circumstances in the Copperbelt of Central Africa as well as sporadically in Ni hyperaccumulator plants on ultramafic soils; however, Co-tolerant plants behave physiologically as Indicators sensu Baker. Practical application of Cu-Co accumulator plants in phytomining is limited due to their dose-dependent accumulation characteristics, although for Co field trials may be warranted on highly Co-contaminated mineral wastes because of its relatively high metal value. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Resilience Predictors of Violence and Externalizing Behavior Problems for Urban Exceptional Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Joseph D.; Bard, E. M.

This study analyzed the association between resilience and violence as rated by teachers and parents of exceptional students (N=613) from large urban, public schools in Ohio. Multiple types of exceptionalities were represented and a high proportion of the diversity came from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Resilience predictor variables were…

Advanced launch system trajectory optimization using suboptimal control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaver, Douglas A.; Hull, David G.

1993-01-01

The maximum-final mass trajectory of a proposed configuration of the Advanced Launch System is presented. A model for the two-stage rocket is given; the optimal control problem is formulated as a parameter optimization problem; and the optimal trajectory is computed using a nonlinear programming code called VF02AD. Numerical results are presented for the controls (angle of attack and velocity roll angle) and the states. After the initial rotation, the angle of attack goes to a positive value to keep the trajectory as high as possible, returns to near zero to pass through the transonic regime and satisfy the dynamic pressure constraint, returns to a positive value to keep the trajectory high and to take advantage of minimum drag at positive angle of attack due to aerodynamic shading of the booster, and then rolls off to negative values to satisfy the constraints. Because the engines cannot be throttled, the maximum dynamic pressure occurs at a single point; there is no maximum dynamic pressure subarc. To test approximations for obtaining analytical solutions for guidance, two additional optimal trajectories are computed: one using untrimmed aerodynamics and one using no atmospheric effects except for the dynamic pressure constraint. It is concluded that untrimmed aerodynamics has a negligible effect on the optimal trajectory and that approximate optimal controls should be able to be obtained by treating atmospheric effects as perturbations.

A Comparative Study on Johnson Cook, Modified Zerilli-Armstrong and Arrhenius-Type Constitutive Models to Predict High-Temperature Flow Behavior of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy in α + β Phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Jun; Wang, Kuaishe; Han, Yingying

2016-03-01

True stress and true strain values obtained from isothermal compression tests over a wide temperature range from 1,073 to 1,323 K and a strain rate range from 0.001 to 1 s-1 were employed to establish the constitutive equations based on Johnson Cook, modified Zerilli-Armstrong (ZA) and strain-compensated Arrhenius-type models, respectively, to predict the high-temperature flow behavior of Ti-6Al-4V alloy in α + β phase. Furthermore, a comparative study has been made on the capability of the three models to represent the elevated temperature flow behavior of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Suitability of the three models was evaluated by comparing both the correlation coefficient R and the average absolute relative error (AARE). The results showed that the Johnson Cook model is inadequate to provide good description of flow behavior of Ti-6Al-4V alloy in α + β phase domain, while the predicted values of modified ZA model and the strain-compensated Arrhenius-type model could agree well with the experimental values except under some deformation conditions. Meanwhile, the modified ZA model could track the deformation behavior more accurately than other model throughout the entire temperature and strain rate range.

Influence of light curing and sample thickness on microhardness of a composite resin

PubMed Central

Aguiar, Flávio HB; Andrade, Kelly RM; Leite Lima, Débora AN; Ambrosano, Gláucia MB; Lovadino, José R

2009-01-01

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the influence of light-curing units and different sample thicknesses on the microhardness of a composite resin. Composite resin specimens were randomly prepared and assigned to nine experimental groups (n = 5): considering three light-curing units (conventional quartz tungsten halogen [QTH]: 550 mW/cm2 – 20 s; high irradiance QTH: 1160 mW/cm2 – 10 s; and light-emitting diode [LED]: 360 mW/cm2 – 40 s) and three sample thicknesses (0.5 mm, 1 mm, and 2 mm). All samples were polymerized with the light tip 8 mm away from the specimen. Knoop microhardness was then measured on the top and bottom surfaces of each sample. The top surfaces, with some exceptions, were almost similar; however, in relation to the bottom surfaces, statistical differences were found between curing units and thicknesses. In all experimental groups, the 0.5-mm-thick increments showed microhardness values statistically higher than those observed for 1- and -2-mm increments. The conventional and LED units showed higher hardness mean values and were statistically different from the high irradiance unit. In all experimental groups, microhardness mean values obtained for the top surface were higher than those observed for the bottom surface. In conclusion, higher levels of irradiance or thinner increments would help improve hybrid composite resin polymerization. PMID:23674901

Glasses having a low non-linear refractive index for laser applications

DOEpatents

Faulstich, Marga; Jahn, Walter; Krolla, Georg; Neuroth, Norbert

1980-01-01

Glass composition ranges are described which permit the introduction of laser activators into fluorphosphate glass with exceptionally high fluorine content while forming glasses of high crystallization stability and permitting the realization of large melt volumes. The high fluorine content imparts to the glasses an exceptionally low nonlinear refractive index n.sub.2 down to O,4 .times.10.sup.-13 esu.

Ecological risk assessment of elemental pollution in sediment from Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Sabah

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

Elias, Md Suhaimi; Hamzah, Mohd Suhaimi; Rahman, Shamsiah Ab

Eleven (11) surface sediment samples were collected from Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Sabah. The neutron activation analysis (NAA) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) techniques were applied for the determinations metal contents and their distributions in sediment samples. The results shown that Arsenic (As) concentrations are enriched at all sampling stations except for station TAR 09, with enrichment factor (EF) values ranged from 1.1 to 7.2. The elements such as Cd, Cr, Sb and U showed enrichment at a few stations and other elements (Cr, Cu, Pb, Th, Zn) shown as background levels in all stations. Degrees of contaminationmore » in this study were calculated base on concentrations of six elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn). TAR 11 station can be categorized as very high degree of contamination with degree of contamination value of 43.2. TAR 07 station can be categorized as a considerable degree of contamination (contamination value of 16.9). Six stations (TAR 01, 03, 04, 05, 06, 08, 10) showed moderate degree of contamination, with contamination values ranging from 8.0 to 16.0. TAR 02 and TAR 09 stations showed low degree of contaminations (< 8.0). TAR 11 showed very high ecological risk index (R{sub I}) with RI value is 916. TAR 07 and TAR 10 showed moderate ecological risk index with R{sub I} value 263 and 213, respectively. Other stations showed low ecological risk with RI values ranging from 42.3 to 117 (< 150). Very high ecological risk index could give an adverse effect to the benthic organism. The data obtained from the enrichment factor, degree of contamination and ecological risk index provided vital information, which can be used for future comparison. Information from the present study will be useful to the relevant government agencies and authorities in preparing preventive action to control direct discharge of heavy metals from industries, agro-base activities and domestic waste to the rivers and the sea.« less

Characterizing Isozymes of Chlorite Dismutase for Water Treatment

PubMed Central

Mobilia, Kellen C.; Hutchison, Justin M.; Zilles, Julie L.

2017-01-01

This work investigated the potential for biocatalytic degradation of micropollutants, focusing on chlorine oxyanions as model contaminants, by mining biology to identify promising biocatalysts. Existing isozymes of chlorite dismutase (Cld) were characterized with respect to parameters relevant to this high volume, low-value product application: kinetic parameters, resistance to catalytic inactivation, and stability. Maximum reaction velocities (Vmax) were typically on the order of 104 μmol min-1 (μmol heme)-1. Substrate affinity (Km) values were on the order of 100 μM, except for the Cld from Candidatus Nitrospira defluvii (NdCld), which showed a significantly lower affinity for chlorite. NdCld also had the highest susceptibility to catalytic inactivation. In contrast, the Cld from Ideonella dechloratans was least susceptible to catalytic inactivation, with a maximum turnover number of approximately 150,000, more than sevenfold higher than other tested isozymes. Under non-reactive conditions, Cld was quite stable, retaining over 50% of activity after 30 days, and most samples retained activity even after 90–100 days. Overall, Cld from I. dechloratans was the most promising candidate for environmental applications, having high affinity and activity, a relatively low propensity for catalytic inactivation, and excellent stability. PMID:29312158

Use of assisted reproductive technology treatment as reported by mothers in comparison with registry data: the Upstate KIDS Study.

PubMed

Buck Louis, Germaine M; Druschel, Charlotte; Bell, Erin; Stern, Judy E; Luke, Barbara; McLain, Alexander; Sundaram, Rajeshwari; Yeung, Edwina

2015-06-01

To assess the validity of maternally reported assisted reproductive technologies (ART) use and to identify predictors of reporting errors. Linkage study. Not applicable. A total of 5,034 (27%) mothers enrolled, from whom 4,886 (97%) self-reported information about use of infertility treatment, including ART, for the index birth. None. Four measures of validity (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values) and use of net reclassification improvement (NRI) methods to identify predictors associated with concordant/discordant maternal reporting. The Upstate New York Infant Development Screening Program (Update KIDS Study) was linked with the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System (SART CORS) using a defined algorithm for 2008-2010. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were high (0.93, 0.99, 0.80, and 1.00, respectively). The validity of maternal report was high, reflecting few differences by participant characteristics except for maternal age dichotomized at 29 years as identified with NRI methods. Maternally reported ART is valid, with little variation across various characteristics. No strong predictors of discordant reporting were found, supporting the utility of population-based research with SART CORS linkage. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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

Delgado-Acosta, E. G.; Napsuciale, Mauro; Rodriguez, Simon

We develop a second order formalism for massive spin 1/2 fermions based on the projection over Poincare invariant subspaces in the ((1/2),0)+(0,(1/2)) representation of the homogeneous Lorentz group. Using the U(1){sub em} gauge principle we obtain a second order description for the electromagnetic interactions of a spin 1/2 fermion with two free parameters, the gyromagnetic factor g and a parameter {xi} related to odd-parity Lorentz structures. We calculate Compton scattering in this formalism. In the particular case g=2, {xi}=0, and for states with well-defined parity, we recover Dirac results. In general, we find the correct classical limit and a finitemore » value r{sub c}{sup 2} for the forward differential cross section, independent of the photon energy and of the value of the parameters g and {xi}. The differential cross section vanishes at high energies for all g, {xi} except in the forward direction. The total cross section at high energies vanishes only for g=2, {xi}=0. We argue that this formalism is more convenient than Dirac theory in the description of low energy electromagnetic properties of baryons and illustrate the point with the proton case.« less

Attitudes and values expected of public health nursing students at graduation: A delphi study.

PubMed

Okura, Mika; Takizawa, Hiroko

2018-06-01

The skills and knowledge of the competencies expected of public health nursing (PHN) students at graduation have been clarified; however, the attitudes and values have not yet been studied in Japan. The objective of this study was to identify and reach a consensus among experts on the attitudes and values expected of PHN students at graduation. This survey was conducted as a two-stage Delphi study. We selected the following experts: 248 teachers in the faculty of public health nursing at a university as academic experts, and 250 public health nurses who were also experienced clinical instructors as clinical experts. The round 1 mailed survey was conducted using a questionnaire about the necessity and importance of attitudes and values, and 211 experts responded (42.4%, clinical; n = 124, academic; n = 87). In the Round 2 survey, the experts consisted of 60.2% of the round 1 participants (clinical; n = 73, academic; n = 54). Descriptive statistics were used for multiple imputation. We identified a total of 13 attitudes and values expected of PHN students, and reached ≥90% consensus for most items (except for one). Regarding the expected achievement level at graduation, there was no difference between clinical and academic experts except for one item. Consensus was clearly achieved for 13 attitudes and values expected of PHN students, as well as importance and expected achievement level at graduation. In the future, it is important to examine strategies that can effectively develop these attitudes and values through basic and continuous education. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Critical review of expert system validation in transportation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

Expert system validationthat is, testing systems to ascertain whether they achieve acceptable performance levelshas with few exceptions been ad hoc, informal, and of dubious value. Very few efforts have been made in this regard in the transport...

Distinctive Facial Cues Predict Leadership Rank and Selection.

PubMed

Re, Daniel E; Rule, Nicholas

2017-09-01

Facial appearance correlates with leadership, both in terms of who is chosen (leader selection) and how they do (leader success). Leadership theories suggest that exceptional individuals acquire positions as leaders. Exceptional traits can differ between domains, however, and so the qualities valued in leaders in one occupation may not match those valued among leaders in another. To test this, we compared the relationship between facial appearance and leadership across two domains: law firms and mafia families. Perceptions of power correlated with leadership among law executives whereas social skill correlated with leadership in organized crime. Critically, these traits were distinctive within their respective groups. Furthermore, an experimental test showed that the relative frequency of facial traits in a group can render them either an asset or liability. Perceived leadership ability is therefore enhanced by characteristics that appear unique among individuals who satisfy the basic criteria for their group.

Thermodynamic data for modeling acid mine drainage problems: compilation and estimation of data for selected soluble iron-sulfate minerals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hemingway, Bruch S.; Seal, Robert R.; Chou, I-Ming

2002-01-01

Enthalpy of formation, Gibbs energy of formation, and entropy values have been compiled from the literature for the hydrated ferrous sulfate minerals melanterite, rozenite, and szomolnokite, and a variety of other hydrated sulfate compounds. On the basis of this compilation, it appears that there is no evidence for an excess enthalpy of mixing for sulfate-H2O systems, except for the first H2O molecule of crystallization. The enthalpy and Gibbs energy of formation of each H2O molecule of crystallization, except the first, in the iron(II) sulfate - H2O system is -295.15 and -238.0 kJ?mol-1, respectively. The absence of an excess enthalpy of mixing is used as the basis for estimating thermodynamic values for a variety of ferrous, ferric, and mixed-valence sulfate salts of relevance to acid-mine drainage systems.

Development of a chronic noncancer oral reference dose and drinking water screening level for sulfolane using benchmark dose modeling.

PubMed

Thompson, Chad M; Gaylor, David W; Tachovsky, J Andrew; Perry, Camarie; Carakostas, Michael C; Haws, Laurie C

2013-12-01

Sulfolane is a widely used industrial solvent that is often used for gas treatment (sour gas sweetening; hydrogen sulfide removal from shale and coal processes, etc.), and in the manufacture of polymers and electronics, and may be found in pharmaceuticals as a residual solvent used in the manufacturing processes. Sulfolane is considered a high production volume chemical with worldwide production around 18 000-36 000 tons per year. Given that sulfolane has been detected as a contaminant in groundwater, an important potential route of exposure is tap water ingestion. Because there are currently no federal drinking water standards for sulfolane in the USA, we developed a noncancer oral reference dose (RfD) based on benchmark dose modeling, as well as a tap water screening value that is protective of ingestion. Review of the available literature suggests that sulfolane is not likely to be mutagenic, clastogenic or carcinogenic, or pose reproductive or developmental health risks except perhaps at very high exposure concentrations. RfD values derived using benchmark dose modeling were 0.01-0.04 mg kg(-1) per day, although modeling of developmental endpoints resulted in higher values, approximately 0.4 mg kg(-1) per day. The lowest, most conservative, RfD of 0.01 mg kg(-1) per day was based on reduced white blood cell counts in female rats. This RfD was used to develop a tap water screening level that is protective of ingestion, viz. 365 µg l(-1). It is anticipated that these values, along with the hazard identification and dose-response modeling described herein, should be informative for risk assessors and regulators interested in setting health-protective drinking water guideline values for sulfolane. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparison of clinical associations and laboratory abnormalities in children with moderate and severe dehydration.

PubMed

Hayajneh, Wail A; Jdaitawi, Hussein; Al Shurman, Abdullah; Hayajneh, Yaseen A

2010-03-01

To search for possible early clinical associations and laboratory abnormalities in children with severe dehydration in northern Jordan. We prospectively evaluated 251 children with acute gastroenteritis. Dehydration assessment was done following a known clinical scheme. Probable clinical associations and laboratory abnormalities were examined against the preassigned dehydration status. Children with severe dehydration had significantly more hypernatremia and hyperkalemia, less isonatremia, and higher mean levels of urea, creatinine, and glucose (P < 0.005). Receiver operating characteristic curves showed statistically significant area under the curve values for laboratory variables. These area under the curve values were 0.991 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.980-1.001) for serum urea, 0.862 (95% CI 0.746-0.978) for sodium, 0.850 (95% CI 0.751-0.949) for creatinine, 0.69 (95% CI 0.555-0.824) for potassium, and 0.684 (95% CI 0.574-0.795) for glucose (P < 0.05 for all). Certain independent serum cutoff levels of urea, creatinine, sodium, glucose, and potassium had high negative predictive value (100%), whereas other cutoff values for each, except potassium, had high positive predictive value (100%) for severe dehydration. Historic clinical characteristics of patients did not correlate to dehydration degree. Serum urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, and glucose were useful independently in augmenting clinical examination to diagnose the degree of dehydration status among children presenting with gastroenteritis. Serum urea performed the best among all. On the contrary, none of the examined historical clinical patterns could be correlated to the dehydration status. Larger and multicenter studies are needed to validate our results and to examine their impact on final outcomes.

South African and international reference values for lung function and its relationship with blood pressure in Africans.

PubMed

van Rooyen, Yolandi; Huisman, Hugo W; Schutte, Aletta E; Eloff, Fritz C; Du Plessis, Johan L; Kruger, Annamarie; Van Rooyen, Johannes M

2015-06-01

In South Africa respiratory diseases are highly prevalent, with cardiovascular disease being a manifestation. However, international reference values for lung function are commonly used, which may not be appropriate to correctly identify reduced lung function. An inverse relationship exists between lung function and blood pressure (BP) but is not investigated extensively in black South Africans. We included 2010 Africans from the PURE (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology) study (aged > 35 years) in the North West Province. Spirometry was performed and predicted values for forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were calculated from South African, European and United States prediction equations. With the exception of the European predicted values, all other predicted mean FEV1 and FVC were above 80%. South African reference values displayed the highest percentages of the predicted values for FEV1 and FVC (87.9 and 99.7%, respectively.) BP increased from quintiles five to one for both FEV1 and FVC, (p for trend <0.001). After adjustment the differences remained (p<0.05). South African reference values yielded higher percentages of predicted FEV1 and FVC values than European and US equations suggesting that South African prediction equations may be more useful when investigating lung function in black South Africans. Elevated BP is related to reduced lung function, highlighting the importance in managing both respiratory- and cardiovascular disease. Copyright © 2015 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biogeochemical interactions among the arsenic, iron, humic substances, and microbes in mud volcanoes in southern Taiwan.

PubMed

Liu, Chia-Chuan; Maity, Jyoti Prakash; Jean, Jiin-Shuh; Sracek, Ondra; Kar, Sandeep; Li, Zhaohui; Bundschuh, Jochen; Chen, Chien-Yen; Lu, Hsueh-Yu

2011-01-01

Fluid and mud samples collected from Hsiaokunshui (HKS), Wushanting (WST), Yenshuikeng (YSK), Kunshuiping (KSP), Liyushan (LYS), and Sinyangnyuhu (SYNH) mud volcanoes of southwestern Taiwan were characterized for major ions, humic substances (HS) and trace elements concentrations. The relationship between the release of arsenic (As) and activities of sulfate-reducing bacteria has been assessed to understand relevant geochemical processes in the mud volcanoes. Arsenic (0.02-0.06 mg/L) and humic substances (4.13 × 10(-4) to 1.64 × 10(-3) mM) in the fluids of mud volcanoes showed a positive correlation (r = 0.99, p < 0.05) except in Liyushan mud volcano. Arsenic and iron in mud sediments formed two separate groups i) high As, but low Fe in HKS, WST, and SYNH; and ii) low As, but high Fe in the YSK, KSP, and LYS mud volcanoes. The Eh(S.H.E.) values of the mud volcano liquids were characterized by mild to strongly reducing conditions. The HKS, SYNH, and WST mud volcanoes (near the Chishan Fault) belongs to strong reducing environment (-33 to -116 mV), whereas the LYS, YSK, and KSP mud volcanoes located near the coastal plain are under mild reducing environment (-11 to 172 mV). At low Eh values mud volcanoes, saturation index (SI) values of poorly crystalline phases such as amorphous ferric hydroxide indicate understaturation, whereas saturation is reached in relatively high Eh(S.H.E.) values mud volcanoes. Arsenic contents in sediments are low, presumably due to its release to fluids (As/Fe ratio in YSK, KSP, and LYS sediment: 4.86 × 10(-4)-6.20 × 10(-4)). At low Eh(S.H.E.) values (mild to strong reducing environment), arsenic may co-precipitate with sulfides as a consequence of sulfate reduction (As/Fe ratios in WST, HKS, and SYNH sediments: 0.42-0.69).

Factors Distinguishing Exceptional Performance on the Uniform CPA Exam.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashbaugh, Donald L.; Thompson, A. Frank

1993-01-01

Analysis of data from 234 Certified Public Accountant (CPA) candidates (98 of whom failed at least 1 part of the exam) showed that higher grades in the CPA review course correlated with passing the first time. Higher high school class rank and larger high school class size influenced exceptional test performance. (SK)

Accounting for undetected compounds in statistical analyses of mass spectrometry 'omic studies.

PubMed

Taylor, Sandra L; Leiserowitz, Gary S; Kim, Kyoungmi

2013-12-01

Mass spectrometry is an important high-throughput technique for profiling small molecular compounds in biological samples and is widely used to identify potential diagnostic and prognostic compounds associated with disease. Commonly, this data generated by mass spectrometry has many missing values resulting when a compound is absent from a sample or is present but at a concentration below the detection limit. Several strategies are available for statistically analyzing data with missing values. The accelerated failure time (AFT) model assumes all missing values result from censoring below a detection limit. Under a mixture model, missing values can result from a combination of censoring and the absence of a compound. We compare power and estimation of a mixture model to an AFT model. Based on simulated data, we found the AFT model to have greater power to detect differences in means and point mass proportions between groups. However, the AFT model yielded biased estimates with the bias increasing as the proportion of observations in the point mass increased while estimates were unbiased with the mixture model except if all missing observations came from censoring. These findings suggest using the AFT model for hypothesis testing and mixture model for estimation. We demonstrated this approach through application to glycomics data of serum samples from women with ovarian cancer and matched controls.

Effect of deep-fat frying on ascorbic acid, carotenoids and potassium contents of plantain cylinders.

PubMed

Rojas-Gonzalez, Juan A; Avallone, Sylvie; Brat, Pierre; Trystram, Gilles; Bohuon, Philippe

2006-01-01

The influence of thermal treatment (frying of plantain) on the micronutrients ascorbic acid, potassium and carotenoids is evaluated. Cylinders (diameter 30 mm, thickness 10 mm) of plantain (Musa AAB 'barraganete') were fried at four thermal treatments (120-180 degrees C and from 24 to 4 min) to obtain products with approximately the same water content (approximately 0.8+/-0.02 kg/kg1) and fat content (approximately 0.15+/-0.06 kg/kg). The thermal study used the cook value and the mean cook value as indicators of the effect of several different treatment temperatures and times on quality. Deep-fat frying had no significant effect on carotenoid contents at any frying conditions, and on potassium content, except at 120 degrees C and 24 min (loss

Developmental changes and gender effects on motivational constructs based on the expectancy-value model in Czech and United States students regarding learning of science, mathematics, and other subjects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Eun-Mi

This study employed American and Czech student samples to investigate the motivational constructs used in Eccles and Wigfield's (1983) expectancy-value model. To predict achievement behavior, the model specifies relationships among expectancy for-success and task value, task-specific self-concept, perception of task-difficulty, perceptions of social environment, and interpretations and attributions for past events in relation to the social world. Czech and American students (n = 1,145) in grades 4--12 were the participants in this study. The causal relationships among the constructs were tested to investigate structural similarities and differences in the models for both countries. This study also explored developmental changes, gender, and national differences in the students' motivational beliefs for these motivational constructs: Expectancy for Success, Intrinsic Interest Value, Task-specific Self-concept, Perception of Task-difficulty, and Perceived Vocational Gender Dominance for science, mathematics, and other school subjects. The findings indicated that, for both countries, with respect to changes over grade level, compared to the younger students, the older students showed lower motivational beliefs for most subject areas except reading. However, the Czech students in grades 6--8 showed more positive motivational beliefs in life science and social studies than did the Czech students in other grade levels. In comparing genders, the male students exhibited more positive motivational beliefs in physical science than did the female students, and female students showed more positive motivational beliefs in reading than did the male students. For life science, the Czech female students rated Intrinsic Interest Value and Task-specific Self-concept higher than did their peer male students. The American students' motivational beliefs in reading were more positive than were Czech students', and the Czech students held more positive motivational beliefs in life science than did the American students. With minor variations for each country, the expectancy-value model provided a reasonable tool for understanding the causal relationships among the motivational beliefs. For the Czech sample, Perception of Task-difficulty was a strong negative predictor for Expectancy for Success for most school subjects except life science whereas, for the American sample, it was a weak but significant negative predictor for Intrinsic Interest Value for most school subjects except social studies. Implications for science education are discussed.

Ten years of measured UV Index from the Spanish UVB Radiometric Network.

PubMed

Utrillas, M P; Marín, M J; Esteve, A R; Estellés, V; Gandía, S; Núnez, J A; Martínez-Lozano, J A

2013-08-05

An analysis is made of the UV Index (UVI) obtained from the ultraviolet erythemal solar radiation (UVER) data measured by the Spanish UVB Radiometric Network between the years 2000 and 2009. Previously, the daily UVI has been evaluated using two different criteria: (a) the value corresponding to solar noon; and (b) the daily maximum value. The mean percentage of agreement is 92% if we consider the cases for which the difference is zero or one UVI unit. These results are similar to those obtained in a previous work where only 2 years were analyzed. In all the stations the UVI reaches very high values (8-10) in spring-summer, and the very high and extreme (≥ 11) UVI values are more dependent on the continental effect than on the latitude effect. From the UVI values it is possible to classify the stations into four groups: Coastal stations, Continental stations (more than 200 km from the coast), Southern stations (Coastal stations but with similar values of UVI as the Continental ones due to their low latitude) and Canary Islands stations (1400 km southwest from the Iberian Peninsula thus lower latitude). The monthly mean maximum of UVI is reached in July due to the annual evolution of the total ozone column. This value corresponds, for a skin phototype II, to three times the minimal erythemal dose (MED) in an hour in a Coastal station, 3.5 MEDs in an hour measured in a Continental or Southern station and up five MEDs in an hour in the Izaña station (Canary Islands). The cumulative dose on a horizontal plane over an average year has been calculated for each station. More than 40% of the annual dose is received in summer, about 35% in spring, more than 11% in autumn and less than 10% in winter except for the stations in the Canary Islands where the difference between seasons is less significant. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Possible Impact of Problem-Solving Method of Instruction on Exceptional Students' Creativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fard, Adnan Eshrati; Bahador, Ali; Moghadam, Mahsa Nazemi; Rajabi, Hooman; Moradi, Alinoor Noor

2014-01-01

The current study aimed at investigating the possible impact of the problem-solving method of instruction on the exceptional students' creativity. A sample of 50 male exceptional (Mild intellectual disability) students studying in the third grade of junior high school was chosen and divided into two equal groups. Both groups filled out the…

Connecting for High Potential..."The Exceptionality of Being Twice-Exceptional."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danielian, Jeff; Nilles, Kathleen

2015-01-01

What's not often well-known or well-understood is that students who are gifted may also have a special need or disability--just as students with disabilities may also be gifted. The term "twice-exceptional," also referred to as "2e," is used to describe gifted children who, according to the Joint Commission on Twice-Exceptional…

Earnings Quality Measures and Excess Returns

PubMed Central

Perotti, Pietro; Wagenhofer, Alfred

2014-01-01

This paper examines how commonly used earnings quality measures fulfill a key objective of financial reporting, i.e., improving decision usefulness for investors. We propose a stock-price-based measure for assessing the quality of earnings quality measures. We predict that firms with higher earnings quality will be less mispriced than other firms. Mispricing is measured by the difference of the mean absolute excess returns of portfolios formed on high and low values of a measure. We examine persistence, predictability, two measures of smoothness, abnormal accruals, accruals quality, earnings response coefficient and value relevance. For a large sample of US non-financial firms over the period 1988–2007, we show that all measures except for smoothness are negatively associated with absolute excess returns, suggesting that smoothness is generally a favorable attribute of earnings. Accruals measures generate the largest spread in absolute excess returns, followed by smoothness and market-based measures. These results lend support to the widespread use of accruals measures as overall measures of earnings quality in the literature. PMID:26300582

Measurement of radiation exposure of astronauts by radiochemical techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brodzinski, R. L.

1972-01-01

Only two of the fecal specimens collected inflight during the Apollo 15 mission were returned for analysis. Difficulty in obtaining reasonably accurate radiation dose estimates based on the cosmogenic radionuclide content of the specimens was encountered due to the limited sampling. The concentrations of Na-22, K-40, Cr-51, Fe-59, and Cs-137 are reported. The concentrations of 24 major, minor, and trace elements in these two specimens were determined. Most concentrations are typical of those observed previously. Major exceptions are extremely low values for selenium and extraordinarily high values for rare earth elements. The net Po-210 activities in the Apollo 11 and 12 Solar Wind Composition foils and in the Apollo 8 and 12 spacecraft reflective coatings due to lunar exposure have been determined. Equilibrium concentrations of 0.082 + or - 0.012 disintegrations /sq cm sec of Rn-222 in the lunar atmosphere and 0.0238 + or - 0.0035 disintegrations /sq cm sec of Po-210 on the lunar surface have been calculated for Oceanus Procellarum.

Genetic parameters for meat quality traits of Australian lamb meat.

PubMed

Mortimer, S I; van der Werf, J H J; Jacob, R H; Hopkins, D L; Pannier, L; Pearce, K L; Gardner, G E; Warner, R D; Geesink, G H; Edwards, J E Hocking; Ponnampalam, E N; Ball, A J; Gilmour, A R; Pethick, D W

2014-02-01

Genetic parameters were estimated for a range of meat quality traits recorded on Australian lamb meat. Data were collected from Merino and crossbred progeny of Merino, terminal and maternal meat breed sires of the Information Nucleus programme. Lambs born between 2007 and 2010 (n=8968) were slaughtered, these being the progeny of 372 sires and 5309 dams. Meat quality traits were found generally to be of moderate heritability (estimates between 0.15 and 0.30 for measures of meat tenderness, meat colour, polyunsaturated fat content, mineral content and muscle oxidative capacity), with notable exceptions of intramuscular fat (0.48), ultimate pH (0.08) and fresh meat colour a* (0.08) and b* (0.10) values. Genetic correlations between hot carcass weight and the meat quality traits were low. The genetic correlation between intramuscular fat and shear force was high (-0.62). Several measures of meat quality (fresh meat redness, retail meat redness, retail oxy/met value and iron content) appear to have potential for inclusion in meat sheep breeding objectives. © 2013.

Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) trim hamburger and sausage subjected to different smoking techniques.

PubMed

Fernandes, Vitória Regina Takeuchi; Souza Franco, Maria Luiza Rodrigues; Mikcha, Jane Martha Graton; de Souza, Vera Lúcia Ferreira; Gasparino, Eliane; Coutinho, Marcos Eduardo; Tanamati, Augusto; Del Vesco, Ana Paula

2014-02-01

Caiman, as well as having skin that, after tanning, produces leather of high added value, exceptional quality and good market value, also possesses a meat with a remarkably smooth taste and appearance. This study aimed to characterize hamburger and sausages made from Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) meat trim. Hot smoked products contained less moisture than the unsmoked products. Protein and ash were higher, respectively, for hot smoked hamburger and sausage. Lipids had greater presence in hot smoked sausage (9.72%), whereas in the burgers they were higher in the liquid smoked burgers (6.71%). The hot smoked products had lower water activity. Hot smoked products displayed less luminance, but the a* and b* chroma were higher in smoked hamburgers. Taste, texture and general acceptability were significant for the hamburger, whereas for the sausage there was a significant effect for texture, salt and purchase intent. For all the products, the hot smoking resulted in the lowest acceptability. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Visual mining business service using pixel bar charts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Ming C.; Dayal, Umeshwar; Casati, Fabio

2004-06-01

Basic bar charts have been commonly available, but they only show highly aggregated data. Finding the valuable information hidden in the data is essential to the success of business. We describe a new visualization technique called pixel bar charts, which are derived from regular bar charts. The basic idea of a pixel bar chart is to present all data values directly instead of aggregating them into a few data values. Pixel bar charts provide data distribution and exceptions besides aggregated data. The approach is to represent each data item (e.g. a business transaction) by a single pixel in the bar chart. The attribute of each data item is encoded into the pixel color and can be accessed and drilled down to the detail information as needed. Different color mappings are used to represent multiple attributes. This technique has been prototyped in three business service applications-Business Operation Analysis, Sales Analysis, and Service Level Agreement Analysis at Hewlett Packard Laboratories. Our applications show the wide applicability and usefulness of this new idea.

Environmental consequences of postulated plutonium releases from Westinghouse PFDL, Cheswick, Pennsylvania, as a result of severe natural phenomena

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

McPherson, R.B.; Watson, E.C.

1979-06-01

Potential environmental consequences in terms of radiation dose to people are presented for postulated accidents due to earthquakes, tornadoes, high straight-line winds, and floods. Maximum plutonium deposition values are given for significant locations around the site. All important potential exposure pathways are examined. The most likely calculated 50-year collective committed dose equivalents are all much lower than the collective dose equivalent expected from 50 years of exposure to natural background radiation and medical x-rays except Earthquake No. 4 and the 260-mph tornado. The most likely maximum residual plutonium contamination estimated to be deposited offsite following Earthquake No. 4, and themore » 200-mph and 260-mph tornadoes are above the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed guideline for plutonium in the general environment of 0.2 ..mu..Ci/m/sup 2/. The deposition values following the other severe natural phenomena are below the EPA proposed guideline.« less

Synthesis of novel fluorinated chalcones derived from 4‧-morpholinoacetophenone and their antiproliferative effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurşun Aktar, Bedriye Seda; Oruç-Emre, Emine Elçin; Demirtaş, Ibrahim; Yaglioglu, Ayse Sahin; Guler, Caglar; Adem, Sevki; Karaküçük Iyidoğan, Ayşegül

2017-12-01

The fluorinated chalcones were synthesized by Claisen-Schmidt condensation between 4‧-morpholineacetophenone and various fluorinated benzaldehydes in the presence of NaOH in methanol. The synthesized compounds [1-7] were evaluated their antiproliferative activity against HeLa and C6 cell lines. Among them, compounds 4 and 5 were determined to have anticancer activity against HeLa cells line (IC50 values of 7.74 and 6.10 μg/mL, respectively). The anticancer activity results were shown that compounds 3, and 6 had inhibitory against C6 cells (IC50 values of 12.80 and 4.16 μg/mL, respectively). The compounds 1 and 2 had high antiproliferative activity with non-cytotoxicity. All of the new compounds, except for compound 4 showed inhibition against the human isozyme hCA I with IC50 in the range of 0.5-1,16 mM. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) was effectively inhibited by compound 4 with IC50 = 26 μM.

Population genetics of the malaria vector Anopheles aconitus in China and Southeast Asia

PubMed Central

Chen, Bin; Harbach, Ralph E.; Walton, Catherine; He, Zhengbo; Zhong, Daibin; Yan, Guiyun; Butlin, Roger K.

2012-01-01

Anopheles aconitus is a well-known vector of malaria and is broadly distributed in the Oriental Region, yet there is no information on its population genetic characteristics. In this study, the genetic differentiation among populations was examined using 140 mtDNA COII sequences from 21 sites throughout southern China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Sri Lanka. The population in Sri Lanka has characteristic rDNA D3 and ITS2, mtDNA COII and ND5 haplotypes, and may be considered a distinct subspecies. Clear genetic structure was observed with highly significant genetic variation present among population groups in Southeast Asia. The greatest genetic diversity exists in Yunnan and Myanmar population groups. All population groups are significantly different from one another in pairwise Fst values, except northern Thailand with central Thailand. Mismatch distributions and extremely significant Fs values suggest that the populations passed through a recent demographic expansion. These patterns are discussed in relation to the likely biogeographic history of the region and compared to other Anopheles species. PMID:22982161

Lunar-edge based on-orbit modulation transfer function (MTF) measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Ying; Yi, Hongwei; Liu, Xinlong

2017-10-01

Modulation transfer function (MTF) is an important parameter for image quality evaluation of on-orbit optical image systems. Various methods have been proposed to determine the MTF of an imaging system which are based on images containing point, pulse and edge features. In this paper, the edge of the moon can be used as a high contrast target to measure on-orbit MTF of image systems based on knife-edge methods. The proposed method is an extension of the ISO 12233 Slanted-edge Spatial Frequency Response test, except that the shape of the edge is a circular arc instead of a straight line. In order to get more accurate edge locations and then obtain a more authentic edge spread function (ESF), we choose circular fitting method based on least square to fit lunar edge in sub-pixel edge detection process. At last, simulation results show that the MTF value at Nyquist frequency calculated using our lunar edge method is reliable and accurate with error less than 2% comparing with theoretical MTF value.

Cadmium concentration in liver and muscle of silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) in the tip of Baja California south, México.

PubMed

Terrazas-López, Rafael; Arreola-Mendoza, Laura; Galván-Magaña, Felipe; Anguiano-Zamora, Marlene; Sujitha, S B; Jonathan, M P

2016-06-15

Cadmium concentrations were determined in the tissues of muscle and liver of Carcharhinus falciformis (silky shark) sampled in Todos Santos, Baja California South, Mexico. This is one of the main shark species for human consumption in Mexico. Results indicate that accumulation of Cd varied in both sexes, based on its metabolism, sex, maturity and other biological characteristics. High Cd values were observed in the liver of adults of male (529.61μgg(-1)) and female (457.43μgg(-1)), whereas, in muscular tissues it was low (0.37μgg(-1)) than the prescribed permissible limits for seafood (0.5μgg(-1)). Substantial correlations were observed between body length and Cd values in adults except young male due to faster growth rate and its metabolism. The study indicated the impact of environmental conditions in the accumulation of Cd and its risk to the food web structure in the marine environment and health hazard for humans. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Public exposure due to external gamma background radiation in boundary areas of Iran.

PubMed

Pooya, S M Hosseini; Dashtipour, M R; Enferadi, A; Orouji, T

2015-09-01

A monitoring program in boundary areas of a country is an appropriate way to indicate the level of public exposure. In this research, gamma background radiation was measured using TL dosimeters at 12 boundary areas as well as in the capital city of Iran during the period 2010 to 2011. The measurements were carried out in semi-annual time intervals from January to June and July to December in each year. The maximum average dose equivalent value measured was approximately 70 μSv/month for Tehran city. Also, the average dose values obtained were less than 40 μSv/month for all the cities located at the sea level except that of high level natural radiation area of Ramsar, and more than 55 μSv/month for the higher elevation cities. The public exposure due to ambient gamma dose equivalent in Iran is within the levels reported by UNSCEAR. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Earnings Quality Measures and Excess Returns.

PubMed

Perotti, Pietro; Wagenhofer, Alfred

2014-06-01

This paper examines how commonly used earnings quality measures fulfill a key objective of financial reporting, i.e., improving decision usefulness for investors. We propose a stock-price-based measure for assessing the quality of earnings quality measures. We predict that firms with higher earnings quality will be less mispriced than other firms. Mispricing is measured by the difference of the mean absolute excess returns of portfolios formed on high and low values of a measure. We examine persistence, predictability, two measures of smoothness, abnormal accruals, accruals quality, earnings response coefficient and value relevance. For a large sample of US non-financial firms over the period 1988-2007, we show that all measures except for smoothness are negatively associated with absolute excess returns, suggesting that smoothness is generally a favorable attribute of earnings. Accruals measures generate the largest spread in absolute excess returns, followed by smoothness and market-based measures. These results lend support to the widespread use of accruals measures as overall measures of earnings quality in the literature.

Detuning-induced stimulated Raman adiabatic passage in dense two-level systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Li; Lin, Gongwei; Niu, Yueping; Gong, Shangqing

2018-05-01

We investigate the coherence generation in dense two-level systems under detuning-induced stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (D-STIRAP). In the dense two-level system, the near dipole-dipole (NDD) interaction should be taken into consideration. With the increase in the strength of the NDD interaction, it is found that a switchlike transition of the generated coherence from maximum value to zero appears. Meanwhile, the adiabatic condition of the D-STIRAP is destroyed in the presence of the NDD interaction. In order to avoid the sudden decrease in the generated coherence and maintain the maximum value, we can use stronger detuning pulse or pump pulse, between which increasing the intensity of the detuning pulse is of more efficiency. Except for taking advantage of such maximum coherence in the high density case into areas like enhancing the four-wave mixing process, we also point out that the phenomenon of the coherence transition can be applied as an optical switch.

An R2 statistic for fixed effects in the linear mixed model.

PubMed

Edwards, Lloyd J; Muller, Keith E; Wolfinger, Russell D; Qaqish, Bahjat F; Schabenberger, Oliver

2008-12-20

Statisticians most often use the linear mixed model to analyze Gaussian longitudinal data. The value and familiarity of the R(2) statistic in the linear univariate model naturally creates great interest in extending it to the linear mixed model. We define and describe how to compute a model R(2) statistic for the linear mixed model by using only a single model. The proposed R(2) statistic measures multivariate association between the repeated outcomes and the fixed effects in the linear mixed model. The R(2) statistic arises as a 1-1 function of an appropriate F statistic for testing all fixed effects (except typically the intercept) in a full model. The statistic compares the full model with a null model with all fixed effects deleted (except typically the intercept) while retaining exactly the same covariance structure. Furthermore, the R(2) statistic leads immediately to a natural definition of a partial R(2) statistic. A mixed model in which ethnicity gives a very small p-value as a longitudinal predictor of blood pressure (BP) compellingly illustrates the value of the statistic. In sharp contrast to the extreme p-value, a very small R(2) , a measure of statistical and scientific importance, indicates that ethnicity has an almost negligible association with the repeated BP outcomes for the study.

1990-2016 surface solar radiation variability and trend over the Piedmont region (northwest Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manara, Veronica; Bassi, Manuela; Brunetti, Michele; Cagnazzi, Barbara; Maugeri, Maurizio

2018-05-01

A new surface solar radiation database of 74 daily series is set up for the Piedmont region (northwest Italy) for the 1990-2016 period. All the series are subjected to a detailed quality control, homogenization and gap-filling procedure and are transformed into relative annual/seasonal anomaly series. Finally, a gridded version (0.5°×0.5°) of the database is generated. The resulting series show an increasing tendency of about + 2.5% per decade at annual scale, with strongest trend in autumn (+ 4% per decade). The only exception is winter, showing a negative but not significant trend. Considering the plain and mountain mean series, the trends are more intense for low than for high elevations with a negative vertical gradient of about - 0.03% per decade per 100 m at annual scale and values up to - 0.07% per decade per 100 m in spring. Focusing on clear days only (selected by CM SAF ClOud fractional cover dataset from METeosat first and second generation—Edition 1 satellite data over the 1991-2015 period), trend significance strongly increases and both low and high elevation records exhibit a positive trend in all seasons. However, the trends result slightly lower than for all-sky days (with the only exception of winter). The differences observed under clear-sky conditions between low and high elevations are more pronounced in winter, where the trend shows a negative vertical gradient of about - 0.1% per decade every 100 m. Overall, this paper shows how a high station density allows performing a more detailed quality control thanks to the higher performances in detecting the inhomogeneities with higher data availability and capturing regional peculiarities otherwise impossible to observe.

Fracture toughness, tensile and stress corrosion cracking properties of Alloy 600, Alloy 690 and their welds in water

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

Brown, C.M.; Mills, W.J.

1996-10-01

The fracture toughness and tensile properties of Alloy 600, Alloy 690 and their welds, EN82H and EN52, were characterized in 54 and 338 C water with an elevated hydrogen content. Results were compared with air data to evaluate the effect of low and high temperature water on mechanical properties. In addition, the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of EN82H and EN52 welds was evaluated in 360 C water with high hydrogen. Elastic-plastic J{sub c} fracture toughness testing revealed that the fracture resistance of all test materials was exceptionally high in 54 and 338 C air and 338 C water, demonstratingmore » that fracture properties were essentially unaffected by the high temperature water environment. In 54 C water, however, J{sub c} values for EN82H and EN52 welds were reduced by an order of magnitude, and Alloy 690 showed a five-fold decrease in J{sub c}. Tensile properties for all test materials were essentially unaffected by the water environment, except for the total elongation for EN82H welds which was significantly reduced in 54 C water. At a strain rate of 5 x 10{sup 6} sec{sup {minus}1} in low temperature water, there appears to be sufficient time for environmental interactions to restrict ductility in EN82H welds. Constant-load testing of precracked weld specimens in 360 C water resulted in extensive intergranular SCC in EN82H welds loaded to K{sub I} levels between 35 and 55 MPa {radical}m, whereas no SCC occurred in EN52 welds under comparable test conditions.« less

Community Attitudes and Practices of Urban Residents Regarding Predation by Pet Cats on Wildlife: An International Comparison

PubMed Central

Adams, Nigel A.; Bradley, J. Stuart; Bryant, Kate A.; Davis, Alisa A.; Fujita, Tsumugi; Pollock, Kenneth H.

2016-01-01

International differences in practices and attitudes regarding pet cats' interactions with wildlife were assessed by surveying citizens from at least two cities in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the USA, China and Japan. Predictions tested were: (i) cat owners would agree less than non-cat owners that cats might threaten wildlife, (ii) cat owners value wildlife less than non-cat owners, (iii) cat owners are less accepting of cat legislation/restrictions than non-owners, and (iv) respondents from regions with high endemic biodiversity (Australia, New Zealand, China and the USA state of Hawaii) would be most concerned about pet cats threatening wildlife. Everywhere non-owners were more likely than owners to agree that pet cats killing wildlife were a problem in cities, towns and rural areas. Agreement amongst non-owners was highest in Australia (95%) and New Zealand (78%) and lowest in the UK (38%). Irrespective of ownership, over 85% of respondents from all countries except China (65%) valued wildlife in cities, towns and rural areas. Non-owners advocated cat legislation more strongly than owners except in Japan. Australian non-owners were the most supportive (88%), followed by Chinese non-owners (80%) and Japanese owners (79.5%). The UK was least supportive (non-owners 43%, owners 25%). Many Australian (62%), New Zealand (51%) and Chinese owners (42%) agreed that pet cats killing wildlife in cities, towns and rural areas was a problem, while Hawaiian owners were similar to the mainland USA (20%). Thus high endemic biodiversity might contribute to attitudes in some, but not all, countries. Husbandry practices varied internationally, with predation highest where fewer cats were confined. Although the risk of wildlife population declines caused by pet cats justifies precautionary action, campaigns based on wildlife protection are unlikely to succeed outside Australia or New Zealand. Restrictions on roaming protect wildlife and benefit cat welfare, so welfare is a better rationale. PMID:27050447

Changes in Water Quality of Grand Lake St. Marys Watershed Following Implementation of a Distressed Watershed Rules Package.

PubMed

Jacquemin, Stephen J; Johnson, Laura T; Dirksen, Theresa A; McGlinch, Greg

2018-01-01

Grand Lake St. Marys watershed has drawn attention over the past decade as water quality issues resulting from nutrient loading have come to the forefront of public opinion, political concern, and scientific study. The objective of this study was to assess long-term changes in water quality (nutrient and sediment concentrations) following the distressed watershed rules package instituted in 2011. Since that time, a variety of rules (e.g., winter manure ban) and best management practices (cover crops, manure storage or transfers, buffers, etc.) have been implemented. We used a general linear model to assess variation in total suspended solids, particulate phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), nitrate N, and total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations from daily Chickasaw Creek (drains ∼25% of watershed) samples spanning 2008 to 2016. Parameters were related to flow (higher values during high flows), timing (lower values during winter months), and the implementation of the distressed watershed rules package (lower values following implementation). Overall, reductions following the distressed designation for all parameters ranged from 5 to 35% during medium and high flow periods (with exception of SRP). Reductions were even more pronounced during winter months covered by the manure ban, where all parameters (including SRP) exhibited decreases at medium and high flows between 20 and 60%. While the reductions seen in this study are significant, concentrations are still highly elevated and continue to be a problem. We are optimistic that this study will serve to inform future management in the region and elsewhere. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Fall prediction according to nurses' clinical judgment: differences between medical, surgical, and geriatric wards.

PubMed

Milisen, Koen; Coussement, Joke; Flamaing, Johan; Vlaeyen, Ellen; Schwendimann, René; Dejaeger, Eddy; Surmont, Kurt; Boonen, Steven

2012-06-01

To assess the value of nurses' clinical judgment (NCJ) in predicting hospital inpatient falls. Prospective multicenter study. Six Belgian hospitals. Two thousand four hundred seventy participants (mean age 67.6 ± 18.3; female, 55.7%) on four surgical (n = 812, 32.9%), eight geriatric (n = 666, 27.0%), and four general medical wards (n = 992, 40.1%) were included upon admission. All participants were hospitalized for at least 48 hours. Within 24 hours after admission, nurses gave their judgment on the question "Do you think your patient is at high risk for falling?" Nurses were not trained in assessing fall risk. Falls were documented on a standardized incident report form. During hospitalization, 143 (5.8%) participants experienced one or more falls, accounting for 202 falls and corresponding to an overall rate of 7.9 falls per 1,000 patient days. NCJ of participant's risk of falling had high sensitivity (78-92%) with high negative predictive value (94-100%) but low positive predictive value (4-17%). Although false-negative rates were low (8-22%) for all departments and age groups, false-positive rates were high (55-74%), except on surgical and general medical wards and in participants younger than 75. This analysis, based on multicenter data and a large sample size, suggests that NCJ can be recommended on surgical and general medical wards and in individuals younger than 75, but on geriatric wards and in participants aged 75 and older, NCJ overestimates risk of falling and is thus not recommended because expensive comprehensive fall-prevention measures would be implemented in a large number of individuals who do not need it. © 2012, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2012, The American Geriatrics Society.

Efficiency of a Protected-Area Network in a Mediterranean Region: A Multispecies Assessment with Raptors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abellán, María D.; Martínez, José E.; Palazón, José A.; Esteve, Miguel Á.; Calvo, José F.

2011-05-01

Three different systems of designating protected areas in a Mediterranean region in southeastern Spain were studied, referring to their effectiveness and efficiency for protecting both the breeding territories and the suitable habitat of a set of ten raptor species. Taking into consideration the varying degrees of endangerment of these species, a map of multispecies conservation values was also drawn up and superimposed on the three protected-area systems studied. In order to compare the levels of protection afforded by the three systems, we considered two indices that measured their relative effectiveness and efficiency. The effectiveness estimated the proportion of territories or optimal habitat protected by the networks while efficiency implicitly considered the area of each system (percentage of breeding territories or optimal habitat protected per 1% of land protected). Overall, our results showed that the most efficient system was that formed by the set of regional parks and reserves (17 protected breeding territories per 100 km2), although, given its small total area, it was by far the least effective (only protecting the 21% of the breeding territories of all species and 17% of the area of high conservation value). The systems formed by the Special Protection Areas (designated under the EU "Birds Directive") and by the Special Conservation Areas (designated under the EU "Habitats Directive") notably increased the percentages of protected territories of all species (61%) and area of high conservation value (57%), but their efficiency was not as high as expected in most cases. The overall level of protection was high for all species except for the Lesser Kestrel ( Falco naumanni), an endangered falcon that inhabits pseudo-steppe and traditional agricultural habitats, which are clearly underrepresented in the protected-area network of the study region.

Conduction-coupled Tesla transformer.

PubMed

Reed, J L

2015-03-01

A proof-of-principle Tesla transformer circuit is introduced. The new transformer exhibits the high voltage-high power output signal of shock-excited transformers. The circuit, with specification of proper circuit element values, is capable of obtaining extreme oscillatory voltages. The primary and secondary portions of the circuit communicate solely by conduction. The destructive arcing between the primary and secondary inductors in electromagnetically coupled transformers is ubiquitous. Flashover is eliminated in the new transformer as the high-voltage inductors do not interpenetrate and so do not possess an annular volume of electric field. The inductors are remote from one another. The high voltage secondary inductor is isolated in space, except for a base feed conductor, and obtains earth by its self-capacitance to the surroundings. Governing equations, for the ideal case of no damping, are developed from first principles. Experimental, theoretical, and circuit simulator data are presented for the new transformer. Commercial high-temperature superconductors are discussed as a means to eliminate the counter-intuitive damping due to small primary inductances in both the electromagnetic-coupled and new conduction-coupled transformers.

Association Between Sex and Speech Auditory Brainstem Responses in Adults, and Relationship to Sex Hormone Levels.

PubMed

Liu, Jinfeng; Wang, Dan; Li, Xiaoting; Ningyu, Wang

2017-05-14

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the association between sex and speech-ABR in adults, and its relationship to sex hormone levels. MATERIAL AND METHODS Speech-ABR were elicited with the consonant-vowel syllable (/da/) in a total of 35 adults. Reproductive hormone levels were also measured. RESULTS The transient response of the speech-ABR (waves V, A, and O) in females show a shorter latency (waves V, A and O) and a larger amplitude (waves V and A) than in males (P<0.05), except for the amplitude of peak O (P>0.05). The sustained response of females exhibited a larger amplitude (wave F, P<0.05) and a shorter latency (wave D, E, and F, P<0.05) than in males, except for the amplitude of peak D and E (P>0.05). The latencies of speech-ABR were positively correlated with testosterone level (P<0.05), and were negatively correlated with estradiol (E2) levels (P<0.05), except for wave E (P>0.05). The E2 showed a positive correlation with the absolute value of amplitude of the speech-ABR (P < 0.05). On the contrary, total testosterone showed a negative correlation with the absolute value of amplitude the speech-ABR (P<0.05), except for wave D and wave O (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Sex differences in speech-ABR are significant in adults. The latencies and amplitude of the speech-ABR waves were correlated with the E2 concentration and testosterone level. The sex hormones likely affect speech encoding in the brainstem.

[Determination of 27 elements in Maca nationality's medicine by microwave digestion ICP-MS].

PubMed

Yu, Gui-fang; Zhong, Hai-jie; Hu, Jun-hua; Wang, Jing; Huang, Wen-zhe; Wang, Zhen-zhong; Xiao, Wei

2015-12-01

An analysis method has been established to test 27 elements (Li, Be, B, Mg, Al, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, La, Hg, Pb, Bi) in Maca nationality's medicine with microwave digestion-ICP-MS. Sample solutions were analyzed by ICP-MS after microwave digestion, and the contents of elements were calculated according to their calibration curves, and internal standard method was adopted to reduce matrix effect and other interference effects. The experimental results showed that the linear relations of all the elements were very good; the correlation coefficient (r) was 0.9994-1.0000 (Hg was 0.9982) ; the limits of detection were 0.003-2.662 microg x L(-1); the relative standard deviations for all elements of reproducibility were lower than 5% (except the individual elements); the recovery rate were 78.5%-123.7% with RSD lower than 5% ( except the individual elements). The analytical results of standard material showed acceptable agreement with the certified values. This method was applicable to determinate the contents of multi-elements in Maca which had a high sensitivity, good specificity and good repeatability, and provide basis for the quality control of Maca.

Energetics and biomechanics of locomotion by red kangaroos (Macropus rufus).

PubMed

Kram, R; Dawson, T J

1998-05-01

As red kangaroos hop faster over level ground, their rate of oxygen consumption (indicating metabolic energy consumption) remains nearly the same. This phenomenon has been attributed to exceptional elastic energy storage and recovery via long compliant tendons in the legs. Alternatively, red kangaroos may have exceptionally efficient muscles. To estimate efficiency, we measured the metabolic cost of uphill hopping, where muscle fibers must perform mechanical work against gravity. We found that uphill hopping was much more expensive than level hopping. The maximal rate of oxygen consumption measured (3 ml O2 kg-1 s-1) exceeds all but a few vertebrate species. However, efficiency values were normal, approximately 30%. At faster level hopping speeds the effective mechanical advantage of the extensor muscles of the ankle joint remained the same. Thus, kangaroos generate the same muscular force at all speeds but do so more rapidly at faster hopping speeds. This contradicts a recent hypothesis for what sets the cost of locomotion. The cost of transport (J kg-1 m-1) decreases at faster hopping speeds, yet red kangaroos prefer to use relatively slow speeds that avoid high levels of tendon stress.

Exceptional sequence of severe thunderstorms and related flash floods in May and June 2016 in Germany - Part 1: Meteorological background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piper, David; Kunz, Michael; Ehmele, Florian; Mohr, Susanna; Mühr, Bernhard; Kron, Andreas; Daniell, James

2016-12-01

During a 15-day episode from 26 May to 9 June 2016, Germany was affected by an exceptionally large number of severe thunderstorms. Heavy rainfall, related flash floods and creek flooding, hail, and tornadoes caused substantial losses running into billions of euros (EUR). This paper analyzes the key features of the severe thunderstorm episode using extreme value statistics, an aggregated precipitation severity index, and two different objective weather-type classification schemes. It is shown that the thunderstorm episode was caused by the interaction of high moisture content, low thermal stability, weak wind speed, and large-scale lifting by surface lows, persisting over almost 2 weeks due to atmospheric blocking.For the long-term assessment of the recent thunderstorm episode, we draw comparisons to a 55-year period (1960-2014) regarding clusters of convective days with variable length (2-15 days) based on precipitation severity, convection-favoring weather patterns, and compound events with low stability and weak flow. It is found that clusters with more than 8 consecutive convective days are very rare. For example, a 10-day cluster with convective weather patterns prevailing during the recent thunderstorm episode has a probability of less than 1 %.

DNA profiling of pineapple cultivars in Japan discriminated by SSR markers

PubMed Central

Shoda, Moriyuki; Urasaki, Naoya; Sakiyama, Sumisu; Terakami, Shingo; Hosaka, Fumiko; Shigeta, Narumi; Nishitani, Chikako; Yamamoto, Toshiya

2012-01-01

We developed 18 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in pineapple (Ananas comosus) by using genomic libraries enriched for GA and CA motifs. The markers were used to genotype 31 pineapple accessions, including seven cultivars and 11 breeding lines from Okinawa Prefecture, 12 foreign accessions and one from a related species. These SSR loci were highly polymorphic: the 31 accessions contained three to seven alleles per locus, with an average of 4.1. The values of expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.09 to 0.76, with an average of 0.52. All 31 accessions could be successfully differentiated by the 18 SSR markers, with the exception of ‘N67-10’ and ‘Hawaiian Smooth Cayenne’. A single combination of three markers TsuAC004, TsuAC010 and TsuAC041, was enough to distinguish all accessions with one exception. A phenogram based on the SSR genotypes did not show any distinct groups, but it suggested that pineapples bred in Japan are genetically diversed. We reconfirmed the parentage of 14 pineapple accessions by comparing the SSR alleles at 17 SSR loci in each accession and its reported parents. The obtained information will contribute substantially to protecting plant breeders’ rights. PMID:23341750

Assessment of heavy metal pollution, spatial distribution and origin in agricultural soils along the Sinú River Basin, Colombia.

PubMed

Marrugo-Negrete, José; Pinedo-Hernández, José; Díez, Sergi

2017-04-01

The presence of metals in agricultural soils from anthropogenic activities such as mining and agricultural use of metals and metal-containing compounds is a potential threat for human health through the food chain. In this study, the concentration of heavy metals in 83 agricultural soils irrigated by the Sinú River, in northern Colombia, affected by mining areas upstream and inundated during seasonal floods events were determined to evaluate their sources and levels of pollution. The average concentrations of Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd, Hg and Zn were 1149, 661, 0.071, 0.040, 0.159 and 1365mg/kg respectively and exceeded the world normal averages, with the exception of Pb and Cd. Moreover, all values surpassed the background levels of soils in the same region. Soil pollution assessment was carried out using contamination factor (CF), enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and a risk assessment code (RAC). According to these indexes, the soils show a high degree of pollution of Ni and a moderate to high contamination of Zn and Cu; whereas, Pb, Cd and Hg present moderate pollution. However, based on the RAC index, a low environmental risk is found for all the analysed heavy metals. Multivariate statistical analyses, principal component and cluster analyses, suggest that soil contamination was mainly derived from agricultural practices, except for Hg, which was caused probably by atmospheric and river flow transport from upstream gold mining. Finally, high concentrations of Ni indicate a mixed pollution source from agricultural and ferronickel mining activities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Examining lag effects between industrial land development and regional economic changes: The Netherlands experience.

PubMed

Ustaoglu, Eda; Lavalle, Carlo

2017-01-01

In most empirical applications, forecasting models for the analysis of industrial land focus on the relationship between current values of economic parameters and industrial land use. This paper aims to test this assumption by focusing on the dynamic relationship between current and lagged values of the 'economic fundamentals' and industrial land development. Not much effort has yet been attributed to develop land forecasting models to predict the demand for industrial land except those applying static regressions or other statistical measures. In this research, we estimated a dynamic panel data model across 40 regions from 2000 to 2008 for the Netherlands to uncover the relationship between current and lagged values of economic parameters and industrial land development. Land-use regulations such as land zoning policies, and other land-use restrictions like natural protection areas, geographical limitations in the form of water bodies or sludge areas are expected to affect supply of land, which will in turn be reflected in industrial land market outcomes. Our results suggest that gross domestic product (GDP), industrial employment, gross value added (GVA), property price, and other parameters representing demand and supply conditions in the industrial market explain industrial land developments with high significance levels. It is also shown that contrary to the current values, lagged values of the economic parameters have more sound relationships with the industrial developments in the Netherlands. The findings suggest use of lags between selected economic parameters and industrial land use in land forecasting applications.

Examining lag effects between industrial land development and regional economic changes: The Netherlands experience

PubMed Central

Ustaoglu, Eda; Lavalle, Carlo

2017-01-01

In most empirical applications, forecasting models for the analysis of industrial land focus on the relationship between current values of economic parameters and industrial land use. This paper aims to test this assumption by focusing on the dynamic relationship between current and lagged values of the ‘economic fundamentals’ and industrial land development. Not much effort has yet been attributed to develop land forecasting models to predict the demand for industrial land except those applying static regressions or other statistical measures. In this research, we estimated a dynamic panel data model across 40 regions from 2000 to 2008 for the Netherlands to uncover the relationship between current and lagged values of economic parameters and industrial land development. Land-use regulations such as land zoning policies, and other land-use restrictions like natural protection areas, geographical limitations in the form of water bodies or sludge areas are expected to affect supply of land, which will in turn be reflected in industrial land market outcomes. Our results suggest that gross domestic product (GDP), industrial employment, gross value added (GVA), property price, and other parameters representing demand and supply conditions in the industrial market explain industrial land developments with high significance levels. It is also shown that contrary to the current values, lagged values of the economic parameters have more sound relationships with the industrial developments in the Netherlands. The findings suggest use of lags between selected economic parameters and industrial land use in land forecasting applications. PMID:28877204

Density functional Theory Based Generalized Effective Fragment Potential Method (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

is acceptable for other applications) leads to induced dipole moments within 10−6 to 10−7 au of the precise values . Thus, the applied field of 10−4...noncovalent interactions. The water-benzene clusters17 and WATER2711 reference values were also ob- tained at the CCSD(T)/CBS level, except for the clusters...with n = 20,42 where MP2/CBS was used. The n-alkane dimers18 benchmark values were CCSD(T)/CBS for ethane to butane and a linear extrapolation method

Middle atmospheric ozone, nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen trioxide in 2002-2011: SD-WACCM simulations compared to GOMOS observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyrölä, Erkki; Andersson, Monika E.; Verronen, Pekka T.; Laine, Marko; Tukiainen, Simo; Marsh, Daniel R.

2018-04-01

Most of our understanding of the atmosphere is based on observations and their comparison with model simulations. In middle atmosphere studies it is common practice to use an approach, where the model dynamics are at least partly based on temperature and wind fields from an external meteorological model. In this work we test how closely satellite measurements of a few central trace gases agree with this kind of model simulation. We use collocated vertical profiles where each satellite measurement is compared to the closest model data. We compare profiles and distributions of O3, NO2 and NO3 from the Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars instrument (GOMOS) on the Envisat satellite with simulations by the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM). GOMOS measurements are from nighttime. Our comparisons show that in the stratosphere outside the polar regions differences in ozone between WACCM and GOMOS are small, between 0 and 6%. The correlation of 5-day time series show a very high 0.9-0.95. In the tropical region 10° S-10° N below 10 hPa WACCM values are up to 20 % larger than GOMOS. In the Arctic below 6 hPa WACCM ozone values are up to 20 % larger than GOMOS. In the mesosphere between 0.04 and 1 hPa the WACCM is at most 20 % smaller than GOMOS. Above the ozone minimum at 0.01 hPa (or 80 km) large differences are found between WACCM and GOMOS. The correlation can still be high, but at the second ozone peak the correlation falls strongly and the ozone abundance from WACCM is about 60 % smaller than that from GOMOS. The total ozone columns (above 50 hPa) of GOMOS and WACCM agree within ±2 % except in the Arctic where WACCM is 10 % larger than GOMOS. Outside the polar areas and in the validity region of GOMOS NO2 measurements (0.3-37 hPa) WACCM and GOMOS NO2 agree within -5 to +25 % and the correlation is high (0.7-0.95) except in the upper stratosphere at the southern latitudes. In the polar areas, where solar particle precipitation and downward transport from the thermosphere enhance NO2 abundance, large differences up to -90 % are found between WACCM and GOMOS NO2 and the correlation varies between 0.3 and 0.9. For NO3, we find that the WACCM and GOMOS difference is between -20 and 5 % with a very high correlation of 0.7-0.95. We show that NO3 values strongly depend on temperature and the dependency can be fitted by the exponential function of temperature. The ratio of NO3 to O3 from WACCM and GOMOS closely follow the prediction from the equilibrium chemical theory. Abrupt temperature increases from sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) are reflected as sudden enhancements of WACCM and GOMOS NO3 values.

Extremely broadband, on-chip optical nonreciprocity enabled by mimicking nonlinear anti-adiabatic quantum jumps near exceptional points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Youngsun; Hahn, Choloong; Yoon, Jae Woong; Song, Seok Ho; Berini, Pierre

2017-01-01

Time-asymmetric state-evolution properties while encircling an exceptional point are presently of great interest in search of new principles for controlling atomic and optical systems. Here, we show that encircling-an-exceptional-point interactions that are essentially reciprocal in the linear interaction regime make a plausible nonlinear integrated optical device architecture highly nonreciprocal over an extremely broad spectrum. In the proposed strategy, we describe an experimentally realizable coupled-waveguide structure that supports an encircling-an-exceptional-point parametric evolution under the influence of a gain saturation nonlinearity. Using an intuitive time-dependent Hamiltonian and rigorous numerical computations, we demonstrate strictly nonreciprocal optical transmission with a forward-to-backward transmission ratio exceeding 10 dB and high forward transmission efficiency (~100%) persisting over an extremely broad bandwidth approaching 100 THz. This predicted performance strongly encourages experimental realization of the proposed concept to establish a practical on-chip optical nonreciprocal element for ultra-short laser pulses and broadband high-density optical signal processing.

Remote sensing studies of the Dionysius region of the Moon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Giguere, T.A.; Hawke, B.R.; Gaddis, L.R.; Blewett, D.T.; Gillis-Davis, J. J.; Lucey, P.G.; Smith, G.A.; Spudis, P.D.; Taylor, G.J.

2006-01-01

The Dionysius region is located near the western edge of Mare Tranquillitatis and is centered on Dionysius crater, which exhibits a well-developed dark ray system. Proposed origins for these dark rays included impact melt deposits and dark primary ejecta. The region also contains extensive deposits of Cayley-type light plains. Clementine multispectral images and a variety of spacecraft photography were utilized to investigate the composition and origin of geologic units in the Dionysius region. The portions of the dark rays for which spectral and chemical data were obtained are composed of mare debris contaminated with minor amounts of highland material. Both five-point spectra and values of the optical maturity (OMAT) parameter indicate that the dark rays are dominated by mare basalts, not glassy impact melts. The high-albedo rays associated with Dionysius exhibit FeO and TiO2 values that are lower than those of the adjacent dark ray surfaces and OMAT values that indicate that bright ray surfaces are not fully mature. The high-albedo rays are bright largely because of the contrast in albedo between ray material containing highlands-rich ejecta and the adjacent mare-rich surfaces. The mafic debris ejected by Dionysius was derived from a dark, iron-rich unit exposed high on the inner wall of the crater. This layer probably represents a mare deposit that was present at the surface of the preimpact target site. With one possible exception, there is no evidence for buried mare basalts associated with Cayley plains in the region. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

Histogram analysis parameters of apparent diffusion coefficient reflect tumor cellularity and proliferation activity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

PubMed Central

Winter, Karsten; Richter, Cindy; Hoehn, Anna-Kathrin

2018-01-01

Our purpose was to analyze associations between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram analysis parameters and histopathologicalfeatures in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The study involved 32 patients with primary HNSCC. For every tumor, the following histogram analysis parameters were calculated: ADCmean, ADCmax, ADCmin, ADCmedian, ADCmode, P10, P25, P75, P90, kurtosis, skewness, and entropy. Furthermore, proliferation index KI 67, cell count, total and average nucleic areas were estimated. Spearman's correlation coefficient (p) was used to analyze associations between investigated parameters. In overall sample, all ADC values showed moderate inverse correlations with KI 67. All ADC values except ADCmax correlated inversely with tumor cellularity. Slightly correlations were identified between total/average nucleic area and ADCmean, ADCmin, ADCmedian, and P25. In G1/2 tumors, only ADCmode correlated well with Ki67. No statistically significant correlations between ADC parameters and cellularity were found. In G3 tumors, Ki 67 correlated with all ADC parameters except ADCmode. Cell count correlated well with all ADC parameters except ADCmax. Total nucleic area correlated inversely with ADCmean, ADCmin, ADCmedian, P25, and P90. ADC histogram parameters reflect proliferation potential and cellularity in HNSCC. The associations between histopathology and imaging depend on tumor grading. PMID:29805759

Effect of sealant agents on the color stability and surface roughness of nanohybrid composite resins.

PubMed

Dede, Doğu Ömür; Şahin, Onur; Koroglu, Aysegül; Yilmaz, Burak

2016-07-01

The effect of sealant agents on the surface roughness and color stability of nanohybrid composite resins is unknown. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of sealant agents on the surface roughness and color stability of 4 nanohybrid composite resin materials. Forty disks (10×2 mm) were fabricated for each nanohybrid composite resin material (Z-550, Tetric EvoCeram, Clearfill Majesty, Ice) (N=160) and divided into 4 surface treatment groups: 1 conventional polishing (control) and 3 different sealant agent (Palaseal, Optiglaze, BisCover) coupling groups (n=10). The specimens were thermocycled, and surface roughness (Ra) values were obtained with a profilometer. Scanning electron microscope images were also recorded. CIELab color parameters of each specimen were measured with a spectrophotometer before and after 7 days of storage in a coffee solution. Color differences were calculated by the CIEDE 2000 (ΔE00) formula. The data were statistically analyzed by 2-way ANOVA and by the Tukey HSD test (α=.05). The surface treatment technique significantly affected the Ra values of the composite resins tested (P<.001). The interaction between the surface treatment technique and composite resin material was also significant for ΔE00 values (P<.05). Within the composite resin groups, significant decreases in Ra were observed only for the Palaseal agent coupled composite resin groups (except Ice) compared with the control groups (P<.05). Scanning electron microscope images revealed rougher surfaces with conventionally polished groups compared with test groups. Conventionally polished groups had the highest ΔE00 (3.09 to 3.49) values for each composite resin group, except for BisCover applied Clearfill Majesty (P<.05). Within the composite resin groups, significant differences were observed between the color change seen with BisCover and other sealants for Clearfill Majesty composite resin (P<.05). Using Palaseal agent on all tested composite resins except for Ice produced smoother surfaces. All surface sealant agents provided less discoloration of nanohybrid composite resins after coffee staining compared with conventional polishing except for BisCover applied Clearfill Majesty composite resin. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The rise and fall of redundancy in decoherence and quantum Darwinism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jess Riedel, C.; Zurek, Wojciech H.; Zwolak, Michael

2012-08-01

A state selected at random from the Hilbert space of a many-body system is overwhelmingly likely to exhibit highly non-classical correlations. For these typical states, half of the environment must be measured by an observer to determine the state of a given subsystem. The objectivity of classical reality—the fact that multiple observers can agree on the state of a subsystem after measuring just a small fraction of its environment—implies that the correlations found in nature between macroscopic systems and their environments are exceptional. Building on previous studies of quantum Darwinism showing that highly redundant branching states are produced ubiquitously during pure decoherence, we examine the conditions needed for the creation of branching states and study their demise through many-body interactions. We show that even constrained dynamics can suppress redundancy to the values typical of random states on relaxation timescales, and prove that these results hold exactly in the thermodynamic limit.

Transparent conductive graphene textile fibers

PubMed Central

Neves, A. I. S.; Bointon, T. H.; Melo, L. V.; Russo, S.; de Schrijver, I.; Craciun, M. F.; Alves, H.

2015-01-01

Transparent and flexible electrodes are widely used on a variety of substrates such as plastics and glass. Yet, to date, transparent electrodes on a textile substrate have not been explored. The exceptional electrical, mechanical and optical properties of monolayer graphene make it highly attractive as a transparent electrode for applications in wearable electronics. Here, we report the transfer of monolayer graphene, grown by chemical vapor deposition on copper foil, to fibers commonly used by the textile industry. The graphene-coated fibers have a sheet resistance as low as ~1 kΩ per square, an equivalent value to the one obtained by the same transfer process onto a Si substrate, with a reduction of only 2.3 per cent in optical transparency while keeping high stability under mechanical stress. With this approach, we successfully achieved the first example of a textile electrode, flexible and truly embedded in a yarn. PMID:25952133

High-Resolution Metabolomics for Nutrition and Health Assessment of Armed Forces Personnel.

PubMed

Accardi, Carolyn Jonas; Walker, Douglas I; Uppal, Karan; Quyyumi, Arshed A; Rohrbeck, Patricia; Pennell, Kurt D; Mallon, Col Timothy M; Jones, Dean P

2016-08-01

The aim of this study was to test the utility of high-resolution metabolomics (HRM) for analysis of nutritional status and health indicators in military personnel. Serum samples from 400 military personnel were obtained from the Department of Defense Serum Repository (DoDSR) and analyzed for metabolites related to nutrition and health status. Metabolic profile organization was studied using modulated modularity clustering (MMC). HRM provided quantitative measures of 61 metabolites across chemical classes for use as nutritional and clinical biomarkers. Levels were comparable to reported values except for arginine and glutamine, which were above and below reference ranges, respectively. MMC generated five clusters, three of which were associated and contained amino acids. The others contained lipids and mitochondria-related metabolites. HRM analysis of serum is suitable for real-time and/or retrospective evaluation of nutrition and health status of specific military cohorts.

Mediterranean banks in EBSA area: Hotspots of biodiversity under threat.

PubMed

Altobelli, Chiara; Perzia, Patrizia; Falautano, Manuela; Consoli, Pierpaolo; Canese, Simonepietro; Romeo, Teresa; Andaloro, Franco

2017-10-01

This study demonstrates that, in the Central Mediterranean Sea, the Graham, Nereo and Pantelleria Vecchia Banks of the Strait of Sicily represent, in the wide and diversified 'Sicily Channel' Ecological or Biological Significant Area, unknown hot spots of biodiversity threatened by human activities. The investigated banks show an high ecological and biological value (EBV), assessed through presence/absence of specific indicators. The ecological groups of Graham Bank show the maximum EBV; the same as Nereo and Pantelleria Vecchia, except for the benthic component. All three banks are highly threatened, mainly the benthic and benthopelagic ecological groups. However, these Banks still have wide pristine areas to protect and can be considered eligible sites for the imposition of area-based management measures of conservation. This study represent also a support for decision makers involved in protection of the Mediterranean open sea areas, to pinpoint other priority conservation banks. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-intrusive high voltage measurement using slab coupled optical sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stan, Nikola; Chadderdon, Spencer; Selfridge, Richard H.; Schultz, Stephen M.

2014-03-01

We present an optical fiber non-intrusive sensor for measuring high voltage transients. The sensor converts the unknown voltage to electric field, which is then measured using slab-coupled optical fiber sensor (SCOS). Since everything in the sensor except the electrodes is made of dielectric materials and due to the small field sensor size, the sensor is minimally perturbing to the measured voltage. We present the details of the sensor design, which eliminates arcing and minimizes local dielectric breakdown using Teflon blocks and insulation of the whole structure with transformer oil. The structure has a capacitance of less than 3pF and resistance greater than 10 GΩ. We show the measurement of 66.5 kV pulse with a 32.6μs time constant. The measurement matches the expected value of 67.8 kV with less than 2% error.

Observations in Fracture Toughness Testing of Glasses and Optical Ceramics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salem, Jon

2017-01-01

Fracture toughness is a critical structural design parameter and an excellent metrics to rank materials. Itdetermines fracture strength by way of the flaws, both inherent and induced, and defines the endpoint of the slow crackgrowth curve. The fracture toughness of structural and optical ceramics, and glasses as measured by several techniques is compared. When good metrology is employed, the results are very comparable with two exceptions: materials exhibiting crack growth resistance and those with a low SCG exponents. For materials with R-curves, the result is a function of extension and can be minimized with short cracks. For materials with low SCG exponents, such as glasses, elimination of the corrosive media andor increasing the stress intensity rate minimizes effects. A summary of values is given, and it appears that highly modified glasses exhibit lower fracture toughness and slow crack growth exponent than high purity glasses such as fused silica.

New Quality Metrics for Web Search Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metaxas, Panagiotis Takis; Ivanova, Lilia; Mustafaraj, Eni

Web search results enjoy an increasing importance in our daily lives. But what can be said about their quality, especially when querying a controversial issue? The traditional information retrieval metrics of precision and recall do not provide much insight in the case of web information retrieval. In this paper we examine new ways of evaluating quality in search results: coverage and independence. We give examples on how these new metrics can be calculated and what their values reveal regarding the two major search engines, Google and Yahoo. We have found evidence of low coverage for commercial and medical controversial queries, and high coverage for a political query that is highly contested. Given the fact that search engines are unwilling to tune their search results manually, except in a few cases that have become the source of bad publicity, low coverage and independence reveal the efforts of dedicated groups to manipulate the search results.

GONADAL AND BONE MARROW DOSE IN MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY

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

Mahmoud, K.A.; Mahfouz, M.M.; Mahmoud, M.E.

1961-08-01

Measurements were made of the active mean bone marrow, integral bone marrow, gonadal, and maximum skin doses from diagnostic x-ray procedures used in Cairo University Hospitals. The active mean marrow dose in cervical, dorsal, and lumbar spine diagnostic exposures were: found to be somewhat smaller than those reported by some western couatries. One of the most striking results of the survey was the relatively high values of the urinary tract cases investigated diagnostically; owing to the high incidence of urinary tract Schistosomiasis. The gonadal dose delivered to males and females was found to be almosi negligible for all diagnostic investigationsmore » of the spine, except for the lumbo-dorsal region which was within the range 50 to 500 mrads. It was also found that the gonadal dose was significant in investigations of the lower gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder, and urinary tract. (P.C.H.)« less

Satellite Observation Highlights of the 2010 Russian Wildfires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witte, Jacquelyn C.; Douglass, Anne R.; Duncan, Bryan N.; daSilva, Arlindo; Torres, Omar

2010-01-01

From late-July through mid-August 2010, wildfires raged in western Russia. The resulting thick smoke and biomass burning products were transported over the highly populated Moscow city and surrounding regions, seriously impairing visibility and affecting human health. We demonstrate the uniqueness of the 2010 Russian wildfires by using satellite observations from NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) platforms. Over Moscow and the region of major fire activity to the southeast, we calculate unprecedented increases in the MODIS fire count record of 178 %, an order of magnitude increase in the MODIS fire radiative power (308%) and OMI absorbing aerosols (255%), and a 58% increase in AIRS total carbon monoxide (CO). The exceptionally high levels of CO are shown to be of comparable strength to the 2006 El Nino wildfires over Indonesia. Both events record CO values exceeding 30x10(exp 7) molec/ square cm.

Comparison of AAPM Addendum to TG-51, IAEA TRS-398, and JSMP 12: Calibration of photon beams in water.

PubMed

Kinoshita, Naoki; Oguchi, Hiroshi; Nishimoto, Yasuhiro; Adachi, Toshiki; Shioura, Hiroki; Kimura, Hirohiko; Doi, Kunio

2017-09-01

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Working Group on TG-51 published an Addendum to the AAPM's TG-51 protocol (Addendum to TG-51) in 2014, and the Japan Society of Medical Physics (JSMP) published a new dosimetry protocol JSMP 12 in 2012. In this study, we compared the absorbed dose to water determined at the reference depth for high-energy photon beams following the recommendations given in AAPM TG-51 and the Addendum to TG-51, IAEA TRS-398, and JSMP 12. This study was performed using measurements with flattened photon beams with nominal energies of 6 and 10 MV. Three widely used ionization chambers with different compositions, Exradin A12, PTW 30013, and IBA FC65-P, were employed. Fully corrected charge readings obtained for the three chambers according to AAPM TG-51 and the Addendum to TG-51, which included the correction for the radiation beam profile (P rp ), showed variations of 0.2% and 0.3% at 6 and 10 MV, respectively, from the readings corresponding to IAEA TRS-398 and JSMP 12. The values for the beam quality conversion factor k Q obtained according to the three protocols agreed within 0.5%; the only exception was a 0.6% difference between the results obtained at 10 MV for Exradin A12 according to IAEA TRS-398 and AAPM TG-51 and the Addendum to TG-51. Consequently, the values for the absorbed dose to water obtained for the three protocols agreed within 0.4%; the only exception was a 0.6% difference between the values obtained at 10 MV for PTW 30013 according to AAPM TG-51 and the Addendum to TG-51, and JSMP 12. While the difference in the absorbed dose to water determined by the three protocols depends on the k Q and P rp values, the absorbed dose to water obtained according to the three protocols agrees within the relative uncertainties for the three protocols. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

A Molecular Ni-complex Containing Tetrahedral Nickel Selenide Core as Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst for Water Oxidation.

PubMed

Masud, Jahangir; Ioannou, Polydoros-Chrysovalantis; Levesanos, Nikolaos; Kyritsis, Panayotis; Nath, Manashi

2016-11-23

We report the highly efficient catalytic activity of a transition metal selenide-based coordination complex, [Ni{(SeP i Pr 2 ) 2 N} 2 ], (1) for oxygen evolution and hydrogen evolution reactions (OER and HER, respectively) in alkaline solution. Very low overpotentials of 200 mV and 310 mV were required to achieve 10 mA cm -2 for OER and HER, respectively. The overpotential for OER is one of the lowest that has been reported up to now, making this one of the best OER electrocatalysts. In addition, this molecular complex exhibits an exceptionally high mass activity (111.02 A g -1 ) and a much higher TOF value (0.26 s -1 ) at a overpotential of 300 mV. This bifunctional electrocatalyst enables water electrolysis in alkaline solutions at a cell voltage of 1.54 V. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure on functional properties and quality characteristics of Aloe vera gel (Aloe barbadensis Miller).

PubMed

Vega-Gálvez, Antonio; Miranda, Margarita; Aranda, Mario; Henriquez, Karem; Vergara, Judith; Tabilo-Munizaga, Gipsy; Pérez-Won, Mario

2011-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of high hydrostatic pressure treatment at three pressure levels (300, 400 and 500Mpa) on the functional and quality characteristics of Aloe vera gel including vitamin C and E, aloin, minerals, phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The results show that HHP exerted a clear influence on minerals content, vitamin C and E content, antioxidant activity, total phenolic and aloin content. After 35days of storage all treated samples presented a decrease in mineral content, except for phosphorus. Total phenolic content and vitamin C and E content decreased at high pressures (500MPa), while all pressurised samples showed a higher antioxidant activity and aloin content than untreated sample after 35days of storage. The maximum values of antioxidant activity and aloin were 6.55±1.26μg/ml at 300MPa and 24.23±2.27mg/100g d.m. at 400MPa. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nitrogen-doped microporous carbon: An efficient oxygen reduction catalyst for Zn-air batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Li-Yuan; Wang, Meng-Ran; Lai, Yan-Qing; Li, Xiao-Yan

2017-08-01

N-doped microporous carbon as an exceptional metal-free catalyst from waste biomass (banana peel as representative) was obtained via fast catalysis carbonization, followed by N-doping modification. The method achieves a relatively high C conversion efficiency of ∼41.9%. The final carbon materials are doped by N (∼3 at.%) and possess high surface area (∼1097 m2 g-1) and abundant micropores. Compared to commercial Pt/C materials, the as-prepared carbon catalyst exhibits a comparable electrocatalytic activity and much better stability. Furthermore, the metal-free catalyst loaded Zn-air battery possesses higher discharge voltage and power density as compared with that of commercial Pt/C. This novel technique can also be readily applied to produce metal-free carbon catalysts from other typical waste biomass (e.g., orange peel, leaves) as the carbon sources. The method can be developed as a potentially general and effective industrial route to transform waste biomass into high value-added microporous carbon with superior functionalities.

Quenching from highly-excited SiO rotational levels due to H2 collision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stancil, Phillip C.; Belayneh, Michael; Wan, Yier; Yang, Benhui H.

2018-06-01

Using a full quantum-mechanical close-coupling approach on a 4D rigid-rotor potential energy surface (PES), we performed scattering calculations for highly-excited rotational levels (j=6-10) of SiO for interactions with H2 for the first time. Emission lines from highly excited SiO rotational levels are observed in a variety of environments including outflows from AGB stars. However, explicit collisional data are lacking for H2 colliders, except for recent work from our group for j=1-5. Here we extend that work using a hybrid OpenMP/MPI scattering code and a PES computed at the CCSD(T)-F12b level of theory. The H2 and SiO bond lengths are fixed at their equilibrium values. The current results will allow for non-local thermodynamic models of SiO rotational emission from AGB stars. This work was funded by NASA grant NNX16AF09G.

Toward advanced gamma rays radiation resistance and shielding efficiency with phthalonitrile resins and composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Derradji, Mehdi; Zegaoui, Abdeldjalil; Xu, Yi-Le; Wang, An-ran; Dayo, Abdul Qadeer; Wang, Jun; Liu, Wen-bin; Liu, Yu-Guang; Khiari, Karim

2018-04-01

The phthalonitrile resins have claimed the leading place in the field of high performance polymers thanks to their combination of outstanding properties. The present work explores for the first time the gamma rays radiation resistance and shielding efficiency of the phthalonitrile resins and its related tungsten-reinforced nanocomposites. The primary goal of this research is to define the basic behavior of the phthalonitrile resins under highly ionizing gamma rays. The obtained results confirmed that the neat phthalonitrile resins can resist absorbed doses as high as 200 kGy. Meanwhile, the remarkable shielding efficiency of the phthalonitrile polymers was confirmed to be easily improved by preparing lead-free nanocomposites. In fact, the gamma rays screening ratio reached the exceptional value of 42% for the nanocomposites of 50 wt% of nano-tungsten loading. Thus, this study confirms that the remarkable performances of the phthalonitrile resins are not limited to the thermal and mechanical properties and can be extended to the gamma rays radiation and shielding resistances.

Analysis of the stability of high-solids anaerobic digestion of agro-industrial waste and sewage sludge.

PubMed

Aymerich, E; Esteban-Gutiérrez, M; Sancho, L

2013-09-01

The pilot-scale high-solids anaerobic digestion (HS-AD) of agro-industrial wastes and sewage sludge was analysed in terms of stability by monitoring the most common parameters used to check the performance of anaerobic digesters, i.e. Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA), ammonia nitrogen, pH, alkalinity and methane production. The results reflected similar evolution for the parameters analysed, except for an experiment that presented an unsuccessful start-up. The rest of the experiments ran successfully, although the threshold values proposed in the literature for the detection of an imbalance in wet processes were exceeded, proving the versatility of HS-AD to treat different wastes. The results evidence the need for understanding the dynamics of a high-solids system so as to detect periods of imbalance and to determine inhibitory levels for different compounds formed during anaerobic decomposition. Moreover, the findings presented here could be useful in developing an experimental basis to construct new control strategies for HS-AD. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NuSTAR AND Swift Observations of the Very High State in GX 339-4: Weighing the Black Hole With X-Rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, M. L.; Tomsick, J. A.; Kennea, J. A.; Miller, J. M.; Harrison, F. A.; Barret, D.; Boggs, S. E.; Christensen, F. E.; Craig, W. W.; Fabian, A. C.;

40 CFR Table 3 to Subpart Ggggg of... - Applicability of General Provisions to Subpart GGGGG

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... Content of SSMP Yes with the exception of containers using either Level 1 or Level 2 controls. § 63.6(f)(1... CMS must be operating except during breakdown, out-of-control, repair, maintenance, and high-level... Requirements Zero and High level calibration check requirements Yes.However requirements for CPMS are addressed...

The Starlight Initiative in relation to the A&WHI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marin, Cipriano

2015-08-01

Launched in 2007 on the occasion of the Starlight Conference (La Palma), the Starlight Initiative is designed as an international action in defence of the values associated with the night sky and the general right to observe the stars.The contribution of the Starlight initiative to UNESCO's Astronomy and World Heritage Thematic Initiative is focused on some actions that provide new perspectives on the heritage of astronomy in the framework of the Global Strategy for the balanced, representative and credible World Heritage List.1. Recognition of Windows to the Universe, the Astronomical Observatories of High Mountain. Only a few places on the planet where we find a unique combination of environmental and natural circumstances: well conserved spaces with very little alteration to natural starlight. These exceptional sites, including their natural components, can be considered as “landscapes of science and knowledge”. As we would have expected, the world’s largest contemporary observatories, true scientific monuments, are located in these places and are, to a greater or lesser extent, historical sources of modern astronomical culture. The case of Mauna Kea (Hawaii), the Canarian observatories (Spain), Pic-du-Midi (France) and northern Chile observatories are for an ensemble of discrete sites that have outstanding universal significance as a group.2. Highlight the importance of heritage of astronomy in ancient island cultures. One aspect scarcely represented in the case studies on this subject. In this context, Risco Caído and the sacred mountains of Gran Canaria can be taken as reference on the evolution of astronomical cultures in complete isolation.3. Emphasize the importance of preserving the dark skies and natural lighting in the conservation of biodiversity and landscapes in prime locations with outstanding natural values, including cultural landscapes. This represents a new dimension that affects the improvement of properties included in the List, and also a new field to develop in other sites that address a new vision of the integrity of certain exceptional values, providing new interpretations to the application criteria.

Dielectric relaxation spectrum of undiluted poly(4-chlorostyrene), T≳Tg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshihara, M.; Work, R. N.

1980-06-01

Dielectric relaxation characteristics of undiluted, atactic poly(4-chlorostyrene), P4CS, have been determined at temperatures 406 K⩽T⩽446 K from measurements made at frequencies 0.2 Hz⩽f⩽0.2 MHz. After effects of electrical conductivity are subtracted, it is found that the normalized complex dielectric constant K*=K'-i K″ can be represented quantitatively by the Havriliak-Negami (H-N) equation K*=[1+(iωτ0)1-α]-β, 0⩽α, β⩽1, except for a small, high frequency tail that appears in measurements made near the glass transition temperature, Tg. The parameter β is nearly constant, and α depends linearly on log τ0, where τ0 is a characteristic relaxation time. The parameters α and β extrapolate through values obtained from published data from P4CS solutions, and extrapolation to α=0 yields a value of τ0 which compares favorably with a published value for crankshaft motions of an equivalent isolated chain segment. These observations suggest that β may characterize effects of chain connectivity and α may describe effects of interactions of the surroundings with the chain. Experimental results are compared with alternative empirical and model-based representations of dielectric relaxation in polymers.

Diagnostic value of computed tomography in dogs with chronic nasal disease.

PubMed

Saunders, Jimmy H; van Bree, Henri; Gielen, Ingrid; de Rooster, Hilde

2003-01-01

Computed tomographic (CT) studies of 80 dogs with chronic nasal disease (nasal neoplasia (n = 19), nasal aspergillosis (n = 46), nonspecific rhinitis (n = 11), and foreign body rhinitis (n = 4)) were reviewed retrospectively by two independent observers. Each observer filled out a custom-designed list to record his or her interpretation of the CT signs and selected a diagnosis. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for the diagnosis of each disease. The agreement between observers was evaluated. The CT signs corresponded to those previously described in the literature. CT had an accuracy greater than 90% for each observer in all disease processes. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were greater than 80% in all dogs with the exception of the PPV of foreign body rhinitis (80% for observer A and 44% for observer B). There was a substantial, to almost perfect, agreement between the two observers regarding the CT signs and diagnosis. This study indicates a high accuracy of CT for diagnosis of dogs with chronic nasal disease. The differentiation between nasal aspergillosis restricted to the nasal passages and foreign body rhinitis may be difficult when the foreign body is not visible.