Sample records for excess base current

  1. Determining BMI cut points based on excess percent body fat in US children and adolescents

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Current cut points for overweight were derived statistically from BMI distribution. The study aimed at determining age-, gender-, and ethnic-specific BMI cut points based on excess body fat in US children and adolescents aged 8-17 years, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examinat...

  2. Tunneling modulation of a quantum-well transistor laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, M.; Qiu, J.; Wang, C. Y.; Holonyak, N.

    2016-11-01

    Different than the Bardeen and Brattain transistor (1947) with the current gain depending on the ratio of the base carrier spontaneous recombination lifetime to the emitter-collector transit time, the Feng and Holonyak transistor laser current gain depends upon the base electron-hole (e-h) stimulated recombination, the base dielectric relaxation transport, and the collector stimulated tunneling. For the n-p-n transistor laser tunneling operation, the electron-hole pairs are generated at the collector junction under the influence of intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling, with electrons drifting to the collector and holes drifting to the base. The excess charge in the base lowers the emitter junction energy barrier, allowing emitter electron injection into the base and satisfying charge neutrality via base dielectric relaxation transport (˜femtoseconds). The excess electrons near the collector junction undergo stimulated recombination at the base quantum-well or transport to the collector, thus supporting tunneling current amplification and optical modulation of the transistor laser.

  3. Excess junction current of silicon solar cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, E. Y.; Legge, R. N.; Christidis, N.

    1973-01-01

    The current-voltage characteristics of n(plus)-p silicon solar cells with 0.1, 1.0, 2.0, and 10 ohm-cm p-type base materials have been examined in detail. In addition to the usual I-V measurements, we have studied the temperature dependence of the slope of the I-V curve at the origin by the lock-in technique. The excess junction current coefficient (Iq) deduced from the slope at the origin depends on the square root of the intrinsic carrier concentration. The Iq obtained from the I-V curve fitting over the entire forward bias region at various temperatures shows the same temperature dependence. This result, in addition to the presence of an aging effect, suggest that the surface channel effect is the dominant cause of the excess junction current.

  4. Recommendations on privatization of alcohol retail sales and prevention of excessive alcohol consumption and related harms.

    PubMed

    2012-04-01

    The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends against privatization of alcohol retail sales in settings with current government control of retail sales, based on strong evidence that privatization results in increased per capita consumption of alcoholic beverages, a well-established proxy for excessive consumption and related harms. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  5. Development of a Consumable Inventory Management Strategy for the Supply Management Unit

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-12-01

    should be either returned to the supplier for partial credit or sent to disposal. This means that based 52 upon current and projected consumption ...economical to maintain based upon current and projected consumption rates. The magnitude of the feasible excess is driven by the base stock level prescribed...Days of Supply model to establish Requisitioning Objectives (RO) and Reorder Points (ROP), which are based upon historical usage, lead time, and supply

  6. Revisiting the evidence for neuropathy caused by pyridoxine deficiency and excess.

    PubMed

    Ghavanini, Amer A; Kimpinski, Kurt

    2014-09-01

    Pyridoxine deficiency and excess have been implicated as a cause for peripheral neuropathy. As a result, unrelated neuropathies are often treated with pyridoxine based on questionable evidence. However, neurological practitioners frequently discourage patients from taking pyridoxine in excess of 50 mg/d given concerns around the development of a toxic sensory neuronopathy. There is no systematic review to support either of the 2 practices. To address this gap in knowledge, we reviewed the available literature on neuropathy attributed to pyridoxine deficiency and excess. Based on the current limited data, it can be concluded that very low doses of daily pyridoxine are required to prevent peripheral neuropathy. There is inadequate evidence to support routine pyridoxine supplementation in patients with disorders of peripheral nervous system. Supplementation with pyridoxine at doses greater than 50 mg/d for extended duration may be harmful and should be discouraged.

  7. 17 CFR 230.405 - Definitions of terms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... purchased for the account of plan participants, at prices not in excess of current market prices at the time... specified in the plan and based upon average or current market prices at the time of purchase. Electronic... maintain a market for the registrant's securities. Equity security. The term equity security means any...

  8. 17 CFR 230.405 - Definitions of terms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... purchased for the account of plan participants, at prices not in excess of current market prices at the time... specified in the plan and based upon average or current market prices at the time of purchase. Electronic... maintain a market for the registrant's securities. Equity security. The term equity security means any...

  9. 17 CFR 230.405 - Definitions of terms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... purchased for the account of plan participants, at prices not in excess of current market prices at the time... specified in the plan and based upon average or current market prices at the time of purchase. Electronic... maintain a market for the registrant's securities. Equity security. The term equity security means any...

  10. Surface and allied studies in silicon solar cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lindholm, F. A.

    1984-01-01

    Measuring small-signal admittance versus frequency and forward bias voltage together with a new transient measurement apparently provides the most reliable and flexible method available for determining back surface recombination velocity and low-injection lifetime of the quasineutral base region of silicon solar cells. The new transient measurement reported here is called short-circuit-current decay (SCCD). In this method, forward voltage equal to about the open-circuit or the maximum power voltage establishes excess holes and electrons in the junction transition region and in the quasineutral regions. The sudden application of a short circuit causes an exiting of the excess holes and electrons in the transition region within about ten picoseconds. From observing the slope and intercept of the subsequent current decay, the base lifetime and surface recombination velocity can be determined. The admittance measurement previously mentioned then enters to increase accuracy particularly for devices for which the diffusion length exceeds the base thickness.

  11. Universal power transistor base drive control unit

    DOEpatents

    Gale, Allan R.; Gritter, David J.

    1988-01-01

    A saturation condition regulator system for a power transistor which achieves the regulation objectives of a Baker clamp but without dumping excess base drive current into the transistor output circuit. The base drive current of the transistor is sensed and used through an active feedback circuit to produce an error signal which modulates the base drive current through a linearly operating FET. The collector base voltage of the power transistor is independently monitored to develop a second error signal which is also used to regulate base drive current. The current-sensitive circuit operates as a limiter. In addition, a fail-safe timing circuit is disclosed which automatically resets to a turn OFF condition in the event the transistor does not turn ON within a predetermined time after the input signal transition.

  12. Universal power transistor base drive control unit

    DOEpatents

    Gale, A.R.; Gritter, D.J.

    1988-06-07

    A saturation condition regulator system for a power transistor is disclosed which achieves the regulation objectives of a Baker clamp but without dumping excess base drive current into the transistor output circuit. The base drive current of the transistor is sensed and used through an active feedback circuit to produce an error signal which modulates the base drive current through a linearly operating FET. The collector base voltage of the power transistor is independently monitored to develop a second error signal which is also used to regulate base drive current. The current-sensitive circuit operates as a limiter. In addition, a fail-safe timing circuit is disclosed which automatically resets to a turn OFF condition in the event the transistor does not turn ON within a predetermined time after the input signal transition. 2 figs.

  13. Assessment of the transport routes of oversized and excessive loads in relation to the passage through roundabout

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petru, Jan; Dolezel, Jiri; Krivda, Vladislav

    2017-09-01

    In the past the excessive and oversized loads were realized on selected routes on roads that were adapted to ensure smooth passage of transport. Over the years, keeping the passages was abandoned and currently there are no earmarked routes which would be adapted for such type of transportation. The routes of excessive and oversized loads are currently planned to ensure passage of the vehicle through the critical points on the roads. Critical points are level and fly-over crossings of roads, bridges, toll gates, traffic signs and electrical and other lines. The article deals with the probability assessment of selected critical points of the route of the excessive load on the roads of 1st class, in relation to ensuring the passage through the roundabout. The bases for assessing the passage of the vehicle with excessive load through a roundabout are long-term results of video analyses of monitoring the movement of transports on similar intersections and determination of the theoretical probability model of vehicle movement at selected junctions. On the basis of a virtual simulation of the vehicle movement at crossroads and using MonteCarlo simulation method vehicles’ paths are analysed and the probability of exit of the vehicle outside the crossroad in given junctions is quantified.

  14. Modelling of illuminated current–voltage characteristics to evaluate leakage currents in long wavelength infrared mercury cadmium telluride photovoltaic detectors

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

    Gopal, Vishnu, E-mail: vishnu-46@yahoo.com, E-mail: wdhu@mail.sitp.ac.cn; Qiu, WeiCheng; Hu, Weida, E-mail: vishnu-46@yahoo.com, E-mail: wdhu@mail.sitp.ac.cn

    2014-11-14

    The current–voltage characteristics of long wavelength mercury cadmium telluride infrared detectors have been studied using a recently suggested method for modelling of illuminated photovoltaic detectors. Diodes fabricated on in-house grown arsenic and vacancy doped epitaxial layers were evaluated for their leakage currents. The thermal diffusion, generation–recombination (g-r), and ohmic currents were found as principal components of diode current besides a component of photocurrent due to illumination. In addition, both types of diodes exhibited an excess current component whose growth with the applied bias voltage did not match the expected growth of trap-assisted-tunnelling current. Instead, it was found to be themore » best described by an exponential function of the type, I{sub excess} = I{sub r0} + K{sub 1} exp (K{sub 2} V), where I{sub r0}, K{sub 1}, and K{sub 2} are fitting parameters and V is the applied bias voltage. A study of the temperature dependence of the diode current components and the excess current provided the useful clues about the source of origin of excess current. It was found that the excess current in diodes fabricated on arsenic doped epitaxial layers has its origin in the source of ohmic shunt currents. Whereas, the source of excess current in diodes fabricated on vacancy doped epitaxial layers appeared to be the avalanche multiplication of photocurrent. The difference in the behaviour of two types of diodes has been attributed to the difference in the quality of epitaxial layers.« less

  15. Modelling of illuminated current-voltage characteristics to evaluate leakage currents in long wavelength infrared mercury cadmium telluride photovoltaic detectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gopal, Vishnu; Qiu, WeiCheng; Hu, Weida

    2014-11-01

    The current-voltage characteristics of long wavelength mercury cadmium telluride infrared detectors have been studied using a recently suggested method for modelling of illuminated photovoltaic detectors. Diodes fabricated on in-house grown arsenic and vacancy doped epitaxial layers were evaluated for their leakage currents. The thermal diffusion, generation-recombination (g-r), and ohmic currents were found as principal components of diode current besides a component of photocurrent due to illumination. In addition, both types of diodes exhibited an excess current component whose growth with the applied bias voltage did not match the expected growth of trap-assisted-tunnelling current. Instead, it was found to be the best described by an exponential function of the type, Iexcess = Ir0 + K1 exp (K2 V), where Ir0, K1, and K2 are fitting parameters and V is the applied bias voltage. A study of the temperature dependence of the diode current components and the excess current provided the useful clues about the source of origin of excess current. It was found that the excess current in diodes fabricated on arsenic doped epitaxial layers has its origin in the source of ohmic shunt currents. Whereas, the source of excess current in diodes fabricated on vacancy doped epitaxial layers appeared to be the avalanche multiplication of photocurrent. The difference in the behaviour of two types of diodes has been attributed to the difference in the quality of epitaxial layers.

  16. Excess current experiment on YBCO tape conductor with metal stabilized layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tasaki, Kenji; Yazawa, Takashi; Ono, Michitaka; Kuriyama, Toru

    2006-06-01

    Excess current experiments were performed using YBCO tape conductors with a metal stabilized layer on the superconducting layer. The purpose of this research is to obtain the stable criteria of energy dissipation when YBCO tape is forced to flow excess current higher than its critical current. This situation should be considered in power applications. In the experiments short-length samples were immersed in liquid nitrogen and several cycles of 50Hz sinusoidal current were supplied to the samples by an induction voltage regulator. The critical current of the samples was about 110 A. With pulse length as long as 60 ms, YBCO tapes were able to be energized up to twelve times as the critical current without electrical or mechanical deformation. Prior to the excess current experiments, temperature dependency of resistance of the sample was measured so that the temperature rise was estimated by the generated resistance. It is found that YBCO tapes with a copper stabilized layer can be transiently heated to over 400K without degradation.

  17. Profiling of Current Transients in Capacitor Type Diamond Sensors.

    PubMed

    Gaubas, Eugenijus; Ceponis, Tomas; Meskauskaite, Dovile; Kazuchits, Nikolai

    2015-06-08

    The operational characteristics of capacitor-type detectors based on HPHT and CVD diamond have been investigated using perpendicular and parallel injection of carrier domain regimes. Simulations of the drift-diffusion current transients have been implemented by using dynamic models based on Shockley-Ramo's theorem, under injection of localized surface domains and of bulk charge carriers. The bipolar drift-diffusion regimes have been analyzed for the photo-induced bulk domain (packet) of excess carriers. The surface charge formation and polarization effects dependent on detector biasing voltage have been revealed. The screening effects ascribed to surface charge and to dynamics of extraction of the injected bulk excess carrier domain have been separated and explained. The parameters of drift mobility of the electrons μ(e) = 4000 cm2/Vs and holes μ(h) = 3800 cm2/Vs have been evaluated for CVD diamond using the perpendicular profiling of currents. The coefficient of carrier ambipolar diffusion D(a) = 97 cm2/s and the carrier recombination lifetime τ(R,CVD) ≌ 110 ns in CVD diamond were extracted by combining analysis of the transients of the sensor current and the microwave probed photoconductivity. The carrier trapping with inherent lifetime τR,HPHT ≌ 2 ns prevails in HPHT diamond.

  18. Variation across Canada in the economic burden attributable to excess weight, tobacco smoking and physical inactivity.

    PubMed

    Krueger, Hans; Krueger, Joshua; Koot, Jacqueline

    2015-04-30

    Tobacco smoking, excess weight and physical inactivity contribute substantially to the preventable disease burden in Canada. The purpose of this paper is to determine the potential reduction in economic burden if all provinces achieved prevalence rates of these three risk factors (RFs) equivalent to those of the province with the lowest rates, and to update and address a limitation noted in our previous model. We used a previously developed approach based on population attributable fractions to estimate the economic burden associated with these RFs. Sex-specific relative risk and age-/sex-specific prevalence data were used in the modelling. The previous model was updated using the most current data for developing resource allocation weights. In 2012, the prevalence of tobacco smoking, excess weight and physical inactivity was the lowest in British Columbia. If age- and sex-specific prevalence rates from BC were applied to populations living in the other provinces, the annual economic burden attributable to these three RFs would be reduced by $5.3 billion. Updating the model resulted in a considerable shift in economic burden from smoking to excess weight, with the estimated annual economic burden attributable to excess weight now 25% higher compared to that of tobacco smoking ($23.3 vs. $18.7 billion). Achieving RF prevalence rates equivalent to those of the province with the lowest rates would result in a 10% reduction in economic burden attributable to excess weight, smoking and physical inactivity in Canada. This study shows that using current resource use data is important for this type of economic modelling.

  19. A physically-based analytical model to describe effective excess charge for streaming potential generation in saturated porous media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jougnot, D.; Guarracino, L.

    2016-12-01

    The self-potential (SP) method is considered by most researchers the only geophysical method that is directly sensitive to groundwater flow. One source of SP signals, the so-called streaming potential, results from the presence of an electrical double layer at the mineral-pore water interface. When water flows through the pore space, it gives rise to a streaming current and a resulting measurable electrical voltage. Different approaches have been proposed to predict streaming potentials in porous media. One approach is based on the excess charge which is effectively dragged in the medium by the water flow. Following a recent theoretical framework, we developed a physically-based analytical model to predict the effective excess charge in saturated porous media. In this study, the porous media is described by a bundle of capillary tubes with a fractal pore-size distribution. First, an analytical relationship is derived to determine the effective excess charge for a single capillary tube as a function of the pore water salinity. Then, this relationship is used to obtain both exact and approximated expressions for the effective excess charge at the Representative Elementary Volume (REV) scale. The resulting analytical relationship allows the determination of the effective excess charge as a function of pore water salinity, fractal dimension and hydraulic parameters like porosity and permeability, which are also obtained at the REV scale. This new model has been successfully tested against data from the literature of different sources. One of the main finding of this study is that it provides a mechanistic explanation to the empirical dependence between the effective excess charge and the permeability that has been found by various researchers. The proposed petrophysical relationship also contributes to understand the role of porosity and water salinity on effective excess charge and will help to push further the use of streaming potential to monitor groundwater flow.

  20. Excess current in ferromagnet-superconductor structures with fully polarized triplet component

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moor, Andreas; Volkov, Anatoly F.; Efetov, Konstantin B.

    2016-05-01

    We study the I -V characteristics of ST/n/N contacts, where ST is a BCS superconductor S with a built-in exchange field h , n represents a normal metal wire, and N a normal metal reservoir. The superconductor ST is separated from the n wire by a spin filter which allows the passage of electrons with a certain spin direction so that only fully polarized triplet Cooper pairs penetrate into the n wire. We show that both the subgap conductance σsg and the excess current Iexc, which occur in conventional S/n/N contacts due to Andreev reflection (AR), exist also in the considered system. In our case, they are caused by unconventional AR that is not accompanied by spin flip. The excess current Iexc exists only if h exceeds a certain magnitude hc. At h

  1. What Is Known About the Correlates and Impact of Excess Skin After Bariatric Surgery: a Scoping Review.

    PubMed

    Baillot, Aurélie; Brais-Dussault, Elsa; Bastin, Anne; Cyr, Caroline; Brunet, Jennifer; Aimé, Annie; Romain, Ahmed J; Langlois, Marie-France; Bouchard, Stéphane; Tchernof, André; Rabasa-Lhoret, Rémi; Garneau, Pierre-Yves; Bernard, Paquito

    2017-09-01

    Although bariatric surgery (BS) improves health among adults with severe obesity, it results in excess skin in more than 70% of adults. The purpose of this study was to synthesize current knowledge on (1) the impact of excess skin experienced by adults after BS and (2) the correlates of excess skin quantity and inconveniences. PubMed, PsyArticles, and CINAHL databases were searched in May 2016 for relevant studies. Titles, abstracts, and full texts of studies retrieved were screened independently by two reviewers against inclusion criteria: (1) peer-reviewed primary research studies, (2) samples with adults who underwent BS, and (3) studies reporting the impact of excess skin and/or excess skin correlates. Thirteen quantitative and eleven qualitative studies met inclusion criteria. Negative physical, psychosocial, and daily life impacts of excess skin were reported in 67, 75, and 83% of studies, respectively. Women reported more excess skin and greater inconveniences of excess skin than did men. Based on the quantitative studies, pre-BS BMI, time since BS, and type of BS were not significantly associated with inconveniences of excess skin; findings were inconclusive for other correlates found (e.g. age, weight loss, BMI). Excess skin may adversely impact adults' physical and psychosocial functioning, as well as their activities of daily life after BS. However, evidence is lacking to determine which adults may be at heightened risk of developing or being negatively impacted by excess skin. More research on correlates of excess skill is needed to inform the development of tailored interventions in those more vulnerable to developing excess skin after BS to mitigate adverse consequences.

  2. Kernelized Locality-Sensitive Hashing for Fast Image Landmark Association

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-03-24

    based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping ( SLAM ). The problem, however, is that vision-based navigation techniques can re- quire excessive amounts of...up and optimizing the data association process in vision-based SLAM . Specifically, this work studies the current methods that algorithms use to...required for location identification than that of other methods. This work can then be extended into a vision- SLAM implementation to subsequently

  3. Prediction of betavoltaic battery output parameters based on SEM measurements and Monte Carlo simulation.

    PubMed

    Yakimov, Eugene B

    2016-06-01

    An approach for a prediction of (63)Ni-based betavoltaic battery output parameters is described. It consists of multilayer Monte Carlo simulation to obtain the depth dependence of excess carrier generation rate inside the semiconductor converter, a determination of collection probability based on the electron beam induced current measurements, a calculation of current induced in the semiconductor converter by beta-radiation, and SEM measurements of output parameters using the calculated induced current value. Such approach allows to predict the betavoltaic battery parameters and optimize the converter design for any real semiconductor structure and any thickness and specific activity of beta-radiation source. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Current gain above 10 in sub-10 nm base III-Nitride tunneling hot electron transistors with GaN/AlN emitter

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

    Yang, Zhichao, E-mail: zcyang.phys@gmail.com; Zhang, Yuewei; Krishnamoorthy, Sriram

    We report on a tunneling hot electron transistor amplifier with common-emitter current gain greater than 10 at a collector current density in excess of 40 kA/cm{sup 2}. The use of a wide-bandgap GaN/AlN (111 nm/2.5 nm) emitter was found to greatly improve injection efficiency of the emitter and reduce cold electron leakage. With an ultra-thin (8 nm) base, 93% of the injected hot electrons were collected, enabling a common-emitter current gain up to 14.5. This work improves understanding of the quasi-ballistic hot electron transport and may impact the development of high speed devices based on unipolar hot electron transport.

  5. Online gaming addiction? Motives predict addictive play behavior in massively multiplayer online role-playing games.

    PubMed

    Kuss, Daria J; Louws, Jorik; Wiers, Reinout W

    2012-09-01

    Recently, there have been growing concerns about excessive online gaming. Playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) appears to be particularly problematic, because these games require a high degree of commitment and time investment from the players to the detriment of occupational, social, and other recreational activities and relations. A number of gaming motives have been linked to excessive online gaming in adolescents and young adults. We assessed 175 current MMORPG players and 90 nonplayers using a Web-based questionnaire regarding their gaming behavior, problems as consequences of gaming, and game motivations and tested their statistical associations. Results indicated that (a) MMORPG players are significantly more likely to experience gaming-related problems relative to nonplayers, and that (b) the gaming motivations escapism and mechanics significantly predicted excessive gaming and appeared as stronger predictors than time investment in game. The findings support the necessity of using measures that distinguish between different types of online games. In addition, this study proves useful regarding the current discussion on establishing (online) gaming addiction as a diagnosis in future categorizations of psychopathology.

  6. Profiling of Current Transients in Capacitor Type Diamond Sensors

    PubMed Central

    Gaubas, Eugenijus; Ceponis, Tomas; Meskauskaite, Dovile; Kazuchits, Nikolai

    2015-01-01

    The operational characteristics of capacitor-type detectors based on HPHT and CVD diamond have been investigated using perpendicular and parallel injection of carrier domain regimes. Simulations of the drift-diffusion current transients have been implemented by using dynamic models based on Shockley-Ramo’s theorem, under injection of localized surface domains and of bulk charge carriers. The bipolar drift-diffusion regimes have been analyzed for the photo-induced bulk domain (packet) of excess carriers. The surface charge formation and polarization effects dependent on detector biasing voltage have been revealed. The screening effects ascribed to surface charge and to dynamics of extraction of the injected bulk excess carrier domain have been separated and explained. The parameters of drift mobility of the electrons μe = 4000 cm2/Vs and holes μh = 3800 cm2/Vs have been evaluated for CVD diamond using the perpendicular profiling of currents. The coefficient of carrier ambipolar diffusion Da = 97 cm2/s and the carrier recombination lifetime τR,CVD ≌ 110 ns in CVD diamond were extracted by combining analysis of the transients of the sensor current and the microwave probed photoconductivity. The carrier trapping with inherent lifetime τR,HPHT ≌ 2 ns prevails in HPHT diamond. PMID:26061200

  7. The excesses of care: a matter of understanding the asymmetry of power.

    PubMed

    Delmar, Charlotte

    2012-10-01

    The aim of the article is to illustrate concrete problems in the asymmetrical nurse-patient power relationship. It is an ethical demand that the nurse is faced with the challenges that the power in the relation is administered so that the patient's room for action is expanded and trust maintained. It is an essential message in care philosophy, but in clinical practice, success is not always achievable. A hidden and more or less unconscious restriction of the patient's room for action may result in the excesses of care. Three selected aspects: dependence, trust, and power described by the Danish philosopher K.E. Løgstrup and the Norwegian nursing philosopher Kari Martinsen's care philosophy has inspired this empirically based examination of some current barriers in the asymmetrical nurse-patient relationship. On the basis of qualitative interviews with six patients and six nurses, the research thus provides an identifying and problem-exploratory examination of some current obstacles in which the handling of trust and power reflects the excesses of care. The findings develop three themes. 'Being a burden' acknowledges that the balance of power will always tip to the nurse's advantage. The second theme, 'Doing only what's absolutely necessary', shows how a fixation with 'technicalism' creates a distance between people that may constrain the patient's room for action. The last theme is concerning the nurse's ability to navigate between closeness and distance is essential in avoiding 'the excesses of care', paternalism, and overprotectiveness. A situation in which distance takes the upper hand and care turns into paternalism. A different situation would arise if the nurse's emotions became sentimental or intimate with the result that closeness gets the upper hand. To avoid a harmful exercise of power and the excesses of care, the findings have demonstrated that a relationship-based caring is a demand for situation-specific sensitive attention skills. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  8. Childhood consequences of maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy.

    PubMed

    Gaillard, Romy; Felix, Janine F; Duijts, Liesbeth; Jaddoe, Vincent W V

    2014-11-01

    Obesity is a major public health concern. In western countries, the prevalence of obesity in pregnant women has strongly increased, with reported prevalence rates reaching 30%. Also, up to 40% of women gain an excessive amount of weight during pregnancy. Recent observational studies and meta-analyses strongly suggest long-term impact of maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy on adiposity, cardiovascular and respiratory related health outcomes in their children. These observations suggest that maternal adiposity during pregnancy may program common health problems in the offspring. Currently, it remains unclear whether the observed associations are causal, or just reflect confounding by family-based sociodemographic or lifestyle-related factors. Parent-offspring studies, sibling comparison studies, Mendelian randomization studies and randomized trials can help to explore the causality and underlying mechanisms. Also, the potential for prevention of common diseases in future generations by reducing maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy needs to be explored. © 2014 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

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

    Yang, Zhichao, E-mail: zcyang.phys@gmail.com; Zhang, Yuewei; Nath, Digbijoy N.

    We report on Gallium Nitride-based tunneling hot electron transistor amplifier with common-emitter current gain greater than 1. Small signal current gain up to 5 and dc current gain of 1.3 were attained in common-emitter configuration with collector current density in excess of 50 kA/cm{sup 2}. The use of a combination of 1 nm GaN/3 nm AlN layers as an emitter tunneling barrier was found to improve the energy collimation of the injected electrons. These results represent demonstration of unipolar vertical transistors in the III-nitride system that can potentially lead to higher frequency and power microwave devices.

  10. Excessive heat and respiratory hospitalizations in New York State: estimating current and future public health burden related to climate change.

    PubMed

    Lin, Shao; Hsu, Wan-Hsiang; Van Zutphen, Alissa R; Saha, Shubhayu; Luber, George; Hwang, Syni-An

    2012-11-01

    Although many climate-sensitive environmental exposures are related to mortality and morbidity, there is a paucity of estimates of the public health burden attributable to climate change. We estimated the excess current and future public health impacts related to respiratory hospitalizations attributable to extreme heat in summer in New York State (NYS) overall, its geographic regions, and across different demographic strata. On the basis of threshold temperature and percent risk changes identified from our study in NYS, we estimated recent and future attributable risks related to extreme heat due to climate change using the global climate model with various climate scenarios. We estimated effects of extreme high apparent temperature in summer on respiratory admissions, days hospitalized, direct hospitalization costs, and lost productivity from days hospitalized after adjusting for inflation. The estimated respiratory disease burden attributable to extreme heat at baseline (1991-2004) in NYS was 100 hospital admissions, US$644,069 in direct hospitalization costs, and 616 days of hospitalization per year. Projections for 2080-2099 based on three different climate scenarios ranged from 206-607 excess hospital admissions, US$26-$76 million in hospitalization costs, and 1,299-3,744 days of hospitalization per year. Estimated impacts varied by geographic region and population demographics. We estimated that excess respiratory admissions in NYS due to excessive heat would be 2 to 6 times higher in 2080-2099 than in 1991-2004. When combined with other heat-associated diseases and mortality, the potential public health burden associated with global warming could be substantial.

  11. TW HYA ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP AND NEW WISE-DETECTED CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS

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

    Schneider, Adam; Song, Inseok; Melis, Carl, E-mail: aschneid@physast.uga.edu, E-mail: song@physast.uga.edu, E-mail: cmelis@ucsd.edu

    2012-07-20

    We assess the current membership of the nearby, young TW Hydrae association and examine newly proposed members with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) to search for infrared excess indicative of circumstellar disks. Newly proposed members TWA 30A, TWA 30B, TWA 31, and TWA 32 all show excess emission at 12 and 22 {mu}m providing clear evidence for substantial dusty circumstellar disks around these low-mass, {approx}8 Myr old stars that were previously shown to likely be accreting circumstellar material. TWA 30B shows large amounts of self-extinction, likely due to an edge-on disk geometry. We also confirm previously reported circumstellar disksmore » with WISE and determine a 22 {mu}m excess fraction of 42{sup +10}{sub -{sub 9}}% based on our results.« less

  12. Excessive use of WeChat, social interaction and locus of control among college students in China

    PubMed Central

    Jiang, Yingying; Ye, Zi; Wang, Ying; Yang, Lizhuang; Li, Xiaoming; Zhang, Yongjun; Pang, Liangjun; Kong, Yan; Xu, Fei; Zhang, Xiaochu

    2017-01-01

    In China, the number of college students using mobile phone based messaging and social networking applications like WeChat is increasing rapidly. However, there has been minimal research into the addictive nature of these applications and the psychological characteristics associate with their excessive use. There is also no published scale available for assessing excessive use of WeChat and similar applications. In the current study, we collected data from 1,245 college students in China (715 females) and developed the WeChat Excessive Use Scale (WEUS). We then assessed the relationship between excessive use of WeChat and excessive use of a social networking application-Weibo, problematic use of mobile phones, external locus of control, and social interaction skills. Our 10-item scale featured three factors, namely- “mood modification,” “salience” and ‘‘conflict”- critical factors in assessing different forms of addiction. The WEUS was found to be a reliable instrument in assessing excessive use of WeChat as it showed good internal consistency and correlated with other measures of problematic use social networking and mobile phone addiction. Our results showed that excessive users of WeChat are more likely to excessively use Weibo than they are to problematically use mobile phones. Our study also showed that greater excessive use of WeChat is associated with higher external locus of control and greater online social interaction skills. These results reveal that WeChat has unique and strong appeal among college students in China. Further, practitioners should consider dealing with malleable factors like locus of control and real life social skills in treating people with problematic messaging and social networking. PMID:28817710

  13. Excessive use of WeChat, social interaction and locus of control among college students in China.

    PubMed

    Hou, Juan; Ndasauka, Yamikani; Jiang, Yingying; Ye, Zi; Wang, Ying; Yang, Lizhuang; Li, Xiaoming; Zhang, Yongjun; Pang, Liangjun; Kong, Yan; Xu, Fei; Zhang, Xiaochu

    2017-01-01

    In China, the number of college students using mobile phone based messaging and social networking applications like WeChat is increasing rapidly. However, there has been minimal research into the addictive nature of these applications and the psychological characteristics associate with their excessive use. There is also no published scale available for assessing excessive use of WeChat and similar applications. In the current study, we collected data from 1,245 college students in China (715 females) and developed the WeChat Excessive Use Scale (WEUS). We then assessed the relationship between excessive use of WeChat and excessive use of a social networking application-Weibo, problematic use of mobile phones, external locus of control, and social interaction skills. Our 10-item scale featured three factors, namely- "mood modification," "salience" and ''conflict"- critical factors in assessing different forms of addiction. The WEUS was found to be a reliable instrument in assessing excessive use of WeChat as it showed good internal consistency and correlated with other measures of problematic use social networking and mobile phone addiction. Our results showed that excessive users of WeChat are more likely to excessively use Weibo than they are to problematically use mobile phones. Our study also showed that greater excessive use of WeChat is associated with higher external locus of control and greater online social interaction skills. These results reveal that WeChat has unique and strong appeal among college students in China. Further, practitioners should consider dealing with malleable factors like locus of control and real life social skills in treating people with problematic messaging and social networking.

  14. Combined O2/combustibles solid electrolyte gas monitoring device

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

    Hickam, W.M.; Lin, C.; Zomp, J.M.

    1980-11-04

    A circuit means in combination with a conventional oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte cell establishes the cell in a voltage mode for the purposes of measuring excess oxygen and developing a voltage signal indicative thereof, and switching the cell to a current mode of operation in response to an excess combustible environment wherein current drawn by the cell to pump oxygen for combustible reaction with the excess combustibles environment is measured as an indication of the combustibles content of the gas.

  15. Decaying fermionic dark matter search with CALET

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhattacharyya, S.; Motz, H.; Torii, S.; Asaoka, Y.

    2017-08-01

    The ISS-based CALET (CALorimetric Electron Telescope) detector can play an important role in indirect search for Dark Matter (DM), measuring the electron+positron flux in the TeV region for the first time directly. With its fine energy resolution of approximately 2% and good proton rejection ratio (1:105) it has the potential to search for fine structures in the Cosmic Ray (CR) electron spectrum. In this context we discuss the ability of CALET to discern between signals originating from astrophysical sources and DM decay. We fit a parametrization of the local interstellar electron and positron spectra to current measurements, with either a pulsar or 3-body decay of fermionic DM as the extra source causing the positron excess. The expected CALET data for scenarios in which DM decay explains the excess are calculated and analyzed. The signal from this particular 3-body DM decay which can explain the recent measurements from the AMS-02 experiment is shown to be distinguishable from a single pulsar source causing the positron excess by 5 years of observation with CALET, based on the shape of the spectrum. We also study the constraints from diffuse γ-ray data on this DM-only explanation of the positron excess and show that especially for the possibly remaining parameter space a clearly identifiable signature in the CR electron spectrum exists.

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

    Bhattacharyya, S.; Torii, S.; Motz, H.

    The ISS-based CALET (CALorimetric Electron Telescope) detector can play an important role in indirect search for Dark Matter (DM), measuring the electron+positron flux in the TeV region for the first time directly. With its fine energy resolution of approximately 2% and good proton rejection ratio (1:10{sup 5}) it has the potential to search for fine structures in the Cosmic Ray (CR) electron spectrum. In this context we discuss the ability of CALET to discern between signals originating from astrophysical sources and DM decay. We fit a parametrization of the local interstellar electron and positron spectra to current measurements, with eithermore » a pulsar or 3-body decay of fermionic DM as the extra source causing the positron excess. The expected CALET data for scenarios in which DM decay explains the excess are calculated and analyzed. The signal from this particular 3-body DM decay which can explain the recent measurements from the AMS−02 experiment is shown to be distinguishable from a single pulsar source causing the positron excess by 5 years of observation with CALET, based on the shape of the spectrum. We also study the constraints from diffuse γ-ray data on this DM-only explanation of the positron excess and show that especially for the possibly remaining parameter space a clearly identifiable signature in the CR electron spectrum exists.« less

  17. 3D maps of the local interstellar medium: the impact of Gaia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Capitanio, L.; Lallement, R.; Vergely, J. L.; Elyajouri, M.; Babusiaux, C.; Ruiz-Dern, L.; Monreal-Ibero, A.; Arenou, F.; Danielski, C.

    2017-12-01

    Gaia parallaxes combined with colour excess and absorption measurements from large stellar surveys will allow building increasingly precise three-dimensional maps of the interstellar matter (ISM). Reciprocally, detailed maps of the ISM will allow improving photometric calibrations of Gaia and measuring more precisely the amounts of reddening. In the future, the extraction of a diffuse interstellar band (DIB) from Gaia RVS (Radial Velocity Spectrometer) spectra will allow to build a tomography of the carrier of this DIB and compare it with dust and gas distributions. Here we show several results that illustrate current progress in local ISM mapping and a first example of the stellar-interstellar synergy linked to Gaia: a) how Gaia-DR1 parallaxes already modify the ISM maps obtained by means of a full-3D inversion of a compilation of colour excess data, b) how DIB measurements and corresponding Gaia parallaxes can complement colour excess data and improve the maps, c) new hierarchical methods combining distinct surveys, d) improved maps including APOGEE colour excess estimates deduced from the recent Gaia-based photometric calibrations of Ruiz-Dern et al (this issue), e) additional inclusion of LAMOST colour excess estimates (Wang et al, 2016).

  18. 75 FR 1362 - Medical Area Total Energy Plant, Inc., New MATEP Inc.; Notice of Application for Commission...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-11

    ... cogeneration and combined cycle modes, currently comprised of combustion turbine, diesel and steam turbine... natural gas and oil based fuels. The facility is interconnected with NSTAR Electric Company, and sells excess electric power output that is not consumed by the facility's institutional and commercial...

  19. Large magnetoresistance in oxide based ferromagnet/superconductor spin switches.

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

    Pena, V.; Nemes, N.; Visani, C.

    2006-01-01

    We report large magnetoresistance (in excess of 1000%) in ferromagnet / superconductor / ferromagnet structures made of La{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} and YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} in the current in plane (CIP) geometry. This magnetoresistance has many of the ingredients of the giant magnetoresistance of metallic superlattices: it is independent on the angle between current and magnetic field, depends on the relative orientation of the magnetization in the ferromagnetic layers, and takes very large values. The origin is enhanced scattering at the F/S interface in the anti parallel configuration of the magnetizations. Furthermore, we examine the dependence of the magnetoresistancemore » effect on the thickness of the superconducting layer, and show that the magnetoresistance dies out for thickness in excess of 30 nm, setting a length scale for the diffusion of spin polarized quasiparticles.« less

  20. Eddy current spectroscopy for near-surface residual stress profiling in surface treated nonmagnetic engine alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abu-Nabah, Bassam A.

    Recent research results indicated that eddy current conductivity measurements can be exploited for nondestructive evaluation of near-surface residual stresses in surface-treated nickel-base superalloy components. Most of the previous experimental studies were conducted on highly peened (Almen 10-16A) specimens that exhibit harmful cold work in excess of 30% plastic strain. Such high level of cold work causes thermo-mechanical relaxation at relatively modest operational temperatures; therefore the obtained results were not directly relevant to engine manufacturers and end users. The main reason for choosing peening intensities in excess of recommended normal levels was that in low-conductivity engine alloys the eddy current penetration depth could not be forced below 0.2 mm without expanding the measurements above 10 MHz which is beyond the operational range of most commercial eddy current instruments. As for shot-peened components, it was initially felt that the residual stress effect was more difficult to separate from cold work, texture, and inhomogeneity effects in titanium alloys than in nickel-base superalloys. In addition, titanium alloys have almost 50% lower electric conductivity than nickel-base superalloys; therefore require proportionally higher inspection frequencies, which was not feasible until our recent breakthrough in instrument development. Our work has been focused on six main aspects of this continuing research, namely, (i) the development of an iterative inversion technique to better retrieve the depth-dependent conductivity profile from the measured frequency-dependent apparent eddy current conductivity (AECC), (ii) the extension of the frequency range up to 80 MHz to better capture the peak compressive residual stress in nickel-base superalloys using a new eddy current conductivity measuring system, which offers better reproducibility, accuracy and measurement speed than the previously used conventional systems, (iii) the lift-off effect on high frequency eddy current spectroscopy, (iv) the development of custom-made spiral coils to allow eddy current conductivity characterization over the whole frequency range of interest with reduced coil sensitivity to lift off, (v) the benefits of implementing a semi-quadratic system calibration in reducing the coil sensitivity to lift-off, and (vi) the feasibility of adapting high-frequency eddy current residual stress characterization for shot-peened titanium alloys.

  1. 78 FR 73817 - Information Collection; Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) and Firefighter Property (FFP...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Information Collection; Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) and Firefighter Property (FFP) Program Cooperative Agreements and Inventory AGENCY: Forest... on the revision of the currently approved information collection, Federal Excess Personal Property...

  2. Assessment of the transportation route of oversize and excessive loads in relation to the load-bearing capacity of existing bridges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doležel, Jiří; Novák, Drahomír; Petrů, Jan

    2017-09-01

    Transportation routes of oversize and excessive loads are currently planned in relation to ensure the transit of a vehicle through critical points on the road. Critical points are level-intersection of roads, bridges etc. This article presents a comprehensive procedure to determine a reliability and a load-bearing capacity level of the existing bridges on highways and roads using the advanced methods of reliability analysis based on simulation techniques of Monte Carlo type in combination with nonlinear finite element method analysis. The safety index is considered as a main criterion of the reliability level of the existing construction structures and the index is described in current structural design standards, e.g. ISO and Eurocode. An example of a single-span slab bridge made of precast prestressed concrete girders of the 60 year current time and its load bearing capacity is set for the ultimate limit state and serviceability limit state. The structure’s design load capacity was estimated by the full probability nonlinear MKP analysis using a simulation technique Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS). Load-bearing capacity values based on a fully probabilistic analysis are compared with the load-bearing capacity levels which were estimated by deterministic methods of a critical section of the most loaded girders.

  3. Estimation and Uncertainty Analysis of Impacts of Future Heat Waves on Mortality in the Eastern United States

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

    Wu, Jianyong; Zhou, Ying; Gao, Yang

    Background: It is anticipated that climate change will influence heat-related mortality in the future. However, the estimation of excess mortality attributable to future heat waves is subject to large uncertainties, which have not been examined under the latest greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Objectives: We estimated the future heat wave impact on mortality in the eastern United States (~ 1,700 counties) under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and analyzed the sources of uncertainties. Methods Using dynamically downscaled hourly temperature projections in 2057-2059, we calculated heat wave days and episodes based on four heat wave metrics, and estimated the excess mortality attributablemore » to them. The sources of uncertainty in estimated excess mortality were apportioned using a variance-decomposition method. Results: In the eastern U.S., the excess mortality attributable to heat waves could range from 200-7,807 with the mean of 2,379 persons/year in 2057-2059. The projected average excess mortality in RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios was 1,403 and 3,556 persons/year, respectively. Excess mortality would be relatively high in the southern and eastern coastal areas. The major sources of uncertainty in the estimates are relative risk of heat wave mortality, the RCP scenarios, and the heat wave definitions. Conclusions: The estimated mortality risks from future heat waves are likely an order of magnitude higher than its current level and lead to thousands of deaths each year under the RCP8.5 scenario. The substantial spatial variability in estimated county-level heat mortality suggests that effective mitigation and adaptation measures should be developed based on spatially resolved data.« less

  4. Excessive Heat and Respiratory Hospitalizations in New York State: Estimating Current and Future Public Health Burden Related to Climate Change

    PubMed Central

    Hsu, Wan-Hsiang; Van Zutphen, Alissa R.; Saha, Shubhayu; Luber, George; Hwang, Syni-An

    2012-01-01

    Background: Although many climate-sensitive environmental exposures are related to mortality and morbidity, there is a paucity of estimates of the public health burden attributable to climate change. Objective: We estimated the excess current and future public health impacts related to respiratory hospitalizations attributable to extreme heat in summer in New York State (NYS) overall, its geographic regions, and across different demographic strata. Methods: On the basis of threshold temperature and percent risk changes identified from our study in NYS, we estimated recent and future attributable risks related to extreme heat due to climate change using the global climate model with various climate scenarios. We estimated effects of extreme high apparent temperature in summer on respiratory admissions, days hospitalized, direct hospitalization costs, and lost productivity from days hospitalized after adjusting for inflation. Results: The estimated respiratory disease burden attributable to extreme heat at baseline (1991–2004) in NYS was 100 hospital admissions, US$644,069 in direct hospitalization costs, and 616 days of hospitalization per year. Projections for 2080–2099 based on three different climate scenarios ranged from 206–607 excess hospital admissions, US$26–$76 million in hospitalization costs, and 1,299–3,744 days of hospitalization per year. Estimated impacts varied by geographic region and population demographics. Conclusions: We estimated that excess respiratory admissions in NYS due to excessive heat would be 2 to 6 times higher in 2080–2099 than in 1991–2004. When combined with other heat-associated diseases and mortality, the potential public health burden associated with global warming could be substantial. PMID:22922791

  5. An Analysis of Current Inventory Control and Practices to Provide Recommendations on How to Transfer Interim Supply Support From NAVSEA to NAVSUP and Then Manage That Material

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-06-01

    process would result in lower excess material and financial savings. The data set analyzed contained ISS purchased by both NAVAIR and NAVSEA as well as...demand data. Additionally, analysis of current ISS processes at NAVAIR and NAVSEA was conducted. The research resulted in finding that NAVAIR and...eventually categorized as excess material. A more efficient ISS process would result in lower excess material and financial savings. The data set analyzed

  6. Quantifying the adverse effect of excessive heat on children: An elevated risk of hand, foot and mouth disease in hot days.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Wangjian; Du, Zhicheng; Zhang, Dingmei; Yu, Shicheng; Hao, Yuantao

    2016-01-15

    Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common childhood infection and has become a major public health issue in China. Considerable research has focused on the role of meteorological factors such as temperature and relative humidity in HFMD development. However, no studies have specifically quantified the impact of another major environmental agent, excessive heat, on HFMD. The current study was designed to help address this research gap. Case-based HFMD surveillance data and daily meteorological data collected between 2010 and 2012 was obtained from China CDC and the National Meteorological Information Center, respectively. Distributed lag nonlinear models were applied to assess the impact of excessive heat on HFMD and its variability across social-economic status and age groups. After controlling the effects of several potential confounders, the commonly hot days were found to positively affect the HFMD burdens with the relative risk (RR) peaking at around 6 days of lag. The RR of HFMD in the Pearl-River Delta Region was generally higher and persisted longer than that in the remaining developing areas. Regarding the inter-age group discrepancy, children aged 3-6 years old had the highest risk of HFMD under conditions of excessive heat whereas those greater than 6 years old had the lowest. The lag structure of the impact of the extremely hot days was quite similar to that of the commonly hot days, although the relative effect of these two kinds of conditions of excessive heat might vary across regions. This study indicated significantly facilitating effects of excessive heat on HFMD especially among those aged 3-6 and from developed areas. Results from the current study were particularly practical and important for developing area-and-age-targeted control programs in the context of climate change and urbanization. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Water droplet excess free energy determined by cluster mitosis using guided molecular dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lau, Gabriel V.; Hunt, Patricia A.; Müller, Erich A.; Jackson, George; Ford, Ian J.

    2015-12-01

    Atmospheric aerosols play a vital role in affecting climate by influencing the properties and lifetimes of clouds and precipitation. Understanding the underlying microscopic mechanisms involved in the nucleation of aerosol droplets from the vapour phase is therefore of great interest. One key thermodynamic quantity in nucleation is the excess free energy of cluster formation relative to that of the saturated vapour. In our current study, the excess free energy is extracted for clusters of pure water modelled with the TIP4P/2005 intermolecular potential using a method based on nonequilibrium molecular dynamics and the Jarzynski relation. The change in free energy associated with the "mitosis" or division of a cluster of N water molecules into two N/2 sub-clusters is evaluated. This methodology is an extension of the disassembly procedure used recently to calculate the excess free energy of argon clusters [H. Y. Tang and I. J. Ford, Phys. Rev. E 91, 023308 (2015)]. Our findings are compared to the corresponding excess free energies obtained from classical nucleation theory (CNT) as well as internally consistent classical theory (ICCT). The values of the excess free energy that we obtain with the mitosis method are consistent with CNT for large cluster sizes but for the smallest clusters, the results tend towards ICCT; for intermediate sized clusters, we obtain values between the ICCT and CNT predictions. Furthermore, the curvature-dependent surface tension which can be obtained by regarding the clusters as spherical droplets of bulk density is found to be a monotonically increasing function of cluster size for the studied range. The data are compared to other values reported in the literature, agreeing qualitatively with some but disagreeing with the values determined by Joswiak et al. [J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 4, 4267 (2013)] using a biased mitosis approach; an assessment of the differences is the main motivation for our current study.

  8. Water droplet excess free energy determined by cluster mitosis using guided molecular dynamics

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

    Lau, Gabriel V.; Müller, Erich A.; Jackson, George

    Atmospheric aerosols play a vital role in affecting climate by influencing the properties and lifetimes of clouds and precipitation. Understanding the underlying microscopic mechanisms involved in the nucleation of aerosol droplets from the vapour phase is therefore of great interest. One key thermodynamic quantity in nucleation is the excess free energy of cluster formation relative to that of the saturated vapour. In our current study, the excess free energy is extracted for clusters of pure water modelled with the TIP4P/2005 intermolecular potential using a method based on nonequilibrium molecular dynamics and the Jarzynski relation. The change in free energy associatedmore » with the “mitosis” or division of a cluster of N water molecules into two N/2 sub-clusters is evaluated. This methodology is an extension of the disassembly procedure used recently to calculate the excess free energy of argon clusters [H. Y. Tang and I. J. Ford, Phys. Rev. E 91, 023308 (2015)]. Our findings are compared to the corresponding excess free energies obtained from classical nucleation theory (CNT) as well as internally consistent classical theory (ICCT). The values of the excess free energy that we obtain with the mitosis method are consistent with CNT for large cluster sizes but for the smallest clusters, the results tend towards ICCT; for intermediate sized clusters, we obtain values between the ICCT and CNT predictions. Furthermore, the curvature-dependent surface tension which can be obtained by regarding the clusters as spherical droplets of bulk density is found to be a monotonically increasing function of cluster size for the studied range. The data are compared to other values reported in the literature, agreeing qualitatively with some but disagreeing with the values determined by Joswiak et al. [J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 4, 4267 (2013)] using a biased mitosis approach; an assessment of the differences is the main motivation for our current study.« less

  9. Impact of Online Instructional Game Features on College Students' Perceived Motivational Support and Cognitive Investment: A Structural Equation Modeling Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Wenhao David; Johnson, Tristan E.; Han, Seung-Hyun Caleb

    2013-01-01

    Colleges and universities have begun to understand the instructional potential of digital game-based learning (DGBL) due to digital games' immersive features. These features, however, might overload learners as excessive motivational and cognitive stimuli thus impeding intended learning. Current research, however, lacks empirical evidences to…

  10. Electrochemically Switchable Polymeric Membrane Ion-Selective Electrodes.

    PubMed

    Zdrachek, Elena; Bakker, Eric

    2018-06-07

    We present here for the first time a solid contact ion-selective electrode suitable for the simultaneous sensing of cations (tetrabutylammonium) and anions (hexafluorophosphate), achieved by electrochemical switching. The membrane is based on a thin plasticized polyurethane membrane deposited on poly(3-octylthiophene) (POT) and contains a cation exchanger and lipophilic electrolyte (ETH 500). The cation exchanger is initially in excess; the ion-selective electrode exhibits an initial potentiometric response to cations. During an oxidative current pulse, POT is converted into POT + , which results in the expulsion of cations from the membrane followed by the extraction of anions from the sample solution to fulfill the electroneutrality condition. This creates a defined excess of lipophilic cation in the membrane, resulting in a potentiometric anion response. A reductive current pulse restores the original cation response by triggering the conversion of POT + back into POT, which is accompanied by the expulsion of anions from the membrane and the extraction of cations from the sample solution. Various current pulse magnitudes and durations are explored, and the best results in terms of response slope values and signal stability were observed with an oxidation current pulse of 140 μA cm -2 applied for 8 s and a reduction current pulse of -71 μA cm -2 applied for 8 s.

  11. Pulsed Eddy Current Probe Design Based on Transient Circuit Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cadeau, Trevor J.; Krause, Thomas W.

    2009-03-01

    Probe design parameters affecting depth of penetration of pulsed eddy currents in multi-layer aluminum 2024-T3 were examined. Several probe designs were evaluated for their ability to detect a discontinuity at the bottom of a stack of aluminum plates. The reflection type probes, consisting of pick-up coil and encircling drive coil, were characterized based on their transient response to a square pulse excitation. Probes with longer fundamental time constants, equivalent to a lower driving frequency, generated greater depth of penetration. However, additional factors such as inductive and resistive load, and excessive coil heating were also factors that limited signal-to-noise response with increasing layer thickness.

  12. Experimental investigation of the excess charge and time constant of minority carriers in the thin diffused layer of 0.1 ohm-cm silicon solar cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Godlewski, M. P.; Brandhorst, H. W., Jr.; Lindholm, F. A.; Sah, C. T.

    1976-01-01

    An experimental method is presented that can be used to interpret the relative roles of bandgap narrowing and recombination processes in the diffused layer. This method involves measuring the device time constant by open-circuit voltage decay and the base region diffusion length by X-ray excitation. A unique illuminated diode method is used to obtain the diode saturation current. These data are interpreted using a simple model to determine individually the minority carrier lifetime and the excess charge. These parameters are then used to infer the relative importance of bandgap narrowing and recombination processes in the diffused layer.

  13. Evidence for Neutral-Current Diffractive π 0 Production from Hydrogen in Neutrino Interactions on Hydrocarbon

    DOE PAGES

    Wolcott, J.; Aliaga, L.; Altinok, O.; ...

    2016-09-01

    Here, the MINERvA experiment observes an excess of events containing electromagnetic showers relative to the expectation from Monte Carlo simulations in neutral-current neutrino interactions with mean beam energy of 4.5 GeV on a hydrocarbon target. The excess is characterized and found to be consistent with neutral-current π 0 production with a broad energy distribution peaking at 7 GeV and a total cross section of 0.26more » $$\\pm$$ 0.02 (stat) $$\\pm$$ 0.08 (sys) x $$10^{-39} cm^{2}$$. The angular distribution, electromagnetic shower energy, and spatial distribution of the energy depositions of the excess are consistent with expectations from neutrino neutral-current diffractive neutral pion production from hydrogen in the hydrocarbon target. These data comprise the first direct experimental observation and constraint for a reaction that poses an important background process in neutrino oscillation experiments searching for $$\

  14. Improved Thermal-Switch Disks Protect Batteries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Darcy, Eric; Bragg, Bobby

    1990-01-01

    Improved thermal-switch disks help protect electrical batteries against high currents like those due to short circuits or high demands for power in circuits supplied by batteries. Protects batteries against excessive temperatures. Centered by insulating fiberglass washer. Contains conductive polymer that undergoes abrupt increase in electrical resistance when excessive current raises its temperature above specific point. After cooling, polymer reverts to low resistance. Disks reusable.

  15. CubeSat Remote Sensing: A Survey of Current Capabilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hegel, D.

    2014-12-01

    Recent years have seen dramatic growth in the availability and capability of very small satellites for atmospheric sensing, and other space-based science, as the simplicity of integration and low cost of these platforms enables projects that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive, or demand excessive expertise/infrastructure to execute. This paper surveys the current state-of-the-art for CubeSat performance, including pointing accuracy, geolocation, available power, and data downlink capacity. Applications for up-coming missions, such as CeREs, MinXSS, and HARP will also be discussed.

  16. Can Direct Current Electrotherapy Be Used for Patients With Orthopedic Implants?

    PubMed Central

    Thaler, Evangeline; Korte, Holger

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Although electrotherapy appears to have particularly interesting applications in the field of postoperative orthopedic rehabilitation, relatively little scientifically based research has been conducted in the area of electrotherapy with regard to safety involving patients with orthopedic implants. Method: Three electrotherapy forms were tested, such as high-volt stimulation (HVS), transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS), and galvanic current (GAL), using a model system containing a metal implant plate to evaluate whether heating in excess of 3°C would occur. Results: All changes in temperature for HVS, GAL, and TENS therapeutic electrical currents observed in our model system fall below the predefined 3°C. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental based observation that prolonged exposure to a direct electrical current at therapeutic strength does not result in heating of metal titanium plates. PMID:28255511

  17. Development of high-sensitivity SWIR APD receivers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bai, Xiaogang; Yuan, Ping; Chang, James; Sudharsanan, Rengarajan; Krainak, Michael; Yang, Guangning; Sun, Xiaoli; Lu, Wei

    2013-06-01

    Emerging short wavelength infrared (SWIR) LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) and long range laser rangefinder systems, require large optical aperture avalanche photodiodes (APDs) receivers with high sensitivity and high bandwidth. A large optical aperture is critical to increase the optical coupling efficiency and extend the LIDAR sensing range of the above systems. Both APD excess noise and transimpedance amplifier (TIA) noise need to be reduced in order to achieve high receiver sensitivity. The dark current and capacitance of large area APDs increase with APD aperture and thus limit the sensitivity and bandwidth of receivers. Spectrolab has been developing low excess noise InAlAs/InGaAs APDs with impact ionization engineering (I2E) designs for many years and has demonstrated APDs with optical gain over 100 utilizing multiple period I2E structures in the APD multiplier. These high gain I2E APDs have an excess noise factor less than 0.15. With an optical aperture of 200 μm, low excess noise multiple periods I2E APDs have capacitances about 1.7 pF. In addition, optical gains of InAlAs based APDs show very little temperature dependence and will enable APD photoreceivers without thermal electric cooling.

  18. Unexplained Excess of Electronlike Events from a 1-GeV Neutrino Beam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aguilar-Arevalo, A. A.; Anderson, C. E.; Bazarko, A. O.; Brice, S. J.; Brown, B. C.; Bugel, L.; Cao, J.; Coney, L.; Conrad, J. M.; Cox, D. C.; Curioni, A.; Djurcic, Z.; Finley, D. A.; Fleming, B. T.; Ford, R.; Garcia, F. G.; Garvey, G. T.; Green, C.; Green, J. A.; Hart, T. L.; Hawker, E.; Imlay, R.; Johnson, R. A.; Karagiorgi, G.; Kasper, P.; Katori, T.; Kobilarcik, T.; Kourbanis, I.; Koutsoliotas, S.; Laird, E. M.; Linden, S. K.; Link, J. M.; Liu, Y.; Liu, Y.; Louis, W. C.; Mahn, K. B. M.; Marsh, W.; McGregor, G.; Metcalf, W.; Meyers, P. D.; Mills, F.; Mills, G. B.; Monroe, J.; Moore, C. D.; Nelson, R. H.; Nguyen, V. T.; Nienaber, P.; Nowak, J. A.; Ouedraogo, S.; Patterson, R. B.; Perevalov, D.; Polly, C. C.; Prebys, E.; Raaf, J. L.; Ray, H.; Roe, B. P.; Russell, A. D.; Sandberg, V.; Schirato, R.; Schmitz, D.; Shaevitz, M. H.; Shoemaker, F. C.; Smith, D.; Sodeberg, M.; Sorel, M.; Spentzouris, P.; Stancu, I.; Stefanski, R. J.; Sung, M.; Tanaka, H. A.; Tayloe, R.; Tzanov, M.; van de Water, R.; Wascko, M. O.; White, D. H.; Wilking, M. J.; Yang, H. J.; Zeller, G. P.; Zimmerman, E. D.

    2009-03-01

    The MiniBooNE Collaboration observes unexplained electronlike events in the reconstructed neutrino energy range from 200 to 475 MeV. With 6.46×1020 protons on target, 544 electronlike events are observed in this energy range, compared to an expectation of 415.2±43.4 events, corresponding to an excess of 128.8±20.4±38.3 events. The shape of the excess in several kinematic variables is consistent with being due to either νe and ν¯e charged-current scattering or νμ neutral-current scattering with a photon in the final state. No significant excess of events is observed in the reconstructed neutrino energy range from 475 to 1250 MeV, where 408 events are observed compared to an expectation of 385.9±35.7 events.

  19. The Impact of a 25 Cent-Per-Drink Alcohol Tax Increase: Who Pays the Tab?

    PubMed Central

    Daley, James I.; Stahre, Mandy A.; Chaloupka, Frank J.; Naimi, Timothy S.

    2013-01-01

    Background Excessive alcohol consumption causes 79,000 deaths annually in the U.S., shortening the lives of those who die by approximately 30 years. Although alcohol taxation is an effective measure to reduce excessive consumption and related harms, some argue that increasing alcohol taxes places an unfair economic burden on “responsible” drinkers and socially disadvantaged persons. Purpose To examine the impact of a hypothetical tax increase based on alcohol consumption and socio-demographic characteristics of current drinkers, individually and in aggregate. Methods Data from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey was analyzed from 2010–2011 to determine the net financial impact of a hypothetical 25 cent-per-drink tax increase on current drinkers in the U.S. Higher-risk drinkers were defined as those whose past-30 day consumption included binge drinking, heavy drinking, drinking in excess of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, and alcohol-impaired driving. Results Of current drinkers in the U.S., 50.4% (or approximately 25% of the total U.S. population) were classified as higher-risk drinkers. The tax increase would result in a 9.2% reduction in alcohol consumption, including an 11.4% reduction in heavy drinking. Compared with lower-risk drinkers, higher-risk drinkers paid 4.7 times more in net increased annual per capita taxes, and paid 82.7% of net increased annual aggregate taxes. Lower-risk drinkers paid less than $30 in net increased taxes annually. In aggregate, groups who paid the most in net tax increases included those who were white, male, between the ages of 21 and 50, earning ≥$50,000 per year, employed, and had a college degree. Conclusions A 25 cent-per-drink alcohol tax increase would reduce excessive drinking, and higher-risk drinkers would pay the substantial majority of the net tax increase. PMID:22424251

  20. Human Milk Fortifiers Do Not Meet the Current Recommendation for Nutrients in Very Low Birth Weight Infants.

    PubMed

    Koo, Winston; Tice, Hilary

    2017-06-01

    Use of multinutrient fortifiers is standard of care for small preterm infants fed exclusively human milk. However, adequacy of human milk fortifiers (HMFs) to meet the recommended intake for macronutrients and micronutrients is now known. Nutrient content of human milk fortified according to manufacturer's recommendations was compared at isocaloric levels for 1 human milk-based (HMF-A), 2 bovine milk protein-based (HMF-B, HMF-C), and 2 preterm infant formulas (PTF-B, PTF-C). In addition, 4 multivitamin supplements were compared. At 130 kcal/kg, intake of macronutrients was similar to the recommendation, although deficient and excess intake of micronutrient occurred with all fortifiers. Four to 9 micronutrients were absent in HMF or PTF (biotin, choline, inositol, carnitine, taurine, molybdenum, iodine, selenium, or chromium). For the remainder, HMF resulted in deficient intake for 1-13 micronutrients, occurring most frequently with HMF-A. Excess micronutrients (3-15 at <50% and 1-3 at 109%-437%) occurred with all HMF and most frequently with HMF-B and HMF-C. At 150 kcal/kg, deficient intake improved but generally remained below recommendation, while excess intake became exaggerated. PTF and multivitamin formulations do not fully compensate for the deficiencies and can result in extremely high micronutrient intake. At the recommended energy intake for very low birth weight infants, many micronutrients are absent or are present in grossly inadequate amounts, and several micronutrients are in excess. Reformulation of HMF is urgently needed since PTF or multivitamin supplement only partially corrects some deficiencies while providing some nutrients in excess. ( JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. XXXX;xx:xx-xx).

  1. Impact of the Volkswagen emissions control defeat device on US public health

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barrett, Steven R. H.; Speth, Raymond L.; Eastham, Sebastian D.; Dedoussi, Irene C.; Ashok, Akshay; Malina, Robert; Keith, David W.

    2015-11-01

    The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has alleged that Volkswagen Group of America (VW) violated the Clean Air Act (CAA) by developing and installing emissions control system ‘defeat devices’ (software) in model year 2009-2015 vehicles with 2.0 litre diesel engines. VW has admitted the inclusion of defeat devices. On-road emissions testing suggests that in-use NOx emissions for these vehicles are a factor of 10 to 40 above the EPA standard. In this paper we quantify the human health impacts and associated costs of the excess emissions. We propagate uncertainties throughout the analysis. A distribution function for excess emissions is estimated based on available in-use NOx emissions measurements. We then use vehicle sales data and the STEP vehicle fleet model to estimate vehicle distance traveled per year for the fleet. The excess NOx emissions are allocated on a 50 km grid using an EPA estimate of the light duty diesel vehicle NOx emissions distribution. We apply a GEOS-Chem adjoint-based rapid air pollution exposure model to produce estimates of particulate matter and ozone exposure due to the spatially resolved excess NOx emissions. A set of concentration-response functions is applied to estimate mortality and morbidity outcomes. Integrated over the sales period (2008-2015) we estimate that the excess emissions will cause 59 (95% CI: 10 to 150) early deaths in the US. When monetizing premature mortality using EPA-recommended data, we find a social cost of ˜450m over the sales period. For the current fleet, we estimate that a return to compliance for all affected vehicles by the end of 2016 will avert ˜130 early deaths and avoid ˜840m in social costs compared to a counterfactual case without recall.

  2. Hurricane risk assessment: Rollback or ride out

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wohlman, Richard A.

    1993-01-01

    Winds in excess of 74.5 knots could cause severe damage to a space shuttle on the launch pad. Current plans exist for rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building, but require 48 hour leadtime to implement. Decisions based upon cost/loss are evaluated to ascertain whether predetermined forecast probabilities for rollback/rideout decisions can be made far in advance of hurricane seasons for use in decision making.

  3. Tunneling effects in the current-voltage characteristics of high-efficiency GaAs solar cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kachare, R.; Anspaugh, B. E.; Garlick, G. F. J.

    1988-01-01

    Evidence is that tunneling via states in the forbidden gap is the dominant source of excess current in the dark current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of high-efficiency DMCVD grown Al(x)Ga(1-x)As/GaAs(x is equal to or greater than 0.85) solar cells. The dark forward and reverse I-V measurements were made on several solar cells, for the first time, at temperatures between 193 and 301 K. Low-voltage reverse-bias I-V data of a number of cells give a thermal activation energy for excess current of 0.026 + or - 0.005 eV, which corresponds to the carbon impurity in GaAs. However, other energy levels between 0.02 eV and 0.04 eV were observed in some cells which may correspond to impurity levels introduced by Cu, Si, Ge, or Cd. The forward-bias excess current is mainly due to carrier tunneling between localized levels created in the space-charge layer by impurities such as carbon, which are incorporated during the solar cell growth process. A model is suggested to explain the results.

  4. Current Voltage Characteristics and Excess Noise at the Trap Filling Transition in Polyacenes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pousset, Jeremy; Alfinito, Eleonora; Carbone, Anna; Pennetta, Cecilia; Reggiani, Lino

    Experiments in organic semiconductors (polyacenes) evidence a strong super quadratic increase of the current-voltage (I-V) characteristic at voltages in the transition region between linear (Ohmic) and quadratic (trap-free space-charge-limited current) behaviors. Similarly, excess noise measurements at a given frequency and increasing voltages evidence a sharp peak of the relative spectral density of the current noise in concomitance with the strong superquadratic I-V characteristics. Here, we discuss the physical interpretation of these experiments in terms of an essential contribution from field-assisted trapping-detrapping processes of injected carriers. To this purpose, the fraction of filled traps determined by the I-V characteristics is used to evaluate the excess noise in the trap-filled transition (TFT) regime. We have found an excellent agreement between the predictions of our model and existing experimental results in tetracene and pentacene thin films of different length in the range 0.65÷35μm.

  5. The effect of K and Na excess on the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahn, C. W.; Y Lee, S.; Lee, H. J.; Ullah, A.; Bae, J. S.; Jeong, E. D.; Choi, J. S.; Park, B. H.; Kim, I. W.

    2009-11-01

    We have fabricated K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) thin films on Pt substrates by a chemical solution deposition method and investigated the effect of K and Na excess (0-30 mol%) on ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of KNN thin film. It was found that with increasing K and Na excess in a precursor solution from 0 to 30 mol%, the leakage current and ferroelectric properties were strongly affected. KNN thin film synthesized by using 20 mol% K and Na excess precursor solution exhibited a low leakage current density and well saturated ferroelectric P-E hysteresis loops. Moreover, the optimized KNN thin film had good fatigue resistance and a piezoelectric constant of 40 pm V-1, which is comparable to that of polycrystalline PZT thin films.

  6. Definition of temperature thresholds: the example of the French heat wave warning system.

    PubMed

    Pascal, Mathilde; Wagner, Vérène; Le Tertre, Alain; Laaidi, Karine; Honoré, Cyrille; Bénichou, Françoise; Beaudeau, Pascal

    2013-01-01

    Heat-related deaths should be somewhat preventable. In France, some prevention measures are activated when minimum and maximum temperatures averaged over three days reach city-specific thresholds. The current thresholds were computed based on a descriptive analysis of past heat waves and on local expert judgement. We tested whether a different method would confirm these thresholds. The study was set in the six cities of Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Strasbourg and Limoges between 1973 and 2003. For each city, we estimated the excess in mortality associated with different temperature thresholds, using a generalised additive model, controlling for long-time trends, seasons and days of the week. These models were used to compute the mortality predicted by different percentiles of temperatures. The thresholds were chosen as the percentiles associated with a significant excess mortality. In all cities, there was a good correlation between current thresholds and the thresholds derived from the models, with 0°C to 3°C differences for averaged maximum temperatures. Both set of thresholds were able to anticipate the main periods of excess mortality during the summers of 1973 to 2003. A simple method relying on descriptive analysis and expert judgement is sufficient to define protective temperature thresholds and to prevent heat wave mortality. As temperatures are increasing along with the climate change and adaptation is ongoing, more research is required to understand if and when thresholds should be modified.

  7. Excess mortality in Europe following a future Laki-style Icelandic eruption

    PubMed Central

    Schmidt, Anja; Ostro, Bart; Carslaw, Kenneth S.; Wilson, Marjorie; Thordarson, Thorvaldur; Mann, Graham W.; Simmons, Adrian J.

    2011-01-01

    Historical records show that the A.D. 1783–1784 Laki eruption in Iceland caused severe environmental stress and posed a health hazard far beyond the borders of Iceland. Given the reasonable likelihood of such an event recurring, it is important to assess the scale on which a future eruption could impact society. We quantify the potential health effects caused by an increase in air pollution during a future Laki-style eruption using a global aerosol model together with concentration-response functions derived from current epidemiological studies. The concentration of particulate matter with diameters smaller than 2.5 µm is predicted to double across central, western, and northern Europe during the first 3 mo of the eruption. Over land areas of Europe, the current World Health Organization 24-h air quality guideline for particulate matter with diameters smaller than 2.5 µm is exceeded an additional 36 d on average over the course of the eruption. Based on the changes in particulate air pollution, we estimate that approximately 142,000 additional cardiopulmonary fatalities (with a 95% confidence interval of 52,000–228,000) could occur in Europe. In terms of air pollution, such a volcanic eruption would therefore be a severe health hazard, increasing excess mortality in Europe on a scale that likely exceeds excess mortality due to seasonal influenza. PMID:21930954

  8. Factors Associated with Excessive Body Fat in Men and Women: Cross-Sectional Data from Black South Africans Living in a Rural Community and an Urban Township

    PubMed Central

    Okop, Kufre Joseph; Levitt, Naomi; Puoane, Thandi

    2015-01-01

    Objective To determine the factors associated with excessive body fat among black African men and women living in rural and urban communities of South Africa. Methods This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study, Cape Town, South Africa conducted in 2009/2010. The study sample included 1220 participants (77.2% women) aged 35–70 years, for whom anthropometric measurements were obtained and risk factors documented through face-to-face interviews using validated international PURE study protocols. Sex-specific logistic regression models were used to evaluate socio-demographic, lifestyle and psychological factors associated with three excessive body fat indicators, namely body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and body fat percent (BF%). Results The prevalence of excessive body fat based on BF%, WC and BMI cut-offs were 96.0%, 86.1%, and 81.6% for women respectively, and 62.2%, 25.9%, and 36.0% for men respectively. The significant odds of excessive body fat among the currently married compared to unmarried were 4.1 (95% CI: 1.3–12.5) for BF% and 1.9 (95% CI: 1.3–2.9) for BMI among women; and 4.9 (95% CI: 2.6–9.6), 3.2 (95% CI: 1.6–6.4) and 3.6 (95% CI: 1.9–6.8) for BF%, WC and BMI respectively among men. Age ≤50 years (compared to age >50 years) was inversely associated with excessive BF% in men and women, and less-than-a-college education was inversely associated with excessive BMI and WC in men. Tobacco smoking was inversely associated with all three excessive adiposity indicators in women but not in men. Unemployment, depression, and stress did not predict excessive body fat in men or women. Conclusion The sex-differences in the socio-demographic and lifestyle factors associated with the high levels of excessive body fat in urban and rural women and men should be considered in packaging interventions to reduce obesity in these communities. PMID:26447880

  9. AREA RADIATION MONITOR

    DOEpatents

    Manning, F.W.; Groothuis, S.E.; Lykins, J.H.; Papke, D.M.

    1962-06-12

    S>An improved area radiation dose monitor is designed which is adapted to compensate continuously for background radiation below a threshold dose rate and to give warning when the dose integral of the dose rate of an above-threshold radiation excursion exceeds a selected value. This is accomplished by providing means for continuously charging an ionization chamber. The chamber provides a first current proportional to the incident radiation dose rate. Means are provided for generating a second current including means for nulling out the first current with the second current at all values of the first current corresponding to dose rates below a selected threshold dose rate value. The second current has a maximum value corresponding to that of the first current at the threshold dose rate. The excess of the first current over the second current, which occurs above the threshold, is integrated and an alarm is given at a selected integrated value of the excess corresponding to a selected radiation dose. (AEC)

  10. Using nonesterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations during the transition period for herd-level monitoring of increased risk of disease and decreased reproductive and milking performance.

    PubMed

    Ospina, Paula A; McArt, Jessica A; Overton, Thomas R; Stokol, Tracy; Nydam, Daryl V

    2013-07-01

    Dairy cows visit a state of negative energy balance (NEB) as they transition from late gestation to early lactation. At the individual level, there are several metabolic adaptations to manage NEB, including mobilization of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) from body fat reserves and glucose sparing for lactogenesis. Based on current pen-level feeding and management practices, strategies to minimize excessive NEB in both the individual and herd should focus on herd-level testing and management. This article reviews strategies for testing and monitoring of excessive NEB at the herd level through individual testing of 2 energy markers: NEFA and β-hydroxybutyrate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Handbook of Reliability Prediction Procedures for Mechanical Equipment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-05-01

    stationary part, a rotor out of balance causing vibration,3 excessive thrust caused by mechanical failure of other parts, excessive temperature caused by...misalignment, a bent shaft, a rotating part rubbing on a stationary part, a rotor out of balance causing vibration, excessive thrust caused by...armature windings which are placed around the rotor , are connected in series so that all current that passes through the field windings also passes through

  12. Global burden of cancer attributable to high body-mass index in 2012: a population-based study

    PubMed Central

    Byrnes, Graham; Renehan, Prof Andrew G; Stevens, Gretchen A; Ezzati, Prof Majid; Ferlay, Jacques; Miranda, J. Jaime; Romieu, Isabelle; Dikshit, Rajesh; Forman, David; Soerjomataram, Isabelle

    2015-01-01

    Background Excess body mass index (BMI) is associated with increased risk of cancer. To inform public health policyand future research, we estimated the global burden of cancer attributable to excess BMI. Methods Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were derived using relative risks and BMI estimates in adults by age, sex and country. Assuming a10-year lag-period, PAFs were calculated using BMI estimates in 2002. GLOBOCAN2012 was used to compute numbers of new cancer cases attributable to excess BMI. In an alternative scenario, we computed the proportion of potentially avoidable cancers assuming that populations maintained their BMI-level observed in 1982. Secondary analyses were performed to test the model and estimate the impactof hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and smoking. Findings Worldwide, we estimated that 481,000 or 3·6% of all new cancer cases in 2012 were attributable to excess BMI. PAFs were greater in women compared with men (5·4% versus 1·9%). The burden was concentrated in countries with very high and high human development index (HDI, PAF: 5·3% and 4·8%) compared with countries with moderate and low HDI (PAF: 1·6% and 1·0%). Corpus uteri, post-menopausal breast and colon cancers accounted for approximately two-thirds (64%) of excess BMI attributable cancers. One fourth (~118,000) of all cases related to excess BMI in 2012 could be attributed to the rising BMI since 1982. Interpretation These findings further underpin the need for a global effort to abate the rising trends in population-level excess weight. Assuming that the relationship between excess BMI and cancer is causal and the current pattern of population weight gain continues, this will likely augment the future burden of cancer. Funding World Cancer Research Fund, Marie Currie Fellowship, the National Health and Medical Research Council Australia and US NIH. PMID:25467404

  13. A computationally identified compound antagonizes excess FGF-23 signaling in renal tubules and a mouse model of hypophosphatemia

    DOE PAGES

    Xiao, Zhousheng; Riccardi, Demian; Velazquez, Hector A.; ...

    2016-11-22

    Fibroblast growth factor–23 (FGF-23) interacts with a binary receptor complex composed of α-Klotho (α-KL) and FGF receptors (FGFRs) to regulate phosphate and vitamin D metabolism in the kidney. Excess FGF-23 production, which causes hypophosphatemia, is genetically inherited or occurs with chronic kidney disease. Among other symptoms, hypophosphatemia causes vitamin D deficiency and the bone-softening disorder rickets. Current therapeutics that target the receptor complex have limited utility clinically. In this paper, using a computationally driven, structure-based, ensemble docking and virtual high-throughput screening approach, we identified four novel compounds predicted to selectively inhibit FGF-23–induced activation of the FGFR/α-KL complex. Additional modeling andmore » functional analysis found that Zinc13407541 bound to FGF-23 and disrupted its interaction with the FGFR1/α-KL complex; experiments in a heterologous cell expression system showed that Zinc13407541 selectivity inhibited α-KL–dependent FGF-23 signaling. Zinc13407541 also inhibited FGF-23 signaling in isolated renal tubules ex vivo and partially reversed the hypophosphatemic effects of excess FGF-23 in a mouse model. Finally, these chemical probes provide a platform to develop lead compounds to treat disorders caused by excess FGF-23.« less

  14. A computationally identified compound antagonizes excess FGF-23 signaling in renal tubules and a mouse model of hypophosphatemia.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Zhousheng; Riccardi, Demian; Velazquez, Hector A; Chin, Ai L; Yates, Charles R; Carrick, Jesse D; Smith, Jeremy C; Baudry, Jerome; Quarles, L Darryl

    2016-11-22

    Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) interacts with a binary receptor complex composed of α-Klotho (α-KL) and FGF receptors (FGFRs) to regulate phosphate and vitamin D metabolism in the kidney. Excess FGF-23 production, which causes hypophosphatemia, is genetically inherited or occurs with chronic kidney disease. Among other symptoms, hypophosphatemia causes vitamin D deficiency and the bone-softening disorder rickets. Current therapeutics that target the receptor complex have limited utility clinically. Using a computationally driven, structure-based, ensemble docking and virtual high-throughput screening approach, we identified four novel compounds predicted to selectively inhibit FGF-23-induced activation of the FGFR/α-KL complex. Additional modeling and functional analysis found that Zinc13407541 bound to FGF-23 and disrupted its interaction with the FGFR1/α-KL complex; experiments in a heterologous cell expression system showed that Zinc13407541 selectivity inhibited α-KL-dependent FGF-23 signaling. Zinc13407541 also inhibited FGF-23 signaling in isolated renal tubules ex vivo and partially reversed the hypophosphatemic effects of excess FGF-23 in a mouse model. These chemical probes provide a platform to develop lead compounds to treat disorders caused by excess FGF-23. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  15. A computationally identified compound antagonizes excess FGF-23 signaling in renal tubules and a mouse model of hypophosphatemia

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

    Xiao, Zhousheng; Riccardi, Demian; Velazquez, Hector A.

    Fibroblast growth factor–23 (FGF-23) interacts with a binary receptor complex composed of α-Klotho (α-KL) and FGF receptors (FGFRs) to regulate phosphate and vitamin D metabolism in the kidney. Excess FGF-23 production, which causes hypophosphatemia, is genetically inherited or occurs with chronic kidney disease. Among other symptoms, hypophosphatemia causes vitamin D deficiency and the bone-softening disorder rickets. Current therapeutics that target the receptor complex have limited utility clinically. In this paper, using a computationally driven, structure-based, ensemble docking and virtual high-throughput screening approach, we identified four novel compounds predicted to selectively inhibit FGF-23–induced activation of the FGFR/α-KL complex. Additional modeling andmore » functional analysis found that Zinc13407541 bound to FGF-23 and disrupted its interaction with the FGFR1/α-KL complex; experiments in a heterologous cell expression system showed that Zinc13407541 selectivity inhibited α-KL–dependent FGF-23 signaling. Zinc13407541 also inhibited FGF-23 signaling in isolated renal tubules ex vivo and partially reversed the hypophosphatemic effects of excess FGF-23 in a mouse model. Finally, these chemical probes provide a platform to develop lead compounds to treat disorders caused by excess FGF-23.« less

  16. Multi-Layer Organic Squaraine-Based Photodiode for Indirect X-Ray Detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iacchetti, Antonio; Binda, Maddalena; Natali, Dario; Giussani, Mattia; Beverina, Luca; Fiorini, Carlo; Peloso, Roberta; Sampietro, Marco

    2012-10-01

    The paper presents an organic-based photodiode coupled to a CsI(Tl) scintillator to realize an X-ray detector. A suitable blend of an indolic squaraine derivative and of fullerene derivative has been used for the photodiode, thus allowing external quantum efficiency in excess of 10% at a wavelength of 570 nm, well matching the scintillator output spectrum. Thanks to the additional deposition of a 15 nm thin layer of a suitable low electron affinity polymer, carriers injection from the metal into the organic semiconductor has been suppressed, and dark current density as low as has been obtained, which is comparable to standard Si-based photodiodes. By using a collimated X-ray beam impinging onto the scintillator mounted over the photodiode we have been able to measure current variations in the order of 150 pA on a dark current floor of less than 50 pA when operating the X-ray tube in switching mode, thus proving the feasibility of indirect X-ray detection by means of organic semiconductors.

  17. Rapid determination of enantiomeric excess: a focus on optical approaches.

    PubMed

    Leung, Diana; Kang, Sung Ok; Anslyn, Eric V

    2012-01-07

    High-throughput screening (HTS) methods are becoming increasingly essential in discovering chiral catalysts or auxiliaries for asymmetric transformations due to the advent of parallel synthesis and combinatorial chemistry. Both parallel synthesis and combinatorial chemistry can lead to the exploration of a range of structural candidates and reaction conditions as a means to obtain the highest enantiomeric excess (ee) of a desired transformation. One current bottleneck in these approaches to asymmetric reactions is the determination of ee, which has led researchers to explore a wide range of HTS techniques. To be truly high-throughput, it has been proposed that a technique that can analyse a thousand or more samples per day is needed. Many of the current approaches to this goal are based on optical methods because they allow for a rapid determination of ee due to quick data collection and their parallel analysis capabilities. In this critical review these techniques are reviewed with a discussion of their respective advantages and drawbacks, and with a contrast to chromatographic methods (180 references). This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

  18. Risk analysis for worker exposure to benzene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hallenbeck, William H.; Flowers, Roxanne E.

    1992-05-01

    Cancer risk factors (characterized by route, dose, dose rate per kilogram, fraction of lifetime exposed, species, and sex) were derived for workers exposed to benzene via inhalation or ingestion. Exposure at the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) and at leaking underground storage tank (LUST) sites were evaluated. At the current PEL of 1 ppm, the theoretical lifetime excess risk of cancer from benzene inhalation is ten per 1000. The theoretical lifetime excess risk for worker inhalation exposure at LUST sites ranged from 10 to 40 per 1000. These results indicate that personal protection should be required. The theoretical lifetime excess risk due to soil ingestion is five to seven orders of magnitude less than the inhalation risks.

  19. Prioritizing quality improvement in general surgery.

    PubMed

    Schilling, Peter L; Dimick, Justin B; Birkmeyer, John D

    2008-11-01

    Despite growing interest in quality improvement, uncertainty remains about which procedures offer the most room for improvement in general surgery. In this context, we sought to describe the relative contribution of different procedures to overall morbidity, mortality, and excess length of stay in general surgery. Using data from the American College of Surgeons' National Surgery Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP), we identified all patients undergoing a general surgery procedure in 2005 and 2006 (n=129,233). Patients were placed in 36 distinct procedure groups based on Current Procedural Terminology codes. We first examined procedure groups according to their relative contribution to overall morbidity and mortality. We then assessed procedure groups according to their contribution to overall excess length of stay. Ten procedure groups alone accounted for 62% of complications and 54% of excess hospital days. Colectomy accounted for the greatest share of adverse events, followed by small intestine resection, inpatient cholecystectomy, and ventral hernia repair. In contrast, several common procedures contributed little to overall morbidity and mortality. For example, outpatient cholecystectomy, breast procedures, thyroidectomy, parathyroidectomy, and outpatient inguinal hernia repair together accounted for 34% of procedures, but only 6% of complications (and only 4% of major complications). These same procedures accounted for < 1% of excess hospital days. A relatively small number of procedures account for a disproportionate share of the morbidity, mortality, and excess hospital days in general surgery. Focusing quality improvement efforts on these procedures may be an effective strategy for improving patient care and reducing cost.

  20. Will the Needs-Based Planning of Health Human Resources Currently Undertaken in Several Countries Lead to Excess Supply and Inefficiency?

    PubMed

    Basu, Kisalaya; Pak, Maxwell

    2016-01-01

    Recently, the emphasis on health human resources (HHR) planning has shifted away from a utilization-based approach toward a needs-based one in which planning is based on the projected health needs of the population. However, needs-based models that are currently in use rely on a definition of 'needs' that include only the medical circumstances of individuals and not personal preferences or other socio-economic factors. We examine whether planning based on such a narrow definition will maximize social welfare. We show that, in a publicly funded healthcare system, if the planner seeks to meet the aggregate need without taking utilization into consideration, then oversupply of HHR is likely because 'needs' do not necessarily translate into 'usage.' Our result suggests that HHR planning should track the healthcare system as access gradually improves because, even if health care is fully accessible, individuals may not fully utilize it to the degree prescribed by their medical circumstances. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Understanding the effect of an excessive cold tongue bias on projecting the tropical Pacific SST warming pattern in CMIP5 models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ying, Jun; Huang, Ping; Lian, Tao; Tan, Hongjian

    2018-05-01

    An excessive cold tongue is a common bias among current climate models, and considered an important source of bias in projections of tropical Pacific climate change under global warming. Specifically, the excessive cold tongue bias is closely related to the tropical Pacific SST warming (TPSW) pattern. In this study, we reveal that two processes are the critical mechanisms by which the excessive cold tongue bias influences the projection of the TPSW pattern, based on 32 models from phase 5 of Coupled Model Intercomparison Projection (CMIP5). On the one hand, by assuming that the shortwave (SW) radiation to SST feedback is linearly correlated to the cold tongue SST, the excessive cold tongue bias can induce an overly weak negative SW-SST feedback in the central Pacific, which can lead to a positive SST warming bias in the central to western Pacific (around 150°E-140°W). Moreover, the overly weak local atmospheric dynamics response to SST is a key process of the overly weak SW-SST feedback, compared with the cloud response to atmospheric dynamics and the SW radiation response to cloud. On the other hand, the overly strong ocean zonal overturning circulation associated with the excessive cold tongue bias results in an overestimation of the ocean dynamical thermostat effect, with enhanced ocean stratification under global warming, leading to a negative SST warming bias in the central and eastern Pacific (around 170°W-120°W). These two processes jointly form a positive SST warming bias in the western Pacific, contributing to a La Niña-like warming bias. Therefore, we suggest a more realistic climatological cold tongue SST is needed for a more reliable projection of the TPSW pattern.

  2. Non-haloaluminate room-temperature ionic liquids in electrochemistry--a review.

    PubMed

    Buzzeo, Marisa C; Evans, Russell G; Compton, Richard G

    2004-08-20

    Some twenty-five years after they first came to prominence as alternative electrochemical solvents, room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are currently being employed across an increasingly wide range of chemical fields. This review examines the current state of ionic liquid-based electrochemistry, with particular focus on the work of the last decade. Being composed entirely of ions and possesing wide electrochemical windows (often in excess of 5 volts), it is not difficult to see why these compounds are seen by electrochemists as attractive potential solvents. Accordingly, an examination of the pertinent properties of ionic liquids is presented, followed by an assessment of their application to date across the various electrochemical disciplines, concluding with an outlook viewing current problems and directions.

  3. Superlattice barrier varactors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Raman, C.; Sun, J. P.; Chen, W. L.; Munns, G.; East, J.; Haddad, G.

    1992-01-01

    SBV (Single Barrier Varactor) diodes have been proposed as alternatives to Schottky barrier diodes for harmonic multiplier applications. However, these show a higher current than expected. The excess current is due to X valley transport in the barrier. We present experimental results showing that the use of a superlattice barrier and doping spikes in the GaAs depletion regions on either side of the barrier can reduce the excess current and improve the control of the capacitance vs. voltage characteristic. The experimental results consist of data taken from two types of device structures. The first test structure was used to study the performance of AlAs/GaAs superlattice barriers. The wafer was fabricated into 90 micron diameter mesa diodes and the resulting current vs. voltage characteristics were measured. A 10 period superlattice structure with a total thickness of approximately 400 A worked well as an electron barrier. The structure had a current density of about one A/sq cm at one volt at room temperature. The capacitance variation of these structures was small because of the design of the GaAs cladding layers. The second test structure was used to study cladding layer designs. These wafers were InGaAs and InAlAs layers lattice matched to an InP substrate. The layers have n(+) doping spikes near the barrier to increase the zero bias capacitance and control the shape of the capacitance vs. voltage characteristic. These structures have a capacitance ratio of 5:1 and an abrupt change from maximum to minimum capacitance. The measurements were made at 80 K. Based on the information obtained from these two structures, we have designed a structure that combines the low current density barrier with the improved cladding layers. The capacitance and current-voltage characteristics from this structure are presented.

  4. RNA therapeutics targeting osteoclast-mediated excessive bone resorption

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yuwei; Grainger, David W

    2011-01-01

    RNA interference (RNAi) is a sequence-specific post-transcriptional gene silencing technique developed with dramatically increasing utility for both scientific and therapeutic purposes. Short interfering RNA (siRNA) is currently exploited to regulate protein expression relevant to many therapeutic applications, and commonly used as a tool for elucidating disease-associated genes. Osteoporosis and their associated osteoporotic fragility fractures in both men and women are rapidly becoming a global healthcare crisis as average life expectancy increases worldwide. New therapeutics are needed for this increasing patient population. This review describes the diversity of molecular targets suitable for RNAi-based gene knock-down in osteoclasts to control osteoclast-mediated excessive bone resorption. We identify strategies for developing targeted siRNA delivery and efficient gene silencing, and describe opportunities and challenges of introducing siRNA as a therapeutic approach to hard and connective tissue disorders. PMID:21945356

  5. Using Monte-Carlo Simulations to Study the Disk Structure in Cygnus X-1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yao, Y.; Zhang, S. N.; Zhang, X. L.; Feng, Y. X.

    2002-01-01

    As the first dynamically determined black hole X-ray binary system, Cygnus X-1 has been studied extensively. However, its broad-band spectra in hard state with BeppoSAX is still not well understood. Besides the soft excess described by the multi-color disk model (MCD), the power- law component and a broad excess feature above 10 keV (disk reflection component), there is also an additional soft component around 1 keV, whose origin is not known currently.We propose that the additional soft component is due to the thermal Comptonization process between the s oft disk photon and the warm plasma cloud just above the disk.i.e., a warm layer. We use Monte-Carlo technique t o simulate this Compton scattering process and build several table models based on our simulation results.

  6. Automatic exposure control systems designed to maintain constant image noise: effects on computed tomography dose and noise relative to clinically accepted technique charts.

    PubMed

    Favazza, Christopher P; Yu, Lifeng; Leng, Shuai; Kofler, James M; McCollough, Cynthia H

    2015-01-01

    To compare computed tomography dose and noise arising from use of an automatic exposure control (AEC) system designed to maintain constant image noise as patient size varies with clinically accepted technique charts and AEC systems designed to vary image noise. A model was developed to describe tube current modulation as a function of patient thickness. Relative dose and noise values were calculated as patient width varied for AEC settings designed to yield constant or variable noise levels and were compared to empirically derived values used by our clinical practice. Phantom experiments were performed in which tube current was measured as a function of thickness using a constant-noise-based AEC system and the results were compared with clinical technique charts. For 12-, 20-, 28-, 44-, and 50-cm patient widths, the requirement of constant noise across patient size yielded relative doses of 5%, 14%, 38%, 260%, and 549% and relative noises of 435%, 267%, 163%, 61%, and 42%, respectively, as compared with our clinically used technique chart settings at each respective width. Experimental measurements showed that a constant noise-based AEC system yielded 175% relative noise for a 30-cm phantom and 206% relative dose for a 40-cm phantom compared with our clinical technique chart. Automatic exposure control systems that prescribe constant noise as patient size varies can yield excessive noise in small patients and excessive dose in obese patients compared with clinically accepted technique charts. Use of noise-level technique charts and tube current limits can mitigate these effects.

  7. 78 FR 53821 - Federal Property Suitable as Facilities To Assist the Homeless

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-30

    ...: Excess Comments: Off-site removal only; 8,736 sq. ft.; current use: Administrative office; fair....; Admin. 3 mons. vacant; fair conditions; w/in secured area; contact Army for accessibility/ removal reqs... Number: 21201310012 Status: Excess Comments: Off-site removal only; 2,100 sf.; Admin.; fair conditions; w...

  8. Caveats, Qualms, and Quibbles: A Revisionist View of Library Automation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cart, Michael

    1987-01-01

    Describes problems in the current state of library automation, including too much jargon, excessive costs, excessive implementation time, and systems that don't work. An example is given of one public library's conservative approach to library automation which husbands resources for the maintenance and expansion of print collections and…

  9. Estimating micro area behavioural risk factor prevalence from large population-based surveys: a full Bayesian approach.

    PubMed

    Seliske, L; Norwood, T A; McLaughlin, J R; Wang, S; Palleschi, C; Holowaty, E

    2016-06-07

    An important public health goal is to decrease the prevalence of key behavioural risk factors, such as tobacco use and obesity. Survey information is often available at the regional level, but heterogeneity within large geographic regions cannot be assessed. Advanced spatial analysis techniques are demonstrated to produce sensible micro area estimates of behavioural risk factors that enable identification of areas with high prevalence. A spatial Bayesian hierarchical model was used to estimate the micro area prevalence of current smoking and excess bodyweight for the Erie-St. Clair region in southwestern Ontario. Estimates were mapped for male and female respondents of five cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). The micro areas were 2006 Census Dissemination Areas, with an average population of 400-700 people. Two individual-level models were specified: one controlled for survey cycle and age group (model 1), and one controlled for survey cycle, age group and micro area median household income (model 2). Post-stratification was used to derive micro area behavioural risk factor estimates weighted to the population structure. SaTScan analyses were conducted on the granular, postal-code level CCHS data to corroborate findings of elevated prevalence. Current smoking was elevated in two urban areas for both sexes (Sarnia and Windsor), and an additional small community (Chatham) for males only. Areas of excess bodyweight were prevalent in an urban core (Windsor) among males, but not females. Precision of the posterior post-stratified current smoking estimates was improved in model 2, as indicated by narrower credible intervals and a lower coefficient of variation. For excess bodyweight, both models had similar precision. Aggregation of the micro area estimates to CCHS design-based estimates validated the findings. This is among the first studies to apply a full Bayesian model to complex sample survey data to identify micro areas with variation in risk factor prevalence, accounting for spatial correlation and other covariates. Application of micro area analysis techniques helps define areas for public health planning, and may be informative to surveillance and research modeling of relevant chronic disease outcomes.

  10. Magnetohydrodynamic electrode

    DOEpatents

    Marchant, David D.; Killpatrick, Don H.

    1978-01-01

    An electrode capable of withstanding high temperatures and suitable for use as a current collector in the channel of a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator consists of a sintered powdered metal base portion, the upper surface of the base being coated with a first layer of nickel aluminide, an intermediate layer of a mixture of nickel aluminide - refractory ceramic on the first layer and a third or outer layer of a refractory ceramic material on the intermediate layer. The sintered powdered metal base resists spalling by the ceramic coatings and permits greater electrode compliance to thermal shock. The density of the powdered metal base can be varied to allow optimization of the thermal conductivity of the electrode and prevent excess heat loss from the channel.

  11. Shaping charge excitations in chiral edge states with a time-dependent gate voltage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Misiorny, Maciej; Fève, Gwendal; Splettstoesser, Janine

    2018-02-01

    We study a coherent conductor supporting a single edge channel in which alternating current pulses are created by local time-dependent gating and sent on a beam-splitter realized by a quantum point contact. The current response to the gate voltage in this setup is intrinsically linear. Based on a fully self-consistent treatment employing a Floquet scattering theory, we analyze the effect of different voltage shapes and frequencies, as well as the role of the gate geometry on the injected signal. In particular, we highlight the impact of frequency-dependent screening on the process of shaping the current signal. The feasibility of creating true single-particle excitations with this method is confirmed by investigating the suppression of excess noise, which is otherwise created by additional electron-hole pair excitations in the current signal.

  12. Comparative studies of silicon photomultipliers and traditional vacuum photomultiplier tubes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shi, Feng; Lü, Jun-Guang; Lu, Hong; Wang, Huan-Yu; Ma, Yu-Qian; Hu, Tao; Zhou, Li; Cai, Xiao; Sun, Li-Jun; Yu, Bo-Xiang; Fang, Jian; Xie, Yu-Guang; An, Zheng-Hua; Wang, Zhi-Gang; Gao, Min; Li, Xin-Qiao; Xu, Yan-Bing; Wang, Ping; Sun, Xi-Lei; Zhang, Ai-Wu; Xue, Zhen; Liu, Hong-Bang; Wang, Xiao-Dong; Zhao, Xiao-Yun; Zheng, Yang-Heng; Meng, Xiang-Cheng; Wang, Hui

    2011-01-01

    Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are a new generation of semiconductor-based photon counting devices with the merits of low weight, low power consumption and low voltage operation, promising to meet the needs of space particle physics experiments. In this paper, comparative studies of SiPMs and traditional vacuum photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) have been performed regarding the basic properties of dark currents, dark counts and excess noise factors. The intrinsic optical crosstalk effect of SiPMs was evaluated.

  13. The association of smoking status with healthcare utilisation, productivity loss and resulting costs: results from the population-based KORA F4 study.

    PubMed

    Wacker, Margarethe; Holle, Rolf; Heinrich, Joachim; Ladwig, Karl-Heinz; Peters, Annette; Leidl, Reiner; Menn, Petra

    2013-07-17

    Smoking is seen as the most important single risk to health today, and is responsible for a high financial burden on healthcare systems and society. This population-based cross-sectional study compares healthcare utilisation, direct medical costs, and costs of productivity losses for different smoking groups: current smokers, former smokers, and never smokers. Using a bottom-up approach, data were taken from the German KORA F4 study (2006/2008) on self-reported healthcare utilisation and work absence due to illness for 3,071 adults aged 32-81 years. Unit costs from a societal perspective were applied to utilisation. Utilisation and resulting costs were compared across different smoking groups using generalised linear models to adjust for age, sex, education, alcohol consumption and physical activity. Average annual total costs per survey participant were estimated as €3,844 [95% confidence interval: 3,447-4,233], and differed considerably between smoking groups with never smokers showing €3,237 [2,802-3,735] and former smokers causing €4,398 [3,796-5,058]. There was a positive effect of current and former smoking on the utilisation of healthcare services and on direct and indirect costs. Total annual costs were more than 20% higher (p<0.05) for current smokers and 35% higher (p<0.01) for former smokers compared with never smokers, which corresponds to annual excess costs of €743 and €1,108 per current and former smoker, respectively. Results indicate that excess costs for current and former smokers impose a large burden on society, and that previous top-down cost approaches produced lower estimates for the costs of care for smoking-related diseases. Efforts must be focused on prevention of smoking to achieve sustainable containment on behalf of the public interest.

  14. Immunodiagnosis of childhood malignancies.

    PubMed

    Parham, D M; Holt, H

    1999-09-01

    Immunodiagnosis utilizing immunohistochemical techniques is currently the most commonly utilized and readily available method of ancillary diagnosis in pediatric oncopathology. The methodology comprises relatively simple steps, based on straightforward biologic concepts, and the reagents used are generally well characterized and widely used. The principle of cancer immunodiagnosis is based on the determination of neoplastic lineage using detection of proteins typical of cell differentiation pathways. Methodology sensitivity varies and has become greater with each new generation of tests, but technical draw-backs should be considered to avoid excessive background or nonspecific results. Automated instrumentation offers a degree of accuracy and reproducibility not easily attainable by manual methods.

  15. Gestational Weight Gain and Offspring Longitudinal Growth in Early Life.

    PubMed

    Diesel, Jill C; Eckhardt, Cara L; Day, Nancy L; Brooks, Maria M; Arslanian, Silva A; Bodnar, Lisa M

    2015-01-01

    Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) increases the risk of childhood obesity, but little is known about its association with infant growth patterns. The aim of this study was to examine the association between GWG and infant growth patterns. Pregnant women (n = 743) self-reported GWG at delivery, which we classified as inadequate, adequate or excessive based on the current guidelines. Offspring weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), length-for-age z-score (LAZ (with height-for-age (HAZ) in place of length at 36 months)) and body mass index z-score (BMIZ) were calculated at birth, 8, 18 and 36 months using the 2006 World Health Organization growth standards. Linear mixed models estimated the change in z-score from birth to 36 months by GWG. The mean (SD) WAZ was -0.22 (1.20) at birth. Overall, WAZ and BMIZ increased from birth to, approximately, 24 months and decreased from 24 to 36 months, while LAZ/HAZ decreased from birth through 36 months. Excessive GWG was associated with higher offspring WAZ and BMIZ at birth, 8 and 36 months, and higher HAZ at 36 months, compared with adequate GWG. Compared with the same referent, inadequate GWG was associated with smaller WAZ and BMIZ at birth and 8 months. Excessive GWG may predispose infants to obesogenic growth patterns, while inadequate GWG may not have a lasting impact on infant growth.

  16. Gestational weight gain and offspring longitudinal growth in early life

    PubMed Central

    Diesel, Jill C.; Eckhardt, Cara L.; Day, Nancy L.; Brooks, Maria M.; Arslanian, Silva A.; Bodnar, Lisa M.

    2015-01-01

    Background Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) increases the risk of childhood obesity, but little is known about its association with infant growth patterns. Aim To examine the GWG-infant growth association. Methods Pregnant women (n=743) self-reported GWG at delivery, which we classified as inadequate, adequate, or excessive based on current guidelines. Offspring weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ), length-for-age z-scores (LAZ (with height-for-age (HAZ) in place of length at 36 months)), and body mass index z-scores (BMIZ) were calculated at birth, 8, 18, and 36 months using the 2006 WHO growth standards. Linear mixed models estimated the change in z-scores from birth to 36 months by GWG. Results The mean (SD) WAZ was −0.22 (1.20) at birth. Overall, WAZ and BMIZ increased from birth to approximately 24 months and decreased from 24 to 36 months, while LAZ/HAZ decreased from birth through 36 months. Excessive GWG was associated with higher offspring WAZ and BMIZ at birth, 8, and 36 months, and higher HAZ at 36 months, compared with adequate GWG. Compared with the same referent, inadequate GWG was associated with smaller WAZ and BMIZ at birth and 8 months. Conclusion Excessive GWG may predispose infants to obesogenic growth patterns while inadequate GWG may not have a lasting impact on infant growth. PMID:26279171

  17. Controlled enhancement of spin-current emission by three-magnon splitting.

    PubMed

    Kurebayashi, Hidekazu; Dzyapko, Oleksandr; Demidov, Vladislav E; Fang, Dong; Ferguson, A J; Demokritov, Sergej O

    2011-07-03

    Spin currents--the flow of angular momentum without the simultaneous transfer of electrical charge--play an enabling role in the field of spintronics. Unlike the charge current, the spin current is not a conservative quantity within the conduction carrier system. This is due to the presence of the spin-orbit interaction that couples the spin of the carriers to angular momentum in the lattice. This spin-lattice coupling acts also as the source of damping in magnetic materials, where the precessing magnetic moment experiences a torque towards its equilibrium orientation; the excess angular momentum in the magnetic subsystem flows into the lattice. Here we show that this flow can be reversed by the three-magnon splitting process and experimentally achieve the enhancement of the spin current emitted by the interacting spin waves. This mechanism triggers angular momentum transfer from the lattice to the magnetic subsystem and modifies the spin-current emission. The finding illustrates the importance of magnon-magnon interactions for developing spin-current based electronics.

  18. Ab initio-aided CALPHAD thermodynamic modeling of the Sn-Pb binary system under current stressing

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Shih-kang; Yeh, Chao-kuei; Xie, Wei; Liu, Yu-chen; Yoshimura, Masahiro

    2013-01-01

    Soldering is an ancient process, having been developed 5000 years ago. It remains a crucial process with many modern applications. In electronic devices, electric currents pass through solder joints. A new physical phenomenon – the supersaturation of solders under high electric currents – has recently been observed. It involves (1) un-expected supersaturation of the solder matrix phase, and (2) the formation of unusual “ring-shaped” grains. However, the origin of these phenomena is not yet understood. Here we provide a plausible explanation of these phenomena based on the changes in the phase stability of Pb-Sn solders. Ab initio-aided CALPHAD modeling is utilized to translate the electric current-induced effect into the excess Gibbs free energies of the phases. Hence, the phase equilibrium can be shifted by current stressing. The Pb-Sn phase diagrams with and without current stressing clearly demonstrate the change in the phase stabilities of Pb-Sn solders under current stressing. PMID:24060995

  19. 30 CFR 28.4 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... MINING PRODUCTS FUSES FOR USE WITH DIRECT CURRENT IN PROVIDING SHORT-CIRCUIT PROTECTION FOR TRAILING... provides short-circuit protection for trailing cables in coal mines by interrupting an excessive current in...

  20. Excessive occupational heat exposure: a significant ergonomic challenge and health risk for current and future workers

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Occupational heat exposure threatens the health of a worker not only when heat illness occurs but also when a worker’s performance and work capacity is impaired. Occupational contexts that involve hot and humid climatic conditions, heavy physical workloads and/or protective clothing create a strenuous and potentially dangerous thermal load for a worker. There are recognized heat prevention strategies and international thermal ergonomic standards to protect the worker. However, such standards have been developed largely in temperate western settings, and their validity and relevance is questionable for some geographical, cultural and socioeconomic contexts where the risk of excessive heat exposure can be high. There is evidence from low- and middle-income tropical countries that excessive heat exposure remains a significant issue for occupational health. Workers in these countries are likely to be at high risk of excessive heat exposure as they are densely populated, have large informal work sectors and are expected to experience substantial increases in temperature due to global climate change. The aim of this paper is to discuss current and future ergonomic risks associated with working in the heat as well as potential methods for maintaining the health and productivity of workers, particularly those most vulnerable to excessive heat exposure. PMID:25057350

  1. Replication of the Apparent Excess Heat Effect in a Light Water-Potassium Carbonate-Nickel Electrolytic Cell

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Niedra, Janis M.; Myers, Ira T.; Fralick, Gustave C.; Baldwin, Richard S.

    1996-01-01

    Replication of experiments claiming to demonstrate excess heat production in light water-Ni-K2CO3 electrolytic cells was found to produce an apparent excess heat of 11 W maximum, for 60 W electrical power into the cell. Power gains range from 1.06 to 1.68. The cell was operated at four different dc current levels plus one pulsed current run at 1 Hz, 10% duty cycle. The 28 liter cell used in these verification tests was on loan from a private corporation whose own tests with similar cells are documented to produce 50 W steady excess heat for a continuous period exceeding hundreds of days. The apparent excess heat can not be readily explained either in terms of nonlinearity of the cell's thermal conductance at a low temperature differential or by thermoelectric heat pumping. However, the present data do admit efficient recombination of dissolved hydrogen-oxygen as an ordinary explanation. Calorimetry methods and heat balance calculations for the verification tests are described. Considering the large magnitude of benefit if this effect is found to be a genuine new energy source, a more thorough investigation of evolved heat in the nickel-hydrogen system in both electrolytic and gaseous loading cells remains warranted.

  2. Inappropriate and Excessive Guilt: Instrument Validation and Developmental Differences in Relation to Depression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tilghman-Osborne, Carlos; Cole, David A.; Felton, Julia W.

    2012-01-01

    Inappropriate or excessive guilt is listed as a symptom of depression by the American Psychiatric Association ("1994"). Although many measures of guilt have been developed, definitional and operational problems exist, especially in the application of such measures in childhood and adolescence. To address these problems, the current study…

  3. Design of a quasi-CW laser diode driver for space-based laser transmitter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Ravindra; Dangwal, Nishma; Chandraprakash, .; Agrawal, Lalita; Pal, Suranjan; Kamlakar, J. A.

    2006-12-01

    LASTEC Delhi in a joint collaborative activity with LEOS, Bangalore is developing a space qualified diode array pumped Nd:YAG laser transmitter delivering 30 mJ @ 10 pps of 10 ns duration. For space applications laser diodes are preferred because of their excellent reliability with lifetimes exceeding 100,000 hours. However, they are extremely sensitive to electro-static discharge, excessive current levels, and current spikes and transients. Small variations in bias voltage may produce large fluctuations in the current causing instability and damage to the device. Hence instead of the traditional power supplies a current controlled laser diode driver is required. This paper presents the design of a Q-CW laser diode driver based on closed loop current regulator, capable of driving 24 QCW laser diode bars each with 75W peak power at 70 A. The driver can generate up to 100 Amp peak current and 200μsec pulse width operating at 10 Hz. The current source design includes special circuits for low noise operation, slow turn-on and turn-off, circuits for over voltage and transient current protection; and good regulation. Space qualified and radiation hardened components are required to be used to sustain stringent space environment requirements during mission life of two years.

  4. Development of excess skin and request for body-contouring surgery in postbariatric adolescents.

    PubMed

    Staalesen, Trude; Olbers, Torsten; Dahlgren, Jovanna; Fagevik Olsén, Monika; Flodmark, Carl-Erik; Marcus, Claude; Elander, Anna

    2014-10-01

    Little is known about the development of excess skin and requests for body-contouring surgery after bariatric surgery in adolescents. Forty-seven of 86 adolescents that had undergone gastric bypass surgery answered two questionnaires regarding excess skin and requests for and performed body-contouring surgery. An objective assessment of the amount of excess skin was also performed. The results were compared to earlier results from postbariatric adults. The most common overall problem in adolescents was the feeling of having an unattractive body (91 percent). The most common locations for developing excess skin were the upper arms and thighs according to the measurements. Five of 47 adolescents had undergone body-contouring surgery, and 88 percent of the others desired one or more body-contouring operations. Correlations were found between the objectively measured excess skin and the subjectively experienced amount of excess skin. Correlations were also found between the measured excess skin and the experienced discomfort of excess skin for the abdomen, breast/chest, upper arms, and chin. The authors' results indicate that bariatric surgery in adolescents often leads to severe problems associated with excess skin in both sexes. Thus, the commonly held belief that young people do not develop excess skin to the same extent as adults is strongly questioned. Health care professionals must address the current imbalance between requests for and the performance of body-contouring surgery in adolescents. Therapeutic, IV.

  5. Sleepiness, driving, and motor vehicle accidents: A questionnaire-based survey.

    PubMed

    Zwahlen, Daniel; Jackowski, Christian; Pfäffli, Matthias

    2016-11-01

    In Switzerland, the prevalence of an excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in drivers undergoing a driving capacity assessment is currently not known. In this study, private and professional drivers were evaluated by means of a paper-based questionnaire, including Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Berlin Questionnaire, and additional questions to sleepiness-related accidents, near-miss accidents, health issues, and demographic data. Of the 435 distributed questionnaires, 128 completed were returned. The response rate was 29%. The mean age of the investigated drivers was 42.5 years (20-85 years). According to the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, 9% of the participants are likely to suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness. An equal percentage has a high risk for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome based on the Berlin Questionnaire. 16% admitted an involuntary nodding off while driving a motor vehicle. This subset of the participants scored statistically significant higher on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (p = 0.036). 8% of the participants already suffered an accident because of being sleepy while driving. An equal number experienced a sleepiness-related near-miss accident on the road. The study shows that a medical workup of excessive daytime sleepiness is highly recommended in each driver undergoing a driving capacity assessment. Routine application of easily available and time-saving assessment tools such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale questionnaire could prevent accidents in a simple way. The applicability of the Berlin Questionnaire to screen suspected fatal sleepiness-related motor vehicle accidents is discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

  6. Global risk of deadly heat

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mora, Camilo; Dousset, Bénédicte; Caldwell, Iain R.; Powell, Farrah E.; Geronimo, Rollan C.; Bielecki, Coral R.; Counsell, Chelsie W. W.; Dietrich, Bonnie S.; Johnston, Emily T.; Louis, Leo V.; Lucas, Matthew P.; McKenzie, Marie M.; Shea, Alessandra G.; Tseng, Han; Giambelluca, Thomas W.; Leon, Lisa R.; Hawkins, Ed; Trauernicht, Clay

    2017-07-01

    Climate change can increase the risk of conditions that exceed human thermoregulatory capacity. Although numerous studies report increased mortality associated with extreme heat events, quantifying the global risk of heat-related mortality remains challenging due to a lack of comparable data on heat-related deaths. Here we conducted a global analysis of documented lethal heat events to identify the climatic conditions associated with human death and then quantified the current and projected occurrence of such deadly climatic conditions worldwide. We reviewed papers published between 1980 and 2014, and found 783 cases of excess human mortality associated with heat from 164 cities in 36 countries. Based on the climatic conditions of those lethal heat events, we identified a global threshold beyond which daily mean surface air temperature and relative humidity become deadly. Around 30% of the world's population is currently exposed to climatic conditions exceeding this deadly threshold for at least 20 days a year. By 2100, this percentage is projected to increase to ~48% under a scenario with drastic reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and ~74% under a scenario of growing emissions. An increasing threat to human life from excess heat now seems almost inevitable, but will be greatly aggravated if greenhouse gases are not considerably reduced.

  7. Does the private sector receive an excessive return from investments in health care infrastructure projects? Evidence from the UK.

    PubMed

    Vecchi, Veronica; Hellowell, Mark; Gatti, Stefano

    2013-05-01

    This paper is concerned with the cost-efficiency of Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs) in the delivery of hospital facilities in the UK. We outline a methodology for identifying the "fair" return on equity, based on the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) of each investor. We apply this method to assess the expected returns on a sample of 77 contracts signed between 1997 and 2011 by health care provider organisations in the UK. We show that expected returns are in general in excess of the WACC benchmarks. The findings highlight significant problems in current procurement practices and the methodologies by which bids are assessed. To minimise the financial impact of hospital investments on health care systems, a regulatory regime must ensure that expected returns are set at the "fair" rate. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Studying the Warm Layer and the Hardening Factor in Cygnus X-1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yao, Yangsen; Zhang, Shuangnan; Zhang, Xiaoling; Feng, Yuxin

    2002-01-01

    As the first dynamically determined black hole X-ray binary system, Cygnus X-1 has been studied extensively. However, its broadband spectrum observed with BeppoSax is still not well understood. Besides the soft excess described by the multi-color disk model (MCD), the power-law hard component and a broad excess feature above 10 keV (a disk reflection component), there is also an additional soft component around 1 keV, whose origin is not known currently. Here we propose that the additional soft component is due to the thermal Comptonization between the soft disk photons and a warm plasma cloud just above the disk, i.e., a warm layer. We use the Monte-Carlo technique to simulate this Compton scattering process and build a table model based on our simulation results. With this table model, we study the disk structure and estimate the hardening factor to the MCD component in Cygnus X-1.

  9. Vitamins and Microelement Bioavailability in Different Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease.

    PubMed

    Jankowska, Magdalena; Rutkowski, Bolesław; Dębska-Ślizień, Alicja

    2017-03-15

    Chronic kidney disease (CKD) predisposes one to either deficiency or toxic excess of different micronutrients. The knowledge on micronutrients-specifically water-soluble vitamins and trace elements-in CKD is very limited. Consequently, current guidelines and recommendations are mostly based on expert opinions or poor-quality evidence. Abnormalities of micronutrient resources in CKD develop for several reasons. Dietary restrictions and anorexia lead to an insufficient micronutrient intake, while diuretics use and renal replacement therapy lead to their excessive losses. Absorption is unpredictable, and metabolism impaired. Better understanding of the micronutrient needs of CKD patients could have an impact on many complications linked to vitamin and trace element disorders, including high mortality, increased risk of atherosclerosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, anemia, polyneuropathy, encephalopathy, weakness and fragility, muscle cramps, bone disease, depression, or insomnia. Here, we summarize the up-to-date knowledge on micronutrient resources in different stages of CKD, and share our experience with the assessment of micronutrient status.

  10. Symmetry restored in dibosons at the LHC?

    DOE PAGES

    Brehmer, Johann; Hewett, JoAnne; Kopp, Joachim; ...

    2015-10-28

    A number of LHC resonance search channels display an excess in the invariant mass region of 1.8–2.0 TeV. Among them is a 3.4σ excess in the fully hadronic decay of a pair of Standard Model electroweak gauge bosons, in addition to potential signals in the HW and dijet final states. We perform a model-independent cross-section fit to the results of all ATLAS and CMS searches sensitive to these final states. We then interpret these results in the context of the Left-Right Symmetric Model, based on the extended gauge group SU(2) L × SU(2) R × U(1)', and show that amore » heavy right-handed gauge boson W R can naturally explain the current measurements with just a single coupling g R ~ 0.4. Thus, we discuss a possible connection to dark matter.« less

  11. Glucocorticoids and laminitis in the horse.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Philip J; Slight, Simon H; Ganjam, Venkataseshu K; Kreeger, John M

    2002-08-01

    The administration of exogenously administered GCs and syndromes associated with GC excess are both attended by increased risk for the development of laminitis in adult horses. However, there exists substantial controversy as to whether excess GCs cause laminitis de novo. If true, the pathogenesis of laminitis arising from the effects of GC excess is probably different from that associated with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and endotoxemia. Although a satisfactory explanation for the development of laminitis as a consequence of GC action is currently lacking, numerous possible and plausible theoretical mechanisms do exist. Veterinarians must exert caution with respect to the use of GCs in adult horses. The extent to which individual horses are predisposed to laminitis as a result of GC effect cannot be predicted based on current information. However, the administration of systemic GCs to horses that have been previously affected by laminitis should be used only with extreme caution, and should be accompanied by careful monitoring for further signs of laminitis. The risk of laminitis appears to be greater during treatment using some GCs (especially dexamethasone and triamcinalone) compared with others (prednisone and prednisolone). Whenever possible, to reduce the risk of laminitis, GCs should be administered locally. For example, the risk of GC-associated laminitis is evidently considerably reduced in horses affected with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) if GC treatment is administered via inhalation. We have hypothesized that structural changes in the equine hoof that resemble laminitis may arise as a consequence of excess GC effect. Although these changes are not painful per se, and are not associated with inflammation, they could likely predispose affected horses to the development of bona fide laminitis for other reasons. Moreover, the gross morphological appearance of the chronically GC-affected hoof resembles that of a chronically foundered hoof in some respects. Further investigation into the effect of GC on the hoof lamellar interface is clearly needed.

  12. Pediatric Trauma Transfer Imaging Inefficiencies-Opportunities for Improvement with Cloud Technology.

    PubMed

    Puckett, Yana; To, Alvin

    2016-01-01

    This study examines the inefficiencies of radiologic imaging transfers from one hospital to the other during pediatric trauma transfers in an era of cloud based information sharing. Retrospective review of all patients transferred to a pediatric trauma center from 2008-2014 was performed. Imaging was reviewed for whether imaging accompanied the patient, whether imaging was able to be uploaded onto computer for records, whether imaging had to be repeated, and whether imaging obtained at outside hospitals (OSH) was done per universal pediatric trauma guidelines. Of the 1761 patients retrospectively reviewed, 559 met our inclusion criteria. Imaging was sent with the patient 87.7% of the time. Imaging was unable to be uploaded 31.9% of the time. CT imaging had to be repeated 1.8% of the time. CT scan was not done per universal pediatric trauma guidelines 1.2% of the time. Our study demonstrated that current imaging transfer is inefficient, leads to excess ionizing radiation, and increased healthcare costs. Universal implementation of cloud based radiology has the potential to eliminate excess ionizing radiation to children, improve patient care, and save cost to healthcare system.

  13. Is Dysfunctional Use of the Mobile Phone a Behavioural Addiction? Confronting Symptom-Based Versus Process-Based Approaches.

    PubMed

    Billieux, Joël; Philippot, Pierre; Schmid, Cécile; Maurage, Pierre; De Mol, Jan; Van der Linden, Martial

    2015-01-01

    Dysfunctional use of the mobile phone has often been conceptualized as a 'behavioural addiction' that shares most features with drug addictions. In the current article, we challenge the clinical utility of the addiction model as applied to mobile phone overuse. We describe the case of a woman who overuses her mobile phone from two distinct approaches: (1) a symptom-based categorical approach inspired from the addiction model of dysfunctional mobile phone use and (2) a process-based approach resulting from an idiosyncratic clinical case conceptualization. In the case depicted here, the addiction model was shown to lead to standardized and non-relevant treatment, whereas the clinical case conceptualization allowed identification of specific psychological processes that can be targeted with specific, empirically based psychological interventions. This finding highlights that conceptualizing excessive behaviours (e.g., gambling and sex) within the addiction model can be a simplification of an individual's psychological functioning, offering only limited clinical relevance. The addiction model, applied to excessive behaviours (e.g., gambling, sex and Internet-related activities) may lead to non-relevant standardized treatments. Clinical case conceptualization allowed identification of specific psychological processes that can be targeted with specific empirically based psychological interventions. The biomedical model might lead to the simplification of an individual's psychological functioning with limited clinical relevance. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Optimal fault-tolerant control strategy of a solid oxide fuel cell system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Xiaojuan; Gao, Danhui

    2017-10-01

    For solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) development, load tracking, heat management, air excess ratio constraint, high efficiency, low cost and fault diagnosis are six key issues. However, no literature studies the control techniques combining optimization and fault diagnosis for the SOFC system. An optimal fault-tolerant control strategy is presented in this paper, which involves four parts: a fault diagnosis module, a switching module, two backup optimizers and a controller loop. The fault diagnosis part is presented to identify the SOFC current fault type, and the switching module is used to select the appropriate backup optimizer based on the diagnosis result. NSGA-II and TOPSIS are employed to design the two backup optimizers under normal and air compressor fault states. PID algorithm is proposed to design the control loop, which includes a power tracking controller, an anode inlet temperature controller, a cathode inlet temperature controller and an air excess ratio controller. The simulation results show the proposed optimal fault-tolerant control method can track the power, temperature and air excess ratio at the desired values, simultaneously achieving the maximum efficiency and the minimum unit cost in the case of SOFC normal and even in the air compressor fault.

  15. The free energies of partially open coronal magnetic fields

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Low, B. C.; Smith, D. F.

    1993-01-01

    A simple model of the low corona is examined in terms of a static polytropic atmosphere in equilibrium with a global magnetic field. The question posed is whether magnetostatic states with partially open magnetic fields may contain magnetic energies in excess of those in fully open magnetic fields. Based on the analysis presented here, it is concluded that the cross-field electric currents in the pre-eruption corona are a viable source of the bulk of the energies in a mass ejection and its associated flare.

  16. El Bunduq field ready for start-up. [United Arab Emirates

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

    Not Available

    1983-10-05

    Production is scheduled to restart on the El Bunduq field. The oil field was first brought onstream in 1975 but was shut-in during 1979 due to excessive gas production. Since then, the operator, Bunduq Co., has been developing a $330-million pressure maintenance program to contain gas production and increase oil recovery. While the current field development program is based solely on reserves in the Arab D Formation, the Bunduq Co. has confirmed an oil reservoir in the shallower Arab C Formation.

  17. Command and Telemetry Latency Effects on Operator Performance during International Space Station Robotics Operations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Currie, Nancy J.; Rochlis, Jennifer

    2004-01-01

    International Space Station (ISS) operations will require the on-board crew to perform numerous robotic-assisted assembly, maintenance, and inspection activities. Current estimates for some robotically performed maintenance timelines are disproportionate and potentially exceed crew availability and duty times. Ground-based control of the ISS robotic manipulators, specifically the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM), is being examined as one potential solution to alleviate the excessive amounts of crew time required for extravehicular robotic maintenance and inspection tasks.

  18. Final Scientific/Technical Report for Low Cost, High Capacity Non- Intercalation Chemistry Automotive Cells

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

    Berdichevsky, Gene

    Commercial Li-ion batteries typically use Ni- and Co-based intercalation cathodes. As the demand for improved performance from batteries increases, these cathode materials will no longer be able to provide the desired energy storage characteristics since they are currently approaching their theoretical limits. Conversion cathode materials are prime candidates for improvement of Li-ion batteries. On both a volumetric and gravimetric basis they have higher theoretical capacity than intercalation cathode materials. Metal fluoride (MFx) cathodes offer higher specific energy density and dramatically higher volumetric energy density. Challenges associated with metal fluoride cathodes were addressed through nanostructured material design and synthesis. A majormore » goal of this project was to develop and demonstrate Li-ion cells based on Si-comprising anodes and metal fluoride (MFx) comprising cathodes. Pairing the high-capacity MFx cathode with a high-capacity anode, such as an alloying Si anode, allows for the highest possible energy density on a cell level. After facing and overcoming multiple material synthesis and electrochemical instability challenges, we succeeded in fabrication of MFx half cells with cycle stability in excess of 500 cycles (to 20% or smaller degradation) and full cells with MFx-based cathodes and Si-based anodes with cycle stability in excess of 200 cycles (to 20% or smaller degradation).« less

  19. Model-based meta-analysis to evaluate optimal doses of direct oral factor Xa inhibitors in atrial fibrillation patients

    PubMed Central

    Yoshioka, Hideki; Sato, Hiromi; Hatakeyama, Hiroto

    2018-01-01

    The noninferiority of direct oral factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors (rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban) in treatment of atrial fibrillation were demonstrated compared with warfarin by several large clinical trials; however, subsequent meta-analyses reported a higher risk of major bleeding with rivaroxaban than with the other FXa inhibitors. In the present study, we first estimated the changes of prothrombin time (PT) in 5 randomized trials based on reported population pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic models and then carried out a model-based meta-analysis to obtain models describing the relationship between PT changes and the event rates of ischemic stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and of major bleeding. By using the models, we simulated the optimal therapeutic doses for each FXa inhibitor. It was suggested that dose reduction of rivaroxaban from the current 20 mg/d to 10 mg/d would decrease patient deaths from major bleeding (hazard ratio [HR], 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-0.74) with little increase in those for ischemic stroke/SE (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.07-1.20). The overall decrease in the mortality caused by both events was estimated as 5.81 per 10 000 patient-years (95% CI, 3.92-8.16), with an HR of 0.87 (95% CI, 0.83-0.91). For apixaban and edoxaban, no distinct change in the overall mortality was simulated by dose modification. This study suggested that the current dose of rivaroxaban might be excessive and would need to be reduced to decrease the excess risk of major bleeding. PMID:29760204

  20. Development of an Accelerated Test Method for the Determination of Susceptibility to Atmospheric Corrosion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ambrose, John R.

    1991-01-01

    The theoretical rationale is presented for use of a repetitive cyclic current reversal voltammetric technique for characterization of localized corrosion processes, including atmospheric corrosion. Applicability of this proposed experimental protocol is applied to characterization of susceptibility to crevice and pitting corrosion, atmospheric corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. Criteria upon which relative susceptibility is based were determined and tested using two iron based alloys commonly in use at NASA-Kennedy; A36 (a low carbon steel) and 4130 (a low alloy steel). Practicality of the procedure was demonstrated by measuring changes in anodic polarization behavior during high frequency current reversal cycles of 25 cycles per second with 1 mA/sq cm current density amplitude in solutions containing Cl anions. The results demonstrated that, due to excessive polarization which affects conductivity of barrier corrosion product layers, A36 was less resistant to atmospheric corrosion than its 4130 counterpart; behavior which was also demonstrated during exposure tests.

  1. 80 MeV C{sup 6+} ion irradiation effects on the DC electrical characteristics of silicon NPN power transistors

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

    Bharathi, M. N.; Vinayakprasanna, N. H.; Prakash, A. P. Gnana, E-mail: gnanaprakash@physics.uni-mysore.ac.in

    The total dose effects of 80 MeV C{sup 6+} ions on the DC electrical characteristics of Silicon NPN rf power transistors have been studied in the dose range of 100 krad to 100 Mrad. The SRIM simulation was used to understand the energy loss and range of the ions in the transistor structure. The different electrical parameters such as Gummel characteristics, excess base current (ΔI{sub B} = I{sub Bpost} - I{sub Bpre}), dc forward current gain (h{sub FE}), transconductance (g{sub m}), displacement damage factor (K) and output characteristics (V{sub CE}-I{sub C}) were studied systematically before and after irradiation. The significantmore » degradation in base current (I{sub B}) and h{sub FE} was observed after irradiation. Isochronal annealing study was conducted on the irradiated transistors to analyze the recovery in different electrical parameters. These results were compared with {sup 60}C0 gamma irradiation results in the same dose range.« less

  2. Sneutrino Higgs models explain lepton non-universality in eejj, eνjj excesses

    DOE PAGES

    Berger, Joshua; Dror, Jeff Asaf; Ng, Wee Hao

    2015-09-23

    Recent searches for first-generation leptoquarks and heavy right-handed W R bosons have seen excesses in final states with electrons and jets. A bizarre property of these excesses is that they appear to violate lepton universality. With these results in mind, we study the phenomenology of supersymmetric models in which the Higgs arises as the sneutrino in an electron supermultiplet. Since the electron is singled out in this approach, one can naturally account for the lepton flavor structure of the excesses. In this work, we show that in such a framework, one can significantly alleviate the tension between the Standard Modelmore » and the data and yet evade current constraints from other searches. Finally we point out that correlated excesses are expected to be seen in future multilepton searches.« less

  3. A hybrid land-water-environment model for identification of ecological effect and risk under uncertain meteorological precipitation in an agroforestry ecosystem.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Xueting; Li, Tienan; Chen, Cong; Si, Zhenjiang; Huang, Guohe; Guo, Ping; Zhuang, Xiaowen

    2018-08-15

    In this study, a hybrid land-water-environment (LWE) model is developed for identifying ecological effect and risk under uncertain precipitation in an agroforestry ecosystem. A simulation-based fuzzy-stochastic programming with risk analysis (SFSR) method is used into LWE model to reflect the meteorological impacts; meanwhile, it also can quantify artificial fuzziness (e.g., risk attitude of policymaker) and natural vagueness (e.g., ecological function) in decision-making. The developed LWE model with SFSR method is applied to a practical agroforestry ecosystem in China. Results of optimized planting scale, irrigative water schedule, pollution mitigation scheme, and system benefit under changed rainfall, precise risk-adoption and vague ecological function are obtained; meanwhile their corresponding ecological effects and risks are analyzed. It found that current LWE plans could generate massive water deficits (e.g., 23.22×10 6 m 3 in crop irrigation and 26.32×10 6 m 3 in forest protection at highest) due to over-cultivation and excessive pollution discharges (e.g., the highest excessive TP and TN discharges would reach 460.64 and 15.30×10 3 ton) due to irrational fertilization, which would increase regional ecological risks. In addition, fifteen scenarios associated with withdrawing cultivation and recovering forest based on regional environment heterogeneity (such as soil types) have been discussed to adjust current agriculture-environment policies. It found that, the excessive pollution discharges (TN and TP) could be reduced 12.95% and 18.32% at highest through ecological expansions, which would generate higher system benefits than that without withdrawing farmland and recovering forest. All above can facilitate local policymakers to modulate a comprehensive LWE with more sustainable and robust manners, achieving regional harmony between socio-economy and eco-environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Evaluation of plasma lactate concentration and base excess at the time of hospital admission as predictors of gastric necrosis and outcome and correlation between those variables in dogs with gastric dilatation-volvulus: 78 cases (2004-2009).

    PubMed

    Beer, Kari A Santoro; Syring, Rebecca S; Drobatz, Kenneth J

    2013-01-01

    To determine the correlation between plasma lactate concentration and base excess at the time of hospital admission and evaluate each variable as a predictor of gastric necrosis or outcome in dogs with gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV). Retrospective case series. 78 dogs. For each dog, various data, including plasma lactate concentration and base excess at the time of hospital admission, surgical or necropsy findings, and outcome, were collected from medical records. Gastric necrosis was identified in 12 dogs at the time of surgery and in 4 dogs at necropsy. Sixty-five (83%) dogs survived to hospital discharge, whereas 13 (17%) dogs died or were euthanized. Of the 65 survivors and 8 nonsurvivors that underwent surgery, gastric necrosis was detected in 8 and 4 dogs, respectively. Via receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, an initial plasma lactate concentration cutoff of 7.4 mmol/L was 82% accurate for predicting gastric necrosis (sensitivity, 50%; specificity, 88%) and 88% accurate for predicting outcome (sensitivity, 75%; specificity, 89%). Among all dogs, the correlation between initial plasma lactate concentration and base excess was significant, although base excess was a poor discriminator for predicting gastric necrosis or outcome (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.571 and 0.565, respectively). In dogs with GDV, plasma lactate concentration at the time of hospital admission was a good predictor of gastric necrosis and outcome. However, despite the correlation between initial base excess and plasma lactate concentration, base excess should not be used for prediction of gastric necrosis or outcome in those patients.

  5. Design of a wideband CMOS impedance spectroscopy ASIC analog front-end for multichannel biosensor interfaces.

    PubMed

    Valente, Virgilio; Dai Jiang; Demosthenous, Andreas

    2015-08-01

    This paper presents the preliminary design and simulation of a flexible and programmable analog front-end (AFE) circuit with current and voltage readout capabilities for electric impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The AFE is part of a fully integrated multifrequency EIS platform. The current readout comprises of a transimpedance stage and an automatic gain control (AGC) unit designed to accommodate impedance changes larger than 3 order of magnitude. The AGC is based on a dynamic peak detector that tracks changes in the input current over time and regulates the gain of a programmable gain amplifier in order to optimise the signal-to-noise ratio. The system works up to 1 MHz. The voltage readout consists of a 2 stages of fully differential current-feedback instrumentation amplifier which provide 100 dB of CMRR and a programmable gain up to 20 V/V per stage with a bandwidth in excess of 10MHz.

  6. Tipping Points: Teachers' Reported Reasons for Referring Primary School Children for Excessive Anxiety

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hinchliffe, Kaitlin J.; Campbell, Marilyn A.

    2016-01-01

    The current study explored the reasons that primary school teachers reported were tipping points for them in deciding whether or not and when to refer a child to the school student support team for excessive anxiety. Twenty teachers in two Queensland primary schools were interviewed. Content analysis of interview transcripts revealed six themes…

  7. Light intensity-voltage correlations and leakage-current excess noise in a single-mode semiconductor laser

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

    Maurin, I.; Bramati, A.; Giacobino, E.

    2005-09-15

    Semiconductor lasers are particularly well suited for the implementation of pump-noise suppression, yielding a reduction of the intensity noise in the laser. In this simple picture, the maximal amount of squeezing is equal to the quantum efficiency. However, experimental results on intensity noise reduction by pump-noise suppression are usually above this limit. This discrepancy suggests that additional noise sources must be involved. Here we successful y interpret the full noise behavior of a single-mode laser diode far above threshold by considering two excess noise sources: the leakage current fluctuations across the laser and the Petermann excess noise. We have estimatedmore » the contribution of each noise source using the results of the correlations between the laser output intensity noise and the voltage fluctuations across the laser diode (light-voltage correlations) and obtained good agreement between our theory and experimental results.« less

  8. Mandibular movement during sleep bruxism associated with current tooth attrition.

    PubMed

    Okura, Kazuo; Shigemoto, Shuji; Suzuki, Yoshitaka; Noguchi, Naoto; Omoto, Katsuhiro; Abe, Susumu; Matsuka, Yoshizo

    2017-01-01

    Observation of attrition patterns suggests that mandibular movement in sleep bruxism (SB) may be associated with current tooth attrition. The aim of this study was to confirm this phenomenon by investigating mandibular movement and masseter muscle activity. The subject was a healthy 21-year-old Japanese male. We recorded biological signals including mandibular movement and masseter electromyograms (EMGs) with a polysomnograph. Based on the EMG using Okura's criteria, SB events were classified into clenching, grinding and mixed types according to mandibular movement criteria. The close-open mandibular movement cycles (CO-cycles) during grinding and mixed type events were selected based on mandibular movement trajectories. Fifty-eight CO-cycles were selected in seven grinding and three mixed types. We found that SB mandibular movements associated with current tooth attrition. Excessive lateral movements (ELM) beyond the canine edge-to-edge position were observed in the closing (10.3%) and opening (13.8%) phases of the CO-cycle. Total masseter muscle activity was significantly higher during voluntary grinding (VGR) than during CO-cycle including ELM (working side: P=0.036, balancing side: P=0.025). However, in the middle and late parts of the opening phase, working side masseter muscle activity was significantly higher during CO-cycle including ELM than during VGR (P=0.012). In the early part of the closing phase, balancing side masseter muscle activity was significantly higher during CO-cycle including ELM than during VGR (P=0.017). These findings suggest that excessive forceful grinding during ongoing SB events may have caused canine attrition in this patient. Copyright © 2016 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Automatic Exposure Control Systems Designed to Maintain Constant Image Noise: Effects on Computed Tomography Dose and Noise Relative to Clinically Accepted Technique Charts

    PubMed Central

    Favazza, Christopher P.; Yu, Lifeng; Leng, Shuai; Kofler, James M.; McCollough, Cynthia H.

    2015-01-01

    Objective To compare computed tomography dose and noise arising from use of an automatic exposure control (AEC) system designed to maintain constant image noise as patient size varies with clinically accepted technique charts and AEC systems designed to vary image noise. Materials and Methods A model was developed to describe tube current modulation as a function of patient thickness. Relative dose and noise values were calculated as patient width varied for AEC settings designed to yield constant or variable noise levels and were compared to empirically derived values used by our clinical practice. Phantom experiments were performed in which tube current was measured as a function of thickness using a constant-noise-based AEC system and the results were compared with clinical technique charts. Results For 12-, 20-, 28-, 44-, and 50-cm patient widths, the requirement of constant noise across patient size yielded relative doses of 5%, 14%, 38%, 260%, and 549% and relative noises of 435%, 267%, 163%, 61%, and 42%, respectively, as compared with our clinically used technique chart settings at each respective width. Experimental measurements showed that a constant noise–based AEC system yielded 175% relative noise for a 30-cm phantom and 206% relative dose for a 40-cm phantom compared with our clinical technique chart. Conclusions Automatic exposure control systems that prescribe constant noise as patient size varies can yield excessive noise in small patients and excessive dose in obese patients compared with clinically accepted technique charts. Use of noise-level technique charts and tube current limits can mitigate these effects. PMID:25938214

  10. Can Twitter be used to predict county excessive alcohol consumption rates?

    PubMed Central

    Ashford, Robert D.; Hemmons, Jessie; Summers, Dan; Hamilton, Casey

    2018-01-01

    Objectives The current study analyzes a large set of Twitter data from 1,384 US counties to determine whether excessive alcohol consumption rates can be predicted by the words being posted from each county. Methods Data from over 138 million county-level tweets were analyzed using predictive modeling, differential language analysis, and mediating language analysis. Results Twitter language data captures cross-sectional patterns of excessive alcohol consumption beyond that of sociodemographic factors (e.g. age, gender, race, income, education), and can be used to accurately predict rates of excessive alcohol consumption. Additionally, mediation analysis found that Twitter topics (e.g. ‘ready gettin leave’) can explain much of the variance associated between socioeconomics and excessive alcohol consumption. Conclusions Twitter data can be used to predict public health concerns such as excessive drinking. Using mediation analysis in conjunction with predictive modeling allows for a high portion of the variance associated with socioeconomic status to be explained. PMID:29617408

  11. Determination of the excess noise of avalanche photodiodes integrated in 0.35-μm CMOS technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jukić, Tomislav; Brandl, Paul; Zimmermann, Horst

    2018-04-01

    The excess noise of avalanche photodiodes (APDs) integrated in a high-voltage (HV) CMOS process and in a pin-photodiode CMOS process, both with 0.35-μm structure sizes, is described. A precise excess noise measurement technique is applied using a laser source, a spectrum analyzer, a voltage source, a current meter, a cheap transimpedance amplifier, and a personal computer with a MATLAB program. In addition, usage for on-wafer measurements is demonstrated. The measurement technique is verified with a low excess noise APD as a reference device with known ratio k = 0.01 of the impact ionization coefficients. The k-factor of an APD developed in HV CMOS is determined more accurately than known before. In addition, it is shown that the excess noise of the pin-photodiode CMOS APD depends on the optical power for avalanche gains above 35 and that modulation doping can suppress this power dependence. Modulation doping, however, increases the excess noise.

  12. Circuit protects regulated power supply against overload current

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Airth, H. B.

    1966-01-01

    Sensing circuit in which a tunnel diode controls a series regulator transistor protects a low voltage transistorized dc regulator from damage by excessive load currents. When a fault occurs, the faulty circuit is limited to a preset percentage of the current when limiting first occurs.

  13. Saturation current and collection efficiency for ionization chambers in pulsed beams.

    PubMed

    DeBlois, F; Zankowski, C; Podgorsak, E B

    2000-05-01

    Saturation currents and collection efficiencies in ionization chambers exposed to pulsed megavoltage photon and electron beams are determined assuming a linear relationship between 1/I and 1/V in the extreme near-saturation region, with I and V the chamber current and polarizing voltage, respectively. Careful measurements of chamber current against polarizing voltage in the extreme near-saturation region reveal a current rising faster than that predicted by the linear relationship. This excess current combined with conventional "two-voltage" technique for determination of collection efficiency may result in an up to 0.7% overestimate of the saturation current for standard radiation field sizes of 10X10 cm2. The measured excess current is attributed to charge multiplication in the chamber air volume and to radiation-induced conductivity in the stem of the chamber (stem effect). These effects may be accounted for by an exponential term used in conjunction with Boag's equation for collection efficiency in pulsed beams. The semiempirical model follows the experimental data well and accounts for both the charge recombination as well as for the charge multiplication effects and the chamber stem effect.

  14. Excess electron localization in solvated DNA bases.

    PubMed

    Smyth, Maeve; Kohanoff, Jorge

    2011-06-10

    We present a first-principles molecular dynamics study of an excess electron in condensed phase models of solvated DNA bases. Calculations on increasingly large microsolvated clusters taken from liquid phase simulations show that adiabatic electron affinities increase systematically upon solvation, as for optimized gas-phase geometries. Dynamical simulations after vertical attachment indicate that the excess electron, which is initially found delocalized, localizes around the nucleobases within a 15 fs time scale. This transition requires small rearrangements in the geometry of the bases.

  15. Excess Electron Localization in Solvated DNA Bases

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

    Smyth, Maeve; Kohanoff, Jorge

    2011-06-10

    We present a first-principles molecular dynamics study of an excess electron in condensed phase models of solvated DNA bases. Calculations on increasingly large microsolvated clusters taken from liquid phase simulations show that adiabatic electron affinities increase systematically upon solvation, as for optimized gas-phase geometries. Dynamical simulations after vertical attachment indicate that the excess electron, which is initially found delocalized, localizes around the nucleobases within a 15 fs time scale. This transition requires small rearrangements in the geometry of the bases.

  16. Hyperhidrosis in Iranian Traditional Medicine.

    PubMed

    Shahroodi, Aniseh Saffar; Shirbeigi, Leila

    2016-05-01

    Excessive sweating is a medical condition in which a person sweats much more than needed. The medical name of this disorder is hyperhidrosis known as a common dermal problem that affects people of all ages and leads to negative impact on the quality of life. During the last decades, several studies have shown that in many cases of hyperhidrosis there is no evidence of systemic disease. Therefore, most treatments are temporary and symptomatic therapy. According to Iranian traditional medicine (ITM), different approaches are mentioned for hyperhidrosis. This study has reviewed ITM textbooks, such as "Canon of Medicine and Exir-e-azam" as well as scientific references and databases of modern medicine (ISI, PubMed, etc.) with specific keywords. Contents and related concepts were classified and results prepared. In modern medicine, hyperhidrosis has been defined as an abnormal excessive sweating, which is either primary (idiopathic) or secondary to other systemic diseases such as hyperthyroidism, neurological condition or heart disease. Current modalities for treatment are topical anti-perspiration, iontophoresis, Botox injection (Botulinum toxin type A) and eventually thoracic sympathectomy as the last therapeutic modalities. From the viewpoint of the Iranian traditional medicine as a holistic doctrine, hyperhidrosis etiologies include overfilled and repletion of body due to the accumulation of humors, excessive intake of food, excessive dilated skin pores, vigorous exercise, or physical activity. Therefore, therapeutic plan for hyperhidrosis was based on its cause, which includes reduction in the amount of food, increasing physical activity, purging the body from the excess humors and adjustment in temperament. Hyperhidrosis is not an important or dangerous disorder; however, due to the negative impact on quality of life and failure to achieve perfect answer in modern medicine treatments it seems that the recommendations of Iranian traditional medicine will be helpful to control this disorder.

  17. Matrix Analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine Differential Diagnoses in Gulf War Illness.

    PubMed

    Taylor-Swanson, Lisa; Chang, Joe; Schnyer, Rosa; Hsu, Kai-Yin; Schmitt, Beth Ann; Conboy, Lisa A

    2018-03-08

    To qualitatively categorize Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) differential diagnoses in a sample of veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI) pre- and postacupuncture treatment. The authors randomized 104 veterans diagnosed with GWI to a 6-month acupuncture intervention that consisted of either weekly or biweekly individualized acupuncture treatments. TCM differential diagnoses were recorded at baseline and at 6 months. These TCM diagnoses were evaluated using Matrix Analysis to determine co-occurring patterns of excess, deficiency, and channel imbalances. These diagnoses were examined within and between participants to determine patterns of change and to assess stability of TCM diagnoses over time. Frequencies of diagnoses of excess, deficiency, and channel patterns were tabulated. Diagnoses of excess combined with deficiency decreased from 43% at baseline to 39% of the sample at 6 months. Excess+deficiency+channel imbalances decreased from 26% to 17%, while deficiency+channel imbalances decreased from 11% to 4% over the study duration. The authors observed a trend over time of decreased numbers of individuals presenting with all three types of differential diagnosis combinations. This may suggest that fewer people were diagnosed with concurrent excess, deficiency, and channel imbalances and perhaps a lessening in the complexity of their presentation. This is the first published article that organizes and defines TCM differential diagnoses using Matrix Analysis; currently, there are no TCM frameworks for GWI. These findings are preliminary given the sample size and the amount of missing data at 6 months. Characterization of the TCM clinical presentation of veterans suffering from GWI may help us better understand the potential role that East Asian medicine may play in managing veterans with GWI and the design of effective acupuncture treatments based on TCM. The development of a TCM manual for treating GWI is merited.

  18. Influence of georeference for saturated excess overland flow modelling using 3D volumetric soft geo-objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Izham, Mohamad Yusoff; Muhamad Uznir, Ujang; Alias, Abdul Rahman; Ayob, Katimon; Wan Ruslan, Ismail

    2011-04-01

    Existing 2D data structures are often insufficient for analysing the dynamism of saturation excess overland flow (SEOF) within a basin. Moreover, all stream networks and soil surface structures in GIS must be preserved within appropriate projection plane fitting techniques known as georeferencing. Inclusion of 3D volumetric structure of the current soft geo-objects simulation model would offer a substantial effort towards representing 3D soft geo-objects of SEOF dynamically within a basin by visualising saturated flow and overland flow volume. This research attempts to visualise the influence of a georeference system towards the dynamism of overland flow coverage and total overland flow volume generated from the SEOF process using VSG data structure. The data structure is driven by Green-Ampt methods and the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI). VSGs are analysed by focusing on spatial object preservation techniques of the conformal-based Malaysian Rectified Skew Orthomorphic (MRSO) and the equidistant-based Cassini-Soldner projection plane under the existing geodetic Malaysian Revised Triangulation 1948 (MRT48) and the newly implemented Geocentric Datum for Malaysia (GDM2000) datum. The simulated result visualises deformation of SEOF coverage under different georeference systems via its projection planes, which delineate dissimilar computation of SEOF areas and overland flow volumes. The integration of Georeference, 3D GIS and the saturation excess mechanism provides unifying evidence towards successful landslide and flood disaster management through envisioning the streamflow generating process (mainly SEOF) in a 3D environment.

  19. [Was the current surplus of neurosurgeons predictable in 2009? Analysis of the situation based on the Report of supply and demand of medical specialists in Spain (2008-2025)].

    PubMed

    Martín-Láez, Rubén; Ibáñez, Javier; Lagares, Alfonso; Fernández-Alén, José; Díez-Lobato, Ramiro

    2012-11-01

    In 2009 the Spanish Ministry of Health (SMH) published the report of supply and demand of medical specialists in Spain (2008-2025), in which our specialty was considered as presenting a moderate deficit of consultants. However, Spanish neurosurgery is currently in a situation of having a surplus of neurosurgeons. To determine whether it was possible to predict the current excess of neurosurgeons in 2009 and to forecast the most likely perspective of supply and demand in 2017. Raw data extracted from the SMH report, information on the ages of the Spanish neurosurgeons obtained from the study performed by our Board of Directors in 2001, and annual mortality rates for different age ranges provided by the National Institute of Statistics, were used to predict the evolution of supply and demand of neurosurgeons for the periods 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. The current situation of an excess of specialists was predictable in 2009, and if appropriate measures are not taken, a surplus of more than 100 neurosurgeons is likely in 2017, with an unemployment rate above 26% in the worst scenario. In order to match the actual and future demand of specialists, it is necessary and urgent to reduce the number of neurosurgical in-training positions. To achieve this goal, it is essential to obtain periodical and up-to-date structural information of the different Neurosurgery Departments and Units, and to revisit the accreditation terms of the more than fifty current teaching units. Copyright © 2012 Sociedad Española de Neurocirugía. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  20. Abnormal Neurological Responses in Young Adult Offspring Caused by Excess Omega-3 Fatty Acid (Fish Oil) Consumption by the Mother during Pregnancy and Lactation

    PubMed Central

    Church, M. W.; Jen, K-L. C.; Jackson, D. A.; Adams, B. R.; Hotra, J. W.

    2009-01-01

    Consuming omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3 FA) during pregnancy and lactation benefits fetal and infant brain development and might reduce the severity of preterm births by prolonging pregnancy. However, diets that are relatively rich in ω-3 FA can adversely affect fetal and infant development and the auditory brainstem response (ABR), a measure of brain development and sensory function. We previously examined the offspring of female rats fed excessive, adequate or deficient amounts of ω-3 FA during pregnancy and lactation. The 24-day-old offspring in the Excess group, compared to the Control group, had postnatal growth retardation and poor hearing acuity and prolonged neural transmission times as evidenced by the ABR. The Deficient group was intermediate. The current study followed these offspring to see if these poor outcomes persisted into young adulthood. Based on prior findings, we hypothesized that the Excess and Deficient offspring would “catch-up” to the Control offspring by young adulthood. Female Wistar rats received one of the three diet conditions from day 1 of pregnancy through lactation. The three diets were the Control ω-3 FA condition (ω-3/ω-6 ratio ~ 0.14), the Excess ω-3 FA condition (ω-3/ω-6 ratio ~ 14.0) and Deficient ω-3 FA condition (ω-3/ω-6 ratio ~ 0% ratio). The Control diet contained 7 % soybean oil; whereas the Deficient and Excess ω-3 FA diets contained 7% safflower oil and 7% fish oil, respectively. One male and female offspring per litter were ABR-tested as young adults using tone pip stimuli of 2, 4, 8 and 16 kHz. The postnatal growth retardation and prolonged neural transmission times in the Excess and Deficient pups had dissipated by young adulthood. In contrast, the Excess group had elevated ABR thresholds (hearing loss) at all tone pip frequencies in comparison to the Control and Deficient groups. The Deficient group had worse ABR thresholds than the Control group in response to the 8 kHz tone pips only. The Excess group also had ABR amplitude-intensity profiles suggestive of hyperacusis. These results are consistent with the Barker hypothesis concerning the fetal and neonatal origins of adult diseases. Thus, consuming diets that are excessively rich or deficient in ω-3 FA during pregnancy and lactation seems inadvisable because of risks for long-lasting adverse effects on brain development and sensory function. PMID:18834936

  1. Diagnostic instruments for behavioural addiction: an overview

    PubMed Central

    Albrecht, Ulrike; Kirschner, Nina Ellen; Grüsser, Sabine M.

    2007-01-01

    In non-substance-related addiction, the so-called behavioural addiction, no external psychotropic substances are consumed. The psychotropic effect consists of the body’s own biochemical processes induced only by excessive activities. Until recently, knowledge was limited with respect to clinically relevant excessive reward-seeking behaviour, such as pathological gambling, excessive shopping and working which meet diagnostic criteria of dependent behaviour. To date, there is no consistent concept for diagnosis and treatment of excessive reward-seeking behaviour, and its classification is uncertain. Therefore, a clear conceptualization of the so-called behavioural addictions is of great importance. The use of adequate diagnostic instruments is necessary for successful therapeutical implications. This article provides an overview of the current popular diagnostic instruments assessing the different forms of behavioural addiction. Especially in certain areas there are only few valid and reliable instruments available to assess excessive rewarding behaviours that fulfill the criteria of addiction. PMID:19742294

  2. A Tale of Tails. Dark Matter Interpretations of the Fermi GeV Excess in Light of Background Model Systematics

    DOE PAGES

    Calore, Francesca; Cholis, Ilias; McCabe, Christopher; ...

    2015-03-10

    Several groups have identified an extended excess of gamma rays over the modeled foreground and background emissions towards the Galactic center (GC) based on observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope. The excess emission is compatible in morphology and spectrum with a telltale sign from dark matter (DM) annihilation. Here, we present a critical reassessment of DM interpretations of the GC signal in light of the foreground and background uncertainties that some of us recently outlaid in Calore et al. (2014). We also find that a much larger number of DM models fits the gamma-ray data than previously noted. Inmore » particular: (1) In the case of DM annihilation into b¯b, we find that even large DM masses up to m χ≃74 GeV are allowed at p-value >0.05. (2) Surprisingly, annihilation into nonrelativistic hh gives a good fit to the data. (3) The inverse Compton emission from μ +μ - with m χ~60–70 GeV can also account for the excess at higher latitudes, |b|>2°, both in its spectrum and morphology. We also present novel constraints on a large number of mixed annihilation channels, including cascade annihilation involving hidden sector mediators. Finally, we show that the current limits from dwarf spheroidal observations are not in tension with a DM interpretation when uncertainties on the DM halo profile are accounted for.« less

  3. Excessive Reassurance Seeking, Hassles, and Depressive Symptoms in Children of Affectively Ill Parents: A Multiwave Longitudinal Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abela, John R. Z.; Zuroff, David C.; Ho, Moon-Ho R.; Adams, Philippe; Hankin, Benjamin L.

    2006-01-01

    The current study examined whether excessive reassurance seeking serves as a vulnerability factor to depression in a sample of high-risk youth using a multiwave longitudinal design. At Time 1, 140 children (aged 6-14) of affectively disordered parents completed measures assessing reassurance seeking and depressive symptoms. In addition, every 6…

  4. Cobalt: A vital element in the aircraft engine industry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stephens, J. R.

    1981-01-01

    Recent trends in the United States consumption of cobalt indicate that superalloys for aircraft engine manufacture require increasing amounts of this strategic element. Superalloys consume a lion's share of total U.S. cobalt usage which was about 16 million pounds in 1980. In excess of 90 percent of the cobalt used in this country was imported, principally from the African countries of Zaire and Zambia. Early studies on the roles of cobalt as an alloying element in high temperature alloys concentrated on the simple Ni-Cr and Nimonic alloy series. The role of cobalt in current complex nickel base superalloys is not well defined and indeed, the need for the high concentration of cobalt in widely used nickel base superalloys is not firmly established. The current cobalt situation is reviewed as it applies to superalloys and the opportunities for research to reduce the consumption of cobalt in the aircraft engine industry are described.

  5. A Survey for Circumstellar Disks around Young Substellar Objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Michael C.; Najita, Joan; Tokunaga, Alan T.

    2003-03-01

    We have completed the first systematic survey for disks around spectroscopically identified young brown dwarfs and very low mass stars. For a sample of 38 very cool objects in IC 348 and Taurus, we have obtained L'-band (3.8 μm) imaging with sufficient sensitivity to detect objects with and without disks. The sample should be free of selection biases for our purposes. Our targets span spectral types from M6 to M9.5, corresponding to masses of ~15-100 MJup and ages of <~5 Myr, based on current models. None appear to be binaries at 0.4" resolution (55-120 AU). Using the objects' measured spectral types and extinctions, we find that most of our sample (77%+/-15%) possess intrinsic IR excesses, indicative of circum(sub)stellar disks. Because the excesses are modest, conventional analyses using only IR colors would have missed most of the sources with excesses. Such analyses inevitably underestimate the disk fraction and will be less reliable for young brown dwarfs than for T Tauri stars. The observed IR excesses are correlated with Hα emission, consistent with a common accretion disk origin. In the same star-forming regions, we find that disks around brown dwarfs and T Tauri stars are contemporaneous; assuming coevality, this demonstrates that the inner regions of substellar disks are at least as long-lived as stellar disks and evolve slowly for the first ~3 Myr. The disk frequency appears to be independent of mass. However, some objects in our sample, including the very coolest (lowest mass) ones, lack IR excesses and may be diskless. The observed excesses can be explained by disk reprocessing of starlight alone; the implied accretion rates are at least an order of magnitude below typical values for classical T Tauri stars. The observed distribution of IR excesses suggests inner disk holes with radii of >~2R*, consistent with the idea that such holes arise from disk-magnetosphere interactions. Altogether, the frequency and properties of young circumstellar disks appear to be similar from the stellar regime down to the substellar and planetary-mass regime. This provides prima facie evidence of a common origin for most stars and brown dwarfs.

  6. Amorphous nickel incorporated tin oxide thin film transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jianwen; Ren, Jinhua; Lin, Dong; Han, Yanbing; Qu, Mingyue; Pi, Shubin; Fu, Ruofan; Zhang, Qun

    2017-09-01

    Nickel as a dopant has been proposed to suppress excess carrier concentration in n-type tin oxide based thin film transistors (TFTs). The influences of Ni content on nickel doped tin oxide (TNO) thin films and their corresponding TFTs were investigated with experimental results showing that the TNO thin films are amorphous. Through the comparison of the transfer characteristic curves of the TNO TFTs with different Ni contents, it was observed that Ni doping is useful to improve the performance of SnO2-based TFTs by suppressing the off-state current and shifting the threshold voltage to 0 V. The amorphous TNO TFT with 3.3 at.% Ni content shows optimum performance, with field effect mobility of 8.4 cm2 V-1 s-1, saturation mobility of 6.8 cm2 V-1 s-1, subthreshold swing value of 0.8 V/decade, and an on-off current ratio of 2.1  ×  107. Nevertheless, the bias stress stability of SnO2-based TFTs deteriorate.

  7. Patterns and associates of hyperphagia in patients with dementia.

    PubMed

    Smith, G; Vigen, V; Evans, J; Fleming, K; Bohac, D

    1998-04-01

    This study examined patterns and associates of excessive eating (hyperphagia) in a community-based registry of patients with dementia. From patients enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Patient Registry (n = 439), 39 were identified with excessive eating reported on the Behavior Symptom Checklist at some time during their illness. They were matched for age, gender, duration of disease, and Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) score to "normal eaters." Annualized weight change was determined based on weight from the 6 months before the evaluation to weight 6 months after the evaluation. Annualized weight change scores were not significantly different between excessive eaters and normal eaters nor between wanderers and nonwanderers. In cross-sectional analysis, univariate modeling suggested age at onset, GDS, and Mini-Mental State Examination score to be significant predictors of excessive eating. Using multivariate logistic model with backward elimination, only age of onset and GDS were retained as associates of excess eating. Rater type also emerged as a significant predictor for excessive eating with family raters reporting this behavior in 16% of patients compared to 5% for other raters. In chi-square analyses excessive eating was associated with greater frequency of wandering, unpredictable behavior, inappropriate dressing, inappropriate bodily concerns, and threatening self-harm. Associates of excess eating were subsequently examined separately in wandering and nonwandering excessive eaters. Logistic modeling suggested that among nonwanderers, patients who were younger but more severely demented were likely to have reported excessive eating. These results suggest hyperphagia to be present in approximately 10% of a community-based cohort of patients with dementia and associated with increasing functional decline. Excessive eating does not appear to arise from memory dysfunction, but for wanderers may result from needing increased caloric intake because of increased activity levels. Thus, for wandering excessive eaters, it may be appropriate to endure the eating to ensure appropriate caloric intake. Nonwandering excessive eaters were younger, had greater dementia severity, and had more unpredictable behavior. They may have dementia with prominent frontal lobe involvement and may respond to any food stimulus respective of hunger. Restricting food exposure may be an effective management intervention for them.

  8. I-131 Dose Response for Incident Thyroid Cancers in Ukraine Related to the Chornobyl Accident

    PubMed Central

    Tronko, Mykola D.; Hatch, Maureen; Bogdanova, Tetyana I.; Oliynik, Valery A.; Lubin, Jay H.; Zablotska, Lydia B.; Tereschenko, Valery P.; McConnell, Robert J.; Zamotaeva, Galina A.; O’Kane, Patrick; Bouville, Andre C.; Chaykovskaya, Ludmila V.; Greenebaum, Ellen; Paster, Ihor P.; Shpak, Victor M.; Ron, Elaine

    2011-01-01

    Background: Current knowledge about Chornobyl-related thyroid cancer risks comes from ecological studies based on grouped doses, case–control studies, and studies of prevalent cancers. Objective: To address this limitation, we evaluated the dose–response relationship for incident thyroid cancers using measurement-based individual iodine-131 (I-131) thyroid dose estimates in a prospective analytic cohort study. Methods: The cohort consists of individuals < 18 years of age on 26 April 1986 who resided in three contaminated oblasts (states) of Ukraine and underwent up to four thyroid screening examinations between 1998 and 2007 (n = 12,514). Thyroid doses of I-131 were estimated based on individual radioactivity measurements taken within 2 months after the accident, environmental transport models, and interview data. Excess radiation risks were estimated using Poisson regression models. Results: Sixty-five incident thyroid cancers were diagnosed during the second through fourth screenings and 73,004 person-years (PY) of observation. The dose–response relationship was consistent with linearity on relative and absolute scales, although the excess relative risk (ERR) model described data better than did the excess absolute risk (EAR) model. The ERR per gray was 1.91 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.43–6.34], and the EAR per 104 PY/Gy was 2.21 (95% CI, 0.04–5.78). The ERR per gray varied significantly by oblast of residence but not by time since exposure, use of iodine prophylaxis, iodine status, sex, age, or tumor size. Conclusions: I-131–related thyroid cancer risks persisted for two decades after exposure, with no evidence of decrease during the observation period. The radiation risks, although smaller, are compatible with those of retrospective and ecological post-Chornobyl studies. PMID:21406336

  9. A comparative TCAD assessment of III-V channel materials for future high speed and low power logic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gomes, U. P.; Takhar, K.; Ranjan, K.; Rathi, S.; Biswas, D.

    2015-02-01

    In this work, by means physics based drift-diffusion simulations, three different narrow band gap semiconductors; InAs, InSb and In0.53Ga0.47As, and their associated heterostructures have been studied for future high speed and low power logic applications. It is observed that In0.53Ga0.47As has higher immunity towards short channel effects with low DIBL and sub-threshold slope than InSb and InAs. Also it is observed that for the same device geometry InSb has the highest drive current and lower intrinsic delay but its ION/IOFF figure of merit is deteriorated due to excess leakage current.

  10. Wireless power charging using point of load controlled high frequency power converters

    DOEpatents

    Miller, John M.; Campbell, Steven L.; Chambon, Paul H.; Seiber, Larry E.; White, Clifford P.

    2015-10-13

    An apparatus for wirelessly charging a battery of an electric vehicle is provided with a point of load control. The apparatus includes a base unit for generating a direct current (DC) voltage. The base unit is regulated by a power level controller. One or more point of load converters can be connected to the base unit by a conductor, with each point of load converter comprising a control signal generator that transmits a signal to the power level controller. The output power level of the DC voltage provided by the base unit is controlled by power level controller such that the power level is sufficient to power all active load converters when commanded to do so by any of the active controllers, without generating excessive power that may be otherwise wasted.

  11. Mid-infrared crystalline supermirrors with ultralow optical absorption (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deutsch, Christoph; Cole, Garrett D.; Follman, David; Heu, Paula; Bjork, Bryce J.; Franz, Chris; Alexandrovski, Alexei L.; Heckl, Oliver H.; Ye, Jun; Aspelmeyer, Markus

    2017-02-01

    Substrate-transferred crystalline coatings are a groundbreaking new concept for the fabrication of ultralow-loss mirrors. The single-crystal lattice structure of these substrate-transferred GaAs/AlGaAs Bragg mirrors exhibits the lowest mechanical losses and hence unmatched Brownian noise performance, which nowadays limits the stability of precision optical interferometers. Another outstanding feature of these coatings is the wide spectral coverage of the GaAs/AlGaAs material platform. Limited by interband absorption at short wavelengths and the reststrahlen band at long wavelengths, crystalline coatings can be employed as low-loss multilayers from approximately 900 nm up to 5 μm and beyond. Excellent optical performance has been demonstrated in the near-infrared with excess optical losses (scatter + absorption) as low as 3 parts per million (ppm), enabling cavity finesse values up to 360,000 at 1.55 μm. Our first attempts at applying crystalline coatings in the mid-infrared has resulted in mirrors with excess optical losses of 159 and 242 ppm at 3.3 and 3.7 μm, respectively. Remarkably, these results are already on par with current state-of-the-art amorphous mirror coatings. Absorption measurements based on photothermal common-path interferometry (PCI) reveal that the optical losses are largely dominated by optical scatter. Via, PCI, we have confirmed absorption losses below 10 ppm at 3.7 μm, showing the enormous potential of GaAs/AlGaAs Bragg mirrors at mid-infrared wavelengths. An optimized fabrication process, which is currently under development, can efficiently suppress optical scatter due to accumulated growth defects on the surface. Ultimately, we foresee excess losses significantly less than 50 ppm in the mid-infrared spectral region.

  12. Design and Development of 256x256 Linear Mode Low-Noise Avalanche Photodiode Arrays

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yuan, Ping; Sudharsanan, Rengarajan; Bai, Xiaogang; Boisvert, Joseph; McDonald, Paul; Chang, James

    2011-01-01

    A larger format photodiode array is always desirable for many LADAR imaging applications. However, as the array format increases, the laser power or the lens aperture has to increase to maintain the same flux per pixel thus increasing the size, weight and power of the imaging system. In order to avoid this negative impact, it is essential to improve the pixel sensitivity. The sensitivity of a short wavelength infrared linear-mode avalanche photodiode (APD) is a delicate balance of quantum efficiency, usable gain, excess noise factor, capacitance, and dark current of APD as well as the input equivalent noise of the amplifier. By using InA1As as a multiplication layer in an InP-based APD, the ionization coefficient ratio, k, is reduced from 0.40 (lnP) to 0.22, and the excess noise is reduced by about 50%. An additional improvement in excess noise of 25% was achieved by employing an impact-ionization-engineering structure with a k value of 0.15. Compared with the traditional InP structure, about 30% reduction in the noise-equivalent power with the following amplifier can be achieved. Spectrolab demonstrated 30-um mesa APD pixels with a dark current less than 10 nA and a capacitance of 60 fF at gain of 10. APD gain uninformity determines the usable gain of most pixels in an array, which is critical to focal plane array sensitivity. By fine tuning the material growth and device process, a break-down-voltage standard deviation of 0.1 V and gain of 30 on individual pixels were demonstrated in our 256x256 linear-mode APD arrays.

  13. Linear air-fuel sensor development

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

    Garzon, F.; Miller, C.

    1996-12-14

    The electrochemical zirconia solid electrolyte oxygen sensor, is extensively used for monitoring oxygen concentrations in various fields. They are currently utilized in automobiles to monitor the exhaust gas composition and control the air-to-fuel ratio, thus reducing harmful emission components and improving fuel economy. Zirconia oxygen sensors, are divided into two classes of devices: (1) potentiometric or logarithmic air/fuel sensors; and (2) amperometric or linear air/fuel sensors. The potentiometric sensors are ideally suited to monitor the air-to-fuel ratio close to the complete combustion stoichiometry; a value of about 14.8 to 1 parts by volume. This occurs because the oxygen concentration changesmore » by many orders of magnitude as the air/fuel ratio is varied through the stoichiometric value. However, the potentiometric sensor is not very sensitive to changes in oxygen partial pressure away from the stoichiometric point due to the logarithmic dependence of the output voltage signal on the oxygen partial pressure. It is often advantageous to operate gasoline power piston engines with excess combustion air; this improves fuel economy and reduces hydrocarbon emissions. To maintain stable combustion away from stoichiometry, and enable engines to operate in the excess oxygen (lean burn) region several limiting-current amperometric sensors have been reported. These sensors are based on the electrochemical oxygen ion pumping of a zirconia electrolyte. They typically show reproducible limiting current plateaus with an applied voltage caused by the gas diffusion overpotential at the cathode.« less

  14. [Application of iodine metabolism analysis methods in thyroid diseases].

    PubMed

    Han, Jian-hua; Qiu, Ling

    2013-08-01

    The main physiological role of iodine in the body is to synthesize thyroid hormone. Both iodine deficiency and iodine excess can lead to severe thyroid diseases. While its role in thyroid diseases has increasingly been recognized, few relevant platforms and techniques for iodine detection have been available in China. This paper summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of currently iodine detection methods including direct titration, arsenic cerium catalytic spectrophotometry, chromatography with pulsed amperometry, colorimetry based on automatic biochemistry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, so as to optimize the iodine nutrition for patients with thyroid diseases.

  15. Hurricane risk assessment to rollback or ride out a cost versus loss decision making approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wohlman, Richard A.

    1992-01-01

    The potential exists that a hurricane striking the Kennedy Space Center while a Space Shuttle is on the pad. Winds in excess of 74.5 knots could cause the failure of the holddown bolts bringing about the catastrophic loss of the entire vehicle. Current plans call for the rollback of the shuttle when winds of that magnitude are forecast to strike the center. As this is costly, a new objective method for making rollback/rideout decisions based upon Bayesian Analysis and economic cost versus loss is presented.

  16. Pulmonary function in relation to total dust exposure at a bauxite refinery and alumina-based chemical products plant.

    PubMed

    Townsend, M C; Enterline, P E; Sussman, N B; Bonney, T B; Rippey, L L

    1985-12-01

    A cross-sectional study of 1,142 male employees at the Arkansas Operations of a large aluminum production company examined the effect on pulmonary function of chronic exposure to total dust produced in the mining and refining of bauxite and the production of alumina chemicals. Never smokers, ex-smokers, and current smokers were analyzed separately. Among never smokers, a pattern of decreasing FEV1 was observed in relation to increasing duration and cumulative total dust exposure. Among never smokers with cumulative total dust exposures of greater than or equal to 100 mg/m3 yr and greater than or equal to 20 yr of exposure, there was a mean reduction from the predicted FEV1 of 0.29 to 0.39 L, in addition to a 3- to 4-fold excess of observed/expected numbers of subjects with FEV1 less than 80% of predicted. These results were observed relative to an external and an internal comparison group. Among current smokers, the deviations from predicted and the excess numbers of subjects with FEV1 less than 80% of predicted were larger in all exposure groups than for the never smokers. However, the quality of the smoking data was inadequate to allow separation of the effects of smoking and dust exposure.

  17. Carbon Nanotube-Based Supercapacitors with Excellent ac Line Filtering and Rate Capability via Improved Interfacial Impedance.

    PubMed

    Rangom, Yverick; Tang, Xiaowu Shirley; Nazar, Linda F

    2015-07-28

    We report the fabrication of high-performance, self-standing composite sp(2)-carbon supercapacitor electrodes using single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as conductive binder. The 3-D mesoporous mesh architecture of CNT-based composite electrodes grants unimpaired ionic transport throughout relatively thick films and allows superior performance compared to graphene-based devices at an ac line frequency of 120 Hz. Metrics of 601 μF/cm(2) with a -81° phase angle and a rate capability (RC) time constant of 199 μs are obtained for thin carbon films. The free-standing carbon films were obtained from a chlorosulfonic acid dispersion and interfaced to stainless steel current collectors with various surface treatments. CNT electrodes were able to cycle at 200 V/s and beyond, still showing a characteristic parallelepipedic cyclic votammetry shape at 1 kV/s. Current densities are measured in excess of 6400 A/g, and the electrodes retain more than 98% capacity after 1 million cycles. These promising results are attributed to a reduction of series resistance in the film through the CNT conductive network and especially to the surface treatment of the stainless steel current collector.

  18. Analyzing the future of army aeromedical evacuation units and equipment: a mixed methods, requirements-based approach.

    PubMed

    Bastian, Nathaniel D; Brown, David; Fulton, Lawrence V; Mitchell, Robert; Pollard, Wayne; Robinson, Mark; Wilson, Ronald

    2013-03-01

    We utilize a mixed methods approach to provide three new, separate analyses as part of the development of the next aeromedical evacuation (MEDEVAC) platform of the Future of Vertical Lift (FVL) program. The research questions follow: RQ1) What are the optimal capabilities of a FVL MEDEVAC platform given an Afghanistan-like scenario and parameters associated with the treatment/ground evacuation capabilities in that theater?; RQ2) What are the MEDEVAC trade-off considerations associated with different aircraft engines operating under variable conditions?; RQ3) How does the additional weight of weaponizing the current MEDEVAC fleet affect range, coverage radius, and response time? We address RQ1 using discrete-event simulation based partially on qualitative assessments from the field, while RQ2 and RQ3 are based on deterministic analysis. Our results confirm previous findings that travel speeds in excess of 250 knots and ranges in excess of 300 nautical miles are advisable for the FVL platform design, thereby reducing the medical footprint in stability operations. We recommend a specific course of action regarding a potential engine bridging strategy based on deterministic analysis of endurance and altitude, and we suggest that the weaponization of the FVL MEDEVAC aircraft will have an adverse effect on coverage capability. Reprint & Copyright © 2013 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

  19. Lifetime indirect cost of childhood overweight and obesity: A decision analytic model.

    PubMed

    Sonntag, Diana; Ali, Shehzad; De Bock, Freia

    2016-01-01

    To estimate the indirect lifetime cost of childhood overweight and obesity for Germany. The lifetime cohort model consisted of two parts: (a) Model I used data from the German Interview and Examination Survey for Children on prevalence of BMI categories during childhood to evaluate BMI trajectories before the age of 18; and (b) Model II estimated lifetime excess indirect cost based on the history of childhood BMI. Indirect costs were defined as the opportunity cost of lost productivity due to mortality and morbidity and were identified through a systematic literature review. Our analysis showed that the majority of children with overweight and obesity remained in the same BMI category during their adult life, resulting in significant indirect lifetime costs. We estimated that overweight and obesity during childhood resulted in an excess lifetime cost per person of €4,209 (men) and €2,445 (women). For the current prevalent German population, the excess lifetime cost was €145 billion. Our study showed that childhood obesity results in significant economic burden on the society. Therefore, cost-effective strategies targeted at reducing the prevalence of obesity during the early years of life can significantly reduce both healthcare and nonhealthcare costs over the lifetime. © 2015 The Obesity Society.

  20. How parents can affect excessive spending of time on screen-based activities.

    PubMed

    Brindova, Daniela; Pavelka, Jan; Ševčikova, Anna; Žežula, Ivan; van Dijk, Jitse P; Reijneveld, Sijmen A; Geckova, Andrea Madarasova

    2014-12-12

    The aim of this study is to explore the association between family-related factors and excessive time spent on screen-based activities among school-aged children. A cross-sectional survey using the methodology of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study was performed in 2013, with data collected from Slovak (n = 258) and Czech (n = 406) 11- and 15-year-old children. The effects of age, gender, availability of a TV or computer in the bedroom, parental rules on time spent watching TV or working on a computer, parental rules on the content of TV programmes and computer work and watching TV together with parents on excessive time spent with screen-based activities were explored using logistic regression models. Two-thirds of respondents watch TV or play computer games at least two hours a day. Older children have a 1.80-times higher chance of excessive TV watching (CI: 1.30-2.51) and a 3.91-times higher chance of excessive computer use (CI: 2.82-5.43) in comparison with younger children. More than half of children have a TV (53%) and a computer (73%) available in their bedroom, which increases the chance of excessive TV watching by 1.59 times (CI: 1.17-2.16) and of computer use by 2.25 times (CI: 1.59-3.20). More than half of parents rarely or never apply rules on the length of TV watching (64%) or time spent on computer work (56%), and their children have a 1.76-times higher chance of excessive TV watching (CI: 1.26-2.46) and a 1.50-times greater chance of excessive computer use (CI: 1.07-2.08). A quarter of children reported that they are used to watching TV together with their parents every day, and these have a 1.84-times higher chance of excessive TV watching (1.25-2.70). Reducing time spent watching TV by applying parental rules or a parental role model might help prevent excessive time spent on screen-based activities.

  1. Radiation Power as Function of Current in Wall-stabilized AC Arc of Water-cooled Vortex Type with Small Caliber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iwao, Toru; Naito, Yuto; Shimizu, Yuta; Yamamoto, Shinji

    2016-10-01

    The problem of an emergency large-scale lighting with the high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp is the lack of radiation intensity because of inappropriate energy balance. Some researchers have researched that the radiation power depended on the arc temperature increases with increasing the current. However, the heat loss and the erosion of the electrode as well as the radiation power increases with increasing the current excessively. AC current replaces alternately the cathode and the anode. Thus, it is possible to avoid the concentration of the heat transfer to the anode. Moreover, the lamp efficiency decreases with increasing the current excessively because of ultra violet rays increment. It is necessary to control the temperature distribution with controlling the current and radius. In this paper, the radiation power as a function of the current in the wall-stabilized AC arc of water-cooled vortex type with small caliber was measured. As a result, the radiation power increased with increasing the current and appropriate wall radius. The radiation of AC arc is smaller than it of DC arc. And, the erosion of electrode decreases.

  2. Influence of propellant choice on MPD arcjet cathode surface current density distribution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sheshadri, T. S.

    1989-10-01

    The radial current density on an MPD arcjet cathode surface is theoretically investigated for five propellants. It is found that excessive current concentration at the upstream end of the cathode occurs in the case of hydrogen. This undesirable effect is traced to the higher electrical conductivity of hydrogen plasma.

  3. Process for testing a xenon gas feed system of a hollow cathode assembly

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Patterson, Michael J. (Inventor); Verhey, Timothy R. R. (Inventor); Soulas, George C. (Inventor)

    2004-01-01

    The design and manufacturing processes for Hollow Cathode Assemblies (HCA's) that operate over a broad range of emission currents up to 30 Amperes, at low potentials, with lifetimes in excess of 17,500 hours. The processes include contamination control procedures which cover hollow cathode component cleaning procedures, gas feed system designs and specifications, and hollow cathode activation and operating procedures to thereby produce cathode assemblies that have demonstrated stable and repeatable operating conditions, for both the discharge current and voltage. The HCA of this invention provides lifetimes of greater than 10,000 hours, and expected lifetimes of greater than 17,500 hours, whereas the present state-of-the-art is less than 500 hours at emission currents in excess of 1 Ampere. Stable operation is provided over a large range of operating emission currents, up to a 6:1 ratio, and this HCA can emit electron currents of up to 30 Amperes in magnitude to an external anode that simulates the current drawn to a space plasma, at voltages of less than 20 Volts.

  4. Process for Ignition of Gaseous Electrical Discharge Between Electrodes of a Hollow Cathode Assembly

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Patterson, Michael J. (Inventor); Verhey, Timothy R. R. (Inventor); Soulas, George C. (Inventor)

    2000-01-01

    The design and manufacturing processes for Hollow Cathode Assemblies (HCA's) that operate over a broad range of emission currents up to 30 Amperes, at low potentials, with lifetimes in excess of 17,500 hours. The processes include contamination control procedures which cover hollow cathode component cleaning procedures, gas feed system designs and specifications, and hollow cathode activation and operating procedures to thereby produce cathode assemblies that have demonstrated stable and repeatable operating conditions, for both the discharge current and voltage. The HCA of this invention provides lifetimes of greater than 10,000 hours, and expected lifetimes of greater than 17,500 hours, whereas the present state-of-the-art is less than 500 hours at emission currents in excess of 1 Ampere. Stable operation is provided over a large range of operating emission currents, up to a 6:1 ratio, and this HCA can emit electron currents of up to 30 Amperes in magnitude to an external anode that simulates the current drawn to a space plasma, at voltages of less than 20 Volts.

  5. Excess surface area in bioelectrochemical systems causes ion transport limitations.

    PubMed

    Harrington, Timothy D; Babauta, Jerome T; Davenport, Emily K; Renslow, Ryan S; Beyenal, Haluk

    2015-05-01

    We investigated ion transport limitations on 3D graphite felt electrodes by growing Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms with advection to eliminate external mass transfer limitations. We characterized ion transport limitations by: (i) showing that serially increasing NaCl concentration up to 200 mM increased current linearly up to a total of +273% vs. 0 mM NaCl under advective conditions; (ii) growing the biofilm with a starting concentration of 200 mM NaCl, which led to a maximum current increase of 400% vs. current generation without NaCl, and (iii) showing that un-colonized surface area remained even after steady-state current was reached. After accounting for iR effects, we confirmed that the excess surface area existed despite a non-zero overpotential. The fact that the biofilm was constrained from colonizing and producing further current under these conditions confirmed the biofilms under study here were ion transport-limited. Our work demonstrates that the use of high surface area electrodes may not increase current density when the system design allows ion transport limitations to become dominant. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Long term cause specific mortality among 34 489 five year survivors of childhood cancer in Great Britain: population based cohort study

    PubMed Central

    Fidler, Miranda M; Reulen, Raoul C; Winter, David L; Kelly, Julie; Jenkinson, Helen C; Skinner, Rod; Frobisher, Clare

    2016-01-01

    Objective To determine whether modern treatments for cancer are associated with a net increased or decreased risk of death from neoplastic and non-neoplastic causes among survivors of childhood cancer. Design Population based cohort study. Setting British Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Participants Nationwide population based cohort of 34 489 five year survivors of childhood cancer with a diagnosis from 1940 to 2006 and followed up until 28 February 2014. Main outcome measures Cause specific standardised mortality ratios and absolute excess risks are reported. Multivariable Poisson regression models were utilised to evaluate the simultaneous effect of risk factors. Likelihood ratio tests were used to test for heterogeneity or trend. Results Overall, 4475 deaths were observed, which was 9.1 (95% confidence interval 8.9 to 9.4) times that expected in the general population, corresponding to 64.2 (95% confidence interval 62.1 to 66.3) excess deaths per 10 000 person years. The number of excess deaths from all causes declined among those treated more recently; those treated during 1990-2006 experienced 30% of the excess number of deaths experienced by those treated before 1970. The corresponding percentages for the decline in excess deaths from recurrence or progression and non-neoplastic causes were 30% and 60%, respectively. Among survivors aged 50-59 years, 41% and 22% of excess deaths were attributable to subsequent primary neoplasms and circulatory conditions, respectively, whereas the corresponding percentages among those aged 60 years or more were 31% and 37%. Conclusions The net effects of changes in cancer treatments, and surveillance and management for late effects, over the period 1940 to 2006 was to reduce the excess number of deaths from both recurrence or progression and non-neoplastic causes among those treated more recently. Among survivors aged 60 years or more, the excess number of deaths from circulatory causes exceeds the excess number of deaths from subsequent primary neoplasms. The important message for the evidence based surveillance aimed at preventing excess mortality and morbidity in survivors aged 60 years or more is that circulatory disease overtakes subsequent primary neoplasms as the leading cause of excess mortality. PMID:27586237

  7. Tandem organic light-emitting diodes with buffer-modified C60/pentacene as charge generation layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Zhen; Zheng, Xin; Liu, Fei; Wang, Pei; Gan, Lin; Wang, Jing-jing

    2017-09-01

    Buffer-modified C60/pentacene as charge generation layer (CGL) is investigated to achieve effective performance of charge generation. Undoped green electroluminescent tandem organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with multiple identical emissive units and using buffer-modified C60/pentacene organic semiconductor heterojunction (OHJ) as CGL are demonstrated to exhibit better current density and brightness, compared with conventional single-unit devices. The current density and brightness both can be significantly improved with increasing the thickness of Al. However, excessive thickness of Al seriously decreases the transmittance of films and damages the interface. As a result, the maximum current efficiency of 1.43 cd·A-1 at 30 mA·cm-2 can be achieved for tandem OLEDs with optimal thickness of Al. These results clearly demonstrate that Cs2CO3/Al is an effective buffer for C60/pentacene-based tandem OLEDs.

  8. Research on multi-switch synchronization based on single trigger generator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geng, Jiuyuan; Cheng, Xinbing; Yang, Jianhua; Yang, Xiao; Chen, Rong

    2018-05-01

    Multi-switch synchronous operation is an effective approach to provide high-voltage high-current for a high-power device. In this paper, we present a synchronization system with a corona stabilized triggered switch (CSTS) as main switch and an all-solid modularized quasi-square pulse forming system. In addition, this paper provides explanations of low jitter and accurate triggering of CSTS based on streamer theory. Different switches of the module are triggered by an electrical pulse created by a trigger generator, a quasi-square pulse can be created on the load. The experimental results show that it is able to switch voltages in excess of 40kV with nanosecond system jitter for three-module synchronous operation.

  9. Avalanche multiplication in AlGaN-based heterostructures for the ultraviolet spectral range

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hahn, L.; Fuchs, F.; Kirste, L.; Driad, R.; Rutz, F.; Passow, T.; Köhler, K.; Rehm, R.; Ambacher, O.

    2018-04-01

    AlxGa1-xN based avalanche photodiodes grown on sapphire substrate with Al-contents of x = 0.65 and x = 0.60 have been examined under back- and frontside illumination with respect to their avalanche gain properties. The photodetectors suitable for the solar-blind ultraviolet spectral regime show avalanche gain for voltages in excess of 30 V reverse bias in the linear gain mode. Devices with a mesa diameter of 100 μm exhibit stable avalanche gain below the break through threshold voltage, exceeding a multiplication gain of 5500 at 84 V reverse bias. A dark current below 1 pA can be found for reverse voltages up to 60 V.

  10. Analyzing γ rays of the Galactic Center with deep learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caron, Sascha; Gómez-Vargas, Germán A.; Hendriks, Luc; Ruiz de Austri, Roberto

    2018-05-01

    We present the application of convolutional neural networks to a particular problem in gamma ray astronomy. Explicitly, we use this method to investigate the origin of an excess emission of GeV γ rays in the direction of the Galactic Center, reported by several groups by analyzing Fermi-LAT data. Interpretations of this excess include γ rays created by the annihilation of dark matter particles and γ rays originating from a collection of unresolved point sources, such as millisecond pulsars. We train and test convolutional neural networks with simulated Fermi-LAT images based on point and diffuse emission models of the Galactic Center tuned to measured γ ray data. Our new method allows precise measurements of the contribution and properties of an unresolved population of γ ray point sources in the interstellar diffuse emission model. The current model predicts the fraction of unresolved point sources with an error of up to 10% and this is expected to decrease with future work.

  11. Therapeutic Implications of a Barrier-Based Pathogenesis of Atopic Dermatitis

    PubMed Central

    Wakefield, Joan S.

    2015-01-01

    Excessive Th2 cell signaling and IgE production play key roles in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). Yet, recent information suggests that the inflammation in AD instead is initiated by inherited insults to the barrier, including a strong association between mutations in FILAGGRIN and SPINK5 in Netherton syndrome, the latter of which provides an important clue that AD is provoked by excess serine protease activity. But acquired stressors to the barrier may also be required to initiate inflammation in AD, and in addition, microbial colonization by Staphylococcus aureus both amplifies inflammation, but also further stresses the barrier in AD. Therapeutic implications of these insights are as follows: While current therapy has been largely directed toward ameliorating Th2-mediated inflammation and/or pruritus, these therapies are fraught with short-term and potential long-term risks. In contrast, “barrier repair” therapy, with a ceramide-dominant triple-lipid mixture of stratum corneum lipids, is more logical, of proven efficacy, and it provides a far-improved safety profile. PMID:21174234

  12. Vitamins and Microelement Bioavailability in Different Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease

    PubMed Central

    Jankowska, Magdalena; Rutkowski, Bolesław; Dębska-Ślizień, Alicja

    2017-01-01

    Chronic kidney disease (CKD) predisposes one to either deficiency or toxic excess of different micronutrients. The knowledge on micronutrients—specifically water-soluble vitamins and trace elements—in CKD is very limited. Consequently, current guidelines and recommendations are mostly based on expert opinions or poor-quality evidence. Abnormalities of micronutrient resources in CKD develop for several reasons. Dietary restrictions and anorexia lead to an insufficient micronutrient intake, while diuretics use and renal replacement therapy lead to their excessive losses. Absorption is unpredictable, and metabolism impaired. Better understanding of the micronutrient needs of CKD patients could have an impact on many complications linked to vitamin and trace element disorders, including high mortality, increased risk of atherosclerosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, anemia, polyneuropathy, encephalopathy, weakness and fragility, muscle cramps, bone disease, depression, or insomnia. Here, we summarize the up-to-date knowledge on micronutrient resources in different stages of CKD, and share our experience with the assessment of micronutrient status. PMID:28294976

  13. Polycystic ovary syndrome.

    PubMed

    Azziz, Ricardo; Carmina, Enrico; Chen, ZiJiang; Dunaif, Andrea; Laven, Joop S E; Legro, Richard S; Lizneva, Daria; Natterson-Horowtiz, Barbara; Teede, Helena J; Yildiz, Bulent O

    2016-08-11

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 5-20% of women of reproductive age worldwide. The condition is characterized by hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction and polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) - with excessive androgen production by the ovaries being a key feature of PCOS. Metabolic dysfunction characterized by insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinaemia is evident in the vast majority of affected individuals. PCOS increases the risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes and other pregnancy-related complications, venous thromboembolism, cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events and endometrial cancer. PCOS is a diagnosis of exclusion, based primarily on the presence of hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction and PCOM. Treatment should be tailored to the complaints and needs of the patient and involves targeting metabolic abnormalities through lifestyle changes, medication and potentially surgery for the prevention and management of excess weight, androgen suppression and/or blockade, endometrial protection, reproductive therapy and the detection and treatment of psychological features. This Primer summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding the epidemiology, mechanisms and pathophysiology, diagnosis, screening and prevention, management and future investigational directions of the disorder.

  14. Inappropriate and Excessive Guilt: Instrument Validation and Developmental Differences in Relation to Depression

    PubMed Central

    Tilghman-Osborne, Carlos; Felton, Julia W.

    2014-01-01

    Inappropriate or excessive guilt is listed as a symptom of depression by the American Psychiatric Association (1994). Although many measures of guilt have been developed, definitional and operational problems exist, especially in the application of such measures in childhood and adolescence. To address these problems, the current study introduces the Inappropriate and Excessive Guilt Scale (IEGS), assesses its validity for use with children and adolescents, and tests its relation to depression across development. From a sample of 370 children between 7 and 16 years old, results provided (1) evidence that items designed to assess inappropriate and excessive guilt converged onto a single underlying factor, (2) support for the convergent, discriminant, and construct validity of the IEGS in a general youth population, and (3) evidence of incremental validity of the IEGS over-and-above other measures of guilt. Results also supported the hypothesis that inappropriate and excessive guilt as well as negative cognitive errors become less normative and more depressotypic with age. PMID:22086497

  15. Research on design feasibility of high-power light-weight dc-to-dc converters for space power applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson, T. G.

    1981-01-01

    Utilizing knowledge gained from past experience with experimental current-or-voltage step-up dc-to-dc converter power stages operating at output powers up to and in excess of 2 kW, a new experimental current-or-voltage step-up power stage using paralleled bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) as the controlled power switch, was constructed during the current reporting period. The major motivation behind the construction of this new experimental power stage was to improve the circuit layout so as to reduce the effects of stray circuit parasitic inductances resulting from excess circuit lead lengths and circuit loops, and to take advantage of the layout improvements which could be made when some recently-available power components, particularly power diodes and polypropylene filter capacitors, were incorporated into the design.

  16. Forward- and reverse-bias tunneling effects in n/+/p silicon solar cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Garlick, G. F. J.; Kachare, A. H.

    1980-01-01

    Excess currents due to field-assisted tunneling in both forward and reverse bias directions have been observed in n(+)-p silicon solar cells. These currents arise from the effect of conducting paths produced in the depletion layer by n(+) diffusion and cell processing. Forward-bias data indicate a small potential barrier with height of 0.04 eV at the n(+) end of conducting paths. Under reverse bias, excess tunneling currents involve a potential barrier at the p end of the conducting paths, the longer paths being associated with smaller barrier heights and dominating at the lower temperatures. Low-reverse-bias data give energy levels of 0.11 eV for lower temperatures (253-293 K) and 0.35 eV for higher temperatures (293-380 K). A model is suggested to explain the results.

  17. Effect of the Crystal Structure on the Electrical Properties of Thin-Film PZT Structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delimova, L. A.; Gushchina, E. V.; Zaitseva, N. V.; Seregin, D. S.; Vorotilov, K. A.; Sigov, A. S.

    2018-03-01

    A new method of two-stage crystallization of lead zirconate-titanate (PZT) films using a seed sublayer with a low excess lead content has been proposed and realized. A seed layer with a strong texture of perovskite Pe(111) grains is formed from a solution with a lead excess of 0-5 wt %; the fast growth of the grains is provided by the deposition of the main film from a solution with high lead content. As a result, a strong Pe(111) texture with complete suppression of the Pe(100) orientation forms. An analysis of current-voltage dependences of the transient currents and the distributions of the local conductivity measured by the contact AFM method reveals two various mechanisms of current percolation that are determined by traps in the bulk and at the perovskite grain interfaces.

  18. Novel serum biomarkers for detection of excessive alcohol use

    PubMed Central

    Liangpunsakul, Suthat; Lai, Xianyin; Ross, Ruth A.; Yu, Zhangsheng; Modlik, Elizabeth; Westerhold, Chi; Heathers, Laura; Paul, Robin; O’Connor, Sean; Crabb, David W.; Witzmann, Frank

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Construct interview that correctly identifies those with alcohol use disorder have limitation, especially when the subjects are motivated to minimize the magnitude of drinking behavior. Current laboratory tests to detect excessive alcohol consumption are limited by marginal sensitivity/specificity. Excessive drinking has been shown to affect several organ systems; which may be reflected in changes in quantity of plasma proteins. Our aim was to employ novel proteomic analyses to identify potential markers for excessive alcohol use. METHODS A prospective case-control study that included 39 controls and 54 excessive drinkers (discovery cohort). The serum proteomic analyses in these subjects were performed and the results were tested in the verification cohort (40 controls and 40 excessive drinkers). RESULTS Using the appropriate cutoff and confirmation with ELISA, we identified 4 proteins which were significantly elevated in the serum of excessive drinkers; AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 4B (ARID4B), Phosphatidylcholine-sterol acyltransferase (LCAT), Hepatocyte growth factor-like protein (MST1), and ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (ARL6). The performance of the conventional markers (AST, ALT, GGT, %CDT, and MCV) discriminating between excessive alcohol use and controls had an area under the curve (AUC) ranging from 0.21 (ALT) to 0.67 (MCV). The AUC of these novel proteins showed the improvement in the detection of excessive drinkers compared to conventional lab tests, ranging from 0.73 (for ARID4B) to 0.86 (for ARL6). CONCLUSIONS We have identified four novel proteins that can discern subjects with excessive alcohol use. Further studies are needed to determine the clinical implications of these markers to detect excessive alcohol use and confirm abstinence. PMID:25704570

  19. DAMPE squib? Significance of the 1.4 TeV DAMPE excess

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fowlie, Andrew

    2018-05-01

    We present a Bayesian and frequentist analysis of the DAMPE charged cosmic ray spectrum. The spectrum, by eye, contained a spectral break at about 1TeV and a monochromatic excess at about 1.4TeV. The break was supported by a Bayes factor of about 1010 and we argue that the statistical significance was resounding. We investigated whether we should attribute the excess to dark matter annihilation into electrons in a nearby subhalo. We found a local significance of about 3.6σ and a global significance of about 2.3σ, including a two-dimensional look-elsewhere effect by simulating 1000 pseudo-experiments. The Bayes factor was sensitive to our choices of priors, but favoured the excess by about 2 for our choices. Thus, whilst intriguing, the evidence for a signal is not currently compelling.

  20. High current polarized electron source

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suleiman, R.; Adderley, P.; Grames, J.; Hansknecht, J.; Poelker, M.; Stutzman, M.

    2018-05-01

    Jefferson Lab operates two DC high voltage GaAs photoguns with compact inverted insulators. One photogun provides the polarized electron beam at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) up to 200 µA. The other gun is used for high average current photocathode lifetime studies at a dedicated test facility up to 4 mA of polarized beam and 10 mA of un-polarized beam. GaAs-based photoguns used at accelerators with extensive user programs must exhibit long photocathode operating lifetime. Achieving this goal represents a significant challenge for proposed facilities that must operate in excess of tens of mA of polarized average current. This contribution describes techniques to maintain good vacuum while delivering high beam currents, and techniques that minimize damage due to ion bombardment, the dominant mechanism that reduces photocathode yield. Advantages of higher DC voltage include reduced space-charge emittance growth and the potential for better photocathode lifetime. Highlights of R&D to improve the performance of polarized electron sources and prolong the lifetime of strained-superlattice GaAs are presented.

  1. Development of DNA biosensor based on TiO2 nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nadzirah, Sh.; Hashim, U.; Rusop, M.

    2018-05-01

    A novel technique of DNA hybridization on the TiO2 nanoparticles film was developed by dropping a single droplet of target DNA onto the surface of TiO2 for the study of various concentrations of target DNA. The surface of TiO2 nanoparticle film was functionalized with APTES and covalently immobilized with 1 µM probe DNA on the silanized TiO2 nanoparticles surface. The effect of silanization, immobilization and hybridization were quantitatively measured by the output current signal obtained using a picoammeter. The 1 µM target DNA was found to be the most effective target towards the 1 µM probe DNA as the output current signal was within range; while the output current signal of the 10 µM target DNA was observed to beyond the range of the probe DNA control due to the excessive concentration as compared to the probe DNA. This approach has several advantages such as rapid, simple, low cost, and sensitive current signal during detection of different target DNA concentrations.

  2. A hard X-ray view of the soft excess in AGN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boissay, R.; Ricci, C.; Paltani, S.

    2017-10-01

    A soft X-ray emission in excess of the extrapolation of the hard X-ray continuum is detected in many Seyfert 1 galaxies below 1 keV. To understand the uncertain nature of this soft excess, which could be due to warm Comptonization or to blurred ionized reflection, we consider the different behaviors of these models above 10 keV. We present the results of a study done on 102 Seyfert 1s from the Swift BAT 70-Month Hard X-ray Survey catalog. We have performed the joint spectral analysis of Swift/BAT and XMM-Newton data in order to get a hard X-ray view of the soft excess. We discuss the links between the soft-excess strength and the reflection at high energy, the slope of the continuum and the Eddington ratio. We compare our results to simulations of blurred ionized-reflection models and show that they are in contradiction. Indeed, we do not find the expected correlation between the reflection and the soft-excess strengths, neither in individual, nor in stacked spectra. We also present our current project of broadband fitting, using different models explaining the soft excess, to simultaneous XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations of about ten objects of our sample.

  3. 48 CFR 915.404-4-71-5 - Fee schedules.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... until such Force account work exceeds, in the aggregate, 20 percent of the base. Excessive use of Force..., appropriate fee reductions for such excessive Force account labor shall be computed as follows: (1) Determine... following adjustments shall be made to the Schedule fee amounts for complexity levels, excessive...

  4. 48 CFR 915.404-4-71-5 - Fee schedules.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... until such Force account work exceeds, in the aggregate, 20 percent of the base. Excessive use of Force..., appropriate fee reductions for such excessive Force account labor shall be computed as follows: (1) Determine... following adjustments shall be made to the Schedule fee amounts for complexity levels, excessive...

  5. 48 CFR 915.404-4-71-5 - Fee schedules.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... until such Force account work exceeds, in the aggregate, 20 percent of the base. Excessive use of Force..., appropriate fee reductions for such excessive Force account labor shall be computed as follows: (1) Determine... following adjustments shall be made to the Schedule fee amounts for complexity levels, excessive...

  6. 48 CFR 915.404-4-71-5 - Fee schedules.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... until such Force account work exceeds, in the aggregate, 20 percent of the base. Excessive use of Force..., appropriate fee reductions for such excessive Force account labor shall be computed as follows: (1) Determine... following adjustments shall be made to the Schedule fee amounts for complexity levels, excessive...

  7. 48 CFR 915.404-4-71-5 - Fee schedules.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... until such Force account work exceeds, in the aggregate, 20 percent of the base. Excessive use of Force..., appropriate fee reductions for such excessive Force account labor shall be computed as follows: (1) Determine... following adjustments shall be made to the Schedule fee amounts for complexity levels, excessive...

  8. Probes for measuring noise current in an electronic cable

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lundy, C. C.

    1974-01-01

    Electromagnetic interference in deep-space network receiver is often caused by stray coupling from power lines. These stray signals create potential differences between ground terminals, which leads to excessive noise in receiver circuits. Pair of probes detect and measure noise currents in conductors.

  9. Indentation creep behaviors of amorphous Cu-based composite alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Defeng; Ma, Xiangdong; Qian, Linfang

    2018-04-01

    This work reports the indentation creep behaviors of two Si2Zr3/amorphous Cu-based composite alloys utilizing nanoindentation technique. By analysis with Kelvin model, the retardation spectra of alloys at different positions, detached and attached regions to the intermetallics, were deduced. For the indentation of detached regions to Si2Zr3 intermetallics in both alloys, very similarity in creep displacement can be observed and retardation spectra show a distinct disparity in the second retardation peak. For the indentation of detached regions, the second retardation spectra also display distinct disparity. At both positions, the retardation spectra suggest that Si elements may lead to the relatively dense structure in the amorphous matrix and to form excessive Si2Zr3 intermetallics which may deteriorate the plastic deformation of current Cu-based composite alloys.

  10. An approach to forecast major GIC events

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stauning, Peter

    2013-04-01

    In addition to provide fascinating auroral displays, the large and violent magnetic substorms may endanger power grids and cause problems for a variety of other important technical systems. Such substorms generally result from the build-up of excessive stresses in the magnetospheric tail region caused by imbalance between the transpolar antisunward convection of plasma and embedded magnetic fields and the sunward convection (return flow) at auroral latitudes. The stresses are subsequently released through substorm processes, which may, among other, cause rapidly varying ionospheric currents in the million-ampere range that in turn endanger power grids through the related "Geomagnetically Induced Current" (GIC) effects. The presentation will discuss the construction of a geomagnetic stress parameter based on a combination of polar cap indices and auroral electrojet monitoring to be used in the forecasting of major GIC events.

  11. Hydrogen production at hydro-power plants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarnay, D. S.

    A tentative design for hydrogen-producing installations at hydropower facilities is discussed from technological, economic and applications viewpoints. The plants would use alternating current to electrolyze purified river water. The hydrogen would be stored in gas or liquid form and oxygen would be sold or vented to the atmosphere. The hydrogen could later be burned in a turbine generator for meeting peak loads, either in closed or open cycle systems. The concept would allow large hydroelectric plants to function in both base- and peak-load modes, thus increasing the hydraulic utilization of the plant and the capacity factor to a projected 0.90. Electrolyzer efficiencies ranging from 0.85-0.90 have been demonstrated. Excess hydrogen can be sold for other purposes or, eventually, as domestic and industrial fuel, at prices competitive with current industrial hydrogen.

  12. Neurostimulation of the Gastrointestinal Tract: Review of Recent Developments

    PubMed Central

    Abell, Thomas L.; Chen, Jiande; Emmanuel, Anton; Jolley, Christopher; Sarela, Abeezar I.; Törnblom, Hans

    2015-01-01

    Neurostimulation is one manifestation of neuromodulation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This manuscript reviews the history of neurostimulation of the GI tract with emphasis on current methods of stimulation. Upper GI disorders can be modulated with both temporary (placed endoscopically or surgically) or permanent (placed surgically) gastric electrical stimulation (GES) devices. The current gastrointestinal (GI) neurostimulation of stomach (GES) devices have been used in both children and adults and some patients have been followed in excess of 15 years with good long-term results. Similar GES devices have also been used for a variety of lower GI disorders, including constipation and fecal incontinence, for a number of years. Based on these recent developments, the future uses of neurostimulation in the GI tract are discussed with an emphasis on new applications and innovations. PMID:25581846

  13. Risk-based indicators of Canadians' exposures to environmental carcinogens.

    PubMed

    Setton, Eleanor; Hystad, Perry; Poplawski, Karla; Cheasley, Roslyn; Cervantes-Larios, Alejandro; Keller, C Peter; Demers, Paul A

    2013-02-12

    Tools for estimating population exposures to environmental carcinogens are required to support evidence-based policies to reduce chronic exposures and associated cancers. Our objective was to develop indicators of population exposure to selected environmental carcinogens that can be easily updated over time, and allow comparisons and prioritization between different carcinogens and exposure pathways. We employed a risk assessment-based approach to produce screening-level estimates of lifetime excess cancer risk for selected substances listed as known carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Estimates of lifetime average daily intake were calculated using population characteristics combined with concentrations (circa 2006) in outdoor air, indoor air, dust, drinking water, and food and beverages from existing monitoring databases or comprehensive literature reviews. Intake estimates were then multiplied by cancer potency factors from Health Canada, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to estimate lifetime excess cancer risks associated with each substance and exposure pathway. Lifetime excess cancer risks in excess of 1 per million people are identified as potential priorities for further attention. Based on data representing average conditions circa 2006, a total of 18 carcinogen-exposure pathways had potential lifetime excess cancer risks greater than 1 per million, based on varying data quality. Carcinogens with moderate to high data quality and lifetime excess cancer risk greater than 1 per million included benzene, 1,3-butadiene and radon in outdoor air; benzene and radon in indoor air; and arsenic and hexavalent chromium in drinking water. Important data gaps were identified for asbestos, hexavalent chromium and diesel exhaust in outdoor and indoor air, while little data were available to assess risk for substances in dust, food and beverages. The ability to track changes in potential population exposures to environmental carcinogens over time, as well as to compare between different substances and exposure pathways, is necessary to support comprehensive, evidence-based prevention policy. We used estimates of lifetime excess cancer risk as indicators that, although based on a number of simplifying assumptions, help to identify important data gaps and prioritize more detailed data collection and exposure assessment needs.

  14. Addictive behaviors and psychological distress among adolescents and emerging adults: A mediating role of peer group identification.

    PubMed

    Savolainen, Iina; Kaakinen, Markus; Sirola, Anu; Oksanen, Atte

    2018-06-01

    Research suggests the sense of belonging to primary groups functions as an important social resource for youth well-being, but it can be compromised among those dealing with addiction. The current study examined how adolescents' and emerging adults' identification with a primary peer group consisting of friends, mediates the relationship between addictive behaviors and psychological distress. The study utilized demographically balanced survey data on 1200 Finnish participants aged 15 to 25 (mean age 21.29, 50% female). Measures were included for psychological distress, excessive drinking, excessive drug use, excessive gambling, excessive Internet use, and peer group identification. All forms of addictive behaviors had a significant direct relationship with higher psychological distress. Excessive drug use, gambling and Internet use were associated with a weaker identification with a peer group, which predicted higher psychological distress. Contrary to the above findings, excessive drinking was linked to stronger peer group identification, mediating psychological distress downwards. These findings support past research and provide a mediation model explanation onto how weaker social relations add to negative well-being consequences in different addictive behaviors, thus underlining the importance of expanding our understanding of social group outcomes among young individuals.

  15. Is the excessive use of microblogs an Internet addiction? Developing a scale for assessing the excessive use of microblogs in Chinese college students.

    PubMed

    Hou, Juan; Huang, Zhichao; Li, Hongxia; Liu, Mengqiu; Zhang, Wei; Ma, Ning; Yang, Lizhuang; Gu, Feng; Liu, Ying; Jin, Shenghua; Zhang, Xiaochu

    2014-01-01

    More and more college students are using microblogs, with some excessive users demonstrating addiction-like symptoms. However, there is currently no published scale available for use in assessing excessive use of these microblogs, a significant impediment to advancing this area of research. We collected data from 3,047 college students in China and developed a Microblog Excessive Use Scale (MEUS) for Chinese college students, comparing it with criteria used for assessing Internet addiction. Our diagnostic scale featured three factors, two of which--"withdrawal and health problem" and "time management and performance"--are already included in Internet addiction assessment scales. The third factor, "social comfort," does not appear in Internet addiction assessment scales. Our study found that females have significantly higher MEUS scores than males, and that total MEUS scores positively correlated with scores from "self-disclosure" and "real social interaction" scales. These findings differ from results obtained in previous investigations into Internet addiction. Our results indicate that some characteristics of the excessive use of microblogs are different to those of Internet addiction, suggesting that microblog overuse may not correspond exactly to the state of Internet addiction.

  16. Energy costs of feeding excess protein from corn-based byproducts to finishing cattle

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The increased use of byproducts in finishing diets leads to diets that contain greater concentrations of CP and MP than required by cattle. The hypothesis was that excess dietary CP and MP would increase maintenance energy requirments due to the energy costs of removing excess N as urea in urine. ...

  17. 42 CFR 412.76 - Recovery of excess transition period payment amounts resulting from unlawful claims.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Recovery of excess transition period payment... System for Inpatient Operating Costs § 412.76 Recovery of excess transition period payment amounts... the base period and the additional amounts paid due to the inappropriate increase of the hospital...

  18. 42 CFR 412.76 - Recovery of excess transition period payment amounts resulting from unlawful claims.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Recovery of excess transition period payment... System for Inpatient Operating Costs § 412.76 Recovery of excess transition period payment amounts... the base period and the additional amounts paid due to the inappropriate increase of the hospital...

  19. 42 CFR 412.76 - Recovery of excess transition period payment amounts resulting from unlawful claims.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Recovery of excess transition period payment... System for Inpatient Operating Costs § 412.76 Recovery of excess transition period payment amounts... the base period and the additional amounts paid due to the inappropriate increase of the hospital...

  20. 42 CFR 412.76 - Recovery of excess transition period payment amounts resulting from unlawful claims.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Recovery of excess transition period payment... System for Inpatient Operating Costs § 412.76 Recovery of excess transition period payment amounts... the base period and the additional amounts paid due to the inappropriate increase of the hospital...

  1. The Tuition Debate.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weber, Arnold R.

    1990-01-01

    The trend of tuition increases is excessive in terms of both economic standards and the special mission and characteristics of higher education. It is clouding the current state of higher education. Although there are sound reasons for tuition increases, the current approach to setting tuition should be altered and moderated. (MSE)

  2. A Systematic Review Investigating Healthy Lifestyle Interventions Incorporating Goal Setting Strategies for Preventing Excess Gestational Weight Gain

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Mary Jane; Sinclair, Marlene; Liddle, Dianne; Hill, Alyson J.; Madden, Elaine; Stockdale, Janine

    2012-01-01

    Background Excess gestational weight gain (GWG) is an important risk factor for long term obesity in women. However, current interventions aimed at preventing excess GWG appear to have a limited effect. Several studies have highlighted the importance of linking theory with empirical evidence for producing effective interventions for behaviour change. Theorists have demonstrated that goals can be an important source of human motivation and goal setting has shown promise in promoting diet and physical activity behaviour change within non-pregnant individuals. The use of goal setting as a behaviour change strategy has been systematically evaluated within overweight and obese individuals, yet its use within pregnancy has not yet been systematically explored. Aim of review To explore the use of goal setting within healthy lifestyle interventions for the prevention of excess GWG. Data collection and analysis Searches were conducted in seven databases alongside hand searching of relevant journals and citation tracking. Studies were included if interventions used goal setting alongside modification of diet and/or physical activity with an aim to prevent excess GWG. The PRISMA guidelines were followed and a two-stage methodological approach was used. Stage one focused on systematically evaluating the methodological quality of included interventions. The second stage assessed intervention integrity and the implementation of key goal setting components. Findings From a total of 839 citations, 54 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and 5 studies met the inclusion criteria. Among interventions reporting positive results a combination of individualised diet and physical activity goals, self-monitoring and performance feedback indicators were described as active components. Conclusion Interventions based on goal setting appear to be useful for helping women achieve optimal weight gain during pregnancy. However, overweight and obese women may require more theoretically-designed interventions. Further high quality, theoretically-designed interventions are required to determine the most effective and replicable components for optimal GWG. PMID:22792178

  3. Patient warming excess heat: the effects on orthopedic operating room ventilation performance.

    PubMed

    Belani, Kumar G; Albrecht, Mark; McGovern, Paul D; Reed, Mike; Nachtsheim, Christopher

    2013-08-01

    Patient warming has become a standard of care for the prevention of unintentional hypothermia based on benefits established in general surgery. However, these benefits may not fully translate to contamination-sensitive surgery (i.e., implants), because patient warming devices release excess heat that may disrupt the intended ceiling-to-floor ventilation airflows and expose the surgical site to added contamination. Therefore, we studied the effects of 2 popular patient warming technologies, forced air and conductive fabric, versus control conditions on ventilation performance in an orthopedic operating room with a mannequin draped for total knee replacement. Ventilation performance was assessed by releasing neutrally buoyant detergent bubbles ("bubbles") into the nonsterile region under the head-side of the anesthesia drape. We then tracked whether the excess heat from upper body patient warming mobilized the "bubbles" into the surgical site. Formally, a randomized replicated design assessed the effect of device (forced air, conductive fabric, control) and anesthesia drape height (low-drape, high-drape) on the number of bubbles photographed over the surgical site. The direct mass-flow exhaust from forced air warming generated hot air convection currents that mobilized bubbles over the anesthesia drape and into the surgical site, resulting in a significant increase in bubble counts for the factor of patient warming device (P < 0.001). Forced air had an average count of 132.5 versus 0.48 for conductive fabric (P = 0.003) and 0.01 for control conditions (P = 0.008) across both drape heights. Differences in average bubble counts across both drape heights were insignificant between conductive fabric and control conditions (P = 0.87). The factor of drape height had no significant effect (P = 0.94) on bubble counts. Excess heat from forced air warming resulted in the disruption of ventilation airflows over the surgical site, whereas conductive patient warming devices had no noticeable effect on ventilation airflows. These findings warrant future research into the effects of forced air warming excess heat on clinical outcomes during contamination-sensitive surgery.

  4. A systematic review investigating healthy lifestyle interventions incorporating goal setting strategies for preventing excess gestational weight gain.

    PubMed

    Brown, Mary Jane; Sinclair, Marlene; Liddle, Dianne; Hill, Alyson J; Madden, Elaine; Stockdale, Janine

    2012-01-01

    Excess gestational weight gain (GWG) is an important risk factor for long term obesity in women. However, current interventions aimed at preventing excess GWG appear to have a limited effect. Several studies have highlighted the importance of linking theory with empirical evidence for producing effective interventions for behaviour change. Theorists have demonstrated that goals can be an important source of human motivation and goal setting has shown promise in promoting diet and physical activity behaviour change within non-pregnant individuals. The use of goal setting as a behaviour change strategy has been systematically evaluated within overweight and obese individuals, yet its use within pregnancy has not yet been systematically explored. To explore the use of goal setting within healthy lifestyle interventions for the prevention of excess GWG. Searches were conducted in seven databases alongside hand searching of relevant journals and citation tracking. Studies were included if interventions used goal setting alongside modification of diet and/or physical activity with an aim to prevent excess GWG. The PRISMA guidelines were followed and a two-stage methodological approach was used. Stage one focused on systematically evaluating the methodological quality of included interventions. The second stage assessed intervention integrity and the implementation of key goal setting components. From a total of 839 citations, 54 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and 5 studies met the inclusion criteria. Among interventions reporting positive results a combination of individualised diet and physical activity goals, self-monitoring and performance feedback indicators were described as active components. Interventions based on goal setting appear to be useful for helping women achieve optimal weight gain during pregnancy. However, overweight and obese women may require more theoretically-designed interventions. Further high quality, theoretically-designed interventions are required to determine the most effective and replicable components for optimal GWG.

  5. Research on Damage Identification of Bridge Based on Digital Image Measurement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, Yingjing; Huan, Shi; Tao, Weijun

    2017-12-01

    In recent years, the number of the damage bridge due to excessive deformation gradually increased, which caused significant property damage and casualties. Hence health monitoring and the damage detection of the bridge structure based on the deflection measurement are particularly important. The current conventional deflection measurement methods, such as total station, connected pipe, GPS, etc., have many shortcomings as low efficiency, heavy workload, low degree of automation, operating frequency and working time constrained. GPS has a low accuracy in the vertical displacement measurement and cannot meet the dynamic measured requirements of the current bridge engineering. This paper presents a bridge health monitoring and damage detection technology based on digital image measurement method in which the measurement accuracy is sub-millimeter level and can achieve the 24-hour automatic non-destructive monitoring for the deflection. It can be concluded from this paper that it is feasible to use digital image measurement method for identification of the damage in the bridge structure, because it has been validated by the theoretical analysis, the laboratory model and the application of the real bridge.

  6. Recession Curve Generation for the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Thermal Protection System Coatings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kanner, Howard S.; Stuckey, C. Irvin; Davis, Darrell W.; Davis, Darrell (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Ablatable Thermal Protection System (TPS) coatings are used on the Space Shuttle Vehicle Solid Rocket Boosters in order to protect the aluminum structure from experiencing excessive temperatures. The methodology used to characterize the recession of such materials is outlined. Details of the tests, including the facility, test articles and test article processing are also presented. The recession rates are collapsed into an empirical power-law relation. A design curve is defined using a 95-percentile student-t distribution. based on the nominal results. Actual test results are presented for the current acreage TPS material used.

  7. Quantifying Leg Movement Activity During Sleep.

    PubMed

    Ferri, Raffaele; Fulda, Stephany

    2016-12-01

    Currently, 2 sets of similar rules for recording and scoring leg movement (LM) exist, including periodic LM during sleep (PLMS) and periodic LM during wakefulness. The former were published in 2006 by a task force of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group, and the second in 2007 by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. This article reviews the basic recording methods, scoring rules, and computer-based programs for PLMS. Less frequent LM activities, such as alternating leg muscle activation, hypnagogic foot tremor, high-frequency LMs, and excessive fragmentary myoclonus are briefly described. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Harmonic voltage excess problem test and analysis in UHV and EHV grid particular operation mode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lv, Zhenhua; Shi, Mingming; Fei, Juntao

    2018-02-01

    The test and analysis of the power quality of some 1000kV UHV transmission lines and 500kV EHV transmission lines is carried out. It is found that there is harmonic voltage excess problems when the power supply of the UHV and EHV voltage line is single-ended or single-loop, the problem basically disappeared after the operation mode change, different operating conditions, the harmonic current has not been greatly affected, indicating that the harmonic voltage changes mainly caused by the system harmonic impedance. With the analysis of MATLAB Simulink system model, it can be seen that there are specific harmonic voltage excess in the system under the specific operating mode, which results in serious distortion of the specific harmonic voltage. Since such phenomena are found in 500kV and 1000kV systems, it is suggested that the test evaluation work should be done under the typical mode of operation in 500kV, 1000kV Planning and construction process to prevent the occurrence of serious distortion and the regional harmonic current monitoring and suppression work should be done.

  9. A multiwavelength survey of H I-excess galaxies with surprisingly inefficient star formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geréb, K.; Janowiecki, S.; Catinella, B.; Cortese, L.; Kilborn, V.

    2018-05-01

    We present the results of a multiwavelength survey of H I-excess galaxies, an intriguing population with large H I reservoirs associated with little current star formation. These galaxies have stellar masses M⋆ > 1010 M⊙, and were identified as outliers in the gas fraction versus NUV-r colour and stellar mass surface density scaling relations based on the GALEX Arecibo SDSS Survey (GASS). We obtained H I interferometry with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, Keck optical long-slit spectroscopy, and deep optical imaging (where available) for four galaxies. Our analysis reveals multiple possible reasons for the H I excess in these systems. One galaxy, AGC 10111, shows an H I disc that is counter-rotating with respect to the stellar bulge, a clear indication of external origin of the gas. Another galaxy appears to host a Malin 1-type disc, where a large specific angular momentum has to be invoked to explain the extreme M_{H I}/M⋆ ratio of 166 per cent. The other two galaxies have early-type morphology with very high gas fractions. The lack of merger signatures (unsettled gas, stellar shells, and streams) in these systems suggests that these gas-rich discs have been built several Gyr ago, but it remains unclear how the gas reservoirs were assembled. Numerical simulations of large cosmological volumes are needed to gain insight into the formation of these rare and interesting systems.

  10. Zero side force volute development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, P. G.; Franz, R. J.; Farmer, R. C.; Chen, Y. S.

    1995-01-01

    Collector scrolls on high performance centrifugal pumps are currently designed with methods which are based on very approximate flowfield models. Such design practices result in some volute configurations causing excessive side loads even at design flowrates. The purpose of this study was to develop and verify computational design tools which may be used to optimize volute configurations with respect to avoiding excessive loads on the bearings. The new design methodology consisted of a volute grid generation module and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) module to describe the volute geometry and predict the radial forces for a given flow condition, respectively. Initially, the CFD module was used to predict the impeller and the volute flowfields simultaneously; however, the required computation time was found to be excessive for parametric design studies. A second computational procedure was developed which utilized an analytical impeller flowfield model and an ordinary differential equation to describe the impeller/volute coupling obtained from the literature, Adkins & Brennen (1988). The second procedure resulted in 20 to 30 fold increase in computational speed for an analysis. The volute design analysis was validated by postulating a volute geometry, constructing a volute to this configuration, and measuring the steady radial forces over a range of flow coefficients. Excellent agreement between model predictions and observed pump operation prove the computational impeller/volute pump model to be a valuable design tool. Further applications are recommended to fully establish the benefits of this new methodology.

  11. A simple high-voltage high current spark gap with subnanosecond jitter triggered by femtosecond laser filamentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arantchouk, L.; Houard, A.; Brelet, Y.; Carbonnel, J.; Larour, J.; André, Y.-B.; Mysyrowicz, A.

    2013-04-01

    We describe a simple, sturdy, and reliable spark gap operating with air at atmospheric pressure and able to switch currents in excess of 10 kA with sub-nanosecond jitter. The spark gap is remotely triggered by a femtosecond laser filament.

  12. Excess weight gain in elementary school-aged Hispanic children

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The current data was collected as part of a 6-year longitudinal study in which elementary schools from a southeast Texas school district were provided with resources to encourage children to make healthier choices. The objective of the current study was to evaluate children’s change in body mass ind...

  13. Controlling Decoherence in Superconducting Qubits: Phenomenological Model and Microscopic Origin of 1/f Noise

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-04-28

    quasiparticle poisoning which include a completely novel physical origin of these noises. We also proposed a model for excess low frequency flux noise which...and quasiparticle poisoning which include a completely novel physical origin of these noises. We also proposed a model for excess low frequency flux...metallic nanomechanical resonators, Phys. Rev. B 81, 184112 (2010). 3) L. Faoro, A. Kitaev and L. B. Ioffe, Quasiparticle poisoning and Josephson current

  14. Al0 0.3Ga 0.7N PN diode with breakdown voltage >1600 V

    DOE PAGES

    Allerman, A. A.; Armstrong, A. M.; Fischer, A. J.; ...

    2016-07-21

    Demonstration of Al0 0.3Ga 0.7N PN diodes grown with breakdown voltages in excess of 1600 V is reported. The total epilayer thickness is 9.1 μm and was grown by metal-organic vapour-phase epitaxy on 1.3-mm-thick sapphire in order to achieve crack-free structures. A junction termination edge structure was employed to control the lateral electric fields. A current density of 3.5 kA/cm 2 was achieved under DC forward bias and a reverse leakage current <3 nA was measured for voltages <1200 V. The differential on-resistance of 16 mΩ cm 2 is limited by the lateral conductivity of the n-type contact layer requiredmore » by the front-surface contact geometry of the device. An effective critical electric field of 5.9 MV/cm was determined from the epilayer properties and the reverse current–voltage characteristics. To our knowledge, this is the first aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN)-based PN diode exhibiting a breakdown voltage in excess of 1 kV. Finally, we note that a Baliga figure of merit (V br 2/R spec,on) of 150 MW/cm 2 found is the highest reported for an AlGaN PN diode and illustrates the potential of larger-bandgap AlGaN alloys for high-voltage devices.« less

  15. Single-Photon-Sensitive HgCdTe Avalanche Photodiode Detector

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Huntington, Andrew

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this program was to develop single-photon-sensitive short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) and mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) avalanche photodiode (APD) receivers based on linear-mode HgCdTe APDs, for application by NASA in light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors. Linear-mode photon-counting APDs are desired for lidar because they have a shorter pixel dead time than Geiger APDs, and can detect sequential pulse returns from multiple objects that are closely spaced in range. Linear-mode APDs can also measure photon number, which Geiger APDs cannot, adding an extra dimension to lidar scene data for multi-photon returns. High-gain APDs with low multiplication noise are required for efficient linear-mode detection of single photons because of APD gain statistics -- a low-excess-noise APD will generate detectible current pulses from single photon input at a much higher rate of occurrence than will a noisy APD operated at the same average gain. MWIR and LWIR electron-avalanche HgCdTe APDs have been shown to operate in linear mode at high average avalanche gain (M > 1000) without excess multiplication noise (F = 1), and are therefore very good candidates for linear-mode photon counting. However, detectors fashioned from these narrow-bandgap alloys require aggressive cooling to control thermal dark current. Wider-bandgap SWIR HgCdTe APDs were investigated in this program as a strategy to reduce detector cooling requirements.

  16. CIRCULAR POLARIZATION OF PULSAR WIND NEBULAE AND THE COSMIC-RAY POSITRON EXCESS

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

    Linden, Tim, E-mail: trlinden@uchicago.edu

    2015-02-01

    Recent observations by the PAMELA and AMS-02 telescopes have uncovered an anomalous rise in the positron fraction at energies above 10 GeV. One possible explanation for this excess is the production of primary electron/positron pairs through electromagnetic cascades in pulsar magnetospheres. This process results in a high multiplicity of electron/positron pairs within the wind-termination shock of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe). A consequence of this scenario is that no circular polarization should be observed within PWNe, since the contributions from electrons and positrons exactly cancel. Here we note that current radio instruments are capable of setting meaningful limits on the circular polarizationmore » of synchrotron radiation in PWNe, which observationally test the model for pulsar production of the local positron excess. The observation of a PWN with detectable circular polarization would cast strong doubt on pulsar interpretations of the positron excess, while observations setting strong limits on the circular polarization of PWNe would lend credence to these models. Finally, we indicate which PWNe are likely to provide the best targets for observational tests of the AMS-02 excess.« less

  17. Current trends in survivorship of radiologists. Final report

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

    Not Available

    A study was made of the deaths of physicians who entered the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), the American College of Physicians (ACP), the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology (AAOO), the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS), and the American Association of Pathologists and Bacteriologists (AAPB) societies from the 1900's through 1969. The findings indicated an excess risk of cancer and of all-cause mortality in radiologists. The early cohorts of radiologists showed a significant excess risk of leukemia, skin cancer, and aplastic anemia compared to the other groups of physicians. After 1940, all entrants into these cohorts demonstrated nomore » excess risk of leukemia. An excess risk of multiple myeloma appeared in radiologists and a slight excess in otolaryngologists. In radiologists, the risk of all cause mortality appeared to begin about 8 to 9 years following entrance into the specialty and remained higher through the life span of those involved in this field; the high risk of all cancers appears to occur 10 to 12 years after entering the specialty.« less

  18. Pulsar TeV Halos Explain the Diffuse TeV Excess Observed by Milagro.

    PubMed

    Linden, Tim; Buckman, Benjamin J

    2018-03-23

    Milagro observations have found bright, diffuse TeV emission concentrated along the galactic plane of the Milky Way. The intensity and spectrum of this emission is difficult to explain with current models of hadronic γ-ray production, and has been named the "TeV excess." We show that TeV emission from pulsars naturally explains this excess. Recent observations have detected "TeV halos" surrounding pulsars that are either nearby or particularly luminous. Extrapolating this emission to the full population of Milky Way pulsars indicates that the ensemble of "subthreshold" sources necessarily produces bright TeV emission diffusively along the Milky Way plane. Models indicate that the TeV halo γ-ray flux exceeds that from hadronic γ rays above an energy of ∼500  GeV. Moreover, the spectrum and intensity of TeV halo emission naturally matches the TeV excess. Finally, we show that upcoming HAWC observations will resolve a significant fraction of the TeV excess into individual TeV halos, conclusively confirming, or ruling out, this model.

  19. Low-temperature fabrication of alkali metal-organic charge transfer complexes on cotton textile for optoelectronics and gas sensing.

    PubMed

    Ramanathan, Rajesh; Walia, Sumeet; Kandjani, Ahmad Esmaielzadeh; Balendran, Sivacarendran; Mohammadtaheri, Mahsa; Bhargava, Suresh Kumar; Kalantar-zadeh, Kourosh; Bansal, Vipul

    2015-02-03

    A generalized low-temperature approach for fabricating high aspect ratio nanorod arrays of alkali metal-TCNQ (7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane) charge transfer complexes at 140 °C is demonstrated. This facile approach overcomes the current limitation associated with fabrication of alkali metal-TCNQ complexes that are based on physical vapor deposition processes and typically require an excess of 800 °C. The compatibility of soft substrates with the proposed low-temperature route allows direct fabrication of NaTCNQ and LiTCNQ nanoarrays on individual cotton threads interwoven within the 3D matrix of textiles. The applicability of these textile-supported TCNQ-based organic charge transfer complexes toward optoelectronics and gas sensing applications is established.

  20. A Physically Based Analytical Model to Describe Effective Excess Charge for Streaming Potential Generation in Water Saturated Porous Media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guarracino, L.; Jougnot, D.

    2018-01-01

    Among the different contributions generating self-potential, the streaming potential is of particular interest in hydrogeology for its sensitivity to water flow. Estimating water flux in porous media using streaming potential data relies on our capacity to understand, model, and upscale the electrokinetic coupling at the mineral-solution interface. Different approaches have been proposed to predict streaming potential generation in porous media. One of these approaches is the flux averaging which is based on determining the excess charge which is effectively dragged in the medium by water flow. In this study, we develop a physically based analytical model to predict the effective excess charge in saturated porous media using a flux-averaging approach in a bundle of capillary tubes with a fractal pore size distribution. The proposed model allows the determination of the effective excess charge as a function of pore water ionic concentration and hydrogeological parameters like porosity, permeability, and tortuosity. The new model has been successfully tested against different set of experimental data from the literature. One of the main findings of this study is the mechanistic explanation to the empirical dependence between the effective excess charge and the permeability that has been found by several researchers. The proposed model also highlights the link to other lithological properties, and it is able to reproduce the evolution of effective excess charge with electrolyte concentrations.

  1. Association Between Medicare Hospital Readmission Penalties and 30-Day Combined Excess Readmission and Mortality

    PubMed Central

    Abdul-Aziz, Ahmad A.; Hayward, Rodney A.; Aaronson, Keith D.; Hummel, Scott L.

    2017-01-01

    IMPORTANCE US hospitals receive financial penalties for excess risk–standardized 30-day readmissions and mortality in Medicare patients. Under current policy, readmission prevention is incentivized over 10-fold more than mortality reduction. OBJECTIVE To determine how penalties for US hospitals would change if policy equally weighted 30-day readmissions and mortality. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Publicly available hospital-level data for fiscal year 2014 was obtained, including excess readmission ratio (ERR; risk-standardized predicted over expected 30-day readmissions) and 30-day mortality rates for heart failure, pneumonia, and acute myocardial infarction, as well as readmission penalties (as percent of Medicare Diagnosis Group payments). An excess mortality ratio (EMR) was calculated by dividing the risk-standardized predicted mortality by the national average mortality. Case-weighted aggregate ERR (ERRAGG) and EMR (EMRAGG) were calculated, and an excess combined outcome ratio (ECORAGG) was created by averaging ERRAGG and EMRAGG. We examined associations between readmission penalties, ERRAGG, EMRAGG, and ECORAGG. Analysis of variance was used to compare readmission penalties in hospitals with concordant (both ratios >1 or <1) and discordant performance by ERRAGG and ECORAGG. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome investigated was the association between readmission penalties and the calculated excess combined outcome ratio (ECORAGG). RESULTS In 1963 US hospitals with complete data, readmission penalties closely tracked excess readmissions (r = 0.81; P < .001), but were minimally and inversely related with excess mortality (r = −0.12; P < .001) and only modestly correlated with excess combined readmission and mortality (r = 0.36; P < .001). Using hospitals with concordant ERRAGG and ECORAGG as the reference group, 17%of hospitals had an ECORAGG ratio less than 1 (ie, superior combined mortality/readmission outcome) with an ERRAGG ratio greater than 1, and received higher mean (SD) readmission penalties (0.41% [0.28%] vs 0.29% [0.37%]; P < .001); 16%of US hospitals had an ECORAGG ratio of greater than 1 (ie, inferior combined mortality/readmission outcome) with an ERRAGG ratio less than 1, and received minimal mean (SD) readmission penalties (0.08%[0.12%]; P < .001 for comparison with reference). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In fiscal year 2014, financial penalties for one-third of US hospitals would have been substantially altered if 30-day readmission and mortality were considered equally important. Under most circumstances, patients would rather avoid death than rehospitalization. Current Medicare financial penalties do not meet the goals of aligning incentives and fairly reimbursing hospitals for patient-centered outcomes. PMID:27784054

  2. The Effects of Extreme Temperature Events on Human Mortality in Europe: Winners and Losers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merte, S.

    2016-12-01

    Climate change is a sizable threat to public health. Besides the shift in mean temperatures, there is also a change in the frequency of extreme temperature events. While cold spells become less frequent, heat waves become more common. As either of these can cause human death, the net-effect of climate change in terms of human excess mortality is currently unclear and and will vary depending on local conditions. The ability to estimate this net-effect is key when it comes to designing effective climate change adaptation policies as some areas will be affected earlier and/or stronger than others. This work provides the first large-scale estimate of this net-effect for Europe. Utilizing a novel methodology based on singular systems analysis, climate extreme-driven excess mortality is estimated using national-level health data. The first notable finding of this work is the confirmation that extreme temperature events already pose a major environmental risk: tens of thousands of people die every year in the examined European countries as a result of heat waves and cold spells. The second important result is that it demonstrates the need for climate change mitigation: Assuming moderate climate change, some countries in Northern and Western Europe will benefit from the shift in extreme temperature events — they will experience a net-reduction in excess mortality as a result of a drastically reduced frequency of cold spells. In contrast, assuming severe climate change, there will be a significant increase in excess mortality, in particular across countries in Southern Europe. This means that -if climate adaptation fails- there will be no winners, just losers.

  3. Current merchandising practices and characteristics of beef wholesale rib usage in three U.S. cities.

    PubMed

    Wulf, D M; Romans, J R; Costello, W J

    1994-01-01

    Packers/processors, supermarket meat managers, and restaurant meat purchasers were surveyed to determine industry utilization of the beef wholesale rib. Nine packer/processors representing > 52% of the U.S. steer-heifer slaughter reported that more than two-thirds (68.5%) of the ribs were wholesaled as ribeye, lip-on (IMPS 112A) subprimals and that its predominance in the market makes it the standard for pricing. For merchandising variations of this cut (e.g., ribeye, lip-off), packer prices are adjusted to lip-on bases according to the relative yield. Excess fat was the most common complaint about ribeye steaks, reported by 78% of the packer/processors. In particular, 71% of them reported the "kernel" fat near the center of a ribeye steak between the longissimus and spinalis dorsi muscles is quite difficult to trim out and represents the greatest problem in merchandising. Forty-two percent of supermarket meat managers and 58% of restaurant meat purchasers thought the fat content of beef ribeyes discouraged consumers from purchasing all beef. Kernel fat was specifically cited by 36% of the restaurateurs. Alternative merchandising strategies should be employed to minimize the negative value effects of kernel fat. Even with excess fat being a concern to approximately half of the beef rib buyers, most still bought lip-on ribeyes and trimmed excess fat away. Apparently, they made this choice of lower price per weight, even though price per trimmed serving might be similar to lip-off ribeyes. Excess fat is being transported from packer/processor to buyers in the form of lip-on ribeyes because of the price relationships.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  4. Critical Source Area Delineation: The representation of hydrology in effective erosion modeling.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fowler, A.; Boll, J.; Brooks, E. S.; Boylan, R. D.

    2017-12-01

    Despite decades of conservation and millions of conservation dollars, nonpoint source sediment loading associated with agricultural disturbance continues to be a significant problem in many parts of the world. Local and national conservation organizations are interested in targeting critical source areas for control strategy implementation. Currently, conservation practices are selected and located based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) hillslope erosion modeling, and the National Resource Conservation Service will soon be transiting to the Watershed Erosion Predict Project (WEPP) model for the same purpose. We present an assessment of critical source areas targeted with RUSLE, WEPP and a regionally validated hydrology model, the Soil Moisture Routing (SMR) model, to compare the location of critical areas for sediment loading and the effectiveness of control strategies. The three models are compared for the Palouse dryland cropping region of the inland northwest, with un-calibrated analyses of the Kamiache watershed using publicly available soils, land-use and long-term simulated climate data. Critical source areas were mapped and the side-by-side comparison exposes the differences in the location and timing of runoff and erosion predictions. RUSLE results appear most sensitive to slope driving processes associated with infiltration excess. SMR captured saturation excess driven runoff events located at the toe slope position, while WEPP was able to capture both infiltration excess and saturation excess processes depending on soil type and management. A methodology is presented for down-scaling basin level screening to the hillslope management scale for local control strategies. Information on the location of runoff and erosion, driven by the runoff mechanism, is critical for effective treatment and conservation.

  5. Overcoming rule-based rigidity and connectionist limitations through massively-parallel case-based reasoning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barnden, John; Srinivas, Kankanahalli

    1990-01-01

    Symbol manipulation as used in traditional Artificial Intelligence has been criticized by neural net researchers for being excessively inflexible and sequential. On the other hand, the application of neural net techniques to the types of high-level cognitive processing studied in traditional artificial intelligence presents major problems as well. A promising way out of this impasse is to build neural net models that accomplish massively parallel case-based reasoning. Case-based reasoning, which has received much attention recently, is essentially the same as analogy-based reasoning, and avoids many of the problems leveled at traditional artificial intelligence. Further problems are avoided by doing many strands of case-based reasoning in parallel, and by implementing the whole system as a neural net. In addition, such a system provides an approach to some aspects of the problems of noise, uncertainty and novelty in reasoning systems. The current neural net system (Conposit), which performs standard rule-based reasoning, is being modified into a massively parallel case-based reasoning version.

  6. International Space Station Solar Array Wing On-Orbit Electrical Performance Degradation Measured

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gustafson, Eric D.; Kerslake, Thomas W.

    2004-01-01

    The port-side photovoltaic power module (P6) was activated on the International Space Station in December 2000. P6 provides electrical power to channels 2B and 4B to operate ISS power loads. A P6 is shown in the preceding photograph. This article highlights the work done at the NASA Glenn Research Center to calculate the on-orbit degradation of the P6 solar array wings (SAWs) using on-orbit data from December 2000 to February 2003. During early ISS operations, the 82 strings of photovoltaic cells that make up a SAW can provide much more power than is necessary to meet the demand. To deal with excess power, a sequential shunt unit successively shunts the current from the strings. This shunt current was the parameter chosen for the SAW performance degradation study for the following reasons: (1) it is based on a direct shunt current measurement in the sequential shunt unit, (2) the shunt current has a low temperature dependence that reduces the data correction error from using a computationally derived array temperature, and (3) the SSU shunt current is essentially the same as the SAW short-circuit current on a per-string basis.

  7. Evaluation of Spacecraft Shielding Effectiveness for Radiation Protection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cucinotta, Francis A.; Wilson, John W.

    1999-01-01

    The potential for serious health risks from solar particle events (SPE) and galactic cosmic rays (GCR) is a critical issue in the NASA strategic plan for the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS). The excess cost to protect against the GCR and SPE due to current uncertainties in radiation transmission properties and cancer biology could be exceedingly large based on the excess launch costs to shield against uncertainties. The development of advanced shielding concepts is an important risk mitigation area with the potential to significantly reduce risk below conventional mission designs. A key issue in spacecraft material selection is the understanding of nuclear reactions on the transmission properties of materials. High-energy nuclear particles undergo nuclear reactions in passing through materials and tissue altering their composition and producing new radiation types. Spacecraft and planetary habitat designers can utilize radiation transport codes to identify optimal materials for lowering exposures and to optimize spacecraft design to reduce astronaut exposures. To reach these objectives will require providing design engineers with accurate data bases and computationally efficient software for describing the transmission properties of space radiation in materials. Our program will reduce the uncertainty in the transmission properties of space radiation by improving the theoretical description of nuclear reactions and radiation transport, and provide accurate physical descriptions of the track structure of microscopic energy deposition.

  8. Comparative performance analysis of shunt and series passive filter for LED lamp

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarwono, Edi; Facta, Mochammad; Handoko, Susatyo

    2018-03-01

    Light Emitting Diode lamp or LED lamp nowadays is widely used by consumers as a new innovation in the lighting technologies due to its energy saving for low power consumption lamps for brighter light intensity. How ever, the LED lamp produce an electric pollutant known as harmonics. The harmonics is generated by rectifier as part of LED lamp circuit. The present of harmonics in current or voltage has made the source waveform from the grid is distorted. This distortion may cause inacurrate measurement, mall function, and excessive heating for any element at the grid. This paper present an analysis work of shunt and series filters to suppress the harmonics generated by the LED lamp circuit. The work was initiated by conducting several tests to investigate the harmonic content of voltage and currents. The measurements in this work were carried out by using HIOKI Power Quality Analyzer 3197. The measurement results showed that the harmonics current of tested LED lamps were above the limit of IEEE standard 519-2014. Based on the measurement results shunt and series filters were constructed as low pass filters. The bode analysis were appled during construction and prediction of the filters performance. Based on experimental results, the application of shunt filter at input side of LED lamp has reduced THD current up to 88%. On the other hand, the series filter has significantly reduced THD current up to 92%.

  9. Plant protection and growth stimulation by microorganisms: biotechnological applications of Bacilli in agriculture.

    PubMed

    Pérez-García, Alejandro; Romero, Diego; de Vicente, Antonio

    2011-04-01

    The increasing demand for a steady, healthy food supply requires an efficient control of the major pests and plant diseases. Current management practices are based largely on the application of synthetic pesticides. The excessive use of agrochemicals has caused serious environmental and health problems. Therefore, there is a growing demand for new and safer methods to replace or at least supplement the existing control strategies. Biological control, that is, the use of natural antagonists to combat pests or plant diseases has emerged as a promising alternative to chemical pesticides. The Bacilli offer a number of advantages for their application in agricultural biotechnology. Several Bacillus-based products have been marketed as microbial pesticides, fungicides or fertilisers. Bacillus-based biopesticides are widely used in conventional agriculture, by contrast, implementation of Bacillus-based biofungicides and biofertilizers is still a pending issue. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Triple isotope composition of oxygen in atmospheric water vapor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uemura, Ryu; Barkan, Eugeni; Abe, Osamu; Luz, Boaz

    2010-02-01

    Recently, an excess of 17O (17O-excess) has been demonstrated in meteoric water and ice cores. Based on theory and experiments, it has been suggested that this excess originates from evaporation of ocean water into under-saturated air. However, there has never been direct demonstration of this excess in marine vapor. Here, we present results of the first measurements of δ17O and δ18O in vapor samples collected over the South Indian and the Southern Oceans. Our data show the existence of 17O-excess in marine vapor and also clear negative correlation between 17O-excess and relative humidity. Thus, 17O-excess is useful for constraining oceanic humidity in hydrological and climatic models. Using the obtained values of 17O-excess, we estimated the fractionation factor between H218O and H216O for diffusion in air above the ocean (18αdiff). The new estimation of 18αdiff (1.008) is larger than the widely accepted value in hydrological studies.

  11. Is the Excessive Use of Microblogs an Internet Addiction? Developing a Scale for Assessing the Excessive Use of Microblogs in Chinese College Students

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Mengqiu; Zhang, Wei; Ma, Ning; Yang, Lizhuang; Gu, Feng; Liu, Ying; Jin, Shenghua; Zhang, Xiaochu

    2014-01-01

    More and more college students are using microblogs, with some excessive users demonstrating addiction-like symptoms. However, there is currently no published scale available for use in assessing excessive use of these microblogs, a significant impediment to advancing this area of research. We collected data from 3,047 college students in China and developed a Microblog Excessive Use Scale (MEUS) for Chinese college students, comparing it with criteria used for assessing Internet addiction. Our diagnostic scale featured three factors, two of which–“withdrawal and health problem” and “time management and performance”–are already included in Internet addiction assessment scales. The third factor, “social comfort,” does not appear in Internet addiction assessment scales. Our study found that females have significantly higher MEUS scores than males, and that total MEUS scores positively correlated with scores from “self-disclosure” and “real social interaction” scales. These findings differ from results obtained in previous investigations into Internet addiction. Our results indicate that some characteristics of the excessive use of microblogs are different to those of Internet addiction, suggesting that microblog overuse may not correspond exactly to the state of Internet addiction. PMID:25405928

  12. The use of precious-metal-modified nickel-based superalloys for thin gage applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ballard, Donna L.; Pilchak, Adam L.

    2010-10-01

    Precious-metal-modified nickel-based superalloys are being investigated for use in thin gage applications, such as thermal protection systems or heat exchangers, due to their strength and inherent oxidation resistance at temperatures in excess of 1,050°C. This overview paper summarizes the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) interest in experimental two-phase γ-Ni + γ'-Ni3Al superalloys. The AFRL is interested in alloys with a based composition of Ni-15Al-5Cr (at. %) with carbon, boron, and zirconium additions for grain-boundary refinement and strengthening. The alloys currently being evaluated also contain 4-5 at.% of platinum-group metals, in this case platinum and iridium. The feasibility of hot rolling these alloys to a final thickness of 0.12-0.25 mm and obtaining a nearly fully recrystallized microstructure was demonstrated.

  13. Development of Novel Criteria of the "Lethal Triad" as an Indicator of Decision Making in Current Trauma Care: A Retrospective Multicenter Observational Study in Japan.

    PubMed

    Endo, Akira; Shiraishi, Atsushi; Otomo, Yasuhiro; Kushimoto, Shigeki; Saitoh, Daizoh; Hayakawa, Mineji; Ogura, Hiroshi; Murata, Kiyoshi; Hagiwara, Akiyoshi; Sasaki, Junichi; Matsuoka, Tetsuya; Uejima, Toshifumi; Morimura, Naoto; Ishikura, Hiroyasu; Takeda, Munekazu; Kaneko, Naoyuki; Kato, Hiroshi; Kudo, Daisuke; Kanemura, Takashi; Shibusawa, Takayuki; Hagiwara, Yasushi; Furugori, Shintaro; Nakamura, Yoshihiko; Maekawa, Kunihiko; Mayama, Gou; Yaguchi, Arino; Kim, Shiei; Takasu, Osamu; Nishiyama, Kazutaka

    2016-09-01

    To evaluate the utility of the conventional lethal triad in current trauma care practice and to develop novel criteria as indicators of treatment strategy. Retrospective observational study. Fifteen acute critical care medical centers in Japan. In total, 796 consecutive trauma patients who were admitted to emergency departments with an injury severity score of greater than or equal to 16 from January 2012 to December 2012. None. All data were retrospectively collected, including laboratory data on arrival. Sensitivities to predict trauma death within 28 days of prothrombin time international normalized ratio greater than 1.50, pH less than 7.2, and body temperature less than 35°C were 15.7%, 17.5%, and 15.9%, respectively, and corresponding specificities of these were 96.4%, 96.6%, and 93.6%, respectively. The best predictors associated with hemostatic disorder and acidosis were fibrin/fibrinogen degradation product and base excess (the cutoff values were 88.8 µg/mL and -3.05 mmol/L). The optimal cutoff value of hypothermia was 36.0°C. The impact of the fibrin/fibrinogen degradation product and base excess abnormality on the outcome were approximately three- and two-folds compared with those of hypothermia. Using these variables, if the patient had a hemostatic disorder alone or a combined disorder with acidosis and hypothermia, the sensitivity and specificity were 80.7% and 66.8%. Because of the low sensitivity and high specificity, conventional criteria were unsuitable as prognostic indicators. Our revised criteria are assumed to be useful for predicting trauma death and have the potential to be the objective indicators for activating the damage control strategy in early trauma care.

  14. Research and Development on the Storage Ring Vacuum System for the APS Upgrade Project

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

    Stillwell, B.; Brajuskovic, B.; Carter, J.

    A number of research and development activities are underway at Argonne National Laboratory to build confidence in the designs for the storage ring vacuum system required for the Advanced Photon Source Up-grade project (APS-U) [1]. The predominant technical risks are: excessive residual gas pressures during operation; insufficient beam position monitor stability; excessive beam impedance; excessive heating by induced electrical surface currents; and insufficient operational reliability. Present efforts to mitigate these risks include: building and evaluating mockup assemblies; performing mechanical testing of chamber weld joints; developing computational tools; investigating design alternatives; and performing electrical bench measurements. Status of these activities andmore » some of what has been learned to date will be shared.« less

  15. Prevention of Overweight and Obesity: How Effective is the Current Public Health Approach

    PubMed Central

    Chan, Ruth S.M; Woo, Jean

    2010-01-01

    Obesity is a public health problem that has become epidemic worldwide. Substantial literature has emerged to show that overweight and obesity are major causes of co-morbidities, including type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, various cancers and other health problems, which can lead to further morbidity and mortality. The related health care costs are also substantial. Therefore, a public health approach to develop population-based strategies for the prevention of excess weight gain is of great importance. However, public health intervention programs have had limited success in tackling the rising prevalence of obesity. This paper reviews the definition of overweight and obesity and the variations with age and ethnicity; health consequences and factors contributing to the development of obesity; and critically reviews the effectiveness of current public health strategies for risk factor reduction and obesity prevention. PMID:20617002

  16. FINITE ELEMENT MODEL FOR TIDES AND CURRENTS WITH FIELD APPLICATIONS.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Walters, Roy A.

    1988-01-01

    A finite element model, based upon the shallow water equations, is used to calculate tidal amplitudes and currents for two field-scale test problems. Because tides are characterized by line spectra, the governing equations are subjected to harmonic decomposition. Thus the solution variables are the real and imaginary parts of the amplitude of sea level and velocity rather than a time series of these variables. The time series is recovered through synthesis. This scheme, coupled with a modified form of the governing equations, leads to high computational efficiency and freedom from excessive numerical noise. Two test-cases are presented. The first is a solution for eleven tidal constituents in the English Channel and southern North Sea, and three constituents are discussed. The second is an analysis of the frequency response and tidal harmonics for south San Francisco Bay.

  17. I Want You to Hold My Hand--Right Now!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weldy Boyd, Amanda C.

    2012-01-01

    The author argues that the excessive desire for a teacher's or mentor's feedback is not exclusive to the current "iGeneration." She suggests that one of the responsibilities of educators is teaching students to be less hesitant to make their own judgments. She then calls upon current teachers and administrators to model reasonable…

  18. 36 CFR 1207.32 - Equipment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 1207.32 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION GENERAL RULES... as follows: (1) Items of equipment with a current per-unit fair market value of less than $5,000 may...) Items of equipment with a current per unit fair market value in excess of $5,000 may be retained or sold...

  19. Accounting for Dark Current Accumulated during Readout of Hubble's ACS/WFC Detectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ryon, Jenna E.; Grogin, Norman A.; Coe, Dan A.; ACS Team

    2018-06-01

    We investigate the properties of excess dark current accumulated during the 100-second full-frame readout of the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Wide Field Channel (WFC) detectors. This excess dark current, called "readout dark", gives rise to ambient background gradients and hot columns in each ACS/WFC image. While readout dark signal is removed from science images during the bias correction step in CALACS, the additional noise from the readout dark is currently not taken into account. We develop a method to estimate the readout dark noise properties in ACS/WFC observations. We update the error (ERR) extensions of superbias images to include the appropriate noise from the ambient readout dark gradient and stable hot columns. In recent data, this amounts to about 5 e-/pixel added variance in the rows farthest from the WFC serial registers, and about 7 to 30 e-/pixel added variance along the stable hot columns. We also flag unstable hot columns in the superbias data quality (DQ) extensions. The new reference file pipeline for ACS/WFC implements these updates to our superbias creation process.

  20. Comparison of toxicity of class-based organic chemicals to algae and fish based on discrimination of excess toxicity from baseline level.

    PubMed

    Li, Jin J; Tai, Hong W; Yu, Yang; Wen, Yang; Wang, Xiao H; Zhao, Yuan H

    2015-07-01

    Toxicity data to fish and algae were used to investigate excess toxicity between species. Results show that chemicals exhibiting excess toxicity to fish also show excess toxicity to algae for most of the compounds. This indicates that they share the same mode of action between species. Similar relationships between logKOW and toxicities to fish and algae for baseline and less inert compounds suggest that they have similar critical body residues in the two species. Differences in excess toxicity for some compounds suggest that there is a difference of physiological structure and metabolism between fish and algae. Some reactive compounds (e.g. polyamines) exhibit greater toxic effects for algae than those for fish because of relatively low bio-uptake potential of these hydrophilic compounds in fish as compared with that in algae. Esters exhibiting greater toxicity in fish than that in algae indicate that metabolism can affect the discrimination of excess toxicity from baseline level. Algae growth inhibition is a very good surrogate for fish lethality. This is not only because overall toxicity sensitivity to algae is greater than that to fish, but also the excess toxicity calculated from algal toxicity can better reflect reactivity of compounds with target molecules than fish toxicity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Excess morbidity and mortality in patients with craniopharyngioma: a hospital-based retrospective cohort study.

    PubMed

    Wijnen, Mark; Olsson, Daniel S; van den Heuvel-Eibrink, Marry M; Hammarstrand, Casper; Janssen, Joseph A M J L; van der Lely, Aart J; Johannsson, Gudmundur; Neggers, Sebastian J C M M

    2018-01-01

    Most studies in patients with craniopharyngioma did not investigate morbidity and mortality relative to the general population nor evaluated risk factors for excess morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine excess morbidity and mortality, as well as their determinants in patients with craniopharyngioma. Hospital-based retrospective cohort study conducted between 1987 and 2014. We included 144 Dutch and 80 Swedish patients with craniopharyngioma identified by a computer-based search in the medical records (105 females (47%), 112 patients with childhood-onset craniopharyngioma (50%), 3153 person-years of follow-up). Excess morbidity and mortality were analysed using standardized incidence and mortality ratios (SIRs and SMRs). Risk factors were evaluated univariably by comparing SIRs and SMRs between non-overlapping subgroups. Patients with craniopharyngioma experienced excess morbidity due to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (SIR: 4.4, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.8-6.8) and cerebral infarction (SIR: 4.9, 95% CI: 3.1-8.0) compared to the general population. Risks for malignant neoplasms, myocardial infarctions and fractures were not increased. Patients with craniopharyngioma also had excessive total mortality (SMR: 2.7, 95% CI: 2.0-3.8), and mortality due to circulatory (SMR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.1-4.5) and respiratory (SMR: 6.0, 95% CI: 2.5-14.5) diseases. Female sex, childhood-onset craniopharyngioma, hydrocephalus and tumour recurrence were identified as risk factors for excess T2DM, cerebral infarction and total mortality. Patients with craniopharyngioma are at an increased risk for T2DM, cerebral infarction, total mortality and mortality due to circulatory and respiratory diseases. Female sex, childhood-onset craniopharyngioma, hydrocephalus and tumour recurrence are important risk factors. © 2018 European Society of Endocrinology.

  2. Experimental utilization of permeable base.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-10-01

    The effects of excessive water within pavement structural sections has been shown to decrease the service life of : our nations roadways. Some of the problems associated with this excessive water include premature rutting, : cracking, faulting, in...

  3. Field Emission Properties of Carbon Nanotube Fibers and Sheets for a High Current Electron Source

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Christy, Larry

    Field emission (FE) properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers from Rice University and the University of Cambridge have been studied for use within a high current electron source for a directed energy weapon. Upon reviewing the performance of these two prevalent CNT fibers, cathodes were designed with CNT fibers from the University of Cincinnati Nanoworld Laboratory. Cathodes composed of a single CNT fiber, an array of three CNT fibers, and a nonwoven CNT sheet were investigated for FE properties; the goal was to design a cathode with emission current in excess of 10 mA. Once the design phase was complete, the cathode samples were fabricated, characterized, and then analyzed to determine FE properties. Electrical conductivity of the CNT fibers was characterized with a 4-probe technique. FE characteristics were measured in an ultra-high vacuum chamber at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The arrayed CNT fiber and the enhanced nonwoven CNT sheet emitter design demonstrated the most promising FE properties. Future work will include further analysis and cathode design using this nonwoven CNT sheet material to increase peak current performance during electron emission.

  4. A case study in electricity regulation: Theory, evidence, and policy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luk, Stephen Kai Ming

    This research provides a thorough empirical analysis of the problem of excess capacity found in the electricity supply industry in Hong Kong. I utilize a cost-function based temporary equilibrium framework to investigate empirically whether the current regulatory scheme encourages the two utilities to overinvest in capital, and how much consumers would have saved if the underutilized capacity is eliminated. The research is divided into two main parts. The first section attempts to find any evidence of over-investment in capital. As a point of departure from traditional analysis, I treat physical capital as quasi-fixed, which implies a restricted cost function to represent the firm's short-run cost structure. Under such specification, the firm minimizes the cost of employing variable factor inputs subject to predetermined levels of quasi-fixed factors. Using a transcendental logarithmic restricted cost function, I estimate the cost-side equivalent of marginal product of capital, or commonly referred to as "shadow values" of capital. The estimation results suggest that the two electric utilities consistently over-invest in generation capacity. The second part of this research focuses on the economies of capital utilization, and the estimation of distortion cost in capital investment. Again, I utilize a translog specification of the cost function to estimate the actual cost of the excess capacity, and to find out how much consumers could have saved if the underutilized generation capacity were brought closer to the international standard. Estimation results indicate that an increase in the utilization rate can significantly reduce the costs of both utilities. And if the current excess capacity were reduced to the international standard, the combined savings in costs for both firms will reach 4.4 billion. This amount of savings, if redistributed to all consumers evenly, will translate into a 650 rebate per capita. Finally, two policy recommendations: a more stringent policy towards capacity expansion and the creation of a reimbursement program, are discussed.

  5. Pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes/SDS modified carbon paste electrode as an amperometric sensor for epinephrine.

    PubMed

    Thomas, Tony; Mascarenhas, Ronald J; D' Souza, Ozma J; Detriche, Simon; Mekhalif, Zineb; Martis, Praveen

    2014-07-01

    An amperometric sensor for the determination of epinephrine (EP) was fabricated by modifying the carbon paste electrode (CPE) with pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (pMWCNTs) using bulk modification followed by drop casting of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) onto the surface for its optimal potential application. The modified electrode showed an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards EP by decreasing the overpotential and greatly enhancing the current sensitivity. FE-SEM images confirmed the dispersion of pMWCNTs in the CPE matrix. EDX analysis ensured the surface coverage of SDS. A comparative study of pMWCNTs with those of oxidized MWCNTs (MWCNTsOX) modified electrodes reveals that the former is the best base material for the construction of the sensor with advantages of lower oxidation overpotential and the least background current. The performance of the modified electrode was impressive in terms of the least charge transfer resistance (Rct), highest values for diffusion coefficient (DEP) and standard heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k°). Analytical characterization of the modified electrode exhibited two linear dynamic ranges from 1.0×10(-7) to 1.0×10(-6)M and 1.0×10(-6) to 1.0×10(-4)M with a detection limit of (4.5±0.18)×10(-8)M. A 100-fold excess of serotonin, acetaminophen, folic acid, uric acid, tryptophan, tyrosine and cysteine, 10-fold excess of ascorbic acid and twofold excess of dopamine do not interfere in the quantification of EP at this electrode. The analytical applications of the modified electrode were demonstrated by determining EP in spiked blood serum and adrenaline tartrate injection. The modified electrode involves a simple fabrication procedure, minimum usage of the modifier, quick response, excellent stability, reproducibility and anti-fouling effects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Deficiency and toxicity of boron: Alterations in growth, oxidative damage and uptake by citrange orange plants.

    PubMed

    Shah, Asad; Wu, Xiuwen; Ullah, Abid; Fahad, Shah; Muhammad, Riaz; Yan, Lei; Jiang, Cuncang

    2017-11-01

    Boron (B) deficiency and toxicity are the major factors that affect plant growth and yield. The present study revealed the effect of B deficiency and toxicity on plant growth, morphology, physiology, and cell structure. A hydroponic culture experiment was conducted with five B levels, B deficient (B0), sufficient (B20, B10, B40) and toxic (B100). Our results show that both B deficient as well as excess level inhibit plant growth. In B deficiency, the major visible symptoms were appeared in roots, while B excess burned the leaf margin of older leaves. The antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) decreased at B deficiency and also decreased up to some extent at B excess, while in sufficient treatments, the higher antioxidant enzymes were found at B20. In addition, the MDA concentration decreased at B deficiency and increased with B concentration. Moreover, the photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, leaf gas exchange and intercellular CO 2 were reduced at both B deficiency as well as excess and higher at sufficient B20 treatment significantly. The chlorophyll and carotenoid content increased at B20 treatment, while decreased at B deficiency and excess. The middle lamellae of cell wall were found thick at B excess and normal at B20. The current study revealed that B deficiency as well as excess concentration affect plant growth and various morpho-physiological processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Consistency between the luminosity function of resolved millisecond pulsars and the galactic center excess

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

    Ploeg, Harrison; Gordon, Chris; Crocker, Roland

    Fermi Large Area Telescope data reveal an excess of GeV gamma rays from the direction of the Galactic Center and bulge. Several explanations have been proposed for this excess including an unresolved population of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) and self-annihilating dark matter. It has been claimed that a key discriminant for or against the MSP explanation can be extracted from the properties of the luminosity function describing this source population. Specifically, is the luminosity function of the putative MSPs in the Galactic Center consistent with that characterizing the resolved MSPs in the Galactic disk? To investigate this we have used amore » Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo to evaluate the posterior distribution of the parameters of the MSP luminosity function describing both resolved MSPs and the Galactic Center excess. At variance with some other claims, our analysis reveals that, within current uncertainties, both data sets can be well fit with the same luminosity function.« less

  8. 24 CFR 990.280 - Project-based budgeting and accounting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... and other eligible purposes. (5) If the project has excess cash flow available after meeting all reasonable operating needs of the property, the PHA may use this excess cash flow for the following purposes...

  9. 24 CFR 990.280 - Project-based budgeting and accounting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... and other eligible purposes. (5) If the project has excess cash flow available after meeting all reasonable operating needs of the property, the PHA may use this excess cash flow for the following purposes...

  10. 24 CFR 990.280 - Project-based budgeting and accounting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... and other eligible purposes. (5) If the project has excess cash flow available after meeting all reasonable operating needs of the property, the PHA may use this excess cash flow for the following purposes...

  11. Associations Between Excessive Sodium Intake and Smoking and Alcohol Intake Among Korean Men: KNHANES V.

    PubMed

    Choi, Kyung-Hwa; Park, Myung-Sook; Kim, Jung Ae; Lim, Ji-Ae

    2015-12-08

    In this study, we evaluated the associations of smoking and alcohol intake, both independently and collectively, with sodium intake in Korean men. Subjects (6340 men) were from the fifth Korean National Health Examination Survey (2010-2012). Smoking-related factors included smoking status, urinary cotinine level, and pack-years of smoking. Food intake was assessed using a 24-h recall. The odds of excessive sodium intake were estimated using survey logistic regression analysis. The smoking rate was 44.1%. The geometric mean of the urinary cotinine level was 0.05 µg/mL, and the median (min-max) pack-years of smoking was 13.2 (0-180). When adjusted for related factors, the odds (95% confidence interval) of excessive sodium intake were 1.54 (1.00, 2.37), 1.55 (1.23, 1.94), 1.44 (1.07, 1.95), and 1.37 (1.11, 1.68) times higher in the group exposed to smoking and drinking than in the group that never smoked nor drank, the group that never smoked and drank <5 times per month, the group that did not currently smoke and never drank, and the group that did not currently smoke or drink <5 times per month, respectively. There was an interaction effect between smoking and alcohol intake (p-interaction = 0.02). The results suggest that simultaneous exposure to smoking and alcohol intake is associated with increased odds of excessive sodium intake.

  12. Associations Between Excessive Sodium Intake and Smoking and Alcohol Intake Among Korean Men: KNHANES V

    PubMed Central

    Choi, Kyung-Hwa; Park, Myung-Sook; Kim, Jung Ae; Lim, Ji-Ae

    2015-01-01

    In this study, we evaluated the associations of smoking and alcohol intake, both independently and collectively, with sodium intake in Korean men. Subjects (6340 men) were from the fifth Korean National Health Examination Survey (2010–2012). Smoking-related factors included smoking status, urinary cotinine level, and pack-years of smoking. Food intake was assessed using a 24-h recall. The odds of excessive sodium intake were estimated using survey logistic regression analysis. The smoking rate was 44.1%. The geometric mean of the urinary cotinine level was 0.05 µg/mL, and the median (min–max) pack-years of smoking was 13.2 (0–180). When adjusted for related factors, the odds (95% confidence interval) of excessive sodium intake were 1.54 (1.00, 2.37), 1.55 (1.23, 1.94), 1.44 (1.07, 1.95), and 1.37 (1.11, 1.68) times higher in the group exposed to smoking and drinking than in the group that never smoked nor drank, the group that never smoked and drank <5 times per month, the group that did not currently smoke and never drank, and the group that did not currently smoke or drink <5 times per month, respectively. There was an interaction effect between smoking and alcohol intake (p-interaction = 0.02). The results suggest that simultaneous exposure to smoking and alcohol intake is associated with increased odds of excessive sodium intake. PMID:26670236

  13. Glycemic Control, Renal Complications, and Current Smoking in Relation to Excess Risk of Mortality in Persons With Type 1 Diabetes.

    PubMed

    Ahlén, Elsa; Pivodic, Aldina; Wedel, Hans; Dahlqvist, Sofia; Kosiborod, Mikhail; Lind, Marcus

    2016-09-01

    A substantial excess risk of mortality still exists in persons with type 1 diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the excess risk of mortality in persons with type 1 diabetes without renal complications who target goals for glycemic control and are nonsmokers. Furthermore, we evaluated risk factors of death due to hypoglycemia or ketoacidosis in young adults with type 1 diabetes. We evaluated a cohort based on 33 915 persons with type 1 diabetes and 169 249 randomly selected controls from the general population matched on age, sex, and county followed over a mean of 8.0 and 8.3 years, respectively. Hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality for persons with type 1 diabetes versus controls were estimated. The adjusted HRs for all-cause and CVD mortality for persons with type 1 diabetes without renal complications (normoalbuminuria and eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min) and HbA1c ≤ 6.9% (52 mmol/mol) compared to controls were 1.22 (95% CI 0.98-1.52) and 1.03 (95% CI 0.66-1.60), respectively. The HRs increased with higher updated mean HbA1c. For nonsmokers in this group, the HRs for all-cause and CVD mortality were somewhat lower: 1.11 (95% CI 0.87-1.42) and 0.89 (95% CI 0.53-1.48) at updated mean HbA1c ≤ 6.9% (52 mmol/mol). HRs for significant predictors for deaths due to hypoglycemia or ketoacidosis in persons < 50 years were male sex 2.40 (95% CI 1.27-4.52), smoking 2.86 (95% CI 1.57-5.22), lower educational level 3.01 (95% CI 1.26-7.22), albuminuria or advanced kidney disease 2.83 (95% CI 1.63-4.93), earlier hospital diagnosis of hypoglycemia or ketoacidosis 2.30 (95% CI 1.20-4.42), and earlier diagnosis of intoxication 2.53 (95% CI 1.06-6.04). If currently recommended HbA1c targets can be reached, renal complications and smoking avoided in persons with type 1 diabetes, the excess risk of mortality will likely converge substantially to that of the general population. © 2016 Diabetes Technology Society.

  14. Conductivity noise in transmembrane ion channels due to ion concentration fluctuations via diffusion.

    PubMed

    Mak, D O; Webb, W W

    1997-03-01

    A Green's function approach is developed from first principles to evaluate the power spectral density of conductance fluctuations caused by ion concentration fluctuations via diffusion in an electrolyte system. This is applied to simple geometric models of transmembrane ion channels to obtain an estimate of the magnitude of ion concentration fluctuation noise in the channel current. Pure polypeptide alamethicin forms stable ion channels with multiple conductance states in artificial phospholipid bilayers isolated onto tips of micropipettes with gigaohm seals. In the single-channel current recorded by voltage-clamp techniques, excess noise was found after the background instrumental noise and the intrinsic Johnson and shot noises were removed. The noise que to ion concentration fluctuations via diffusion was isolated by the dependence of the excess current noise on buffer ion concentration. The magnitude of the concentration fluctuation noise derived from experimental data lies within limits estimated using our simple geometric channel models. Variation of the noise magnitude for alamethicin channels in various conductance states agrees with theoretical prediction.

  15. Neuroimaging of Narcolepsy and Kleine-Levin Syndrome.

    PubMed

    Hong, Seung Bong

    2017-09-01

    Narcolepsy is a chronic neurologic disorder with the abnormal regulation of the sleep-wake cycle, resulting in excessive daytime sleepiness, disturbed nocturnal sleep, and manifestations related to rapid eye movement sleep, such as cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucination. Over the past decade, numerous neuroimaging studies have been performed to characterize the pathophysiology and various clinical features of narcolepsy. This article reviews structural and functional brain imaging findings in narcolepsy and Kleine-Levin syndrome. Based on the current state of research, brain imaging is a useful tool to investigate and understand the neuroanatomic correlates and brain abnormalities of narcolepsy and other hypersomnia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. A new prize system for drug innovation.

    PubMed

    Gandjour, Afschin; Chernyak, Nadja

    2011-10-01

    We propose a new prize (reward) system for drug innovation which pays a price based on the value of health benefits accrued over time. Willingness to pay for a unit of health benefit is determined based on the cost-effectiveness ratio of palliative/nursing care. We solve the problem of limited information on the value of health benefits by mathematically relating reward size to the uncertainty of information including information on potential drug overuse. The proposed prize system offers optimal incentives to invest in research and development because it rewards the innovator for the social value of drug innovation. The proposal is envisaged as a non-voluntary alternative to the current patent system and reduces excessive marketing of innovators and generic drug producers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. WPC Excessive Rainfall Forecasts

    Science.gov Websites

    Summaries Heat Index Tropical Products Daily Weather Map GIS Products Current Watches/ Warnings Satellite and Radar Imagery GOES-East Satellite GOES-West Satellite National Radar Product Archive WPC

  18. III-V strain layer superlattice based band engineered avalanche photodiodes (Presentation Recording)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghosh, Sid

    2015-08-01

    Laser detection and ranging (LADAR)-based systems operating in the Near Infrared (NIR) and Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) have become popular optical sensors for remote sensing, medical, and environmental applications. Sophisticated laser-based radar and weapon systems used for long-range military and astronomical applications need to detect, recognize, and track a variety of targets under a wide spectrum of atmospheric conditions. Infrared APDs play an important role in LADAR systems by integrating the detection and gain stages in a single device. Robust silicon-APDs are limited to visible and very near infrared region (< 1 um), while InGaAs works well up to wavelengths of about 1.5um. Si APDs have low multiplication or excess noise but are limited to below 1um due very poor quantum efficiency above 0.8um. InGaAs and Ge APDs operate up to wavelengths of 1.5um but have poor multiplication or excess noise due to a low impact ionization coefficient ratio between electrons and holes. For the past several decades HgCdTe has been traditionally used in longer wavelength (> 3um) infrared photon detection applications. Recently, various research groups (including Ghosh et. al.) have reported SWIR and MWIR HgCdTe APDs on CdZnTe and Si substrates. However, HgCdTe APDs suffer from low breakdown fields due to material defects, and excess noise increases significantly at high electric fields. During the past decade, InAs/GaSb Strain Layer Superlattice (SLS) material system has emerged as a potential material for the entire infrared spectrum because of relatively easier growth, comparable absorption coefficients, lower tunneling currents and longer Auger lifetimes resulting in enhanced detectivities (D*). Band engineering in type II SLS allows us to engineer avalanche properties of electrons and holes. This is a great advantage over bulk InGaAs and HgCdTe APDs where engineering avalanche properties is not possible. The talk will discuss the evolution of superlattice based avalanche photodiodes and some of the recent results on the work being done at Raytheon on SWIR avalanche photodiodes.

  19. Zero adjusted models with applications to analysing helminths count data.

    PubMed

    Chipeta, Michael G; Ngwira, Bagrey M; Simoonga, Christopher; Kazembe, Lawrence N

    2014-11-27

    It is common in public health and epidemiology that the outcome of interest is counts of events occurrence. Analysing these data using classical linear models is mostly inappropriate, even after transformation of outcome variables due to overdispersion. Zero-adjusted mixture count models such as zero-inflated and hurdle count models are applied to count data when over-dispersion and excess zeros exist. Main objective of the current paper is to apply such models to analyse risk factors associated with human helminths (S. haematobium) particularly in a case where there's a high proportion of zero counts. The data were collected during a community-based randomised control trial assessing the impact of mass drug administration (MDA) with praziquantel in Malawi, and a school-based cross sectional epidemiology survey in Zambia. Count data models including traditional (Poisson and negative binomial) models, zero modified models (zero inflated Poisson and zero inflated negative binomial) and hurdle models (Poisson logit hurdle and negative binomial logit hurdle) were fitted and compared. Using Akaike information criteria (AIC), the negative binomial logit hurdle (NBLH) and zero inflated negative binomial (ZINB) showed best performance in both datasets. With regards to zero count capturing, these models performed better than other models. This paper showed that zero modified NBLH and ZINB models are more appropriate methods for the analysis of data with excess zeros. The choice between the hurdle and zero-inflated models should be based on the aim and endpoints of the study.

  20. Generalization, Overselectivity, and Discrimination in the Autism Phenotype: A Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, S. M.; Bebko, J. M.

    2012-01-01

    Beginning with Kanner's (1943) seminal article on autism, through the current DSM-IV-R criteria for the disorder, children have been described as having difficulty with seeing overall gestalts, due to excess attention to the constituent part. In current terms, children with autism have been found to process objects at the local level differently,…

  1. Experimental installation of permeable base first interim report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2007-08-01

    The effects of excessive water within pavement structural sections has been shown to decrease the service : life of our nations roadways. Some of the problems associated with this excessive water include : premature rutting, cracking, faulting, in...

  2. Quantifying Unnecessary Normal Tissue Complication Risks due to Suboptimal Planning: A Secondary Study of RTOG 0126.

    PubMed

    Moore, Kevin L; Schmidt, Rachel; Moiseenko, Vitali; Olsen, Lindsey A; Tan, Jun; Xiao, Ying; Galvin, James; Pugh, Stephanie; Seider, Michael J; Dicker, Adam P; Bosch, Walter; Michalski, Jeff; Mutic, Sasa

    2015-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to quantify the frequency and clinical severity of quality deficiencies in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning in the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0126 protocol. A total of 219 IMRT patients from the high-dose arm (79.2 Gy) of RTOG 0126 were analyzed. To quantify plan quality, we used established knowledge-based methods for patient-specific dose-volume histogram (DVH) prediction of organs at risk and a Lyman-Kutcher-Burman (LKB) model for grade ≥2 rectal complications to convert DVHs into normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCPs). The LKB model was validated by fitting dose-response parameters relative to observed toxicities. The 90th percentile (22 of 219) of plans with the lowest excess risk (difference between clinical and model-predicted NTCP) were used to create a model for the presumed best practices in the protocol (pDVH0126,top10%). Applying the resultant model to the entire sample enabled comparisons between DVHs that patients could have received to DVHs they actually received. Excess risk quantified the clinical impact of suboptimal planning. Accuracy of pDVH predictions was validated by replanning 30 of 219 patients (13.7%), including equal numbers of presumed "high-quality," "low-quality," and randomly sampled plans. NTCP-predicted toxicities were compared to adverse events on protocol. Existing models showed that bladder-sparing variations were less prevalent than rectum quality variations and that increased rectal sparing was not correlated with target metrics (dose received by 98% and 2% of the PTV, respectively). Observed toxicities were consistent with current LKB parameters. Converting DVH and pDVH0126,top10% to rectal NTCPs, we observed 94 of 219 patients (42.9%) with ≥5% excess risk, 20 of 219 patients (9.1%) with ≥10% excess risk, and 2 of 219 patients (0.9%) with ≥15% excess risk. Replanning demonstrated the predicted NTCP reductions while maintaining the volume of the PTV receiving prescription dose. An equivalent sample of high-quality plans showed fewer toxicities than low-quality plans, 6 of 73 versus 10 of 73 respectively, although these differences were not significant (P=.21) due to insufficient statistical power in this retrospective study. Plan quality deficiencies in RTOG 0126 exposed patients to substantial excess risk for rectal complications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Association of symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with symptoms of excessive exercising in an adult general population sample.

    PubMed

    Berger, Nikolas A A; Müller, Astrid; Brähler, Elmar; Philipsen, Alexandra; de Zwaan, Martina

    2014-09-12

    An increasing number of studies suggest that physical activity can alleviate symptoms of ADHD in children. In adults there are currently insufficient data available on this subject. Interestingly, ADHD and forms of excessive exercising have both been shown to occur more frequently in adult athletes. The aim of the present study was to empirically investigate the association of ADHD and excessive exercising in the adult general population. For diagnosis of adult and childhood ADHD a large representative sample of the German general population (n = 1,615) completed a retrospective assessment of childhood ADHD and a self-report assessment of adult ADHD. Excessive exercising as well as putative mediating variables such as eating related psychopathology, depression, and anxiety were assessed using standardized self-rating instruments. Individuals with childhood only ADHD had a significantly higher frequency of excessive exercising (9.0%) than individuals without ADHD (2.7%). Excessive exercising was significantly associated with childhood only ADHD compared to no ADHD with an odds ratio of 3.239 even after controlling for socio-demographic variables, BMI, eating related and general psychopathology. Our data show that excessive exercising is significantly overrepresented in individuals in which ADHD symptoms in childhood have not persisted into adulthood. We thus hypothesize that a subgroup of individuals might suppress ADHD symptoms by excessive sporting activities. Although in healthy adults physical activity has been associated with immediate and long term improvements in cognitive functioning, studies empirically investigating associations between the effects of physical activity and adult ADHD are rare. Further studies are warranted to explore the potential role of physical activity in the treatment of ADHD in adults.

  4. Gender bias in under-five mortality in low/middle-income countries.

    PubMed

    Costa, Janaína Calu; da Silva, Inacio Crochemore Mohnsam; Victora, Cesar Gomes

    2017-01-01

    Due to biological reasons, boys are more likely to die than girls. The detection of gender bias requires knowing the expected relation between male and female mortality rates at different levels of overall mortality, in the absence of discrimination. Our objective was to compare two approaches aimed at assessing excess female under-five mortality rate (U5MR) in low/middle-income countries. We compared the two approaches using data from 60 Demographic and Health Surveys (2005-2014). The prescriptive approach compares observed mortality rates with historical patterns in Western societies where gender discrimination was assumed to be low or absent. The descriptive approach is derived from global estimates of all countries with available data, including those affected by gender bias. The prescriptive approach showed significant excess female U5MR in 20 countries, compared with only one country according to the descriptive approach. Nevertheless, both models showed similar country rankings. The 13 countries with the highest and the 10 countries with the lowest rankings were the same according to both approaches. Differences in excess female mortality among world regions were significant, but not among country income groups. Both methods are useful for monitoring time trends, detecting gender-based inequalities and identifying and addressing its causes. The prescriptive approach seems to be more sensitive in the identification of gender bias, but needs to be updated using data from populations with current-day structures of causes of death.

  5. Bilateral guaifenesin ureteral calculi.

    PubMed

    Whelan, Chris; Schwartz, Bradley F

    2004-01-01

    We report on a patient with bilateral ureteral calculi composed of guaifenesin metabolite as determined by infrared spectroscopy. These stones may be associated with excessive guaifenesin intake related to the current popularity of ephedrine preparations.

  6. 47 CFR 80.855 - Radiotelephone transmitter.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... series network of 10 ohms resistance and 200 picofarads capacitance, or an artificial antenna of 50 ohms... protected from excessive currents and voltages. (g) A durable nameplate must be mounted on the transmitter...

  7. Current transport mechanisms in mercury cadmium telluride diode

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

    Gopal, Vishnu, E-mail: vishnu-46@yahoo.com, E-mail: wdhu@mail.sitp.ac.cn; Li, Qing; He, Jiale

    This paper reports the results of modelling of the current-voltage characteristics (I-V) of a planar mid-wave Mercury Cadmium Telluride photodiode in a gate controlled diode experiment. It is reported that the diode exhibits nearly ideal I-V characteristics under the optimum surface potential leading to the minimal surface leakage current. Deviations from the optimum surface potential lead to non ideal I–V characteristics, indicating a strong relationship between the ideality factor of the diode with its surface leakage current. Diode's I–V characteristics have been modelled over a range of gate voltages from −9 V to −2 V. This range of gate voltages includes accumulation,more » flat band, and depletion and inversion conditions below the gate structure of the diode. It is shown that the I–V characteristics of the diode can be very well described by (i) thermal diffusion current, (ii) ohmic shunt current, (iii) photo-current due to background illumination, and (iv) excess current that grows by the process of avalanche multiplication in the gate voltage range from −3 V to −5 V that corresponds to the optimum surface potential. Outside the optimum gate voltage range, the origin of the excess current of the diode is associated with its high surface leakage currents. It is reported that the ohmic shunt current model applies to small surface leakage currents. The higher surface leakage currents exhibit a nonlinear shunt behaviour. It is also shown that the observed zero-bias dynamic resistance of the diode over the entire gate voltage range is the sum of ohmic shunt resistance and estimated zero-bias dynamic resistance of the diode from its thermal saturation current.« less

  8. Investigational therapies for the treatment of narcolepsy.

    PubMed

    de Biase, Stefano; Nilo, Annacarmen; Gigli, Gian Luigi; Valente, Mariarosaria

    2017-08-01

    Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by a pentad of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations, and disturbed nocturnal sleep. While non-pharmacological treatments are sometimes helpful, more than 90% of narcoleptic patients require a pharmacological treatment. Areas covered: The present review is based on an extensive Internet and PubMed search from 1994 to 2017. It is focused on drugs currently in development for the treatment of narcolepsy. Expert opinion: Currently there is no cure for narcolepsy, with treatment focusing on symptoms control. However, these symptomatic treatments are often unsatisfactory. The research is leading to a better understanding of narcolepsy and its symptoms. New classes of compounds with possible applications in the development of novel stimulant/anticataplectic medications are described. H3 receptor antagonists represent a new therapeutic option for EDS in narcolepsy. JZP-110, with its distinct mechanism of action, would be a new therapeutic option for the treatment of EDS in the coming years. In the future, hypocretin-based therapies and immune-based therapies, could modify the clinical course of the disease. However, more information would be necessary to completely understand the autoimmune process and also how this process can be altered for therapeutic benefits.

  9. Photoactive and self-sensing P3HT-based thin films for strain and corrosion monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ryu, Donghyeon; Loh, Kenneth J.

    2014-03-01

    Structural systems deteriorate due to excessive deformation and corrosive environments. If damage is left undetected, they can propagate to cause sudden collapse. However, one of the main difficulties of monitoring damage progression is that, for example, excessive/plastic deformation and corrosion are drastically different physical processes. Strain is a mechanical phenomenon, whereas corrosion is a complex electrochemical process. The current strategy for structural health monitoring (SHM) is to use either different types of sensors or to employ system identification for quantifying overall changes to the structure. In this study, an alternative SHM paradigm is proposed in that a single, multifunctional material would be able to selectively sense different but simultaneously occurring structural damage. In particular, a photoactive and self-sensing thin film was developed for monitoring strain and corrosion. Another unique aspect was that the films were self-sensing and did not depend on external electrical energy for operations. First, the thin films were fabricated using photoactive poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and other functional polymers using spin-coating and layerby- layer assembly. Second, the fabricated thin films were interrogated using an ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer for quantifying their optical response to applied external stimuli, such as strain and exposure to pH buffer solutions. Lastly, the multifunctional thin films were tested and validated for strain and pH sensing. Interrogation of these separate responses was achieved by illuminating the thin films different wavelengths of light and then measuring the corresponding electrical current generated.

  10. Estimating the decline in excess risk of cerebrovascular disease following quitting smoking--a systematic review based on the negative exponential model.

    PubMed

    Lee, Peter N; Fry, John S; Thornton, Alison J

    2014-02-01

    We attempted to quantify the decline in stroke risk following quitting using the negative exponential model, with methodology previously employed for IHD. We identified 22 blocks of RRs (from 13 studies) comparing current smokers, former smokers (by time quit) and never smokers. Corresponding pseudo-numbers of cases and controls/at risk formed the data for model-fitting. We tried to estimate the half-life (H, time since quit when the excess risk becomes half that for a continuing smoker) for each block. The method failed to converge or produced very variable estimates of H in nine blocks with a current smoker RR <1.40. Rejecting these, and combining blocks by amount smoked in one study where problems arose in model-fitting, the final analyses used 11 blocks. Goodness-of-fit was adequate for each block, the combined estimate of H being 4.78(95%CI 2.17-10.50) years. However, considerable heterogeneity existed, unexplained by any factor studied, with the random-effects estimate 3.08(1.32-7.16). Sensitivity analyses allowing for reverse causation or differing assumed times for the final quitting period gave similar results. The estimates of H are similar for stroke and IHD, and the individual estimates similarly heterogeneous. Fitting the model is harder for stroke, due to its weaker association with smoking. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Rational Autologous Cell Sources For Therapy of Heart Failure - Vehicles and Targets For Gene and RNA Therapies.

    PubMed

    Lampinen, Milla; Vento, Antti; Laurikka, Jari; Nystedt, Johanna; Mervaala, Eero; Harjula, Ari; Kankuri, Esko

    2016-01-01

    This review focuses on the possibilities for intraoperative processing and isolation of autologous cells, particularly atrial appendage-derived cells (AADCs) and cellular micrografts, and their straightforward use in cell transplantation for heart failure therapy. We review the potential of autologous tissues to serve as sources for cell therapy and consider especially those tissues that are used in surgery but from which the excess is currently discarded as surgical waste. We compare the inculture expanded cells to the freshly isolated ones in terms of evidence-based cost-efficacy and their usability as gene- and RNA therapy vehicles. We also review how financial and authority-based decisions and restrictions sculpt the landscape for patients to participate in academic-based trials. Finally, we provide an insight example into AADCs isolation and processing for epicardial therapy during coronary artery bypass surgery.

  12. Summary of theoretical and experimental investigation of grating type, silicon photovoltaic cells. [using p-n junctions on light receiving surface of base crystal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, L. Y.; Loferski, J. J.

    1975-01-01

    Theoretical and experimental aspects are summarized for single crystal, silicon photovoltaic devices made by forming a grating pattern of p/n junctions on the light receiving surface of the base crystal. Based on the general semiconductor equations, a mathematical description is presented for the photovoltaic properties of such grating-like structures in a two dimensional form. The resulting second order elliptical equation is solved by computer modeling to give solutions for various, reasonable, initial values of bulk resistivity, excess carrier concentration, and surface recombination velocity. The validity of the computer model is established by comparison with p/n devices produced by alloying an aluminum grating pattern into the surface of n-type silicon wafers. Current voltage characteristics and spectral response curves are presented for cells of this type constructed on wafers of different resistivities and orientations.

  13. Excessive distribution of quantum entanglement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zuppardo, Margherita; Krisnanda, Tanjung; Paterek, Tomasz; Bandyopadhyay, Somshubhro; Banerjee, Anindita; Deb, Prasenjit; Halder, Saronath; Modi, Kavan; Paternostro, Mauro

    2016-01-01

    We classify entanglement distribution protocols based on whether or not entanglement gain is observed with respect to communicated and initial entanglement. We call a protocol nonexcessive if the gain of entanglement is bounded by the communicated entanglement and excessive if it violates this bound. We present examples of excessive protocols that achieve significant gain, independently of the presence of the initial and (or) communicated entanglement. We show that, for certain entanglement measures, excessive entanglement distribution is possible even with pure states, which sheds light on the possibility of formulating a unifying approach to quantifiers of quantum correlations. We point out a "catalytic" effect, where a protocol is turned into an excessive one by sending an intermediate particle (which does not change the initial entanglement) in advance of the designated carrier. Finally, we analyze the protocols in noisy scenarios and show that, under suitable conditions, excessive distribution may be the only way to achieve entanglement gain.

  14. Microfluidic Transduction Harnesses Mass Transport Principles to Enhance Gene Transfer Efficiency.

    PubMed

    Tran, Reginald; Myers, David R; Denning, Gabriela; Shields, Jordan E; Lytle, Allison M; Alrowais, Hommood; Qiu, Yongzhi; Sakurai, Yumiko; Li, William C; Brand, Oliver; Le Doux, Joseph M; Spencer, H Trent; Doering, Christopher B; Lam, Wilbur A

    2017-10-04

    Ex vivo gene therapy using lentiviral vectors (LVs) is a proven approach to treat and potentially cure many hematologic disorders and malignancies but remains stymied by cumbersome, cost-prohibitive, and scale-limited production processes that cannot meet the demands of current clinical protocols for widespread clinical utilization. However, limitations in LV manufacture coupled with inefficient transduction protocols requiring significant excess amounts of vector currently limit widespread implementation. Herein, we describe a microfluidic, mass transport-based approach that overcomes the diffusion limitations of current transduction platforms to enhance LV gene transfer kinetics and efficiency. This novel ex vivo LV transduction platform is flexible in design, easy to use, scalable, and compatible with standard cell transduction reagents and LV preparations. Using hematopoietic cell lines, primary human T cells, primary hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) of both murine (Sca-1 + ) and human (CD34 + ) origin, microfluidic transduction using clinically processed LVs occurs up to 5-fold faster and requires as little as one-twentieth of LV. As an in vivo validation of the microfluidic-based transduction technology, HSPC gene therapy was performed in hemophilia A mice using limiting amounts of LV. Compared to the standard static well-based transduction protocols, only animals transplanted with microfluidic-transduced cells displayed clotting levels restored to normal. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: is it time to relax BSE-related measures in the context of international trade?

    PubMed

    Matthews, D; Adkin, A

    2011-04-01

    Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has presented serious challenges to both the World Organisation for Animal Health and national governments, in defining and implementing appropriate national control measures, and in agreeing trade rules that permit safe trade in cattle and bovine products. Precautionary trade rules were initially necessary, based upon the science of sheep scrapie, but research into BSE later enabled BSE-specific trade rules to be developed. As a result, current rules on trade are underpinned by a sound body of knowledge on BSE. Declining epidemics in most affected countries confirm the appropriateness of current precautions. Nevertheless, risk is primarily dependent on the prevalence of infection with BSE. In the face of low prevalence scenarios, certain precautionary measures in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code may now be considered excessive. A thorough review is therefore deemed appropriate.

  16. Use of natural diamonds to monitor 14C AMS instrument backgrounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taylor, R. E.; Southon, John

    2007-06-01

    To examine one component of the instrument-based background in the University of California Keck Carbon Cycle AMS spectrometer, we have obtained measurements on a set of natural diamonds pressed into sample holders. Natural diamond samples (N = 14) from different sources within rock formations with geological ages greatly in excess of 100 Ma yielded a range of currents (∼110-250 μA 12C- where filamentous graphite typically yields ∼150 μA 12C-) and apparent 14C ages (64.9 ± 0.4 ka BP [0.00031 ± 0.00002 fm] to 80.0 ± 1.1 ka BP [0.00005 ± 0.00001 fm]). Six fragments cut from a single diamond exhibited essentially identical 14C values - 69.3 ± 0.5 ka-70.6 ± 0.5 ka BP. The oldest 14C age equivalents were measured on natural diamonds which exhibited the highest current yields.

  17. Photoelectrolysis of water at high current density - Use of laser light excitation of semiconductor-based photoelectrochemical cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wrighton, M. S.; Bocarsley, A. B.; Bolts, J. M.

    1978-01-01

    In the present paper, some results are given for UV laser light irradiation of the photoanode (SnO2, SrTiO3, or TiO2) in a cell for the light-driven electrolysis of H2O, at radiation intensities of up to 380 W/sq cm. The properties of the anode material are found to be independent of light intensity. Conversion of UV light to stored chemical energy in the form of 2H2/O2 from H2O was driven at a rate of up to 30 W/sq cm. High O2 evolution rates at the irradiated anodes without changes in the current-voltage curves are attributed to the excess oxidizing power associated with photogenerated holes. A test for this sort of hypothesis for H2 evolution at p-type materials is proposed.

  18. 5 MeV Proton irradiation effects on 200 GHz silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gnana Prakash, A. P.; Hegde, Vinayakprasanna N.; Pradeep, T. M.; Pushpa, N.; Bajpai, P. K.; Patel, S. P.; Trivedi, Tarkeshwar; Cressler, J. D.

    2017-12-01

    The total dose effects of 5 MeV proton and Co-60 gamma irradiation in the dose range from 1 to 100 Mrad on advanced 200 GHz Silicon-Germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs) are investigated. The SRIM simulation study was conducted to understand the energy loss of 5 MeV proton ions in SiGe HBT structure. Pre- and post-radiation DC figure of merits such as forward- and inverse-mode Gummel characteristics, excess base current, DC current gain and output characteristics were used to quantify the radiation tolerance of the devices. The results show that the proton creates a significant amount of damages in the surface and bulk of the transistor when compared with gamma irradiation. The SiGe HBTs shows robust ionizing radiation tolerance even up to a total dose of 100 Mrad for both radiations.

  19. Single-cell proteomics: potential implications for cancer diagnostics.

    PubMed

    Gavasso, Sonia; Gullaksen, Stein-Erik; Skavland, Jørn; Gjertsen, Bjørn T

    2016-01-01

    Single-cell proteomics in cancer is evolving and promises to provide more accurate diagnoses based on detailed molecular features of cells within tumors. This review focuses on technologies that allow for collection of complex data from single cells, but also highlights methods that are adaptable to routine cancer diagnostics. Current diagnostics rely on histopathological analysis, complemented by mutational detection and clinical imaging. Though crucial, the information gained is often not directly transferable to defined therapeutic strategies, and predicting therapy response in a patient is difficult. In cancer, cellular states revealed through perturbed intracellular signaling pathways can identify functional mutations recurrent in cancer subsets. Single-cell proteomics remains to be validated in clinical trials where serial samples before and during treatment can reveal excessive clonal evolution and therapy failure; its use in clinical trials is anticipated to ignite a diagnostic revolution that will better align diagnostics with the current biological understanding of cancer.

  20. 40 CFR 264.192 - Design and installation of new tank systems or components.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... (e.g., impressed current or sacrificial anodes); and (C) Electrical isolation devices such as... physical damage and excessive stress due to settlement, vibration, expansion, or contraction. [Note: The...

  1. 40 CFR 264.192 - Design and installation of new tank systems or components.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... (e.g., impressed current or sacrificial anodes); and (C) Electrical isolation devices such as... physical damage and excessive stress due to settlement, vibration, expansion, or contraction. [Note: The...

  2. 40 CFR 264.192 - Design and installation of new tank systems or components.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... (e.g., impressed current or sacrificial anodes); and (C) Electrical isolation devices such as... physical damage and excessive stress due to settlement, vibration, expansion, or contraction. [Note: The...

  3. 40 CFR 264.192 - Design and installation of new tank systems or components.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... (e.g., impressed current or sacrificial anodes); and (C) Electrical isolation devices such as... physical damage and excessive stress due to settlement, vibration, expansion, or contraction. [Note: The...

  4. WPC Excessive Rainfall and Winter Weather Forecasts

    Science.gov Websites

    Summaries Heat Index Tropical Products Daily Weather Map GIS Products Current Watches/ Warnings Satellite and Radar Imagery GOES-East Satellite GOES-West Satellite National Radar Product Archive WPC

  5. 47 CFR 80.268 - Technical requirements for radiotelephone installation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... emission into an artificial antenna consisting of 10 ohms resistance and 200 picofarads capacitance or 50... protected from excessive currents and voltages. (i) The radiotelephone installation must be maintained in an...

  6. Ozone and dinitrogen monoxide production in atmospheric pressure air dielectric barrier discharge plasma effluent generated by nanosecond pulse superimposed alternating current voltage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takashima, Keisuke; Kaneko, Toshiro

    2017-06-01

    The effects of nanosecond pulse superposition to alternating current voltage (NS + AC) on the generation of an air dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma and reactive species are experimentally studied, along with measurements of ozone (O3) and dinitrogen monoxide (N2O) in the exhausted gas through the air DBD plasma (air plasma effluent). The charge-voltage cycle measurement indicates that the role of nanosecond pulse superposition is to induce electrical charge transport and excess charge accumulation on the dielectric surface following the nanosecond pulses. The densities of O3 and N2O in NS + AC DBD are found to be significantly increased in the plasma effluent, compared to the sum of those densities generated in NS DBD and AC DBD operated individually. The production of O3 and N2O is modulated significantly by the phase in which the nanosecond pulse is superimposed. The density increase and modulation effects by the nanosecond pulse are found to correspond with the electrical charge transport and the excess electrical charge accumulation induced by the nanosecond pulse. It is suggested that the electrical charge transport by the nanosecond pulse might result in the enhancement of the nanosecond pulse current, which may lead to more efficient molecular dissociation, and the excess electrical charge accumulation induced by the nanosecond pulse increases the discharge coupling power which would enhance molecular dissociation.

  7. An implantable thermoresponsive drug delivery system based on Peltier device.

    PubMed

    Yang, Rongbing; Gorelov, Alexander V; Aldabbagh, Fawaz; Carroll, William M; Rochev, Yury

    2013-04-15

    Locally dropping the temperature in vivo is the main obstacle to the clinical use of a thermoresponsive drug delivery system. In this paper, a Peltier electronic element is incorporated with a thermoresponsive thin film based drug delivery system to form a new drug delivery device which can regulate the release of rhodamine B in a water environment at 37 °C. Various current signals are used to control the temperature of the cold side of the Peltier device and the volume of water on top of the Peltier device affects the change in temperature. The pulsatile on-demand release profile of the model drug is obtained by turning the current signal on and off. The work has shown that the 2600 mAh power source is enough to power this device for 1.3 h. Furthermore, the excessive heat will not cause thermal damage in the body as it will be dissipated by the thermoregulation of the human body. Therefore, this simple novel device can be implanted and should work well in vivo. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Polycystic ovary syndrome: definition, aetiology, diagnosis and treatment.

    PubMed

    Escobar-Morreale, Héctor F

    2018-05-01

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine and metabolic disorders in premenopausal women. Heterogeneous by nature, PCOS is defined by a combination of signs and symptoms of androgen excess and ovarian dysfunction in the absence of other specific diagnoses. The aetiology of this syndrome remains largely unknown, but mounting evidence suggests that PCOS might be a complex multigenic disorder with strong epigenetic and environmental influences, including diet and lifestyle factors. PCOS is frequently associated with abdominal adiposity, insulin resistance, obesity, metabolic disorders and cardiovascular risk factors. The diagnosis and treatment of PCOS are not complicated, requiring only the judicious application of a few well-standardized diagnostic methods and appropriate therapeutic approaches addressing hyperandrogenism, the consequences of ovarian dysfunction and the associated metabolic disorders. This article aims to provide a balanced review of the latest advances and current limitations in our knowledge about PCOS while also providing a few clear and simple principles, based on current evidence-based clinical guidelines, for the proper diagnosis and long-term clinical management of women with PCOS.

  9. Epidemiology of eating disorders, eating disordered behaviour, and body image disturbance in males: a narrative review.

    PubMed

    Mitchison, Deborah; Mond, Jonathan

    2015-01-01

    Challenges to epidemiological studies of eating and related body image disturbance disorders in males include, in addition to low base rates and the predominance of residual diagnostic categories, the female-centric nature of current classification schemes and the consequent lack of appropriate assessment instruments. In this narrative review, we summarise epidemiological data regarding the prevalence and correlates of eating disorders, related body image disturbance disorders, and eating disorder features in males. Attention is focused on disorders most likely to be observed among males, such as muscle dysmorphia and muscularity-oriented excessive exercise. It is argued that, given the multiple challenges involved in research of this kind, a focus on features is more likely to advance the field than a focus on diagnoses. In terms of correlates, we focus on impairment and help-seeking, since these issues are most relevant in informing public health burden, service provision, and related issues. We end with some thoughts about current gaps in the knowledge base and directions for future research that we consider to be most promising.

  10. Terminology gap in hydrological cycle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhuo, Lu; Han, Dawei

    2016-04-01

    Water is central to life on Earth. People have been trying to understand how water moves in the hydrosphere throughout the human history. In the 9th century BC, the famous Greek poet Homer described the hydrological cycle in Iliad as "okeanos whose stream bends back in a circle" with a belief that rivers are ocean-fed from subterranean seas. Later, Aristotle (4th century BC) claimed that most of the water came from underground caverns in which air was transformed into water. It was only until 1674, French scientist Perrault developed the correct concept of the water cycle. In modern times, scientists are interested in understanding the individual processes of the hydrological cycle with a keen focus on runoff which supplies water to rivers, lakes, and oceans. Currently, the prevailing concepts on runoff processes include 'infiltration excess runoff' and 'saturation excess runoff'. However, there is no term to describe another major runoff due to the excess beyond the soil water holding capacity (i.e., the field capacity). We argue that a new term should be introduced to fill this gap, and it could be called 'holding excess runoff' which is compatible with the convention. This new term is significant in correcting a half-century misnomer where 'holding excess runoff' has been incorrectly named as 'saturation excess runoff', which was introduced by the Xinanjiang model in China in 1960s. Similar concept has been adopted in many well-known hydrological models such as PDM and HBV in which the saturation refers to the field capacity. The term 'holding excess runoff' resolves such a common confusion in the hydrological community.

  11. Development of an Electrochemical Paper-Based Analytical Device for Trace Detection of Virus Particles.

    PubMed

    Channon, Robert B; Yang, Yuanyuan; Feibelman, Kristen M; Geiss, Brian J; Dandy, David S; Henry, Charles S

    2018-06-19

    Viral pathogens are a serious health threat around the world, particularly in resource limited settings, where current sensing approaches are often insufficient and slow, compounding the spread and burden of these pathogens. Here, we describe a label-free, point-of-care approach toward detection of virus particles, based on a microfluidic paper-based analytical device with integrated microwire Au electrodes. The device is initially characterized through capturing of streptavidin modified nanoparticles by biotin-modified microwires. An order of magnitude improvement in detection limits is achieved through use of a microfluidic device over a classical static paper-based device, due to enhanced mass transport and capturing of particles on the modified electrodes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy detection of West Nile virus particles was carried out using antibody functionalized Au microwires, achieving a detection limit of 10.2 particles in 50 μL of cell culture media. No increase in signal is found on addition of an excess of a nonspecific target (Sindbis). This detection motif is significantly cheaper (∼$1 per test) and faster (∼30 min) than current methods, while achieving the desired selectivity and sensitivity. This sensing motif represents a general platform for trace detection of a wide range of biological pathogens.

  12. Regional differences in population-based cancer survival between six prefectures in Japan: application of relative survival models with funnel plots.

    PubMed

    Ito, Yuri; Ioka, Akiko; Tsukuma, Hideaki; Ajiki, Wakiko; Sugimoto, Tomoyuki; Rachet, Bernard; Coleman, Michel P

    2009-07-01

    We used new methods to examine differences in population-based cancer survival between six prefectures in Japan, after adjustment for age and stage at diagnosis. We applied regression models for relative survival to data from population-based cancer registries covering each prefecture for patients diagnosed with stomach, lung, or breast cancer during 1993-1996. Funnel plots were used to display the excess hazard ratio (EHR) for each prefecture, defined as the excess hazard of death from each cancer within 5 years of diagnosis relative to the mean excess hazard (in excess of national background mortality by age and sex) in all six prefectures combined. The contribution of age and stage to the EHR in each prefecture was assessed from differences in deviance-based R(2) between the various models. No significant differences were seen between prefectures in 5-year survival from breast cancer. For cancers of the stomach and lung, EHR in Osaka prefecture were above the upper 95% control limits. For stomach cancer, the age- and stage-adjusted EHR in Osaka were 1.29 for men and 1.43 for women, compared with Fukui and Yamagata. Differences in the stage at diagnosis of stomach cancer appeared to explain most of this excess hazard (61.3% for men, 56.8% for women), whereas differences in age at diagnosis explained very little (0.8%, 1.3%). This approach offers the potential to quantify the impact of differences in stage at diagnosis on time trends and regional differences in cancer survival. It underlines the utility of population-based cancer registries for improving cancer control.

  13. Do body weight and gender shape the work force? The case of Iceland.

    PubMed

    Asgeirsdottir, Tinna Laufey

    2011-03-01

    Most studies of the relationship between body weight - as well as its corollary, beauty - and labor-market outcomes have indicated that it is a function of a gender bias, the negative relationship between excess weight or obesity and labor-market outcomes being greater for women than for men. Iceland offers an exceptional opportunity to examine this hypothesis, given that it scores relatively well on an index of gender equality comprising economic, political, educational, labor-market, and health-based criteria. Equipped with an advanced level of educational attainment, on average, women are well represented in Iceland's labor force. When it comes to women's presence in the political sphere, Iceland is out of the ordinary as well; that Icelanders were the first in the world to elect a woman to be president may suggest a relatively gender-blind assessment in the labor market. In the current study, survey data collected by Gallup Iceland in 2002 are used to examine the relationship between weight and employment within this political and social setting. Point estimates indicate that, despite apparently lesser gender discrimination in Iceland than elsewhere, the bias against excess weight and obesity remains gender-based, showing a slightly negative relationship between weight and the employment rate of women, whereas a slightly positive relationship was found for men. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Squirt flow due to interfacial water films in hydrate bearing sediments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sell, Kathleen; Quintal, Beatriz; Kersten, Michael; Saenger, Erik H.

    2018-05-01

    Sediments containing gas hydrate dispersed in the pore space are known to show a characteristic seismic anomaly which is a high attenuation along with increasing seismic velocities. Currently, this observation cannot be fully explained albeit squirt-flow type mechanisms on the microscale have been speculated to be the cause. Recent major findings from in situ experiments, using the gas in excess and water in excess formation method, and coupled with high-resolution synchrotron-based X-ray micro-tomography, have revealed the systematic presence of thin water films between the quartz grains and the encrusting hydrate. The data obtained from these experiments underwent an image processing procedure to quantify the thicknesses and geometries of the aforementioned interfacial water films. Overall, the water films vary from sub-micrometer to a few micrometers in thickness. In addition, some of the water films interconnect through water bridges. This geometrical analysis is used to propose a new conceptual squirt flow model for hydrate bearing sediments. A series of numerical simulations is performed considering variations of the proposed model to study seismic attenuation caused by such thin water films. Our results support previous speculation that squirt flow can explain high attenuation at seismic frequencies in hydrate bearing sediments, but based on a conceptual squirt flow model which is geometrically different than those previously considered.

  15. A New Chronology of Late Quaternary Sequences From the Central Arctic Ocean Based on "Extinction Ages" of Their Excesses in 231Pa and 230Th

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hillaire-Marcel, C.; Ghaleb, B.; de Vernal, A.; Maccali, J.; Cuny, K.; Jacobel, A.; Le Duc, C.; McManus, J.

    2017-12-01

    Merging the late Quaternary Arctic paleoceanography into the Earth's global climate history remains challenging due to the lack of robust marine chronostratigraphies. Over ridges notably, low and variable sedimentation rates, scarce biogenic remains ensuing from low productivity and/or poor preservation, and oxygen isotope and paleomagnetic records differing from global stacks represent major impediments. However, as illustrate here based on consistent records from Mendeleev-Alpha and Lomonosov Ridges, disequilibria between U-series isotopes can provide benchmark ages. In such settings, fluxes of the particle-reactive U-daughter isotopes 230Th and 231Pa from the water column, are not unequivocally linked to sedimentation rates, but rather to sea-ice rafting and brine production histories, thus to the development of sea-ice factories over shelves during intervals of high relative sea level. The excesses in 230Th and 231Pa over fractions supported by their parent U-isotopes, collapse down sedimentary sequences, due to radioactive decay, and provide radiometric benchmark ages of approximately 300 and 140 ka, respectively. These "extinction ages" point to mean sedimentation rates of ˜4.3 and ˜1.7 mm/ka, respectively, over the Lomonosov and Mendeleev Ridges, which are significantly lower than assumed in most recent studies, thus highlighting the need for revisiting current interpretations of Arctic lithostratigraphies in relation to the global-scale late Quaternary climatostratigraphy.

  16. {pi} junction and spontaneous current state in a superfluid Fermi gas

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

    Kashimura, Takashi; Tsuchiya, Shunji; CREST

    2011-07-15

    We discuss an idea to realize a spontaneous current in a superfluid Fermi gas. When a polarized Fermi superfluid (N{sub {up_arrow}}>N{sub {down_arrow}}, where N{sub {sigma}} is the number of atoms in the hyperfine state described by pseudospin {sigma}={up_arrow},{down_arrow}) is loaded onto a ring-shaped trap with a weak potential barrier, some excess atoms ({Delta}N=N{sub {up_arrow}}-N{sub {down_arrow}}) are localized around the barrier. As shown in our previous paper [T. Kashimura, S. Tsuchiya, and Y. Ohashi, Phys. Rev. A 82, 033617 (2010)], this polarized potential barrier works as a {pi} junction in the sense that the superfluid order parameter changes its sign acrossmore » the barrier. Because of this, the phase of the superfluid order parameter outside the junction is shown to be twisted by {pi} along the ring, which naturally leads to a circulating supercurrent. While the ordinary supercurrent state is obtained as a metastable state, this spontaneous current state is shown to be more stable than the case with no current. Our results indicate that localized excess atoms would be useful for the manipulation of the superfluid order parameter in cold Fermi gases.« less

  17. A near-infrared interferometric survey of debris-disc stars. V. PIONIER search for variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ertel, S.; Defrère, D.; Absil, O.; Le Bouquin, J.-B.; Augereau, J.-C.; Berger, J.-P.; Blind, N.; Bonsor, A.; Lagrange, A.-M.; Lebreton, J.; Marion, L.; Milli, J.; Olofsson, J.

    2016-10-01

    Context. Extended circumstellar emission has been detected within a few 100 milli-arcsec around ≳10% of nearby main sequence stars using near-infrared interferometry. Follow-up observations using other techniques, should they yield similar results or non-detections, can provide strong constraints on the origin of the emission. They can also reveal the variability of the phenomenon. Aims: We aim to demonstrate the persistence of the phenomenon over the timescale of a few years and to search for variability of our previously detected excesses. Methods: Using Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI)/Precision Integrated Optics Near Infrared ExpeRiment (PIONIER) in H band we have carried out multi-epoch observations of the stars for which a near-infrared excess was previously detected using the same observation technique and instrument. The detection rates and distribution of the excesses from our original survey and the follow-up observations are compared statistically. A search for variability of the excesses in our time series is carried out based on the level of the broadband excesses. Results: In 12 of 16 follow-up observations, an excess is re-detected with a significance of > 2σ, and in 7 of 16 follow-up observations significant excess (> 3σ) is re-detected. We statistically demonstrate with very high confidence that the phenomenon persists for the majority of the systems. We also present the first detection of potential variability in two sources. Conclusions: We conclude that the phenomenon responsible for the excesses persists over the timescale of a few years for the majority of the systems. However, we also find that variability intrinsic to a target can cause it to have no significant excess at the time of a specific observation. Based on observations made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory under program IDs 088.C-0266, 089.C-0365, 090.C-0526, 091.C-0576, 091.C-0597, 094.C-0232, and commissioning data.

  18. A software-based sensor for combined sewer overflows.

    PubMed

    Leonhardt, G; Fach, S; Engelhard, C; Kinzel, H; Rauch, W

    2012-01-01

    A new methodology for online estimation of excess flow from combined sewer overflow (CSO) structures based on simulation models is presented. If sufficient flow and water level data from the sewer system is available, no rainfall data are needed to run the model. An inverse rainfall-runoff model was developed to simulate net rainfall based on flow and water level data. Excess flow at all CSO structures in a catchment can then be simulated with a rainfall-runoff model. The method is applied to a case study and results show that the inverse rainfall-runoff model can be used instead of missing rain gauges. Online operation is ensured by software providing an interface to the SCADA-system of the operator and controlling the model. A water quality model could be included to simulate also pollutant concentrations in the excess flow.

  19. History of blood gas analysis. II. pH and acid-base balance measurements.

    PubMed

    Severinghaus, J W; Astrup, P B

    1985-10-01

    Electrometric measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration was discovered by Wilhelm Ostwald in Leipzig about 1890 and described thermodynamically by his student Walther Nernst, using the van't Hoff concept of osmotic pressure as a kind of gas pressure, and the Arrhenius concept of ionization of acids, both of which had been formalized in 1887. Hasselbalch, after adapting the pH nomenclature of Sørensen to the carbonic-acid mass equation of Henderson, made the first actual blood pH measurements (with a hydrogen electrode) and proposed that metabolic acid-base imbalance be quantified as the "reduced" pH of blood after equilibration to a carbon dioxide tension (PCO2) of 40 mm Hg. This good idea, coming 40 years before simple blood pH measurements at 37 degrees C became widely available, was never adopted. Instead, Van Slyke developed a concept of acid-base chemistry that depended on measuring plasma CO2 content with his manometric apparatus, a standard method until the 1960s, when it was displaced by the three-electrode method of blood gas analysis. The 1952 polio epidemic in Copenhagen stimulated Astrup to develop a glass electrode in which pH could be measured in blood at 37 degrees C before and after equilibration with known PCO2. He introduced the interpolative measurement of PCO2 and bicarbonate level (later base excess) using only pH measurements and, with Siggaard-Andersen, developed clinical acid-base chemistry. Controversy arose when blood base excess was noted to be altered by acute changes in PCO2 and when abnormalities of base excess were called metabolic acidosis or alkalosis, even when they represented compensation for respiratory abnormalities in PCO2. In the 1970s it became clear that "in-vivo" or "extracellular fluid" base excess (measured at an average extracellular fluid hemoglobin concentration of 5 g) eliminated the error caused by acute changes in PCO2. Base excess is now almost universally used as the index of nonrespiratory acid-base imbalance.

  20. Thirty years of research show alcohol to be a cause of intimate partner violence: Future research needs to identify who to treat and how to treat them.

    PubMed

    Leonard, Kenneth E; Quigley, Brian M

    2017-01-01

    Research over the past 30 years has demonstrated that excessive alcohol use meets all of the epidemiological criteria for causality. While neither a necessary nor a sufficient cause, excessive alcohol use does contribute to the occurrence of partner violence and that contribution is approximately equal to other contributing causes such as gender roles, anger and marital functioning. Current theories of how excessive drinking results in partner violence provide a potentially valuable framework with respect to who should be targeted for interventions with respect to alcohol-related partner violence and what those interventions should address. © 2016 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  1. Material from the Internal Surface of Squid Axon Exhibits Excess Noise

    PubMed Central

    Fishman, Harvey M.

    1981-01-01

    A fluid material from a squid (Loligo pealei) axon was isolated by mechanical application of two types of microcapillary (1-3-μm Diam) to the internal surface of intact and cut-axon preparations. Current noise in the isolated material exceeded thermal levels and power spectra were 1/f in form in the frequency range 1.25-500 Hz with voltage-dependent intensities that were unrelated to specific ion channels. Whether conduction in this material is a significant source of excess noise during axon conduction remains to be determined. Nevertheless, a source of excess noise external to or within an ion channel may not be properly represented solely as an additive term to the spectrum of ion channel noise; a deconvolution of these spectral components may be required for modeling purposes. PMID:6266542

  2. A hydrogen-ferric ion rebalance cell operating at low hydrogen concentrations for capacity restoration of iron-chromium redox flow batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeng, Y. K.; Zhao, T. S.; Zhou, X. L.; Zou, J.; Ren, Y. X.

    2017-06-01

    To eliminate the adverse impacts of hydrogen evolution on the capacity of iron-chromium redox flow batteries (ICRFBs) during the long-term operation and ensure the safe operation of the battery, a rebalance cell that reduces the excessive Fe(III) ions at the positive electrolyte by using the hydrogen evolved from the negative electrolyte is designed, fabricated and tested. The effects of the flow field, hydrogen concentration and H2/N2 mixture gas flow rate on the performance of the hydrogen-ferric ion rebalance cell have been investigated. Results show that: i) an interdigitated flow field based rebalance cell delivers higher limiting current densities than serpentine flow field based one does; ii) the hydrogen utilization can approach 100% at low hydrogen concentrations (≤5%); iii) the apparent exchange current density of hydrogen oxidation reaction in the rebalance cell is proportional to the square root of the hydrogen concentration at the hydrogen concentration from 1.3% to 50%; iv) a continuous rebalance process is demonstrated at the current density of 60 mA cm-2 and hydrogen concentration of 2.5%. Moreover, the cost analysis shows that the rebalance cell is just approximately 1% of an ICRFB system cost.

  3. Respiratory compensation to a primary metabolic alkalosis in humans.

    PubMed

    Feldman, Mark; Alvarez, Naiara M; Trevino, Michael; Weinstein, Gary L

    2012-11-01

    There is limited and disparate information about the extent of the respiratory compensation (hypoventilation) that occurs in response to a primary metabolic alkalosis in humans. Our aim was to examine the influence of the plasma bicarbonate concentration, the plasma base excess, and the arterial pH on the arterial carbon dioxide tension in 52 adult patients with primary metabolic alkalosis, mostly due to diuretic use or vomiting. Linear regression analysis was used to correlate degrees of alkalosis with arterial carbon dioxide tensions. In this alkalotic cohort, whose arterial plasma bicarbonate averaged 31.6 mEq/l, plasma base excess averaged 7.8 mEq/l, and pH averaged 7.48, both plasma bicarbonate and base excess correlated closely with arterial carbon dioxide tensions (r = 0.97 and 0.96, respectively; p < 0.0001), while there was little relationship between arterial pH and arterial carbon dioxide tensions (p = 0.08). The arterial carbon dioxide tension increased 1.2 torr for each 1.0 mEq/l increment in plasma bicarbonate or base excess (95% confidence interval, 1.1 - 1.3 torr). This 1.2 torr increase amounts to a ~ 50% greater degree of respiratory compensation (hypoventilation) to primary metabolic alkalosis than has been reported in prior smaller studies.

  4. Why Excess Immigration Damages the Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Population-Environment Balance

    1992-01-01

    Explores the relationship between excessive immigration and environmental degradation. Explains the position that a stable United States population size is essential in prevention further deterioration of the natural resource base. Maintains that balancing immigration and emigration will be instrumental in balancing population with environment.…

  5. Infrared excesses in stars with and without planets using revised WISE photometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maldonado, Raul F.; Chavez, Miguel; Bertone, Emanuele; Cruz-Saenz de Miera, Fernando

    2017-11-01

    We present an analysis on the potential prevalence of mid-infrared excesses in stars with and without planetary companions. Based on an extended data base of stars detected with the Wide Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) satellite, we studied two stellar samples: one with 236 planet hosts and another with 986 objects for which planets have been searched, but not found. We determined the presence of an excess over the photosphere by comparing the observed flux ratio at 22 and 12 μm (f22/f12) with the corresponding synthetic value, derived from results of classical model photospheres. We found a detection rate of 0.85 per cent at 22 μm (two excesses) in the sample of stars with planets and 0.1 per cent (1 detection) for the stars without planets. The difference of the detection rate between the two samples is not statistically significant, a result that is independent of the different approaches found in the literature to define an excess in the wavelength range covered by WISE observations. As an additional result, we found that the WISE fluxes required a normalization procedure to make them compatible with synthetic data, probably pointing out a revision of the WISE data calibration.

  6. Association between red meat consumption and colon cancer: A systematic review of experimental results.

    PubMed

    Turner, Nancy D; Lloyd, Shannon K

    2017-04-01

    A role for red and processed meat in the development of colorectal cancer has been proposed based largely on evidence from observational studies in humans, especially in those populations consuming a westernized diet. Determination of causation specifically by red or processed meat is contingent upon identification of plausible mechanisms that lead to colorectal cancer. We conducted a systematic review of the available evidence to determine the availability of plausible mechanistic data linking red and processed meat consumption to colorectal cancer risk. Forty studies using animal models or cell cultures met specified inclusion criteria, most of which were designed to examine the role of heme iron or heterocyclic amines in relation to colon carcinogenesis. Most studies used levels of meat or meat components well in excess of those found in human diets. Although many of the experiments used semi-purified diets designed to mimic the nutrient loads in current westernized diets, most did not include potential biologically active protective compounds present in whole foods. Because of these limitations in the existing literature, there is currently insufficient evidence to confirm a mechanistic link between the intake of red meat as part of a healthy dietary pattern and colorectal cancer risk. Impact statement Current recommendations to reduce colon cancer include the reduction or elimination of red or processed meats. These recommendations are based on data from epidemiological studies conducted among cultures where meat consumption is elevated and consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are reduced. This review evaluated experimental data exploring the putative mechanisms whereby red or processed meats may contribute to colon cancer. Most studies used levels of meat or meat-derived compounds that were in excess of those in human diets, even in cultures where meat intake is elevated. Experiments where protective dietary compounds were used to mitigate the extreme levels of meat and meat-derived compounds showed protection against colon cancer, with some essentially negating the impact of meat in the diet. It is essential that better-designed studies be conducted that use relevant concentrations of meat or meat-derived compounds in complex diets representative of the foods consumed by humans.

  7. Association between red meat consumption and colon cancer: A systematic review of experimental results

    PubMed Central

    Lloyd, Shannon K

    2017-01-01

    A role for red and processed meat in the development of colorectal cancer has been proposed based largely on evidence from observational studies in humans, especially in those populations consuming a westernized diet. Determination of causation specifically by red or processed meat is contingent upon identification of plausible mechanisms that lead to colorectal cancer. We conducted a systematic review of the available evidence to determine the availability of plausible mechanistic data linking red and processed meat consumption to colorectal cancer risk. Forty studies using animal models or cell cultures met specified inclusion criteria, most of which were designed to examine the role of heme iron or heterocyclic amines in relation to colon carcinogenesis. Most studies used levels of meat or meat components well in excess of those found in human diets. Although many of the experiments used semi-purified diets designed to mimic the nutrient loads in current westernized diets, most did not include potential biologically active protective compounds present in whole foods. Because of these limitations in the existing literature, there is currently insufficient evidence to confirm a mechanistic link between the intake of red meat as part of a healthy dietary pattern and colorectal cancer risk. Impact statement Current recommendations to reduce colon cancer include the reduction or elimination of red or processed meats. These recommendations are based on data from epidemiological studies conducted among cultures where meat consumption is elevated and consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are reduced. This review evaluated experimental data exploring the putative mechanisms whereby red or processed meats may contribute to colon cancer. Most studies used levels of meat or meat-derived compounds that were in excess of those in human diets, even in cultures where meat intake is elevated. Experiments where protective dietary compounds were used to mitigate the extreme levels of meat and meat-derived compounds showed protection against colon cancer, with some essentially negating the impact of meat in the diet. It is essential that better-designed studies be conducted that use relevant concentrations of meat or meat-derived compounds in complex diets representative of the foods consumed by humans. PMID:28205448

  8. Electron-beam irradiation-induced gate oxide degradation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cho, Byung Jin; Chong, Pei Fen; Chor, Eng Fong; Joo, Moon Sig; Yeo, In Seok

    2000-12-01

    Gate oxide degradation induced by electron-beam irradiation has been studied. A large increase in the low-field excess leakage current was observed on irradiated oxides and this was very similar to electrical stress-induced leakage currents. Unlike conventional electrical stress-induced leakage currents, however, electron-beam induced leakage currents exhibit a power law relationship with fluency without any signs of saturation. It has also been found that the electron-beam neither accelerates nor initiates quasibreakdown of the ultrathin gate oxide. Therefore, the traps generated by electron-beam irradiation do not contribute to quasibreakdown, only to the leakage current.

  9. Excess Entropy Production in Quantum System: Quantum Master Equation Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakajima, Satoshi; Tokura, Yasuhiro

    2017-12-01

    For open systems described by the quantum master equation (QME), we investigate the excess entropy production under quasistatic operations between nonequilibrium steady states. The average entropy production is composed of the time integral of the instantaneous steady entropy production rate and the excess entropy production. We propose to define average entropy production rate using the average energy and particle currents, which are calculated by using the full counting statistics with QME. The excess entropy production is given by a line integral in the control parameter space and its integrand is called the Berry-Sinitsyn-Nemenman (BSN) vector. In the weakly nonequilibrium regime, we show that BSN vector is described by ln \\breve{ρ }_0 and ρ _0 where ρ _0 is the instantaneous steady state of the QME and \\breve{ρ }_0 is that of the QME which is given by reversing the sign of the Lamb shift term. If the system Hamiltonian is non-degenerate or the Lamb shift term is negligible, the excess entropy production approximately reduces to the difference between the von Neumann entropies of the system. Additionally, we point out that the expression of the entropy production obtained in the classical Markov jump process is different from our result and show that these are approximately equivalent only in the weakly nonequilibrium regime.

  10. Prediction of nanofluids properties: the density and the heat capacity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhelezny, V. P.; Motovoy, I. V.; Ustyuzhanin, E. E.

    2017-11-01

    The results given in this report show that the additives of Al2O3 nanoparticles lead to increase the density and decrease the heat capacity of isopropanol. Based on the experimental data the excess molar volume and the excess molar heat capacity were calculated. The report suggests new method for predicting the molar volume and molar heat capacity of nanofluids. It is established that the values of the excess thermodynamic functions are determined by the properties and the volume of the structurally oriented layers of the base fluid molecules near the surface of nanoparticles. The heat capacity of the structurally oriented layers of the base fluid is less than the heat capacity of the base fluid for given parameters due to the greater regulation of its structure. It is shown that information on the geometric dimensions of the structured layers of the base fluid near nanoparticles can be obtained from data on the nanofluids density and at ambient temperature - by the dynamic light scattering method. For calculations of the nanofluids heat capacity over a wide range of temperatures a new correlation based on the extended scaling is proposed.

  11. Audit of Sandia Corporation`s pension plans and other prefunded benefits

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

    Not Available

    1994-04-06

    The audit disclosed that Sandia`s pension plans had $588.9 million in excess assets as of December 31, 1990, on a current value basis. If plan terminations and spin-offs occurred, at least $408.8 million of this amount could be returned to the Government without affecting the pension benefits that Sandia employees and retirees have earned. We recommended that Albuquerque take the necessary action to reduce the excess assets in the pension plans and recover the Government`s share. However, Albuquerque disagreed with the recommendation. Albuquerque justified leaving the excess assets in the pension plans to fund future plan amendments; to avoid futuremore » funding contributions; to avoid the costs and time-consuming administrative steps associated with taking action; and to prevent damaging effects on employee morale. We analyzed these points, and concluded that they should not prevent the Department from initiating action to return excess assets to the Government. Actuarial analysis of the pension plans showed that, even if certain plan adjustments were made, the plans were overfunded by $256 million as of December 31, 1991 (on an actuarial value basis).« less

  12. Improved characteristics of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide-based resistive random access memory using hydrogen post-annealing

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

    Kang, Dae Yun; Lee, Tae-Ho; Kim, Tae Geun, E-mail: tgkim1@korea.ac.kr

    The authors report an improvement in resistive switching (RS) characteristics of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO)-based resistive random access memory devices using hydrogen post-annealing. Because this a-IGZO thin film has oxygen off-stoichiometry in the form of deficient and excessive oxygen sites, the film properties can be improved by introducing hydrogen atoms through the annealing process. After hydrogen post-annealing, the device exhibited a stable bipolar RS, low-voltage set and reset operation, long retention (>10{sup 5 }s), good endurance (>10{sup 6} cycles), and a narrow distribution in each current state. The effect of hydrogen post-annealing is also investigated by analyzing the sample surface using X-raymore » photon spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy.« less

  13. SSP Technology Investigation of a High-Voltage DC-DC Converter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pappas, J. A.; Grady, W. M.; George, Patrick J. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    The goal of this project was to establish the feasibility of a high-voltage DC-DC converter based on a rod-array triggered vacuum switch (RATVS) for the Space Solar Power system. The RATVS has many advantages over silicon and silicon-carbide devices. The RATVS is attractive for this application because it is a high-voltage device that has already been demonstrated at currents in excess of the requirement for an SSP device and at much higher per-device voltages than existing or near-term solid state switching devices. The RATVS packs a much higher specific power rating than any solid-state device and it is likely to be more tolerant of its surroundings in space. In addition, pursuit of an RATVS-based system would provide NASA with a nearer-term and less expensive power converter option for the SSP.

  14. Development of Numerical Models for Performance Predictions of Single-Photon Avalanche Photodetectors (SPAP) for the 2-Micron Regime

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Joshi, Ravindra P.; Abedin, M. Nurul (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    Field dependent drift velocity results are presented for electron transport in bulk Indium Arsenide (InAs) material based on a Monte Carlo model, which includes an analytical treatment of band-to-band impact ionization. Avalanche multiplication and related excess noise factor (F) are computed as a function of device length and applied voltage. A decrease in F with increases in device length is obtained. The results suggest an inherent utility for InAs-based single-photon avalanche detectors, particularly around the 2 microns region of interest for atmospheric remote sensing applications. The dark current response was also evaluated. The role of the various components has been analyzed. For shorter devices, the tunneling component is shown to dominate at low temperatures. Finally, possible structures for enhanced photodetection are proposed for future research.

  15. Reactive Nitrogen in Atmospheric Emission Inventories

    EPA Science Inventory

    Excess reactive Nitrogen (NT) has become one of the most pressing environmental problems leading to air pollution, acidification and eutrophication of ecosystems, biodiversity impacts, leaching of nitrates into groundwater and global warming. This paper investigates how current i...

  16. Supercomputer requirements for selected disciplines important to aerospace

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peterson, Victor L.; Kim, John; Holst, Terry L.; Deiwert, George S.; Cooper, David M.; Watson, Andrew B.; Bailey, F. Ron

    1989-01-01

    Speed and memory requirements placed on supercomputers by five different disciplines important to aerospace are discussed and compared with the capabilities of various existing computers and those projected to be available before the end of this century. The disciplines chosen for consideration are turbulence physics, aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, chemistry, and human vision modeling. Example results for problems illustrative of those currently being solved in each of the disciplines are presented and discussed. Limitations imposed on physical modeling and geometrical complexity by the need to obtain solutions in practical amounts of time are identified. Computational challenges for the future, for which either some or all of the current limitations are removed, are described. Meeting some of the challenges will require computer speeds in excess of exaflop/s (10 to the 18th flop/s) and memories in excess of petawords (10 to the 15th words).

  17. Up-to-date approach to manage keloids and hypertrophic scars: A useful guide

    PubMed Central

    Arno, Anna I.; Gauglitz, Gerd G.; Barret, Juan P.; Jeschke, Marc G.

    2014-01-01

    Keloids and hypertrophic scars occur anywhere from 30 to 90% of patients, and are characterized by pathologically excessive dermal fibrosis and aberrant wound healing. Both entities have different clinical and histochemical characteristics, and unfortunately still represent a great challenge for clinicians due to lack of efficacious treatments. Current advances in molecular biology and genetics reveal new preventive and therapeutical options which represent a hope to manage this highly prevalent, chronic and disabling problem, with long-term beneficial outcomes and improvement of quality of life. While we wait for these translational clinical products to be marketed, however, it is imperative to know the basics of the currently existing wide array of strategies to deal with excessive scars: from the classical corticotherapy, to the most recent botulinum toxin and lasers. The main aim of this review paper is to offer a useful up-to-date guideline to prevent and treat keloids and hypertrophic scars. PMID:24767715

  18. [Pathological buying. A review of the current knowledge regarding this condition of behavioral excess].

    PubMed

    Müller, A; de Zwaan, M

    2010-04-01

    Compulsive buying is characterized by frequent excessive purchasing of items that are primarily not needed or used. The compulsive buying behavior results in mental, social, financial and often legal problems. Although compulsive buying affects a significant percentage of the general population and has received increasing attention in research, it has largely been ignored in clinical practice. Compulsive buying disorder is currently conceptualized as an"impulse control disorder not otherwise specified". However, the appropriate classification continues to be debated. Compulsive buying is associated with significant psychiatric co-morbidity, especially with depressive, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, substance use, personality, and other impulse control disorders. Small controlled trials failed to confirm the efficacy of antidepressants in the treatment of compulsive buying disorder, whereas early evidence suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy is helpful in alleviating compulsive buying symptoms. Further research is needed to establish a better understanding of etiology, classification, and treatment strategies.

  19. [Adult mother-daughter relationships and psychological well-being: attachment to mothers, depressive symptoms, and self-esteem].

    PubMed

    Kitamura, Kotomi

    2008-06-01

    This study examined how daughter's reported quality of their mother-daughter relationships during childhood and adulthood is related to their psychological well-being (depressive symptoms and self-esteem). A cross-sectional sample of 363 women, age 26 to 35 years, completed questionnaires. The association between the quality of daughters' relationships with their mothers and their psychological well-being depended on the daughters' marital and parental status. Regression estimates suggested that among single daughters and married daughters with children, childhood attachment dimensions (avoidance and anxiety) significantly contributed to psychological well-being, even after controlling for the effects of current closeness and excessive dependence. Current closeness, and excessive care seeking and care giving to their mother contributed to the psychological well-being of single daughters and married daughters without children, even after controlling for the effects of childhood attachment.

  20. Non-Invasive Methods for Iron Concentration Assessment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carneiro, Antonio A. O.; Baffa, Oswaldo; Angulo, Ivan L.; Covas, Dimas T.

    2002-08-01

    Iron excess is commonly observed in patients with transfusional iron overload. The iron chelation therapy in these patients require accurate determination of the magnitude of iron excess. The most promising method for noninvasive assessment of iron stores is based on measurements of hepatic magnetic susceptibility.

  1. 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

  2. Electrical response of Pt/Ru/PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3/Pt capacitor as function of lead precursor excess

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gueye, Ibrahima; Le Rhun, Gwenael; Renault, Olivier; Defay, Emmanuel; Barrett, Nicholas

    2017-11-01

    We investigated the influence of the surface microstructure and chemistry of sol-gel grown PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) on the electrical performance of PZT-based metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors as a function of Pb precursor excess. Using surface-sensitive, quantitative X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, we confirm the presence of ZrOx surface phase. Low Pb excess gives rise to a discontinuous layer of ZrOx on a (100) textured PZT film with a wide band gap reducing the capacitance of PZT-based MIMs whereas the breakdown field is enhanced. At high Pb excess, the nanostructures disappear while the PZT grain size increases and the film texture becomes (111). Concomitantly, the capacitance density is enhanced by 8.7%, and both the loss tangent and breakdown field are reduced by 20 and 25%, respectively. The role of the low permittivity, dielectric interface layer on capacitance and breakdown is discussed.

  3. 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.

  4. Nanowire-based thermoelectric ratchet in the hopping regime

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bosisio, Riccardo; Fleury, Geneviève; Pichard, Jean-Louis; Gorini, Cosimo

    2016-04-01

    We study a thermoelectric ratchet consisting of an array of disordered nanowires arranged in parallel on top of an insulating substrate and contacted asymmetrically to two electrodes. Transport is investigated in the Mott hopping regime, when localized electrons can propagate through the nanowires via thermally assisted hops. When the electronic temperature in the nanowires is different from the phononic one in the substrate, we show that a finite electrical current is generated even in the absence of driving forces between the electrodes. We discuss the device performance both as an energy harvester, when an excess heat from the substrate is converted into useful power, and as a refrigerator, when an external power is supplied to cool down the substrate.

  5. Five-year Experience with Perma Facial Implant

    PubMed Central

    Raphael, Peter; Harris, Ryan

    2014-01-01

    Summary: Augmentation cheiloplasty is becoming an increasingly popular aesthetic procedure despite current methodologies having met with disappointment among surgeons and patients. The goal of this study was to examine the benefits and drawbacks of 1 device in particular—Perma Facial Implant (PFI). The senior authors (P.R. and S.W.H.) performed 832 consecutive PFI lip augmentations with excellent results based on photographic documentation, patient satisfaction surveys, unbiased surgeon ratings, and low complication rates. In addition to augmenting thin lips, PFIs hide excess dentition and improve vermilion rhytids and pout. Contrary to alternatives, they are both permanent and reversible. However, they do not level out asymmetries or benefit razor-thin lips without prior lifting or mucosal advancement. PMID:25289346

  6. New developments on high-efficiency infrared and InGaAlP light-emitting diodes at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Broell, Markus; Sundgren, Petrus; Rudolph, Andreas; Schmid, Wolfgang; Vogl, Anton; Behringer, Martin

    2014-02-01

    We present our latest results on developments of infrared and red light emitting diodes. Both chiptypes are based on the Thinfilm technology. For infrared the brightness has been raised by 25% with respect to former products in a package with standard silicon casting, corresponding to a brightness increase of 33% for the bare chip. In a lab package a wallplug efficiency of more than 72% at a wavelength of 850nm could be reached. For red InGaAlP LEDs we could demonstrate a light output in excess of 200lm/W and a brightness of 133lm at a typical operating current of 350mA.

  7. Magnetobraking: Use of tether electrodynamic drag for Earth return from Mars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Landis, Geoffrey A.

    1994-01-01

    It has often been proposed that a vehicle returning from Mars will use aerobraking in the Earth's atmosphere to dissipate hyperbolic excess velocity to capture into Earth orbit. Here a different system for dissipating excess velocity without expenditure of reaction mass, magnetobraking, is proposed. Magnetobraking uses the force on an electrodynamic tether in the Earth's magnetic field to produce thrust. An electrodynamic tether is deployed from the spacecraft as it approaches the Earth. The Earth's magnetic field produces a force on electrical current in the tether. If the tether is oriented perpendicularly to the Earth's magnetic field and to the direction of motion of the spacecraft, force produced by the Earth's magnetic field can be used to either brake or accelerate the spacecraft without expenditure of reaction mass. The peak acceleration on the Mars return is 0.007 m/sq sec, and the amount of braking possible is dependent on the density and current-carrying capacity of the tether, but is independent of length. A superconducting tether is required. The required critical current is shown to be within the range of superconducting technology now available in the laboratory.

  8. A transportable 50 kA dual mode lightning simulator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Salisbury, K.; Lloyd, S.; Chen, Y. G.

    1991-01-01

    A transportable lightning simulator was designed, built and tested, which is capable of delivering more than 50 kA to an 8 micro-H test object. The simulator was designed to be a versatile device in the lightning laboratory while meeting the requirements of MIL-STD-1757A for component E current waveforms. The system is capable of operating in either a ringing mode with a Q greater than 5 and a nominal frequency of 160 kHz, or a unipolar mode with no hardware configuration changes. The ringing mode is obtained by the LCR series circuit formed by the pulse generator and test object. The unipolar mode is obtained by closing an electrically triggered crowbar switch at peak current. The simulator exceeds the peak current requirement and rate of rise requirements for MIL-STD-1757A in both the ringing and unipolar modes. The pulse half width in the unipolar mode is in excess of 50 microsec and the action is in excess of 10(exp 5) A(exp 2)s. The design, component values, and test results are presented.

  9. Epigenetics and obesity: a relationship waiting to be explained.

    PubMed

    Symonds, Michael E; Budge, Helen; Frazier-Wood, Alexis C

    2013-01-01

    Obesity can have multifactorial causes that may change with development and are not simply attributable to one's genetic constitution. To date, expensive and laborious genome-wide association studies have only ascribed a small contribution of genetic variants to obesity. The emergence of the field of epigenetics now offers a new paradigm with which to study excess fat mass. Currently, however, there are no compelling epigenetic studies to explain the role of epigenetics in obesity, especially from a developmental perspective. It is clear that until there are advances in the understanding of the main mechanisms by which different fat types, i.e. brown, beige, and white, are established and how these differ between depots and species, population-based studies designed to determine specific aspects of epigenetics will be potentially limited. Obesity is a slowly evolving condition that is not simply explained by changes in the intake of one macronutrient. The latest advances in epigenetics, coupled with the establishment of relevant longitudinal models of obesity, which incorporate functionally relevant end points, may now permit the precise contribution of epigenetic modifications to excess fat mass to be effectively studied. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  10. Analysis of nursing home use and bed supply: Wisconsin, 1983.

    PubMed Central

    Nyman, J A

    1989-01-01

    This article presents evidence that in 1983 excess demand was a prevailing characteristic of nursing home care markets in Wisconsin, a state with one of the highest bed to elderly population ratios. It further shows that excess demand is the source of at least three types of error in use-based estimates of the determinants of the need for nursing home care. First, if excess demand is present, estimates of the determinants of Medicaid use may simply represent a crowding out of Medicaid patients, driven by the determinants of private use. As a result, factors associated with greater overall need in an area will be correlated with fewer Medicaid patients in nursing homes, ceteris paribus. Second, estimates of the substitutability of home health care for nursing home care may be misleadingly insignificant if they are based on the bed supply-constrained behavior of Medicaid-eligible subjects. Third, because the determinants of bed supply become the determinants of overall use under excess-demand conditions, the determinants of use will reflect, to some extent, the nursing home's desire for profits. Because profitability considerations are reflected in use based estimates of need, these estimates are likely to be misleading. PMID:2681081

  11. Iron status of young children in Europe.

    PubMed

    van der Merwe, Liandré F; Eussen, Simone R

    2017-12-01

    Iron deficiency (ID) is common in young children aged 6-36 mo. Although the hazards associated with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are well known, concerns about risks associated with excess iron intake in young children are emerging. To characterize iron status in Europe, we describe the prevalence of ID, IDA, iron repletion, and excess stores with the use of published data from a systematic review on iron intake and deficiency rates, combined with other selected iron status data in young European children. Various definitions for ID and IDA were applied across studies. ID prevalence varied depending on socioeconomic status and type of milk fed (i.e., human or cow milk or formula). Without regard to these factors, ID was reported in 3-48% of children aged ≥12 mo across the countries. For 6- to 12-mo-old infants, based on studies that did not differentiate these factors, ID prevalence was 4-18%. IDA was <5% in most studies in Northern and Western Europe but was considerably higher in Eastern Europe (9-50%). According to current iron status data from a sample of healthy Western European children aged 12-36 mo, 69% were iron replete, and the 97.5th percentile for serum ferritin (SF) was 64.3 μg/L. In another sample, 79% of 24-mo-old children were iron replete, and the 97.5th percentile for SF was 57.3 μg/L. Average iron intake in most countries studied was close to or below the UK's Recommended Dietary Allowance. In conclusion, even in healthy European children aged 6-36 mo, ID is still common. In Western European populations for whom data were available, approximately three-quarters of children were found to be iron replete, and excess iron stores (SF >100 μg/L) did not appear to be a concern. Consensus on the definitions of iron repletion and excess stores, as well as on ID and IDA, is needed. © 2017 American Society for Nutrition.

  12. Reliability Studies of Ceramic Capacitors.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-03-01

    with barium/ titanium ratios of greater than one exhibit higher current levels and enhanced degradation compared to the excess titanium compositions. This...essentially insoluble in BaTiO -4- 3. Compositions with barium/ titanium ratios less than one exhibit higher current levels and enhanced degradation compared...this process is shown in figure 1. The cationic sources which have been successfully used are carbonates, hydroxides, isopropoxides , and nitrates. The

  13. Epidemiology and prevention of stroke: a worldwide perspective

    PubMed Central

    Kuklina, Elena V; Tong, Xin; George, Mary G; Bansil, Pooja

    2015-01-01

    This paper reviews how epidemiological studies during the last 5 years have advanced our knowledge in addressing the global stroke epidemic. The specific objectives were to review the current evidence supporting management of ten major modifiable risk factors for prevention of stroke: hypertension, current smoking, diabetes, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, atrial fibrillation, excessive alcohol consumption, abnormal lipid profile and psychosocial stress/depression. PMID:22288675

  14. Maternal obesity during pregnancy and cardiovascular development and disease in the offspring.

    PubMed

    Gaillard, Romy

    2015-11-01

    Maternal obesity during pregnancy is an important public health problem in Western countries. Currently, obesity prevalence rates in pregnant women are estimated to be as high as 30%. In addition, approximately 40% of women gain an excessive amount of weight during pregnancy in Western countries. An accumulating body of evidence suggests a long-term impact of maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy on adiposity, cardiovascular and metabolic related health outcomes in the offspring in fetal life, childhood and adulthood. In this review, we discuss results from recent studies, potential underlying mechanisms and challenges for future epidemiological studies.

  15. Excess Heat in Molten Salts of (LiCl - KCl) + (LiD + LiF) at the Titanium Electrode during Electrolysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsvetkov, S. A.; Filatov, E. S.; Khokhlov, V. A.

    2005-12-01

    The electrochemical cell and a technique for precision calorimetric measurements has been developed. Experiments with molten salts containing lithium deuteride were carried out. Calorimetric measurements made on the titanium electrode during experiments. Measurements were made in an inert atmosphere of helium and in an atmosphere of deuterium at various density of an electrolysis current. Excess heat was obtained on the titanium electrode in a deuterium atmosphere during electrolysis. An x-ray diffraction analysis was made on the used titanium electrode. The analysis of the results obtained is discussed.

  16. Multiple Chronic Conditions and Healthcare Costs among Adults

    PubMed Central

    Sambamoorthi, Usha; Tan, Xi; Deb, Arijita

    2015-01-01

    The prevalence of multiple chronic conditions (MCC) is increasing among individuals of all ages. MCC are associated with poor health outcomes. The presence of MCC has profound healthcare utilization and cost implications for public and private insurance payers, individuals, and families. Investigators have used a variety of definitions for MCC to evaluate costs associated with MCC. The objective of this article is to examine the current literature in estimating excess costs associated with MCC among adults. The discussion highlights some of the theoretical and technical merits of various MCC definitions and models used to estimate the excess costs associated with MCC. PMID:26400220

  17. Investigation of isovaline enantiomeric excesses in CM meteorites using liquid chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Glavin, Daniel P.; Dworkin, Jason P.

    2003-01-01

    The enantiomeric abundances of the alpha-dialkyl amino acid isovaline were measured in the CM2 meteorites Murchison and LEW 90500 using a new liquid chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometry (LC-ToF-MS) technique coupled with OPA/NAC derivatization and UV fluorescence detection. Previous analyses of Murchison have shown that L-enantiomeric excesses of isovaline range from 0 to 15.2% with significant variation between meteorite fragments [1]. For this study, hot water extracts of interior fragments (> 2 cm from fusion crust) of the Murchison (USNM 6650.2, mass 6 g) and LEW 90500 (split 69, parent 1, mass 5 g) carbonaceous meteorites were analyzed. Enantiomeric excesses were measured using the single ion LC-ToF-MS trace for the OPA/NAC derivative of isovaline at d z 393.15 (Fig. 1). L-isovaline excesses in these meteorite samples ranged from 18.9 to 20.5% for Murchison and -0.5 to 3.0% for LEW 90500. The measured values for Murchison are the largest enantiomeric excesses for isovaline reported to date. The enantiomeric excesses of L-isovaline cannot be the result of interference from other C5 amino acid isomers present in the meteorites or terrestrial contamination from the landing site environments. The L-isovaline excesses in Murchison are inconsistent with the synthesis of all of the isovaline by the Strecker-cyanohydrin pathway on the CM meteorite parent body. The mechanism(s) for the formation of the enantiomeric asymmetry in isovaline in Murchison are currently unknown and it is not clear how the asymmetry of alpha-dialkyl amino acids could be transferred to the a-hydrogen protein amino acids common in all life on Earth today.

  18. Evidence of Dietary Improvement and Preventable Costs of Cardiovascular Disease.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Donglan; Cogswell, Mary E; Wang, Guijing; Bowman, Barbara A

    2017-11-01

    We conducted a review to summarize preventable medical costs of cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with improved diet, as defined by the 2020 Strategic Impact Goal of the American Heart Association. We searched databases of PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and ABI/INFORM to identify population-based studies published from January 1995 to December 2015 on CVD medical costs related to excess intake of salt/sodium or sugar-sweetened beverages, and inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables, fish/fish oils/omega-3 fatty acids, or whole grains/fiber/dietary fiber. Based on the American Heart Association's secondary dietary metrics, we also searched the literature on inadequate intake of nuts and excess intake of processed meat and saturated fat. For each component, we evaluated the CVD cost savings if consumption levels were changed. The cost savings were adjusted into 2013 US dollars. Among 330 studies focusing on diet and economic consequences, 16 studies evaluated CVD costs associated with 1 or more dietary components: salt/sodium (n = 13), fruits and vegetables (n = 1), meat (n = 1), and saturated fat (n = 3). In the United States, reducing individual sodium intake to 2,300 mg/day from the current level could potentially save $1,990.9/person per year for hypertension treatment, based on a simulation study. Increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables from <0.5 cup/day to >1.5 cups/day could save $1,568.0/person per year in treatment costs for CVD, based on a cohort study. Potential CVD cost savings associated with diet improvement are substantial. Interventions for reducing sodium intake and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption could be viable means to alleviate the increasing national medical expenditures. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  19. Emerging tobacco hazards in China: 1. Retrospective proportional mortality study of one million deaths

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Bo-Qi; Peto, Richard; Chen, Zheng-Ming; Boreham, Jillian; Wu, Ya-Ping; Li, Jun-Yao; Campbell, T Colin; Chen, Jun-Shi

    1998-01-01

    Objective To assess the hazards at an early phase of the growing epidemic of deaths from tobacco in China. Design Smoking habits before 1980 (obtained from family or other informants) of 0.7 million adults who had died of neoplastic, respiratory, or vascular causes were compared with those of a reference group of 0.2 million who had died of other causes. Setting 24 urban and 74 rural areas of China. Subjects One million people who had died during 1986-8 and whose families could be interviewed. Main outcome measures Tobacco attributable mortality in middle or old age from neoplastic, respiratory, or vascular disease. Results Among male smokers aged 35-69 there was a 51% (SE 2) excess of neoplastic deaths, a 31% (2) excess of respiratory deaths, and a 15% (2) excess of vascular deaths. All three excesses were significant (P<0.0001). Among male smokers aged ⩾70 there was a 39% (3) excess of neoplastic deaths, a 54% (2) excess of respiratory deaths, and a 6% (2) excess of vascular deaths. Fewer women smoked, but those who did had tobacco attributable risks of lung cancer and respiratory disease about the same as men. For both sexes, the lung cancer rates at ages 35-69 were about three times as great in smokers as in non-smokers, but because the rates among non-smokers in different parts of China varied widely the absolute excesses of lung cancer in smokers also varied. Of all deaths attributed to tobacco, 45% were due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 15% to lung cancer; oesophageal cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, tuberculosis, stroke, and ischaemic heart disease each caused 5-8%. Tobacco caused about 0.6 million Chinese deaths in 1990 (0.5 million men). This will rise to 0.8 million in 2000 (0.4 million at ages 35-69) or to more if the tobacco attributed fractions increase. Conclusions At current age specific death rates in smokers and non-smokers one in four smokers would be killed by tobacco, but as the epidemic grows this proportion will roughly double. If current smoking uptake rates persist in China (where about two thirds of men but few women become smokers) tobacco will kill about 100 million of the 0.3 billion males now aged 0-29, with half these deaths in middle age and half in old age. Key messagesOf the Chinese deaths now being caused by tobacco, 45% are from chronic lung disease, 15% from lung cancer, and 5-8% from each of oesophageal cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, stroke, ischaemic heart disease, and tuberculosisTobacco now causes 13% (and will probably eventually cause about 33%) of deaths in men but only 3% (and perhaps eventually about 1%) of deaths in women as the proportion of young women who smoke has become smallTwo thirds of men now become smokers before age 25; few give up, and about half of those who persist will be killed by tobacco in middle or old ageIf present smoking patterns continue about 100 million of the 0.3 billion Chinese males now aged 0-29 will eventually be killed by tobaccoTobacco caused 0.6 million deaths in 1990 and will cause at least 0.8 million in 2000 (0.7 million in men) and about 3 million a year by the middle of the century on the basis of current smoking patterns PMID:9822393

  20. Hydrocarbon bio-jet fuel from bioconversion of poplar biomass: life cycle assessment.

    PubMed

    Budsberg, Erik; Crawford, Jordan T; Morgan, Hannah; Chin, Wei Shan; Bura, Renata; Gustafson, Rick

    2016-01-01

    Bio-jet fuels compatible with current aviation infrastructure are needed as an alternative to petroleum-based jet fuel to lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Cradle to grave life cycle analysis is used to investigate the global warming potential and fossil fuel use of converting poplar biomass to drop-in bio-jet fuel via a novel bioconversion platform. Unique to the biorefinery designs in this research is an acetogen fermentation step. Following dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, poplar biomass is fermented to acetic acid and then distilled, hydroprocessed, and oligomerized to jet fuel. Natural gas steam reforming and lignin gasification are proposed to meet hydrogen demands at the biorefineries. Separate well to wake simulations are performed using the hydrogen production processes to obtain life cycle data. Both biorefinery designs are assessed using natural gas and hog fuel to meet excess heat demands. Global warming potential of the natural gas steam reforming and lignin gasification bio-jet fuel scenarios range from CO2 equivalences of 60 to 66 and 32 to 73 g MJ(-1), respectively. Fossil fuel usage of the natural gas steam reforming and lignin gasification bio-jet fuel scenarios range from 0.78 to 0.84 and 0.71 to 1.0 MJ MJ(-1), respectively. Lower values for each impact category result from using hog fuel to meet excess heat/steam demands. Higher values result from using natural gas to meet the excess heat demands. Bio-jet fuels produced from the bioconversion of poplar biomass reduce the global warming potential and fossil fuel use compared with petroleum-based jet fuel. Production of hydrogen is identified as a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel use in both the natural gas steam reforming and lignin gasification bio-jet simulations. Using hog fuel instead of natural gas to meet heat demands can help lower the global warming potential and fossil fuel use at the biorefineries.

  1. Damascus steel ledeburite class

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sukhanov, D. A.; Arkhangelsky, L. B.; Plotnikova, N. V.

    2017-02-01

    Discovered that some of blades Damascus steel has an unusual nature of origin of the excess cementite, which different from the redundant phases of secondary cementite, cementite of ledeburite and primary cementite in iron-carbon alloys. It is revealed that the morphological features of separate particles of cementite in Damascus steels lies in the abnormal size of excess carbides having the shape of irregular prisms. Considered three hypotheses for the formation of excess cementite in the form of faceted prismatic of excess carbides. The first hypothesis is based on thermal fission of cementite of a few isolated grains. The second hypothesis is based on the process of fragmentation cementite during deformation to the separate the pieces. The third hypothesis is based on the transformation of metastable cementite in the stable of angular eutectic carbide. It is shown that the angular carbides are formed within the original metastable colony ledeburite, so they are called “eutectic carbide”. It is established that high-purity white cast iron is converted into of Damascus steel during isothermal soaking at the annealing. It was revealed that some of blades Damascus steel ledeburite class do not contain in its microstructure of crushed ledeburite. It is shown that the pattern of carbide heterogeneity of Damascus steel consists entirely of angular eutectic carbides. Believe that Damascus steel refers to non-heat-resistant steel of ledeburite class, which have similar structural characteristics with semi-heat-resistant die steel or heat-resistant high speed steel, differing from them only in the nature of excess carbide phase.

  2. Dependence of Interfacial Excess on the Threshold Value of the Isoconcentration Surface

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yoon, Kevin E.; Noebe, Ronald D.; Hellman, Olof C.; Seidman, David N.

    2004-01-01

    The proximity histogram (or proxigram for short) is used for analyzing data collected by a three-dimensional atom probe microscope. The interfacial excess of Re (2.41 +/- 0.68 atoms/sq nm) is calculated by employing a proxigram in a completely geometrically independent way for gamma/gamma' interfaces in Rene N6, a third-generation single-crystal Ni-based superalloy. A possible dependence of interfacial excess on the variation of the threshold value of an isoconcentration surface is investigated using the data collected for Rene N6 alloy. It is demonstrated that the dependence of the interfacial excess value on the threshold value of the isoconcentration surface is weak.

  3. Taxation of exhaustible resources. [Monograph

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

    Dasgupta, P.; Heal, G.; Stiglitz, J.

    1980-01-01

    This paper analyzes the effect of taxation on the intertemporal allocation of an exhaustible resource. A general framework within which a large variety of taxes can be analyzed is developed and then applied to a number of specific taxes. It is shown that there exists a pattern of taxation which can generate essentially any desired pattern of resource usage. Many tax policies, however, have effects markedly different both from the effects that these policies would have in the case of produced commodities and from those which they are designed (or widely thought) to have. For instance, if extraction costs aremore » zero, a depletion allowance at a constant rate (widely thought to encourage the extraction of resources) has absolutely no effect; its gradual removal (usually thought to be preferable to a sudden removal) leads to faster rates of depletion (and lower prices) now, but higher prices in the future; which its sudden and unanticipated removal has absolutely no distortionary effect on the pattern of extraction. More generally, it is shown that the effects of tax structure on the patterns of extraction are critically dependent on expectations concerning future taxation. The changes in tax structure that have occurred in the past fifty years are of the kind that, if they were anticipated, (or if similar further changes are expected to occur in the future) lead to excessively fast exploitation of natural resources. However, if it is believed that current tax policies (including rates) will persist indefinitely, the current tax structure would lead to excessive conservationism. Thus, whether in fact current tax policies have lead to excessive conservationism is a moot question.« less

  4. Theoretical analysis of nBn infrared photodetectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ting, David Z.; Soibel, Alexander; Khoshakhlagh, Arezou; Gunapala, Sarath D.

    2017-09-01

    The depletion and surface leakage dark current suppression properties of unipolar barrier device architectures such as the nBn have been highly beneficial for III-V semiconductor-based infrared detectors. Using a one-dimensional drift-diffusion model, we theoretically examine the effects of contact doping, minority carrier lifetime, and absorber doping on the dark current characteristics of nBn detectors to explore some basic aspects of their operation. We found that in a properly designed nBn detector with highly doped excluding contacts the minority carriers are extracted to nonequilibrium levels under reverse bias in the same manner as the high operating temperature (HOT) detector structure. Longer absorber Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) lifetimes result in lower diffusion and depletion dark currents. Higher absorber doping can also lead to lower diffusion and depletion dark currents, but the benefit should be weighted against the possibility of reduced diffusion length due to shortened SRH lifetime. We also briefly examined nBn structures with unintended minority carrier blocking barriers due to excessive n-doping in the unipolar electron barrier, or due to a positive valence band offset between the barrier and the absorber. Both types of hole blocking structures lead to higher turn-on bias, although barrier n-doping could help suppress depletion dark current.

  5. DSM-5 diagnosis of Internet Gaming Disorder: Some ways forward in overcoming issues and concerns in the gaming studies field

    PubMed Central

    Kuss, Daria J.; Griffiths, Mark D.; Pontes, Halley M.

    2017-01-01

    Background and aims The current DSM-5 diagnosis of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) has led to a number of issues and concerns that we highlighted in our recent paper (Kuss, Griffiths, & Pontes, 2017). Experts in the field responded to our evaluation of these issues resulting in six commentaries. Methods In this paper, we offer responses to the six commentaries to move the scientific field forward. All of the responses to our original paper highlighted many conceptual, theoretical, and/or methodological problems with the proposed IGD diagnosis as outlined in the DSM-5. We outline some ways forward in overcoming issues and concerns in the gaming studies field. Results We argue that rather than stigmatizing gaming per se, the role of scientists and practitioners is to establish a clear-cut distinction between someone who may use games excessively but non-problematically and someone who is experiencing significant impairment in their daily lives as a consequence of their excessive gaming. This responsibility needs to be shared by popular media who are often quick to build a moral panic around gaming behaviors, often based on cherry-picking specific case studies and pieces of research which support their headlines. Conclusion Researchers, practitioners, gaming developers, and the media need to work together and collaboratively to build a realistic and comprehensive understanding of gaming as a normal, enjoyable, and often beneficial sociocultural practice, which for a small minority of excessive users may be associated with the experience of addiction-related symptoms that may require professional support. PMID:28662619

  6. DSM-5 diagnosis of Internet Gaming Disorder: Some ways forward in overcoming issues and concerns in the gaming studies field.

    PubMed

    Kuss, Daria J; Griffiths, Mark D; Pontes, Halley M

    2017-06-01

    Background and aims The current DSM-5 diagnosis of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) has led to a number of issues and concerns that we highlighted in our recent paper (Kuss, Griffiths, & Pontes, 2017). Experts in the field responded to our evaluation of these issues resulting in six commentaries. Methods In this paper, we offer responses to the six commentaries to move the scientific field forward. All of the responses to our original paper highlighted many conceptual, theoretical, and/or methodological problems with the proposed IGD diagnosis as outlined in the DSM-5. We outline some ways forward in overcoming issues and concerns in the gaming studies field. Results We argue that rather than stigmatizing gaming per se, the role of scientists and practitioners is to establish a clear-cut distinction between someone who may use games excessively but non-problematically and someone who is experiencing significant impairment in their daily lives as a consequence of their excessive gaming. This responsibility needs to be shared by popular media who are often quick to build a moral panic around gaming behaviors, often based on cherry-picking specific case studies and pieces of research which support their headlines. Conclusion Researchers, practitioners, gaming developers, and the media need to work together and collaboratively to build a realistic and comprehensive understanding of gaming as a normal, enjoyable, and often beneficial sociocultural practice, which for a small minority of excessive users may be associated with the experience of addiction-related symptoms that may require professional support.

  7. Risk assessment for heart disease and workplace ETS exposure among nonsmokers.

    PubMed

    Steenland, K

    1999-12-01

    In 1994 the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) published a study of risk assessment for heart disease and lung cancer resulting from workplace exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) among nonsmokers. This assessment is currently being revised. The present article considers different possible approaches to a risk assessment for heart disease among nonsmokers resulting from workplace ETS exposure, reviews the approach taken by OSHA in 1994, and suggests some modifications to that approach. Since 1994 the literature supporting an association between ETS exposure and heart disease among never smokers (sometimes including long-term former smokers) has been strengthened by new studies, including some studies that have specifically considered workplace exposure. A number of these studies are appropriate for inclusion in a meta-analysis, whereas a few may not be due to methodological problems or problems in exposure definition. A meta-analysis of eight relative risks (either rate ratios or odds ratios) for heart disease resulting from workplace ETS exposure, based on one reasonable selection of appropriate studies, yields a combined relative risk of 1.21 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.41). This relative risk, which is similar to that used by OSHA in 1994, yields an excess risk of death from heart disease by age 70 of 7 per 1000 (95% CI 0.001-0.013) resulting from ETS exposure in the workplace. This excess risk exceeds OSHA's usual threshold for regulation of 1 per 1000. Approximately 1,710 excess ischemic heart disease deaths per year would be expected among nonsmoking U.S. workers 35-69 years of age exposed to workplace ETS.

  8. Longitudinal Mediation Modeling of Unhealthy Behaviors as Mediators between Workplace Demands/Support and Depressive Symptoms

    PubMed Central

    Magnusson Hanson, Linda L.; Peristera, Paraskevi; Chungkham, Holendro Singh; Westerlund, Hugo

    2016-01-01

    Lifestyle has been regarded as a key pathway through which adverse psychosocial working characteristics can give rise to long-term health problems. The purpose of this study was to estimate the indirect/mediated effect of health behaviors in the longitudinal work characteristics-depression relationship. The analyses were based on the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health, including 3706 working participants with repeat survey measures on four occasions (2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014). Psychosocial work characteristics including demands and social support were analyzed in relation to depressive symptoms. Autoregressive longitudinal mediation models using structural equation modeling were used to estimate the intermediate effects of unhealthy behaviors including current smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Both workplace demands and social support were related to later depressive symptoms. In bivariate models we found no significant paths from workplace demands to health behaviors, but two out of three significant time-specific paths from workplace support to excessive drinking and from excessive drinking to depressive symptoms. Social support was also associated with subsequent unhealthy diet, and one path from unhealthy diet to depressive symptoms was found. However, despite indications of certain longitudinal relationships between psychosocial working conditions and health behaviors as well as between health behaviors and depressive symptoms, no significant intermediate effects were found (p>0.05). We conclude that changes in unhealthy behaviors over a period of two years are unlikely to act as strong intermediaries in the longitudinal relationship between job demands and depressive symptoms and between social support and depressive symptoms. PMID:28036376

  9. Longitudinal Mediation Modeling of Unhealthy Behaviors as Mediators between Workplace Demands/Support and Depressive Symptoms.

    PubMed

    Magnusson Hanson, Linda L; Peristera, Paraskevi; Chungkham, Holendro Singh; Westerlund, Hugo

    2016-01-01

    Lifestyle has been regarded as a key pathway through which adverse psychosocial working characteristics can give rise to long-term health problems. The purpose of this study was to estimate the indirect/mediated effect of health behaviors in the longitudinal work characteristics-depression relationship. The analyses were based on the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health, including 3706 working participants with repeat survey measures on four occasions (2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014). Psychosocial work characteristics including demands and social support were analyzed in relation to depressive symptoms. Autoregressive longitudinal mediation models using structural equation modeling were used to estimate the intermediate effects of unhealthy behaviors including current smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Both workplace demands and social support were related to later depressive symptoms. In bivariate models we found no significant paths from workplace demands to health behaviors, but two out of three significant time-specific paths from workplace support to excessive drinking and from excessive drinking to depressive symptoms. Social support was also associated with subsequent unhealthy diet, and one path from unhealthy diet to depressive symptoms was found. However, despite indications of certain longitudinal relationships between psychosocial working conditions and health behaviors as well as between health behaviors and depressive symptoms, no significant intermediate effects were found (p>0.05). We conclude that changes in unhealthy behaviors over a period of two years are unlikely to act as strong intermediaries in the longitudinal relationship between job demands and depressive symptoms and between social support and depressive symptoms.

  10. Temporal Trends in Overweight and Obesity, Physical Activity and Screen Time among Czech Adolescents from 2002 to 2014: A National Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study

    PubMed Central

    Sigmund, Erik; Sigmundová, Dagmar; Badura, Petr; Kalman, Michal; Hamrik, Zdenek; Pavelka, Jan

    2015-01-01

    This study examines trends in overweight and obesity, physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) among Czech adolescents over a recent 12-year study period. Nationally representative samples consisted of 19,940 adolescents (9760 boys and 10,180 girls) aged 10.5–16.5 years from the Czech Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire-based surveys conducted in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. Trends in the prevalence of overweight/obesity, meeting the recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) (≥60 min per day of MVPA) and excessive ST (>2 h per day) were estimated using logistic regression. Significant increases (p < 0.001) in the prevalence of overweight/obesity between the years 2002 and 2014 were evident for both adolescent boys (18.3%2002–24.8%2014) and girls (8.3%2002–11.9%2014). Compared to 2002, in 2014 significant decreases (p < 0.001) in meeting MVPA recommendations were observed among boys (32.2%2002–25.6%2014) and girls (23.2%2002–19.2%2014). Moreover, in boys we observed significant increases (p < 0.001) in excessive ST on weekdays (75.1%2002–88.8%2014), as well as on weekends (78.3%2002–91.9%2014) between the years 2002 and 2014. Increases in overweight/obesity with concomitant decreases in PA provide evidence in support of the current and upcoming efforts of government and commercial organizations in implementing interventions aimed at reducing excessive body weight among Czech adolescents. PMID:26393638

  11. Prevalence of excessive screen time and associated factors in adolescents

    PubMed Central

    de Lucena, Joana Marcela Sales; Cheng, Luanna Alexandra; Cavalcante, Thaísa Leite Mafaldo; da Silva, Vanessa Araújo; de Farias, José Cazuza

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To determine the prevalence of excessive screen time and to analyze associated factors among adolescents. Methods: This was a cross-sectional school-based epidemiological study with 2874 high school adolescents with age 14-19 years (57.8% female) from public and private schools in the city of João Pessoa, PB, Northeast Brazil. Excessive screen time was defined as watching television and playing video games or using the computer for more than 2 h/day. The associated factors analyzed were: sociodemographic (gender, age, economic class, and skin color), physical activity and nutritional status of adolescents. Results: The prevalence of excessive screen time was 79.5% (95%CI 78.1-81.1) and it was higher in males (84.3%) compared to females (76.1%; p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, adolescent males, those aged 14-15 year old and the highest economic class had higher chances of exposure to excessive screen time. The level of physical activity and nutritional status of adolescents were not associated with excessive screen time. Conclusions: The prevalence of excessive screen time was high and varied according to sociodemographic characteristics of adolescents. It is necessary to develop interventions to reduce the excessive screen time among adolescents, particularly in subgroups with higher exposure. PMID:26298661

  12. The phosphorus problem

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Knowing your nutrients is the key to sustainable farming. Organic sources of crop nutrients or biofertilizers are essential for farming but excess nutrients are damaging for many natural ecosystems and, as such, knowledge and strategies to ensure their judicious use are crucial. Current analytical...

  13. 49 CFR 1141.1 - Procedures to calculate interest rates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... compounding period shall run from the date the unlawful charge is paid to the last day of the current calendar... in an effective rate in excess of the nominal rate. Under this “exponential” approach, the total...

  14. 77 FR 60169 - Safety Advisory 2012-04; Worn Rail Conditions

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-02

    ... located on the high side of a curve, due to the exertion of wheel flange forces. Vertical rail head wear... locations that exhibit excessive rail head wear and RCF. 3. Review its current engineering instructions to...

  15. Influence of removing excess of resin-based materials applied to eroded enamel on the resistance to erosive challenge.

    PubMed

    Tereza, Guida Paola Genovez; de Oliveira, Gabriela Cristina; de Andrade Moreira Machado, Maria Aparecida; de Oliveira, Thais Marchine; da Silva, Thiago Cruvinel; Rios, Daniela

    2016-04-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of removing excess of resin-based materials applied to eroded enamel, subjected to erosive challenge. Bovine enamel blocks were immersed in HCl 0.01M, pH 2.3, for 30s under agitation at 50 rpm in room temperature, in order to form a softened erosion lesion. The blocks were then randomly divided into eight groups (n=12) and treated as follows: Cn- and Ce-control without treatment, Hn- and He-fissure resin sealant (Helioseal Clear(®)), An- and Ae-self-etch adhesive (Adhese(®)), In- and Ie-infiltrant (Icon(®)); being n-with excess removal and e-without excess removal of the material. After application of the materials, the blocks were immersed in HCl for 2 min, followed by immersion in artificial saliva for 120 min. This cycle was repeated four times a day for five days. Material thickness and enamel wear were assessed using profilometry. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (P<0.05). Groups He, Ae, and Ie resulted in the formation of a layer of material over enamel, being similar effective in inhibiting erosion progression (P>0.05). Groups Hn, An, and In (with excess removal) were similar to controls (Cn, Ce) and resulted in near enamel loss after application and after erosive challenge (P>0.05). Resin-based materials are able to protect enamel against erosion only when they are present over enamel, as a physical barrier. The resin-based materials demonstrated potential to prevent the progression of erosion lesions when the material remains on the dental surface. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Gravel sediment routing from widespread, low-intensity landscape disturbance, Current River basin, Missouri

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jacobson, Robert B.; Gran, K.B.

    1999-01-01

    During the last 160 years, land-use changes in the Ozarks have had the potential to cause widespread, low-intensity delivery of excess amounts of gravel-sized sediment to stream channels. Previous studies have indicated that this excess gravel bedload is moving in wave-like forms through Ozarks drainage basins. The longitudinal, areal distribution of gravel bars along 160 km of the Current River, Missouri, was evaluated to determine the relative effects of valley-scale controls, tributary basin characteristics, and lagged sediment transport in creating areas of gravel accumulations. The longitudinal distribution of gravel-bar area shows a broad scale wave-like form with increases in gravel-bar area weakly associated with tributary junctions. Secondary peaks of gravel area with 1·8–4·1 km spacing (disturbance reaches) are superimposed on the broad form. Variations in valley width explain some, but not all, of the short-spacing variation in gravel-bar area. Among variables describing tributary drainage basin morphometry, present-day land use and geologic characteristics, only drainage area and road density relate even weakly to gravel-bar areal inventories. A simple, channel network-based sediment routing model shows that many of the features of the observed longitudinal gravel distribution can be replicated by uniform transport of sediment from widespread disturbances through a channel network. These results indicate that lagged sediment transport may have a dominant effect on the synoptic spatial distribution of gravel in Ozarks streams; present-day land uses are only weakly associated with present-day gravel inventories; and valley-scale characteristics have secondary controls on gravel accumulations in disturbance reaches.

  17. The combined effects of carbon/nitrogen ratio, suspended biomass, hydraulic retention time and dissolved oxygen on nutrient removal in a laboratory-scale anaerobic-anoxic-oxic activated sludge biofilm reactor.

    PubMed

    Manu, D S; Kumar Thalla, Arun

    2018-01-01

    The current trend in sustainable development deals mainly with environmental management. There is a need for economically affordable, advanced treatment methods for the proper treatment and management of domestic wastewater containing excess nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) which can cause eutrophication. The reduction of the excess nutrient content of wastewater by appropriate technology is of much concern to the environmentalist. In the current study, a novel integrated anaerobic-anoxic-oxic activated sludge biofilm (A 2 O-AS-biofilm) reactor was designed and operated to improve the biological nutrient removal by varying reactor operating conditions such as carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio, suspended biomass, hydraulic retention time (HRT) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Based on various trials, it was seen that the A 2 O-AS-biofilm reactor achieved good removal efficiencies with regard to chemical oxygen demand (95.5%), total phosphorus (93.1%), ammonia nitrogen concentration (NH 4 + -N) (98%) and total nitrogen (80%) when the reactor was maintained at C/N ratio of 4, suspended biomass of 3 to 3.5 g/L, HRT of 10 h, and DO of 1.5 to 2.5 mg/L. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of suspended and attached biofilm showed a dense structure of coccus and bacillus bacteria with the diameter ranging from 0.3 to 1.2 μm. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results indicated phosphorylated macromolecules and carbohydrates mix or bind with extracellular proteins in exopolysaccharides.

  18. Supplemental/Replacement: An Alternative Approach to Excess Costs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hartman, William T.

    1990-01-01

    This article proposes a new operational definition of excess cost in determining state and federal funding for special education. The new approach is based on programs and services rather than accounting calculations of the difference between special education cost per student and regular education cost per student. (Author/DB)

  19. Stereoselective synthesis of unsaturated α-amino acids.

    PubMed

    Fanelli, Roberto; Jeanne-Julien, Louis; René, Adeline; Martinez, Jean; Cavelier, Florine

    2015-06-01

    Stereoselective synthesis of unsaturated α-amino acids was performed by asymmetric alkylation. Two methods were investigated and their enantiomeric excess measured and compared. The first route consisted of an enantioselective approach induced by the Corey-Lygo catalyst under chiral phase transfer conditions while the second one involved the hydroxypinanone chiral auxiliary, both implicating Schiff bases as substrate. In all cases, the use of a prochiral Schiff base gave higher enantiomeric excess and yield in the final desired amino acid.

  20. Comparison of effect of 5 MeV proton and Co-60 gamma irradiation on silicon NPN rf power transistors and N-channel depletion MOSFETs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gnana Prakash, A. P.; Pradeep, T. M.; Hegde, Vinayakprasanna N.; Pushpa, N.; Bajpai, P. K.; Patel, S. P.; Trivedi, Tarkeshwar; Bhushan, K. G.

    2017-12-01

    NPN transistors and N-channel depletion metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) were irradiated with 5 MeV protons and 60Co gamma radiation in the dose ranging from 1 Mrad(Si) to 100 Mrad(Si). The different electrical characteristics of the NPN transistor such as Gummel characteristics, excess base current (ΔIB), dc current gain (hFE), transconductance (gm), displacement damage factor (K) and output characteristics were studied as a function of total dose. The different electrical characteristics of N-channel MOSFETs such as threshold voltage (Vth), density of interface trapped charges (ΔNit), density of oxide trapped charges (ΔNot), transconductance (gm), mobility (µ) and drain saturation current (IDSat) were studied systematically before and after irradiation in the same dose ranges. A considerable increase in the base current (IB) and decrease in the hFE, gm and collector saturation current (ICSat) were observed after irradiation in the case of the NPN transistor. In the N-channel MOSFETs, the ΔNit and ΔNot were found to increase and Vth, gm, µ and IDSat were found to decrease with increase in the radiation dose. The 5 MeV proton irradiation results of both the NPN transistor and N-channel MOSFETs were compared with 60Co gamma-irradiated devices in the same dose ranges. It was observed that the degradation in 5 MeV proton-irradiated devices is more when compared with the 60Co gamma-irradiated devices at higher total doses.

  1. Quantifying Unnecessary Normal Tissue Complication Risks due to Suboptimal Planning: A Secondary Study of RTOG 0126

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

    Moore, Kevin L., E-mail: kevinmoore@ucsd.edu; Schmidt, Rachel; Moiseenko, Vitali

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to quantify the frequency and clinical severity of quality deficiencies in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning in the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0126 protocol. Methods and Materials: A total of 219 IMRT patients from the high-dose arm (79.2 Gy) of RTOG 0126 were analyzed. To quantify plan quality, we used established knowledge-based methods for patient-specific dose-volume histogram (DVH) prediction of organs at risk and a Lyman-Kutcher-Burman (LKB) model for grade ≥2 rectal complications to convert DVHs into normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCPs). The LKB model was validated by fitting dose-response parameters relative tomore » observed toxicities. The 90th percentile (22 of 219) of plans with the lowest excess risk (difference between clinical and model-predicted NTCP) were used to create a model for the presumed best practices in the protocol (pDVH{sub 0126,top10%}). Applying the resultant model to the entire sample enabled comparisons between DVHs that patients could have received to DVHs they actually received. Excess risk quantified the clinical impact of suboptimal planning. Accuracy of pDVH predictions was validated by replanning 30 of 219 patients (13.7%), including equal numbers of presumed “high-quality,” “low-quality,” and randomly sampled plans. NTCP-predicted toxicities were compared to adverse events on protocol. Results: Existing models showed that bladder-sparing variations were less prevalent than rectum quality variations and that increased rectal sparing was not correlated with target metrics (dose received by 98% and 2% of the PTV, respectively). Observed toxicities were consistent with current LKB parameters. Converting DVH and pDVH{sub 0126,top10%} to rectal NTCPs, we observed 94 of 219 patients (42.9%) with ≥5% excess risk, 20 of 219 patients (9.1%) with ≥10% excess risk, and 2 of 219 patients (0.9%) with ≥15% excess risk. Replanning demonstrated the predicted NTCP reductions while maintaining the volume of the PTV receiving prescription dose. An equivalent sample of high-quality plans showed fewer toxicities than low-quality plans, 6 of 73 versus 10 of 73 respectively, although these differences were not significant (P=.21) due to insufficient statistical power in this retrospective study. Conclusions: Plan quality deficiencies in RTOG 0126 exposed patients to substantial excess risk for rectal complications.« less

  2. The future excess fraction of occupational cancer among those exposed to carcinogens at work in Australia in 2012.

    PubMed

    Carey, Renee N; Hutchings, Sally J; Rushton, Lesley; Driscoll, Timothy R; Reid, Alison; Glass, Deborah C; Darcey, Ellie; Si, Si; Peters, Susan; Benke, Geza; Fritschi, Lin

    2017-04-01

    Studies in other countries have generally found approximately 4% of current cancers to be attributable to past occupational exposures. This study aimed to estimate the future burden of cancer resulting from current occupational exposures in Australia. The future excess fraction method was used to estimate the future burden of occupational cancer (2012-2094) among the proportion of the Australian working population who were exposed to occupational carcinogens in 2012. Calculations were conducted for 19 cancer types and 53 cancer-exposure pairings, assuming historical trends and current patterns continued to 2094. The cohort of 14.6 million Australians of working age in 2012 will develop an estimated 4.8 million cancers during their lifetime, of which 68,500 (1.4%) are attributable to occupational exposure in those exposed in 2012. The majority of these will be lung cancers (n=26,000), leukaemias (n=8000), and malignant mesotheliomas (n=7500). A significant proportion of future cancers will result from occupational exposures. This estimate is lower than previous estimates in the literature; however, our estimate is not directly comparable to past estimates of the occupational cancer burden because they describe different quantities - future cancers in currently exposed versus current cancers due to past exposures. The results of this study allow us to determine which current occupational exposures are most important, and where to target exposure prevention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Simulations based on representative 24-h recall data predict region-specific differences in adequacy of vitamin A intake among Cameroonian women and young children following large-scale fortification of vegetable oil and other potential food vehicles.

    PubMed

    Engle-Stone, Reina; Nankap, Martin; Ndjebayi, Alex O; Brown, Kenneth H

    2014-11-01

    The WHO recommends assessing food and nutrient intakes to design food-fortification programs, but nationally representative dietary data are seldom available in low-income countries. Prior to initiation of food fortification in Cameroon, we measured intake of vitamin A (VA) and fortifiable foods (vegetable oil, sugar, wheat flour, and bouillon cube) to simulate the effects of fortification with different foods and VA amounts on prevalence of inadequate and excessive VA intake. Twenty-four-hour recalls were conducted among 912 women and 883 children (with duplicates in a subset) in a nationally representative cluster survey stratified by region (North, South, Yaoundé/Douala). Usual intake distributions were estimated by the National Cancer Institute method. Nationally, 53% of women had a usual intake of <500 μg retinol activity equivalents/d, and 59% of nonbreastfeeding children had an intake of <210 μg retinol activity equivalents/d, although VA intake varied by region. The current fortification program (12 mg/kg VA in oil) would decrease the prevalence of inadequate intakes to 35% among both women and children, without increasing the proportion with retinol intakes >3000 μg/d among women or >600 μg/d among children. However, inadequate VA intake would remain >50% in the North, where VA deficiency was most common. Increasing VA in oil or fortifying a second food (sugar, wheat flour, or bouillon cube) would further decrease the prevalence of inadequate intakes, but, depending on the food vehicle and region, would also increase the prevalence of retinol intakes above the tolerable upper intake level, mainly among children. The current food-fortification program can be expected to improve dietary VA adequacy without increasing the risk of excessive intake among women and children in Cameroon. Modifications to the program must balance the potential to further increase VA intake with the risk of excessive intake among children. © 2014 American Society for Nutrition.

  4. Balancing the Electron and Hole Transfer for Efficient Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes by Employing a Versatile Organic Electron-Blocking Layer.

    PubMed

    Jin, Xiao; Chang, Chun; Zhao, Weifeng; Huang, Shujuan; Gu, Xiaobing; Zhang, Qin; Li, Feng; Zhang, Yubao; Li, Qinghua

    2018-05-09

    The electron-blocking layer (EBL) is important to balance the charge carrier transfer and achieve highly efficient quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs). Here, we report the utilization of a soluble tert-butyldimethylsilyl chloride-modified poly( p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (TBS-PBO) as an EBL for simultaneous good charge carrier transfer balance while maintaining a high current density. We show that the versatile TBS-PBO blocks excess electron injection into the quantum dots (QDs), thus leading to better charge carrier transfer balance. It also restricts the undesired QD-to-EBL electron-transfer process, which preserves the superior emission capabilities of the emitter. As a consequence, the TBS-PBO device delivers an external quantum efficiency (EQE) maximum of 16.7% along with a remarkable current density as high as 139 mA/cm 2 with a brightness of 5484 cd/m 2 . The current density of our device is higher than those of insulator EBL-based devices because of the higher conductivity of the TBS-PBO versus insulator EBL, thus helping achieve high luminance values ranging from 1414 to 20 000 cd/cm 2 with current densities ranging from 44 to 648 mA/cm 2 and EQE > 14%. We believe that these unconventional features of the present TBS-PBO-based QLEDs will expand the wide use of TBS-PBO as buffer layers in other advanced QLED applications.

  5. Ion sheath dynamics in a plasma for plasma-based ion implantation

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

    Yatsuzuka, M.; Miki, S.; Azuma, K.

    1999-07-01

    Spatial and temporal growth and collapse of ion sheath around an electrode of a negative high-voltage pulse (voltage: {minus}10 kV, pulse duration: 10 {micro}s) have been studied in a plasma for plasma-based ion implantation. A spherical electrode of 1.9 cm in a diameter is immersed in a nitrogen plasma with the plasma density range of 10{sup 9} to 10{sup 10} cm{sup {minus}3}, the electron temperature of 1.4 eV and the gas pressure of 8x10{sup {minus}4} Torr. The transient sheath dynamics was observed by the measurement of electron saturation current to a Langmuir probe, where a depletion of electron saturation currentmore » indicates the arrival time of sheath edge at the probe position. The expanding speed of sheath edge is higher than the ion acoustic speed until the sheath length reaches the steady-state extent determined by Child-Langmuir law. In the region beyond the steady-state extent, the rarefying disturbance produced by sheath expansion continues to propagate into the plasma at the ion acoustic peed. After the pulse voltage is returned to zero (more exactly, the floating potential), the electron current begins to recover. When the pulse fall time is shorter than the plasma transit time, the electron saturation current overshoots the steady-state saturation current at once, resulting in an excess of plasma density which propagates like a tidal wave into the plasma at the ion acoustic speed.« less

  6. Single-molecule designs for electric switches and rectifiers.

    PubMed

    Kornilovitch, Pavel; Bratkovsky, Alexander; Williams, Stanley

    2003-12-01

    A design for molecular rectifiers is proposed. Current rectification is based on the spatial asymmetry of a molecule and requires only one resonant conducting molecular orbital. Rectification is caused by asymmetric coupling of the orbital to the electrodes, which results in asymmetric movement of the two Fermi levels with respect to the orbital under external bias. Results from numerical studies of the family of suggested molecular rectifiers, HS-(CH(2))(n)-C(6)H(4)(CH(2))(m)SH, are presented. Current rectification ratios in excess of 100 are achievable for n = 2 and m > 6. A class of bistable stator-rotor molecules is proposed. The stationary part connects the two electrodes and facilitates electron transport between them. The rotary part, which has a large dipole moment, is attached to an atom of the stator via a single sigma bond. Electrostatic bonds formed between the oxygen atom of the rotor and hydrogen atoms of the stator make the symmetric orientation of the dipole unstable. The rotor has two potential minima with equal energy for rotation about the sigma bond. The dipole can be flipped between the two states by an external electric field. Both rotor-orientation states have asymmetric current-voltage characteristics that are the reverse of each other, so they are distinguishable electrically. Theoretical results on conformation, energy barriers, retention times, switching voltages, and current-voltage characteristics are presented for a particular stator-rotor molecule. Such molecules could be the base for single-molecule switches, reversible diodes, and other molecular electronic devices.

  7. Protective Socket For Integrated Circuits

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilkinson, Chris; Henegar, Greg

    1988-01-01

    Socket for intergrated circuits (IC's) protects from excessive voltages and currents or from application of voltages and currents in wrong sequence during insertion or removal. Contains built-in switch that opens as IC removed, disconnecting leads from signals and power. Also protects other components on circuit board from transients produced by insertion and removal of IC. Makes unnecessary to turn off power to entire circuit board so other circuits on board continue to function.

  8. New track shift safety limits for high-speed rail applications

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-11-01

    Track shift is defined as the permanent lateral distortion of a track segment due to high vehicle induced lateral loads. Excessive track shift can lead to unsafe conditions leading to ride quality deterioration or vehicle derailment. Current track sh...

  9. Towards Quality-Aware Big Data Integration for Crowdsourced Road Sensing System

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-11-27

    With nearly a billion automobiles on the road today, the current transportation systems have begun to show signs of serious strain, such as congestion, traffic accident, excessive energy consumption and increased emission level. To mitigate these pro...

  10. Pulsed Artificial Electrojet Generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Papadopoulos, K.

    2008-12-01

    Traditional techniques for generating low frequency signals in the ULF/ELF range (.1-100 Hz) and rely on ground based Horizontal Electric Dipole (HED) antennas. It is, furthermore, well known that a Vertical Electric Dipole (VED) is by more than 50 dB more efficient than a HED with the same dipole current moment. However, the prohibitively long length of VED antennas in the ELF/ULF range coupled with voltage limitations due to corona discharge in the atmosphere make them totally impracticable. In this paper we discuss a novel concept, inspired by the physics of the equatorial electrojet, that allows for the conversion of a ground based HED to a VED in the E-region of the equatorial ionosphere with current moment comparable to the driving HED. The paper focuses in locations near the dip-equator, where the earth's magnetic is in predominantly in the horizontal direction. The horizontal electric field associated with a pulsed HED drives a large Hall current in the ionospheric E-region, resulting in a vertical current. It is shown that the pulsed vertical current in the altitude range 80-130 km, driven by a horizontal electric field of, approximately, .1 mV/m at 100 km altitude, is of the order of kA. This results in a pulsed VED larger than 106 A-m. Such a pulsed VED will drive ELF/ULF pulses with amplitude in excess of .1 nT at a lateral range larger than few hundred kilometers. This is by three orders of magnitude larger than the one expected by a HED with comparable current moment. The paper will conclude with the description of a sneak-through technique that allows for creating pulsed electric fields in the ionosphere much larger than expected from steady state oscillatory HED antennas.

  11. Effects of dietary supplementation with L-carnitine and fat on blood acid-base responses to handling in slaughter weight pigs.

    PubMed

    Bertol, T M; Ellis, M; Hamilton, D N; Johnson, E W; Ritter, M J

    2005-01-01

    Blood acid-base responses to handling were evaluated in slaughter weight pigs fed diets supplemented with l-carnitine and fat. The study was carried out as a randomized block design with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments: 1) dietary L-carnitine supplementation (0 vs. 150 ppm, as-fed basis); and 2) dietary fat supplementation (0 vs. 5%, as-fed basis). Sixty pigs (91.1 +/- 5.14 kg BW) were housed in mixed-gender groups of five and had ad libitum access to test diets (0.68% true ileal digestible lysine, 3,340 kcal of ME/kg, as-fed basis) for 3 wk. At the end of the feeding period (110.3 +/- 7.52 kg BW), pigs were subjected to a standard handling procedure, which consisted of moving individual animals through a facility (12.2 m long x 0.91 m wide) for eight laps (up and down the facility), using electric prods (two times per lap). There was no interaction between dietary L-carnitine and fat supplementation for any measurement. Pigs fed 150 ppm of supplemental L-carnitine had lower baseline blood glucose (P < 0.05) and higher baseline blood lactate (P < 0.05) concentrations than the nonsupplemented pigs. After handling, pigs fed L-carnitine-supplemented diets had a higher (P < 0.05) blood pH and showed a smaller (P < 0.05) decrease in blood pH and base excess than those fed the nonsupplemental diets. Baseline plasma FFA concentrations were higher (P < 0.01) in pigs fed the 5% fat diet. After the handling procedure, blood glucose, lactate, and plasma FFA were higher (P < 0.05) in pigs fed the 5 vs. 0% fat diets, but blood pH, bicarbonate, and base excess were not affected by dietary fat. The handling procedure decreased (P < 0.01) blood pH, bicarbonate, base excess, and total carbon dioxide and increased (P < 0.01) blood lactate, partial pressure of oxygen, and glucose, and also increased (P < 0.01) rectal temperature. Free fatty acid concentrations were increased by handling in pigs fed both 0 and 5% fat and 150 ppm L-carnitine. In conclusion, dietary L-carnitine supplementation at the level and for the feeding period evaluated in the current study had a relatively small but positive effect on decreasing blood pH changes in finishing pigs submitted to handling stress; however, dietary fat supplementation had little effect on blood acid-base balance.

  12. Pre-development conditions to assess the impact of growth in an urbanizing watershed in Northern Virginia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Saurav; Godrej, Adil N.; Grizzard, Thomas J.

    2016-09-01

    Pre-development conditions are an easily understood state to which watershed nonpoint nutrient reduction targets may be referenced. Using the pre-development baseline, a "developed-excess" measure may be computed for changes due to anthropogenic development. Developed-excess is independent of many geographical, physical, and hydrological characteristics of the region and after normalization by area may be used for comparison among various sub-sets of the watershed, such as jurisdictions or land use types. We have demonstrated this method by computing pre-development nitrogen and phosphorus loads entering the Occoquan Reservoir from its tributary watershed in Northern Virginia. The pre-development loads in this study were computed using the calibrated water quality models for the period 2002-2007. Current forest land was used as a surrogate for pre-development land use conditions for the watershed and developed-excess was estimated for fluvial loads of Total Inorganic Nitrogen (TIN) and Orthophosphate-Phosphorus (OP) by subtracting simulated predevelopment loads from observed loads. It was observed that within the study period (2002-2007), the average annual developed-excess represented about 30% of the TIN and OP average annual loads exported to the reservoir. Comparison of the two disturbed land use types, urban and agricultural, showed that urban land uses exported significantly more excess nonpoint nutrient load per unit area than agricultural land uses.

  13. Alcohol Expectancies and Evaluations of Aggression in Alcohol-Related Intimate-Partner Verbal and Physical Aggression

    PubMed Central

    Kachadourian, Lorig K; Quigley, Brian M; Leonard, Kenneth E

    2014-01-01

    Objective: Alcohol aggression expectancies have been found to be associated with increases in aggressive behavior. However, research has not consistently examined evaluations of such behavior. This is unfortunate as both expectancies and evaluations may play a role in whether such behavior will occur. Given this, the current study cross-sectionally examined the associations between alcohol aggression expectancies, evaluations of alcohol-related aggression, indicators of excessive drinking, and alcohol-related verbal and physical aggression. Method: The sample consisted of 280 married and cohabiting couples. These couples reported on excessive drinking indicators, alcohol expectancies and evaluations, and alcohol-related verbal and physical aggression during the past year. Results: Findings showed that verbal aggression was positively associated with indicators of excessive drinking among females and with alcohol aggression expectancies for females who evaluated such aggression positively. For males, aggression expectancies and indicators of excessive drinking were positively associated with verbal aggression. For physical aggression, results showed that indicators of excessive drinking and aggression expectancies were associated with physical aggression for females. For males, aggression expectancies were positively associated and evaluations were negatively associated with physical aggression. Conclusions: These findings add to previous research on alcohol aggression expectancies in close relationships and emphasize the importance of considering evaluations of alcohol-related behavior and how they may play a role in intimate-partner violence and aggression. PMID:25208191

  14. HEXT, a software supporting tree-based screens for hybrid taxa in multilocus data sets, and an evaluation of the homoplasy excess test.

    PubMed

    Schneider, Kevin; Koblmüller, Stephan; Sefc, Kristina M

    2015-11-11

    The homoplasy excess test (HET) is a tree-based screen for hybrid taxa in multilocus nuclear phylogenies. Homoplasy between a hybrid taxon and the clades containing the parental taxa reduces bootstrap support in the tree. The HET is based on the expectation that excluding the hybrid taxon from the data set increases the bootstrap support for the parental clades, whereas excluding non-hybrid taxa has little effect on statistical node support. To carry out a HET, bootstrap trees are calculated with taxon-jackknife data sets, that is excluding one taxon (species, population) at a time. Excess increase in bootstrap support for certain nodes upon exclusion of a particular taxon indicates the hybrid (the excluded taxon) and its parents (the clades with increased support).We introduce a new software program, hext, which generates the taxon-jackknife data sets, runs the bootstrap tree calculations, and identifies excess bootstrap increases as outlier values in boxplot graphs. hext is written in r language and accepts binary data (0/1; e.g. AFLP) as well as co-dominant SNP and genotype data.We demonstrate the usefulness of hext in large SNP data sets containing putative hybrids and their parents. For instance, using published data of the genus Vitis (~6,000 SNP loci), hext output supports V. × champinii as a hybrid between V. rupestris and V. mustangensis .With simulated SNP and AFLP data sets, excess increases in bootstrap support were not always connected with the hybrid taxon (false positives), whereas the expected bootstrap signal failed to appear on several occasions (false negatives). Potential causes for both types of spurious results are discussed.With both empirical and simulated data sets, the taxon-jackknife output generated by hext provided additional signatures of hybrid taxa, including changes in tree topology across trees, consistent effects of exclusions of the hybrid and the parent taxa, and moderate (rather than excessive) increases in bootstrap support. hext significantly facilitates the taxon-jackknife approach to hybrid taxon detection, even though the simple test for excess bootstrap increase may not reliably identify hybrid taxa in all applications.

  15. Potential for Development of an Escherichia coli—Based Biosensor for Assessing Bioavailable Methionine: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Chalova, Vesela I.; Froelich, Clifford A.; Ricke, Steven C.

    2010-01-01

    Methionine is an essential amino acid for animals and is typically considered one of the first limiting amino acids in animal feed formulations. Methionine deficiency or excess in animal diets can lead to sub-optimal animal performance and increased environmental pollution, which necessitates its accurate quantification and proper dosage in animal rations. Animal bioassays are the current industry standard to quantify methionine bioavailability. However, animal-based assays are not only time consuming, but expensive and are becoming more scrutinized by governmental regulations. In addition, a variety of artifacts can hinder the variability and time efficacy of these assays. Microbiological assays, which are based on a microbial response to external supplementation of a particular nutrient such as methionine, appear to be attractive potential alternatives to the already established standards. They are rapid and inexpensive in vitro assays which are characterized with relatively accurate and consistent estimation of digestible methionine in feeds and feed ingredients. The current review discusses the potential to develop Escherichia coli-based microbial biosensors for methionine bioavailability quantification. Methionine biosynthesis and regulation pathways are overviewed in relation to genetic manipulation required for the generation of a respective methionine auxotroph that could be practical for a routine bioassay. A prospective utilization of Escherichia coli methionine biosensor would allow for inexpensive and rapid methionine quantification and ultimately enable timely assessment of nutritional profiles of feedstuffs. PMID:22319312

  16. Narcolepsy: current treatment options and future approaches

    PubMed Central

    Billiard, Michel

    2008-01-01

    The management of narcolepsy is presently at a turning point. Three main avenues are considered in this review: 1) Two tendencies characterize the conventional treatment of narcolepsy. Modafinil has replaced methylphenidate and amphetamine as the first-line treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and sleep attacks, based on randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of modafinil, but on no direct comparison of modafinil versus traditional stimulants. For cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations, new antidepressants tend to replace tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in spite of a lack of randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of these compounds; 2) The conventional treatment of narcolepsy is now challenged by sodium oxybate, the sodium salt of gammahydroxybutyrate, based on a series of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials and a long-term open label study. This treatment has a fairly good efficacy and is active on all symptoms of narcolepsy. Careful titration up to an adequate level is essential both to obtain positive results and avoid adverse effects; 3) A series of new treatments are currently being tested, either in animal models or in humans, They include novel stimulant and anticataplectic drugs, endocrine therapy, and, more attractively, totally new approaches based on the present state of knowledge of the pathophysiology of narcolepsy with cataplexy, hypocretine-based therapies, and immunotherapy. PMID:18830438

  17. Acromegaly.

    PubMed

    Dineen, R; Stewart, P M; Sherlock, M

    2017-07-01

    Acromegaly is a rare, chronic, progressive disease characterized by an excess secretion of growth hormone (GH) and increased circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) concentrations. It is caused by a pituitary adenoma in the vast majority of cases. The clinical diagnosis, based on symptoms related to GH excess, is often delayed due to the insidious nature of the disease. Consequently, patients often have established systemic complications at diagnosis with increased morbidity and premature mortality. Serum IGF-1 measurement is recommended as the initial screen for patients with suspected acromegaly. The gold standard diagnostic test remains the oral glucose tolerance test with concomitant GH measurement. Therapy for acromegaly is targeted at decreasing GH and IGF-1 levels, ameliorating patients' symptoms and decreasing any local compressive effects of the pituitary adenoma. The therapeutic options for acromegaly include surgery, medical therapies (such as dopamine agonists, somatostatin receptor agonists and the GH receptor antagonist pegvisomant) and radiotherapy. A multidisciplinary approach is recommended with often a requirement for combined treatment modalities. With disease control, associated morbidity and mortality can be reduced. The recently published evidence-based guidelines by the Endocrine society addressed important clinical issues regarding the evaluation and management of acromegaly. This review discusses advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of acromegaly, diagnosis of various forms of the disease and focuses on current treatment modalities, and on future pharmacological therapies for patients with acromegaly. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Physicians. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Enhancing the noise performance of monolithic microwave integrated circuit-based low noise amplifiers through the use of a discrete preamplifying transistor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCulloch, Mark A.; Melhuish, Simon J.; Piccirillo, Lucio

    2015-01-01

    An approach to enhancing the noise performance of an InP monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC)-based low noise amplifiers (LNA) through the use of a discrete 100-nm gate length InP high electron mobility transistor is outlined. This LNA, known as a transistor in front of MMIC (T + MMIC) LNA, possesses a gain in excess of 40 dB and an average noise temperature of 9.4 K across the band 27 to 33 GHz at a physical temperature of 8 K. This compares favorably with 14.5 K for an LNA containing an equivalent MMIC. A simple advanced design system model offering further insights into the operation of the LNA is also presented and the LNA is compared with the current state-of-the-art Planck LFI LNAs.

  19. Low-frequency 1/f noise in graphene devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balandin, Alexander A.

    2013-08-01

    Low-frequency noise with a spectral density that depends inversely on frequency has been observed in a wide variety of systems including current fluctuations in resistors, intensity fluctuations in music and signals in human cognition. In electronics, the phenomenon, which is known as 1/f noise, flicker noise or excess noise, hampers the operation of numerous devices and circuits, and can be a significant impediment to the development of practical applications from new materials. Graphene offers unique opportunities for studying 1/f noise because of its two-dimensional structure and widely tunable two-dimensional carrier concentration. The creation of practical graphene-based devices will also depend on our ability to understand and control the low-frequency noise in this material system. Here, the characteristic features of 1/f noise in graphene and few-layer graphene are reviewed, and the implications of such noise for the development of graphene-based electronics including high-frequency devices and sensors are examined.

  20. Antioxidants as Potential Therapeutics for Lung Fibrosis

    PubMed Central

    DAY, BRIAN J.

    2009-01-01

    Interstitial lung disease encompasses a large group of chronic lung disorders associated with excessive tissue remodeling, scarring, and fibrosis. The evidence of a redox imbalance in lung fibrosis is substantial, and the rationale for testing antioxidants as potential new therapeutics for lung fibrosis is appealing. Current animal models of lung fibrosis have clear involvement of ROS in their pathogenesis. New classes of antioxidant agents divided into catalytic antioxidant mimetics and antioxidant scavengers are being developed. The catalytic antioxidant class is based on endogenous antioxidant enzymes and includes the manganese-containing macrocyclics, porphyrins, salens, and the non–metal-containing nitroxides. The antioxidant scavenging class is based on endogenous antioxidant molecules and includes the vitamin E analogues, thiols, lazaroids, and polyphenolic agents. Numerous studies have shown oxidative stress to be associated with many interstitial lung diseases and that these agents are effective in attenuating fibroproliferative responses in the lung of animals and humans. PMID:17999627

  1. Low-frequency 1/f noise in graphene devices.

    PubMed

    Balandin, Alexander A

    2013-08-01

    Low-frequency noise with a spectral density that depends inversely on frequency has been observed in a wide variety of systems including current fluctuations in resistors, intensity fluctuations in music and signals in human cognition. In electronics, the phenomenon, which is known as 1/f noise, flicker noise or excess noise, hampers the operation of numerous devices and circuits, and can be a significant impediment to the development of practical applications from new materials. Graphene offers unique opportunities for studying 1/f noise because of its two-dimensional structure and widely tunable two-dimensional carrier concentration. The creation of practical graphene-based devices will also depend on our ability to understand and control the low-frequency noise in this material system. Here, the characteristic features of 1/f noise in graphene and few-layer graphene are reviewed, and the implications of such noise for the development of graphene-based electronics including high-frequency devices and sensors are examined.

  2. A method for defining down-wind evacuation areas for transportation accidents involving toxic propellant spills

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Siewert, R. D.

    1972-01-01

    Evacuation areas for accidental spills of toxic propellants along rail and highway shipping routes are defined to help local authorities reduce risks to people from excessive vapor concentrations. These criteria along with other emergency information are shown in propellant spill cards. The evacuation areas are based on current best estimates of propellant evaporation rates from various areas of spill puddles. These rates are used together with a continuous point-source, bi-normal model of plume dispersion. The rate at which the toxic plume disperses is based on a neutral atmospheric condition. This condition, which results in slow plume dispersion, represents the widest range of weather parameters which could occur during the day and nighttime periods. Evacuation areas are defined by the ground level boundaries of the plume within which the concentrations exceed the toxic Threshold Limit Value (TLV) or in some cases the Emergency Exposure Limit (EEL).

  3. Fiber optic TV direct

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kassak, John E.

    1991-01-01

    The objective of the operational television (OTV) technology was to develop a multiple camera system (up to 256 cameras) for NASA Kennedy installations where camera video, synchronization, control, and status data are transmitted bidirectionally via a single fiber cable at distances in excess of five miles. It is shown that the benefits (such as improved video performance, immunity from electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference, elimination of repeater stations, and more system configuration flexibility) can be realized if application of the proven fiber optic transmission concept is used. The control system will marry the lens, pan and tilt, and camera control functions into a modular based Local Area Network (LAN) control network. Such a system does not exist commercially at present since the Television Broadcast Industry's current practice is to divorce the positional controls from the camera control system. The application software developed for this system will have direct applicability to similar systems in industry using LAN based control systems.

  4. Recent trends in rainfall and temperature over North West India during 1871-2016

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saxena, Rani; Mathur, Prasoon

    2018-03-01

    Rainfall and temperature are the most important environmental factors influencing crop growth, development, and yield. The northwestern (NW) part of India is one of the main regions of food grain production of the country. It comprises of six meteorological subdivisions (Haryana, Punjab, West Rajasthan, East Rajasthan, Gujarat and Saurashtra, Kutch and Diu). In this study, attempts were made to study variability and trends in rainfall and temperature during 30-year climate normal periods (CN) and 10-year decadal excess or deficit rainfall frequency during the historical period from 1871 to 2016. The Mann-Kendall and Spearman's rank correlation (Spearman's rho) tests were used to determine significance of trends. Least square linear fitting method was adopted to find out the slopes of the trend lines. The long-term mean annual rainfall over North West India is 587.7 mm (standard deviation of 153.0 mm and coefficient of variation 26.0). There was increasing trend in minimum and maximum temperatures during post monsoon season in entire study period and current climate normal period (1991-2016) due to which the sowing of rabi season crops may be delayed and there may be germination problem too. There was a non-significant decreasing trend in rainfall during monsoon season and an increasing trend in rainfall during post monsoon over North West India during entire study period. During current CN5 (1991-2016), all the subdivision (except the Saurashtra region) showed a decreasing trend in rainfall during monsoon season which is a matter of concern for kharif crops and those rabi crops which are grown as rainfed on conserved soil moisture. The decadal annual and seasonal frequencies of excess and deficit years results revealed that the annual total deficit rainfall years (24) exceeded total excess rainfall years (22) in North West India during the entire study period. While during the current decadal period (2011 to 2016), single year was the excess year and 2 years were deficit rainfall years in all subdivisions (except East Rajasthan) on annual basis.

  5. Using reference values to define disease based on the lower limit of normal biased the population attributable fraction, but not the population excess risk: the example of chronic airflow obstruction.

    PubMed

    Burney, Peter; Minelli, Cosetta

    2018-01-01

    The impact of disease on population health is most commonly estimated by the population attributable fraction (PAF), or less commonly by the excess risk, an alternative measure that estimates the absolute risk of disease in the population that can be ascribed to the exposure. Using chronic airflow obstruction as an example, we examined the impact on these estimates of defining disease based on different "normal" values. We estimated PAF and the excess risk in scenarios in which the true rate of disease was 10% in the exposed and 5% in the unexposed, and where either 50% or 20% of the population was exposed. Disease definition was based on a "lower limit of normal", using the 5th, 1st and 0.2nd centile of values in a "normal" population as thresholds to define normality. Where normality is defined by centiles of values in a "normal" population, PAF is strongly influenced by which centile is selected to define normality. This is not true for the population excess risk. Care should be taken when interpreting estimates of PAF when disease is defined from a centile of a normal population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. An update of cancer mortality among chrysotile asbestos miners in Balangero, northern Italy.

    PubMed Central

    Piolatto, G; Negri, E; La Vecchia, C; Pira, E; Decarli, A; Peto, J

    1990-01-01

    The mortality experience of a cohort of chrysotile miners employed since 1946 in Balangero, northern Italy was updated to the end of 1987 giving a total of 427 deaths out of 27,010 man-years at risk. A substantial excess mortality for all causes (standardised mortality ratio (SMR) = 149) was found, mainly because of high rates for some alcohol related deaths (hepatic cirrhosis, accidents). For mortality from cancer, however, the number of observed deaths (82) was close to that expected (76.2). The SMR was raised for oral cancer (SMR 231 based on six deaths), cancer of the larynx (SMR 267 based on eight deaths), and pleura (SMR 667 based on two deaths), although the excess only reached statistical significance for cancer of the larynx. Rates were not increased for lung, stomach, or any other type of cancer. No consistent association was seen with duration or cumulative dust exposure (fibre-years) for oral cancer, but the greatest risks for laryngeal and pleural cancer were in the highest category of duration and degree of exposure to fibres. Although part of the excess mortality from laryngeal cancer is probably attributable to high alcohol consumption in this group of workers, the data suggest that exposure to chrysotile asbestos (or to the fibre balangeroite that accounts for 0.2-0.5% of total mass in the mine) is associated with some, however moderate, excess risk of laryngeal cancer and pleural mesothelioma. The absence of excess mortality from lung cancer in this cohort is difficult to interpret. Images PMID:2176805

  7. An update of cancer mortality among chrysotile asbestos miners in Balangero, northern Italy.

    PubMed

    Piolatto, G; Negri, E; La Vecchia, C; Pira, E; Decarli, A; Peto, J

    1990-12-01

    The mortality experience of a cohort of chrysotile miners employed since 1946 in Balangero, northern Italy was updated to the end of 1987 giving a total of 427 deaths out of 27,010 man-years at risk. A substantial excess mortality for all causes (standardised mortality ratio (SMR) = 149) was found, mainly because of high rates for some alcohol related deaths (hepatic cirrhosis, accidents). For mortality from cancer, however, the number of observed deaths (82) was close to that expected (76.2). The SMR was raised for oral cancer (SMR 231 based on six deaths), cancer of the larynx (SMR 267 based on eight deaths), and pleura (SMR 667 based on two deaths), although the excess only reached statistical significance for cancer of the larynx. Rates were not increased for lung, stomach, or any other type of cancer. No consistent association was seen with duration or cumulative dust exposure (fibre-years) for oral cancer, but the greatest risks for laryngeal and pleural cancer were in the highest category of duration and degree of exposure to fibres. Although part of the excess mortality from laryngeal cancer is probably attributable to high alcohol consumption in this group of workers, the data suggest that exposure to chrysotile asbestos (or to the fibre balangeroite that accounts for 0.2-0.5% of total mass in the mine) is associated with some, however moderate, excess risk of laryngeal cancer and pleural mesothelioma. The absence of excess mortality from lung cancer in this cohort is difficult to interpret.

  8. 36 CFR 222.61 - Administration of wild free-roaming horses and burros and their environment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... permits for maintenance of these animals to individuals and organizations; (3) Establish wild horse and... burros on each territory to determine whether and where excess animals exists; (6) Based on paragraphs (a... to remove excess animals and what actions are appropriate to achieve the removal or destruction of...

  9. 36 CFR 222.21 - Administration of wild free-roaming horses and burros and their environment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... permits for maintenance of these animals to individuals and organizations; (3) Establish wild horse and... burros on each territory to determine whether and where excess animals exists; (6) Based on paragraphs (a... to remove excess animals and what actions are appropriate to achieve the removal or destruction of...

  10. 36 CFR 222.21 - Administration of wild free-roaming horses and burros and their environment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... permits for maintenance of these animals to individuals and organizations; (3) Establish wild horse and... burros on each territory to determine whether and where excess animals exists; (6) Based on paragraphs (a... to remove excess animals and what actions are appropriate to achieve the removal or destruction of...

  11. 36 CFR 222.61 - Administration of wild free-roaming horses and burros and their environment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... permits for maintenance of these animals to individuals and organizations; (3) Establish wild horse and... burros on each territory to determine whether and where excess animals exists; (6) Based on paragraphs (a... to remove excess animals and what actions are appropriate to achieve the removal or destruction of...

  12. European Code against Cancer 4th Edition: Obesity, body fatness and cancer.

    PubMed

    Anderson, Annie S; Key, Timothy J; Norat, Teresa; Scoccianti, Chiara; Cecchini, Michele; Berrino, Franco; Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine; Espina, Carolina; Leitzmann, Michael; Powers, Hilary; Wiseman, Martin; Romieu, Isabelle

    2015-12-01

    It is estimated that over half the population of the European Union (EU) is overweight or obese due to an imbalance between energy expenditure and energy intake; this is related to an obesogenic environment of sociocultural, economic and marketing challenges to the control of body weight. Excess body fat is associated with nine cancer sites - oesophagus, colorectum, gall bladder, pancreas, postmenopausal breast, endometrium, ovary, kidney and prostate (advanced) - and 4-38% of these cancers (depending on site and gender) can be attributed to overweight/obesity status. Metabolic alterations which accompany excess body weight are accompanied by increased levels of inflammation, insulin, oestrogens and other hormonal factors. There are some indications that intentional weight loss is associated with reduced cancer incidence (notably in postmenopausal breast and endometrial cancers). Excess body weight is also a risk factor for several other diseases, including diabetes and heart disease, and is related to higher risk of premature death. In reviewing the current evidence related to excess body fat and cancer, the European Code against Cancer Nutrition Working Group has developed the following recommendation: 'Take action to be a healthy body weight'. Copyright © 2015 International Agency for Research on Cancer. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Transient neonatal hypercalcaemia secondary to excess maternal vitamin D intake: too much of a good thing.

    PubMed

    Reynolds, Adam; O'Connell, Susan M; Kenny, Louise Clare; Dempsey, Eugene

    2017-07-06

    We report a case of transient neonatal hypercalcaemia secondary to excess maternal vitamin D intake in pregnancy. Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in pregnancy are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, but there is no definite benefit to supplementation. The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology recommends routine supplementation with vitamin D 3 400 IU/day, but higher dose preparations usually recommended for the treatment of vitamin D deficiency are readily available over the counter. This case highlights the risks of excess supplementation, especially at higher doses and in women without evidence of vitamin D deficiency. The amount used in this case was at the upper end of the generally accepted safe dose range, but still less than that commonly recognised to cause problems. Neonatal hypercalcaemia is a potentially serious condition. The current local or national recommendations for vitamin D supplementation and the possible adverse effects of excess vitamin D consumption should be clearly communicated to pregnant women. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  14. Alcoholic Liver Disease: Pathogenesis and Current Management

    PubMed Central

    Osna, Natalia A.; Donohue, Terrence M.; Kharbanda, Kusum K.

    2017-01-01

    Excessive alcohol consumption is a global healthcare problem. The liver sustains the greatest degree of tissue injury by heavy drinking because it is the primary site of ethanol metabolism. Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption produces a wide spectrum of hepatic lesions, the most characteristic of which are steatosis, hepatitis, and fibrosis/cirrhosis. Steatosis is the earliest response to heavy drinking and is characterized by the deposition of fat in hepatocytes. Steatosis can progress to steatohepatitis, which is a more severe, inflammatory type of liver injury. This stage of liver disease can lead to the development of fibrosis, during which there is excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins. The fibrotic response begins with active pericellular fibrosis, which may progress to cirrhosis, characterized by excessive liver scarring, vascular alterations, and eventual liver failure. Among problem drinkers, about 35 percent develop advanced liver disease because a number of disease modifiers exacerbate, slow, or prevent alcoholic liver disease progression. There are still no FDA-approved pharmacological or nutritional therapies for treating patients with alcoholic liver disease. Cessation of drinking (i.e., abstinence) is an integral part of therapy. Liver transplantation remains the life-saving strategy for patients with end-stage alcoholic liver disease. PMID:28988570

  15. Review of interventions to reduce ultraviolet tanning: Need for treatments targeting excessive tanning, an emerging addictive behavior.

    PubMed

    Stapleton, Jerod L; Hillhouse, Joel; Levonyan-Radloff, Kristine; Manne, Sharon L

    2017-12-01

    Millions of Americans engage in tanning each year, defined as intentional ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure in the form of sunbathing or the use of indoor tanning beds. An emerging body of research suggests that UVR has addictive properties and some tanners engage in excessive tanning. This article provides an overview of the evidence of tanning addiction and a systematic review of existing tanning interventions with the goal of evaluating their potential to impact addicted tanners. Our search identified 24 intervention studies that were summarized and discussed according to 3 primary themes. First, there is a dearth of tanning interventions that target excessive tanning or are designed as treatments for tanning addiction. Second, tanning interventions are primarily educational interventions designed to increase knowledge of the risks of tanning. Third, there are notable aspects of existing tanning interventions that are relevant to addiction science, including the use of brief motivational and cognitive-behavioral-based interventions. Future directions are considered including recommendations for utilizing the existing evidence base to formulate interventions targeting excessive tanners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  16. Investigating the DSM-5 severity specifiers based on thinness for adults with anorexia nervosa.

    PubMed

    Reas, Deborah Lynn; Rø, Øyvind

    2017-08-01

    The DSM-5 severity classification scheme for adults with anorexia nervosa (AN) is based upon current body mass index (BMI; kg/m 2 ). This study examined the utility of the DSM-5 severity specifiers for adults with AN in relation to core cognitive and behavioral features of eating pathology and associated psychosocial impairment. A clinical sample of 146 adult AN patients (140 women, 6 men) were categorized using DSM-5 current BMI severity specifiers and assessed with the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA). A total of 34 (23.3%) patients were categorized as mild (>=17.0 BMI), 35 (24.0%) as moderate (16-16.99 BMI), 32 (21.9%) as severe (15-15.99 BMI), and 45 (30.8%) as extreme (<15 BMI). No significant group differences were found for age, CIA and EDE-Q global or subscale scores, frequency of laxative use, self-induced vomiting, binge eating, or excessive exercise. This study found little empirical evidence to support the utility of DSM-5 severity rating scheme to differentiate adults with AN in terms of core eating disorder pathology or associated psychosocial impairment. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Cost effectiveness of brief interventions for reducing alcohol consumption.

    PubMed

    Wutzke, S E; Shiell, A; Gomel, M K; Conigrave, K M

    2001-03-01

    The direct costs and health effects of a primary-care-based brief intervention for hazardous alcohol consumption were examined. The total cost of the intervention was calculated from costs associated with: marketing the intervention programme; providing training and support in the use of the intervention materials; physician time required for providing brief advice for 'at-risk' drinkers. The effect of the intervention on health outcomes was expressed in terms of number of life years saved by preventing alcohol-related deaths. This was derived by combining estimates of the impact of the programme if it were implemented nationally with available evidence on the health effects of excess alcohol consumption. Results are based on international trial evidence showing the physical resources required by the intervention and its effectiveness combined with Australian price data. The costs associated with screening and brief advice using the current intervention programme range from Aus$19.14 to Aus$21.50. The marginal costs per additional life year saved were below Aus$1873. The robustness of the model used is supported by an extensive sensitivity analysis. In comparison with existing health promotion strategies the costs and effects of the current intervention are highly encouraging.

  18. [Spanish adolescents' low perception of risk in alcohol consumption].

    PubMed

    Suárez-Relinque, Cristian; Arroyo, Gonzalo Del Moral; Ferrer, Belén Martínez; Ochoa, Gonzalo Musitu

    2017-08-07

    According to recent studies, Spanish adolescents show low perception of risk in alcohol consumption. The current study aims to analyze the factors that favor this low perception based on the opinion of a group of 32 professional experts on adolescence, family, school, mass media, and local policies. A qualitative methodology was used, based on Grounded Theory, using information from 5 focus groups guided by semi-structured interviews. Twelve factors or subcategories were identified, grouped in 4 general categories: short-term risk, immediacy, and perception of invulnerability ("adolescent thinking" category); benevolent view of alcohol, normalization of consumption, and alcohol-entertainment binomial ("social norms" category); parents' habitual consumption, verbal/non-verbal inconsistency in parental model, risk-free consumption depicted in the mass media, consumption with positive results in the media ("social models" category); and excessive health content, long-term risk ("preventive discourse" category). After discussing the results in the context of the current scientific literature, the article offers various proposals for increasing risk perception in adolescents: stronger impact of contents on short-term risks of alcohol; educational strategies targeted to adolescents to include agents of socialization, especially parents; and policies centered on the substance and reduction of supply.

  19. What is worse? A hierarchy of family-related risk factors predicting alcohol use in adolescence.

    PubMed

    Kuntsche, Emmanuel N; Kuendig, Hervé

    2006-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to determine if family structure, perception of excessive drinking in the family, and family bonding hold a graduated importance in predicting adolescent alcohol use and their association with peers who drink excessively. Three nested linear structural models were calculated separately for frequent and excessive drinking, based on a sample of 3,127 eighth and ninth graders in Switzerland (mean age 15.3, SD 0.8) surveyed in spring 2002 in the context of the "Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC)" study. The results confirm that the perception of excessive drinking in the family is more closely related to both frequent and excessive drinking than family structure, and family bonding is more closely related than drinking perception. Adjusting for both socio-demographic variables and the association with peers who drink excessively only slightly changed the results. To predict an association with the latter, family structure was more important than the perception of drinking, but family bonding remained the predominant predictor. The results stress the graduated importance of family-related risk factors: by listening to their children's worries, by spending their free time with them, and by providing help when needed, parents might have the possibility to actively minimize the risk of frequent and excessive drinking regardless of whether they are frequent excessive drinkers or live without a partner.

  20. [Prevalence of excessive screen time and associated factors in adolescents].

    PubMed

    de Lucena, Joana Marcela Sales; Cheng, Luanna Alexandra; Cavalcante, Thaísa Leite Mafaldo; da Silva, Vanessa Araújo; de Farias Júnior, José Cazuza

    2015-12-01

    To determine the prevalence of excessive screen time and to analyze associated factors among adolescents. This was a cross-sectional school-based epidemiological study with 2,874 high school adolescents with age 14-19 years (57.8% female) from public and private schools in the city of João Pessoa, PB, Northeast Brazil. Excessive screen time was defined as watching television and playing video games or using the computer for more than two hours per day. The associated factors analyzed were: sociodemographic (gender, age, economic class, and skin color), physical activity and nutritional status of adolescents. The prevalence of excessive screen time was 79.5% (95%CI: 78.1-81.1) and it was higher in males (84.3%) compared to females (76.1%; p<0,001). In multivariate analysis, adolescent males, aged 14-15 years old, of higher economic classes had higher chances of exposure to excessive screen time. The level of physical activity and nutritional status of adolescents were not associated with excessive screen time. The prevalence of excessive screen time was high and varied according to sociodemographic characteristics of adolescents. It is necessary to develop interventions to reduce the excessive screen time among adolescents, particularly in subgroups with higher exposure. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  1. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and its related disorders: a reappraisal of obsessive-compulsive spectrum concepts.

    PubMed

    Murphy, Dennis L; Timpano, Kiara R; Wheaton, Michael G; Greenberg, Benjamin D; Miguel, Euripedes C

    2010-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a clinical syndrome whose hallmarks are excessive, anxiety-evoking thoughts and compulsive behaviors that are generally recognized as unreasonable, but which cause significant distress and impairment. When these are the exclusive symptoms, they constitute uncomplicated OCD. OCD may also occur in the context of other neuropsychiatric disorders, most commonly other anxiety and mood disorders. The question remains as to whether these combinations of disorders should be regarded as independent, cooccurring disorders or as different manifestations of an incompletely understood constellation of OCD spectrum disorders with a common etiology. Additional considerations are given here to two potential etiology-based subgroups: (i) an environmentally based group in which OCD occurs following apparent causal events such as streptococcal infections, brain injury, or atypical neuroleptic treatment; and (ii) a genomically based group in which OCD is related to chromosomal anomalies or specific genes. Considering the status of current research, the concept of OCD and OCD-related spectrum conditions seems fluid in 2010, and in need of ongoing reappraisal.

  2. Cushing's disease: pathobiology, diagnosis, and management.

    PubMed

    Lonser, Russell R; Nieman, Lynnette; Oldfield, Edward H

    2017-02-01

    Cushing's disease (CD) is the result of excess secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by a benign monoclonal pituitary adenoma. The excessive secretion of ACTH stimulates secretion of cortisol by the adrenal glands, resulting in supraphysiological levels of circulating cortisol. The pathophysiological levels of cortisol are associated with hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and early death. Successful resection of the CD-associated ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma is the treatment of choice and results in immediate biochemical remission with preservation of pituitary function. Accurate and early identification of CD is critical for effective surgical management and optimal prognosis. The authors review the current pathophysiological principles, diagnostic methods, and management of CD.

  3. Evaluation and treatment of transfusional iron overload in children.

    PubMed

    Ware, Hannah M; Kwiatkowski, Janet L

    2013-12-01

    Red blood cell transfusions are increasingly used in the management of various anemias, including thalassemia and sickle cell disease. Because the body lacks physiologic mechanisms for removing excess iron, transfusional iron overload is a common complication in children receiving regular transfusions. Iron chelation is necessary to remove the excess iron that causes injury to the heart, liver, and endocrine organs. Three chelators, deferoxamine, deferasirox, and deferiprone, are currently available in the United States. When choosing a chelator regimen, patients, parents, and providers may consider a variety of factors, including the severity of iron overload, administration schedule, and adverse effect profile. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Spectral structure of electron antineutrinos from nuclear reactors.

    PubMed

    Dwyer, D A; Langford, T J

    2015-01-09

    Recent measurements of the positron energy spectrum obtained from inverse beta decay interactions of reactor electron antineutrinos show an excess in the 4 to 6 MeV region relative to current predictions. First-principles calculations of fission and beta decay processes within a typical pressurized water reactor core identify prominent fission daughter isotopes as a possible origin for this excess. These calculations also predict percent-level substructures in the antineutrino spectrum due to Coulomb effects in beta decay. Precise measurement of these substructures can elucidate the nuclear processes occurring within reactors. These substructures can be a systematic issue for measurements utilizing the detailed spectral shape.

  5. Inherent Conservatism in Deterministic Quasi-Static Structural Analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Verderaime, V.

    1997-01-01

    The cause of the long-suspected excessive conservatism in the prevailing structural deterministic safety factor has been identified as an inherent violation of the error propagation laws when reducing statistical data to deterministic values and then combining them algebraically through successive structural computational processes. These errors are restricted to the applied stress computations, and because mean and variations of the tolerance limit format are added, the errors are positive, serially cumulative, and excessively conservative. Reliability methods circumvent these errors and provide more efficient and uniform safe structures. The document is a tutorial on the deficiencies and nature of the current safety factor and of its improvement and transition to absolute reliability.

  6. OPPORTUNITY COSTS OF RESIDENTIAL BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR STORMWATER RUNOFF CONTROL

    EPA Science Inventory

    Excess stormwater runoff is a serious problem in a large number of urban areas, causing flooding, water pollution, groundwater recharge deficits and ecological damage to urban streams. Solutions currently proposed to deal with this problem often involve large centralized infrastr...

  7. Current Understanding of the Pathophysiology of Myocardial Fibrosis and Its Quantitative Assessment in Heart Failure

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Tong; Song, Deli; Dong, Jianzeng; Zhu, Pinghui; Liu, Jie; Liu, Wei; Ma, Xiaohai; Zhao, Lei; Ling, Shukuan

    2017-01-01

    Myocardial fibrosis is an important part of cardiac remodeling that leads to heart failure and death. Myocardial fibrosis results from increased myofibroblast activity and excessive extracellular matrix deposition. Various cells and molecules are involved in this process, providing targets for potential drug therapies. Currently, the main detection methods of myocardial fibrosis rely on serum markers, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and endomyocardial biopsy. This review summarizes our current knowledge regarding the pathophysiology, quantitative assessment, and novel therapeutic strategies of myocardial fibrosis. PMID:28484397

  8. [Dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease--major clinical features, aetiology, therapy].

    PubMed

    Ellrichmann, G; Russ, H; Müller, T

    2007-07-01

    Parkinson's disease (PD), a slowly, progressive degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, which affects about ten million people world-wide, is currently treated symptomatically. Current treatment aim i. e. to balance the decreased dopamine turnover in striatal neurons. Chronic exposure to dopaminergic agents, however, supports onset of motor complications and dyskinesia in the long term. Dyskinesia appear mainly as chorea, athetosis, dystonia, stereotypia, ballism or a combination. Sometimes excessive abnormal facial, body and limb movements depend on the overall dosage of dopaminergic substitution. This is why the main therapy is based on reducing the total dosage of dopaminergic substances. Either alternative or additional well-tried substances like apomorphine, amantadine or clozapine are used. New possibilities in treatment emerge from substances like sarizotan, istradefylline, fipampezol or talampanel. Even so disability and reduced quality of life in PD patients and their caregivers may exist. This survey describes the major clinical features, aetiology and demographics of treatment-associated dyskinesia in PD.

  9. Nutrition status of children in Latin America

    PubMed Central

    Garmendia, M. L.; Jones‐Smith, J.; Lutter, C. K.; Miranda, J. J.; Pedraza, L. S.; Popkin, B. M.; Ramirez‐Zea, M.; Salvo, D.; Stein, A. D.

    2017-01-01

    Summary The prevalence of overweight and obesity is rapidly increasing among Latin American children, posing challenges for current healthcare systems and increasing the risk for a wide range of diseases. To understand the factors contributing to childhood obesity in Latin America, this paper reviews the current nutrition status and physical activity situation, the disparities between and within countries and the potential challenges for ensuring adequate nutrition and physical activity. Across the region, children face a dual burden of undernutrition and excess weight. While efforts to address undernutrition have made marked improvements, childhood obesity is on the rise as a result of diets that favour energy‐dense, nutrient‐poor foods and the adoption of a sedentary lifestyle. Over the last decade, changes in socioeconomic conditions, urbanization, retail foods and public transportation have all contributed to childhood obesity in the region. Additional research and research capacity are needed to address this growing epidemic, particularly with respect to designing, implementing and evaluating the impact of evidence‐based obesity prevention interventions. PMID:28741907

  10. Electrochemical detection of dopamine in the presence of ascorbic acid using PVP/graphene modified electrodes.

    PubMed

    Liu, Qin; Zhu, Xu; Huo, Zhaohui; He, Xulun; Liang, Yong; Xu, Maotian

    2012-08-15

    Graphene (GR) was synthesized through electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide and characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/graphene modified glassy carbon electrode (PVP/GR/GCE) was prepared and applied for the fabrication of dopamine (DA) sensors without the interference of ascorbic acid (AA). Compared to bare GCE, an increase of current signal was observed, demonstrating that PVP/GR/GCE exhibited favorable electron transfer kinetics and electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of dopamine. Furthermore, PVP/GR/GCE exhibited good ability to suppress the background current from large excess ascorbic acid. Amperometric response results show that the PVP based sensor displayed a wide linear range of 5×10(-10) to 1.13×10(-3) mol/L DA with a correlation coefficient of 0.9990 and a detection limit of 0.2 nM (S/N=3). The determination of dopamine in urine and human serum samples were studied. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Production of furfural from pentosan-rich biomass: analysis of process parameters during simultaneous furfural stripping.

    PubMed

    Agirrezabal-Telleria, I; Gandarias, I; Arias, P L

    2013-09-01

    Among the furan-based compounds, furfural (FUR) shows interesting properties as building-block or industrial solvent. It is produced from pentosan-rich biomass via xylose cyclodehydration. The current FUR production makes use of homogeneous catalysts and excessive amounts of steam. The development of greener furfural production and separation techniques implies the use of heterogeneous catalysts and innovative separation processes. This work deals with the conversion of corncobs as xylose source to be dehydrated to furfural. The results reveal differences between the use of direct corncob hydrolysis and dehydration to furfural and the prehydrolysis and dehydration procedures. Moreover, this work focuses on an economical analysis of the main process parameters during N2-stripping and its economical comparison to the current steam-stripping process. The results show a considerable reduction of the annual utility costs due to use of recyclable nitrogen and the reduction of the furfural purification stages. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. The silicon vidicon: Integration, storage and slow scan capability - Experimental observation of a secondary mode of operation.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ando, K. J.

    1971-01-01

    Description of the performance of the silicon diode array vidicon - an imaging sensor which possesses wide spectral response, high quantum efficiency, and linear response. These characteristics, in addition to its inherent ruggedness, simplicity, and long-term stability and operating life make this device potentially of great usefulness for ground-base and spaceborne planetary and stellar imaging applications. However, integration and charged storage for periods greater than approximately five seconds are not possible at room temperature because of diode saturation from dark current buildup. Since dark current can be reduced by cooling, measurements were made in the range from -65 to 25 C. Results are presented on the extension of integration, storage, and slow scan capabilities achievable by cooling. Integration times in excess of 20 minutes were achieved at the lowest temperatures. The measured results are compared with results obtained with other types of sensors and the advantages of the silicon diode array vidicon for imaging applications are discussed.

  13. Material Processing and Design of Biodegradable Metal Matrix Composites for Biomedical Applications.

    PubMed

    Yang, Jingxin; Guo, Jason L; Mikos, Antonios G; He, Chunyan; Cheng, Guang

    2018-06-04

    In recent years, biodegradable metallic materials have played an important role in biomedical applications. However, as typical for the metal materials, their structure, general properties, preparation technology and biocompatibility are hard to change. Furthermore, biodegradable metals are susceptible to excessive degradation and subsequent disruption of their mechanical integrity; this phenomenon limits the utility of these biomaterials. Therefore, the use of degradable metals, as the base material to prepare metal matrix composite materials, it is an excellent alternative to solve the problems above described. Biodegradable metals can thus be successfully combined with other materials to form biodegradable metallic matrix composites for biomedical applications and functions. The present article describes the processing methods currently available to design biodegradable metal matrix composites for biomedical applications and provides an overview of the current existing biodegradable metal systems. At the end, the manuscript presents and discusses the challenges and future research directions for development of biodegradable metallic matrix composites for biomedical purposes.

  14. Performance characteristics of ring-cusp thrusters with xenon propellant

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Patterson, M. J.

    1986-01-01

    The performance characteristics and operating envelope of several 30-cm ring-cusp ion thrusters with xenon propellant were investigated. Results indicate a strong performance dependence on the discharge chamber boundary magnetic fields and resultant distribution of electron currents. Significant improvements in discharge performance over J-series divergent-field thrusters were achieved for large throttling ranges, which translate into reduced cathode emission currents and reduced power dissipation which should be of significant benefit for operation at thruster power levels in excess of 10 kW. Mass spectrometry of the ion beam was documented for both the ring-cusp and J-series thrusters with xenon propellant for determination of overall thruster efficiency, and lifetime. Based on the lower centerline values of doubly charged ions in the ion beam and the lower operating discharge voltage, the screen grid erosion rate of the ring-cusp thruster is expected to be lower than the divergent-field J-series thruster by a factor of 2.

  15. Performance characteristics of ring-cusp thrusters with xenon propellant

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Patterson, M. J.

    1986-01-01

    The performance characteristics and operating envelope of several 30-cm ring-cusp ion thrusters with xenon propellant were investigated. Results indicate a strong performance dependence on the discharge chamber boundary magnetic fields and resultant distribution of electron currents. Significant improvements in discharge performance over J-series divergent-field thrusters were achieved for large throttling ranges, which translate into reduced cathode emission currents and reduced power dissipation which should be of significant benefit for operation at thruster power levels in excess of 10 kW. Mass spectrometer of the ion beam was documented for both the ring-cusp and J-series thrusters with xenon propellant for determination of overall thruster efficiency, and lifetime. Based on the lower centerline values of doubly charged ions in the ion beam and the lower operating discharge voltage, the screen grid erosion rate of the ring-cusp thruster is expected to be lower than the divergent-field J-series thruster by a factor of 2.

  16. Evaluating the Performance of the NASA LaRC CMF Motion Base Safety Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gupton, Lawrence E.; Bryant, Richard B., Jr.; Carrelli, David J.

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes the initial measured performance results of the previously documented NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) Cockpit Motion Facility (CMF) motion base hardware safety devices. These safety systems are required to prevent excessive accelerations that could injure personnel and damage simulator cockpits or the motion base structure. Excessive accelerations may be caused by erroneous commands or hardware failures driving an actuator to the end of its travel at high velocity, stepping a servo valve, or instantly reversing servo direction. Such commands may result from single order failures of electrical or hydraulic components within the control system itself, or from aggressive or improper cueing commands from the host simulation computer. The safety systems must mitigate these high acceleration events while minimizing the negative performance impacts. The system accomplishes this by controlling the rate of change of valve signals to limit excessive commanded accelerations. It also aids hydraulic cushion performance by limiting valve command authority as the actuator approaches its end of travel. The design takes advantage of inherent motion base hydraulic characteristics to implement all safety features using hardware only solutions.

  17. Using the negative exponential distribution to quantitatively review the evidence on how rapidly the excess risk of ischaemic heart disease declines following quitting smoking.

    PubMed

    Lee, Peter N; Fry, John S; Hamling, Jan S

    2012-10-01

    No previous review has formally modelled the decline in IHD risk following quitting smoking. From PubMed searches and other sources we identified 15 prospective and eight case-control studies that compared IHD risk in current smokers, never smokers, and quitters by time period of quit, some studies providing separate blocks of results by sex, age or amount smoked. For each of 41 independent blocks, we estimated, using the negative exponential model, the time, H, when the excess risk reduced to half that caused by smoking. Goodness-of-fit to the model was adequate for 35 blocks, others showing a non-monotonic pattern of decline following quitting, with a variable pattern of misfit. After omitting one block with a current smoker RR 1.0, the combined H estimate was 4.40 (95% CI 3.26-5.95) years. There was considerable heterogeneity, H being <2years for 10 blocks and >10years for 12. H increased (p<0.001) with mean age at study start, but not clearly with other factors. Sensitivity analyses allowing for reverse causation, or varying assumed midpoint times for the final open-ended quitting period little affected goodness-of-fit of the combined estimate. The US Surgeon-General's view that excess risk approximately halves after a year's abstinence seems over-optimistic. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Assessing the Safety of Vitamin A Delivered Through Large-Scale Intervention Programs: Workshop Report on Setting the Research Agenda.

    PubMed

    Tanumihardjo, Sherry A; Mokhtar, Najat; Haskell, Marjorie J; Brown, Kenneth H

    2016-06-01

    Vitamin A (VA) deficiency (VAD) is still a concern in many parts of the world, and multiple intervention strategies are being implemented to reduce the prevalence of VAD and associated morbidity and mortality. Because some individuals within a population may be exposed to multiple VA interventions, concerns have been raised about the possible risk of hypervitaminosis A. A consultative meeting was held in Vienna, Austria, in March 2014 to (1) review current knowledge concerning the safety and effectiveness of large-scale programs to control VAD, (2) develop a related research agenda, and (3) review current available methods to assess VA status and risk of hypervitaminosis A. Multiple countries were represented and shared their experiences using a variety of assessment methods, including retinol isotope dilution (RID) techniques. Discussion included next steps to refine assessment methodology, investigate RID limitations under different conditions, and review programmatic approaches to ensure VA adequacy and avoid excessive intakes. Fortification programs have resulted in adequate VA status in Guatemala, Zambia, and parts of Cameroon. Dietary patterns in several countries revealed that some people may consume excessive preformed VA from fortified foods. Additional studies are needed to compare biomarkers of tissue damage to RID methods during hypervitaminosis A and to determine what other biomarkers can be used to assess excessive preformed VA intake. © The Author(s) 2016.

  19. Familial Hypercholesterolaemia in the Era of Genetic Testing.

    PubMed

    Hughes, D P; Viljoen, A; Wierzbicki, A S

    2016-05-01

    Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a relatively common autosomal dominant genetic condition leading to premature ischaemic vascular disease and mortality if left untreated. Currently, a universal consensus on the diagnostic criteria of FH does not exist but the diagnosis of FH largely relies on the evaluation of low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, a careful documentation of family history, and the identification of clinical features. Diagnosis based purely on lipid levels remains common but there are several limitations to this method of diagnosis both practically and in the proportion of false-negatives and false-positives detected, resulting in substantial under-diagnosis of FH. In some countries, diagnostic algorithms are supplemented with genetic testing of the index case as well as genetic and lipid testing of relatives of the index case. Such "cascade" screening of families following identification of index cases appears to not only improve the rate of diagnosis but is also cost-effective. Currently, we observe a great variation in the excess mortality among patients with FH, which likely reflects a combination of additional genetic and environmental effects on risk overlaid on the risk associated with FH. Current accepted drug therapies for FH include statins and PSCK9 inhibitors. Further work is required to evaluate the cardiovascular disease risk in patients with genetically diagnosed FH and to determine whether a risk-based approach to the treatment of FH is appropriate.

  20. Evaluation of a workplace brief intervention for excessive alcohol consumption: the workscreen project.

    PubMed

    Richmond, R; Kehoe, L; Heather, N; Wodak, A

    2000-01-01

    The workplace provides a useful setting for early identification and intervention with individuals who have unhealthy lifestyles. The objective was to evaluate the effects of a workplace-based lifestyle intervention (Workscreen) to reduce excessive drinking. There were eight Australia Post networks randomly allocated to experimental and control conditions, comprising 67 worksites and 1206 employees. The experimental condition involved a broad spectrum lifestyle campaign, incorporating support from management, employee awareness of health, and brief interventions for high-risk behaviors, including excessive alcohol use. Focus groups identified relevant cultural factors. Changes in workplace culture and employee behavior were assessed 10 months after baseline. Males and females were analyzed separately. Over half of APOST employees participated at each screening point. In the experimental condition 61% of employees overall and 58% of those identified as excessive drinkers in Phase 1 responded to the lifestyle campaign by attending health assessments. Analyses focusing on the organization as a whole did not reveal significant reductions in excessive alcohol consumption among men or women. However, a significant reduction in number of drinks was observed in the experimental condition among women for whom completion of baseline and follow-up could be confirmed (P < 0.001). The present study indicates that a workplace-based lifestyle campaign can assist self-selected employees in reducing their alcohol consumption. There was a moderately high level of participation among those identified as drinking excessively, which supports our approach of embedding a low-intensity alcohol program within the context of a broader health promotion campaign. Copyright 2000 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.

  1. Legal and policy foundations for global generic competition: Promoting affordable drug pricing in developing societies.

    PubMed

    Zapatero Miguel, Pablo

    2015-01-01

    The so-called 'TRIPS flexibilities' restated in 2001 by the World Trade Organization's Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health offer a variety of policy avenues for promoting global price-based competition for essential medicines, and thus for improving access to affordable medicines in the developing world. In recent years, developing countries and international organisations alike have begun to explore the potentialities of global generic markets and competition generally, and also of using compulsory licensing to remedy anti-competitive practices (e.g. excessive pricing) through TRIPS-compatible antitrust enforcement. These and other 'pro-competitive' TRIPS flexibilities currently available provide the critical leverage and policy space necessary to improve access to affordable medicines in the developing world.

  2. Sleep disorders and chronic kidney disease.

    PubMed

    Maung, Stephanie C; El Sara, Ammar; Chapman, Cherylle; Cohen, Danielle; Cukor, Daniel

    2016-05-06

    Sleep disorders have a profound and well-documented impact on overall health and quality of life in the general population. In patients with chronic disease, sleep disorders are more prevalent, with an additional morbidity and mortality burden. The complex and dynamic relationship between sleep disorders and chronic kidney disease (CKD) remain relatively little investigated. This article presents an overview of sleep disorders in patients with CKD, with emphasis on relevant pathophysiologic underpinnings and clinical presentations. Evidence-based interventions will be discussed, in the context of individual sleep disorders, namely sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome and excessive daytime sleepiness. Limitations of the current knowledge as well as future research directions will be highlighted, with a final discussion of different conceptual frameworks of the relationship between sleep disorders and CKD.

  3. Compact high-power optical source for resonant infrared pulsed laser ablation and deposition of polymer materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kolev, V. Z.; Duering, M. W.; Luther-Davies, B.; Rode, A. V.

    2006-12-01

    We propose a novel tuneable table-top optical source as an alternative to the free electron laser currently used for resonant infrared pulsed laser deposition of polymers. It is based on two-stage pulsed optical parametric amplification using MgO doped periodically poled lithium niobate crystals. Gain in excess of 106 in the first stage and pump depletion of 58% in the second stage were achieved when the system was pumped by a high-power Nd:YVO4 picosecond laser source at 1064 nm and seeded by a CW tuneable diode laser at 1530 nm. An average power of 2 W was generated at 3.5 µm corresponding to 1.3 µJ pulse energy.

  4. Association of Current Work and Sleep Situations with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Medical Incidents among Japanese Physicians

    PubMed Central

    Kaneita, Yoshitaka; Ohida, Takashi

    2011-01-01

    Objective: The aim of the present study was to clarify the current work and sleep situations of physicians in Japan and to clarify the association between these situations and excessive daytime sleepiness as well as medical incidents. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among the members of the Japan Medical Association in 2008. The randomly selected subjects comprised 3,000 male physicians and 1,500 female physicians. Results: Valid responses were obtained from 3,486 physicians (2,298 men and 1,188 women). Mean sleep duration was 6 h 36 min for men and 6 h 8 min for women. The prevalence of lack of rest due to sleep deprivation was 30.4% among men and 36.6% among women; the prevalence of insomnia was 21.0% and 18.1%, respectively; and the prevalence of EDS was 3.5%. The adjusted odds ratio for EDS was high for physicians who reported short sleep duration, lack of rest due to sleep deprivation, and a high frequency of on-call/overnight work. Physicians who had experienced a medical incident within the previous one month accounted for 19.0% of participants. The adjusted odds ratio for medical incidents was high for those subjected to long working hours, high frequency of on-call/overnight works, lack of rest due to sleep deprivation, and insomnia. Conclusion: In order to facilitate optimal health management for physicians as well as securing medical safety, it is important to fully consider the work and sleep situations of physicians. Citation: Kaneita Y; Ohida T. Association of current work and sleep situations with excessive daytime sleepiness and medical incidents among Japanese physicians. J Clin Sleep Med 2011;7(5):512-522. PMID:22003348

  5. Observing New Worlds with Space Telescopes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clampin, Mark

    2011-01-01

    The search for exoplanets and characterization of their properties has seen increasing success over the last few years. In excess of 500 explanets are known and there are approximately 1200 additional candidates. Recently, progress has been made in direct imaging planets, both from the ground and in space. This presentation will discuss the history and current state of technology used for such discoveries, and highlight the new results enabled by the current and future space telescopes.

  6. A statistical study of current-sheet formation above solar active regions based on selforganized criticality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dimitropoulou, M.; Isliker, H.; Vlahos, L.; Georgoulis, M.; Anastasiadis, A.; Toutountzi, A.

    2013-09-01

    We treat flaring solar active regions as physical systems having reached the self-organized critical state. Their evolving magnetic configurations in the low corona may satisfy an instability criterion, related to the excession of a specific threshold in the curl of the magnetic field. This imposed instability criterion implies an almost zero resistivity everywhere in the solar corona, except in regions where magnetic-field discontinuities and. hence, local currents, reach the critical value. In these areas, current-driven instabilities enhance the resistivity by many orders of magnitude forming structures which efficiently accelerate charged particles. Simulating the formation of such structures (thought of as current sheets) via a refined SOC cellular-automaton model provides interesting information regarding their statistical properties. It is shown that the current density in such unstable regions follows power-law scaling. Furthermore, the size distribution of the produced current sheets is best fitted by power laws, whereas their formation probability is investigated against the photospheric magnetic configuration (e.g. Polarity Inversion Lines, Plage). The average fractal dimension of the produced current sheets is deduced depending on the selected critical threshold. The above-mentioned statistical description of intermittent electric field structures can be used by collisional relativistic test particle simulations, aiming to interpret particle acceleration in flaring active regions and in strongly turbulent media in astrophysical plasmas. The above work is supported by the Hellenic National Space Weather Research Network (HNSWRN) via the THALIS Programme.

  7. Bomb-14C Peak in the North Pacific Recorded in Long-Lived Bivalve Shells (Mercenaria stimpsoni)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kubota, Kaoru; Shirai, Kotaro; Murakami-Sugihara, Naoko; Seike, Koji; Minami, Masayo; Nakamura, Toshio; Tanabe, Kazushige

    2018-04-01

    The excess radiocarbon produced by nuclear bomb testing in the atmosphere in the 1950s-1960s (bomb-14C) is used as a tracer in the surface ocean, extending our understanding of geophysics and biogeochemical cycles. However, there is no bomb-14C record for the high-latitude western North Pacific Ocean because of the paucity of long-lived marine calcifying organisms equivalent to reef-building corals. The shells of Stimpson's hard clam, Mercenaria stimpsoni, potentially provide such a record because the clam's lifespan is very long (>100 years). We analyzed 14C in six live-caught M. stimpsoni shells from the western North Pacific (39.4°N, 142°E) and report, for the first time, the bomb-14C record with robust calendar ages based on annual growth increments. The value was constant in 1934-1952 (Δ14C = -66‰), with a sudden increase in 1959, a peak in 1974 (107‰), which was 60‰ lower than that of the Kuroshio Current, a gradual decline after 1974, and a current value of 16-18‰, which is ˜10‰ higher than the atmospheric value. The bomb-14C values are between the Kuroshio Current (the northwestern subtropical gyre) and Oyashio Current (the Western Subarctic Gyre) values, suggesting that the Tsugaru Current, downstream from the Kuroshio Current, mixes with the Oyashio Current after passing through Tsugaru Strait.

  8. Breast reduction with short L scar.

    PubMed

    Bozola, A R

    1990-05-01

    I didactically compared the breast as a glandular cone with an envelope of skin and subcutaneous tissue. The aesthetic alterations of the breast are classified in four groups related to form, to volume, to grams, and to ptosis in centimeters. An imaginary plane that passes by the mammary sulcus (plane A) will determine the area of the breast that is ptotic. The projection of this plane in the anterior part of the breast is called point A. The distance between point A and the nipple will give in centimeters the amount of ptosis. I use this distance to draw geometrically in the breast the amount of excess of skin to be removed to correct the ptosis. In group I, the volume is normal and part of the mammary gland is under plane A. In this type of breast, the skin is resected, and since there is no excess of breast tissue, the breast that is under plane A is used as an inferior pedicle flap to give a better volume to the new breast. In group II, the base of the breast is large, the height is normal, and the volume is increased by the enlargement of the base. In this type of breast, the excess of breast under plane A and a wedge under the nipple are resected to reach the normal volume at the end of the surgery. In group III, the base is normal and the volume of the breast is increased by the height. For treatment, I resect the excess of breast under plane A as well as a segment at the base to reduce its height. In group IV, the volume of the breast is increased by the size of the base and the height of the cone, and I treat by resection of the excess of tissue under the ptotic area, a wedge under the areola, and a transversal segment in the base to reduce all the dimensions. In the final result of this technique in the majority of patients I will obtain a short scar. This technique was used in 1083 patients from January of 1979 to May of 1988.

  9. 76 FR 11395 - Reducing Regulatory Burden; Retrospective Review Under E.O. 13563

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-02

    ... identify specific current regulations that may be outdated, ineffective, or excessively burdensome. The purpose of this regulatory review is to make the Department's regulations more effective and less... review existing significant regulations to determine if they are outmoded, ineffective, insufficient or...

  10. Lake Michigan nearshore: How modeling scenarios can improve dialog between modelers and ecologists

    EPA Science Inventory

    The nearshore of Lake Michigan, similarly to the other Great Lakes, experiences environmental concerns due to excessive eutrophication. Assessing the nearshore is challenging because fluctuating nutrient loads, and ever-changing currents cause this area to exhibit large spatial a...

  11. CORRECTING ENERGY EXPENDITURES FOR FATIGUE AND EXCESS POST-EXERCISE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION

    EPA Science Inventory

    The EPA's human exposure and dose models often require a quantification of oxygen consumption for a simulated individual. Oxygen consumption is dependent on the individual's current level of physical activity (PA), which is determined from activity diaries selected from the Conso...

  12. 24 CFR 242.1 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    .... Debt service coverage ratio is a measure of a hospital's ability to pay interest and principal with cash generated from current operations. Debt service ratio is calculated as follows: Debt Service Coverage Ratio (total debt service coverage on all long-term capital debt) equals the excess of revenues...

  13. 24 CFR 242.1 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    .... Debt service coverage ratio is a measure of a hospital's ability to pay interest and principal with cash generated from current operations. Debt service ratio is calculated as follows: Debt Service Coverage Ratio (total debt service coverage on all long-term capital debt) equals the excess of revenues...

  14. On a low-dimensional model for magnetostriction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iyer, R. V.; Manservisi, S.

    2006-02-01

    In recent years, a low-dimensional model for thin magnetostrictive actuators that incorporated magneto-elastic coupling, inertial and damping effects, ferromagnetic hysteresis and classical eddy current losses was developed using energy-balance principles by Venkataraman and Krishnaprasad. This model, with the classical Preisach operator representing the hysteretic constitutive relation between the magnetic field and magnetization in the axial direction, proved to be very successful in capturing dynamic hysteresis effects with electrical inputs in the 0-50 Hz range and constant mechanical loading. However, it is well known that for soft ferromagnetic materials there exist excess losses in addition to the classical eddy current losses. In this work, we propose to extend the above mentioned model for a magnetostrictive rod actuator by including excess losses via a nonlinear resistive element in the actuator circuit. We then show existence and uniqueness of solutions for the proposed model for electrical voltage input in the space L2(0,T)∩L∞(0,T) and mechanical force input in the space L2(0,T).

  15. Up-to-date approach to manage keloids and hypertrophic scars: a useful guide.

    PubMed

    Arno, Anna I; Gauglitz, Gerd G; Barret, Juan P; Jeschke, Marc G

    2014-11-01

    Keloids and hypertrophic scars occur anywhere from 30 to 90% of patients, and are characterized by pathologically excessive dermal fibrosis and aberrant wound healing. Both entities have different clinical and histochemical characteristics, and unfortunately still represent a great challenge for clinicians due to lack of efficacious treatments. Current advances in molecular biology and genetics reveal new preventive and therapeutical options which represent a hope to manage this highly prevalent, chronic and disabling problem, with long-term beneficial outcomes and improvement of quality of life. While we wait for these translational clinical products to be marketed, however, it is imperative to know the basics of the currently existing wide array of strategies to deal with excessive scars: from the classical corticotherapy, to the most recent botulinum toxin and lasers. The main aim of this review paper is to offer a useful up-to-date guideline to prevent and treat keloids and hypertrophic scars. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  16. Extending the application of deuterium excess as a tracer in surface and groundwaters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hurst, S.; Krishnamurthy, R. V.

    2017-12-01

    Stable isotopes of surface and ground waters provide invaluable information on the processes involved in their genesis. A starting point in these applications is the relationship between hydrogen (δ2H) and oxygen (δ18O), exemplified in the so-called Global Meteoric Water Line where δ2H=8δ18O+10 [1]. From this line Dansgaard [2] defined the parameter deuterium excess where d=δ2H-8δ18O. Generally, the d-excess value is fixed at the source, predominantly the equatorial oceans and retained. At an average humidity of about 85% the expected d-excess value is 10. Deviations indicate secondary changes in the air mass or a water body thus making d-excess a useful geophysical tracer. For instance, evaporation results in a higher d-excess in the vapor. Mixing of this water vapor with overhead air mass results in precipitation exhibiting d-excess values higher than Global Meteoric Water Line [3]. Alternatively, the fraction of liquid remaining will have low d-excess and in extreme cases negative d-excess. In this case a plot of d-excess-δ2H will give a straight line with a negative slope. This can be demonstrated from pan evaporation experiments [4]. Deviation from a perfect straight line on the d-excess-δ2H plot indicates a combination of mixing from various source waters and evaporation. This study will discuss various case studies from multiple environments applying this approach using d-excess. References [1] Craig, H. Standard for Reporting Concentrations of Deuterium and Oxygen-18 in Natural Waters. Science 133, 1833-1834 (1961). [2] Dansgaard, W. Stable isotopes in precipitation. Tellus A 16: 436-468 (1964). [3] Machavaram, M. &, Krishnamurthy, R.V. Earth surface evaporative process: a case study from the Great Lakes region of the United States based on deuterium excess in precipitation. Geochim. et Cosmochem. Acta 59, 4279-4283 (1995). [4] Simpson, H.J., Hamza, M.S., & White, J.W.C. Evaporative enrichment of deuterium and 18O in arid zone irrigation. IAEA, 241-256 (1987).

  17. Timing of Excessive Weight Gain During Pregnancy Modulates Newborn Anthropometry.

    PubMed

    Ruchat, Stephanie-May; Allard, Catherine; Doyon, Myriam; Lacroix, Marilyn; Guillemette, Laetitia; Patenaude, Julie; Battista, Marie-Claude; Ardilouze, Jean-Luc; Perron, Patrice; Bouchard, Luigi; Hivert, Marie-France

    2016-02-01

    Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with increased birth weight and neonatal adiposity. However, timing of excessive GWG may have a differential impact on birth outcomes. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of early and mid/late excessive GWG on newborn anthropometry in the context of the Canadian clinical recommendations that are specific for first trimester and for second/third trimesters based on maternal pre-pregnancy BMI. We included 607 glucose-tolerant women in our main analyses, after excluding women who had less than the recommended total GWG. Maternal body weight was measured in early pregnancy, mid-pregnancy, and late pregnancy. Maternal and fetal clinical outcomes were collected, including newborn anthropometry. Women were divided into four groups according to the Canadian guidelines for GWG in the first and in the second/third trimesters: (1) "overall non-excessive" (reference group); (2) "early excessive GWG"; (3) "mid/late excessive GWG"; and (4) "overall excessive GWG." Differences in newborn anthropometry were tested across GWG categories. Women had a mean (±SD) pre-pregnancy BMI of 24.7 ± 5.2 kg/m(2) and total GWG of 15.3 ± 4.4 kg. Women with mid/late excessive GWG gave birth to heavier babies (gestational age-adjusted birth weight z-score 0.33 ± 0.91) compared with women in the reference group (0.00 ± 0.77, P = 0.007), whereas women with early excessive GWG gave birth to babies of similar weight (gestational age-adjusted z-score 0.01 ± 0.86) to the reference group (0.00 ± 0.77, P = 0.84). When we stratified our analyses and investigated women who gained within the recommendations for total GWG, mid/late excessive GWG specifically was associated with greater newborn size, similar to our main analyses. Excessive GWG in mid/late pregnancy in women who did not gain weight excessively in early pregnancy is associated with increased birth size, even in those who gained within the Canadian recommendations for total GWG. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. 26 CFR 1.170A-10 - Charitable contributions carryovers of individuals.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... succeeding taxable years in order of time. Since 30 percent of their contribution base for 1971 ($12,000... years 12,000 8,000 20,000 (b) The joint excess charitable contribution of $20,000 is to be treated as... contributions made during a taxable year in excess of the applicable percentage limitation even though the...

  19. Cannabinoid CB1 /CB2 receptor agonists attenuate hyperactivity and body weight loss in a rat model of activity-based anorexia.

    PubMed

    Scherma, Maria; Satta, Valentina; Collu, Roberto; Boi, Maria Francesca; Usai, Paolo; Fratta, Walter; Fadda, Paola

    2017-08-01

    Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric condition characterized by excessive body weight loss and disturbed perceptions of body shape and size, often associated with excessive physical activity. There is currently no effective drug-related therapy of this disease and this leads to high relapse rate. Clinical data suggest that a promising therapy to treat and reduce reoccurrence of AN may be based on the use of drugs that target the endocannabinoid (EC) system, which appears dysregulated in AN patients. The activity-based anorexia (ABA) rodent model mimics the severe body weight loss and increased physical activity, as well as the neuroendocrine disturbances (i.e. hypoleptinaemia and hypercortisolaemia) in AN. This study investigated whether cannabinoid agonists can effectively modify anorexic-like behaviours and neuroendocrine changes in rats subjected to a repeated ABA regime that mimics the human condition in which patients repeatedly undergo a recovery and illness cycle. Our data show that subchronic treatment with both the natural CB 1 /CB 2 receptor agonist Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol and the synthetic CB 1 /CB 2 receptor agonist CP-55,940 significantly reduced body weight loss and running wheel activity in ABA rats. These behavioural effects were accompanied by an increase in leptin signalling and a decrease in plasma levels of corticosterone. Taken together, our results further demonstrate the involvement of the EC system in AN pathophysiology and that strategies which modulate EC signalling are useful to treat this disorder, specifically in patients where physical hyperactivity plays a central role in its progression and maintenance. © 2017 The British Pharmacological Society.

  20. Excessive work and risk of haemorrhagic stroke: a nationwide case-control study.

    PubMed

    Kim, Beom Joon; Lee, Seung-Hoon; Ryu, Wi-Sun; Kim, Chi Kyung; Chung, Jong-Won; Kim, Dohoung; Park, Hong-Kyun; Bae, Hee-Joon; Park, Byung-Joo; Yoon, Byung-Woo

    2013-10-01

    Adverse effect of excessive work on health has been suggested previously, but it was not documented in cerebrovascular diseases. The authors investigated whether excessive working conditions would associate with increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke. A nationwide matched case-control study database, which contains 940 cases of incident haemorrhagic stroke (498 intracerebral haemorrhages and 442 sub-arachnoid haemorrhages) with 1880 gender- and age- (± 5-year) matched controls, was analysed. Work-related information based on the regular job situation, including type of occupation, regular working time, duration of strenuous activity during regular work and shift work, was gathered through face-to-face interviews. Conditional logistic regression analyses were used for the multivariable analyses. Compared with white-collar workers, blue-collar workers had a higher risk for haemorrhagic stroke (odds ratio, 1.33 [95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.66]). Longer regular working time was associated with increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke [odds ratio, 1.38 (95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.81) for 8-12 h/day; odds ratio, 1.95 (95% confidence interval, 1.33-2.86) for ≥ 13 h/day; compared with ≤ 4 h/day]. Exposure to ≥ 8 h/week of strenuous activity also associated haemorrhagic stroke risk [odds ratio, 1.61 (95% confidence interval, 1.26-2.05); compared with no strenuous activity]. Shift work was not associated with haemorrhagic stroke (P = 0.98). Positive associations between working condition indices and haemorrhagic stroke risk were consistent regardless of haemorrhagic stroke sub-types and current employment status. Blue-collar occupation, longer regular working time and extended duration of strenuous activity during work may relate to an increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke. © 2012 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2012 World Stroke Organization.

  1. Testing the 2-TeV resonance with trileptons

    DOE PAGES

    Das, Arindam; Nagata, Natsumi; Okada, Nobuchika

    2016-03-09

    The CMS collaboration has reported a 2.8 excess in the search of the SU(2) R gauge bosons decaying through right-handed neutrinos into the two electron plus two jets (more » $eejj$) final states. This can be explained if the SU(2) Rcharged gauge bosons W$$±\\atop{R}$$ have a mass of around 2TeV and a right-handed neutrino with a mass of O(1)TeV mainly decays to electron. Indeed, recent results in several other experiments, especially that from the ATLAS diboson resonance search, also indicate signatures of such a 2TeV gauge boson. However, a lack of the same-sign electron events in the CMS $eejj$ search challenges the interpretation of the right-handed neutrino as a Majorana fermion. Taking this situation into account, in this paper, we consider a possibility of explaining the CMS eejj excess based on the SU(2) L ⓍSU(2) RⓍ U(1) B-L gauge theory with pseudo-Dirac neutrinos. We fi nd that both the CMS excess events and the ATLAS diboson anomaly can actually be explained in this framework without conflicting with the current experimental bounds. This setup in general allows sizable left-right mixing in both the charged gauge boson and neutrino sectors, which enables us to probe this model through the trilepton plus missing energy search at the LHC. It turns out that the number of events in this channel predicted in our model is in good agreement with that observed by the CMS collaboration. We also discuss prospects for testing this model at the LHC Run-II experiments.« less

  2. Evidence for Pulsar-like Emission Components in the Broadband ULX Sample

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walton, D. J.; Fürst, F.; Heida, M.; Harrison, F. A.; Barret, D.; Stern, D.; Bachetti, M.; Brightman, M.; Fabian, A. C.; Middleton, M. J.

    2018-04-01

    We present broadband X-ray analyses of a sample of bright ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULX) with the goal of investigating the spectral similarity of this population to the known ULX pulsars, M82 X-2, NGC 7793 P13, and NGC 5907 ULX. We perform a phase-resolved analysis of the broadband XMM-Newton+NuSTAR data set of NGC 5907 ULX, finding that the pulsed emission from the accretion column in this source exhibits a similar spectral shape to that seen in both M82 X-2 and NGC 7793 P13, and that this is responsible for the excess emission observed at the highest energies when the spectra are fit with accretion disk models. We then demonstrate that similar “hard” excesses are seen in all ULXs in the broadband sample. Finally, for ULXs where the nature of the accretor is currently unknown, we test whether the hard excesses are all consistent with being produced by an accretion column similar to those present in M82 X-2, NGC 7793 P13, and NGC 5907 ULX. Based on the average shape of the pulsed emission, we find that in all cases a similar accretion column can successfully reproduce the observed data, consistent with the hypothesis that this ULX sample may be dominated by neutron star accretors. Compared to the known pulsar ULXs, our spectral fits for the remaining ULXs suggest that the non-pulsed emission from the accretion flow beyond the magnetosphere makes a stronger relative contribution than the component associated with the accretion column. If these sources do also contain neutron star accretors, this may help to explain the lack of detected pulsations.

  3. Risk assessment for heart disease and workplace ETS exposure among nonsmokers.

    PubMed Central

    Steenland, K

    1999-01-01

    In 1994 the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) published a study of risk assessment for heart disease and lung cancer resulting from workplace exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) among nonsmokers. This assessment is currently being revised. The present article considers different possible approaches to a risk assessment for heart disease among nonsmokers resulting from workplace ETS exposure, reviews the approach taken by OSHA in 1994, and suggests some modifications to that approach. Since 1994 the literature supporting an association between ETS exposure and heart disease among never smokers (sometimes including long-term former smokers) has been strengthened by new studies, including some studies that have specifically considered workplace exposure. A number of these studies are appropriate for inclusion in a meta-analysis, whereas a few may not be due to methodological problems or problems in exposure definition. A meta-analysis of eight relative risks (either rate ratios or odds ratios) for heart disease resulting from workplace ETS exposure, based on one reasonable selection of appropriate studies, yields a combined relative risk of 1.21 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.41). This relative risk, which is similar to that used by OSHA in 1994, yields an excess risk of death from heart disease by age 70 of 7 per 1000 (95% CI 0.001-0.013) resulting from ETS exposure in the workplace. This excess risk exceeds OSHA's usual threshold for regulation of 1 per 1000. Approximately 1,710 excess ischemic heart disease deaths per year would be expected among nonsmoking U.S. workers 35-69 years of age exposed to workplace ETS. PMID:10592143

  4. A survey of parentally reported sleep health disorders in Estonian 8-9 year old children.

    PubMed

    Vaher, Heisl; Kasenõmm, Priit; Vasar, Veiko; Veldi, Marlit

    2013-12-04

    Pediatric sleep research is rather new in Estonia. There has not been a comprehensive study of age specific sleep disorders in Estonian children. The aim of this study was to investigate sleep disorders in a sample of Estonian second grade children.We hypothesized that:: Children with low BMI are as susceptible to SDB as are children with high BMI. Under weight children are susceptible to residual SDB after adenotonsillectomy. Parasomnias present with SDB in children.• Excessive day time sleepiness is a significant symptom which leads parents to suspect sleep disorders in their child. A retrospective questionnaire based survey was used to analyze factors influencing sleep, parasomnias, daytime sleepiness, and sleep disordered breathing (SDB). 1065 Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) packets were distributed by post to randomly selected parents of second grade students; 703 (66%) subjects were included in the study group; each parent/guardian participant had one second grade child. Descriptive statistics were used to compare characteristics of SDB symptomatic and healthy children. We used logistic regression to analyze factors influencing sleep and parasomnias in relation to SDB severity. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI were used to estimate relative risk. Parents of children with SDB complaints seem to pay attention to sleep disorders especially when a child is suffering from excessive day time sleepiness. Parasomnias are present simultaneously with SDB and tend to worsen in relation to more severe SDB complaints. Many underweight children have SDB symptoms after adenotonsillectomy. SDB symptoms are found in both overweight and underweight children. Both groups should be observed, especially in terms of the current focus on overweight children. Careful follow up after SDB treatment is necessary in case of under and overweight children. Parental suspicions regarding SDB are noticeably higher in cases of excessive daytime sleepiness in their children.

  5. Is vitamin D deficiency a public health concern for low middle income countries? A systematic literature review.

    PubMed

    Cashman, Kevin D; Sheehy, Tony; O'Neill, Colette M

    2018-01-17

    Vitamin D deficiency has been receiving increasing attention as a potential public health concern in low and lower-middle income countries (LMICs), of which there are currently 83. We aimed to conduct a comprehensive systematic literature review (SLR) of available data on vitamin D status and prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in all 83 LMICs. We followed the general methodology for SLRs in the area of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Highest priority was placed on identifying relevant population-based studies, followed by cross-sectional studies, and to a lesser extent case-control studies. We adopted the public health convention that a prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D < 25/30 nmol/L) at > 20% in the entire population and/or at-risk population subgroups (infants, children, women of child-bearing age, pregnancy) constitutes a public health issue that may warrant intervention. Our SLR revealed that of the 83 LMICs, 65% (n = 54 countries) had no published studies with vitamin D data suitable for inclusion. Using data from the remaining third, a number of LMICs had evidence of excess burden of vitamin D deficiency in one or more population subgroup(s) using the above convention (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Tunisia and Mongolia) as well as possibly other LMICs, albeit with much more limited data. Several LMICs had no evidence of excess burden. Vitamin D deficiency is a public health issue in some, but certainly not all, LMICs. There is a clear need for targeting public health strategies for prevention of vitamin D deficiency in those LMICs with excess burden.

  6. Excess capacity: markets regulation, and values.

    PubMed Central

    Madden, C W

    1999-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the conceptual bases for the conflicting views of excess capacity in healthcare markets and their application in the context of today's turbulent environment. STUDY SETTING: The policy and research literature of the past three decades. STUDY DESIGN: The theoretical perspectives of alternative economic schools of thought are used to support different policy positions with regard to excess capacity. Changes in these policy positions over time are linked to changes in the economic and political environment of the period. The social values implied by this history are articulated. DATA COLLECTION: Standard library search procedures are used to identify relevant literature. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Alternative policy views of excess capacity in healthcare markets rely on differing theoretical foundations. Changes in the context in which policy decisions are made over time affect the dominant theoretical framework and, therefore, the dominant policy view of excess capacity. CONCLUSIONS: In the 1990s, multiple perspectives of optimal capacity still exist. However, our evolving history suggests a set of persistent values that should guide future policy in this area. PMID:10029502

  7. The short-term and long-term effects of divorce on mortality risk in a large Finnish cohort, 1990-2003.

    PubMed

    Metsä-Simola, Niina; Martikainen, Pekka

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated time patterns of post-divorce excess mortality. Using register-based data, we followed 252,641 married Finns from 1990 until subsequent date of divorce and death until 2003. Among men, excess mortality is highest immediately after divorce, followed by a decline over 8 years. Among women, excess mortality shows little variation over time, and is lower than among men at all durations of divorce. Social and economic factors--largely adjustment for post-divorce factors--explain about half of the excess mortality. This suggests that excess mortality is partly mediated through poor social and economic resources. Mortality attributable to accidental, violent, and alcohol-related causes is pronounced shortly after divorce. It shows a strong pattern of reduction over the next 4 years among divorced men, and is high for only 6 months after divorce among divorced women. These findings emphasize the importance of short-term psychological distress, particularly among men.

  8. Relationship between the growth of the ring current and the interplanetary quantity. [solar wind energy-magnetospheric coupling parameter correlation with substorm AE index

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Akasofu, S.-I.

    1979-01-01

    Akasofu (1979) has reported that the interplanetary parameter epsilon correlates reasonably well with the magnetospheric substorm index AE; in the first approximation, epsilon represents the solar wind coupled to the magnetosphere. The correlation between the interplanetary parameter, the auroral electrojet index and the ring current index is examined for three magnetic storms. It is shown that when the interplanetary parameter exceeds the amount that can be dissipated by the ionosphere in terms of the Joule heat production, the excess energy is absorbed by the ring current belt, producing an abnormal growth of the ring current index.

  9. Probing star formation in the dense environments of z ˜ 1 lensing haloes aligned with dusty star-forming galaxies detected with the South Pole Telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Welikala, N.; Béthermin, M.; Guery, D.; Strandet, M.; Aird, K. A.; Aravena, M.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Bothwell, M.; Beelen, A.; Bleem, L. E.; de Breuck, C.; Brodwin, M.; Carlstrom, J. E.; Chapman, S. C.; Crawford, T. M.; Dole, H.; Doré, O.; Everett, W.; Flores-Cacho, I.; Gonzalez, A. H.; González-Nuevo, J.; Greve, T. R.; Gullberg, B.; Hezaveh, Y. D.; Holder, G. P.; Holzapfel, W. L.; Keisler, R.; Lagache, G.; Ma, J.; Malkan, M.; Marrone, D. P.; Mocanu, L. M.; Montier, L.; Murphy, E. J.; Nesvadba, N. P. H.; Omont, A.; Pointecouteau, E.; Puget, J. L.; Reichardt, C. L.; Rotermund, K. M.; Scott, D.; Serra, P.; Spilker, J. S.; Stalder, B.; Stark, A. A.; Story, K.; Vanderlinde, K.; Vieira, J. D.; Weiß, A.

    2016-01-01

    We probe star formation in the environments of massive (˜1013 M⊙) dark matter haloes at redshifts of z ˜ 1. This star formation is linked to a submillimetre clustering signal which we detect in maps of the Planck High Frequency Instrument that are stacked at the positions of a sample of high redshift (z > 2) strongly lensed dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) selected from the South Pole Telescope (SPT) 2500 deg2 survey. The clustering signal has submillimetre colours which are consistent with the mean redshift of the foreground lensing haloes (z ˜ 1). We report a mean excess of star formation rate (SFR) compared to the field, of (2700 ± 700) M⊙ yr-1 from all galaxies contributing to this clustering signal within a radius of 3.5 arcmin from the SPT DSFGs. The magnitude of the Planck excess is in broad agreement with predictions of a current model of the cosmic infrared background. The model predicts that 80 per cent of the excess emission measured by Planck originates from galaxies lying in the neighbouring haloes of the lensing halo. Using Herschel maps of the same fields, we find a clear excess, relative to the field, of individual sources which contribute to the Planck excess. The mean excess SFR compared to the field is measured to be (370 ± 40) M⊙ yr-1 per resolved, clustered source. Our findings suggest that the environments around these massive z ˜ 1 lensing haloes host intense star formation out to about 2 Mpc. The flux enhancement due to clustering should also be considered when measuring flux densities of galaxies in Planck data.

  10. New constraint on scalar Gauss-Bonnet gravity and a possible explanation for the excess of the orbital decay rate in a low-mass x-ray binary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yagi, Kent

    2012-10-01

    It was recently shown that a black hole (BH) is the only compact object that can acquire a scalar charge in scalar Gauss-Bonnet (sGB) theory under the small coupling approximation. This leads to the fact that scalar radiation is emitted from a binary containing at least one BH. In this paper, we find the constraints on this theory from BH low-mass x-ray binaries. The main result of this paper is that from the orbital decay rate of A0620-00, we obtained a conservative bound that is six orders of magnitude stronger than the Solar System bound. In addition to this, we look at XTE J1118+480, whose orbital decay rate has been recently measured with an excess compared to the theoretical prediction in general relativity due to the radiation reaction. The cause of this excess is currently unknown. Although it is likely that the cause is of astrophysical origin, here we investigate the possibility of explaining this excess with the additional scalar radiation in sGB theory. We find that there still remains a parameter range where the excess can be explained while also satisfying the constraint obtained from A0620-00. The interesting point is that for most of other alternative theories of gravity, it seems difficult to explain this excess with the additional radiation. This is because it would be difficult to evade the constraints from binary pulsars or they have already been constrained rather strongly from other observations such as solar system experiments. We propose several ways to determine whether the excess is caused by the scalar radiation in sGB gravity including future gravitational wave observations with space-borne interferometers, which can give a constraint three orders of magnitude stronger than that from A0620-00.

  11. Are restrictive guidelines for added sugars science based?

    PubMed

    Erickson, Jennifer; Slavin, Joanne

    2015-12-12

    Added sugar regulations and recommendations have been proposed by policy makers around the world. With no universal definition, limited access to added sugar values in food products and no analytical difference from intrinsic sugars, added sugar recommendations present a unique challenge. Average added sugar intake by American adults is approximately 13% of total energy intake, and recommendations have been made as low 5% of total energy intake. In addition to public health recommendations, the Food and Drug Administration has proposed the inclusion of added sugar data to the Nutrition and Supplemental Facts Panel. The adoption of such regulations would have implications for both consumers as well as the food industry. There are certainly advantages to including added sugar data to the Nutrition Facts Panel; however, consumer research does not consistently show the addition of this information to improve consumer knowledge. With excess calorie consumption resulting in weight gain and increased risk of obesity and obesity related co-morbidities, added sugar consumption should be minimized. However, there is currently no evidence stating that added sugar is more harmful than excess calories from any other food source. The addition of restrictive added sugar recommendations may not be the most effective intervention in the treatment and prevention of obesity and other health concerns.

  12. Second malignancies after multiple myeloma: from 1960s to 2010s

    PubMed Central

    Thomas, Anish; Mailankody, Sham; Korde, Neha; Kristinsson, Sigurdur Y.; Turesson, Ingemar

    2012-01-01

    Based on small numbers, recent reports from 3 randomized trials have consistently demonstrated more hematologic malignancies in patients treated with lenalidomide as maintenance (vs placebo). This fact has prompted concern and highlighted the association between multiple myeloma and second malignancies. Furthermore, an excess of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) after multiple myeloma has been known for over 4 decades. Most prior studies have been restricted because of small numbers of patients, inadequate follow-up, and limitations of ascertainment of second malignancies. Although the underlying biologic mechanisms of AML/MDS after multiple myeloma are unknown, treatment-related factors are presumed to be responsible. Recently, an excess risk of AML/MDS was found among 5652 patients with IgG/IgA (but not IgM) monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, supporting a role for disease-related factors. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that polymorphisms in germline genes may contribute to a person's susceptibility to subsequent cancers, whereas the potential influence of environmental and behavioral factors remains poorly understood. This review discusses current knowledge regarding second malignancies after multiple myeloma and gives future directions for efforts designed to characterize underlying biologic mechanisms, with the goal to maximize survival and minimize the risk for second malignancies for individual patients. PMID:22310913

  13. Fermentation and purification strategies for the production of betulinic acid and its lupane-type precursors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Czarnotta, Eik; Dianat, Mariam; Korf, Marcel; Granica, Fabian; Merz, Juliane; Maury, Jérôme; Baallal Jacobsen, Simo A; Förster, Jochen; Ebert, Birgitta E; Blank, Lars M

    2017-11-01

    Microbial production of plant derived, biologically active compounds has the potential to provide economic and ecologic alternatives to existing low productive, plant-based processes. Current production of the pharmacologically active cyclic triterpenoid betulinic acid is realized by extraction from the bark of plane tree or birch. Here, we reengineered the reported betulinic acid pathway into Saccharomyces cerevisiae and used this novel strain to develop efficient fermentation and product purification methods. Fed-batch cultivations with ethanol excess, using either an ethanol-pulse feed or controlling a constant ethanol concentration in the fermentation medium, significantly enhanced production of betulinic acid and its triterpenoid precursors. The beneficial effect of excess ethanol was further exploited in nitrogen-limited resting cell fermentations, yielding betulinic acid concentrations of 182 mg/L, and total triterpenoid concentrations of 854 mg/L, the highest concentrations reported so far. Purification of lupane-type triterpenoids with high selectivity and yield was achieved by solid-liquid extraction without prior cell disruption using polar aprotic solvents such as acetone or ethyl acetate and subsequent precipitation with strong acids. This study highlights the potential of microbial production of plant derived triterpenoids in S. cerevisiae by combining metabolic and process engineering. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Antigen-activated dendritic cells ameliorate influenza A infections

    PubMed Central

    Boonnak, Kobporn; Vogel, Leatrice; Orandle, Marlene; Zimmerman, Daniel; Talor, Eyal; Subbarao, Kanta

    2013-01-01

    Influenza A viruses cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is a need for alternative or adjunct therapies, as resistance to currently used antiviral drugs is emerging rapidly. We tested ligand epitope antigen presentation system (LEAPS) technology as a new immune-based treatment for influenza virus infection in a mouse model. Influenza-J-LEAPS peptides were synthesized by conjugating the binding ligand derived from the β2-microglobulin chain of the human MHC class I molecule (J-LEAPS) with 15 to 30 amino acid–long peptides derived from influenza virus NP, M, or HA proteins. DCs were stimulated with influenza-J-LEAPS peptides (influenza-J-LEAPS) and injected intravenously into infected mice. Antigen-specific LEAPS-stimulated DCs were effective in reducing influenza virus replication in the lungs and enhancing survival of infected animals. Additionally, they augmented influenza-specific T cell responses in the lungs and reduced the severity of disease by limiting excessive cytokine responses, which are known to contribute to morbidity and mortality following influenza virus infection. Our data demonstrate that influenza-J-LEAPS–pulsed DCs reduce virus replication in the lungs, enhance survival, and modulate the protective immune responses that eliminate the virus while preventing excessive cytokines that could injure the host. This approach shows promise as an adjunct to antiviral treatment of influenza virus infections. PMID:23934125

  15. The self-adjusting file (SAF) system: An evidence-based update.

    PubMed

    Metzger, Zvi

    2014-09-01

    Current rotary file systems are effective tools. Nevertheless, they have two main shortcomings: They are unable to effectively clean and shape oval canals and depend too much on the irrigant to do the cleaning, which is an unrealistic illusionThey may jeopardize the long-term survival of the tooth via unnecessary, excessive removal of sound dentin and creation of micro-cracks in the remaining root dentin. The new Self-adjusting File (SAF) technology uses a hollow, compressible NiTi file, with no central metal core, through which a continuous flow of irrigant is provided throughout the procedure. The SAF technology allows for effective cleaning of all root canals including oval canals, thus allowing for the effective disinfection and obturation of all canal morphologies. This technology uses a new concept of cleaning and shaping in which a uniform layer of dentin is removed from around the entire perimeter of the root canal, thus avoiding unnecessary excessive removal of sound dentin. Furthermore, the mode of action used by this file system does not apply the machining of all root canals to a circular bore, as do all other rotary file systems, and does not cause micro-cracks in the remaining root dentin. The new SAF technology allows for a new concept in cleaning and shaping root canals: Minimally Invasive 3D Endodontics.

  16. Access to benznidazole for Chagas disease in the United States-Cautious optimism?

    PubMed

    Alpern, Jonathan D; Lopez-Velez, Rogelio; Stauffer, William M

    2017-09-01

    Drugs for neglected tropical diseases (NTD) are being excessively priced in the United States. Benznidazole, the first-line drug for Chagas disease, may become approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and manufactured by a private company in the US, thus placing it at risk of similar pricing. Chagas disease is an NTD caused by Trypanosoma cruzi; it is endemic to Latin America, infecting 8 million individuals. Human migration has changed the epidemiology causing nonendemic countries to face increased challenges in diagnosing and managing patients with Chagas disease. Only 2 drugs exist with proven efficacy: benznidazole and nifurtimox. Benznidazole has historically faced supply problems and drug shortages, limiting accessibility. In the US, it is currently only available under an investigational new drug (IND) protocol from the CDC and is provided free of charge to patients. However, 2 companies have stated that they intend to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) for FDA approval. Based on recent history of companies acquiring licensing rights for NTD drugs in the US with limited availability, it is likely that benznidazole will become excessively priced by the manufacturer-paradoxically making it less accessible. However, if the companies can be taken at their word, there may be reason for optimism.

  17. A molecular method to assess bioburden embedded within silicon-based resins used on modern spacecraft materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stam, Christina N.; Bruckner, James; Spry, J. Andy; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri; La Duc, Myron T.

    2012-07-01

    Current assessments of bioburden embedded in spacecraft materials are based on work performed in the Viking era (1970s), and the ability to culture organisms extracted from such materials. To circumvent the limitations of such approaches, DNA-based techniques were evaluated alongside established culturing techniques to determine the recovery and survival of bacterial spores encapsulated in spacecraft-qualified polymer materials. Varying concentrations of Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 spores were completely embedded in silicone epoxy. An organic dimethylacetamide-based solvent was used to digest the epoxy and spore recovery was evaluated via gyrB-targeted qPCR, direct agar plating, most probably number analysis, and microscopy. Although full-strength solvent was shown to inhibit the germination and/or outgrowth of spores, dilution in excess of 100-fold allowed recovery with no significant decrease in cultivability. Similarly, qPCR (quantitative PCR) detection sensitivities as low as ~103 CFU ml-1 were achieved upon removal of inhibitory substances associated with the epoxy and/or solvent. These detection and enumeration methods show promise for use in assessing the embedded bioburden of spacecraft hardware.

  18. Radiative recombination in GaN/InGaN heterojunction bipolar transistors

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

    Kao, Tsung-Ting; Lee, Yi-Che; Kim, Hee-Jin

    2015-12-14

    We report an electroluminescence (EL) study on npn GaN/InGaN heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). Three radiative recombination paths are resolved in the HBTs, corresponding to the band-to-band transition (3.3 eV), conduction-band-to-acceptor-level transition (3.15 eV), and yellow luminescence (YL) with the emission peak at 2.2 eV. We further study possible light emission paths by operating the HBTs under different biasing conditions. The band-to-band and the conduction-band-to-acceptor-level transitions mostly arise from the intrinsic base region, while a defect-related YL band could likely originate from the quasi-neutral base region of a GaN/InGaN HBT. The I{sub B}-dependent EL intensities for these three recombination paths are discussed. The resultsmore » also show the radiative emission under the forward-active transistor mode operation is more effective than that using a diode-based emitter due to the enhanced excess electron concentration in the base region as increasing the collector current increases.« less

  19. Liquid level sensor based on an excessively tilted fibre grating

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mou, Chengbo; Zhou, Kaiming; Yan, Zhijun; Fu, Hongyan; Zhang, Lin

    2013-09-01

    We propose and demonstrate an optical liquid level sensor based on the surrounding medium refractive index (SRI) sensing using an excessively tilted fibre grating (ETFG). When the ETFG submerged in water, two sets of cladding modes are coupled, corresponding to air- and water-surrounded grating structures, respectively. The coupling strengths of the two sets of cladding modes evolve with the submerging length of the grating, providing a mechanism to measure the liquid level. Comparing with long-period fibre grating based liquid level sensor, the ETFG sensor has a much higher SRI responsivity for liquids with refractive index around 1.33 and a lower thermal cross sensitivity.

  20. GNSS Radio Occultation Excess Phase Processing with Integrated Uncertainty Estimation for Thermodynamic Cal/Val of Passive Atmospheric Sounders and Climate Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Innerkofler, J.; Pock, C.; Kirchengast, G.; Schwaerz, M.; Jaeggi, A.; Andres, Y.; Marquardt, C.; Hunt, D.; Schreiner, W. S.; Schwarz, J.

    2017-12-01

    Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation (RO) is a highly valuable satellite remote sensing technique for atmospheric and climate sciences, including calibration and validation (cal/val) of passive sounding instruments such as radiometers. It is providing accurate and precise measurements in the troposphere and stratosphere regions with global coverage, long-term stability, and virtually all-weather capability since 2001. For fully exploiting the potential of RO data as a cal/val reference and climate data record, uncertainties attributed to the data need to be assessed. Here we focus on the atmospheric excess phase data, based on the raw occultation tracking and orbit data, and its integrated uncertainty estimation within the new Reference Occultation Processing System (rOPS) developed at the WEGC. These excess phases correspond to integrated refractivity, proportional to pressure/temperature and water vapor, and are therefore highly valuable reference data for thermodynamic cal/val of passive (radiometric) sounder data. In order to enable high accuracy of the excess phase profiles, accurate orbit positions and velocities as well as clock estimates of the GNSS transmitter satellites and RO receiver satellites are determined using the Bernese and Napeos orbit determination software packages. We find orbit uncertainty estimates of about 5 cm (position) / 0.05 mm/s (velocity) for daily orbits for the MetOp, GRACE, and CHAMP RO missions, and decreased uncertainty estimates near 20 cm (position) / 0.2 mm/s (velocity) for the COSMIC RO mission. The strict evaluation and quality control of the position, velocity, and clock accuracies of the daily LEO and GNSS orbits assure smallest achievable uncertainties in the excess phase data. We compared the excess phase profiles from WEGC against profiles from EUMETSAT and UCAR. Results show good agreement in line with the estimated uncertainties, with millimetric differences in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere and centimetric differences in the troposphere, where the excess phases amount to beyond 100 m. This underlines the potential for a new fundamental cal/val reference and climate data record based on atmospheric excess phases from RO, given their narrow uncertainty and independence from background data.

  1. Variations of 17O/ 16O and 18O/ 16O in meteoric waters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luz, Boaz; Barkan, Eugeni

    2010-11-01

    The variations of δ 17O and δ 18O in recent meteoric waters and in ice cores have proven to be an important tool for investigating the present and past hydrologic cycle. In order to close significant information gaps in the present distribution of δ 17O and δ 18O of meteoric water, we have run precise measurements, with respect to VSMOW, on samples distributed globally from low to high latitudes. Based on the new and existing data, we present the Global Meteoric Water Line (GMWL) for δ 17O and δ 18O as: ln(δ17O+1)=0.528ln(δ18O+1)+0.000033(R2=0.99999) In addition to meteoric water, we carried out the first measurements of seawater from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans with respect to VSMOW. The obtained results show that the slope of the trend line ln(δ 17O + 1) vs. ln(δ 18O + 1) of seawater samples is 0.528, the same as for meteoric water, but the regression intercept is -5 per meg. Thus, the positive intercept in the GMWL indicates an excess of 17O in meteoric waters with respect to the ocean. An excess (or depletion) of 17O in water is defined as: 17O-excess=ln(δ17O+1)-0.528(δ18O+1) Most meteoric water samples have positive 17O-excess of varying magnitudes with an average of 37 per meg with respect to VSMOW. We explain how these positive values originate from evaporation of sea water into marine air, which is undersaturated in water vapor, and how subsequent increase of 17O-excess occurs when atmospheric vapor condenses to form liquid and solid precipitation. We also clarify the effect of excessive evaporation on 17O-excess. Finally, based on the new results on 17O-excess of seawater we recalculated the relationship of δ 17O vs. δ 18O in vapor diffusion in air as 18α diff = 1.0096.

  2. Explaining gender differences in ill-health in South Korea: the roles of socio-structural, psychosocial, and behavioral factors.

    PubMed

    Chun, Heeran; Khang, Young-Ho; Kim, Il-Ho; Cho, Sung-Il

    2008-09-01

    This study examines and explains the gender disparity in health despite rapid modernization in South Korea where the social structure is still based on traditional gender relations. A nationally representative sample of 2897 men and 3286 women aged 25-64 from the 2001 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was analyzed. Health indicators included self rated health and chronic disease. Age-adjusted prevalence was computed according to a gender and odds ratios (OR) derived from logistic regression. Percentage changes in OR by inclusion of determinant variables (socio-structural, psychosocial, and behavioral) into the base logistic regression model were used to estimate the contributions to the gender gap in two morbidity measures. Results showed a substantial female excess in ill-health in both measures, revealing an increasing disparity in the older age group. Group-specific age-adjusted prevalence of ill-health showed an inverse relationship to socioeconomic position. When adjusting for each determinant, employment status, education, and depression contributed the greatest to the gender gap. After adjusting for all suggested determinants, 78% for self rated health and 86% for chronic disease in excess OR could be explained. After stratifying for age, the full model provided a complete explanation for the female excess in chronic illness, but for self rated health a female excess was still evident for the younger age group. Socio-structural factors played a crucial role in accounting for female excess in ill-health. This result calls for greater attention to gender-based health inequality stemming from socio-structural determinants in South Korea. Cross-cultural validation studies are suggested for further discussion of the link between changing gender relations and the gender health gap in morbidity in diverse settings.

  3. Development and evaluation of a new alcohol-based surgical hand scrub formulation with persistent antimicrobial characteristics and brushless application.

    PubMed

    Hobson, D W; Woller, W; Anderson, L; Guthery, E

    1998-10-01

    Since the introduction in the 1970s of surgical hand scrub formulations that contain 4% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), new surgical scrub formulations that have improved efficacy, persistence, or significantly improved use characteristics have not been forthcoming. In addition, the manufacturer's labeling for popular hand scrub products generally requires scrub times in excess of 6 minutes, whereas current practical needs call for products with substantially shorter scrub times. A new alcohol-based surgical scrub formulation, which has ingredients that provide emollient, surfactant, and antimicrobial persistence characteristics to complement the rapid and broad-spectrum antiseptic qualities of alcohol, has been developed in an effort to address these current practical needs. The relative efficacy of a new alcohol-based surgical scrub formulation that contains ingredients that provide surfactant and antimicrobial persistence characteristics was compared with that of commercial 4% CHG and 7.5% povidone iodine (PVPI) formulations with use of human subjects. Hand antimicrobial count sampling was performed by using standardized "glove juice" methodology. The efficacy and persistence results of the new formulation showed statistically significant improvement over both CHG and PVPI at a substantially lessened scrub time (3 minutes). In addition, use of the new formulation without a scrub brush produced results statistically similar to 3-minute applications with either a brush or a sponge. The new alcohol-based formulation demonstrates promise as a new surgical hand scrub formulation with antimicrobial and use characteristics that are significantly improved over current CHG and PVPI formulations. These studies demonstrate the suitability of this formulation for use as a surgical hand scrub and for brushless application.

  4. Do Medicare Beneficiaries Living With HIV/AIDS Choose Prescription Drug Plans That Minimize Their Total Spending?

    PubMed

    Desmond, Katherine A; Rice, Thomas H; Leibowitz, Arleen A

    2017-01-01

    This article examines whether California Medicare beneficiaries with HIV/AIDS choose Part D prescription drug plans that minimize their expenses. Among beneficiaries without low-income supplementation, we estimate the excess cost, and the insurance policy and beneficiary characteristics responsible, when the lowest cost plan is not chosen. We use a cost calculator developed for this study, and 2010 drug use data on 1453 California Medicare beneficiaries with HIV who were taking antiretroviral medications. Excess spending is defined as the difference between projected total spending (premium and cost sharing) for the beneficiary's current drug regimen in own plan vs spending for the lowest cost alternative plan. Regression analyses related this excess spending to individual and plan characteristics. We find that beneficiaries pay more for Medicare Part D plans with gap coverage and no deductible. Higher premiums for more extensive coverage exceeded savings in deductible and copayment/coinsurance costs. We conclude that many beneficiaries pay for plan features whose costs exceed their benefits.

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

    Zhong, Bei-Jing; Wang, Jian-Hua

    Excess enthalpy combustion is a promising approach to stabilize flame in micro-combustors. Using a Swiss-roll combustor configuration, excess enthalpy combustion can be conveniently achieved. In this work, three types of Swiss-roll combustors with double spiral-shaped channels were designed and fabricated. The combustors were tested using methane/air mixtures of various equivalence ratios. Both temperature distributions and extinction limits were determined for each combustor configuration at different methane mass flow rates. Results indicate that the Swiss-roll combustors developed in the current study greatly enhance combustion stability in center regions of the combustors. At the same time, excess enthalpy combustors of the Swiss-rollmore » configuration significantly extend the extinction limits of methane/air mixtures. In addition, the effects of combustor configurations and thermal insulation arrangements on temperature distributions and extinction limits were evaluated. With heat losses to the environment being significant, the use of thermal insulations further enhances the flame stability in center regions of the Swiss-roll combustors and extends flammable ranges. (author)« less

  6. Excess plutonium disposition: The deep borehole option

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

    Ferguson, K.L.

    1994-08-09

    This report reviews the current status of technologies required for the disposition of plutonium in Very Deep Holes (VDH). It is in response to a recent National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report which addressed the management of excess weapons plutonium and recommended three approaches to the ultimate disposition of excess plutonium: (1) fabrication and use as a fuel in existing or modified reactors in a once-through cycle, (2) vitrification with high-level radioactive waste for repository disposition, (3) burial in deep boreholes. As indicated in the NAS report, substantial effort would be required to address the broad range of issues relatedmore » to deep bore-hole emplacement. Subjects reviewed in this report include geology and hydrology, design and engineering, safety and licensing, policy decisions that can impact the viability of the concept, and applicable international programs. Key technical areas that would require attention should decisions be made to further develop the borehole emplacement option are identified.« less

  7. Warm debris disks candidates in transiting planets systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ribas, Á.; Merín, B.; Ardila, D. R.; Bouy, H.

    2012-05-01

    We have bandmerged candidate transiting planetary systems (from the Kepler satellite) and confirmed transiting planetary systems (from the literature) with the recent Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) preliminary release catalog. We have found 13 stars showing infrared excesses at either 12 μm and/or 22 μm. Without longer wavelength observations it is not possible to conclusively determine the nature of the excesses, although we argue that they are likely due to debris disks around the stars. If confirmed, our sample ~doubles the number of currently known warm excess disks around old main sequence stars. The ratios between the measured fluxes and the stellar photospheres are generally larger than expected for Gyr-old stars, such as these planetary hosts. Assuming temperature limits for the dust and emission from large dust particles, we derive estimates for the disk radii. These values are comparable to the planet's semi-major axis, suggesting that the planets may be stirring the planetesimals in the system.

  8. Do Medicare Beneficiaries Living With HIV/AIDS Choose Prescription Drug Plans That Minimize Their Total Spending?

    PubMed Central

    Desmond, Katherine A.; Rice, Thomas H.; Leibowitz, Arleen A.

    2017-01-01

    This article examines whether California Medicare beneficiaries with HIV/AIDS choose Part D prescription drug plans that minimize their expenses. Among beneficiaries without low-income supplementation, we estimate the excess cost, and the insurance policy and beneficiary characteristics responsible, when the lowest cost plan is not chosen. We use a cost calculator developed for this study, and 2010 drug use data on 1453 California Medicare beneficiaries with HIV who were taking antiretroviral medications. Excess spending is defined as the difference between projected total spending (premium and cost sharing) for the beneficiary’s current drug regimen in own plan vs spending for the lowest cost alternative plan. Regression analyses related this excess spending to individual and plan characteristics. We find that beneficiaries pay more for Medicare Part D plans with gap coverage and no deductible. Higher premiums for more extensive coverage exceeded savings in deductible and copayment/coinsurance costs. We conclude that many beneficiaries pay for plan features whose costs exceed their benefits. PMID:28990452

  9. Laboratory hemostasis: milestones in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine.

    PubMed

    Lippi, Giuseppe; Favaloro, Emmanuel J

    2013-01-01

    Hemostasis is a delicate, dynamic and intricate system, in which pro- and anti-coagulant forces cooperate for either maintaining blood fluidity under normal conditions, or else will prompt blood clot generation to limit the bleeding when the integrity of blood vessels is jeopardized. Excessive prevalence of anticoagulant forces leads to hemorrhage, whereas excessive activation of procoagulant forces triggers excessive coagulation and thrombosis. The hemostasis laboratory performs a variety of first, second and third line tests, and plays a pivotal role in diagnostic and monitoring of most hemostasis disturbances. Since the leading targets of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine include promotion of progress in fundamental and applied research, along with publication of guidelines and recommendations in laboratory diagnostics, this journal is an ideal source of information on current developments in the laboratory technology of hemostasis, and this article is aimed to celebrate some of the most important and popular articles ever published by the journal in the filed of laboratory hemostasis.

  10. A Giant Warm Baryonic Halo for the Coma Cluster

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bonamente, Max; Lieu, Richard; Joy, Marshall K.; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Several deep PSPC observations of the Coma cluster unveil a very large-scale halo of soft X-ray emission, substantially in excess of the well know radiation from the hot intra-cluster medium. The excess emission, previously reported in the central cluster regions through lower-sensitivity EUVE and ROSAT data, is now evident out to a radius of 2.5 Mpc, demonstrating that the soft excess radiation from clusters is a phenomenon of cosmological significance. The spectrum at these large radii cannot be modeled non-thermally, but is consistent with the original scenario of thermal emission at warm temperatures. The mass of this plasma is at least on par with that of the hot X-ray emitting plasma, and significantly more massive if the plasma resides in low-density filamentary structures. Thus the data lend vital support to current theories of cosmic evolution, which predict greater than 50 percent by mass of today's baryons reside in warm-hot filaments converging at clusters of galaxies.

  11. Lead exposure among automobile radiator repair workers and their children in New York City.

    PubMed

    Nunez, C M; Klitzman, S; Goodman, A

    1993-05-01

    Despite a comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health Administration lead standard, exposure to lead continues in many industries. This paper describes a blood lead screening and education program for automobile radiator repair workers and their families in New York City. Results showed that 67% of automobile radiator repair workers (n = 62) in 89% of the shops tested (n = 24) had blood lead levels in excess of 25 micrograms/dl. The vast majority of workers had never been tested previously, and none had received health and safety training regarding occupational lead exposure. Although none of the workers' children's blood lead levels were in excess of then-current guidelines, several had levels which may be associated with subclinical toxicity and in excess of the revised Centers for Disease Control guidelines of 10 micrograms/dl. This project demonstrates that lead exposure in the automotive radiator repair industry continues to be widespread and that local health departments can assist in hazard identification and remediation.

  12. Risk analysis of sulfites used as food additives in China.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jian Bo; Zhang, Hong; Wang, Hua Li; Zhang, Ji Yue; Luo, Peng Jie; Zhu, Lei; Wang, Zhu Tian

    2014-02-01

    This study was to analyze the risk of sulfites in food consumed by the Chinese people and assess the health protection capability of maximum-permitted level (MPL) of sulfites in GB 2760-2011. Sulfites as food additives are overused or abused in many food categories. When the MPL in GB 2760-2011 was used as sulfites content in food, the intake of sulfites in most surveyed populations was lower than the acceptable daily intake (ADI). Excess intake of sulfites was found in all the surveyed groups when a high percentile of sulfites in food was in taken. Moreover, children aged 1-6 years are at a high risk to intake excess sulfites. The primary cause for the excess intake of sulfites in Chinese people is the overuse and abuse of sulfites by the food industry. The current MPL of sulfites in GB 2760-2011 protects the health of most populations. Copyright © 2014 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

  13. Association of sexual maturation with excess body weight and height in children and adolescents

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Studies addressing the influence of early sexual maturation on the excess of body weight and height of children and adolescents are scarce. The aim of the study was to analyze the association of sexual maturation with excess body weight and height in children and adolescents. Methods This was a cross-sectional study performed in Florianópolis city, Brazil, in 2007, with 2339 school children, aged 8–14 years (1107 males). Selection was based on a probabilistic, cluster-stratified sampling technique. School children were classified according to the presence of excess body weight, using sex- and age-specific body mass index (BMI) cutoff points. Z-scores were calculated from height and BMI data. Sexual maturation was self-assessed according to Tanner stages of development. Subjects were ranked based on tertiles of sexual maturation (early, normal and late) for each stage of development. Poisson and linear regression models were used. Results Compared to the reference group (normal sexual maturation), early maturing females had higher prevalence of excess weight (adjusted prevalence ratio: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.24 to 2.33) and increased height-for-age (adjusted β: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.59), while late maturing females had lower prevalence of excess weight (adjusted prevalence ratio: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.87) and decreased height-for-age (adjusted β: −0.38; 95% CI: −0.56 to −0.20). In males, early and late sexual maturation were associated with increased (adjusted β: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.59) and decreased (adjusted β: −0.38; 95% CI: −0.56 to −0.20) height-for-age, respectively. Conclusion Early sexual maturation is associated with excess body weight in females and with greater height-for-age in both sexes. PMID:24625111

  14. Cancer mortality following radium treatment for uterine bleeding

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

    Inskip, P.D.; Monson, R.R.; Wagoner, J.K.

    1990-09-01

    Cancer mortality in relation to radiation dose was evaluated among 4153 women treated with intrauterine radium (226Ra) capsules for benign gynecologic bleeding disorders between 1925 and 1965. Average follow up was 26.5 years (maximum = 59.9 years). Overall, 2763 deaths were observed versus 2687 expected based on U.S. mortality rates (standardized mortality ratio (SMR) = 1.03). Deaths due to cancer, however, were increased (SMR = 1.30), especially cancers of organs close to the radiation source. For organs receiving greater than 5 Gy, excess mortality of 100 to 110% was noted for cancers of the uterus and bladder 10 or moremore » years following irradiation, while a deficit was seen for cancer of the cervix, one of the few malignancies not previously shown to be caused by ionizing radiation. Part of the excess of uterine cancer, however, may have been due to the underlying gynecologic disorders being treated. Among cancers of organs receiving average or local doses of 1 to 4 Gy, excesses of 30 to 100% were found for leukemia and cancers of the colon and genital organs other than uterus; no excess was seen for rectal or bone cancer. Among organs typically receiving 0.1 to 0.3 Gy, a deficit was recorded for cancers of the liver, gall bladder, and bile ducts combined, death due to stomach cancer occurred at close to the expected rate, a 30% excess was noted for kidney cancer (based on eight deaths), and there was a 60% excess of pancreatic cancer among 10-year survivors, but little evidence of dose-response. Estimates of the excess relative risk per Gray were 0.006 for uterus, 0.4 for other genital organs, 0.5 for colon, 0.2 for bladder, and 1.9 for leukemia. Contrary to findings for other populations treated by pelvic irradiation, a deficit of breast cancer was not observed (SMR = 1.0). Dose to the ovaries may have been insufficient to protect against breast cancer.« less

  15. Development of Carbon Nanotube-Based Sensor to Monitor Crack Growth in Cracked Aluminum Structures Underneath Composite Patching

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-06-01

    layer of epoxy and ensure crack is filled in. Let sit for at least 1 hour, but no longer than 3 hours. (Do not allow base layer to harden before...10 mmHg and hold for 8 hours. • Once hardened remove excess epoxy and test sample. C. TENSILE TESTING For the purpose of this study, total fracture...hardened remove excess epoxy and test sample. 2. Final Changes Changes were made from this initial sample preparation to the final one shown in the

  16. Fetuin-A, adiposity-linked insulin resistance and responsiveness to an educational-based weight excess reduction program: a population-based survey in prepubertal schoolchildren.

    PubMed

    Murdolo, Giuseppe; Tortoioli, Cristina; Celi, Federica; Bini, Vittorio; Papi, Francesco; Brozzetti, Annalisa; Falorni, Alberto

    2017-05-01

    The secreted hepatokine fetuin-A emerges as an independent predictor of type 2 diabetes in adulthood. The overall aims of this study were: (1) to investigate the associations of fetuin-A with adiposity and insulin resistance, as well as its relationship with adipokines, in prepubertal children, and, (2) to evaluate whether, in prepubertal obesity, serum fetuin-A levels may either change or predict the responsiveness to an educational-based weight excess reduction program. We studied 200 prepubertal children (boys/girls: 89/111; Tanner stage 1; age: 5-13 years), included in a cohort of 44,231 adolescents who participated in an extensive Italian school-based survey. According to Cole's criteria, 100 individuals were lean (boys/girls: 57/43) and 100 obese (boys/girls: 54/46). A subset of 53 obese individuals (boys/girls: 28/25; age: 6-12 years) were also evaluated after a weight excess reduction program. Serum fetuin-A, leptin, total and high molecular weight adiponectin levels, as well as homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance were assessed. When compared with lean, obese children exhibited higher ( p < 0.0001) fetuin-A concentrations, without differences between sex. Fetuin-A was positively associated with adiposity, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and leptin levels. In multivariate analysis, the associations between fetuin-A and leptin or homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance lost the significance after adjustment for BMI Z-score , which, in turn, represented an independent determinant of fetuin-A (R 2 adj 0.327; p < 0.0001). Notably, after weight excess reduction program, fetuin-A levels dropped ( p < 0.0001 vs. basal). Interestingly, no significant differences of fetuin-A concentrations between responders and no responders were found. In prepubertal children, fetuin-A represents an early marker of adiposity, and its reduction after lifestyle intervention may partly contribute to the beneficial effects of weight excess reduction program.

  17. 46 CFR 129.380 - Overcurrent protection.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... protection must be provided for each ungrounded conductor, to open the electric circuit if the current reaches a value that causes an excessive or dangerous temperature in the conductor or its insulation. (b) Each conductor of a control, interlock, or indicator circuit, such as a conductor for an instrument...

  18. 46 CFR 120.380 - Overcurrent protection.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... for each ungrounded conductor for the purpose of opening the electric circuit if the current reaches a value that causes an excessive or dangerous temperature in the conductor or conductor insulation. (b) The grounded conductor of a circuit must not be disconnected by a switch or circuit breaker, unless...

  19. 46 CFR 120.380 - Overcurrent protection.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... for each ungrounded conductor for the purpose of opening the electric circuit if the current reaches a value that causes an excessive or dangerous temperature in the conductor or conductor insulation. (b) The grounded conductor of a circuit must not be disconnected by a switch or circuit breaker, unless...

  20. 46 CFR 169.683 - Overcurrent protection, general.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... provided for each ungrounded conductor for the purpose of opening the electric circuit if the current reaches a value that causes an excessive or dangerous temperature in the conductor or conductor insulation... ungrounded conductors of the circuit simultaneously. (c) Each conductor, including a generator lead and shore...

  1. 77 FR 57189 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-17

    ... currently approved collection. Title: TD 8560 (CO-30-92) Consolidated Returns--Stock Basis and Excess Loss...) allocating items between returns. The information will facilitate enforcement of consolidated return... completed prior to the effective data and to stop an election to use a historic loss payment pattern...

  2. Syngeneic AAV pseudo-vectors potentiates full vector transduction

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    An excessive amount of empty capsids are generated during regular AAV vector production process. These pseudo-vectors often remain in final vectors used for animal studies or clinical trials. The potential effects of these pseudo-vectors on AAV transduction have been a major concern. In the current ...

  3. The molecular basis for tree growth habit in Prunus persica (peach)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The large size and spreading growth habit of trees requires excessive labor, land space, and pesticides. Genetically improving tree shapes so they can be planted at higher density and/or more readily adapted to mechanization would increase productivity and be more environmentally friendly. Current...

  4. Results of an inter-laboratory study of glass formulation for the immobilization of excess plutonium

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

    Peeler, D.K.

    1999-12-08

    The primary focus of the current study is to determine allowable loadings of feed streams containing different ratios of plutonium, uranium, and minor components into the LaBS glass and to evaluate thermal stability with respect to the DWPF pour.

  5. 10 CFR 431.282 - Test Procedures [Reserved

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ..., metal halide, and high-pressure sodium lamps. Mercury vapor lamp means a high intensity discharge lamp..., current, and waveform) for starting and operating. High intensity discharge lamp means an electric... light is produced by radiation from mercury typically operating at a partial vapor pressure in excess of...

  6. Educational Challenges of the 80's.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carroll, Constance M.

    Growing conservatism, dwindling resources, and the increased diversity of students require that the California community colleges develop a plan to meet the challenges of the future. First, efforts must be made to ameliorate the current crisis in educational leadership caused by excessive concern with quantitative management techniques, reporting…

  7. 12 CFR 741.3 - Criteria.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... amount at least equal to the net excess of book value over current market value of the investments. If... 702 and subpart L of part 747 of this chapter. (2) Special reserve for nonconforming investments... an additional special reserve for investments if those credit unions are permitted by their...

  8. Longitudinal Outcomes of U.S. Air Force Pilot Applicants With Waivered Astigmatism.

    PubMed

    Andrus, David E; Haynes, Jared T; Wright, Steven T

    2017-03-01

    Current U.S. Air Force medical standards allow applicants to enter pilot training with up to 1.50 D of astigmatism. However, waivers are considered for individuals with up to 3.00 D of astigmatism. Although typically a benign finding, higher levels of astigmatism may be progressive and can be associated with corneal ectasia (e.g., keratoconus or pellucid marginal degeneration) leading to reduced visual acuity with spectacles and/or soft contact lenses. The goal of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of pilot applicants waivered into training with astigmatism exceeding the aeromedical standard. Subjects were identified on the basis of their enrollment in the Excessive Astigmatism Management Group maintained by the Aeromedical Consultation Service, Ophthalmology branch at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Metrics evaluated included refractive status, visual acuity, aeromedical waiver status, safety data, and the development of corneal ectasia. Seventy-six subjects were tracked for up to 10 years, with an average follow-up period of 5.5 years. Mean astigmatism at initial examination was 1.91 D, although mean astigmatism on the basis of the most recent examination was 2.19 D. Subjects with excessive astigmatism who were waivered into pilot training showed an average increase in astigmatism of slightly less than 0.05 D annually, which equates to a total increase in astigmatism of approximately 0.25 D for the duration of the study. No subjects developed ectasia or were disqualified from flying for vision or refractive reasons. No mishaps were identified with vision being a causative or contributing factor. This study supports continuation of current Air Force waiver policy, although a longer follow-up period is required to consider modifying the aeromedical standard for astigmatism. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

  9. Smoking as a risk factor for stroke in women compared with men: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 81 cohorts, including 3,980,359 individuals and 42,401 strokes.

    PubMed

    Peters, Sanne A E; Huxley, Rachel R; Woodward, Mark

    2013-10-01

    It is currently unknown whether the excess risk of stroke by smoking is the same for women and men. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the effect of smoking on stroke in women compared with men. PubMed MEDLINE was systematically searched for prospective population-based cohort studies published between January 1, 1966, and January 26, 2013. Studies that presented sex-specific estimates of the relative risk of stroke comparing current smoking with nonsmoking and its associated variability were selected. The sex-specific relative risks and their ratio (RRR), comparing women with men, were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis with inverse variance weighting. Similarly, the RRR for former versus never smoking was pooled. Data from 81 prospective cohort studies that included 3,980,359 individuals and 42,401 strokes were available. Smoking was an independent risk factor for stroke in both sexes. Overall, the pooled multiple-adjusted RRR indicated a similar risk of stroke associated with smoking in women compared with men (RRR, 1.06 [95% confidence interval, 0.99-1.13]). In a regional analysis, there was evidence of a more harmful effect of smoking in women than in men in Western (RRR, 1.10 [1.02-1.18)] but not in Asian (RRR, 0.97 [0.87-1.09]) populations. Compared with never-smokers, the beneficial effects of quitting smoking among former smokers on stroke risk were similar between the sexes (RRR, 1.10 [0.99-1.22]). Compared with nonsmokers, the excess risk of stroke is at least as great among women who smoke compared with men who smoke.

  10. Water oxidation by a nickel-glycine catalyst.

    PubMed

    Wang, Dong; Ghirlanda, Giovanna; Allen, James P

    2014-07-23

    The utilization of solar energy requires an efficient means for its storage as chemical energy. In bioinspired artificial photosynthesis, light energy can be used to drive water oxidation, but catalysts that produce molecular oxygen from water are needed to avoid excessive driving potentials. In this paper, we demonstrate the utility of a novel complex utilizing earth-abundant Ni in combination with glycine as an efficient catalyst with a modest overpotential of 0.475 ± 0.005 V at a current density of 1 mA/cm(2) at pH 11. Catalysis requires the presence of the amine moiety with the glycine most likely coordinating the Ni in a 4:1 molar ratio. The production of molecular oxygen at a high potential is verified by measurement of the change in oxygen concentration, yielding a Faradaic efficiency of 60 ± 5%. The catalytic species is most likely a heterogeneous Ni-hydroxide formed by electrochemical oxidation. This Ni species can achieve a current density of 4 mA/cm(2) that persists for at least 10 h. Based upon the observed pH dependence of the current amplitude and oxidation/reduction peaks, the catalytic mechanism is an electron-proton coupled process.

  11. Electron beam additive manufacturing with wire - Analysis of the process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weglowski, Marek St.; Błacha, Sylwester; Pilarczyk, Jan; Dutkiewicz, Jan; Rogal, Łukasz

    2018-05-01

    The electron beam additive manufacturing process with wire is a part of global trend to find fast and efficient methods for producing complex shapes elements from costly metal alloys such as stainless steels, nickel alloys, titanium alloys etc. whose production by other conventional technologies is unprofitable or technically impossible. Demand for additive manufacturing is linked to the development of new technologies in the automotive, aerospace and machinery industries. The aim of the presented work was to carried out research on electron beam additive manufacturing with a wire as a deposited (filler) material. The scope of the work was to investigate the influence of selected technological parameters such as: wire feed rate, beam current, travelling speed, acceleration voltage on stability of the deposition process and geometric dimensions of the padding welds. The research revealed that, at low beam currents, the deposition process is unstable. The padding weld reinforcement is non-uniform. Irregularity of the width, height and straightness of the padding welds can be observed. At too high acceleration voltage and beam current, burn-through of plate and excess penetration weld can be revealed. The achieved results and gained knowledge allowed to produce, based on EBAM with wire process, whole structure from stainless steel.

  12. Controlling Fringe Sensitivity of Electro-Optic Holography Systems Using Laser Diode Current Modulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bybee, Shannon J.

    2001-01-01

    Electro-Optic Holography (EOH) is a non-intrusive, laser-based, displacement measurement technique capable of static and dynamic displacement measurements. EOH is an optical interference technique in which fringe patterns that represent displacement contour maps are generated. At excessively large displacements the fringe density may be so great that individual fringes are not resolvable using typical EOH techniques. This thesis focuses on the development and implementation of a method for controlling the sensitivity of the EOH system. This method is known as Frequency Translated Electro-Optic Holography (FTEOH). It was determined that by modulating the current source of the laser diode at integer multiples of the object vibration, the fringe pattern is governed by higher order Bessel function of the first kind and the number of fringes that represent a given displacement can be controlled. The reduction of fringes is theoretically unlimited but physically limited by the frequency bandwidth of the signal generator, providing modulation to the laser diode. Although this research technique has been verified theoretically and experimentally in this thesis, due to the current laser diode capabilities it is a tedious and time consuming process to acquire data using the FTEOH technique.

  13. Principal sources and dispersal patterns of suspended particulate matter in nearshore surface waters of the northeast Pacific Ocean. [California coastal waters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carlson, P. R. (Principal Investigator); Janda, R. J.

    1973-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. Release-recovery paths of drift cards released in conjunction with ERTS-1 overflight show that nearshore surface currents along the central and northern California coast flowed southward at an average rate in excess of 10 cm/sec (8.5 km/day) during August and September 1973 (California Current). By the middle of October 1973, the nearshore surface currents had reversed and the dominant flow velocity was northward at an average rate in excess of 20 cm/sec (17 km/ day) (Davidson Current). The August-September data suggested the presence of counterclockwise gyres in Monterey Bay and the Gulf of the Farallones, but by the middle of October, the gyres were no longer evident. Imagery of April 1973 showed well developed plumes of suspended sediment in Monterey Bay from the Salinas River and in the Gulf of the Farallones from San Francisco Bay. ERTS-1 imagery provides an effective means of monitoring timber harvest in the redwood forest along the northern California coast. ERTS-1 imagery also clearly portrays contrasting topographic belts characterized by fluvial erosion and by mass movement. The most visually apparent and most persistent river mouth suspended sediment plumes are associated with those rivers that drain belts of topography that appear to have been eroded primarily by mass movement.

  14. Phase I (Year 1) Summary of Research--Establishing the Relationship between Fracture-Related Dolomite and Primary Rock Fabric on the Distribution of Reservoirs in the Michigan Basin

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

    G. Michael Grammer

    2005-11-09

    This topical report covers the first 12 months of the subject 3-year grant, evaluating the relationship between fracture-related dolomite and dolomite constrained by primary rock fabric in the 3 most prolific reservoir intervals in the Michigan Basin (Ordovician Trenton-Black River Formations; Silurian Niagara Group; and the Devonian Dundee Formation). Phase I tasks, including Developing a Reservoir Catalog for selected dolomite reservoirs in the Michigan Basin, Characterization of Dolomite Reservoirs in Representative Fields and Technology Transfer have all been initiated and progress is consistent with our original scheduling. The development of a reservoir catalog for the 3 subject formations in themore » Michigan Basin has been a primary focus of our efforts during Phase I. As part of this effort, we currently have scanned some 13,000 wireline logs, and compiled in excess of 940 key references and 275 reprints that cover reservoir aspects of the 3 intervals in the Michigan Basin. A summary evaluation of the data in these publications is currently ongoing, with the Silurian Niagara Group being handled as a first priority. In addition, full production and reservoir parameter data bases obtained from available data sources have been developed for the 3 intervals in Excel and Microsoft Access data bases. We currently have an excess of 25 million cells of data for wells in the Basin. All Task 2 objectives are on time and on target for Phase I per our original proposal. Our mapping efforts to date, which have focused in large part on the Devonian Dundee Formation, have important implications for both new exploration plays and improved enhanced recovery methods in the Dundee ''play'' in Michigan--i.e. the interpreted fracture-related dolomitization control on the distribution of hydrocarbon reservoirs. In an exploration context, high-resolution structure mapping using quality-controlled well data should provide leads to convergence zones of fault/fracture trends that are not necessarily related to structural elevation. Further work in Phase II will be focused on delineating the relative contribution to fracture-only dolomitization to that which occurs in conjunction with primary facies and/or sequence stratigraphic framework.« less

  15. Current Heavy Alcohol Consumption is Associated with Greater Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults

    PubMed Central

    Woods, Adam J.; Porges, Eric C.; Bryant, Vaughn E.; Seider, Talia; Gongvatana, Assawin; Kahler, Christopher W.; de la Monte, Suzanne; Monti, Peter M.; Cohen, Ronald A.

    2016-01-01

    Background The acute consumption of excessive quantities of alcohol causes well-recognized neurophysiological and cognitive alterations. As people reach advanced age, they are more prone to cognitive decline. To date, the interaction of current heavy alcohol (ETOH) consumption and aging remain unclear. The current paper tested the hypothesis that negative consequences of current heavy alcohol consumption on neurocognitive function are worse with advanced age. Further, we evaluated the relations between lifetime history of alcohol dependence and neurocognitive function Methods Sixty-six participants underwent a comprehensive neurocognitive battery. Current heavy ETOH drinkers were classified using NIAAA criteria (ETOH Heavy, n = 21) based on the Timeline follow-back and a structured clinical interview and compared to non-drinkers, and moderate drinkers (ETOH Low, n = 45). Fifty-three-point-three percent of the total population had a lifetime history of alcohol dependence. Neurocognitive data were grouped and analyzed relative to global and domain scores assessing: global cognitive function, attention/executive function, learning, memory, motor function, verbal function, and speed of processing. Results Heavy current ETOH consumption in older adults was associated with poorer global cognitive function, learning, memory, and motor function (p’s<.05). Furthermore, lifetime history of alcohol dependence was associated with poorer function in the same neurocognitive domains, in addition to the attention/executive domain, irrespective of age (p’s<.05). Conclusions These data suggest that while heavy current alcohol consumption is associated with significant impairment in a number of neurocognitive domains, history of alcohol dependence, even in the absence of heavy current alcohol use, is associated with lasting negative consequences for neurocognitive function. PMID:27658235

  16. Excess cost burden of diabetes in Southern India: a clinic-based, comparative cost-of-illness study.

    PubMed

    Sharma, K M; Ranjani, H; Zabetian, A; Datta, M; Deepa, M; Moses, C R Anand; Narayan, K M V; Mohan, V; Ali, M K

    2016-01-01

    There are few data on excess direct and indirect costs of diabetes in India and limited data on rural costs of diabetes. We aimed to further explore these aspects of diabetes burdens using a clinic-based, comparative cost-of-illness study. Persons with diabetes ( n  = 606) were recruited from government, private, and rural clinics and compared to persons without diabetes matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status ( n  = 356). We used interviewer-administered questionnaires to estimate direct costs (outpatient, inpatient, medication, laboratory, and procedures) and indirect costs [absence from (absenteeism) or low productivity at (presenteeism) work]. Excess costs were calculated as the difference between costs reported by persons with and without diabetes and compared across settings. Regression analyses were used to separately identify factors associated with total direct and indirect costs. Annual excess direct costs were highest amongst private clinic attendees (INR 19 552, US$425) and lowest amongst government clinic attendees (INR 1204, US$26.17). Private clinic attendees had the lowest excess absenteeism (2.36 work days/year) and highest presenteeism (0.06 work days/year) due to diabetes. Government clinic attendees reported the highest absenteeism (7.48 work days/year) and lowest presenteeism (-0.31 work days/year). Ten additional years of diabetes duration was associated with 11% higher direct costs ( p  < 0.001). Older age ( p  = 0.02) and longer duration of diabetes ( p  < 0.001) were associated with higher total lost work days. Excess health expenditures and lost productivity amongst individuals with diabetes are substantial and different across care settings. Innovative solutions are needed to cope with diabetes and its associated cost burdens in India.

  17. Spatially resolved estimation of ozone-related mortality in the United States under two representative concentration pathways (RCPs) and their uncertainty

    DOE PAGES

    Kim, Young-Min; Zhou, Ying; Gao, Yang; ...

    2014-11-16

    We report that the spatial pattern of the uncertainty in air pollution-related health impacts due to climate change has rarely been studied due to the lack of high-resolution model simulations, especially under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), the latest greenhouse gas emission pathways. We estimated future tropospheric ozone (O 3) and related excess mortality and evaluated the associated uncertainties in the continental United States under RCPs. Based on dynamically downscaled climate model simulations, we calculated changes in O 3 level at 12 km resolution between the future (2057 and 2059) and base years (2001–2004) under a low-to-medium emission scenario (RCP4.5)more » and a fossil fuel intensive emission scenario (RCP8.5). We then estimated the excess mortality attributable to changes in O 3. Finally, we analyzed the sensitivity of the excess mortality estimates to the input variables and the uncertainty in the excess mortality estimation using Monte Carlo simulations. O 3-related premature deaths in the continental U.S. were estimated to be 1312 deaths/year under RCP8.5 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 427 to 2198) and ₋2118 deaths/year under RCP4.5 (95 % CI: ₋3021 to ₋1216), when allowing for climate change and emissions reduction. The uncertainty of O 3-related excess mortality estimates was mainly caused by RCP emissions pathways. Finally, excess mortality estimates attributable to the combined effect of climate and emission changes on O 3 as well as the associated uncertainties vary substantially in space and so do the most influential input variables. Spatially resolved data is crucial to develop effective community level mitigation and adaptation policy.« less

  18. Spatially resolved estimation of ozone-related mortality in the United States under two representative concentration pathways (RCPs) and their uncertainty

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

    Kim, Young-Min; Zhou, Ying; Gao, Yang

    We report that the spatial pattern of the uncertainty in air pollution-related health impacts due to climate change has rarely been studied due to the lack of high-resolution model simulations, especially under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), the latest greenhouse gas emission pathways. We estimated future tropospheric ozone (O 3) and related excess mortality and evaluated the associated uncertainties in the continental United States under RCPs. Based on dynamically downscaled climate model simulations, we calculated changes in O 3 level at 12 km resolution between the future (2057 and 2059) and base years (2001–2004) under a low-to-medium emission scenario (RCP4.5)more » and a fossil fuel intensive emission scenario (RCP8.5). We then estimated the excess mortality attributable to changes in O 3. Finally, we analyzed the sensitivity of the excess mortality estimates to the input variables and the uncertainty in the excess mortality estimation using Monte Carlo simulations. O 3-related premature deaths in the continental U.S. were estimated to be 1312 deaths/year under RCP8.5 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 427 to 2198) and ₋2118 deaths/year under RCP4.5 (95 % CI: ₋3021 to ₋1216), when allowing for climate change and emissions reduction. The uncertainty of O 3-related excess mortality estimates was mainly caused by RCP emissions pathways. Finally, excess mortality estimates attributable to the combined effect of climate and emission changes on O 3 as well as the associated uncertainties vary substantially in space and so do the most influential input variables. Spatially resolved data is crucial to develop effective community level mitigation and adaptation policy.« less

  19. Mortality attributable to excess adiposity in England and Wales in 2003 and 2015: explorations with a spreadsheet implementation of the Comparative Risk Assessment methodology.

    PubMed

    Kelly, Christopher; Pashayan, Nora; Munisamy, Sreetharan; Powles, John W

    2009-06-30

    Our aim was to estimate the burden of fatal disease attributable to excess adiposity in England and Wales in 2003 and 2015 and to explore the sensitivity of the estimates to the assumptions and methods used. A spreadsheet implementation of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Comparative Risk Assessment (CRA) methodology for continuously distributed exposures was used. For our base case, adiposity-related risks were assumed to be minimal with a mean (SD) BMI of 21 (1) Kg m-2. All cause mortality risks for 2015 were taken from the Government Actuary and alternative compositions by cause derived. Disease-specific relative risks by BMI were taken from the CRA project and varied in sensitivity analyses. Under base case methods and assumptions for 2003, approximately 41,000 deaths and a loss of 1.05 years of life expectancy were attributed to excess adiposity. Seventy-seven percent of all diabetic deaths, 23% of all ischaemic heart disease deaths and 14% of all cerebrovascular disease deaths were attributed to excess adiposity. Predictions for 2015 were found to be more sensitive to assumptions about the future course of mortality risks for diabetes than to variation in the assumed trend in BMI. On less favourable assumptions the attributable loss of life expectancy in 2015 would rise modestly to 1.28 years. Excess adiposity appears to contribute materially but modestly to mortality risks in England and Wales and this contribution is likely to increase in the future. Uncertainty centres on future trends of associated diseases, especially diabetes. The robustness of these estimates is limited by the lack of control for correlated risks by stratification and by the empirical uncertainty surrounding the effects of prolonged excess adiposity beginning in adolescence.

  20. Macrophage Transactivation for Chemokine Production Identified as a Negative Regulator of Granulomatous Inflammation Using Agent-Based Modeling.

    PubMed

    Moyo, Daniel; Beattie, Lynette; Andrews, Paul S; Moore, John W J; Timmis, Jon; Sawtell, Amy; Hoehme, Stefan; Sampson, Adam T; Kaye, Paul M

    2018-01-01

    Cellular activation in trans by interferons, cytokines, and chemokines is a commonly recognized mechanism to amplify immune effector function and limit pathogen spread. However, an optimal host response also requires that collateral damage associated with inflammation is limited. This may be particularly so in the case of granulomatous inflammation, where an excessive number and/or excessively florid granulomas can have significant pathological consequences. Here, we have combined transcriptomics, agent-based modeling, and in vivo experimental approaches to study constraints on hepatic granuloma formation in a murine model of experimental leishmaniasis. We demonstrate that chemokine production by non-infected Kupffer cells in the Leishmania donovani -infected liver promotes competition with infected KCs for available iNKT cells, ultimately inhibiting the extent of granulomatous inflammation. We propose trans-activation for chemokine production as a novel broadly applicable mechanism that may operate early in infection to limit excessive focal inflammation.

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.
Top