GIS insulation co-ordination: On-site tests and dielectric diagnostic techniques, a utility point of view

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

Sabot, A.; Petit, A.; Taillebois, J.P.

1996-07-01

This paper summarizes the Electricite de France experience with insulation co-ordination of GIS. After a review of the insulation co-ordination practice mainly dealing with fast front overvoltage and the one minute AC test, some results of the on-site test procedure applied since 30 years are presented and related to the insulation co-ordination practice. The in-service return of experience dealing with dielectric failures is analyzed then the dielectric diagnostic techniques now available are briefly presented with their possibilities and limitations. According to this survey, the expectations of EDF from these diagnostic techniques as well as the new on-site test and on-linemore » monitoring tendencies at EDF are presented.« less

Use of social networking sites by parents of very low birth weight infants: experiences and the potential of a dedicated site.

PubMed

Gabbert, Tatjana I; Metze, Boris; Bührer, Christoph; Garten, Lars

2013-12-01

The objective of this study was to study the experiences of parents of preterm infants who use social networking sites and the potential of such sites for gathering information and facilitating personal exchange. An anonymous self-reporting questionnaire was administered to parents of infants below 1,500 g birth weight born between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 in two tertiary neonatal intensive care units. Of the 278 families who were sent a questionnaire, 141 responded; 53.6 % of respondents claimed to be presently members of online social networking sites. However, only 10.7 and 18.6 % used the Internet to exchange information about their infants during the NICU stay and after discharge, respectively. Most (64.0 %) responding parents considered that currently available commercial Internet sites inadequately met their need to exchange information as parents of preterm infants. Overall, 79.1 % of respondents reported that they would be interested in joining a native-language online networking site providing (1) general information on prematurity, (2) explanations of abbreviations commonly used in a hospital setting, and (3) details of common medical problems and the treatment thereof, including the availability of local therapists and follow-up services. Also, parents wanted to engage in personal exchange online not only with other parents but also with medical staff. The support of parents of hospitalized preterm infants by neonatal nurses and doctors could be extended by developing an expert-controlled, online networking site providing reliable and updated information and facilitating personal exchange among parents.

Application of geometric approximation to the CPMG experiment: Two- and three-site exchange.

PubMed

Chao, Fa-An; Byrd, R Andrew

2017-04-01

The Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) experiment is one of the most classical and well-known relaxation dispersion experiments in NMR spectroscopy, and it has been successfully applied to characterize biologically relevant conformational dynamics in many cases. Although the data analysis of the CPMG experiment for the 2-site exchange model can be facilitated by analytical solutions, the data analysis in a more complex exchange model generally requires computationally-intensive numerical analysis. Recently, a powerful computational strategy, geometric approximation, has been proposed to provide approximate numerical solutions for the adiabatic relaxation dispersion experiments where analytical solutions are neither available nor feasible. Here, we demonstrate the general potential of geometric approximation by providing a data analysis solution of the CPMG experiment for both the traditional 2-site model and a linear 3-site exchange model. The approximate numerical solution deviates less than 0.5% from the numerical solution on average, and the new approach is computationally 60,000-fold more efficient than the numerical approach. Moreover, we find that accurate dynamic parameters can be determined in most cases, and, for a range of experimental conditions, the relaxation can be assumed to follow mono-exponential decay. The method is general and applicable to any CPMG RD experiment (e.g. N, C', C α , H α , etc.) The approach forms a foundation of building solution surfaces to analyze the CPMG experiment for different models of 3-site exchange. Thus, the geometric approximation is a general strategy to analyze relaxation dispersion data in any system (biological or chemical) if the appropriate library can be built in a physically meaningful domain. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Dispersal-mediated effect of microhabitat availability and density dependence determine population dynamics of a forest floor web spider.

PubMed

Takada, Mayura B; Miyashita, Tadashi

2014-09-01

Landscapes in nature can be viewed as a continuum of small total habitable area with high fragmentation to widely spreading habitats. The dispersal-mediated rescue effect predominates in the former landscapes, while classical density-dependent processes generally prevail in widely spread habitats. A similar principle should be applied to populations of organisms utilizing microhabitats in limited supply. To test this hypothesis, we examined the population dynamics of a web spider, Neriene brongersmai, in 16 populations with varying degrees of microhabitat availability, and we explored whether: (i) high microhabitat availability improves survival rate during density-independent movement, while the resultant high density reduces survival rate in a density-dependent manner; and (ii) temporal population stability increases with microhabitat availability at the population level. Furthermore, we conducted two types of field experiments to verify whether high microhabitat availability actually reduces mortality associated with web-site movement. Field observations revealed that demographic change in N. brongersmai populations was affected by three factors at different stages, namely the microhabitat limitation from the early to late juvenile stages, the density dependence from the late juvenile to adult stages and the food limitation from the adult to the next early juvenile stages. In addition, there was a tendency for a positive association between population stability and microhabitat availability at the population level. A small-scale experiment, where the frequency of spider web relocation was equalized artificially, revealed that high microhabitat availability elevated the survival rate during a movement event between web-sites. The larger spatiotemporal scale experiment also revealed an improved spider survival rate following treatment with high microhabitat availability, even though spider density was kept at a relatively low level. The population dynamics of N. brongersmai can be determined primarily by density-independent processes based on web-site fragmentation and density-dependent processes driven by interference competition. We conclude that depending on the amount of habitat resources, the relative importance of the two contrasting paradigms-equilibrium and non-equilibrium-appears to vary, even within a particular system. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2014 British Ecological Society.

Comparison of Available Soil Nitrogen Assays in Control and Burned Forested Sites

Treesearch

Jennifer D. Knoepp; Wayne T. Swank

1995-01-01

The existence of several different methods for measuring net Nmineralization and nitrilkation rates and indexing N availability has raised questions about the comparability of these methods. We compared in situ covered cores, in situ buried bags, aerobic laboratory incubations, and tension lysimetry on control and treated plots of a prescribed burn experiment in the...

Why Caspar Creek -- then and now?

Treesearch

Raymond M. Rice

1998-01-01

The results of every watershed experiment are a unique combination of the site, the weather, the questions asked, the quality of the data produced, and the quality of the analysis made of those data. These results narrow the scope of the environmental debate, but they will not alter the value systems of the debaters. By availing themselves of the available...

Geophysical constraints on contaminant transport modeling in a heterogeneous fluvial aquifer.

PubMed

Bowling, Jerry C; Zheng, Chunmiao; Rodriguez, Antonio B; Harry, Dennis L

2006-05-05

Approximately 3000 measurements of hydraulic conductivity in over 50 flowmeter boreholes were available at the Macro-Dispersion Experiment (MADE) site in Columbus, Mississippi, USA to quantify the heterogeneity in hydraulic conductivity at the site scale. This high-density measurement approach is perhaps infeasible for time and expense in typical groundwater remediation sites. A natural-gradient tracer experiment from the MADE site was simulated by a groundwater flow and solute transport model incorporating direct-current (DC) resistivity data collected over the observed plume location. Hydraulic conductivity from one borehole collected during the original site characterization was used to calibrate the electrical resistivity data to hydraulic conductivity using a previously derived log-log relationship. Application of this relationship, using site-specific empirical constants determined from the data, transforms the 3D electrical resistivity data into a 3D description of hydraulic conductivity that can be used in groundwater models. The validity of this approach was tested by using the geophysically derived hydraulic conductivity representation in numerical simulations of the natural-gradient tracer experiment. The agreement between the simulated and observed tracer plumes was quantified to gauge the effectiveness of geophysically derived and flowmeter based representations of the hydraulic conductivity field. This study demonstrates that a highly heterogeneous aquifer can be modeled with minimal hydrological data supplemented with geophysical data at least as well as previous models of the site using purely hydrologic data.

Improving site selection in clinical studies: a standardised, objective, multistep method and first experience results.

PubMed

Hurtado-Chong, Anahí; Joeris, Alexander; Hess, Denise; Blauth, Michael

2017-07-12

A considerable number of clinical studies experience delays, which result in increased duration and costs. In multicentre studies, patient recruitment is among the leading causes of delays. Poor site selection can result in low recruitment and bad data quality. Site selection is therefore crucial for study quality and completion, but currently no specific guidelines are available. Selection of sites adequate to participate in a prospective multicentre cohort study was performed through an open call using a newly developed objective multistep approach. The method is based on use of a network, definition of objective criteria and a systematic screening process. Out of 266 interested sites, 24 were shortlisted and finally 12 sites were selected to participate in the study. The steps in the process included an open call through a network, use of selection questionnaires tailored to the study, evaluation of responses using objective criteria and scripted telephone interviews. At each step, the number of candidate sites was quickly reduced leaving only the most promising candidates. Recruitment and quality of data went according to expectations in spite of the contracting problems faced with some sites. The results of our first experience with a standardised and objective method of site selection are encouraging. The site selection method described here can serve as a guideline for other researchers performing multicentre studies. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02297581. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Elastic extension of a local analysis facility on external clouds for the LHC experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciaschini, V.; Codispoti, G.; Rinaldi, L.; Aiftimiei, D. C.; Bonacorsi, D.; Calligola, P.; Dal Pra, S.; De Girolamo, D.; Di Maria, R.; Grandi, C.; Michelotto, D.; Panella, M.; Taneja, S.; Semeria, F.

2017-10-01

The computing infrastructures serving the LHC experiments have been designed to cope at most with the average amount of data recorded. The usage peaks, as already observed in Run-I, may however originate large backlogs, thus delaying the completion of the data reconstruction and ultimately the data availability for physics analysis. In order to cope with the production peaks, the LHC experiments are exploring the opportunity to access Cloud resources provided by external partners or commercial providers. In this work we present the proof of concept of the elastic extension of a local analysis facility, specifically the Bologna Tier-3 Grid site, for the LHC experiments hosted at the site, on an external OpenStack infrastructure. We focus on the Cloud Bursting of the Grid site using DynFarm, a newly designed tool that allows the dynamic registration of new worker nodes to LSF. In this approach, the dynamically added worker nodes instantiated on an OpenStack infrastructure are transparently accessed by the LHC Grid tools and at the same time they serve as an extension of the farm for the local usage.

Videoconferencing at psychology internships: interns' perceptions of interactive television experiences and prospects.

PubMed

Yozwiak, John A; Robiner, William N; Victor, Andrea M; Durmusoglu, Gokce

2010-09-01

This article reviews the use and perceptions of videoconferencing in psychology internship training from the perspective of interns. Videoconferencing offers a means of expanding training beyond conventional on-site models. Psychology interns completed an online survey about their experiences with videoconferencing and perspectives of its impact on training. Most participants encountered it in their didactics. Some used it for supervision or other purposes. Interns' perspectives were complex, with videoconferencing seen as supporting learning similar to conventional training in some ways, yet as less desirable overall. Direct comparisons between videoconferencing and on-site training revealed interns perceived videoconferencing as somewhat less effective, and as deleteriously affecting learning dynamics. Challenges and potential benefits of incorporating videoconferencing into psychology internship training were identified. Potential benefits include augmenting available internship training and increasing rural sites' access to training.

ExpEdit: a webserver to explore human RNA editing in RNA-Seq experiments.

PubMed

Picardi, Ernesto; D'Antonio, Mattia; Carrabino, Danilo; Castrignanò, Tiziana; Pesole, Graziano

2011-05-01

ExpEdit is a web application for assessing RNA editing in human at known or user-specified sites supported by transcript data obtained by RNA-Seq experiments. Mapping data (in SAM/BAM format) or directly sequence reads [in FASTQ/short read archive (SRA) format] can be provided as input to carry out a comparative analysis against a large collection of known editing sites collected in DARNED database as well as other user-provided potentially edited positions. Results are shown as dynamic tables containing University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) links for a quick examination of the genomic context. ExpEdit is freely available on the web at http://www.caspur.it/ExpEdit/.

Patient Experiences of Decentralized HIV Treatment and Care in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Kolawole, Grace O.; Gilbert, Hannah N.; Dadem, Nancin Y.; Genberg, Becky L.; Agbaji, Oche O.

2017-01-01

Background. Decentralization of care and treatment for HIV infection in Africa makes services available in local health facilities. Decentralization has been associated with improved retention and comparable or superior treatment outcomes, but patient experiences are not well understood. Methods. We conducted a qualitative study of patient experiences in decentralized HIV care in Plateau State, north central Nigeria. Five decentralized care sites in the Plateau State Decentralization Initiative were purposefully selected. Ninety-three patients and 16 providers at these sites participated in individual interviews and focus groups. Data collection activities were audio-recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were inductively content analyzed to derive descriptive categories representing patient experiences of decentralized care. Results. Patient participants in this study experienced the transition to decentralized care as a series of “trade-offs.” Advantages cited included saving time and money on travel to clinic visits, avoiding dangers on the road, and the “family-like atmosphere” found in some decentralized clinics. Disadvantages were loss of access to ancillary services, reduced opportunities for interaction with providers, and increased risk of disclosure. Participants preferred decentralized services overall. Conclusion. Difficulty and cost of travel remain a fundamental barrier to accessing HIV care outside urban centers, suggesting increased availability of community-based services will be enthusiastically received. PMID:28331636

Patient Experiences of Decentralized HIV Treatment and Care in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Kolawole, Grace O; Gilbert, Hannah N; Dadem, Nancin Y; Genberg, Becky L; Agaba, Patricia A; Okonkwo, Prosper; Agbaji, Oche O; Ware, Norma C

2017-01-01

Background. Decentralization of care and treatment for HIV infection in Africa makes services available in local health facilities. Decentralization has been associated with improved retention and comparable or superior treatment outcomes, but patient experiences are not well understood. Methods. We conducted a qualitative study of patient experiences in decentralized HIV care in Plateau State, north central Nigeria. Five decentralized care sites in the Plateau State Decentralization Initiative were purposefully selected. Ninety-three patients and 16 providers at these sites participated in individual interviews and focus groups. Data collection activities were audio-recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were inductively content analyzed to derive descriptive categories representing patient experiences of decentralized care. Results. Patient participants in this study experienced the transition to decentralized care as a series of "trade-offs." Advantages cited included saving time and money on travel to clinic visits, avoiding dangers on the road, and the "family-like atmosphere" found in some decentralized clinics. Disadvantages were loss of access to ancillary services, reduced opportunities for interaction with providers, and increased risk of disclosure. Participants preferred decentralized services overall. Conclusion. Difficulty and cost of travel remain a fundamental barrier to accessing HIV care outside urban centers, suggesting increased availability of community-based services will be enthusiastically received.

Traffic-based feedback on the web.

PubMed

Aizen, Jonathan; Huttenlocher, Daniel; Kleinberg, Jon; Novak, Antal

2004-04-06

Usage data at a high-traffic web site can expose information about external events and surges in popularity that may not be accessible solely from analyses of content and link structure. We consider sites that are organized around a set of items available for purchase or download, consider, for example, an e-commerce site or collection of online research papers, and we study a simple indicator of collective user interest in an item, the batting average, defined as the fraction of visits to an item's description that result in an acquisition of that item. We develop a stochastic model for identifying points in time at which an item's batting average experiences significant change. In experiments with usage data from the Internet Archive, we find that such changes often occur in an abrupt, discrete fashion, and that these changes can be closely aligned with events such as the highlighting of an item on the site or the appearance of a link from an active external referrer. In this way, analyzing the dynamics of item popularity at an active web site can help characterize the impact of a range of events taking place both on and off the site.

Traffic-based feedback on the web

PubMed Central

Aizen, Jonathan; Huttenlocher, Daniel; Kleinberg, Jon; Novak, Antal

2004-01-01

Usage data at a high-traffic web site can expose information about external events and surges in popularity that may not be accessible solely from analyses of content and link structure. We consider sites that are organized around a set of items available for purchase or download, consider, for example, an e-commerce site or collection of online research papers, and we study a simple indicator of collective user interest in an item, the batting average, defined as the fraction of visits to an item's description that result in an acquisition of that item. We develop a stochastic model for identifying points in time at which an item's batting average experiences significant change. In experiments with usage data from the Internet Archive, we find that such changes often occur in an abrupt, discrete fashion, and that these changes can be closely aligned with events such as the highlighting of an item on the site or the appearance of a link from an active external referrer. In this way, analyzing the dynamics of item popularity at an active web site can help characterize the impact of a range of events taking place both on and off the site. PMID:14709676

On-Site Detection as a Countermeasure to Chemical Warfare/Terrorism.

PubMed

Seto, Y

2014-01-01

On-site monitoring and detection are necessary in the crisis and consequence management of wars and terrorism involving chemical warfare agents (CWAs) such as sarin. The analytical performance required for on-site detection is mainly determined by the fatal vapor concentration and volatility of the CWAs involved. The analytical performance for presently available on-site technologies and commercially available on-site equipment for detecting CWAs interpreted and compared in this review include: classical manual methods, photometric methods, ion mobile spectrometry, vibrational spectrometry, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, sensors, and other methods. Some of the data evaluated were obtained from our experiments using authentic CWAs. We concluded that (a) no technologies perfectly fulfill all of the on-site detection requirements and (b) adequate on-site detection requires (i) a combination of the monitoring-tape method and ion-mobility spectrometry for point detection and (ii) a combination of the monitoring-tape method, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry with counterflow introduction, and gas chromatography with a trap and special detectors for continuous monitoring. The basic properties of CWAs, the concept of on-site detection, and the sarin gas attacks in Japan as well as the forensic investigations thereof, are also explicated in this article. Copyright © 2014 Central Police University.

Lacie phase 1 Classification and Mensuration Subsystem (CAMS) rework experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chhikara, R. S.; Hsu, E. M.; Liszcz, C. J.

1976-01-01

An experiment was designed to test the ability of the Classification and Mensuration Subsystem rework operations to improve wheat proportion estimates for segments that had been processed previously. Sites selected for the experiment included three in Kansas and three in Texas, with the remaining five distributed in Montana and North and South Dakota. The acquisition dates were selected to be representative of imagery available in actual operations. No more than one acquisition per biophase were used, and biophases were determined by actual crop calendars. All sites were worked by each of four Analyst-Interpreter/Data Processing Analyst Teams who reviewed the initial processing of each segment and accepted or reworked it for an estimate of the proportion of small grains in the segment. Classification results, acquisitions and classification errors and performance results between CAMS regular and ITS rework are tabulated.

The potential of beech seedlings to adapt to low P availability in soil - plant versus microbial effects on P mobilising potential in the rhizosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meller, Sonia; Frey, Beat; Frossard, Emmanuel; Spohn, Marie; Schack-Kirchner, Helmer; Luster, Jörg

2016-04-01

The objective of our work was to investigate to what extent tree seedlings (Fagus sylvatica) are able to adapt the process of P mobilisation in the rhizosphere according to P speciation in the soil. Such mobilisation activity can include root exudation of P mobilising compounds or stimulation of specific P mobilising soil microbes. We hypothesized that Fagus sylvatica seedlings can adapt their own activity based on their P nutritional status and genetic memory of how to react under a given nutritional situation. To test the hypothesis, we set up a cross-growth experiment with beech of different provenances growing in soil from their own provenance site and in soil differing in P availability. Experiments were performed as a greenhouse experiment, with temperature control and natural light, during one vegetation period in rhizoboxes . We used two acidic forest soils, contrasting in P availability, collected at field sites of the German research priority program "Ecosystem Nutrition". Juvenile trees were collected along with the soils at the sites and planted respectively. The occurrence of P mobilising compounds and available P in the rhizosphere and in bulk soil were measured during the active growth season of the plants. In particular, we assessed phosphatase activity, (measured with zymography and plate enzymatic assay at pH 4,6.5, and 11) carboxylates and phosphate (measured by application of ion exchange membranes to specific soil micro zones, and by microdialysis), and pH (mapping with optodes). Plant P nutrition status was assessed by total P, N/P, phosphatase activity, and metabolic (TCA extractable) P in the leaves. The P-nutritional status of the beech provenances differed markedly independent from the P status of the soil where they were actually grown during experiment. In particular, the juvenile trees from the site rich in mineral P were sufficient in P, while those from the P-poor site with mostly organic P, were deficient. Enzymatic activity at the rhizoplane was mostly determined by the soil and was affected only to a small degree by plant provenance. On the other hand, plant provenance appeared to affect the occurrence of oxalate in the rhizosphere. The observed pH gradients near the root reflect the production of nitrate in the soil and the plant nitrate uptake. These results suggest, that the potential to hydrolyse organic P in the rhizosphere is mainly governed by the existing soil microbial community, while the plant itself actively influence the mobilisation of inorganic P by root exudation of carboxylates or possibly by stimulating the carboxylate exudation by specific microorganisms.

Salinity Effect on Adsorption of Nucleic Acids Compounds onto Montmorillonite: A Prebiotic Chemistry Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villafañe, S.; Baú, J.; Zaia, D.; Colín, M.; Negrón, A.; Heredia, A.

2017-07-01

Absorption of nucleic acids compounds in clay was studied using a primitive ocean analog. Results showed that the absorption process could be affected by high concentration of salts that are involved in the competition for available sites of mineral.

Neighborhood geographical factors and the presence of advanced community pharmacy practice sites in Greater Chicago.

PubMed

Johnson, Charisse L; Crawford, Stephanie Y; Lin, Swu-Jane; Salmon, J Warren; Smith, Miriam Mobley

2009-02-19

To determine the availability of experiential learning opportunities in culturally diverse areas and to identify opportunities and barriers to attract and sustain sites for the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy. Utilizing variables of census tract income, racial/ethnicity composition and crime index, data analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression. Faculty members involved in experiential education were interviewed to identify other factors influencing site placement and selection for community-based advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). Median family income and Asian population were significantly higher and black population was significantly lower in census tracts with community APPE sites than in census tracts without APPE sites (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the population variables of white and Latino populations and crime index. The Asian population variable was the only significant predictor of an APPE site (p = 0.0148) when controlling for other variables. Distance from the College, pharmacy staffing issues, goodwill, influence of district and corporate managers, and strategic initiatives were critical considerations in site establishment and overall sustainability. Advanced community pharmacy practice sites were fairly well distributed across metropolitan Chicago, indicating that exposure to diverse populations during the advanced community practice experiences parallels with strategic College objectives of expanding and diversifying experiential sites to enhance pharmacy students' abilities to meet emerging patient care challenges and opportunities.

TopHat: discovering splice junctions with RNA-Seq

PubMed Central

Trapnell, Cole; Pachter, Lior; Salzberg, Steven L.

2009-01-01

Motivation: A new protocol for sequencing the messenger RNA in a cell, known as RNA-Seq, generates millions of short sequence fragments in a single run. These fragments, or ‘reads’, can be used to measure levels of gene expression and to identify novel splice variants of genes. However, current software for aligning RNA-Seq data to a genome relies on known splice junctions and cannot identify novel ones. TopHat is an efficient read-mapping algorithm designed to align reads from an RNA-Seq experiment to a reference genome without relying on known splice sites. Results: We mapped the RNA-Seq reads from a recent mammalian RNA-Seq experiment and recovered more than 72% of the splice junctions reported by the annotation-based software from that study, along with nearly 20 000 previously unreported junctions. The TopHat pipeline is much faster than previous systems, mapping nearly 2.2 million reads per CPU hour, which is sufficient to process an entire RNA-Seq experiment in less than a day on a standard desktop computer. We describe several challenges unique to ab initio splice site discovery from RNA-Seq reads that will require further algorithm development. Availability: TopHat is free, open-source software available from http://tophat.cbcb.umd.edu Contact: cole@cs.umd.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:19289445

NASA's participation in the AVE-SESAME '79 program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, K.; Turner, R. E.; Wilson, G. S.

1979-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center participated with its AVE (Atmospheric Variability Experiment) in a large interagency mesoscale and severe storms experiment identified herein as AVE-SESAME '79 (Atmospheric Variability Experiment-Severe Environmental Storms and Mesoscale Experiment 1979). A primary objective of NASA was to support an effort to acquire carefully edited sets of rawinsonde data during selected severe weather events for use in correlative and diagnostic studies with satellite and radar data obtained at approximately the same times. Data were acquired during six individual 24-h experiments on both the regional and storm scales over a network in the central United States that utilized approximately 20 supplemental rawinsonde sites meshed among 23 standard National Weather Service sites. Included among the six experiments are data obtained between 1200 GMT on April 10 and 1200 GMT on April 11, encompassing the formation and development period for the tornado-producing systems that devastated Wichita Falls, Texas, and other sections of Oklahoma and Texas. The other dates for which data sets are available are April 19-20 and 25-26, May 9-10 and 20-21, and June 7-8, 1979.

Using OSG Computing Resources with (iLC)Dirac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sailer, A.; Petric, M.; CLICdp Collaboration

2017-10-01

CPU cycles for small experiments and projects can be scarce, thus making use of all available resources, whether dedicated or opportunistic, is mandatory. While enabling uniform access to the LCG computing elements (ARC, CREAM), the DIRAC grid interware was not able to use OSG computing elements (GlobusCE, HTCondor-CE) without dedicated support at the grid site through so called ‘SiteDirectors’, which directly submit to the local batch system. This in turn requires additional dedicated effort for small experiments on the grid site. Adding interfaces to the OSG CEs through the respective grid middleware is therefore allowing accessing them within the DIRAC software without additional site-specific infrastructure. This enables greater use of opportunistic resources for experiments and projects without dedicated clusters or an established computing infrastructure with the DIRAC software. To allow sending jobs to HTCondor-CE and legacy Globus computing elements inside DIRAC the required wrapper classes were developed. Not only is the usage of these types of computing elements now completely transparent for all DIRAC instances, which makes DIRAC a flexible solution for OSG based virtual organisations, but it also allows LCG Grid Sites to move to the HTCondor-CE software, without shutting DIRAC based VOs out of their site. In these proceedings we detail how we interfaced the DIRAC system to the HTCondor-CE and Globus computing elements and explain the encountered obstacles and solutions developed, and how the linear collider community uses resources in the OSG.

Road-map to plan and structure the preliminary site investigation program for a geological repository in Japan

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

Deguchi, Akira; Tsuchi, Hiroyuki; Kitayama, Kazumi

2007-07-01

Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: A stepwise site selection process has been adopted for geological disposal of HLW in Japan. Literature surveys (LS), followed by preliminary investigations (PI) and, finally, detailed investigations (DI) in underground facilities will be carried out in the successive selection stages. In the PI stage, surface-based investigations such as borehole surveys and geophysical prospecting will be implemented with two main objectives. The first is to obtain information relating to legal requirements on siting, such as the occurrence of igneous or fault activity, and to confirm the extremely low likelihood of adversemore » impacts on the candidate site resulting from such phenomena. The second is to obtain the information required for the design and performance assessment of the engineered barrier system and the repository. In order to implement these preliminary investigations rigorously and efficiently within the constraints of a limited time period, budget and resources, PI planning before commencing investigations and on-site PI management during the investigation phase are very important issues. The planning and management of PI have to be performed by NUMO staff, but not all staff have sufficient experience in the range of disciplines involved. NUMO therefore decided to compile existing knowledge and experience in the planning and management of investigations in the form of manuals to be used to improve and maintain internal expertise. Experts with experience in overseas investigation programs were requested to prepare these manuals. This paper outlines the structure and scope of the upper level manual (road-map) and discusses NUMO's experience in applying it in 'dry-runs' to model sites. (authors)« less

AmeriFlux Site and Data Exploration System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krassovski, M.; Boden, T.; Yang, B.; Jackson, B.

2011-12-01

The AmeriFlux network was established in 1996. The network provides continuous observations of ecosystem-level exchanges of CO2, water, energy and momentum spanning diurnal, synoptic, seasonal, and interannual time scales. The current network, including both active and inactive sites, consists of 141 sites in North, Central, and South America. The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) provides data management support for the AmeriFlux network including long-term data storage and dissemination. AmeriFlux offers a broad suite of value-added data products: Level 1 data products at 30 minute or hourly time intervals provided by the site teams, Level 2 data processed by CDIAC and Level 3 and 4 files created using CarboEurope algorithms. CDIAC has developed a relational database to house the vast array of AmeriFlux data and information and a web-based interface to the database, the AmeriFlux Site and Data Exploration System (http://ameriflux.ornl.gov), to help users worldwide identify, and more recently, download desired AmeriFlux data. AmeriFlux and CDIAC offer numerous value-added AmeriFlux data products (i.e., Level 1-4 data products, biological data) and most of these data products are or will be available through the new data system. Vital site information (e.g., location coordinates, dominant species, land-use history) is also displayed in the new system. The data system provides numerous ways to explore and extract data. Searches can be done by site, location, measurement status, available data products, vegetation types, and by reported measurements just to name a few. Data can be accessed through the links to full data sets reported by a site, organized by types of data products, or by creating customized datasets based on user search criteria. The new AmeriFlux download module contains features intended to ease compliance of the AmeriFlux fair-use data policy, acknowledge the contributions of submitting investigators, inform AmeriFlux investigators of users of their data, and facilitate meaningful usage statistics. Comprehensive site descriptions are available via the same interface along with site-related publications and data visualization functionality. This presentation reflects the present state and functionality of the AmeriFlux Site and Data Exploration System as well as future plans for expansion. For example, future plans call for expansion of the relational database to house similar data from large-scale ecosystem experiments (e.g., FACE, NGEE - Next Generation Ecosystem Experiment) and inclusion of enhanced query capabilities (e.g., sorting data via day and night).

Tyrosine411 and Arginine410 of Human Serum Albumin Play an Important Role in the Binding of Sodium 4-Phenylbutyrate to Site II.

PubMed

Enokida, Taisuke; Yamasaki, Keishi; Okamoto, Yuko; Taguchi, Kazuaki; Ishiguro, Takako; Maruyama, Toru; Seo, Hakaru; Otagiri, Masaki

2016-06-01

Sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (PB) has many pharmacological activities; therefore extending its clinical use to the treatment of a wider variety of diseases would be desirable. However, our knowledge of the binding of PB to plasma proteins is not extensive. To address this issue in more detail, we characterized the protein binding of PB. Binding experiments showed that PB mainly binds to human serum albumin (HSA) in plasma. PB was also found to bind to a single site on HSA, which was identified as site II by fluorescent probe displacement experiment. Furthermore, an appropriate alkyl chain length and a carboxylic group in the PB structure were required for PB binding to HSA, suggesting that hydrophobic (and van der Waals) and electrostatic interactions are involved as binding modes. The contributions of hydrogen bonding and/or van der Waals interactions were also indicated by thermodynamic analyses. Tyrosine411 and arginine410 were identified as being involved in the binding of PB to site II, based on binding experiments using chemically modified- and mutant-HSA preparations. In conclusion, the available evidence indicates that PB binds to site II of HSA with assistance by multiple forces and that tyrosine411 and arginine410 both play important roles in this phenomenon. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cost And Performance Report Evaluating the Longevity and Hydraulic Performance of Permeable Reactive Barriers at Department of Defense Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-12-01

construction methods, such as jetting, hydraulic fracturing , and vibratory beam, have been demonstrated at some sites, as they offer some cost... hydraulic fracturing , are available, but there is not as much widespread experience yet with these techniques for PRBs. Also, these innovative... hydraulic fracturing ) can be used at relatively higher cost. The cost comparison of a PRB versus an active remedy, such as a pump-and-treat system, often

MPL-Net data products available at co-located AERONET sites and field experiment locations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welton, E. J.; Campbell, J. R.; Berkoff, T. A.

2002-05-01

Micro-pulse lidar (MPL) systems are small, eye-safe lidars capable of profiling the vertical distribution of aerosol and cloud layers. There are now over 20 MPL systems around the world, and they have been used in numerous field experiments. A new project was started at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in 2000. The new project, MPL-Net, is a coordinated network of long-time MPL sites. The network also supports a limited number of field experiments each year. Most MPL-Net sites and field locations are co-located with AERONET sunphotometers. At these locations, the AERONET and MPL-Net data are combined together to provide both column and vertically resolved aerosol and cloud measurements. The MPL-Net project coordinates the maintenance and repair for all instruments in the network. In addition, data is archived and processed by the project using common, standardized algorithms that have been developed and utilized over the past 10 years. These procedures ensure that stable, calibrated MPL systems are operating at sites and that the data quality remains high. Rigorous uncertainty calculations are performed on all MPL-Net data products. Automated, real-time level 1.0 data processing algorithms have been developed and are operational. Level 1.0 algorithms are used to process the raw MPL data into the form of range corrected, uncalibrated lidar signals. Automated, real-time level 1.5 algorithms have also been developed and are now operational. Level 1.5 algorithms are used to calibrate the MPL systems, determine cloud and aerosol layer heights, and calculate the optical depth and extinction profile of the aerosol boundary layer. The co-located AERONET sunphotometer provides the aerosol optical depth, which is used as a constraint to solve for the extinction-to-backscatter ratio and the aerosol extinction profile. Browse images and data files are available on the MPL-Net web-site. An overview of the processing algorithms and initial results from selected sites and field experiments will be presented. The capability of the MPL-Net project to produce automated real-time (next day) profiles of aerosol extinction will be shown. Finally, early results from Level 2.0 and Level 3.0 algorithms currently under development will be presented. The level 3.0 data provide continuous (day/night) retrievals of multiple aerosol and cloud heights, and optical properties of each layer detected.

Clinical trial allocation in multinational pharmaceutical companies - a qualitative study on influential factors.

PubMed

Dombernowsky, Tilde; Haedersdal, Merete; Lassen, Ulrik; Thomsen, Simon F

2017-06-01

Clinical trial allocation in multinational pharmaceutical companies includes country selection and site selection. With emphasis on site selection, the overall aim of this study was to examine which factors pharmaceutical companies value most when allocating clinical trials. The specific aims were (1) to identify key decision makers during country and site selection, respectively, (2) to evaluate by which parameters subsidiaries are primarily assessed by headquarters with regard to conducting clinical trials, and (3) to evaluate which site-related qualities companies value most when selecting trial sites. Eleven semistructured interviews were conducted among employees engaged in trial allocation at 11 pharmaceutical companies. The interviews were analyzed by deductive content analysis, which included coding of data to a categorization matrix containing categories of site-related qualities. The results suggest that headquarters and regional departments are key decision makers during country selection, whereas subsidiaries decide on site selection. Study participants argued that headquarters primarily value timely patient recruitment and quality of data when assessing subsidiaries. The site-related qualities most commonly emphasized during interviews were study population availability, timely patient recruitment, resources at the site, and site personnel's interest and commitment. Costs of running the trials were described as less important. Site personnel experience in conducting trials was described as valuable but not imperative. In conclusion, multinational pharmaceutical companies consider recruitment-related factors as crucial when allocating clinical trials. Quality of data and site personnel's interest and commitment are also essential, whereas costs seem less important. While valued, site personnel experience in conducting clinical trials is not imperative.

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

Maheras, Steven J.; Best, Ralph E.; Ross, Steven B.

A preliminary evaluation of removing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from 13 shutdown nuclear power reactor sites was conducted. At these shutdown sites the nuclear power reactors have been permanently shut down and the sites have been decommissioned or are undergoing decommissioning. The shutdown sites were Maine Yankee, Yankee Rowe, Connecticut Yankee, Humboldt Bay, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Trojan, La Crosse, Zion, Crystal River, Kewaunee, San Onofre, and Vermont Yankee. The evaluation was divided into four components: (1) characterization of the SNF and greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste (GTCC waste) inventory, (2) a description of the on-site infrastructure and conditionsmore » relevant to transportation of SNF and GTCC waste, (3) an evaluation of the near-site transportation infrastructure and experience relevant to shipping transportation casks containing SNF and GTCC waste, including identification of gaps in information, and (4) an evaluation of the actions necessary to prepare for and remove SNF and GTCC waste. Every site was found to have at least one off-site transportation mode option for removing its SNF and GTCC waste; some have multiple options. Experience removing large components during reactor decommissioning provided an important source of information used to identify the transportation mode options for the sites. Especially important in conducting the evaluation were site visits, through which information was obtained that would not have been available otherwise. Extensive photographs taken during the site visits proved to be particularly useful in documenting the current conditions at or near the sites. It is expected that additional site visits will be conducted to add to the information presented in the evaluation.« less

Savannah River Site Operating Experience with Transuranic (TRU) Waste Retrieval

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

Stone, K.A.; Milner, T.N.

2006-07-01

Drums of TRU Waste have been stored at the Savannah River Site (SRS) on concrete pads from the 1970's through the 1980's. These drums were subsequently covered with tarpaulins and then mounded over with dirt. Between 1996 and 2000 SRS ran a successful retrieval campaign and removed some 8,800 drums, which were then available for venting and characterization for WIPP disposal. Additionally, a number of TRU Waste drums, which were higher in activity, were stored in concrete culverts, as required by the Safety Analysis for the Facility. Retrieval of drums from these culverts has been ongoing since 2002. This papermore » will describe the operating experience and lessons learned from the SRS retrieval activities. (authors)« less

Evaluation of the feasibility of using the data collection system to operate a network of hydrological and climatological stations at sites remote from normal communication links

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perrier, R. (Principal Investigator)

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The General Electric DCP has proven to be a versatile, rugged piece of hardware and has surpassed original expectation; it is very simple to use and does not require skilled staff for its use, installation, and operation. It is well suited for use in remote sites where no power is available. From this experience, it is concluded that the data collection system will be very useful in operating a network of hydrometeorological stations situated in sites remote from normal communication links.

STS payload data collection and accommodations analysis study. Volume 3: Accommodations analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

Payload requirements were compared to launch site accommodations and flight accommodations for a number of Spacelab payloads. Experiment computer operating system accommodations were also considered. A summary of accommodations in terms of resources available for payload discretionary use and recommendations for Spacelab/STS accommodation improvements are presented.

The uncertainty of biodegradation rate constants of emerging organic compounds in soil and groundwater - A compilation of literature values for 82 substances.

PubMed

Greskowiak, Janek; Hamann, Enrico; Burke, Victoria; Massmann, Gudrun

2017-12-01

The present study reports on biodegradation rate constants of emerging organic compounds (EOCs) in soil and groundwater available in the literature. The major aim of this compilation was to provide an assessment of the uncertainty of hydrological models with respect to the fate of EOCs. The literature search identified a total number of 82 EOCs for which 1st-order rate constants could be derived. It was found that for the majority of compounds degradation rate constants vary over more than three orders of magnitude. Correlation to factors that are well known to affect the degradation rate, such as temperature or redox condition was weak. No correlation at all was found with results from available quantitative structure-activity relationship models. This suggests that many unknown site specific or experimentally specific factors influence the degradation behavior of EOCs in the environment. Thus, local and catchment scale predictive models to estimate EOC concentration at receptors, e.g., receiving waters or drinking water wells, need to consider the large uncertainty in 1st-order rate constants. As a consequence, applying rate constants that were derived from one experiment or field site investigation to other experiments or field sites should be done with extreme caution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do differences in understory light contribute to species distributions along a tropical rainfall gradient?

PubMed

Brenes-Arguedas, T; Roddy, A B; Coley, P D; Kursar, Thomas A

2011-06-01

In tropical forests, regional differences in annual rainfall correlate with differences in plant species composition. Although water availability is clearly one factor determining species distribution, other environmental variables that covary with rainfall may contribute to distributions. One such variable is light availability in the understory, which decreases towards wetter forests due to differences in canopy density and phenology. We established common garden experiments in three sites along a rainfall gradient across the Isthmus of Panama in order to measure the differences in understory light availability, and to evaluate their influence on the performance of 24 shade-tolerant species with contrasting distributions. Within sites, the effect of understory light availability on species performance depended strongly on water availability. When water was not limiting, either naturally in the wetter site or through water supplementation in drier sites, seedling performance improved at higher light. In contrast, when water was limiting at the drier sites, seedling performance was reduced at higher light, presumably due to an increase in water stress that affected mostly wet-distribution species. Although wetter forest understories were on average darker, wet-distribution species were not more shade-tolerant than dry-distribution species. Instead, wet-distribution species had higher absolute growth rates and, when water was not limiting, were better able to take advantage of small increases in light than dry-distribution species. Our results suggest that in wet forests the ability to grow fast during temporary increases in light may be a key trait for successful recruitment. The slower growth rates of the dry-distribution species, possibly due to trade-offs associated with greater drought tolerance, may exclude these species from wetter forests.

Radiological investigations at the "Taiga" nuclear explosion site: Site description and in situ measurements.

PubMed

Ramzaev, V; Repin, V; Medvedev, A; Khramtsov, E; Timofeeva, M; Yakovlev, V

2011-07-01

In the summer of 2009, we performed a field survey of the "Taiga" peaceful underground nuclear explosion site, the Perm region, Russia (61.30° N, 56.60° E). The explosion was carried out by the USSR in 1971. This paper provides an extended summary of the available published data on the "Taiga" experiment. A detailed description of the site is illustrated by original aerial and ground-level photos. A large artificial lake (700 m long and 350 m wide) currently occupies the central area of the experimental site. The ground lip surrounding the lake is covered by a newly grown mixed forest. In situ measurements, performed in August 2009, revealed elevated levels of the γ-ray dose rate in air on the banks of the lake "Taiga". Two hot spots were detected on the eastern bank of the lake. The excess of the γ-ray radiation is attributable to the man-made radionuclides (60)Co and (137)Cs. The current external γ-ray dose rate to a human from the contaminations associated with the "Taiga" experiment was between 9 and 70 μSv per week. Periodic monitoring the site is recommended. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurements and simulation of forest leaf area index and net primary productivity in Northern China.

PubMed

Wang, P; Sun, R; Hu, J; Zhu, Q; Zhou, Y; Li, L; Chen, J M

2007-11-01

Large scale process-based modeling is a useful approach to estimate distributions of global net primary productivity (NPP). In this paper, in order to validate an existing NPP model with observed data at site level, field experiments were conducted at three sites in northern China. One site is located in Qilian Mountain in Gansu Province, and the other two sites are in Changbaishan Natural Reserve and Dunhua County in Jilin Province. Detailed field experiments are discussed and field data are used to validate the simulated NPP. Remotely sensed images including Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+, 30 m spatial resolution in visible and near infrared bands) and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER, 15m spatial resolution in visible and near infrared bands) are used to derive maps of land cover, leaf area index, and biomass. Based on these maps, field measured data, soil texture and daily meteorological data, NPP of these sites are simulated for year 2001 with the boreal ecosystem productivity simulator (BEPS). The NPP in these sites ranges from 80 to 800 gCm(-2)a(-1). The observed NPP agrees well with the modeled NPP. This study suggests that BEPS can be used to estimate NPP in northern China if remotely sensed images of high spatial resolution are available.

Developing Health Promotion Interventions on Social Networking Sites: Recommendations from The FaceSpace Project

PubMed Central

Pedrana, Alisa E; Stoove, Mark A; Chang, Shanton; Howard, Steve; Asselin, Jason; Ilic, Olivia; Batrouney, Colin; Hellard, Margaret E

2012-01-01

Online social networking sites offer a novel setting for the delivery of health promotion interventions due to their potential to reach a large population and the possibility for two-way engagement. However, few have attempted to host interventions on these sites, or to use the range of interactive functions available to enhance the delivery of health-related messages. This paper presents lessons learnt from “The FaceSpace Project”, a sexual health promotion intervention using social networking sites targeting two key at-risk groups. Based on our experience, we make recommendations for developing and implementing health promotion interventions on these sites. Elements crucial for developing interventions include establishing a multidisciplinary team, allowing adequate time for obtaining approvals, securing sufficient resources for building and maintaining an online presence, and developing an integrated process and impact evaluation framework. With two-way interaction an important and novel feature of health promotion interventions in this medium, we also present strategies trialled to generate interest and engagement in our intervention. Social networking sites are now an established part of the online environment; our experience in developing and implementing a health promotion intervention using this medium are of direct relevance and utility for all health organizations creating a presence in this new environment. PMID:22374589

Lysine acetylation sites prediction using an ensemble of support vector machine classifiers.

PubMed

Xu, Yan; Wang, Xiao-Bo; Ding, Jun; Wu, Ling-Yun; Deng, Nai-Yang

2010-05-07

Lysine acetylation is an essentially reversible and high regulated post-translational modification which regulates diverse protein properties. Experimental identification of acetylation sites is laborious and expensive. Hence, there is significant interest in the development of computational methods for reliable prediction of acetylation sites from amino acid sequences. In this paper we use an ensemble of support vector machine classifiers to perform this work. The experimentally determined acetylation lysine sites are extracted from Swiss-Prot database and scientific literatures. Experiment results show that an ensemble of support vector machine classifiers outperforms single support vector machine classifier and other computational methods such as PAIL and LysAcet on the problem of predicting acetylation lysine sites. The resulting method has been implemented in EnsemblePail, a web server for lysine acetylation sites prediction available at http://www.aporc.org/EnsemblePail/. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A hard X-ray experiment for long-duration balloon flights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, W. N.; Kurfess, J. D.; Strickman, M. S.; Saulnier, D. M.

The Naval Research Lab has developed a balloon-borne hard X-ray experiment which is designed for 60- to 90-day flight durations soon to be available with around the world Sky Anchor or RACOON balloon flights. The experiment's scintillation detector is sensitive to the 15 - 250 keV X-ray energy range. The experiment includes three microcomputer systems which control the data acquisition and provide the orientation and navigation information required for global balloon flights. The data system supports global data communications utilizing the GOES satellite as well as high bit rate communications through L-band li line-of-site transmissions

UV-POSIT: Web-Based Tools for Rapid and Facile Structural Interpretation of Ultraviolet Photodissociation (UVPD) Mass Spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, Jake; Parker, W. Ryan; Cammarata, Michael B.; Brodbelt, Jennifer S.

2018-04-01

UV-POSIT (Ultraviolet Photodissociation Online Structure Interrogation Tools) is a suite of web-based tools designed to facilitate the rapid interpretation of data from native mass spectrometry experiments making use of 193 nm ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD). The suite includes four separate utilities which assist in the calculation of fragment ion abundances as a function of backbone cleavage sites and sequence position; the localization of charge sites in intact proteins; the calculation of hydrogen elimination propensity for a-type fragment ions; and mass-offset searching of UVPD spectra to identify unknown modifications and assess false positive fragment identifications. UV-POSIT is implemented as a Python/Flask web application hosted at http://uv-posit.cm.utexas.edu. UV-POSIT is available under the MIT license, and the source code is available at https://github.com/jarosenb/UV_POSIT. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Response of an algal assemblage to nutrient enrichment and shading in a Hawaiian stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stephens, S.H.; Brasher, A.M.D.; Smith, C.M.

2012-01-01

To investigate the effects of nitrate enrichment, phosphate enrichment, and light availability on benthic algae, nutrient-diffusing clay flowerpots were colonized with algae at two sites in a Hawaiian stream during spring and autumn 2002 using a randomized factorial design. The algal assemblage that developed under the experimental conditions was investigated by determining biomass (ash-free dry mass and chlorophyll a concentrations) and composition of the diatom assemblage. In situ pulse amplitude-modulated fluorometry was also used to model photosynthetic rate of the algal assemblage. Algal biomass and maximum photosynthetic rate were significantly higher at the unshaded site than at the shaded site. These parameters were higher at the unshaded site with either nitrate, or to a lesser degree, nitrate plus phosphate enrichment. Analysis of similarity of diatom assemblages showed significant differences between shaded and unshaded sites, as well as between spring and autumn experiments, but not between nutrient treatments. However, several individual species of diatoms responded significantly to nitrate enrichment. These results demonstrate that light availability (shaded vs. unshaded) is the primary limiting factor to algal growth in this stream, with nitrogen as a secondary limiting factor. ?? 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Serving Community College Students: Student Preparation, Development and Growth through the REU Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, C. S.; Osborn, J.; Smith, M.

2014-12-01

Effectively recruiting and engaging community college students in STEM research experiences is an increasingly important goal of the NSF but has not historically been the primary focus of most NSF-REU Site programs. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Earth and Environmental Sciences (SURFEES) program at Chapman University, a primarily undergraduate institution in Southern California, is the site of the first NSF-REU program in the NSF's Division of Earth Sciences that selects participants exclusively from local partnering community colleges. Building on and now running parallel with a successful internally-funded summer research program already in place and available only to Chapman undergraduates, the SURFEES program incorporates specific mentor and participant pre-experience training, pre-, mid-, and post-assessment instruments, and programming targeted to the earth and environmental sciences as well as to community college students. Perhaps most importantly, the application, selection and pairing of student participants with faculty mentors was conducted with specific goals of identifying those applicants with the greatest potential for a transformative experience while also meeting self-defined targets of under-represented minority, female, and low-income participants. Initial assessment results of the first participant cohort from summer 2014 and lessons learned for creating/adapting an NSF-REU site to involve community college students will be discussed.

Experience in Grid Site Testing for ATLAS, CMS and LHCb with HammerCloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmsheuser, Johannes; Medrano Llamas, Ramón; Legger, Federica; Sciabà, Andrea; Sciacca, Gianfranco; Úbeda García, Mario; van der Ster, Daniel

2012-12-01

Frequent validation and stress testing of the network, storage and CPU resources of a grid site is essential to achieve high performance and reliability. HammerCloud was previously introduced with the goals of enabling VO- and site-administrators to run such tests in an automated or on-demand manner. The ATLAS, CMS and LHCb experiments have all developed VO plugins for the service and have successfully integrated it into their grid operations infrastructures. This work will present the experience in running HammerCloud at full scale for more than 3 years and present solutions to the scalability issues faced by the service. First, we will show the particular challenges faced when integrating with CMS and LHCb offline computing, including customized dashboards to show site validation reports for the VOs and a new API to tightly integrate with the LHCbDIRAC Resource Status System. Next, a study of the automatic site exclusion component used by ATLAS will be presented along with results for tuning the exclusion policies. A study of the historical test results for ATLAS, CMS and LHCb will be presented, including comparisons between the experiments’ grid availabilities and a search for site-based or temporal failure correlations. Finally, we will look to future plans that will allow users to gain new insights into the test results; these include developments to allow increased testing concurrency, increased scale in the number of metrics recorded per test job (up to hundreds), and increased scale in the historical job information (up to many millions of jobs per VO).

Extension of drop experiments with the MIKROBA balloon drop facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sommer, K.; Kretzschmar, K.; Dorn, C.

1992-12-01

The German balloon drop facility MIKROBA extends the worldwide available drop experiment opportunities to the presently highest usable experimentation time span of 55 s at microgravity conditions better than 0.001 g. The microgravity period is started with the typical quasi-deal step function from 1 to 0 g. MIKROBA allows flexible experiment design, short access time, and easy hands-on payload integration. The transport to the operational height is realized by soft energies and technologies compatible with the earth's environment. Balloon campaigns are not restricted to a certain test range, i.e., several suitable sites are available all over the world. MIKROBA combines negligible mechanical loads at the mission start, typical of all drop facilities, with extremely low drop deceleration loads (less than g), due to the implemented three-stage parachute and airbag recovery subsystem.

78 FR 10649 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; BATS Y-Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-14

... Rule Change To Extend Pilot Program Related To Trading Pauses Due to Extraordinary Market Volatility... Volatility.'' The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange's Web site at http://www... specified Exchange Traded Products that experience rapid price movement.\\5\\ More recently, the Exchange...

The AP Descriptive Chemistry Question: Student Errors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crippen, Kent; Brooks, David W.

2005-01-01

For over a decade, the authors have been involved in a design theory experiment providing software for high school students preparing for the descriptive question on the Advanced Placement (AP) chemistry examination. Since 1997, the software has been available as a Web site offering repeatable practice. This study describes a 4-year project during…

Enhancing Survey Participation: Facebook Advertisements for Recruitment in Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forgasz, Helen; Tan, Hazel; Leder, Gilah; McLeod, Amber

2018-01-01

Surveys are commonly used to determine how people feel about a specific issue. The increasing availability of the internet and popularity of social networking sites have opened up new possibilities for conducting surveys and, with limited additional costs, enlarge the pool of volunteer respondents with the desired background, experience, or…

Seasonal Belowground Ecosystem and Eco-enzymatic Responses to Soil pH and Phosphorus Availability in Temperate Hardwood Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smemo, K. A.; Deforest, J. L.; Petersen, S. L.; Burke, D.; Hewins, C.; Kluber, L. A.; Kyker, S. R.

2013-12-01

Atmospheric acid deposition can increase phosphorus (P) limitation in temperate hardwood forests by increasing N availability, and therefore P demand, and/or by decreasing pH and occluding inorganic P. However, only recently have studies demonstrated that P limitation can occur in temperate forests and very little is known about the temporal aspects of P dynamics in acidic forest soils and how seasonal shifts in nutrient availability and demand influence microbial investment in extracellular enzymes. The objectives of this study were to investigate how P availability and soil pH influence seasonal patterns of nutrient cycling and soil microbial activity in hardwood forests that experience chronic acid deposition. We experimentally manipulated soil pH, P, or both for three years and examined soil treatment responses in fall, winter, spring, early summer, and late summer. We found that site (glaciated versus unglaciated) and treatment had the most significant influence on nutrient pools and cycling. In general, nutrient pools were higher in glaciated soils than unglaciated for measured nutrients, including total C and N (2-3 times higher), extractable inorganic nitrogen, and readily available P. Treatment had no impact on total C and N pools in either region, but did affect other measured nutrients such as ammonium, which was greatest in the elevated pH treatment for both sites. As expected, readily available P pools were highest in the elevated P treatments (3 fold increase in both sites), but raising pH decreased available P pools in the glaciated site. Raising soil pH increased both net N mineralization rates and net P mineralization rates, regardless of site. Nitrification responses were complex, but we observed an overall significant nitrification increase under elevated pH, particularly in the growing season. Extracellular enzyme activity showed more seasonal patterns than site and treatment effects, exhibiting significant growing season activity reductions for all enzymes measured. Phosphatase enzymes did not respond to our treatments and were generally greatest in the unglaciated soils, particularly in winter and spring. Enzyme stoichiometric relationships revealed that soil microbial populations in the glaciated site were consistently less P and N-limited than unglaciated sites but this difference was less pronounced during the growing season. The trajectory of nutrient limitation in response to soil pH and P availability was highly variable, but we observed that enzyme ratios in the early summer were particularly shifted relative to other seasons suggesting that both sites were increasingly P and N-limited during this period. Overall, our results suggest that ecosystem and microbial responses to soil pH and P availability vary with both season and site history and that more spatially and temporally explicit observations are needed to improve our understanding of ecosystem acidification, nutrient limitation, and the cost-benefit relationships of microbial investments in extracellular enzymes.

PhosphoSitePlus, 2014: mutations, PTMs and recalibrations

PubMed Central

Hornbeck, Peter V.; Zhang, Bin; Murray, Beth; Kornhauser, Jon M.; Latham, Vaughan; Skrzypek, Elzbieta

2015-01-01

PhosphoSitePlus® (PSP, http://www.phosphosite.org/), a knowledgebase dedicated to mammalian post-translational modifications (PTMs), contains over 330 000 non-redundant PTMs, including phospho, acetyl, ubiquityl and methyl groups. Over 95% of the sites are from mass spectrometry (MS) experiments. In order to improve data reliability, early MS data have been reanalyzed, applying a common standard of analysis across over 1 000 000 spectra. Site assignments with P > 0.05 were filtered out. Two new downloads are available from PSP. The ‘Regulatory sites’ dataset includes curated information about modification sites that regulate downstream cellular processes, molecular functions and protein-protein interactions. The ‘PTMVar’ dataset, an intersect of missense mutations and PTMs from PSP, identifies over 25 000 PTMVars (PTMs Impacted by Variants) that can rewire signaling pathways. The PTMVar data include missense mutations from UniPROTKB, TCGA and other sources that cause over 2000 diseases or syndromes (MIM) and polymorphisms, or are associated with hundreds of cancers. PTMVars include 18 548 phosphorlyation sites, 3412 ubiquitylation sites, 2316 acetylation sites, 685 methylation sites and 245 succinylation sites. PMID:25514926

Get connected: New Fall Meeting technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moscovitch, Mirelle

2012-11-01

Kick off your 2012 Fall Meeting experience today by joining the Fall Meeting Community, an interactive Web-based community. Whether you are attending this year's Fall Meeting or are just interested in learning more, this site can help you connect with colleagues, learn about the groundbreaking research and amazing programming being presented in San Francisco, and plan your trip to the largest Earth and space science conference of the year. Available through the Fall Meeting Web site (http://fallmeeting.agu.org), the Community allows you to share your Fall Meeting experience like never before. You can join groups based on your interests, and each group includes a message board that allows you to ask questions, post comments, discuss presentations, and make plans with colleagues. You can also create your own groups and use the Community's robust search engine to find and connect with friends. And because the Fall Meeting Web site was improved for 2012 to allow for nearly seamless functionality on mobile devices, you can access much of the same Community functionality on the go.

The novel fluorescent CDP-analogue (Pbeta)MABA-CDP is a specific probe for the NMP binding site of UMP/CMP kinase.

PubMed

Rudolph, M G; Veit, T J; Reinstein, J

1999-12-01

Direct thermodynamic and kinetic investigations of the binding of nucleotides to the nucleoside monophosphate (NMP) site of NMP kinases have not been possible so far because a spectroscopic probe was not available. By coupling a fluorescent N-methylanthraniloyl- (mant) group to the beta-phosphate of CDP via a butyl linker, a CDP analogue [(Pbeta)MABA-CDP] was obtained that still binds specifically to the NMP site of UmpKdicty, because the base and the ribose moieties, which are involved in specific interactions, are not modified. This allows the direct determination of binding constants for its substrates in competition experiments.

The novel fluorescent CDP-analogue (Pbeta)MABA-CDP is a specific probe for the NMP binding site of UMP/CMP kinase.

PubMed Central

Rudolph, M. G.; Veit, T. J.; Reinstein, J.

1999-01-01

Direct thermodynamic and kinetic investigations of the binding of nucleotides to the nucleoside monophosphate (NMP) site of NMP kinases have not been possible so far because a spectroscopic probe was not available. By coupling a fluorescent N-methylanthraniloyl- (mant) group to the beta-phosphate of CDP via a butyl linker, a CDP analogue [(Pbeta)MABA-CDP] was obtained that still binds specifically to the NMP site of UmpKdicty, because the base and the ribose moieties, which are involved in specific interactions, are not modified. This allows the direct determination of binding constants for its substrates in competition experiments. PMID:10631985

The Legnaro-Padova distributed Tier-2: challenges and results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badoer, Simone; Biasotto, Massimo; Costa, Fulvia; Crescente, Alberto; Fantinel, Sergio; Ferrari, Roberto; Gulmini, Michele; Maron, Gaetano; Michelotto, Michele; Sgaravatto, Massimo; Toniolo, Nicola

2014-06-01

The Legnaro-Padova Tier-2 is a computing facility serving the ALICE and CMS LHC experiments. It also supports other High Energy Physics experiments and other virtual organizations of different disciplines, which can opportunistically harness idle resources if available. The unique characteristic of this Tier-2 is its topology: the computational resources are spread in two different sites, about 15 km apart: the INFN Legnaro National Laboratories and the INFN Padova unit, connected through a 10 Gbps network link (it will be soon updated to 20 Gbps). Nevertheless these resources are seamlessly integrated and are exposed as a single computing facility. Despite this intrinsic complexity, the Legnaro-Padova Tier-2 ranks among the best Grid sites for what concerns reliability and availability. The Tier-2 comprises about 190 worker nodes, providing about 26000 HS06 in total. Such computing nodes are managed by the LSF local resource management system, and are accessible using a Grid-based interface implemented through multiple CREAM CE front-ends. dCache, xrootd and Lustre are the storage systems in use at the Tier-2: about 1.5 PB of disk space is available to users in total, through multiple access protocols. A 10 Gbps network link, planned to be doubled in the next months, connects the Tier-2 to WAN. This link is used for the LHC Open Network Environment (LHCONE) and for other general purpose traffic. In this paper we discuss about the experiences at the Legnaro-Padova Tier-2: the problems that had to be addressed, the lessons learned, the implementation choices. We also present the tools used for the daily management operations. These include DOCET, a Java-based webtool designed, implemented and maintained at the Legnaro-Padova Tier-2, and deployed also in other sites, such as the LHC Italian T1. DOCET provides an uniform interface to manage all the information about the physical resources of a computing center. It is also used as documentation repository available to the Tier-2 operations team. Finally we discuss about the foreseen developments of the existing infrastructure. This includes in particular the evolution from a Grid-based resource towards a Cloud-based computing facility.

Informing child welfare policy and practice: using knowledge discovery and data mining technology via a dynamic Web site.

PubMed

Duncan, Dean F; Kum, Hye-Chung; Weigensberg, Elizabeth Caplick; Flair, Kimberly A; Stewart, C Joy

2008-11-01

Proper management and implementation of an effective child welfare agency requires the constant use of information about the experiences and outcomes of children involved in the system, emphasizing the need for comprehensive, timely, and accurate data. In the past 20 years, there have been many advances in technology that can maximize the potential of administrative data to promote better evaluation and management in the field of child welfare. Specifically, this article discusses the use of knowledge discovery and data mining (KDD), which makes it possible to create longitudinal data files from administrative data sources, extract valuable knowledge, and make the information available via a user-friendly public Web site. This article demonstrates a successful project in North Carolina where knowledge discovery and data mining technology was used to develop a comprehensive set of child welfare outcomes available through a public Web site to facilitate information sharing of child welfare data to improve policy and practice.

Large-scale, high-performance and cloud-enabled multi-model analytics experiments in the context of the Earth System Grid Federation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiore, S.; Płóciennik, M.; Doutriaux, C.; Blanquer, I.; Barbera, R.; Williams, D. N.; Anantharaj, V. G.; Evans, B. J. K.; Salomoni, D.; Aloisio, G.

2017-12-01

The increased models resolution in the development of comprehensive Earth System Models is rapidly leading to very large climate simulations output that pose significant scientific data management challenges in terms of data sharing, processing, analysis, visualization, preservation, curation, and archiving.Large scale global experiments for Climate Model Intercomparison Projects (CMIP) have led to the development of the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF), a federated data infrastructure which has been serving the CMIP5 experiment, providing access to 2PB of data for the IPCC Assessment Reports. In such a context, running a multi-model data analysis experiment is very challenging, as it requires the availability of a large amount of data related to multiple climate models simulations and scientific data management tools for large-scale data analytics. To address these challenges, a case study on climate models intercomparison data analysis has been defined and implemented in the context of the EU H2020 INDIGO-DataCloud project. The case study has been tested and validated on CMIP5 datasets, in the context of a large scale, international testbed involving several ESGF sites (LLNL, ORNL and CMCC), one orchestrator site (PSNC) and one more hosting INDIGO PaaS services (UPV). Additional ESGF sites, such as NCI (Australia) and a couple more in Europe, are also joining the testbed. The added value of the proposed solution is summarized in the following: it implements a server-side paradigm which limits data movement; it relies on a High-Performance Data Analytics (HPDA) stack to address performance; it exploits the INDIGO PaaS layer to support flexible, dynamic and automated deployment of software components; it provides user-friendly web access based on the INDIGO Future Gateway; and finally it integrates, complements and extends the support currently available through ESGF. Overall it provides a new "tool" for climate scientists to run multi-model experiments. At the time this contribution is being written, the proposed testbed represents the first implementation of a distributed large-scale, multi-model experiment in the ESGF/CMIP context, joining together server-side approaches for scientific data analysis, HPDA frameworks, end-to-end workflow management, and cloud computing.

A Fresnel collector process heat experiment at Capitol Concrete Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hauger, J. S.

1981-01-01

An experiment is planned, conducted and evaluated to determine the feasibility of using a Power Kinetics' Fresnel concentrator to provide process heat in an industrial environment. The plant provides process steam at 50 to 60 psig to two autoclaves for curing masonry blocks. When steam is not required, the plant preheats hot water for later use. A second system is installed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory parabolic dish test site for hardware validation and experiment control. Experiment design allows for the extrapolation of results to varying demands for steam and hot water, and includes a consideration of some socio-technical factors such as the impact on production scheduling of diurnal variations in energy availability.

Fast growth may impair regeneration capacity in the branching coral Acropora muricata.

PubMed

Denis, Vianney; Guillaume, Mireille M M; Goutx, Madeleine; de Palmas, Stéphane; Debreuil, Julien; Baker, Andrew C; Boonstra, Roxane K; Bruggemann, J Henrich

2013-01-01

Regeneration of artificially induced lesions was monitored in nubbins of the branching coral Acropora muricata at two reef-flat sites representing contrasting environments at Réunion Island (21°07'S, 55°32'E). Growth of these injured nubbins was examined in parallel, and compared to controls. Biochemical compositions of the holobiont and the zooxanthellae density were determined at the onset of the experiment, and the photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm ) of zooxanthellae was monitored during the experiment. Acropora muricata rapidly regenerated small lesions, but regeneration rates significantly differed between sites. At the sheltered site characterized by high temperatures, temperature variations, and irradiance levels, regeneration took 192 days on average. At the exposed site, characterized by steadier temperatures and lower irradiation, nubbins demonstrated fast lesion repair (81 days), slower growth, lower zooxanthellae density, chlorophyll a concentration and lipid content than at the former site. A trade-off between growth and regeneration rates was evident here. High growth rates seem to impair regeneration capacity. We show that environmental conditions conducive to high zooxanthellae densities in corals are related to fast skeletal growth but also to reduced lesion regeneration rates. We hypothesize that a lowered regenerative capacity may be related to limited availability of energetic and cellular resources, consequences of coral holobionts operating at high levels of photosynthesis and associated growth.

Can I solve my structure by SAD phasing? Anomalous signal in SAD phasing

DOE PAGES

Terwilliger, Thomas C.; Bunkóczi, Gábor; Hung, Li-Wei; ...

2016-03-01

A key challenge in the SAD phasing method is solving a structure when the anomalous signal-to-noise ratio is low. We present a simple theoretical framework for describing measurements of anomalous differences and the resulting useful anomalous correlation and anomalous signal in a SAD experiment. Here, the useful anomalous correlation is defined as the correlation of anomalous differences with ideal anomalous differences from the anomalous substructure. The useful anomalous correlation reflects the accuracy of the data and the absence of minor sites. The useful anomalous correlation also reflects the information available for estimating crystallographic phases once the substructure has been determined.more » In contrast, the anomalous signal (the peak height in a model-phased anomalous difference Fourier at the coordinates of atoms in the anomalous substructure) reflects the information available about each site in the substructure and is related to the ability to find the substructure. A theoretical analysis shows that the expected value of the anomalous signal is the product of the useful anomalous correlation, the square root of the ratio of the number of unique reflections in the data set to the number of sites in the substructure, and a function that decreases with increasing values of the atomic displacement factor for the atoms in the substructure. In conclusion, this means that the ability to find the substructure in a SAD experiment is increased by high data quality and by a high ratio of reflections to sites in the substructure, and is decreased by high atomic displacement factors for the substructure.« less

Can I solve my structure by SAD phasing? Anomalous signal in SAD phasing.

PubMed

Terwilliger, Thomas C; Bunkóczi, Gábor; Hung, Li Wei; Zwart, Peter H; Smith, Janet L; Akey, David L; Adams, Paul D

2016-03-01

A key challenge in the SAD phasing method is solving a structure when the anomalous signal-to-noise ratio is low. A simple theoretical framework for describing measurements of anomalous differences and the resulting useful anomalous correlation and anomalous signal in a SAD experiment is presented. Here, the useful anomalous correlation is defined as the correlation of anomalous differences with ideal anomalous differences from the anomalous substructure. The useful anomalous correlation reflects the accuracy of the data and the absence of minor sites. The useful anomalous correlation also reflects the information available for estimating crystallographic phases once the substructure has been determined. In contrast, the anomalous signal (the peak height in a model-phased anomalous difference Fourier at the coordinates of atoms in the anomalous substructure) reflects the information available about each site in the substructure and is related to the ability to find the substructure. A theoretical analysis shows that the expected value of the anomalous signal is the product of the useful anomalous correlation, the square root of the ratio of the number of unique reflections in the data set to the number of sites in the substructure, and a function that decreases with increasing values of the atomic displacement factor for the atoms in the substructure. This means that the ability to find the substructure in a SAD experiment is increased by high data quality and by a high ratio of reflections to sites in the substructure, and is decreased by high atomic displacement factors for the substructure.

Response of the nitrogen-fixing lichen Lobaria pulmonaria to phosphorus, molybdenum, and vanadium

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marks, Jade A; Pett-Ridge, Julie; Perakis, Steven S.; Allen, Jessica L; McCune, Bruce

2015-01-01

Nitrogen-fixing lichens (cyanolichens) are an important source of nitrogen (N) in Pacific Northwest forests, but limitation of lichen growth by elements essential for N fixation is poorly understood. To investigate how nutrient limitation may affect cyanolichen growth rates, we fertilized a tripartite cyanobacterial lichen (Lobaria pulmonaria) and a green algal non-nitrogen fixing lichen (Usnea longissima) with the micronutrients molybdenum (Mo) and vanadium (V), both known cofactors for enzymes involved in N fixation, and the macronutrient phosphorus (P). We then grew treated lichens in the field for one year in western Oregon, USA. Lichen growth was very rapid for both species and did not differ across treatments, despite a previous demonstration of P-limitation in L. pulmonaria at a nearby location. To reconcile these disparate findings, we analyzed P, Mo, and V concentrations, natural abundance δ15N isotopes, %N and change in thallus N in Lobaria pulmonaria from both growth experiments. Nitrogen levels in deposition and in lichens could not explain the large difference in growth or P limitation observed between the two studies. Instead, we provide evidence that local differences in P availability may have caused site-specific responses of Lobaria to P fertilization. In the previous experiment, Lobaria had low background levels of P, and treatment with P more than doubled growth. In contrast, Lobaria from the current experiment had much higher background P concentrations, similar to P-treated lichens in the previous experiment, consistent with the idea that ambient variation in P availability influences the degree of P limitation in cyanolichens. We conclude that insufficient P, Mo, and V did not limit the growth of either cyanolichens or chlorolichens at the site of the current experiment. Our findings point to the need to understand landscape-scale variation in P availability to cyanolichens, and its effect on spatial patterns of cyanolichen nutrient limitation and N fixation.

CMS tier structure and operation of the experiment-specific tasks in Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowack, A.

2008-07-01

In Germany, several university institutes and research centres take part in the CMS experiment. Concerning the data analysis, a couple of computing centres at different Tier levels, ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 3, exists at these places. The German Tier 1 centre GridKa at the research centre at Karlsruhe serves all four LHC experiments as well as four non-LHC experiments. With respect to the CMS experiment, GridKa is mainly involved in central tasks. The Tier 2 centre in Germany consists of two sites, one at the research centre DESY at Hamburg and one at RWTH Aachen University, forming a federated Tier 2 centre. Both parts cover different aspects of a Tier 2 centre. The German Tier 3 centres are located at the research centre DESY at Hamburg, at RWTH Aachen University, and at the University of Karlsruhe. Furthermore the building of a German user analysis facility is planned. Since the CMS community in German is rather small, a good cooperation between the different sites is essential. This cooperation includes physical topics as well as technical and operational issues. All available communication channels such as email, phone, monthly video conferences, and regular personal meetings are used. For example, the distribution of data sets is coordinated globally within Germany. Also the CMS-specific services such as the data transfer tool PhEDEx or the Monte Carlo production are operated by people from different sites in order to spread the knowledge widely and increase the redundancy in terms of operators.

Soil Water Effects on Blue Oak Seedling Establishment

Treesearch

Doria R. Gordon; Kevin J. Rice; Jeffrey M. Welker

1991-01-01

A field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of soil water availability on blue oak (Quercus douglasii) seedling establishment. Acorns were planted either into cleared plots of 0, 10, 20, or 40 cm diameter. The cleared plots were located in two grazed and one ungrazed site. Half of the plots received drip irrigation in a split plot design...

Analysis of Relationship between Associate Degree Nursing Student's Self-Confidence in Learning and Their Perceived Presence of 5 Instructional Design Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kada, Geetha

2013-01-01

Increasing patient acuity and complex health care demands the need for preparing competent graduate nurses. However, reduced availability of clinical sites exists translating to difficulties obtaining patient care experiences for nursing students. This ongoing issue demands educators to seek alternative teaching strategies. High-fidelity…

The Binding of Silibinin, the Main Constituent of Silymarin, to Site I on Human Serum Albumin.

PubMed

Yamasaki, Keishi; Sato, Hiroki; Minagoshi, Saori; Kyubun, Karin; Anraku, Makoto; Miyamura, Shigeyuki; Watanabe, Hiroshi; Taguchi, Kazuaki; Seo, Hakaru; Maruyama, Toru; Otagiri, Masaki

2017-01-01

Silibinin is the main constituent of silymarin, an extract from the seeds of milk thistle (Silybum marianum). Because silibinin has many pharmacological activities, extending its clinical use in the treatment of a wider variety of diseases would be desirable. In this study, we report on the binding of silibinin to plasma proteins, an issue that has not previously been extensively studied. The findings indicated that silibinin mainly binds to human serum albumin (HSA). Mutual displacement experiments using ligands that primarily bind to sites I and II clearly revealed that silibinin binds tightly and selectively to site I (subsites Ia and/or Ic) of HSA, which is located in subdomain IIA. Thermodynamic analyses suggested that hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions are major contributors to silibinin-HSA interactions. Furthermore, the binding of silibinin to HSA was found to be decreased with increasing ionic strength and detergent concentration of the media, suggesting that electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions are involved in the binding. Trp214 and Arg218 were identified as being involved in the binding of silibinin to site I, based on binding experiments using chemically modified- and mutant-HSAs. In conclusion, the available evidence indicates that silibinin binds to the region close to Trp214 and Arg218 in site I of HSA with assistance by multiple forces and can displace site I drugs (e.g., warfarin or iodipamide), but not site II drugs (e.g., ibuprofen).

Prevention and management of malaria during pregnancy: findings from a comparative qualitative study in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In endemic regions of sub-Saharan Africa, malaria during pregnancy (MiP) is a major preventable cause of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. Current recommended MiP prevention and control includes intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp), distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) and appropriate case management. This article explores the social and cultural context to the uptake of these interventions at four sites across Africa. Methods A comparative qualitative study was conducted at four sites in three countries: Ghana, Malawi and Kenya. Individual and group interviews were conducted with pregnant women, their relatives, opinion leaders, other community members and health providers. Observations, which focused on behaviours linked to MiP prevention and treatment, were also undertaken at health facilities and in local communities. Results ITNs were generally recognized as important for malaria prevention. However, their availability and use differed across the sites. In Malawi and Kenya, ITNs were sought-after items, but there were complaints about availability. In central Ghana, women saved ITNs until the birth of the child and they were used seasonally in northern Ghana. In Kenya and central Ghana, pregnant women did not associate IPTp with malaria, whereas, in Malawi and northern Ghana, IPTp was linked to malaria, but not always with prevention. Although IPTp adherence was common at all sites, whether delivered with directly observed treatment or not, a few women did not comply with IPTp often citing previous side effects. Although generally viewed as positive, experiences of malaria testing varied across the four sites: treatment was sometimes administered in spite of a negative diagnosis in Ghana (observed) and Malawi (reported). Despite generally following the advice of healthcare staff, particularly in Kenya, personal experience, and the availability and accessibility of medication – including anti-malarials – influenced MiP treatment. Conclusion Although ITNs were valued as malaria prevention, health messages could address issues that reduce their use during pregnancy in particular contexts. The impact of previous side effects on adherence to IPTp and anti-malarial treatment regimens during pregnancy also requires attention. Overtreatment of MiP highlights the need to monitor the implementation of MiP case management guidelines. PMID:24257105

Subsurface Noble Gas Sampling Manual

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

Carrigan, C. R.; Sun, Y.

2017-09-18

The intent of this document is to provide information about best available approaches for performing subsurface soil gas sampling during an On Site Inspection or OSI. This information is based on field sampling experiments, computer simulations and data from the NA-22 Noble Gas Signature Experiment Test Bed at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site (NNSS). The approaches should optimize the gas concentration from the subsurface cavity or chimney regime while simultaneously minimizing the potential for atmospheric radioxenon and near-surface Argon-37 contamination. Where possible, we quantitatively assess differences in sampling practices for the same sets of environmental conditions. We recognize that allmore » sampling scenarios cannot be addressed. However, if this document helps to inform the intuition of the reader about addressing the challenges resulting from the inevitable deviations from the scenario assumed here, it will have achieved its goal.« less

Soybean yield in relation to distance from the Itaipu reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Faria, Rogério Teixeira; Junior, Ruy Casão; Werner, Simone Silmara; Junior, Luiz Antônio Zanão; Hoogenboom, Gerrit

2016-07-01

Crops close to small water bodies may exhibit changes in yield if the water mass causes significant changes in the microclimate of areas near the reservoir shoreline. The scientific literature describes this effect as occurring gradually, with higher intensity in the sites near the shoreline and decreasing intensity with distance from the reservoir. Experiments with two soybean cultivars were conducted during four crop seasons to evaluate soybean yield in relation to distance from the Itaipu reservoir and determine the effect of air temperature and water availability on soybean crop yield. Fifteen experimental sites were distributed in three transects perpendicular to the Itaipu reservoir, covering an area at approximately 10 km from the shoreline. The yield gradient between the site closest to the reservoir and the sites farther away in each transect did not show a consistent trend, but varied as a function of distance, crop season, and cultivar. This finding indicates that the Itaipu reservoir does not affect the yield of soybean plants grown within approximately 10 km from the shoreline. In addition, the variation in yield among the experimental sites was not attributed to thermal conditions because the temperature was similar within transects. However, the crop water availability was responsible for higher differences in yield among the neighboring experimental sites related to water stress caused by spatial variability in rainfall, especially during the soybean reproductive period in January and February.

Evaluating Variability and Uncertainty of Geological Strength Index at a Specific Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yu; Aladejare, Adeyemi Emman

2016-09-01

Geological Strength Index (GSI) is an important parameter for estimating rock mass properties. GSI can be estimated from quantitative GSI chart, as an alternative to the direct observational method which requires vast geological experience of rock. GSI chart was developed from past observations and engineering experience, with either empiricism or some theoretical simplifications. The GSI chart thereby contains model uncertainty which arises from its development. The presence of such model uncertainty affects the GSI estimated from GSI chart at a specific site; it is, therefore, imperative to quantify and incorporate the model uncertainty during GSI estimation from the GSI chart. A major challenge for quantifying the GSI chart model uncertainty is a lack of the original datasets that have been used to develop the GSI chart, since the GSI chart was developed from past experience without referring to specific datasets. This paper intends to tackle this problem by developing a Bayesian approach for quantifying the model uncertainty in GSI chart when using it to estimate GSI at a specific site. The model uncertainty in the GSI chart and the inherent spatial variability in GSI are modeled explicitly in the Bayesian approach. The Bayesian approach generates equivalent samples of GSI from the integrated knowledge of GSI chart, prior knowledge and observation data available from site investigation. Equations are derived for the Bayesian approach, and the proposed approach is illustrated using data from a drill and blast tunnel project. The proposed approach effectively tackles the problem of how to quantify the model uncertainty that arises from using GSI chart for characterization of site-specific GSI in a transparent manner.

OnTheFly: a database of Drosophila melanogaster transcription factors and their binding sites.

PubMed

Shazman, Shula; Lee, Hunjoong; Socol, Yakov; Mann, Richard S; Honig, Barry

2014-01-01

We present OnTheFly (http://bhapp.c2b2.columbia.edu/OnTheFly/index.php), a database comprising a systematic collection of transcription factors (TFs) of Drosophila melanogaster and their DNA-binding sites. TFs predicted in the Drosophila melanogaster genome are annotated and classified and their structures, obtained via experiment or homology models, are provided. All known preferred TF DNA-binding sites obtained from the B1H, DNase I and SELEX methodologies are presented. DNA shape parameters predicted for these sites are obtained from a high throughput server or from crystal structures of protein-DNA complexes where available. An important feature of the database is that all DNA-binding domains and their binding sites are fully annotated in a eukaryote using structural criteria and evolutionary homology. OnTheFly thus provides a comprehensive view of TFs and their binding sites that will be a valuable resource for deciphering non-coding regulatory DNA.

Kinetic dissolution of carbonates and Mn oxides in acidic water: Measurement of in situ field rates and reactive transport modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, J.G.; Glynn, P.D.

2003-01-01

The kinetics of carbonate and Mn oxide dissolution under acidic conditions were examined through the in situ exposure of pure phase samples to acidic ground water in Pinal Creek Basin, Arizona. The average long-term calculated in situ dissolution rates for calcite and dolomite were 1.65??10-7 and 3.64??10-10 mmol/(cm2 s), respectively, which were about 3 orders of magnitude slower than rates derived in laboratory experiments by other investigators. Application of both in situ and lab-derived calcite and dolomite dissolution rates to equilibrium reactive transport simulations of a column experiment did not improve the fit to measured outflow chemistry: at the spatial and temporal scales of the column experiment, the use of an equilibrium model adequately simulated carbonate dissolution in the column. Pyrolusite (MnO2) exposed to acidic ground water for 595 days increased slightly in weight despite thermodynamic conditions that favored dissolution. This result might be related to a recent finding by another investigator that the reductive dissolution of pyrolusite is accompanied by the precipitation of a mixed Mn-Fe oxide species. In PHREEQC reactive transport simulations, the incorporation of Mn kinetics improved the fit between observed and simulated behavior at the column and field scales, although the column-fitted rate for Mn-oxide dissolution was about 4 orders of magnitude greater than the field-fitted rate. Remaining differences between observed and simulated contaminant transport trends at the Pinal Creek site were likely related to factors other than the Mn oxide dissolution rate, such as the concentration of Fe oxide surface sites available for adsorption, the effects of competition among dissolved species for available surface sites, or reactions not included in the model.

National Dam Inspection Program. Jennings Pond Dam (NDI I.D. PA-0891 DER I.D. 066-012) Susquehanna River Basin, Little Mehoopany Creek, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. Phase I Inspection Report,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-19

Area 7.9 square miles(1) b. Discharge at Dam Site ( cfs ) Maximum known flood at dam site Unknown Outlet conduit at maximum pool Unknown Gated spillway...700 cfs , based on the available 2.4-foot freeboard relative to the low spot on the left abutment. b. Experience Data. As previously stated, Jennings...in Appendix D. The inflow hydrograph for one-half PMF was found to have a peak flow of 6835 cfs . Computer input and summary of computer output are

Unified superresolution experiments and stochastic theory provide mechanistic insight into protein ion-exchange adsorptive separations

PubMed Central

Kisley, Lydia; Chen, Jixin; Mansur, Andrea P.; Shuang, Bo; Kourentzi, Katerina; Poongavanam, Mohan-Vivekanandan; Chen, Wen-Hsiang; Dhamane, Sagar; Willson, Richard C.; Landes, Christy F.

2014-01-01

Chromatographic protein separations, immunoassays, and biosensing all typically involve the adsorption of proteins to surfaces decorated with charged, hydrophobic, or affinity ligands. Despite increasingly widespread use throughout the pharmaceutical industry, mechanistic detail about the interactions of proteins with individual chromatographic adsorbent sites is available only via inference from ensemble measurements such as binding isotherms, calorimetry, and chromatography. In this work, we present the direct superresolution mapping and kinetic characterization of functional sites on ion-exchange ligands based on agarose, a support matrix routinely used in protein chromatography. By quantifying the interactions of single proteins with individual charged ligands, we demonstrate that clusters of charges are necessary to create detectable adsorption sites and that even chemically identical ligands create adsorption sites of varying kinetic properties that depend on steric availability at the interface. Additionally, we relate experimental results to the stochastic theory of chromatography. Simulated elution profiles calculated from the molecular-scale data suggest that, if it were possible to engineer uniform optimal interactions into ion-exchange systems, separation efficiencies could be improved by as much as a factor of five by deliberately exploiting clustered interactions that currently dominate the ion-exchange process only accidentally. PMID:24459184

Unified superresolution experiments and stochastic theory provide mechanistic insight into protein ion-exchange adsorptive separations.

PubMed

Kisley, Lydia; Chen, Jixin; Mansur, Andrea P; Shuang, Bo; Kourentzi, Katerina; Poongavanam, Mohan-Vivekanandan; Chen, Wen-Hsiang; Dhamane, Sagar; Willson, Richard C; Landes, Christy F

2014-02-11

Chromatographic protein separations, immunoassays, and biosensing all typically involve the adsorption of proteins to surfaces decorated with charged, hydrophobic, or affinity ligands. Despite increasingly widespread use throughout the pharmaceutical industry, mechanistic detail about the interactions of proteins with individual chromatographic adsorbent sites is available only via inference from ensemble measurements such as binding isotherms, calorimetry, and chromatography. In this work, we present the direct superresolution mapping and kinetic characterization of functional sites on ion-exchange ligands based on agarose, a support matrix routinely used in protein chromatography. By quantifying the interactions of single proteins with individual charged ligands, we demonstrate that clusters of charges are necessary to create detectable adsorption sites and that even chemically identical ligands create adsorption sites of varying kinetic properties that depend on steric availability at the interface. Additionally, we relate experimental results to the stochastic theory of chromatography. Simulated elution profiles calculated from the molecular-scale data suggest that, if it were possible to engineer uniform optimal interactions into ion-exchange systems, separation efficiencies could be improved by as much as a factor of five by deliberately exploiting clustered interactions that currently dominate the ion-exchange process only accidentally.

Polarimetric Interferometric Experiment Trials for Years 2001 and 2002: Experiment Design Ground Truthing Data Quality and Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-09-01

type as staged at sites one and two. -T.N Jt- ’I,-’ 7 "A` fl-b - "’, j’¾ liti -- S Z ANZIC D -j Z" itN L/ ’ Hrt Irk ~ SG~i’ 18 DRDC Otaw TM 2003142...initialisms .............................................................. 129 Vi DRDC Ottawa TM 2003-142 List of figures... - s - f ur e...be found in [6, 7, 8, 9]. PolSAR utilizes the information available from the polarimetric ellipse to determine the physical structure( s ) that the

Breaking-Cas—interactive design of guide RNAs for CRISPR-Cas experiments for ENSEMBL genomes

PubMed Central

Oliveros, Juan C.; Franch, Mònica; Tabas-Madrid, Daniel; San-León, David; Montoliu, Lluis; Cubas, Pilar; Pazos, Florencio

2016-01-01

The CRISPR/Cas technology is enabling targeted genome editing in multiple organisms with unprecedented accuracy and specificity by using RNA-guided nucleases. A critical point when planning a CRISPR/Cas experiment is the design of the guide RNA (gRNA), which directs the nuclease and associated machinery to the desired genomic location. This gRNA has to fulfil the requirements of the nuclease and lack homology with other genome sites that could lead to off-target effects. Here we introduce the Breaking-Cas system for the design of gRNAs for CRISPR/Cas experiments, including those based in the Cas9 nuclease as well as others recently introduced. The server has unique features not available in other tools, including the possibility of using all eukaryotic genomes available in ENSEMBL (currently around 700), placing variable PAM sequences at 5′ or 3′ and setting the guide RNA length and the scores per nucleotides. It can be freely accessed at: http://bioinfogp.cnb.csic.es/tools/breakingcas, and the code is available upon request. PMID:27166368

Growth studies of Mytilus californianus using satellite surface temperatures and chlorophyll data for coastal Oregon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, J.; Lakshmi, V.

2013-12-01

The advancement of remote sensing technology has led to better understanding of the spatial and temporal variation in many physical and biological parameters, such as, temperature, salinity, soil moisture, vegetation cover, and community composition. This research takes a novel approach in understanding the temporal and spatial variability of mussel body growth using remotely sensed surface temperatures and chlorophyll-a concentration. Within marine rocky intertidal ecosystems, temperature and food availability influence species abundance, physiological performance, and distribution of mussel species. Current methods to determine the temperature mussel species experience range from in-situ field observations, temperature loggers, temperature models, and using other temperature variables. However, since the temperature that mussel species experience is different from the air temperature due to physical and biological characteristics (size, color, gaping, etc.), it is difficult to accurately predict the thermal stresses they experience. Methods to determine food availability (chlorophyll-a concentration used as a proxy) for mussel species are mostly done at specific study sites using water sampling. This implies that analysis of temperature and food availability across large spatial scales and long temporal scales is not a trivial task given spatial heterogeneity. However, this is an essential step in determination of the impact of changing climate on vulnerable ecosystems such as the marine rocky intertidal system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of using remotely sensed surface temperatures and chlorophyll-a concentration to better understand the temporal and spatial variability of the body growth of the ecologically and economically important rocky intertidal mussel species, Mytilus californianus. Remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST), land surface temperature (LST), intertidal surface temperature (IST), chlorophyll-a concentration, and mussel body growth were collected for eight study sites along the coast of Oregon, USA for a 12 year period from 2000 through 2011. Differences in surface temperatures, chlorophyll-a concentration, and mussel body growth were seen across study sites. The northernmost study site, Cape Meares, had the highest average SST and the lowest average chlorophyll-a concentration. Interestingly, it also had high average mussel growth. Whereas, Cape Arago and Cape Blanco, the two southernmost study sites, had the lowest average SST and lowest average mussel growth, but had higher average chlorophyll-a concentrations. Furthermore, some study sites showed that mussel growth was related to temperature and at other study sites chlorophyll-a concentration was related to mussel growth. The strongest relationship between either temperature or chlorophyll-a concentration, was found at Boiler Bay, Oregon. Approximately 81% of the variations in mean size-specific mussel growth was explained by mean annual LST anomalies. This means that at Boiler Bay, cooler LST years resulted in less mussel growth and warmer years resulted in higher mussel growth. Results suggest that SST may influence mussel body growth more than chlorophyll-a concentration.

CaMELS: In silico prediction of calmodulin binding proteins and their binding sites.

PubMed

Abbasi, Wajid Arshad; Asif, Amina; Andleeb, Saiqa; Minhas, Fayyaz Ul Amir Afsar

2017-09-01

Due to Ca 2+ -dependent binding and the sequence diversity of Calmodulin (CaM) binding proteins, identifying CaM interactions and binding sites in the wet-lab is tedious and costly. Therefore, computational methods for this purpose are crucial to the design of such wet-lab experiments. We present an algorithm suite called CaMELS (CalModulin intEraction Learning System) for predicting proteins that interact with CaM as well as their binding sites using sequence information alone. CaMELS offers state of the art accuracy for both CaM interaction and binding site prediction and can aid biologists in studying CaM binding proteins. For CaM interaction prediction, CaMELS uses protein sequence features coupled with a large-margin classifier. CaMELS models the binding site prediction problem using multiple instance machine learning with a custom optimization algorithm which allows more effective learning over imprecisely annotated CaM-binding sites during training. CaMELS has been extensively benchmarked using a variety of data sets, mutagenic studies, proteome-wide Gene Ontology enrichment analyses and protein structures. Our experiments indicate that CaMELS outperforms simple motif-based search and other existing methods for interaction and binding site prediction. We have also found that the whole sequence of a protein, rather than just its binding site, is important for predicting its interaction with CaM. Using the machine learning model in CaMELS, we have identified important features of protein sequences for CaM interaction prediction as well as characteristic amino acid sub-sequences and their relative position for identifying CaM binding sites. Python code for training and evaluating CaMELS together with a webserver implementation is available at the URL: http://faculty.pieas.edu.pk/fayyaz/software.html#camels. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Reconstructing the temporal ordering of biological samples using microarray data.

PubMed

Magwene, Paul M; Lizardi, Paul; Kim, Junhyong

2003-05-01

Accurate time series for biological processes are difficult to estimate due to problems of synchronization, temporal sampling and rate heterogeneity. Methods are needed that can utilize multi-dimensional data, such as those resulting from DNA microarray experiments, in order to reconstruct time series from unordered or poorly ordered sets of observations. We present a set of algorithms for estimating temporal orderings from unordered sets of sample elements. The techniques we describe are based on modifications of a minimum-spanning tree calculated from a weighted, undirected graph. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach by applying these techniques to an artificial data set as well as several gene expression data sets derived from DNA microarray experiments. In addition to estimating orderings, the techniques we describe also provide useful heuristics for assessing relevant properties of sample datasets such as noise and sampling intensity, and we show how a data structure called a PQ-tree can be used to represent uncertainty in a reconstructed ordering. Academic implementations of the ordering algorithms are available as source code (in the programming language Python) on our web site, along with documentation on their use. The artificial 'jelly roll' data set upon which the algorithm was tested is also available from this web site. The publicly available gene expression data may be found at http://genome-www.stanford.edu/cellcycle/ and http://caulobacter.stanford.edu/CellCycle/.

Improving Usage Statistics Processing for a Library Consortium: The Virtual Library of Virginia's Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Tansy E.

2009-01-01

This article describes the development of the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA). The VIVA statistics-processing system remains a work in progress. Member libraries will benefit from the ability to obtain the actual data from the VIVA site, rather than just the summaries, so a project to make these data available is currently being planned. The…

Utilizing Unnatural Amino Acids to Illustrate Protein Structure-Function Relationships: An Experiment Designed for an Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maza, Johnathan C.; Villa, Jordan K.; Landino, Lisa M.; Young, Douglas D

2016-01-01

The site-specific introduction of unnatural amino acids (UAAs) has been demonstrated to be a useful tool in protein engineering. Moreover, the incorporation of a UAA into a protein has become feasible with the increased commercial availability of UAAs and robust expression plasmids. In addition to the ease of incorporation, the concepts utilized…

Plant recruitment in a northern Arizona ponderosa pine forest: Testing seed- and leaf litter-limitation hypotheses (P-53)

Treesearch

Scott R. Abella

2008-01-01

Seed availability and leaf litter limit plant establishment in some ecosystems. To evaluate the hypothesis that these factors limit understory plant recruitment in Pinus ponderosa forests, I conducted a seeding and litter removal experiment at six thinned sites in the Fort Valley Experimental Forest, northern Arizona. Experimental seeding of four native species (...

Plant recruitment in a northern Arizona ponderosa pine forest: Testing seed- and leaf litter-limitation hypotheses

Treesearch

Scott R. Abella

2008-01-01

Seed availability and leaf litter limit plant establishment in some ecosystems. To evaluate the hypothesis that these factors limit understory plant recruitment in Pinus ponderosa forests, I conducted a seeding and litter removal experiment at six thinned sites in the Fort Valley Experimental Forest, northern Arizona. Experimental seeding of four native species (

Effective treatment of PAH contaminated Superfund site soil with the peroxy-acid process.

PubMed

Scott Alderman, N; N'Guessan, Adeola L; Nyman, Marianne C

2007-07-31

Peroxy-organic acids are formed by the chemical reaction between organic acids and hydrogen peroxide. The peroxy-acid process was applied to two Superfund site soils provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Initial small-scale experiments applied ratios of 3:5:7 (v/v/v) or 3:3:9 (v/v/v) hydrogen peroxide:acetic acid:deionized (DI) water solution to 5g of Superfund site soil. The experiment using 3:5:7 (v/v/v) ratio resulted in an almost complete degradation of the 14 EPA regulated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Bedford LT soil during a 24-h reaction period, while the 3:3:9 (v/v/v) ratio resulted in no applicable degradation in Bedford LT lot 10 soil over the same reaction period. Specific Superfund site soil characteristics (e.g., pH, total organic carbon content and particle size distribution) were found to play an important role in the availability of the PAHs and the efficiency of the transformation during the peroxy-acid process. A scaled-up experiment followed treating 150g of Bedford LT lot 10 soil with and without mixing. The scaled-up processes applied a 3:3:9 (v/v/v) solution resulting in significant decrease in PAH contamination. These findings demonstrate the peroxy-acid process as a viable option for the treatment of PAH contaminated soils. Further work is necessary in order to elucidate the mechanisms of this process.

KIRMES: kernel-based identification of regulatory modules in euchromatic sequences.

PubMed

Schultheiss, Sebastian J; Busch, Wolfgang; Lohmann, Jan U; Kohlbacher, Oliver; Rätsch, Gunnar

2009-08-15

Understanding transcriptional regulation is one of the main challenges in computational biology. An important problem is the identification of transcription factor (TF) binding sites in promoter regions of potential TF target genes. It is typically approached by position weight matrix-based motif identification algorithms using Gibbs sampling, or heuristics to extend seed oligos. Such algorithms succeed in identifying single, relatively well-conserved binding sites, but tend to fail when it comes to the identification of combinations of several degenerate binding sites, as those often found in cis-regulatory modules. We propose a new algorithm that combines the benefits of existing motif finding with the ones of support vector machines (SVMs) to find degenerate motifs in order to improve the modeling of regulatory modules. In experiments on microarray data from Arabidopsis thaliana, we were able to show that the newly developed strategy significantly improves the recognition of TF targets. The python source code (open source-licensed under GPL), the data for the experiments and a Galaxy-based web service are available at http://www.fml.mpg.de/raetsch/suppl/kirmes/.

Pediatric surgeons on the Internet: a multi-institutional experience.

PubMed

Wulkan, M L; Smith, S D; Whalen, T V; Hardin, W D

1997-04-01

An estimated 24 million people, or 11% of the North American population over 16 years of age, use the Internet. An estimated 40% of households have computers, and 37 million people have Internet access. The experience of three pediatric surgery Internet sites are reviewed to evaluate current practices and future potential of the Internet to practicing pediatric surgeons. The sites reviewed are the Pediatric Surgery Bulletin Board System (BBS), the Pediatric Surgery List Server, and the Pediatric Surgery Website. Statistics were collected at each site to characterize the number of users, traffic load, topics of interest, and times of peak use. There are currently 79 subscribers to the Pediatric Surgery BBS and 100 subscribers to the Pediatric Surgery List Server. The average user of the BBS is a young man who has placed an average of 52 calls to the BBS since joining. There have been 1413 Internet electronic mail messages sent. Twenty-five percent of the traffic has been related to clinical problems and 5% to research, teaching, and career issues. Traffic at this site has been increasing exponentially with most of the dialogue concentrated on clinical issues and problem cases. In a 3-month period the Pediatric Surgery Website received 16,270 hits. The most commonly accessed areas include an electronic mail directory, case studies, the job board, information on the pediatric surgical residency, and information on upcoming meetings. Pediatric surgeons are exploring the Internet and using available pediatric surgery resources. The scope of professional information available to pediatric surgeons on the Internet is still limited but is increasing rapidly. The Internet will impact the way physicians practice medicine through education and communication.

Results of the Imager for Mars Pathfinder windsock experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sullivan, R.; Greeley, R.; Kraft, M.; Wilson, G.; Golombek, M.; Herkenhoff, K.; Murphy, J.; Smith, P.

2000-01-01

The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) windsock experiment measured wind speeds at three heights within 1.2 m of the Martian surface during Pathfinder landed operations. These wind data allowed direct measurement of near-surface wind profiles on Mars for the first time, including determination of aerodynamic roughness length and wind friction speeds. Winds were light during periods of windsock imaging, but data from the strongest breezes indicate aerodynamic roughness length of 3 cm at the landing site, with wind friction speeds reaching 1 m/s. Maximum wind friction speeds were about half of the threshold-of-motion friction speeds predicted for loose, fine-grained materials on smooth Martian terrain and about one third of the threshold-of-motion friction speeds predicted for the same size particles over terrain with aerodynamic roughness of 3 cm. Consistent with this, and suggesting that low wind speeds prevailed when the windsock array was not imaged and/or no particles were available for aeolian transport, no wind-related changes to the surface during mission operations have been recognized. The aerodynamic roughness length reported here implies that proposed deflation of fine particles around the landing site, or activation of duneforms seen by IMP and Sojourner, would require wind speeds >28 m/s at the Pathfinder top windsock height (or >31 m/s at the equivalent Viking wind sensor height of 1.6 m) and wind speeds >45 m/s above 10 m. These wind speeds would cause rock abrasion if a supply of durable particles were available for saltation. Previous analyses indicate that the Pathfinder landing site probably is rockier and rougher than many other plains units on Mars, so aerodynamic roughness length elsewhere probably is less than the 3-cm value reported for the Pathfinder site. Copyright 2000 by the American Geophysical Union.

An Analysis of NSF Geosciences Research Experience for Undergraduate Site Programs from 2009 to 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rom, E. L.; Patino, L. C.; Gonzales, J.; Weiler, C. S.; Antell, L.; Colon, Y.; Sanchez, S. C.

2012-12-01

The Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) Program at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) provides undergraduate students from across the nation the opportunity to conduct research at a different institution and in an area that may not be available at their home campus. REU Sites funded by the Directorate of Geosciences provide student research opportunities in earth, ocean, atmospheric and geospace research. This paper provides an overview of the Geosciences REU Site programs run from 2009 to 2012. Information was gathered from over 45 REU sites each year on recruitment methods, student demographics, enrichment activities, and fields of research. The internet is the most widely used mechanism to recruit participants. The admissions rate for REU Sites in Geosciences varies by discipline but averages between 6% to 18% each year, with the majority of participants being rising seniors and juniors. A few Sites include rising sophomores and freshmen. Most students attend PhD granting institutions. Among the participants, gender distribution depends on discipline, with atmospheric and geospace sciences having more male than female participants, but ocean and earth sciences having a majority of female participants. Regarding ethnic diversity, the REU Sites reflect the difficulty of attracting diverse students into Geosciences as a discipline; a large majority of the participants are Caucasian or Asian students. Furthermore, participants from minority-serving institutions or community colleges constitute a small percentage of those taking part in these research experiences. The enrichment activities are very similar across the REU Sites, and mimic well activities common to the scientific community, including intellectual exchange of ideas (lab meetings, seminars, and professional meetings), networking and social activities. Results from this study will be used to examine strengths in the REU Sites in the Geosciences and opportunities for improvement in the program. The data provided here also represent an excellent benchmark by which to measure future changes in student participation and program design that may result from 2012 changes in the REU program solicitation. For example, one important change is that REU programs are now required to include greater participation of students who are attending non-research institutions.

Fast Growth May Impair Regeneration Capacity in the Branching Coral Acropora muricata

PubMed Central

Denis, Vianney; Guillaume, Mireille M. M.; Goutx, Madeleine; de Palmas, Stéphane; Debreuil, Julien; Baker, Andrew C.; Boonstra, Roxane K.; Bruggemann, J. Henrich

2013-01-01

Regeneration of artificially induced lesions was monitored in nubbins of the branching coral Acropora muricata at two reef-flat sites representing contrasting environments at Réunion Island (21°07′S, 55°32′E). Growth of these injured nubbins was examined in parallel, and compared to controls. Biochemical compositions of the holobiont and the zooxanthellae density were determined at the onset of the experiment, and the photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) of zooxanthellae was monitored during the experiment. Acropora muricata rapidly regenerated small lesions, but regeneration rates significantly differed between sites. At the sheltered site characterized by high temperatures, temperature variations, and irradiance levels, regeneration took 192 days on average. At the exposed site, characterized by steadier temperatures and lower irradiation, nubbins demonstrated fast lesion repair (81 days), slower growth, lower zooxanthellae density, chlorophyll a concentration and lipid content than at the former site. A trade-off between growth and regeneration rates was evident here. High growth rates seem to impair regeneration capacity. We show that environmental conditions conducive to high zooxanthellae densities in corals are related to fast skeletal growth but also to reduced lesion regeneration rates. We hypothesize that a lowered regenerative capacity may be related to limited availability of energetic and cellular resources, consequences of coral holobionts operating at high levels of photosynthesis and associated growth. PMID:24023627

An experimentally-informed coarse-grained 3-site-per-nucleotide model of DNA: Structure, thermodynamics, and dynamics of hybridization

PubMed Central

Hinckley, Daniel M.; Freeman, Gordon S.; Whitmer, Jonathan K.; de Pablo, Juan J.

2013-01-01

A new 3-Site-Per-Nucleotide coarse-grained model for DNA is presented. The model includes anisotropic potentials between bases involved in base stacking and base pair interactions that enable the description of relevant structural properties, including the major and minor grooves. In an improvement over available coarse-grained models, the correct persistence length is recovered for both ssDNA and dsDNA, allowing for simulation of non-canonical structures such as hairpins. DNA melting temperatures, measured for duplexes and hairpins by integrating over free energy surfaces generated using metadynamics simulations, are shown to be in quantitative agreement with experiment for a variety of sequences and conditions. Hybridization rate constants, calculated using forward-flux sampling, are also shown to be in good agreement with experiment. The coarse-grained model presented here is suitable for use in biological and engineering applications, including nucleosome positioning and DNA-templated engineering. PMID:24116642

Comprehensive assay of kinase catalytic activity reveals features of kinase inhibitor selectivity

PubMed Central

Anastassiadis, Theonie; Deacon, Sean W.; Devarajan, Karthik; Ma, Haiching; Peterson, Jeffrey R.

2011-01-01

Small-molecule protein kinase inhibitors are central tools for elucidating cellular signaling pathways and are promising therapeutic agents. Due to evolutionary conservation of the ATP-binding site, most kinase inhibitors that target this site promiscuously inhibit multiple kinases. Interpretation of experiments utilizing these compounds is confounded by a lack of data on the comprehensive kinase selectivity of most inhibitors. Here we profiled the activity of 178 commercially available kinase inhibitors against a panel of 300 recombinant protein kinases using a functional assay. Quantitative analysis revealed complex and often unexpected kinase-inhibitor interactions, with a wide spectrum of promiscuity. Many off-target interactions occur with seemingly unrelated kinases, revealing how large-scale profiling can be used to identify multi-targeted inhibitors of specific, diverse kinases. The results have significant implications for drug development and provide a resource for selecting compounds to elucidate kinase function and for interpreting the results of experiments that use them. PMID:22037377

Photoacclimation supports environmental tolerance of a sponge to turbid low-light conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biggerstaff, A.; Smith, D. J.; Jompa, J.; Bell, J. J.

2015-12-01

Changes to coral reefs are occurring worldwide, often resulting in declining environmental quality which can be in the form of higher sedimentation rates and increased turbidity. While environmental acclimation to turbid and low-light conditions has been extensively studied in corals, far less is known about other phototrophic reef invertebrates. The photosynthetic cyanobacteria containing sponge Lamellodysidea herbacea is one of the most abundant sponges in the Wakatobi Marine National Park (WMNP, Indonesia), and its abundance is greatest at highly disturbed, turbid sites. This study investigated photoacclimation of L. herbacea symbionts to turbid reef sites using in situ PAM fluorometry combined with shading and transplant experiments at environmental extremes of light availability for this species. We found in situ photoacclimation of L. herbacea to both shallow, clear, high-light environments and deep, turbid, low-light environments. Shading experiments provide some evidence that L. herbacea are dependent on nutrition from their photosymbionts as significant tissue loss was seen in shaded sponges. Symbionts within surviving shaded tissue showed evidence of photoacclimation. Lamellodysidea herbacea transplanted from high- to low-light conditions appeared to have photoacclimated within 5 d with no significant effect of the lowered light level on survival. This ability of L. herbacea to photoacclimate to rapid and extreme changes in light availability may be one of the factors contributing to their survival on more turbid reef sites in the WMNP. Our study highlights the ability of some sponge species to acclimate to changes in light levels as a result of increased turbidity.

The relationship between orbital, earth-based, and sample data for lunar landing sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, P. E.; Hawke, B. R.; Basu, A.

1990-01-01

Results are reported of a detailed examination of data available for the Apollo lunar landing sites, including the Apollo orbital measurements of six major elements derived from XRF and gamma-ray instruments and geochemical parameters derived from earth-based spectral reflectivity data. Wherever orbital coverage for Apollo landing sites exist, the remote data were correlated with geochemical data derived from the soil sample averages for major geological units and the major rock components associated with these units. Discrepancies were observed between the remote and the soil-anlysis elemental concentration data, which were apparently due to the differences in the extent of exposure of geological units, and, hence, major rock eomponents, in the area sampled. Differences were observed in signal depths between various orbital experiments, which may provide a mechanism for explaining differences between the XRF and other landing-site data.

Accredited hand surgery fellowship Web sites: analysis of content and accessibility.

PubMed

Trehan, Samir K; Morrell, Nathan T; Akelman, Edward

2015-04-01

To assess the accessibility and content of accredited hand surgery fellowship Web sites. A list of all accredited hand surgery fellowships was obtained from the online database of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH). Fellowship program information on the ASSH Web site was recorded. All fellowship program Web sites were located via Google search. Fellowship program Web sites were analyzed for accessibility and content in 3 domains: program overview, application information/recruitment, and education. At the time of this study, there were 81 accredited hand surgery fellowships with 169 available positions. Thirty of 81 programs (37%) had a functional link on the ASSH online hand surgery fellowship directory; however, Google search identified 78 Web sites. Three programs did not have a Web site. Analysis of content revealed that most Web sites contained contact information, whereas information regarding the anticipated clinical, research, and educational experiences during fellowship was less often present. Furthermore, information regarding past and present fellows, salary, application process/requirements, call responsibilities, and case volume was frequently lacking. Overall, 52 of 81 programs (64%) had the minimal online information required for residents to independently complete the fellowship application process. Hand fellowship program Web sites could be accessed either via the ASSH online directory or Google search, except for 3 programs that did not have Web sites. Although most fellowship program Web sites contained contact information, other content such as application information/recruitment and education, was less frequently present. This study provides comparative data regarding the clinical and educational experiences outlined on hand fellowship program Web sites that are of relevance to residents, fellows, and academic hand surgeons. This study also draws attention to various ways in which the hand surgery fellowship application process can be made more user-friendly and efficient. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The invasive species Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) increases soil nutrient availability in northern hardwood-conifer forests.

PubMed

Rodgers, Vikki L; Wolfe, Benjamin E; Werden, Leland K; Finzi, Adrien C

2008-09-01

The invasion of non-native plants can alter the diversity and activity of soil microorganisms and nutrient cycling within forests. We used field studies to analyze the impact of a successful invasive groundcover, Alliaria petiolata, on fungal diversity, soil nutrient availability, and pH in five northeastern US forests. We also used laboratory and greenhouse experiments to test three mechanisms by which A. petiolata may alter soil processes: (1) the release of volatile, cyanogenic glucosides from plant tissue; (2) the exudation of plant secondary compounds from roots; and (3) the decomposition of litter. Fungal community composition was significantly different between invaded and uninvaded soils at one site. Compared to uninvaded plots, plots invaded by A. petiolata were consistently and significantly higher in N, P, Ca and Mg availability, and soil pH. In the laboratory, the release of volatile compounds from the leaves of A. petiolata did not significantly alter soil N availability. Similarly, in the greenhouse, the colonization of native soils by A. petiolata roots did not alter soil nutrient cycling, implying that the exudation of secondary compounds has little effect on soil processes. In a leaf litter decomposition experiment, however, green rosette leaves of A. petiolata significantly increased the rate of decomposition of native tree species. The accelerated decomposition of leaf litter from native trees in the presence of A. petiolata rosette leaves shows that the death of these high-nutrient-content leaves stimulates decomposition to a greater extent than any negative effect that secondary compounds may have on the activity of the microbes decomposing the native litter. The results presented here, integrated with recent related studies, suggest that this invasive plant may change soil nutrient availability in such a way as to create a positive feedback between site occupancy and continued proliferation.

A web-based platform to support an evidence-based mental health intervention: lessons from the CBITS web site.

PubMed

Vona, Pamela; Wilmoth, Pete; Jaycox, Lisa H; McMillen, Janey S; Kataoka, Sheryl H; Wong, Marleen; DeRosier, Melissa E; Langley, Audra K; Kaufman, Joshua; Tang, Lingqi; Stein, Bradley D

2014-11-01

To explore the role of Web-based platforms in behavioral health, the study examined usage of a Web site for supporting training and implementation of an evidence-based intervention. Using data from an online registration survey and Google Analytics, the investigators examined user characteristics and Web site utilization. Site engagement was substantial across user groups. Visit duration differed by registrants' characteristics. Less experienced clinicians spent more time on the Web site. The training section accounted for most page views across user groups. Individuals previously trained in the Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools intervention viewed more implementation assistance and online community pages than did other user groups. Web-based platforms have the potential to support training and implementation of evidence-based interventions for clinicians of varying levels of experience and may facilitate more rapid dissemination. Web-based platforms may be promising for trauma-related interventions, because training and implementation support should be readily available after a traumatic event.

Batch experiments versus soil pore water extraction--what makes the difference in isoproturon (bio-)availability?

PubMed

Folberth, Christian; Suhadolc, Metka; Scherb, Hagen; Munch, Jean Charles; Schroll, Reiner

2009-10-01

Two approaches to determine pesticide (bio-)availability in soils (i) batch experiments with "extraction with an excess of water" (EEW) and (ii) the recently introduced "soil pore water (PW) extraction" of pesticide incubated soil samples have been compared with regard to the sorption behavior of the model compound isoproturon in soils. A significant correlation between TOC and adsorbed pesticide amount was found when using the EEW approach. In contrast, there was no correlation between TOC and adsorbed isoproturon when using the in situ PW extraction method. Furthermore, sorption was higher at all concentrations in the EEW method when comparing the distribution coefficients (K(d)) for both methods. Over all, sorption in incubated soil samples at an identical water tension (-15 kPa) and soil density (1.3 g cm(-3)) appears to be controlled by a complex combination of sorption driving soil parameters. Isoproturon bioavailability was found to be governed in different soils by binding strength and availability of sorption sites as well as water content, whereas the dominance of either one of these factors seems to depend on the individual composition and characteristics of the respective soil sample. Using multiple linear regression analysis we obtained furthermore indications that the soil pore structure is affected by the EEW method due to disaggregation, resulting in a higher availability of pesticide sorption sites than in undisturbed soil samples. Therefore, it can be concluded that isoproturon sorption is overestimated when using the EEW method, which should be taken into account when using data from this approach or similar batch techniques for risk assessment analysis.

Disentangling legacy effects from environmental filters of postfire assembly of boreal tree assemblages.

PubMed

Brown, Carissa D; Liu, Juxin; Yan, Guohua; Johnstone, Jill F

2015-11-01

Disturbance plays a key role in driving ecological responses by creating opportunities for new ecological communities to assemble and by directly influencing the outcomes of assembly. Legacy effects (such as seed banks) and environmental filters can both influence community assembly, but their effects are impossible to separate with observational data. Here, we used seeding experiments in sites covering a broad range of postdisturbance conditions to tease apart the effects of seed availability, environmental factors, and disturbance characteristics on early community assembly after fire. We added seed of four common boreal trees to experimental plots in 55 replicate sites in recently burned areas of black spruce forest in northwestern North America. Seed addition treatments increased the probability of occurrence for all species, indicating a widespread potential for seed limitation to affect patterns of recruitment after fire. Small-seeded. species (aspen and birch) were most sensitive to environmental factors such as soil moisture and organic layer depth, suggesting a role for niche-based environmental filtering in community assembly. Fire characteristics related to severity and frequency were also important drivers of seedling regeneration, indicating the potential for disturbance to mediate environmental filters and legacy effects on seed availability. Because effects of seed availability are typically impossible to disentangle from environmental constraints on recruitment in observational studies, legacy effects contingent on vegetation history may be misinterpreted as being driven by strong environmental filters. Results from the seeding experiments suggest that vegetation legacies affecting seed availability play a pivotal role in shaping patterns of community assembly after fire in these low-diversity boreal forests.

The evolution of vertebrate eye size across an environmental gradient: phenotype does not predict genotype in a Trinidadian killifish.

PubMed

Beston, Shannon M; Wostl, Elijah; Walsh, Matthew R

2017-08-01

Vertebrates exhibit substantial variation in eye size. Eye size correlates positively with visual capacity and behaviors that enhance fitness, such as predator avoidance. This foreshadows a connection between predation and eye size evolution. Yet, the conditions that favor evolutionary shifts in eye size, besides the well-known role for light availability, are unclear. We tested the influence of predation on the evolution of eye size in Trinidadian killifish, Rivulus hartii. Rivulus are located across a series of communities where they coexist with visually oriented piscivores ("high predation" sites), and no predators ("Rivulus-only" sites). Wild-caught Rivulus from high predation sites generally exhibited a smaller relative eye size than communities that lack predators. Yet, such differences were inconsistent across rivers. Second-generation common garden reared fish revealed repeatable decreases in eye size in Rivulus from high predation sites. We performed additional experiments that tested the importance of light and resources on eye size evolution. Sites that differ in light or resource availability did not differ in eye size. Our results argue that differences in predator-induced mortality underlie genetically-based shifts in vertebrate eye size. We discuss the drivers of eye size evolution in light of the nonparallel trends between the phenotypic and common garden results. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

UV-POSIT: Web-Based Tools for Rapid and Facile Structural Interpretation of Ultraviolet Photodissociation (UVPD) Mass Spectra.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Jake; Parker, W Ryan; Cammarata, Michael B; Brodbelt, Jennifer S

2018-06-01

UV-POSIT (Ultraviolet Photodissociation Online Structure Interrogation Tools) is a suite of web-based tools designed to facilitate the rapid interpretation of data from native mass spectrometry experiments making use of 193 nm ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD). The suite includes four separate utilities which assist in the calculation of fragment ion abundances as a function of backbone cleavage sites and sequence position; the localization of charge sites in intact proteins; the calculation of hydrogen elimination propensity for a-type fragment ions; and mass-offset searching of UVPD spectra to identify unknown modifications and assess false positive fragment identifications. UV-POSIT is implemented as a Python/Flask web application hosted at http://uv-posit.cm.utexas.edu . UV-POSIT is available under the MIT license, and the source code is available at https://github.com/jarosenb/UV_POSIT . Graphical Abstract.

An Analysis of NSF Geosciences 2009 Research Experience for Undergraduate Site Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez, S. C.; Patino, L. C.; Rom, E. L.; Weiler, S. C.

2009-12-01

The Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) Program at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) provides undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct research at different institutions and in areas that may not be available in their home campuses. The Geosciences REU Sites foster research opportunities in areas closely aligned with undergraduate majors and facilitates discovery of the multidisciplinary nature of the Geosciences. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the Geosciences REU Site programs run in 2009. A survey requesting information on recruitment methods, student demographics, enrichment activities, and fields of research was sent to the Principal Investigators of each of the 50 active REU Sites; over 70% of the surveys were returned with the requested information. The internet is the most widely used mechanism to recruit participants, but the survey did not distinguish among different tools like websites, emails, social networks, etc. The admissions rate for REU Sites in Geosciences varies from less than 10% to 50%, with the majority of participants being rising seniors and juniors. A few Sites include rising sophomores. At least 40% of the participants come from non-PhD granting institutions. Among the participants, gender distribution is balanced, with a slightly larger number of female participants. Regarding ethnic diversity, the REU Sites reflect the difficulty of attracting diverse students into Geosciences as a discipline; more than 75% of the participants are Caucasian and Asian students. Furthermore, participants from minority-serving institutions constitute a small percentage of those taking part in these research experiences. The enrichment activities are very similar across the REU Sites, and mimic well activities common to the scientific community, including intellectual exchange of ideas (lab meetings, seminars, and professional meetings), networking and social activities. There are some clear similarities among REU Sites managed by the three divisions in the Directorate of Geosciences (e.g. recruitment tools, academic level of participants, and enrichment activities), but other aspects vary among the Sites managed by the different divisions (e.g. admissions rate, diversity, and distribution among research disciplines). The results from this survey will be used to examine strengths in the REU Sites in the Geosciences, opportunities that may be under utilized, and community needs to enhance this NSF wide program.

Intraspecific Phenotypic Variation and Ecological Genetics of Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii Hook. & Am.)

Treesearch

Kevin J. Rice; Doria R. Gordon; Jeanine L. Hardison; Jeffrey M. Welker

1991-01-01

A field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of soil water availability on blue oak (Quercus douglasii) seedling establishment. Acorns were planted either into cleared plots of 0, 10, 20, or 40 cm diameter. The cleared plots were located in two grazed and one ungrazed site. Half of the plots received drip irrigation in a split plot design...

The North American long-term soil productivity experiment: findings from the first decade of research

Treesearch

Robert F. Powers; D. Andrew Scott; Felipe g. Sanchez; Richard A. Voldseth; Deborah Page-Dumroese; John D. Elioff; Douglas M. Stone

2005-01-01

First decade findings on the impacts of organic matter removal and soil compaction are reported for the 26 oldest installations in the nation-wide network of long-term soil productivity sites. Complete removal of surface organic matter led to declines in soil C concentration to 20 cm depth and to reduced nutrient availability. The effect is attributed mainly to the...

Litter Decomposition in Low and High Mortality Northern Red Oak Stands on Extremely Acidic Southwestern Pennsylvania Soils

Treesearch

Michael C. Demchik; William E. Sharpe

2004-01-01

Previous research has shown that decomposition of organic matter is slower in soils with high levels of soil acidity and available aluminum (Al). The objective of this experiment was to determine if differences in decomposition rates of northern red oak leaves occurred between extremely acidic and less acidic sites that also differed in oak mortality. Leaf litter from...

Graphene-carbon nanotube composite aerogel for selective detection of uric acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Feifei; Tang, Jie; Wang, Zonghua; Qin, Lu-Chang

2013-12-01

Graphene and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) composite aerogel has been prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. The restacking of graphene is effectively reduced by SWNTs inserted in between graphene layers in order to make available more active sites and reactive surface area. Electrochemical experiments show that the graphene-SWNT composite electrode has superior catalytic performance in selective detection of uric acid (UA).

Decades-old silvicultural treatments influence surface wildfire severity and post-fire nitrogen availability in a ponderosa pine forest

Treesearch

Ann L. Lezberg; Michael A. Battaglia; Wayne D. Shepperd; Anna W. Schoettle

2008-01-01

Wildfire severity and subsequent ecological effects may be influenced by prior land management, via modification of forest structure and lingering changes in fuels. In 2002, the Hayman wildfire burned as a low to moderate-severity surface fire through a 21-year pine regeneration experiment with two overstory harvest cuttings (shelterwood, seed-tree) and two site...

Recycling/Disposal Alternatives for Depleted Uranium Wastes

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

could pass before new sites are available. Recent experi- ence with attempts to dispose of wastes generated by cleanup of the Three Mile Island...commercial sector. Nonordnance uses include counterweights, Lallast, shielding , and special appli- cations machinery. Although the purity requirements...Refer- ence 11). Since the activity of the tailings is higher than allow- able for unrestricted access, large earth -dam retention systems, known as

Grid site availability evaluation and monitoring at CMS

DOE PAGES

Lyons, Gaston; Maciulaitis, Rokas; Bagliesi, Giuseppe; ...

2017-10-01

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) uses distributed grid computing to store, process, and analyse the vast quantity of scientific data recorded every year. The computing resources are grouped into sites and organized in a tiered structure. Each site provides computing and storage to the CMS computing grid. Over a hundred sites worldwide contribute with resources from hundred to well over ten thousand computing cores and storage from tens of TBytes to tens of PBytes. In such a large computing setup scheduled and unscheduled outages occur continually and are not allowed to significantly impactmore » data handling, processing, and analysis. Unscheduled capacity and performance reductions need to be detected promptly and corrected. CMS developed a sophisticated site evaluation and monitoring system for Run 1 of the LHC based on tools of the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid. For Run 2 of the LHC the site evaluation and monitoring system is being overhauled to enable faster detection/reaction to failures and a more dynamic handling of computing resources. Furthermore, enhancements to better distinguish site from central service issues and to make evaluations more transparent and informative to site support staff are planned.« less

Synchronized computational architecture for generalized bilateral control of robot arms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Szakaly, Zoltan F. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

A master six degree of freedom Force Reflecting Hand Controller (FRHC) is available at a master site where a received image displays, in essentially real time, a remote robotic manipulator which is being controlled in the corresponding six degree freedom by command signals which are transmitted to the remote site in accordance with the movement of the FRHC at the master site. Software is user-initiated at the master site in order to establish the basic system conditions, and then a physical movement of the FRHC in Cartesean space is reflected at the master site by six absolute numbers that are sensed, translated and computed as a difference signal relative to the earlier position. The change in position is then transmitted in that differential signal form over a high speed synchronized bilateral communication channel which simultaneously returns robot-sensed response information to the master site as forces applied to the FRHC so that the FRHC reflects the feel of what is taking place at the remote site. A system wide clock rate is selected at a sufficiently high rate that the operator at the master site experiences the Force Reflecting operation in real time.

Grid site availability evaluation and monitoring at CMS

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

Lyons, Gaston; Maciulaitis, Rokas; Bagliesi, Giuseppe

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) uses distributed grid computing to store, process, and analyse the vast quantity of scientific data recorded every year. The computing resources are grouped into sites and organized in a tiered structure. Each site provides computing and storage to the CMS computing grid. Over a hundred sites worldwide contribute with resources from hundred to well over ten thousand computing cores and storage from tens of TBytes to tens of PBytes. In such a large computing setup scheduled and unscheduled outages occur continually and are not allowed to significantly impactmore » data handling, processing, and analysis. Unscheduled capacity and performance reductions need to be detected promptly and corrected. CMS developed a sophisticated site evaluation and monitoring system for Run 1 of the LHC based on tools of the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid. For Run 2 of the LHC the site evaluation and monitoring system is being overhauled to enable faster detection/reaction to failures and a more dynamic handling of computing resources. Furthermore, enhancements to better distinguish site from central service issues and to make evaluations more transparent and informative to site support staff are planned.« less

Grid site availability evaluation and monitoring at CMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyons, Gaston; Maciulaitis, Rokas; Bagliesi, Giuseppe; Lammel, Stephan; Sciabà, Andrea

2017-10-01

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) uses distributed grid computing to store, process, and analyse the vast quantity of scientific data recorded every year. The computing resources are grouped into sites and organized in a tiered structure. Each site provides computing and storage to the CMS computing grid. Over a hundred sites worldwide contribute with resources from hundred to well over ten thousand computing cores and storage from tens of TBytes to tens of PBytes. In such a large computing setup scheduled and unscheduled outages occur continually and are not allowed to significantly impact data handling, processing, and analysis. Unscheduled capacity and performance reductions need to be detected promptly and corrected. CMS developed a sophisticated site evaluation and monitoring system for Run 1 of the LHC based on tools of the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid. For Run 2 of the LHC the site evaluation and monitoring system is being overhauled to enable faster detection/reaction to failures and a more dynamic handling of computing resources. Enhancements to better distinguish site from central service issues and to make evaluations more transparent and informative to site support staff are planned.

Gas Transport and Detection Following Underground Nuclear Explosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrigan, C. R.; Sun, Y.; Wagoner, J. L.; Zucca, J. J.

2011-12-01

Some extremely rare radioactive noble gases are by-products of underground nuclear explosions, and the detection of significant levels of these gases (e.g., Xe-133 and Ar-37) at the surface is a very strong indicator of the occurrence of an underground nuclear event. Because of their uniqueness, such noble gas signatures can be confirmatory of the nuclear nature of an event while signatures from other important detection methods, such as anomalous seismicity, are generally not. As a result, noble gas detection at a suspected underground nuclear test site is considered to be the most important technique available to inspectors operating under the On-Site-Inspection protocol of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. A one-kiloton chemical underground explosion, the Non-Proliferation Experiment (NPE), was carried out at the Nevada Test Site in 1993 and represented the first On-Site-Inspection oriented test of subsurface gas transport with subsequent detection at the surface using soil gas sampling methods. A major conclusion of the experiment was that noble gases from underground nuclear tests have a good possibility of being detected even if the test is well contained. From this experiment and from computer simulations, we have also learned significant lessons about the modes of gas transport to the surface and the importance of careful subsurface sampling to optimize the detected noble gas signature. Understanding transport and sampling processes for a very wide range of geologic and testing scenarios presents significant challenges that we are currently addressing using sensitivity studies, which we attempt to verify using experiments such as the NPE and a new subsurface gas migration experiment that is now being undertaken at the National Center for Nuclear Security. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

STD-NMR experiments identify a structural motif with novel second-site activity against West Nile virus NS2B-NS3 protease.

PubMed

Schöne, Tobias; Grimm, Lena Lisbeth; Sakai, Naoki; Zhang, Linlin; Hilgenfeld, Rolf; Peters, Thomas

2017-10-01

West Nile virus (WNV) belongs to the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae. This mosquito-borne virus that is highly pathogenic to humans has been evolving into a global threat during the past two decades. Despite many efforts, neither antiviral drugs nor vaccines are available. The viral protease NS2B-NS3 pro is essential for viral replication, and therefore it is considered a prime drug target. However, success in the development of specific NS2B-NS3 pro inhibitors had been moderate so far. In the search for new structural motifs with binding affinity for NS2B-NS3 pro , we have screened a fragment library, the Maybridge Ro5 library, employing saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR experiments as readout. About 30% of 429 fragments showed binding to NS2B-NS3 pro . Subsequent STD-NMR competition experiments using the known active site fragment A as reporter ligand yielded 14 competitively binding fragments, and 22 fragments not competing with A. In a fluorophore-based protease assay, all of these fragments showed inhibition in the micromolar range. Interestingly, 10 of these 22 fragments showed a notable increase of STD intensities in the presence of compound A suggesting cooperative binding. The most promising non-competitive inhibitors 1 and 2 (IC 50 ∼ 500 μM) share a structural motif that may guide the development of novel second-site (potentially allosteric) inhibitors of NS2B-NS3 pro . To identify the matching protein binding site, chemical shift perturbation studies employing 1 H, 15 N-TROSY-HSQC experiments with uniformly 2 H, 15 N-labeled protease were performed in the presence of 1, and in the concomitant absence or presence of A. The data suggest that 1 interacts with Met 52* of NS2B, identifying a secondary site adjacent to the binding site of A. Therefore, our study paves the way for the synthesis of novel bidentate NS2B-NS3 pro inhibitors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical and biological availability of hydrocarbons in urban harbor sediments

USGS Publications Warehouse

LeBlanc, L.A.; Brownawell, Bruce J.

2002-01-01

The degradation of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons was studied in batch slurry experiments conducted with field-aged sediments, highly impacted by hydrocarbon pollution. Experiments focused on examining the effects of desorption limitations to hydrocarbon mineralization and degradation. Degradation of PAH (e.g., naphthalene, fluorene, acenaphthene) and saturated hydrocarbons was examined in field-aged sediments collected from four sites in greater NY Harbor and western Long Island Sound. The sites were Rikers Island in far western Long Island Sound, Williamsburg Bridge in the East River, Shooters Island in the Arthur Kill, and the Kill Van Kull off Bayonne, New Jersey. Patterns of hydrocarbon desorption and degradation in weathered sediments were complicated by the mixed combustion and oil-derived hydrocarbon sources, and differed markedly from patterns seen in sediments following an oil spill. Rates of degradation in experiments with spiked sediments, especially over short timescales, did not appear to be limited by rates of desorption. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 224th ACS National Meeting (Boston, MA 8/18-22/2002).

Influence of sulfhydryl sites on metal binding by bacteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nell, Ryan M.; Fein, Jeremy B.

2017-02-01

The role of sulfhydryl sites within bacterial cell envelopes is still unknown, but the sites may control the fate and bioavailability of metals. Organic sulfhydryl compounds are important complexing ligands in aqueous systems and they can influence metal speciation in natural waters. Though representing only approximately 5-10% of the total available binding sites on bacterial surfaces, sulfhydryl sites exhibit high binding affinities for some metals. Due to the potential importance of bacterial sulfhydryl sites in natural systems, metal-bacterial sulfhydryl site binding constants must be determined in order to construct accurate models of the fate and distribution of metals in these systems. To date, only Cd-sulfhydryl binding has been quantified. In this study, the thermodynamic stabilities of Mn-, Co-, Ni-, Zn-, Sr- and Pb-sulfhydryl bacterial cell envelope complexes were determined for the bacterial species Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Metal adsorption experiments were conducted as a function of both pH, ranging from 5.0 to 7.0, and metal loading, from 0.5 to 40.0 μmol/g (wet weight) bacteria, in batch experiments in order to determine if metal-sulfhydryl binding occurs. Initially, the data were used to calculate the value of the stability constants for the important metal-sulfhydryl bacterial complexes for each metal-loading condition studied, assuming a single binding reaction for the dominant metal-binding site type under the pH conditions of the experiments. For most of the metals that we studied, these calculated stability constant values increased significantly with decreasing metal loading, strongly suggesting that our initial assumption was not valid and that more than one type of binding occurs at the assumed binding site. We then modeled each dataset with two distinct site types with identical acidity constants: one site with a high metal-site stability constant value, which we take to represent metal-sulfhydryl binding and which dominates under low metal loading conditions, and another more abundant site that we term non-sulfhydryl sites that becomes important at high metal loadings. The resulting calculated stability constants do not vary significantly as a function of metal loading and yield reasonable fits to the observed adsorption behaviors as a function of both pH and metal loading. We use the results to calculate the speciation of metals bound by the bacterial envelope in realistic bacteria-bearing, heavy metal contaminated systems in order to demonstrate the potential importance of metal-sulfhydryl binding in the budget of bacterially-adsorbed metals under low metal-loading conditions.

Correlative measurements of the stratospheric aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santer, R.; Brogniez, C.; Herman, M.; Diallo, S.; Ackerman, M.

1992-12-01

Joint experiments were organized or available during stratospheric flights of a photopolarimeter, referred to as RADIBAL (radiometer balloon). In May 1984, RADIBAL flew simultaneously with another balloonborne experiment conducted by the Institut d'Aeronomie Spatiale de Belgique (IASB), which provides multiwavelength vertical profiles of the aerosol scattering coefficient. At this time, the El Chichon layer was observable quite directly from mountain sites. A ground-based station set up at Pic du Midi allowed an extensive description of the aerosol optical properties. The IASB and the Pic du Midi observations are consistent with the aerosol properties derived from the RADIBAL measurement analysis.

Wyoming Infrared Observatory's Summer Undergraduate Research Assistantship Program: 10 Years of REU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canterna, R.; Beck, K.; Hickman, M. A.

1996-05-01

The Wyoming Infrared Observatory's Summer Undergraduate Research Assistantship Program (SURAP) will complete its tenth year as an NSF REU site. Using the theme, a tutorial in research, SURAP has provided research experience for over 90 students from all regions of the United States. We will present typical histories of past students to illustrate the impact an REU experience has on the scientific careers of these students. Demographic data will be presented to show the diverse backgrounds of our SURAP students. A short film describing our science ethics seminar will be available for later presentation.

Micro-abrasion package capture cell experiment on the trailing edge of LDEF: Impactor chemistry and whipple bumper shield efficiencies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fitzgerald, Howard J.; Yano, Hajime

1995-01-01

Four of the eight available double layer microparticle capture cells, flown as the experiment A0023 on the trailing (West) face of LDEF, have been extensively studied. An investigation of the chemistry of impactors has been made using SEM/EDX techniques and the effectiveness of the capture cells as bumper shields has also been examined. Studies of these capture cells gave positive EDX results, with 53 percent of impact sites indicating the presence of some chemical residues, the predominant residue identified as being silicon in varying quantities.

Fecal corticosterone, body mass, and caching rates of Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) from disturbed and undisturbed sites

PubMed Central

Lucas, Jeffrey R.; Freeberg, Todd M.; Egbert, Jeremy; Schwabl, Hubert

2006-01-01

We tested for hormonal and behavioral differences between Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) taken from a disturbed (recently logged) forest, an undisturbed forest, or a residential site. We measured fecal corticosterone and body mass levels in the field, and fecal corticosterone, body mass, and caching behavior in an aviary experiment. In the field, birds from the disturbed forest exhibited significantly higher fecal corticosterone levels than birds from either the undisturbed forest or from the residential site. Birds from the disturbed forest also exhibited lower body mass than those from the undisturbed forest but higher body mass than those from the residential site. Our aviary results suggest that these physiological differences between field sites are the result of short-term responses to ecological factors: Neither body mass nor fecal corticosterone levels varied between birds captured at different sites. Aviary sample sizes were sufficient to detect seasonal variation in fecal corticosterone (lowest in summer), body mass (highest in spring), and rate of gain in body mass (highest in winter). Under “closed-economy” aviary conditions (all food available from a feeder in the aviary), there were no site differences in the percent of seeds taken from the feeder that were cached. However, under “open-economy” conditions (food occasionally available ad libitum), significantly fewer seeds were cached by birds from the disturbed forest compared to the undisturbed or residential sites. On average, there was only a two-fold difference in population-levels of fecal corticosterone. This difference is about the same as an increase in fecal corticosterone induced by a two-hour increase in food deprivation, and can not be considered to be an acute stress response to disturbance. PMID:16458312

Soil microclimate monitoring in forested and meadow sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freyerova, Katerina; Safanda, Jan

2016-04-01

It is well known fact that forest microclimate differs from open area microclimate (Geiger 1965). Less attention is paid to soil temperatures and their long-term monitoring. To evaluate and compare these two environments from the soil microclimate point of view, Institute of Geophysics in Prague monitors soil and air temperatures in Bedřichov in the Jizerské Hory Mountains (Czech Republic). The soil temperatures are measured in three depths (20, 50 and 100 cm) in forest (700 m a. s. l.) and meadow (750 m a. s. l.). Air temperatures are measured at 2m height both in forest and meadow. Nowadays, we have more than three years long time series. The most of studies and experiments described in literature are short-term ones (in order of days or weeks). However, from short-term experiments the seasonal behaviour and trends can be hardly identified and conclusions on soil temperature reaction to climatic extremes such as heat waves, drought or freeze cannot be done with confidence. These drawbacks of the short-term experiments are discussed in literature (eg. Morecroft et al. 1998; Renaud et al. 2011). At the same, with progression of the global warming, the expected increasing frequency of climatic extremes will affect the future form of forest vegetation (Von Arx et al. 2012). The soil and air temperature series, both from the forest and meadow sites, are evaluated and interpreted with respect to long term temperature characteristics and seasonal trends. The emphasis is given on the soil temperature responses to extreme climatic situations. We examine variability between the localities and depths and spatial and temporal changes in this variability. This long-term monitoring allows us to better understand and examine the behaviour of the soil temperature in extreme weather situations. Therefore, we hope to contribute to better prediction of future reactions of this specific environments to the climate change. Literature Geiger, R., 1965. The climate near the ground, Harvard University Press. Available at: https://books.google.cz/books?id=fTpRAAAAMAAJ. Morecroft, M.D., Taylor, M.E. & Oliver, H.R., 1998. Air and soil microclimates of deciduous woodland compared to an open site. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 90(1-2), pp.141-156. Renaud, V. et al., 2011. Comparison between open-site and below-canopy climatic conditions in Switzerland for different types of forests over 10 years (1998-2007). Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 105(1-2), pp.119-127. Available at: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00704-010-0361-0. Von Arx, G., Dobbertin, M. & Rebetez, M., 2012. Spatio-temporal effects of forest canopy on understory microclimate in a long-term experiment in Switzerland. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 166-167, pp.144-155. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2012.07.018.

Characterization of the Long-term Subsurface Warming Observed at the Apollo 15 and 17 Sites Utilizing the Newly Restored Heat Flow Experiment Data from 1975 to 1977

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagihara, S.; Kiefer, W. S.; Taylor, P. T.; Williams, D. R.; Nakamura, Y.; Krell, J. W.

2017-12-01

The Apollo Heat Flow Experiment (HFE) was conducted at landing sites 15 and 17 as part of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package (ALSEP) program. At each site, the astronauts drilled 2 holes, 10-m apart, and installed a probe in each. The probes monitored surface and subsurface temperatures. The Apollo 15 probes operated from July 1971 to January 1977. The Apollo 17 probes operated from December 1972 to September 1977. For both sites, only data from the beginning to December 1974 were archived previously. We have restored major portions of the 1975-1977 HFE data for both sites from two sets of sources recently recovered. One was the original ALSEP archival data tapes, from which raw HFE data were extracted and processed according to the procedure and the calibration data specified by the original investigators. The other was the ALSEP Performance Summary Reports, which included weekly logs of temperature readings from the deepest sensor of each of the probes. The original HFE investigators noted that temperature of the regolith well below the thermal skin depth ( 1 m) rose gradually through December 1974 at both sites. Possible causes of the warming have been debated since. The restored 1975-1977 HFE data allow more detailed characterization of this phenomenon, especially for the Apollo 17 site, for which the duration of data availability has more than doubled. For both sites, the subsurface warming continued till the end of observations. Simultaneously, thermal gradient decreased. Such behavior is consistent with one of the hypotheses proposed by the original investigators; temperature of the lunar surface around the probe increased by 2 to 4 K at the time of deployment. Consequently, the subsurface thermal regime gradually adjusted to the new boundary condition. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera images taken over the Apollo landing sites suggest that astronaut-induced surface disturbance resulted in lower albedo, and that should have raised average surface temperature. Other explanations may also be possible. For example, at the Apollo 15 site, it is known that radiation down the hole affected the upper section of the probe. In contrast, the Apollo 17 probes were installed with radiation shields at the top of the hole and at 0.3-m depth. Therefore, warming there is more likely to be conductive in nature.

Breaking-Cas-interactive design of guide RNAs for CRISPR-Cas experiments for ENSEMBL genomes.

PubMed

Oliveros, Juan C; Franch, Mònica; Tabas-Madrid, Daniel; San-León, David; Montoliu, Lluis; Cubas, Pilar; Pazos, Florencio

2016-07-08

The CRISPR/Cas technology is enabling targeted genome editing in multiple organisms with unprecedented accuracy and specificity by using RNA-guided nucleases. A critical point when planning a CRISPR/Cas experiment is the design of the guide RNA (gRNA), which directs the nuclease and associated machinery to the desired genomic location. This gRNA has to fulfil the requirements of the nuclease and lack homology with other genome sites that could lead to off-target effects. Here we introduce the Breaking-Cas system for the design of gRNAs for CRISPR/Cas experiments, including those based in the Cas9 nuclease as well as others recently introduced. The server has unique features not available in other tools, including the possibility of using all eukaryotic genomes available in ENSEMBL (currently around 700), placing variable PAM sequences at 5' or 3' and setting the guide RNA length and the scores per nucleotides. It can be freely accessed at: http://bioinfogp.cnb.csic.es/tools/breakingcas, and the code is available upon request. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

An evaluation of information on the internet about a new device: the cervical artificial disc replacement.

PubMed

Qureshi, Sheeraz A; Koehler, Steven M; Lin, James D; Bird, Justin; Garcia, Ryan M; Hecht, Andrew C

2012-05-01

Cross-sectional survey. The objective of this study was to investigate the authorship, content, and quality of information available to the public on the Internet pertaining to the cervical artificial disc replacement device. The Internet is widely used by patients as an educational tool for health care information. In addition, the Internet is used as a medium for direct-to-consumer marketing. Increasing interest in cervical artificial disc replacement has led to the emergence of numerous Web sites offering information about this procedure. It is thought that patients can be influenced by information found on the Internet. A cross section of Web sites accessible to the general public was surveyed. Three commonly used search engines were used to locate 150 (50/search engine) Web sites providing information about the cervical artificial disc replacement. Each Web site was evaluated with regard to authorship and content. Fifty-three percent of the Web sites reviewed were authorized by a private physician group, 4% by an academic physician group, 13% by industry, 16% were news reports, and 14% were not otherwise categorized. Sixty-five percent of Web sites offered a mechanism for direct contact and 19% provided clear patient eligibility criteria. Benefits were expressed in 80% of Web sites, whereas associated risks were described in 35% or less. European experiences were noted in 17% of Web sites, whereas only 9% of Web sites detailed the current US experience. CONCLUSION.: The results of this study demonstrate that much of the content of the Internet-derived information pertaining to the cervical artificial disc replacement is for marketing purposes and may not represent unbiased information. Until we can confirm the content on a Web site to be accurate, patients should be cautioned when using the Internet as a source for health care information related to cervical disc replacement.

22 CFR 502.6 - Terms of use for accessing program materials available on agency Web sites.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... available on agency Web sites. 502.6 Section 502.6 Foreign Relations BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS... program materials available on agency Web sites. (a) By accessing Agency Web sites, Requestors agree to all the Terms of Use available on those Web sites. (b) All Requestors are advised that Agency program...

76 FR 66698 - Postsecondary Educational Institutions Invited To Participate in Experiments Under the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-27

... Experiments Under the Experimental Sites Initiative AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of... institutions to participate in experiments under the Experimental Sites Initiative. SUMMARY: The Secretary... participate in one or more new experiments under the Experimental Sites Initiative (ESI), as authorized by...

Anesthesia and the role of short-term service delivery in developing countries.

PubMed

Froese, Alison

2007-11-01

To clarify the ongoing need for involvement of anesthesiologists in short-term surgical projects in developing countries, and provide information to guide the selection of, application for, and preparation for these rewarding experiences. The lack of safe anesthesia services severely limits the performance of needed surgical procedures in developing countries around the world. Even in countries where well-trained anesthesiologists are available in major urban centres, resources are often absent or limited for large numbers of people in rural or remote areas. Anesthesiologists are highly sought members of surgical teams. Internet sites provide extensive project information. Projects occur in Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. Projects can bring specialized surgical expertise to an otherwise well-serviced urban area, or work in remote areas that have surgical services only when a team comes. Available equipment, drugs, housing, food and transportation vary markedly with project site. Flexibility, adaptability and problem-solving skills are essential. Translators provide language assistance. Anesthesiologists who have experience providing anesthetics in settings with less technological support can assist other anesthesiologists in adapting to less sophisticated settings. Severe shortages of trained health professionals plague developing countries, reflecting complex economic and political problems that will require decades for resolution. Until such time as surgical services are widely available and affordable in remote as well as urban areas of developing countries, anesthesiologists will continue to provide a valuable and personally rewarding contribution through short-term assistance.

On-demand provisioning of HEP compute resources on cloud sites and shared HPC centers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erli, G.; Fischer, F.; Fleig, G.; Giffels, M.; Hauth, T.; Quast, G.; Schnepf, M.; Heese, J.; Leppert, K.; Arnaez de Pedro, J.; Sträter, R.

2017-10-01

This contribution reports on solutions, experiences and recent developments with the dynamic, on-demand provisioning of remote computing resources for analysis and simulation workflows. Local resources of a physics institute are extended by private and commercial cloud sites, ranging from the inclusion of desktop clusters over institute clusters to HPC centers. Rather than relying on dedicated HEP computing centers, it is nowadays more reasonable and flexible to utilize remote computing capacity via virtualization techniques or container concepts. We report on recent experience from incorporating a remote HPC center (NEMO Cluster, Freiburg University) and resources dynamically requested from the commercial provider 1&1 Internet SE into our intitute’s computing infrastructure. The Freiburg HPC resources are requested via the standard batch system, allowing HPC and HEP applications to be executed simultaneously, such that regular batch jobs run side by side to virtual machines managed via OpenStack [1]. For the inclusion of the 1&1 commercial resources, a Python API and SDK as well as the possibility to upload images were available. Large scale tests prove the capability to serve the scientific use case in the European 1&1 datacenters. The described environment at the Institute of Experimental Nuclear Physics (IEKP) at KIT serves the needs of researchers participating in the CMS and Belle II experiments. In total, resources exceeding half a million CPU hours have been provided by remote sites.

Real-time simultaneous and proportional myoelectric control using intramuscular EMG

PubMed Central

Kuiken, Todd A; Hargrove, Levi J

2014-01-01

Objective Myoelectric prostheses use electromyographic (EMG) signals to control movement of prosthetic joints. Clinically available myoelectric control strategies do not allow simultaneous movement of multiple degrees of freedom (DOFs); however, the use of implantable devices that record intramuscular EMG signals could overcome this constraint. The objective of this study was to evaluate the real-time simultaneous control of three DOFs (wrist rotation, wrist flexion/extension, and hand open/close) using intramuscular EMG. Approach We evaluated task performance of five able-bodied subjects in a virtual environment using two control strategies with fine-wire EMG: (i) parallel dual-site differential control, which enabled simultaneous control of three DOFs and (ii) pattern recognition control, which required sequential control of DOFs. Main Results Over the course of the experiment, subjects using parallel dual-site control demonstrated increased use of simultaneous control and improved performance in a Fitts' Law test. By the end of the experiment, performance using parallel dual-site control was significantly better (up to a 25% increase in throughput) than when using sequential pattern recognition control for tasks requiring multiple DOFs. The learning trends with parallel dual-site control suggested that further improvements in performance metrics were possible. Subjects occasionally experienced difficulty in performing isolated single-DOF movements with parallel dual-site control but were able to accomplish related Fitts' Law tasks with high levels of path efficiency. Significance These results suggest that intramuscular EMG, used in a parallel dual-site configuration, can provide simultaneous control of a multi-DOF prosthetic wrist and hand and may outperform current methods that enforce sequential control. PMID:25394366

Real-time simultaneous and proportional myoelectric control using intramuscular EMG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Lauren H.; Kuiken, Todd A.; Hargrove, Levi J.

2014-12-01

Objective. Myoelectric prostheses use electromyographic (EMG) signals to control movement of prosthetic joints. Clinically available myoelectric control strategies do not allow simultaneous movement of multiple degrees of freedom (DOFs); however, the use of implantable devices that record intramuscular EMG signals could overcome this constraint. The objective of this study was to evaluate the real-time simultaneous control of three DOFs (wrist rotation, wrist flexion/extension, and hand open/close) using intramuscular EMG. Approach. We evaluated task performance of five able-bodied subjects in a virtual environment using two control strategies with fine-wire EMG: (i) parallel dual-site differential control, which enabled simultaneous control of three DOFs and (ii) pattern recognition control, which required sequential control of DOFs. Main results. Over the course of the experiment, subjects using parallel dual-site control demonstrated increased use of simultaneous control and improved performance in a Fitts’ Law test. By the end of the experiment, performance using parallel dual-site control was significantly better (up to a 25% increase in throughput) than when using sequential pattern recognition control for tasks requiring multiple DOFs. The learning trends with parallel dual-site control suggested that further improvements in performance metrics were possible. Subjects occasionally experienced difficulty in performing isolated single-DOF movements with parallel dual-site control but were able to accomplish related Fitts’ Law tasks with high levels of path efficiency. Significance. These results suggest that intramuscular EMG, used in a parallel dual-site configuration, can provide simultaneous control of a multi-DOF prosthetic wrist and hand and may outperform current methods that enforce sequential control.

Influences of Availability on Parameter Estimates from Site Occupancy Models with Application to Submersed Aquatic Vegetation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gray, Brian R.; Holland, Mark D.; Yi, Feng; Starcevich, Leigh Ann Harrod

2013-01-01

Site occupancy models are commonly used by ecologists to estimate the probabilities of species site occupancy and of species detection. This study addresses the influence on site occupancy and detection estimates of variation in species availability among surveys within sites. Such variation in availability may result from temporary emigration, nonavailability of the species for detection, and sampling sites spatially when species presence is not uniform within sites. We demonstrate, using Monte Carlo simulations and aquatic vegetation data, that variation in availability and heterogeneity in the probability of availability may yield biases in the expected values of the site occupancy and detection estimates that have traditionally been associated with low-detection probabilities and heterogeneity in those probabilities. These findings confirm that the effects of availability may be important for ecologists and managers, and that where such effects are expected, modification of sampling designs and/or analytical methods should be considered. Failure to limit the effects of availability may preclude reliable estimation of the probability of site occupancy.

Effect of biochar on the presence of nutrients and ryegrass growth in the soil from an abandoned indigenous coking site: The potential role of biochar in the revegetation of contaminated site.

PubMed

Zhang, Guixiang; Guo, Xiaofang; Zhu, Yuen; Han, Zhiwang; He, Qiusheng; Zhang, Fengsong

2017-12-01

Little is known regarding how biochars' feedstock and pyrolysis temperature affect soil function and plant growth. To address this gap in knowledge, 12 biochars (walnut shells, corn cobs, corn straws, and rice straws were separately pyrolyzed at 250, 400, and 600°C for 4h) were applied to soil from an indigenous coking site with application rate of 2.5% (w/w) in a pot experiment to determine the impact of biochar types on macro-nutrients (total and available N, P, and K) and ryegrass growth in the soil from an indigenous coking site. Generally, the total N, P, and K in the soil was not significantly different from that of the control group. However, biochars decreased the available N from 21.76mg·kg -1 for the control to 14.96mg·kg -1 . Corn straw and rice straw biochars increased the available P from 2.14mg·kg -1 for the control to 28.35mg·kg -1 , specifically at higher pyrolysis temperature, while walnut shell and corn cob biochars had little influence on it regardless of pyrolysis temperature. Biochars increased the available K from 173.58mg·kg -1 for the control to 355.64mg·kg -1 , varying as their feedstocks of corn cob>rice straw>corn straw>walnut shell and increasing with the increase of pyrolysis temperature. Correlation analysis suggests that it is responsible for the competition of soluble cations from biochars with K for adsorption sites on the soil surface. Biochars increased the ryegrass biomass from 0.07g·pot -1 for the control to 0.16g·pot -1 , with the generally most effective stimulation by biochars produced at 400°C. Ryegrass biomass had obviously positive correlation with available K, indicating its essential role in the growth of ryegrass in the studied soil. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Preliminary Evaluation of Removing Used Nuclear Fuel from Shutdown Sites

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

Maheras, Steven J.; Best, Ralph E.; Ross, Steven B.

A preliminary evaluation of removing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from 13 shutdown nuclear power plant sites was performed. At these shutdown sites the nuclear power reactors have been permanently shut down and the sites have been decommissioned or are undergoing decommissioning. The shutdown sites were Maine Yankee, Yankee Rowe, Connecticut Yankee, Humboldt Bay, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Trojan, La Crosse, Zion, Crystal River, Kewaunee, San Onofre, and Vermont Yankee. The evaluation was divided into four components: Characterization of the SNF and greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste (GTCC waste) inventory A description of the on-site infrastructure at the shutdown sitesmore » An evaluation of the near-site transportation infrastructure and transportation experience at the shutdown sites An evaluation of the actions necessary to prepare for and remove SNF and GTCC waste. The primary sources for the inventory of SNF and GTCC waste were the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel inventory database, industry publications such as StoreFUEL, and government sources such as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The primary sources for information on the conditions of on-site infrastructure and near-site transportation infrastructure and experience included information collected during site visits, information provided by managers at the shutdown sites, Facility Interface Data Sheets compiled for DOE in 2005, Services Planning Documents prepared for DOE in 1993 and 1994, industry publications such as Radwaste Solutions, and Google Earth. State staff, State Regional Group representatives, a Tribal representative, and a Federal Railroad Administration representative have participated in nine of the shutdown site visits. Every shutdown site was found to have at least one off-site transportation mode option for removing its SNF and GTCC waste; some have multiple options. Experience removing large components during reactor decommissioning provided an important source of information used to identify the transportation mode options for the sites. Especially important in conducting the evaluation were site visits, through which information was obtained that would not have been available otherwise. Extensive photographs taken during the site visits proved to be particularly useful in documenting the current conditions at or near the sites. Additional conclusions from this evaluation include: The 13 shutdown sites use designs from 4 different suppliers involving 11 different (horizontal and vertical) dry storage systems that would require the use of 9 different transportation cask designs to remove the SNF and GTCC waste from the shutdown sites. Although some changes to transportation certificates of compliance will be required, the SNF at the initial 9 shutdown sites (Maine Yankee, Yankee Rowe, Connecticut Yankee, Humboldt Bay, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Trojan, La Crosse, and Zion) is in dual purpose dry storage canisters that can be transported, including a small amount of high-burnup fuel. Most sites indicated that 2-3 years of advance time would be required for its preparations before shipments could begin. Some sites could be ready in less time. As additional sites such as Fort Calhoun, Clinton, Quad Cities, Pilgrim, Oyster Creek, and Diablo Canyon shut down, these sites will be included in updates to the evaluation.« less

Pediatric Price Transparency: Still Opaque With Opportunities for Improvement.

PubMed

Faherty, Laura J; Wong, Charlene A; Feingold, Jordyn; Li, Joan; Town, Robert; Fieldston, Evan; Werner, Rachel M

2017-10-01

Price transparency is gaining importance as families' portion of health care costs rise. We describe (1) online price transparency data for pediatric care on children's hospital Web sites and state-based price transparency Web sites, and (2) the consumer experience of obtaining an out-of-pocket estimate from children's hospitals for a common procedure. From 2015 to 2016, we audited 45 children's hospital Web sites and 38 state-based price transparency Web sites, describing availability and characteristics of health care prices and personalized cost estimate tools. Using secret shopper methodology, we called children's hospitals and submitted online estimate requests posing as a self-paying family requesting an out-of-pocket estimate for a tonsillectomy-adenoidectomy. Eight children's hospital Web sites (18%) listed prices. Twelve (27%) provided personalized cost estimate tool (online form n = 5 and/or phone number n = 9). All 9 hospitals with a phone number for estimates provided the estimated patient liability for a tonsillectomy-adenoidectomy (mean $6008, range $2622-$9840). Of the remaining 36 hospitals without a dedicated price estimate phone number, 21 (58%) provided estimates (mean $7144, range $1200-$15 360). Two of 4 hospitals with online forms provided estimates. Fifteen (39%) state-based Web sites distinguished between prices for pediatric and adult care. One had a personalized cost estimate tool. Meaningful prices for pediatric care were not widely available online through children's hospital or state-based price transparency Web sites. A phone line or online form for price estimates were effective strategies for hospitals to provide out-of-pocket price information. Opportunities exist to improve pediatric price transparency. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The Swedish Research Infrastructure for Ecosystem Science - SITES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindroth, A.; Ahlström, M.; Augner, M.; Erefur, C.; Jansson, G.; Steen Jensen, E.; Klemedtsson, L.; Langenheder, S.; Rosqvist, G. N.; Viklund, J.

2017-12-01

The vision of SITES is to promote long-term field-based ecosystem research at a world class level by offering an infrastructure with excellent technical and scientific support and services attracting both national and international researchers. In addition, SITES will make data freely and easily available through an advanced data portal which will add value to the research. During the first funding period, three innovative joint integrating facilities were established through a researcher-driven procedure: SITES Water, SITES Spectral, and SITES AquaNet. These new facilities make it possible to study terrestrial and limnic ecosystem processes across a range of ecosystem types and climatic gradients, with common protocols and similar equipment. In addition, user-driven development at the nine individual stations has resulted in e.g. design of a long-term agricultural systems experiment, and installation of weather stations, flux systems, etc. at various stations. SITES, with its integrative approach and broad coverage of climate and ecosystem types across Sweden, constitutes an excellent platform for state-of-the-art research projects. SITES' support the development of: A better understanding of the way in which key ecosystems function and interact with each other at the landscape level and with the climate system in terms of mass and energy exchanges. A better understanding of the role of different organisms in controlling different processes and ultimately the functioning of ecosystems. New strategies for forest management to better meet the many and varied requirements from nature conservation, climate and wood, fibre, and energy supply points of view. Agricultural systems that better utilize resources and minimize adverse impacts on the environment. Collaboration with other similar infrastructures and networks is a high priority for SITES. This will enable us to make use of each others' experiences, harmonize metadata for easier exchange of data, and support each other to widen the user community.

Plutonium Particle Migration in the Shallow Vadose Zone: The Nevada Test Site as an Analog Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunt, J. R.; Smith, D. K.

2004-12-01

The upper meter of the vadose zone in desert environments is the horizon where wastes have been released and human exposure is determined through dermal, inhalation, and food uptake pathways. This region is also characterized by numerous coupled processes that determine contaminant transport, including precipitation infiltration, evapotranspiration, daily and annual temperature cycling, dust resuspension, animal burrowing, and geochemical weathering reactions. While there is considerable interest in colloidal transport of minerals, pathogenic organisms, and contaminants in the vadose zone, there are limited field sites where the actual occurrence of contaminant migration can be quantified over the appropriate spatial and temporal scales of interest. At the US Department of Energy Nevada Test Site, there have been numerous releases of radionuclides since the 1950's that have become field-scale tracer tests. One series of tests was the four safety shots conducted in an alluvial valley of Area 11 in the 1950's. These experiments tested the ability of nuclear materials to survive chemical explosions without initiating fission reactions. Four above-ground tests were conducted and they released plutonium and uranium on the desert valley floor with only one of the tests undergoing some fission. Shortly after the tests, the sites were surveyed for radionuclide distribution on the land surface using aerial surveys and with depth. Additional studies were conducted in the 1970's to better understand the fate of plutonium in the desert that included studies of depth distribution and dust resuspension. More recently, plutonium particle distribution in the soil profile was detected using autoradiography. The results to date demonstrate the vertical migration of plutonium particles to depths in excess of 30 cm in this arid vadose zone. While plutonium migration at the Nevada Test Site has been and continues to be a concern, these field experiments have become analog sites for the release of radiological materials potentially important to consequence management investigations. In particular, these 50-year old experiments with long and detailed site investigations under relative undisturbed conditions offer insights into transport pathways that must be represented in simulation models that evaluate responses to radiological dispersal devices (RDDs). A compilation of the available site characterization data suggests additional experimental and modeling programs that can ultimately quantify the fate of contaminant particles released at the soil surface.

Self managing experiment resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stagni, F.; Ubeda, M.; Tsaregorodtsev, A.; Romanovskiy, V.; Roiser, S.; Charpentier, P.; Graciani, R.

2014-06-01

Within this paper we present an autonomic Computing resources management system, used by LHCb for assessing the status of their Grid resources. Virtual Organizations Grids include heterogeneous resources. For example, LHC experiments very often use resources not provided by WLCG, and Cloud Computing resources will soon provide a non-negligible fraction of their computing power. The lack of standards and procedures across experiments and sites generated the appearance of multiple information systems, monitoring tools, ticket portals, etc... which nowadays coexist and represent a very precious source of information for running HEP experiments Computing systems as well as sites. These two facts lead to many particular solutions for a general problem: managing the experiment resources. In this paper we present how LHCb, via the DIRAC interware, addressed such issues. With a renewed Central Information Schema hosting all resources metadata and a Status System (Resource Status System) delivering real time information, the system controls the resources topology, independently of the resource types. The Resource Status System applies data mining techniques against all possible information sources available and assesses the status changes, that are then propagated to the topology description. Obviously, giving full control to such an automated system is not risk-free. Therefore, in order to minimise the probability of misbehavior, a battery of tests has been developed in order to certify the correctness of its assessments. We will demonstrate the performance and efficiency of such a system in terms of cost reduction and reliability.

Experience with a proposed teleradiology system for digital mammography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saulnier, Emilie T.; Mitchell, Robert J.; Abdel-Malek, Aiman A.; Dudding, Kathryn E.

1995-05-01

Teleradiology offers significant improvement in efficiency and effectiveness over current practices in traditional film/screen-based diagnosis. In the context of digital mammography, the increasing number of women who need to be screened for breast cancer, including those in remote rural regions, make the advantages of teleradiology especially attractive for digital mammography. At the same time, the size and resolution of digital mammograms are among the most challenging to support in a cost effective teleradiology system. This paper describes a teleradiology architecture developed for use with digital mammography by GE Corporate Research and Development in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital under National Cancer Institute (NCI/NIH) grant number R01 CA60246-01. Experience with a testbed prototype is described. The telemammography architecture is intended to consist of a main mammography diagnostic site serving several remote screening sites. As patient exams become available, they are forwarded by an image server to the diagnostic site over a WAN communications link. A radiologist at the diagnostic site views a patient exam as it arrives, interprets it, and then relays a report back to the technician at the remote site. A secondary future scenario consists of mobile units which forward images to a remote site, which then forwards them to the main diagnostic site. The testbed architecture is based on the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard, created by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). A specification of vendor-independent data formats and data transfer services for digital medical images, DICOM specifies a protocol suite starting at the application layer downward, including the TCP/IP layers. The current DICOM definition does not provide an information element that is specifically tailored to mammography, so we have used the DICOM secondary capture data format for the mammography images. In conclusion, experience with the testbed is described, as is performance analysis related to selection of network components needed to extend this architecture to clinical evaluation. Recommendations are made as to the critical areas for future work.

Comparison of depth-specific groundwater sampling methods and their influence on hydrochemistry, isotopy and dissolved gases - Experiences from the Fuhrberger Feld, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houben, Georg J.; Koeniger, Paul; Schloemer, Stefan; Gröger-Trampe, Jens; Sültenfuß, Jürgen

2018-02-01

Depth-specific sampling of groundwater is important for a variety of hydrogeological applications. Several sampling methods are available but comparably little is known about how their results compare. Therefore, samples from regular observation wells (short screen), micro-filters and direct push were compared for two sites with differing hydrogeological conditions and land use, both located in the Fuhrberger Feld, Germany. The encountered hydrochemical zonation requires a high resolution of 1 m or better, which the available small number of regular observation wells could only roughly mirror. Because the three methods employ significantly varying pumping rates and therefore, have varying spatial origins of the sample, individual concentrations at similar depths may differ significantly. In a hydrologically and chemically dynamical environment such as the agricultural site, this effect becomes more pronounced than for the more stable forest site. The micro-filters are probably the most depth-specific, but showed distinctly lower concentrations for dissolved gases than the other two methods, due to degassing during sampling. They should thus not be used for any method that relies on dissolved gas analysis.

The activity of nitrifying microorganisms in a high-altitude Andean wetland.

PubMed

Molina, Verónica; Dorador, Cristina; Fernández, Camila; Bristow, Laura; Eissler, Yoanna; Hengst, Martha; Hernandez, Klaudia; Olsen, Lasse Mork; Harrod, Chris; Marchant, Francisca; Anguita, Cristobal; Cornejo, Marcela

2018-06-01

High-altitude wetland holds freshwater springs, evaporitic ponds and lagoon with variable salinity and nutrients, potentially influencing the ecology of nitrifying communities. In this study, nitrifying microorganisms in Salar de Huasco (Chile) were surveyed to determine bacterial and archaeal contribution to ammonium (AO), nitrite oxidation (NO), ammonium uptake (AU) during wet and dry seasons. The activity signals from these groups were assessed by specific amoA-qPCR transcription, 15N tracer studies and addition of group specific inhibitor experiments for nitrifying microorganisms (N1-guanyl-1, 7-diaminoheptane [GC7]-archaeal specific and allylthiourea [ATU]-bacterial specific). Nitrifying communities, i.e. Nitrosopumilus, Nitrosospira, Nitrosomonas, Kuenenia and Nitrospira, were more frequent (∼0.25% of 16S rRNA sequences) at low salinity sites. Bacterial amoA-qPCR transcripts also increased at low salinity and along in situ ammonium increase observed between wet/dry seasons. Nutrient changes through time and 15N tracer experiments results showed that AO and NO were detected and peaked mainly at low salinity-high ammonium sites (<37 000 μS cm-1 and >0.3 μM), whereas AU was predominant at evaporitic sites. Our results indicate that salinity and ammonium affect the nitrifying communities that are potentially more active at low-salinity sites but persistent at saltier evaporitic areas of the wetland when ammonium is available.

Influence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus (AMF) on degradation of iron-cyanide complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sut, Magdalena; Boldt-Burisch, Katja; Raab, Thomas

2015-04-01

Soil contamination in the vicinities of former Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) sites is a worldwide known environmental issue. The pollutants, in form of iron-cyanide complexes, originating from the gas purification process, create a risk for human health due to potential release of toxic free cyanide, CN(aq) and HCN(g), (aq).The management and remediation of cyanide contaminated soil can be very challenging due to the complex chemistry and toxicity of CN compounds. The employment of phytoremediation to remove or stabilize contaminants at a former MGP site is an inexpensive process, but can be limited through shallow rotting, decreased biomass, poor growing and the risk of secondary accumulation. However, this adaptation may be enhanced via arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) activity, which may cooperate on the degradation, transformation or uptake of the contaminants. We would like to present our preliminary results from the ongoing project concerning toxic substrate-AMF-plant relation, based on studying the site of a former MGP site. In situ experiments contributed to identifying those fungi that are likely to persist in extremely acidic and toxic conditions. Subsequently, commercially available Rhizophagus irregularis was grown in sterilized, un-spiked soil with the roots of the host plant Calamagrostis epigejos. Extracted roots and AMF hyphae were used in the batch experiment, were the potential of this association on degradation of iron-cyanide complexes, in form of potassium ferrocyanide solution, was assessed.

Adapting land management to emergence of novel site conditions on the continental lowlands of SE Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mátyás, Csaba; Berki, Imre; Bidlo, Andras; Czimber, Kornel.; Gálos, Borbala; Gribovszki, Zoltan; Lakatos, Ferenc; Borovics, Attila; Csóka, György; Führer, Ernő; Illés, Gábor; Rasztovits, Ervin; Somogyi, Zoltán; Bartholy, Judit

2017-04-01

The rapid progress of site potential change, caused by the shift of climate zones is a serious problem of lowland management in Southeast Europe. In forestry, the resilience potential of main, climate-dependent tree species (e.g. spruce, beech, sessile oak) and ecosystems is limited at their lower (xeric) limits of distribution. A conventional mitigation measure for adaptive forest management is the return to nature-close management. Severe drought- and biotic impacts in forests indicate however the urgency of fundamental changes in forest policy. To provide assistance in selecting climate-tolerant provenances, species and adaptive technologies for future site conditions is therefore critical. A simplified Decision Support System has been developed for Hungary, keeping conventional elements of site potential assessment. Projections are specified for discrete site types. Processing forest inventory, landcover and geodata, the System provides GIS-supported site information and projections for individual forest compartments, options for tree species better tolerating future climate scenarios as well as their expected yield and risks. Data respectively projections are available for recent and current conditions, and for future reference periods until 2100. Also non-forest site conditions in the novel grassland (steppe) climate zone appear in projections. Experiences for proper management on these sites are however scarce.

GPS-PAIL: prediction of lysine acetyltransferase-specific modification sites from protein sequences.

PubMed

Deng, Wankun; Wang, Chenwei; Zhang, Ying; Xu, Yang; Zhang, Shuang; Liu, Zexian; Xue, Yu

2016-12-22

Protein acetylation catalyzed by specific histone acetyltransferases (HATs) is an essential post-translational modification (PTM) and involved in the regulation a broad spectrum of biological processes in eukaryotes. Although several ten thousands of acetylation sites have been experimentally identified, the upstream HATs for most of the sites are unclear. Thus, the identification of HAT-specific acetylation sites is fundamental for understanding the regulatory mechanisms of protein acetylation. In this work, we first collected 702 known HAT-specific acetylation sites of 205 proteins from the literature and public data resources, and a motif-based analysis demonstrated that different types of HATs exhibit similar but considerably distinct sequence preferences for substrate recognition. Using 544 human HAT-specific sites for training, we constructed a highly useful tool of GPS-PAIL for the prediction of HAT-specific sites for up to seven HATs, including CREBBP, EP300, HAT1, KAT2A, KAT2B, KAT5 and KAT8. The prediction accuracy of GPS-PAIL was critically evaluated, with a satisfying performance. Using GPS-PAIL, we also performed a large-scale prediction of potential HATs for known acetylation sites identified from high-throughput experiments in nine eukaryotes. Both online service and local packages were implemented, and GPS-PAIL is freely available at: http://pail.biocuckoo.org.

GPS-PAIL: prediction of lysine acetyltransferase-specific modification sites from protein sequences

PubMed Central

Deng, Wankun; Wang, Chenwei; Zhang, Ying; Xu, Yang; Zhang, Shuang; Liu, Zexian; Xue, Yu

2016-01-01

Protein acetylation catalyzed by specific histone acetyltransferases (HATs) is an essential post-translational modification (PTM) and involved in the regulation a broad spectrum of biological processes in eukaryotes. Although several ten thousands of acetylation sites have been experimentally identified, the upstream HATs for most of the sites are unclear. Thus, the identification of HAT-specific acetylation sites is fundamental for understanding the regulatory mechanisms of protein acetylation. In this work, we first collected 702 known HAT-specific acetylation sites of 205 proteins from the literature and public data resources, and a motif-based analysis demonstrated that different types of HATs exhibit similar but considerably distinct sequence preferences for substrate recognition. Using 544 human HAT-specific sites for training, we constructed a highly useful tool of GPS-PAIL for the prediction of HAT-specific sites for up to seven HATs, including CREBBP, EP300, HAT1, KAT2A, KAT2B, KAT5 and KAT8. The prediction accuracy of GPS-PAIL was critically evaluated, with a satisfying performance. Using GPS-PAIL, we also performed a large-scale prediction of potential HATs for known acetylation sites identified from high-throughput experiments in nine eukaryotes. Both online service and local packages were implemented, and GPS-PAIL is freely available at: http://pail.biocuckoo.org. PMID:28004786

The representation of patient experience and satisfaction in physician rating sites. A criteria-based analysis of English- and German-language sites

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Information on patient experience and satisfaction with individual physicians could play an important role for performance measures, improved health care and health literacy. Physician rating sites (PRSs) bear the potential to be a widely available source for this kind of information. However, patient experience and satisfaction are complex constructs operationalized by multiple dimensions. The way in which PRSs allow users to express and rate patient experience and satisfaction could likely influence the image of doctors in society and the self-understanding of both doctors and patients. This study examines the extent to which PRSs currently represent the constructs of patient experience and satisfaction. Methods First, a systematic review of research instruments for measuring patient experience and satisfaction was conducted. The content of these instruments was analyzed qualitatively to create a comprehensive set of dimensions for patient experience and patient satisfaction. Second, PRSs were searched for systematically in English-language and German-language search engines of Google and Yahoo. Finally, we classified every structured question asked by the different PRS using the set of dimensions of patient experience and satisfaction. Results The qualitative content analysis of the measurement instruments produced 13 dimensions of patient experience and satisfaction. We identified a total of 21 PRSs. No PRSs represented all 13 dimensions of patient satisfaction and experience with its structured questions. The 3 most trafficked English-language PRS represent between 5 and 6 dimensions and the 3 most trafficked German language PRSs between 8 and 11 dimensions The dimensions for patient experience and satisfaction most frequently represented in PRSs included diversely operationalized ones such as professional competence and doctor-patient relationship/support. However, other less complex but nevertheless important dimensions such as communication skills and information/advice were rarely represented, especially in English-language PRSs. Conclusions Concerning the potential impact of PRSs on health systems, further research is needed to show which of the current operationalizations of patient experience and satisfaction presented in our study are establishing themselves in PRSs. Independently of this factual development, the question also arises whether and to what extent health policy can and should influence the operationalization of patient experience and satisfaction in PRSs. Here, the challenge would be to produce a set of dimensions capable of consensus from among the wide range of operationalizations found by this study. PMID:21138579

The Autism Simplex Collection: an international, expertly phenotyped autism sample for genetic and phenotypic analyses.

PubMed

Buxbaum, Joseph D; Bolshakova, Nadia; Brownfeld, Jessica M; Anney, Richard Jl; Bender, Patrick; Bernier, Raphael; Cook, Edwin H; Coon, Hilary; Cuccaro, Michael; Freitag, Christine M; Hallmayer, Joachim; Geschwind, Daniel; Klauck, Sabine M; Nurnberger, John I; Oliveira, Guiomar; Pinto, Dalila; Poustka, Fritz; Scherer, Stephen W; Shih, Andy; Sutcliffe, James S; Szatmari, Peter; Vicente, Astrid M; Vieland, Veronica; Gallagher, Louise

2014-01-01

There is an urgent need for expanding and enhancing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) samples, in order to better understand causes of ASD. In a unique public-private partnership, 13 sites with extensive experience in both the assessment and diagnosis of ASD embarked on an ambitious, 2-year program to collect samples for genetic and phenotypic research and begin analyses on these samples. The program was called The Autism Simplex Collection (TASC). TASC sample collection began in 2008 and was completed in 2010, and included nine sites from North America and four sites from Western Europe, as well as a centralized Data Coordinating Center. Over 1,700 trios are part of this collection, with DNA from transformed cells now available through the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G) measures are available for all probands, as are standardized IQ measures, Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scales (VABS), the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), and physical measures (height, weight, and head circumference). At almost every site, additional phenotypic measures were collected, including the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) and Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R), as well as the non-word repetition scale, Communication Checklist (Children's or Adult), and Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC). Moreover, for nearly 1,000 trios, the Autism Genome Project Consortium (AGP) has carried out Illumina 1 M SNP genotyping and called copy number variation (CNV) in the samples, with data being made available through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Whole exome sequencing (WES) has been carried out in over 500 probands, together with ancestry matched controls, and this data is also available through the NIH. Additional WES is being carried out by the Autism Sequencing Consortium (ASC), where the focus is on sequencing complete trios. ASC sequencing for the first 1,000 samples (all from whole-blood DNA) is complete and data will be released in 2014. Data is being made available through NIH databases (database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP) and National Database for Autism Research (NDAR)) with DNA released in Dist 11.0. Primary funding for the collection, genotyping, sequencing and distribution of TASC samples was provided by Autism Speaks and the NIH, including the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Human Genetics Research Institute (NHGRI). TASC represents an important sample set that leverages expert sites. Similar approaches, leveraging expert sites and ongoing studies, represent an important path towards further enhancing available ASD samples.

Review of world experience and properties of materials for encapsulation of terrestrial photovoltaic arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carmichael, D. C.; Gaines, G. B.; Sliemers, F. A.; Kistler, C. W.; Igou, R. D.

1976-01-01

Published and unpublished information relating to encapsulation systems and materials properties was collected by searching the literature and appropriate data bases (over 1,300 documents were selected and reviewed) and by personal contacts including site and company visits. A data tabulation summarizing world experience with terrestrial photovoltaic arrays (50 installations) is presented in the report. Based on criteria of properties, processability, availability, and cost, candidate materials were identified which have potential for use in encapsulation systems for arrays with a lifetime of over 20 years high reliability, an efficiency greater than 10 percent, a total price less than $500/kW, and a production capacity of 500,000 kW/yr. The recommended materials (all commercially available) include, depending upon the device design, various borosilicate and soda-lime glasses and numerous polymerics suitable for specific encapsulation system functions.

The problem of site variation within red pine provenance experiments

Treesearch

Mark J. Holst

1966-01-01

In spite of care taken in the selection of site and experimental design of provenance experiments, site heterogenity within the experimental area may be more complex than was anticipated when the experiment was established. The present paper describes a problem of this nature encountered in a red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) provenance experiment at...

GASS-WEB: a web server for identifying enzyme active sites based on genetic algorithms.

PubMed

Moraes, João P A; Pappa, Gisele L; Pires, Douglas E V; Izidoro, Sandro C

2017-07-03

Enzyme active sites are important and conserved functional regions of proteins whose identification can be an invaluable step toward protein function prediction. Most of the existing methods for this task are based on active site similarity and present limitations including performing only exact matches on template residues, template size restraints, despite not being capable of finding inter-domain active sites. To fill this gap, we proposed GASS-WEB, a user-friendly web server that uses GASS (Genetic Active Site Search), a method based on an evolutionary algorithm to search for similar active sites in proteins. GASS-WEB can be used under two different scenarios: (i) given a protein of interest, to match a set of specific active site templates; or (ii) given an active site template, looking for it in a database of protein structures. The method has shown to be very effective on a range of experiments and was able to correctly identify >90% of the catalogued active sites from the Catalytic Site Atlas. It also managed to achieve a Matthew correlation coefficient of 0.63 using the Critical Assessment of protein Structure Prediction (CASP 10) dataset. In our analysis, GASS was ranking fourth among 18 methods. GASS-WEB is freely available at http://gass.unifei.edu.br/. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Beagle-2 landing site atlas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, G.; Chicarro, A.; Rodionova, J.; Shevchenko, V.; Ilukhina, J.; Kozlova, K.

2003-04-01

The Beagle-2 lander of the Mars Express mission will come to rest on the surface of Isidis Planitia in late December 2003 to carry out a range of geochemistry and exobiology experi-ments. We are compiling an atlas of the presently available data products pertinent to the landing site at 11.6N 90.75E, which is intended for distribution both as a printed and an electronic resource. The atlas will include Viking and MOC-WA image mosaics, and a catalogue of high-resolution im-ages from MOC and THEMIS with location maps. There will be various MOLA topography-based products: colour-scaled, contoured, and shaded maps, slope, and detrended relief. Simulated camera panoramas from various potential landing locations may assist in determining the spacecraft’s position. Other maps, both raw, and in composites with image mosa-ics, will cover TES thermal inertia and spectroscopy, and Odyssey gamma and neutron spectroscopy. Maps at the scale of the Isidis context will additionally cover geology, tem-perature cycles, and atmospheric circulation. Sample are shown below.

Experience drives innovation of new migration patterns of whooping cranes in response to global change.

PubMed

Teitelbaum, Claire S; Converse, Sarah J; Fagan, William F; Böhning-Gaese, Katrin; O'Hara, Robert B; Lacy, Anne E; Mueller, Thomas

2016-09-06

Anthropogenic changes in climate and land use are driving changes in migration patterns of birds worldwide. Spatial changes in migration have been related to long-term temperature trends, but the intrinsic mechanisms by which migratory species adapt to environmental change remain largely unexplored. We show that, for a long-lived social species, older birds with more experience are critical for innovating new migration behaviours. Groups containing older, more experienced individuals establish new overwintering sites closer to the breeding grounds, leading to a rapid population-level shift in migration patterns. Furthermore, these new overwintering sites are in areas where changes in climate have increased temperatures and where food availability from agriculture is high, creating favourable conditions for overwintering. Our results reveal that the age structure of populations is critical for the behavioural mechanisms that allow species to adapt to global change, particularly for long-lived animals, where changes in behaviour can occur faster than evolution.

Experience drives innovation of new migration patterns of whooping cranes in response to global change

PubMed Central

Teitelbaum, Claire S.; Converse, Sarah J.; Fagan, William F.; Böhning-Gaese, Katrin; O'Hara, Robert B.; Lacy, Anne E.; Mueller, Thomas

2016-01-01

Anthropogenic changes in climate and land use are driving changes in migration patterns of birds worldwide. Spatial changes in migration have been related to long-term temperature trends, but the intrinsic mechanisms by which migratory species adapt to environmental change remain largely unexplored. We show that, for a long-lived social species, older birds with more experience are critical for innovating new migration behaviours. Groups containing older, more experienced individuals establish new overwintering sites closer to the breeding grounds, leading to a rapid population-level shift in migration patterns. Furthermore, these new overwintering sites are in areas where changes in climate have increased temperatures and where food availability from agriculture is high, creating favourable conditions for overwintering. Our results reveal that the age structure of populations is critical for the behavioural mechanisms that allow species to adapt to global change, particularly for long-lived animals, where changes in behaviour can occur faster than evolution. PMID:27597446

Experience drives innovation of new migration patterns of whooping cranes in response to global change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Teitelbaum, Claire S.; Converse, Sarah J.; Fagan, William F.; Böhning-Gaese, Katrin; O'Hara, Robert B.; Lacy, Anne E; Mueller, Thomas

2016-01-01

Anthropogenic changes in climate and land use are driving changes in migration patterns of birds worldwide. Spatial changes in migration have been related to long-term temperature trends, but the intrinsic mechanisms by which migratory species adapt to environmental change remain largely unexplored. We show that, for a long-lived social species, older birds with more experience are critical for innovating new migration behaviours. Groups containing older, more experienced individuals establish new overwintering sites closer to the breeding grounds, leading to a rapid population-level shift in migration patterns. Furthermore, these new overwintering sites are in areas where changes in climate have increased temperatures and where food availability from agriculture is high, creating favourable conditions for overwintering. Our results reveal that the age structure of populations is critical for the behavioural mechanisms that allow species to adapt to global change, particularly for long-lived animals, where changes in behaviour can occur faster than evolution.

An experimentally-informed coarse-grained 3-site-per-nucleotide model of DNA: Structure, thermodynamics, and dynamics of hybridization

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

Hinckley, Daniel M.; Freeman, Gordon S.; Whitmer, Jonathan K.

2013-10-14

A new 3-Site-Per-Nucleotide coarse-grained model for DNA is presented. The model includes anisotropic potentials between bases involved in base stacking and base pair interactions that enable the description of relevant structural properties, including the major and minor grooves. In an improvement over available coarse-grained models, the correct persistence length is recovered for both ssDNA and dsDNA, allowing for simulation of non-canonical structures such as hairpins. DNA melting temperatures, measured for duplexes and hairpins by integrating over free energy surfaces generated using metadynamics simulations, are shown to be in quantitative agreement with experiment for a variety of sequences and conditions. Hybridizationmore » rate constants, calculated using forward-flux sampling, are also shown to be in good agreement with experiment. The coarse-grained model presented here is suitable for use in biological and engineering applications, including nucleosome positioning and DNA-templated engineering.« less

Enabling IPv6 at FZU - WLCG Tier2 in Prague

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouba, Tomáš; Chudoba, Jiří; Eliáš, Marek

2014-06-01

The usage of the new IPv6 protocol in production is becoming reality in the HEP community and the Computing Centre of the Institute of Physics in Prague participates in many IPv6 related activities. Our contribution presents experience with monitoring in HEPiX distributed IPv6 testbed which includes 11 remote sites. We use Nagios to check availability of services and Smokeping for monitoring the network latency. Since it is not always trivial to setup DNS in a dual stack environment properly, we developed a Nagios plugin for checking whether a domain name is resolvable when using only IP protocol version 6 and only version 4. We will also present local area network monitoring and tuning related to IPv6 performance. One of the most important software for a grid site is a batch system for a job execution. We will present our experience with configuring and running Torque batch system in a dual stack environment. We also discuss the steps needed to run VO specific jobs in our IPv6 testbed.

Preparing undergraduates for the future of scientific collaboration: Benefits, challenges and technological solutions in Distributed REU Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubenthal, M.; Anagnos, T.

2012-12-01

As research problems increasingly require multi-disciplinary approaches they naturally foster scientific collaborations between geographically distributed colleagues. This increasing trend in scientific research, the rapid evolution of communication technology, cognitive research into distance education, and the current generation of undergraduate students' eagerness to embrace and use technology, increases the relevance of distributed REU sites. Like traditional REU sites that host a cohort of students in one geographic location, distributed REU sites also seek to attract, nurture, and retain students in a STEM career pipeline. Distributed REU sites are unique in that some or all of the interns are geographically distributed during the research period. This arrangement allows the REU site to capitalize on distributed scientific resources such as field sites, research facilities, or human capital. At their core, distributed REU sites are fundamentally constructed of elements that have proven to be effective components of any undergraduate research experience. They also strive to develop and employ specialized programming that leverages collaboration tools through a cyberinfrastructure to enable interns to develop meaningful social and academic relationships with one another. Since 2006 the IRIS Consortium and NEES have facilitated separate, NSF funded, distributed REU Sites. Implementation and evaluations of these programs have revealed a number of successes and benefits. Longitudinal tracking indicates that distributed REU Sites are at least as successful as traditional sites in attracting, nurturing, and retaining students in a STEM career pipeline. A distributed arrangement also offers benefits over a traditional REU site, such as the flexibility to place interns at a variety of institutions with mentors making only an annual commitment to participate. This ensures that all mentors are eager to participate and are concerned with their intern's growth. It also exposes all interns to a larger spectrum of research topics and approaches within a field than would be available within a single research site. Evaluations also reveal that fostering social and academic interactions among interns working on generally unrelated projects at separate locations is challenging and requires a consistent, focused effort by the program. In part this is because creating a cohort experience in this situation requires a layer of interaction beyond the networks naturally establish by the interns when co-located. A critical first step is to establish a social presence among the group. This occurs through early face-to-face meetings and then is carried forward as interns transition to virtual interactions. These virtual interactions occur through a variety of technological solutions. Both commercially and freely available technologies such as blogging software, Facebook, an online course management system, virtual worlds, and a variety of online conferencing applications are used to connect the students both synchronously and asynchronously. We have documented the strengths and weaknesses of these individual solutions and show how combinations, combined with programmatic interventions, can offer a suite of functionality necessary to facilitate both social and academic interactions and influence career paths.

National Economic Development Procedures Manual - Recreation. Volume 4. Evaluating Changes in the Quality of the Recreation Experience

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-07-31

harvesting and road building in two national forests. The case study sites were the Siuslaw National Forest near Corvallis, Oregon, and the Porcupine ...million would accrue to recreational and commercial anglers from the clearcutting alternative. For the Porcupine - Hyalite Wilderness Study Area in Montana...impact environmental factors (e.g., available habitat, hunting area, or size of elk herds ), and ultimately those quality factors of the recreation

75 FR 384 - Event Problem Codes Web Site; Center for Devices and Radiological Health; Availability

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-05

...] Event Problem Codes Web Site; Center for Devices and Radiological Health; Availability AGENCY: Food and... the availability of a Web site where the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) is posting... to all reporters (Sec. 803.21(b)). FDA is announcing the availability of a Web site that will make...

Quartz sand as "blank" compound in rehabilitation experience of industrial barren

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorbacheva, T. T.; Ivanova, L. A.; Kikuchi, R.; Gerardo, R.

2010-05-01

During 2008 the field test was performed near the smelter complex Monchegorsk (67°51'N, 32°48'E) to estimate suitability of innovate method for site remediation in severe conditions such as in industrial barren. The method is based on cultivation of perennial grasses using hydroponics with thermally inflated vermiculite from local deposit (Kovdor) followed by rolled lawn placement on very contaminated sites near Monchegorsk. Growing in very contaminated ground resulted in 50% rolled lawn surface loss during first year but with biodiversity maintenance. Field experiment was carried out in three variants (1- mineral ground - flat site; 2- mineral ground- slope sites; 3- organogenic ground - flat site in depression in five replicates. More comprehensive results were received for mineral ground due to better natural washing compared to organogenic ground. In all variants we observed secondary roots formation. It seems obvious that plant roots choose the best zones of soils to grow, and that they avoided toxic zones. Observations continued during 2009 to follow freezing influence and nutrient loss rate. We observed grass survival of about 20-30% during second year of field test but grass roots proliferated very slowly in contaminated ground. Affinity to the ground is one of most important estimate of rolled lawn efficiency for grass cover creation. One of possible measure to improve rolled lawn affinity is to establish additional permeable barrier for grass roots isolation from toxic ground. Simultaneously with rolled lawn placement litterbag experiment was carried out with quartz sand as filling. Quartz was chosen as blank compound and as possible material for permeable barrier creation. Original quartz have some initial nutritional status: pH 6.87, available forms of K 1.9 mg g-1, Ca 9.5 mg g-1, Mg 2.8 mg g-1, P 0.4 mg g-1. There was both increasing and decreasing of quartz nutritional status during 2008-2009 period. Besides quartz is recognized to be some barrier for pollution load due to organic matter and related heavy metals and Al sorption onto a quartz sand surface. Laboratory pot experiment are planed to be carry out to estimate quartz barrier function efficiency for grass survival.

ATLAS WORLD-cloud and networking in PanDA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barreiro Megino, F.; De, K.; Di Girolamo, A.; Maeno, T.; Walker, R.; ATLAS Collaboration

2017-10-01

The ATLAS computing model was originally designed as static clouds (usually national or geographical groupings of sites) around the Tier 1 centres, which confined tasks and most of the data traffic. Since those early days, the sites’ network bandwidth has increased at 0(1000) and the difference in functionalities between Tier 1s and Tier 2s has reduced. After years of manual, intermediate solutions, we have now ramped up to full usage of World-cloud, the latest step in the PanDA Workload Management System to increase resource utilization on the ATLAS Grid, for all workflows (MC production, data (re)processing, etc.). We have based the development on two new site concepts. Nuclei sites are the Tier 1s and large Tier 2s, where tasks will be assigned and the output aggregated, and satellites are the sites that will execute the jobs and send the output to their nucleus. PanDA dynamically pairs nuclei and satellite sites for each task based on the input data availability, capability matching, site load and network connectivity. This contribution will introduce the conceptual changes for World-cloud, the development necessary in PanDA, an insight into the network model and the first half-year of operational experience.

Community pharmacist participation in a practice-based research network: a report from the Medication Safety Research Network of Indiana (Rx-SafeNet).

PubMed

Patel, Puja; Hemmeger, Heather; Kozak, Mary Ann; Gernant, Stephanie A; Snyder, Margie E

2015-01-01

To describe the experiences and opinions of pharmacists serving as site coordinators for the Medication Safety Research Network of Indiana (Rx-SafeNet). Retail chain, independent, and hospital/health system outpatient community pharmacies throughout Indiana, with a total of 127 pharmacy members represented by 26 site coordinators. Rx-SafeNet, a statewide practice-based research network (PBRN) formed in 2010 and administered by the Purdue University College of Pharmacy. Barriers and facilitators to participation in available research studies, confidence participating in research, and satisfaction with overall network communication. 22 of 26 site coordinators participated, resulting in an 85% response rate. Most (72.2%) of the respondents had received a doctor of pharmacy degree, and 13.6% had postgraduate year (PGY)1 residency training. The highest reported benefits of PBRN membership were an enhanced relationship with the Purdue University College of Pharmacy (81% agreed or strongly agreed) and enhanced professional development (80% agreed or strongly agreed). Time constraints were identified as the greatest potential barrier to network participation, reported by 62% of respondents. In addition, the majority (59%) of survey respondents identified no prior research experience. Last, respondents' confidence in performing research appeared to increase substantially after becoming network members, with 43% reporting a lack of confidence in engaging in research before joining the network compared with 90% reporting confidence after joining the network. In general, Rx-SafeNet site coordinators appeared to experience increased confidence in research engagement after joining the network. While respondents identified a number of benefits associated with network participation, concerns about potential time constraints remained a key barrier to participation. These findings will assist network leadership in identifying opportunities to positively increase member participation in the future.

Measurement of absolute gravity acceleration in Firenze

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Angelis, M.; Greco, F.; Pistorio, A.; Poli, N.; Prevedelli, M.; Saccorotti, G.; Sorrentino, F.; Tino, G. M.

2011-01-01

This paper reports the results from the accurate measurement of the acceleration of gravity g taken at two separate premises in the Polo Scientifico of the University of Firenze (Italy). In these laboratories, two separate experiments aiming at measuring the Newtonian constant and testing the Newtonian law at short distances are in progress. Both experiments require an independent knowledge on the local value of g. The only available datum, pertaining to the italian zero-order gravity network, was taken more than 20 years ago at a distance of more than 60 km from the study site. Gravity measurements were conducted using an FG5 absolute gravimeter, and accompanied by seismic recordings for evaluating the noise condition at the site. The absolute accelerations of gravity at the two laboratories are (980 492 160.6 ± 4.0) μGal and (980 492 048.3 ± 3.0) μGal for the European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy (LENS) and Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, respectively. Other than for the two referenced experiments, the data here presented will serve as a benchmark for any future study requiring an accurate knowledge of the absolute value of the acceleration of gravity in the study region.

Drinking water boosts food intake rate, body mass increase and fat accumulation in migratory blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla).

PubMed

Tsurim, Ido; Sapir, Nir; Belmaker, Jonathan; Shanni, Itai; Izhaki, Ido; Wojciechowski, Michał S; Karasov, William H; Pinshow, Berry

2008-05-01

Fat accumulation by blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) is a prerequisite for successful migratory flight in the autumn and has recently been determined to be constrained by availability of drinking water. Birds staging in a fruit-rich Pistacia atlantica plantation that had access to water increased their body mass and fat reserves both faster and to a greater extent than birds deprived of water. We conducted a series of laboratory experiments on birds captured during the autumn migration period in which we tested the hypotheses that drinking water increases food use by easing limitations on the birds' dietary choices and, consequently, feeding and food processing rates, and that the availability of drinking water leads to improved digestion and, therefore, to higher apparent metabolizable energy. Blackcaps were trapped in autumn in the Northern Negev Desert, Israel and transferred to individual cages in the laboratory. Birds were provided with P. atlantica fruit and mealworms, and had either free access to water (controls) or were water-deprived. In experiment 1, in which mealworm availability was restricted, water-deprived birds had a fourfold lower fruit and energy intake rates and, consequently, gained less fat and total mass than control birds. Water availability did not affect food metabolizability. In experiment 2, in which mealworms were provided ad libitum, water availability influenced the birds' diet: water-restricted birds ate more mealworms, while control birds consumed mainly P. atlantica fruit. Further, in experiment 2, fat and mass gain did not differ between the two treatment groups. We conclude that water availability may have important consequences for fat accumulation in migrating birds while they fatten at stopover sites, especially when water-rich food is scarce. Restricted water availability may also impede the blackcap's dietary shift from insectivory to frugivory, a shift probably necessary for successful pre-migratory fattening.

PTMScout, a Web Resource for Analysis of High Throughput Post-translational Proteomics Studies*

PubMed Central

Naegle, Kristen M.; Gymrek, Melissa; Joughin, Brian A.; Wagner, Joel P.; Welsch, Roy E.; Yaffe, Michael B.; Lauffenburger, Douglas A.; White, Forest M.

2010-01-01

The rate of discovery of post-translational modification (PTM) sites is increasing rapidly and is significantly outpacing our biological understanding of the function and regulation of those modifications. To help meet this challenge, we have created PTMScout, a web-based interface for viewing, manipulating, and analyzing high throughput experimental measurements of PTMs in an effort to facilitate biological understanding of protein modifications in signaling networks. PTMScout is constructed around a custom database of PTM experiments and contains information from external protein and post-translational resources, including gene ontology annotations, Pfam domains, and Scansite predictions of kinase and phosphopeptide binding domain interactions. PTMScout functionality comprises data set comparison tools, data set summary views, and tools for protein assignments of peptides identified by mass spectrometry. Analysis tools in PTMScout focus on informed subset selection via common criteria and on automated hypothesis generation through subset labeling derived from identification of statistically significant enrichment of other annotations in the experiment. Subset selection can be applied through the PTMScout flexible query interface available for quantitative data measurements and data annotations as well as an interface for importing data set groupings by external means, such as unsupervised learning. We exemplify the various functions of PTMScout in application to data sets that contain relative quantitative measurements as well as data sets lacking quantitative measurements, producing a set of interesting biological hypotheses. PTMScout is designed to be a widely accessible tool, enabling generation of multiple types of biological hypotheses from high throughput PTM experiments and advancing functional assignment of novel PTM sites. PTMScout is available at http://ptmscout.mit.edu. PMID:20631208

A MedlinePlus® Kiosk Promoting Health Literacy

PubMed Central

TEOLIS, MARILYN G.

2010-01-01

As an ongoing community outreach project, a pictorial touch-screen kiosk and Web site was developed for 48 MedlinePlus® tutorials. This learning experience serves Davidson County, Tennessee’s uninsured patients at the University of Tennessee/Baptist Hospital’s Internal Medicine Clinic. The availability of a health information kiosk at the University of Tennessee/Baptist Hospital primary care clinic significantly increases health literacy for patients by providing reliable, physician-recommended information in an appropriate format—information these patients did not previously find readily available. Participants report they have a greater understanding of their health issues, and the project is introducing hundreds of patients to MedlinePlus. PMID:20808715

Interactions between nitrogen cycling and methane oxidation in the pelagic waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joye, S. B.; Weber, S.; Battles, J.; Montoya, J. P.

2014-12-01

Methane is an important greenhouse gas that plays a critical role in climate variation. Although a variety of marine methane sources and sinks have been identified, key aspects of the fate of methane in the ocean remain poorly constrained. At cold seeps in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, methane is introduced into the overlying water column via fluid escape from the seabed. We quantified the fate of methane in the water column overlying seafloor cold seeps, in a brine basin, and at several control sites. Our goals were to determine the factors that regulated methane consumption and assimilation and to explore how these controlling factors varied among and between sites. In particular, we examined the impact of nitrogen availability on methane oxidation and studied the ability of methane oxidizing bacteria to fix molecular nitrogen. Methane oxidation rates were highest in the methane rich bottom waters of natural hydrocabron seeps. At these sites, inorganic nitrogen addition stimulated methane oxidation in laboratory experiments. In vitro shipboard experiments revealed that rates of methane oxidation and nitrogen fixation were correlated strongly, suggesting that nitrogen fixation may have been mediated by methanotrophic bacteria. The highest rates of methane oxidation and nitrogen fixation were observed in the deepwater above at natural hydrocarbon seeps. Rates of methane oxidation were substantial along the chemocline of a brine basin but in these ammonium-rich brines, addition of inorganic nitrogen had little impact on methane oxidation suggesting that methanotrophy in these waters were not nitrogen limited. Control sites exhibited the lowest methane concentrations and methane oxidation rates but even these waters exhibited substantial potential for methane oxidation when methane and inorganic nitrogen concentrations were increased. Together, these data suggest that the availability of inorganic nitrogen plays a critical role in regulating methane oxidation in pelagic ocean waters. Some methanotrophs may obtain a competitive advantage in nitrogen-limited oceanic environments by fixing molecular nitrogen. The importance of such "methano-diazotrophy" on a global scale warrants further investigation.

The distributed production system of the SuperB project: description and results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, D.; Corvo, M.; Di Simone, A.; Fella, A.; Luppi, E.; Paoloni, E.; Stroili, R.; Tomassetti, L.

2011-12-01

The SuperB experiment needs large samples of MonteCarlo simulated events in order to finalize the detector design and to estimate the data analysis performances. The requirements are beyond the capabilities of a single computing farm, so a distributed production model capable of exploiting the existing HEP worldwide distributed computing infrastructure is needed. In this paper we describe the set of tools that have been developed to manage the production of the required simulated events. The production of events follows three main phases: distribution of input data files to the remote site Storage Elements (SE); job submission, via SuperB GANGA interface, to all available remote sites; output files transfer to CNAF repository. The job workflow includes procedures for consistency checking, monitoring, data handling and bookkeeping. A replication mechanism allows storing the job output on the local site SE. Results from 2010 official productions are reported.

Adsorption, desorption, and displacement kinetics of H2O and CO2 on TiO2(110).

PubMed

Smith, R Scott; Li, Zhenjun; Chen, Long; Dohnálek, Zdenek; Kay, Bruce D

2014-07-17

The adsorption, desorption, and displacement kinetics of H2O and CO2 on TiO2(110) are investigated using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and molecular beam techniques. The TPD spectra for both H2O and CO2 have well-resolved peaks corresponding to desorption from bridge-bonded oxygen (Ob), Ti5c, and defect sites in order of increasing peak temperature. Analysis of the saturated surface spectrum for both species reveals that the corresponding adsorption energies on all sites are greater for H2O than for CO2. Sequential dosing of H2O and CO2 reveals that, independent of the dose order, H2O molecules will displace CO2 in order to occupy the highest energy binding sites available. Isothermal experiments show that the displacement of CO2 by H2O occurs between 75 and 80 K.

PRODORIC2: the bacterial gene regulation database in 2018

PubMed Central

Dudek, Christian-Alexander; Hartlich, Juliane; Brötje, David; Jahn, Dieter

2018-01-01

Abstract Bacteria adapt to changes in their environment via differential gene expression mediated by DNA binding transcriptional regulators. The PRODORIC2 database hosts one of the largest collections of DNA binding sites for prokaryotic transcription factors. It is the result of the thoroughly redesigned PRODORIC database. PRODORIC2 is more intuitive and user-friendly. Besides significant technical improvements, the new update offers more than 1000 new transcription factor binding sites and 110 new position weight matrices for genome-wide pattern searches with the Virtual Footprint tool. Moreover, binding sites deduced from high-throughput experiments were included. Data for 6 new bacterial species including bacteria of the Rhodobacteraceae family were added. Finally, a comprehensive collection of sigma- and transcription factor data for the nosocomial pathogen Clostridium difficile is now part of the database. PRODORIC2 is publicly available at http://www.prodoric2.de. PMID:29136200

Preliminary Work in Obtaining Site-Directed Mutants of Hen Egg White Lysozyme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, Leonard D.

1996-01-01

Protein crystal growth studies are recognized as a critical endeavor in the field of molecular biotechnology. The scientific applications of this field include the understanding of how enzymes function and the accumulation of accurate information of atomic structures, a key factor in the process of rational drug design. NASA has committed substantial investment and resources to the field of protein crystal growth and has conducted many microgravity protein crystal growth experiments aboard shuttle flights. Crystals grown in space tend to be larger, denser and have a more perfect habit and geometry. These improved properties gained in the microgravity environment of space result largely from the reduction of solutal convection, and the elimination of sedimentation at the growing crystal surface. Shuttle experiments have yielded many large, high quality crystals that are suitable for high resolution X-ray diffraction analysis. Examples of biologically important macromolecules which have been successfully crystallized during shuttle missions include: lysozyme, isocitrate lyase, gamma-interferon, insulin, human serum albumin and canavalin. Numerous other examples are also available. In addition to obtaining high quality crystals, investigators are also interested in learning the mechanisms by which the growth events take place. Crystallization experiments indicate that for the enzyme HEWL, measured growth rates do not follow mathematical models for 2D nucleation and dislocation-led growth of tetragonal protein crystals. As has been suggested by the laboratory of Marc L. Pusey, a possible explanation for the disagreement between observation and data is that HEWL tetraconal crystals form by aggregated units of lysozyme in supersaturated solutions. Surface measurement data was shown to fit very well with a model using an octamer unit cell as the growth unit. According to this model, the aggregation pathway and subsequent crystal growth is described by: monomer < ------ > dimer < ------- > tetramer < ------ > octamer < ------ > higher order. It is believed that multimer aggregation of lysozyme occurs by interaction at specific binding sites on the surface of the protein crystals. If the presence of discrete binding sites and the aggregation hypothesis is true, then it follows that the alteration of the binding site(s) should have significant effect on the measurements obtained during growth experiments. Site-directed mutagenesis allows the specific alteration of proteins by replacement, deletion or addition of specific amino acid residues. This report outlines the approach for this strategy and the progress made thus far toward that end.

75 FR 6063 - Availability of NRC Open Government Web Site

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-05

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2010-0003] Availability of NRC Open Government Web Site AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Notice of Availability of Open Government Web site for Online... Register notice, informs the public that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Open Government Web site...

Variability in surface energy flux partitioning during Washita '92: Resulting effects on Penman-Monteith and Priestley-Taylor parameters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kustas, William P.; Stannard, D.I.; Allwine, K.J.

1996-01-01

During the Washita '92 field experiment, the local surface energy balance was evaluated at four locations in the USDA-ARS Little Washita River Watershed near Chickasha, OK, using the Bowen ratio-energy balance (BREB) approach. For any given day, differences in the partitioning of the available energy appeared to be mostly a function of the type of vegetation at the site, while the actual magnitude of the fluxes was mostly affected by cloud cover. The soil surface was initially wet, and gradually dried during the field experiment. However, there was not a corresponding decrease in the evaporative fraction, which would have indicated a decreasing contribution of soil evaporation to the total latent heat flux. Ground weather data indicated a large shift in the direction and magnitude of the surface winds, and a significant increase in air temperature and vapor pressure deficit. During this period, the evaporative fraction actually increased at two of the four sites. The response of the different sites to the changing near- surface atmospheric conditions was studied in more detail by evaluating the canopy resistance (r(c)) to evaporation using the Penman-Monteith equation and the Priestley-Taylor parameter (??). Midday averages of r(c) and (??) tended to decrease (increase) with increasing vapor pressure deficit for two of the sites while such a trend was not evident for the other two sites. Estimates of stomatal resistances indicated that significant plant physiological differences existed between the sites containing weedy vegetation versus the grasses at the pasture/rangeland sites. Even though soil moisture conditions were relatively wet, ?? was less than 1 at all sites and there was no trend in ?? as a function of surface soil moisture conditions. These findings suggest that vegetation types in mixed agricultural/rangeland ecosystems can have significantly different responses to similar atmospheric forcing conditions.

Telecare for diabetes, CHF or COPD: effect on quality of life, hospital use and costs. A randomised controlled trial and qualitative evaluation.

PubMed

Kenealy, Timothy W; Parsons, Matthew J G; Rouse, A Paul B; Doughty, Robert N; Sheridan, Nicolette F; Hindmarsh, Jennifer K Harré; Masson, Sarah C; Rea, Harry H

2015-01-01

To assess the effect of telecare on health related quality of life, self-care, hospital use, costs and the experiences of patients, informal carers and health care professionals. Patients were randomly assigned either to usual care or to additionally entering their data into a commercially-available electronic device that uploaded data once a day to a nurse-led monitoring station. Patients had congestive heart failure (Site A), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Site B), or any long-term condition, mostly diabetes (Site C). Site C contributed only intervention patients - they considered a usual care option to be unethical. The study took place in New Zealand between September 2010 and February 2012, and lasted 3 to 6 months for each patient. The primary outcome was health-related quality of life (SF36). Data on experiences were collected by individual and group interviews and by questionnaire. There were 171 patients (98 intervention, 73 control). Quality of life, self-efficacy and disease-specific measures did not change significantly, while anxiety and depression both decreased significantly with the intervention. Hospital admissions, days in hospital, emergency department visits, outpatient visits and costs did not differ significantly between the groups. Patients at all sites were universally positive. Many felt safer and more cared-for, and said that they and their family had learned more about managing their condition. Staff could all see potential benefits of telecare, and, after some initial technical problems, many staff felt that telecare enabled them to effectively monitor more patients. Strongly positive patient and staff experiences and attitudes complement and contrast with small or non-significant quantitative changes. Telecare led to patients and families taking a more active role in self-management. It is likely that subgroups of patients benefitted in ways that were not measured or visible within the quantitative data, especially feelings of safety and being cared-for. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12610000269033.

Diversity of mitochondrial large subunit rDNA haplotypes of Glomus intraradices in two agricultural field experiments and two semi-natural grasslands.

PubMed

Börstler, Boris; Thiéry, Odile; Sýkorová, Zuzana; Berner, Alfred; Redecker, Dirk

2010-04-01

Glomus intraradices, an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), is frequently found in a surprisingly wide range of ecosystems all over the world. It is used as model organism for AMF and its genome is being sequenced. Despite the ecological importance of AMF, little has been known about their population structure, because no adequate molecular markers have been available. In the present study we analyse for the first time the intraspecific genetic structure of an AMF directly from colonized roots in the field. A recently developed PCR-RFLP approach for the mitochondrial rRNA large subunit gene (mtLSU) of these obligate symbionts was used and complemented by sequencing and primers specific for a particularly frequent mtLSU haplotype. We analysed root samples from two agricultural field experiments in Switzerland and two semi-natural grasslands in France and Switzerland. RFLP type composition of G. intraradices (phylogroup GLOM A-1) differed strongly between agricultural and semi-natural sites and the G. intraradices populations of the two agricultural sites were significantly differentiated. RFLP type richness was higher in the agricultural sites compared with the grasslands. Detailed sequence analyses which resolved multiple sequence haplotypes within some RFLP types even revealed that there was no overlap of haplotypes among any of the study sites except between the two grasslands. Our results demonstrate a surprisingly high differentiation among semi-natural and agricultural field sites for G. intraradices. These findings will have major implications on our views of processes of adaptation and specialization in these plant/fungus associations.

Data systems for science integration within the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program

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

Gracio, D.K.; Hatfield, L.D.; Yates, K.R.

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program was developed by the US Department of Energy to support the goals and mission of the US Global Change Research Program. The purpose of the ARM program is to improve the predictive capabilities of General Circulation Models (GCMs) in their treatment of clouds and radiative transfer effects. Three experimental testbeds were designed for the deployment of instruments to collect atmospheric data used to drive the GCMs. Each site, known as a Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART), consists of a highly available, redundant data system for the collection of data from a variety of instrumentation.more » The first CART site was deployed in April 1992 in the Southern Great Plains (SGP), Lamont, Oklahoma, with the other two sites to follow in early 1996 in the Tropical Western Pacific (TWP) and in 1997 on the North Slope of Alaska (NSA). Approximately 1.5 GB of data are transferred per day via the Internet from the CART sites, and external data sources to the ARM Experiment Center (EC) at Pacific Northwest Laboratory in Richland, Washington. The Experimental Center is central to the ARM data path and provides for the collection, processing, analysis and delivery of ARM data. Data from the CART sites from a variety of instrumentation, observational systems and from external data sources are transferred to the Experiment Center. The EC processes these data streams on a continuous basis to provide derived data products to the ARM Science Team in near real-time while maintaining a three-month running archive of data.« less

Growth of mature boreal Norway spruce was not affected by elevated [CO(2)] and/or air temperature unless nutrient availability was improved.

PubMed

Sigurdsson, Bjarni D; Medhurst, Jane L; Wallin, Göran; Eggertsson, Olafur; Linder, Sune

2013-11-01

The growth responses of mature Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trees exposed to elevated [CO(2)] (CE; 670-700 ppm) and long-term optimized nutrient availability or elevated air temperature (TE; ±3.9 °C) were studied in situ in northern Sweden in two 3 year field experiments using 12 whole-tree chambers in ca. 40-year-old forest. The first experiment (Exp. I) studied the interactions between CE and nutrient availability and the second (Exp. II) between CE and TE. It should be noted that only air temperature was elevated in Exp. II, while soil temperature was maintained close to ambient. In Exp. I, CE significantly increased the mean annual height increment, stem volume and biomass increment during the treatment period (25, 28, and 22%, respectively) when nutrients were supplied. There was, however, no significant positive CE effect found at the low natural nutrient availability. In Exp. II, which was conducted at the natural site fertility, neither CE nor TE significantly affected height or stem increment. It is concluded that the low nutrient availability (mainly nitrogen) in the boreal forests is likely to restrict their response to the continuous rise in [CO(2)] and/or TE.

Compendium of NASA Data Base for the Global Tropospheric Experiment's Pacific Exploratory Mission - Tropics B (PEM-Tropics B). Volume 2; P-3B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, A. Donald, Jr.; Kleb, Mary M.; Raper, James L.

2000-01-01

This report provides a compendium of NASA aircraft data that are available from NASA's Global Tropospheric Experiment's (GTE) Pacific Exploratory Mission-Tropics B (PEM-Tropics B) conducted in March and April 1999. PEM-Tropics B was conducted during the southern-tropical wet season when the influence from biomass burning observed in PEM-Tropics A was minimal. Major deployment sites were Hawaii, Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Tahiti, Fiji, and Easter Island. The broad goals of PEM-Tropics B were to improved understanding of the oxidizing power of the atmosphere and the processes controlling sulfur aerosol formation and to establish baseline values for chemical species that are directly coupled to the oxidizing power and aerosol loading of the troposphere. The purpose of this document is to provide a representation of aircraft data that will be available in archived format via NASA Langley's Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) or are available through the GTE Project Office archive. The data format is not intended to support original research/analysis, but to assist the reader in identifying data that are of interest.

Compendium of NASA Data Base for the Global Tropospheric Experiment's Pacific Exploratory Mission-Tropics B (PEM-Tropics B). Volume 1; DC-8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, A. Donald, Jr.; Kleb, Mary M.; Raper, James L.

2000-01-01

This report provides a compendium of NASA aircraft data that are available from NASA's Global Tropospheric Experiment's (GTE) Pacific Exploratory Mission-Tropics B (PEM-Tropics B) conducted in March and April 1999. PEM-Tropics B was conducted during the southern-tropical wet season when the influence from biomass burning observed in PEM-Tropics A was minimal. Major deployment sites were Hawaii, Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Tahiti, Fiji, and Easter Island. The broad goals of PEM-Tropics B were to improved understanding of the oxidizing power of the atmosphere and the processes controlling sulfur aerosol formation and to establish baseline values for chemical species that are directly coupled to the oxidizing power and aerosol loading of the troposphere. The purpose of this document is to provide a representation of aircraft data that will be available in archived format via NASA Langley's Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) or are available through the GTE Project Office archive. The data format is not intended to support original research/analysis, but to assist the reader in identifying data that are of interest.

msCentipede: Modeling Heterogeneity across Genomic Sites and Replicates Improves Accuracy in the Inference of Transcription Factor Binding

PubMed Central

Gilad, Yoav; Pritchard, Jonathan K.; Stephens, Matthew

2015-01-01

Understanding global gene regulation depends critically on accurate annotation of regulatory elements that are functional in a given cell type. CENTIPEDE, a powerful, probabilistic framework for identifying transcription factor binding sites from tissue-specific DNase I cleavage patterns and genomic sequence content, leverages the hypersensitivity of factor-bound chromatin and the information in the DNase I spatial cleavage profile characteristic of each DNA binding protein to accurately infer functional factor binding sites. However, the model for the spatial profile in this framework fails to account for the substantial variation in the DNase I cleavage profiles across different binding sites. Neither does it account for variation in the profiles at the same binding site across multiple replicate DNase I experiments, which are increasingly available. In this work, we introduce new methods, based on multi-scale models for inhomogeneous Poisson processes, to account for such variation in DNase I cleavage patterns both within and across binding sites. These models account for the spatial structure in the heterogeneity in DNase I cleavage patterns for each factor. Using DNase-seq measurements assayed in a lymphoblastoid cell line, we demonstrate the improved performance of this model for several transcription factors by comparing against the Chip-seq peaks for those factors. Finally, we explore the effects of DNase I sequence bias on inference of factor binding using a simple extension to our framework that allows for a more flexible background model. The proposed model can also be easily applied to paired-end ATAC-seq and DNase-seq data. msCentipede, a Python implementation of our algorithm, is available at http://rajanil.github.io/msCentipede. PMID:26406244

msCentipede: Modeling Heterogeneity across Genomic Sites and Replicates Improves Accuracy in the Inference of Transcription Factor Binding.

PubMed

Raj, Anil; Shim, Heejung; Gilad, Yoav; Pritchard, Jonathan K; Stephens, Matthew

2015-01-01

Understanding global gene regulation depends critically on accurate annotation of regulatory elements that are functional in a given cell type. CENTIPEDE, a powerful, probabilistic framework for identifying transcription factor binding sites from tissue-specific DNase I cleavage patterns and genomic sequence content, leverages the hypersensitivity of factor-bound chromatin and the information in the DNase I spatial cleavage profile characteristic of each DNA binding protein to accurately infer functional factor binding sites. However, the model for the spatial profile in this framework fails to account for the substantial variation in the DNase I cleavage profiles across different binding sites. Neither does it account for variation in the profiles at the same binding site across multiple replicate DNase I experiments, which are increasingly available. In this work, we introduce new methods, based on multi-scale models for inhomogeneous Poisson processes, to account for such variation in DNase I cleavage patterns both within and across binding sites. These models account for the spatial structure in the heterogeneity in DNase I cleavage patterns for each factor. Using DNase-seq measurements assayed in a lymphoblastoid cell line, we demonstrate the improved performance of this model for several transcription factors by comparing against the Chip-seq peaks for those factors. Finally, we explore the effects of DNase I sequence bias on inference of factor binding using a simple extension to our framework that allows for a more flexible background model. The proposed model can also be easily applied to paired-end ATAC-seq and DNase-seq data. msCentipede, a Python implementation of our algorithm, is available at http://rajanil.github.io/msCentipede.

Guidelines to site selection for population surveillance and mosquito control trials: a case study from Mauritius.

PubMed

Iyaloo, Diana P; Elahee, Khouaildi B; Bheecarry, Ambicadutt; Lees, Rosemary Susan

2014-04-01

Many novel approaches to controlling mosquito vectors through the release of sterile and mass reared males are being developed in the face of increasing insecticide resistance and other limitations of current methods. Before full scale release programmes can be undertaken there is a need for surveillance of the target population, and investigation of parameters such as dispersal and longevity of released, as compared to wild males through mark-release-recapture (MRR) and other experiments, before small scale pilot trials can be conducted. The nature of the sites used for this field work is crucial to ensure that a trial can feasibly collect sufficient and relevant information, given the available resources and practical limitations, and having secured the correct regulatory, community and ethical approvals and support. Mauritius is considering the inclusion of the sterile insect technique (SIT), for population reduction of Aedes albopictus, as a component of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life's 'Operational Plan for Prevention and Control of Chikungunya and Dengue'. As part of an investigation into the feasibility of integrating the SIT into the Integrated Vector Management (IVM) scheme in Mauritius a pilot trial is planned. Two potential sites have been selected for this purpose, Pointe des Lascars and Panchvati, villages in the North East of the country, and population surveillance has commenced. This case study will here be used to explore the considerations which go into determining the most appropriate sites for mosquito field research. Although each situation is unique, and an ideal site may not be available, this discussion aims to help researchers to consider and balance the important factors and select field sites that will meet their needs. Copyright © 2013 International Atomic Energy Agency 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

22 CFR 502.3 - Availability of program materials on public Web sites.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... sites. 502.3 Section 502.3 Foreign Relations BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS DOMESTIC REQUESTS FOR BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS PROGRAM MATERIALS § 502.3 Availability of program materials on public Web sites... information Web sites designed for foreign audiences. To access currently-available Agency program materials...

Availability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from lampblack-impacted soils at former oil-gas plant sites in California, USA.

PubMed

Hong, Lei; Luthy, Richard G

2007-03-01

Lampblack-impacted soils at former oil-gas plant sites in California, USA, were characterized to assess the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the concentration-dependent effects of a residual oil tar phase on sorption mechanism and availability of PAHs. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrated similar aromaticity for both lampblack carbon and the oil tar phase, with pronounced resonance signals in the range of 100 to 150 ppm. Scanning-electron microscopic images revealed a physically distinct oil tar phase, especially at high concentrations in lampblack, which resulted in an organic-like film structure when lampblack particles became saturated with the oil tar. Sorption experiments were conducted on a series of laboratory-prepared lampblack samples to systematically evaluate influences of an oil tar phase on PAH sorption to lampblack. Results indicate that the sorption of PAHs to lampblack exhibits a competition among sorption phases at low oil tar contents when micro- and mesopores are accessible. When the oil tar content increases to more than 5 to 10% by weight, this tar phase fills small pores, reduces surface area, and dominates PAH sorption on lampblack surface. A new PAH partitioning model, Kd = KLB-C(1 - ftar)alpha + ftarKtar (alpha = empirical exponent), incorporates these effects in which the control of PAH partitioning transits from being dominated by sorption in lampblack (KLB-C) to absorption in oil tar (Ktar), depending on the fraction of tar (ftar). This study illustrates the importance of understanding interactions among PAHs, oil tar, and lampblack for explaining the differences in availability of PAHs among site soils and, consequently, for refining site-specific risk assessment and establishing soil cleanup levels.

Disruption of calcium nutrition at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (New Hampshire) alters the health and productivity of red spruce and sugar maple trees and provides lessons pertinent to other sites and regions

Treesearch

Paul G. Schaberg; Gary J. Hawley

2010-01-01

Pollution-induced acidification and other anthropogenic factors are leaching calcium (Ca) and mobilizing aluminum (Al) in many forest soils. Because Ca is an essential nutrient and Al is a potential toxin, resulting depletions of Ca and increases in available Al may significantly alter the health and productivity of forest trees. Controlled experiments on red spruce (...

AFRL’s Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) Mission (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-08

Laboratory [insert TD site] Public Affairs Office and is available to the general public, including foreign nationals. Copies may be obtained from the...Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a...DSX will be launch ready in summer 2010 for a likely launch co-manifest with an operational DoD satellite on an EELV (evolved expendable launch

The Innate Immune Database (IIDB)

PubMed Central

Korb, Martin; Rust, Aistair G; Thorsson, Vesteinn; Battail, Christophe; Li, Bin; Hwang, Daehee; Kennedy, Kathleen A; Roach, Jared C; Rosenberger, Carrie M; Gilchrist, Mark; Zak, Daniel; Johnson, Carrie; Marzolf, Bruz; Aderem, Alan; Shmulevich, Ilya; Bolouri, Hamid

2008-01-01

Background As part of a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases funded collaborative project, we have performed over 150 microarray experiments measuring the response of C57/BL6 mouse bone marrow macrophages to toll-like receptor stimuli. These microarray expression profiles are available freely from our project web site . Here, we report the development of a database of computationally predicted transcription factor binding sites and related genomic features for a set of over 2000 murine immune genes of interest. Our database, which includes microarray co-expression clusters and a host of web-based query, analysis and visualization facilities, is available freely via the internet. It provides a broad resource to the research community, and a stepping stone towards the delineation of the network of transcriptional regulatory interactions underlying the integrated response of macrophages to pathogens. Description We constructed a database indexed on genes and annotations of the immediate surrounding genomic regions. To facilitate both gene-specific and systems biology oriented research, our database provides the means to analyze individual genes or an entire genomic locus. Although our focus to-date has been on mammalian toll-like receptor signaling pathways, our database structure is not limited to this subject, and is intended to be broadly applicable to immunology. By focusing on selected immune-active genes, we were able to perform computationally intensive expression and sequence analyses that would currently be prohibitive if applied to the entire genome. Using six complementary computational algorithms and methodologies, we identified transcription factor binding sites based on the Position Weight Matrices available in TRANSFAC. For one example transcription factor (ATF3) for which experimental data is available, over 50% of our predicted binding sites coincide with genome-wide chromatin immnuopreciptation (ChIP-chip) results. Our database can be interrogated via a web interface. Genomic annotations and binding site predictions can be automatically viewed with a customized version of the Argo genome browser. Conclusion We present the Innate Immune Database (IIDB) as a community resource for immunologists interested in gene regulatory systems underlying innate responses to pathogens. The database website can be freely accessed at . PMID:18321385

Supporting research sites in resource-limited settings: Challenges in implementing IT infrastructure

PubMed Central

Whalen, Christopher; Donnell, Deborah; Tartakovsky, Michael

2014-01-01

As Information and Communication Technology infrastructure becomes more reliable, new methods of Electronic Data Capture (EDC), datamarts/Data warehouses, and mobile computing provide platforms for rapid coordination of international research projects and multisite studies. However, despite the increasing availability of internet connectivity and communication systems in remote regions of the world, there are still significant obstacles. Sites with poor infrastructure face serious challenges participating in modern clinical and basic research, particularly that relying on EDC and internet communication technologies. This report discusses our experiences in supporting research in resource-limited settings (RLS). We describe examples of the practical and ethical/regulatory challenges raised by use of these newer technologies for data collection in multisite clinical studies. PMID:24321986

Supporting research sites in resource-limited settings: challenges in implementing information technology infrastructure.

PubMed

Whalen, Christopher J; Donnell, Deborah; Tartakovsky, Michael

2014-01-01

As information and communication technology infrastructure becomes more reliable, new methods of electronic data capture, data marts/data warehouses, and mobile computing provide platforms for rapid coordination of international research projects and multisite studies. However, despite the increasing availability of Internet connectivity and communication systems in remote regions of the world, there are still significant obstacles. Sites with poor infrastructure face serious challenges participating in modern clinical and basic research, particularly that relying on electronic data capture and Internet communication technologies. This report discusses our experiences in supporting research in resource-limited settings. We describe examples of the practical and ethical/regulatory challenges raised by the use of these newer technologies for data collection in multisite clinical studies.

Space Station as a Long Duration Exposure Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Folley, Adrienne; Scheib, Jim

1995-01-01

There is need for a space platform for experiments investigating long duration exposure to space. This platform should be maintainable in the event of a malfunction, and experiments should be easily recoverable for analysis on Earth. The International Space Station provides such a platform. The current Space Station configuration has six external experiment attachment sites, providing utilities and data support distributed along the external truss. There are also other sites that could potentially support long duration exposure experiments. This paper describes the resources provided to payloads at these sites, and cites examples of integration of proposed long duration exposure experiments on these sites. The environments to which external attached payloads will be exposed are summarized.

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

Maheras, Steven J.; Best, Ralph E.; Ross, Steven B.

This report presents a preliminary evaluation of removing used nuclear fuel (UNF) from 12 shutdown nuclear power plant sites. At these shutdown sites the nuclear power reactors have been permanently shut down and the sites have been decommissioned or are undergoing decommissioning. The shutdown sites are Maine Yankee, Yankee Rowe, Connecticut Yankee, Humboldt Bay, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Trojan, La Crosse, Zion, Crystal River, Kewaunee, and San Onofre. The evaluation was divided into four components: characterization of the UNF and greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste (GTCC waste) inventory; a description of the on-site infrastructure and conditions relevant to transportationmore » of UNF and GTCC waste; an evaluation of the near-site transportation infrastructure and experience relevant to shipping transportation casks containing UNF and GTCC waste, including identification of gaps in information; and, an evaluation of the actions necessary to prepare for and remove UNF and GTCC waste. The primary sources for the inventory of UNF and GTCC waste are the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) RW-859 used nuclear fuel inventory database, industry sources such as StoreFUEL and SpentFUEL, and government sources such as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The primary sources for information on the conditions of site and near-site transportation infrastructure and experience included observations and information collected during visits to the Maine Yankee, Yankee Rowe, Connecticut Yankee, Humboldt Bay, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Trojan, La Crosse, and Zion sites; information provided by managers at the shutdown sites; Facility Interface Data Sheets compiled for DOE in 2005; Services Planning Documents prepared for DOE in 1993 and 1994; industry publications such as Radwaste Solutions; and Google Earth. State and Regional Group representatives, a Tribal representative, and a Federal Railroad Administration representative participated in six of the shutdown site visits. Every site was found to have at least one off-site transportation mode option for removing its UNF and GTCC waste; some have multiple options. Experience removing large components during reactor decommissioning provided an important source of information used to identify the transportation mode options for the sites. Especially important in conducting the evaluation were site visits, through which information was obtained that would not have been available otherwise. Extensive photographs taken during the site visits proved to be particularly useful in documenting the current conditions at or near the sites. Additional conclusions from this evaluation include: The 12 shutdown sites use designs from 4 different suppliers involving 9 different (horizontal and vertical) dry storage systems that would require the use of 8 different transportation cask designs to remove the UNF and GTCC waste from the shutdown sites; Although there are common aspects, each site has some unique features and/or conditions; Although some regulatory actions will be required, all UNF at the initial 9 shutdown sites (Maine Yankee, Yankee Rowe, Connecticut Yankee, Humboldt Bay, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Trojan, La Crosse, and Zion) is in licensed systems that can be transported, including a small amount of high-burnup fuel; Each site indicated that 2-3 years of advance time would be required for its preparations before shipments could begin; Most sites have more than one transportation option, e.g., rail, barge, or heavy haul truck, as well as constraints and preferences. It is expected that additional site visits will be conducted to add to the information presented in the evaluation.« less

msgbsR: An R package for analysing methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme sequencing data.

PubMed

Mayne, Benjamin T; Leemaqz, Shalem Y; Buckberry, Sam; Rodriguez Lopez, Carlos M; Roberts, Claire T; Bianco-Miotto, Tina; Breen, James

2018-02-01

Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) or restriction-site associated DNA marker sequencing (RAD-seq) is a practical and cost-effective method for analysing large genomes from high diversity species. This method of sequencing, coupled with methylation-sensitive enzymes (often referred to as methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme sequencing or MRE-seq), is an effective tool to study DNA methylation in parts of the genome that are inaccessible in other sequencing techniques or are not annotated in microarray technologies. Current software tools do not fulfil all methylation-sensitive restriction sequencing assays for determining differences in DNA methylation between samples. To fill this computational need, we present msgbsR, an R package that contains tools for the analysis of methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme sequencing experiments. msgbsR can be used to identify and quantify read counts at methylated sites directly from alignment files (BAM files) and enables verification of restriction enzyme cut sites with the correct recognition sequence of the individual enzyme. In addition, msgbsR assesses DNA methylation based on read coverage, similar to RNA sequencing experiments, rather than methylation proportion and is a useful tool in analysing differential methylation on large populations. The package is fully documented and available freely online as a Bioconductor package ( https://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/msgbsR.html ).

Novel Scalable 3-D MT Inverse Solver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuvshinov, A. V.; Kruglyakov, M.; Geraskin, A.

2016-12-01

We present a new, robust and fast, three-dimensional (3-D) magnetotelluric (MT) inverse solver. As a forward modelling engine a highly-scalable solver extrEMe [1] is used. The (regularized) inversion is based on an iterative gradient-type optimization (quasi-Newton method) and exploits adjoint sources approach for fast calculation of the gradient of the misfit. The inverse solver is able to deal with highly detailed and contrasting models, allows for working (separately or jointly) with any type of MT (single-site and/or inter-site) responses, and supports massive parallelization. Different parallelization strategies implemented in the code allow for optimal usage of available computational resources for a given problem set up. To parameterize an inverse domain a mask approach is implemented, which means that one can merge any subset of forward modelling cells in order to account for (usually) irregular distribution of observation sites. We report results of 3-D numerical experiments aimed at analysing the robustness, performance and scalability of the code. In particular, our computational experiments carried out at different platforms ranging from modern laptops to high-performance clusters demonstrate practically linear scalability of the code up to thousands of nodes. 1. Kruglyakov, M., A. Geraskin, A. Kuvshinov, 2016. Novel accurate and scalable 3-D MT forward solver based on a contracting integral equation method, Computers and Geosciences, in press.

Generation of HIV-1 based bi-cistronic lentiviral vectors for stable gene expression and live cell imaging.

PubMed

Sehgal, Lalit; Budnar, Srikanth; Bhatt, Khyati; Sansare, Sneha; Mukhopadhaya, Amitabha; Kalraiya, Rajiv D; Dalal, Sorab N

2012-10-01

The study of protein-protein interactions, protein localization, protein organization into higher order structures and organelle dynamics in live cells, has greatly enhanced the understanding of various cellular processes. Live cell imaging experiments employ plasmid or viral vectors to express the protein/proteins of interest fused to a fluorescent protein. Unlike plasmid vectors, lentiviral vectors can be introduced into both dividing and non dividing cells, can be pseudotyped to infect a broad or narrow range of cells, and can be used to generate transgenic animals. However, the currently available lentiviral vectors are limited by the choice of fluorescent protein tag, choice of restriction enzyme sites in the Multiple Cloning Sites (MCS) and promoter choice for gene expression. In this report, HIV-1 based bi-cistronic lentiviral vectors have been generated that drive the expression of multiple fluorescent tags (EGFP, mCherry, ECFP, EYFP and dsRed), using two different promoters. The presence of a unique MCS with multiple restriction sites allows the generation of fusion proteins with the fluorescent tag of choice, allowing analysis of multiple fusion proteins in live cell imaging experiments. These novel lentiviral vectors are improved delivery vehicles for gene transfer applications and are important tools for live cell imaging in vivo.

A six-year longitudinal study of phosphorus enrichment on soil enzymes in acidic forest soils.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deforest, J. L.; Freedman, Z.

2017-12-01

Acidic nitrogen (N) deposition may be shifting the nutrient economies of forest soils from one dominated by N more towards phosphorus (P) limitation. While the short-term responses of nutrient enrichment experiments are reported, there is a lack of information on the longer-term response mediating ecosystem nutrient dynamics, especially for P. We hypothesized that long-term soil P amendments should result in the persistent suppression of P-acquiring extracellular enzymes when compared with ambient soils. Alternatively, vegetation and/or the microbial community may have acclimated to require more P (i.e., communities more suitable to the altered nutrient economy) resulting in an increase in the activity of P-acquiring enzymes relative to carbon (C) and N-acquiring enzyme activity. To test the hypothesis, P availability was indirectly and/or directly increased by raising soil pH and/or the addition of phosphate fertilizer and maintained for six years. Study sites were in two North American eastern deciduous forest regions on glaciated soils with modest P availability and unglaciated with low P availability. For the glaciated sites, C:N acquiring enzyme activity remained stable and was insensitive to 6 years of elevated pH and/or P in the, but there was modest increases in the unglaciated site. Phosphorus-acquiring enzyme activity was insensitive to the treatments in the glaciated sites. For unglaciated sites, P-acquiring enzyme activity was suppressed under P addition in year one, rebounded in the second year, and was suppressed in the subsequent years. These results suggest that the basal nutrient resources of an ecosystem will have a very strong influence on its response to nutrient enrichment. Likewise, the second-year recovery of P-acquiring enzyme activity might be evidence of acclimation, but the gradual yearly suppression of these enzymes suggests the system has not reach a steady state.

22 CFR 1304.3 - Records available to the public.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... the information requested is already available on its Web site, which contains information readily... writing, to advise the individual of the availability of the information on the public Web site. MCC... after November 1, 1996 shall be made available electronically via the Web site at http://www.mcc.gov. (2...

22 CFR 1304.3 - Records available to the public.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... the information requested is already available on its Web site, which contains information readily... writing, to advise the individual of the availability of the information on the public Web site. MCC... after November 1, 1996 shall be made available electronically via the Web site at http://www.mcc.gov. (2...

Interpreting large-scale experiments on effects of trawling on benthic fauna: an empirical test of the potential effects of spatial confounding in experiments without replicated control and trawled areas.

PubMed

Lindegarth; Valentinsson; Hansson; Ulmestrand

2000-03-15

Disturbances due to trawling and dredging is a serious threat to assemblages of benthic marine animals. We tested hypotheses about effects of trawling on benthic assemblages in a manipulative field experiment, using gear and intensities relevant to future management of trawling in a Swedish fjord. Three trawled and three control sites were sampled at several times before and after trawling was initiated. This paper describes how conclusions about effects of trawling might differ between experiments involving replicate sites and experiments using only one trawled and one control site, as in several recent studies. Analyses of selected taxa showed that abundances of many species changed differently among control sites. Differences in temporal change between pairs of single trawled and control sites were also frequent. Neither the quantitative nor the qualitative nature of differences between treatments could, however, be coherently interpreted among the different combinations of trawled and control sites. This is consistent with results obtained from analyses using all sites, which showed no consistent effects of trawling on any of these taxa. These results provide empirical evidence that spatial confounding may cause serious problems to formal interpretation of experiments, which use only one control and one trawled area. Such potential problems can best be solved by ensuring that the study incorporates more than one control site.

Development of gastrointestinal surface. VIII. Lectin identification of carbohydrate differences

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

Pang, K.Y.; Bresson, J.L.; Walker, W.A.

Binding of microvillus membranes (MVM) from newborn and adult rats by concanavalin A (Con A), Ulex europaeus (UEA I), Dolichos bifluorus (DBA), and Triticum vulgaris (WGA) was examined to determine the availability of carbohydrate-containing sites for these lectins on the intestinal surface during development. Consistent patterns of differences in the reaction of MVM with these lectins were found. Con A and UEA had much higher reactivities to MVM of adult than newborn rats. /sup 125/I-labeled-UEA gel overlay experiments revealed the abundance of UEA-binding sites in MVM of adult rat in contrast to the two binding sites in MVM of amore » newborn rat. DBA bound only to MVM of the adults, and very few binding sites were found in immature MVM. In contrast to these lectins, WGA binding was much higher in MVM of the newborns and decreased with maturation. Additional experiments on the age dependence of UEA and DBA reactivities revealed that the most striking changes occur in animals from 2 to 2 wk of age. In MVM from 2-wk-old rats, there were only 13.9% and < 0.2% of the adult binding capacities for UEA and DBA, respectively. By the time the animals were 4 wk old, the binding capacity for UEA had attained close to the level of the adults, whereas for DBA it reached 71.3% of the adult value. These results provide definite evidence of changes in the intestinal surface during perinatal development.« less

Global Health Research in Narrative: A Qualitative Look at the FICRS-F Experience

PubMed Central

Bearnot, Benjamin; Coria, Alexandra; Barnett, Brian Scott; Clark, Eva H.; Gartland, Matthew G.; Jaganath, Devan; Mendenhall, Emily; Seu, Lillian; Worjoloh, Ayaba G.; Carothers, Catherine Lem; Vermund, Sten H.; Heimburger, Douglas C.

2014-01-01

For American professional and graduate health sciences trainees, a mentored fellowship in a low- or middle-income country (LMIC) can be a transformative experience of personal growth and scientific discovery. We invited 86 American trainees in the Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholars and Fellows Program and Fulbright–Fogarty Fellowship 2011–2012 cohorts to contribute personal essays about formative experiences from their fellowships. Nine trainees contributed essays that were analyzed using an inductive approach. The most frequently addressed themes were the strong continuity of research and infrastructure at Fogarty fellowship sites, the time-limited nature of this international fellowship experience, and the ways in which this fellowship period was important for shaping future career planning. Trainees also addressed interaction with host communities vis-à-vis engagement in project implementation. These qualitative essays have contributed insights on how a 1-year mentored LMIC-based research training experience can influence professional development, complementing conventional evaluations. Full text of the essays is available at http://fogartyscholars.org/. PMID:25246694

Skyline: an open source document editor for creating and analyzing targeted proteomics experiments

PubMed Central

MacLean, Brendan; Tomazela, Daniela M.; Shulman, Nicholas; Chambers, Matthew; Finney, Gregory L.; Frewen, Barbara; Kern, Randall; Tabb, David L.; Liebler, Daniel C.; MacCoss, Michael J.

2010-01-01

Summary: Skyline is a Windows client application for targeted proteomics method creation and quantitative data analysis. It is open source and freely available for academic and commercial use. The Skyline user interface simplifies the development of mass spectrometer methods and the analysis of data from targeted proteomics experiments performed using selected reaction monitoring (SRM). Skyline supports using and creating MS/MS spectral libraries from a wide variety of sources to choose SRM filters and verify results based on previously observed ion trap data. Skyline exports transition lists to and imports the native output files from Agilent, Applied Biosystems, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Waters triple quadrupole instruments, seamlessly connecting mass spectrometer output back to the experimental design document. The fast and compact Skyline file format is easily shared, even for experiments requiring many sample injections. A rich array of graphs displays results and provides powerful tools for inspecting data integrity as data are acquired, helping instrument operators to identify problems early. The Skyline dynamic report designer exports tabular data from the Skyline document model for in-depth analysis with common statistical tools. Availability: Single-click, self-updating web installation is available at http://proteome.gs.washington.edu/software/skyline. This web site also provides access to instructional videos, a support board, an issues list and a link to the source code project. Contact: brendanx@u.washington.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:20147306

The Autism Simplex Collection: an international, expertly phenotyped autism sample for genetic and phenotypic analyses

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background There is an urgent need for expanding and enhancing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) samples, in order to better understand causes of ASD. Methods In a unique public-private partnership, 13 sites with extensive experience in both the assessment and diagnosis of ASD embarked on an ambitious, 2-year program to collect samples for genetic and phenotypic research and begin analyses on these samples. The program was called The Autism Simplex Collection (TASC). TASC sample collection began in 2008 and was completed in 2010, and included nine sites from North America and four sites from Western Europe, as well as a centralized Data Coordinating Center. Results Over 1,700 trios are part of this collection, with DNA from transformed cells now available through the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G) measures are available for all probands, as are standardized IQ measures, Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scales (VABS), the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), and physical measures (height, weight, and head circumference). At almost every site, additional phenotypic measures were collected, including the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) and Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R), as well as the non-word repetition scale, Communication Checklist (Children’s or Adult), and Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC). Moreover, for nearly 1,000 trios, the Autism Genome Project Consortium (AGP) has carried out Illumina 1 M SNP genotyping and called copy number variation (CNV) in the samples, with data being made available through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Whole exome sequencing (WES) has been carried out in over 500 probands, together with ancestry matched controls, and this data is also available through the NIH. Additional WES is being carried out by the Autism Sequencing Consortium (ASC), where the focus is on sequencing complete trios. ASC sequencing for the first 1,000 samples (all from whole-blood DNA) is complete and data will be released in 2014. Data is being made available through NIH databases (database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP) and National Database for Autism Research (NDAR)) with DNA released in Dist 11.0. Primary funding for the collection, genotyping, sequencing and distribution of TASC samples was provided by Autism Speaks and the NIH, including the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Human Genetics Research Institute (NHGRI). Conclusions TASC represents an important sample set that leverages expert sites. Similar approaches, leveraging expert sites and ongoing studies, represent an important path towards further enhancing available ASD samples. PMID:25392729

Smart Shop Assistant - Using Semantic Technologies to Improve Online Shopping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niemann, Magnus; Mochol, Malgorzata; Tolksdorf, Robert

Internet commerce experiences a rising complexity: Not only more and more products become available online but also the amount of information available on a single product has been constantly increasing. Thanks to the Web 2.0 development it is, in the meantime, quite common to involve customers in the creation of product description and extraction of additional product information by offering customers feedback forms and product review sites, users' weblogs and other social web services. To face this situation, one of the main tasks in a future internet will be to aggregate, sort and evaluate this huge amount of information to aid the customers in choosing the "perfect" product for their needs.

Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE): Reports from the NASA resident representative in India. [ATS 6

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Galloway, H. L., Jr.

1976-01-01

Reports submitted by the NASA project representative for the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) at Ahmedabad, India are presented. These reports deal with the coordination of all SITE related matters between the ATS 6 Project at Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters, and the SITE Program in India.

Web-Based Family Life Education: Spotlight on User Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doty, Jennifer; Doty, Matthew; Dwrokin, Jodi

2011-01-01

Family Life Education (FLE) websites can benefit from the field of user experience, which makes technology easy to use. A heuristic evaluation of five FLE sites was performed using Neilson's heuristics, guidelines for making sites user friendly. Greater site complexity resulted in more potential user problems. Sites most frequently had problems…

Inventory of forest and rangeland and detection of forest stress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heller, R. C. (Principal Investigator); Aldrich, R. C.; Weber, F. P.; Driscoll, R. S.

1972-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Seventy-two ground sensors were interfaced with three DCP'S at the Black Hills test site. Unfortunately, the transmitters had to be returned for modification and forestry sensed data is not available. The DCP's did operate properly from the Berkeley laboratory and data were recovered from the Goldstone and Alaska stations via Goddard. Replicated training sets and test sets have been selected from all three test site areas in preparation for the receipt of ERTS imagery and digital tapes. From 600 and 800 points have been selected at each site location and UTM coordinates determined. Templates are being made of these sets. As of September 1, ERTS-generated data had not been received and no statements can be made regarding quality or suitability for forest and range experiments. Aerial photography (scale 1:32,000) of the Manitou (226 C) and Black Hills (226 A) sites was taken with CIR in June. Various scales (1:2,000; 1:10,000; 1:20,000; and 1:40,000) of 70 mm photographs were obtained at Manitou with normal color, CIR, and panchromatic in August.

Development of Network-type Archaeological Investigation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiba, F.; Yokokoyama, S.; Kaneda, A.; Konno, K.

2015-08-01

The Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011 is said to be a once-in-1000-year catastrophic quake. The Tsunami triggered by the earthquake destroyed broad coastal areas in northeast Japan. As recovery from the earthquake proceeds, the demand for new road construction, housing hill development, and residential construction is rapidly increasing. Culture plays a critical role in the district's recovery. For that reason, before development, cultural properties in the corresponding districts must be urgently investigated. This is a must, although balancing cultural recovery with rapid economic recovery is no easy task. With this in mind, we have developed a new system focusing on speedy archaeological investigation and adequate documentation. The authors reexamined the existing investigation process to categorize tasks into two types: those that must be done only at archaeological sites (site A) and ones available at other places (site B). We then formulated a scheme where the tasks on both sites are performed simultaneously in parallel over the network. Experiments are ongoing. This presentation reports the process and issues of our research and development.

Grassland productivity limited by multiple nutrients.

PubMed

Fay, Philip A; Prober, Suzanne M; Harpole, W Stanley; Knops, Johannes M H; Bakker, Jonathan D; Borer, Elizabeth T; Lind, Eric M; MacDougall, Andrew S; Seabloom, Eric W; Wragg, Peter D; Adler, Peter B; Blumenthal, Dana M; Buckley, Yvonne M; Chu, Chengjin; Cleland, Elsa E; Collins, Scott L; Davies, Kendi F; Du, Guozhen; Feng, Xiaohui; Firn, Jennifer; Gruner, Daniel S; Hagenah, Nicole; Hautier, Yann; Heckman, Robert W; Jin, Virginia L; Kirkman, Kevin P; Klein, Julia; Ladwig, Laura M; Li, Qi; McCulley, Rebecca L; Melbourne, Brett A; Mitchell, Charles E; Moore, Joslin L; Morgan, John W; Risch, Anita C; Schütz, Martin; Stevens, Carly J; Wedin, David A; Yang, Louie H

2015-07-06

Terrestrial ecosystem productivity is widely accepted to be nutrient limited(1). Although nitrogen (N) is deemed a key determinant of aboveground net primary production (ANPP)(2,3), the prevalence of co-limitation by N and phosphorus (P) is increasingly recognized(4-8). However, the extent to which terrestrial productivity is co-limited by nutrients other than N and P has remained unclear. Here, we report results from a standardized factorial nutrient addition experiment, in which we added N, P and potassium (K) combined with a selection of micronutrients (K+μ), alone or in concert, to 42 grassland sites spanning five continents, and monitored ANPP. Nutrient availability limited productivity at 31 of the 42 grassland sites. And pairwise combinations of N, P, and K+μ co-limited ANPP at 29 of the sites. Nitrogen limitation peaked in cool, high latitude sites. Our findings highlight the importance of less studied nutrients, such as K and micronutrients, for grassland productivity, and point to significant variations in the type and degree of nutrient limitation. We suggest that multiple-nutrient constraints must be considered when assessing the ecosystem-scale consequences of nutrient enrichment.

Interoperating Cloud-based Virtual Farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagnasco, S.; Colamaria, F.; Colella, D.; Casula, E.; Elia, D.; Franco, A.; Lusso, S.; Luparello, G.; Masera, M.; Miniello, G.; Mura, D.; Piano, S.; Vallero, S.; Venaruzzo, M.; Vino, G.

2015-12-01

The present work aims at optimizing the use of computing resources available at the grid Italian Tier-2 sites of the ALICE experiment at CERN LHC by making them accessible to interactive distributed analysis, thanks to modern solutions based on cloud computing. The scalability and elasticity of the computing resources via dynamic (“on-demand”) provisioning is essentially limited by the size of the computing site, reaching the theoretical optimum only in the asymptotic case of infinite resources. The main challenge of the project is to overcome this limitation by federating different sites through a distributed cloud facility. Storage capacities of the participating sites are seen as a single federated storage area, preventing the need of mirroring data across them: high data access efficiency is guaranteed by location-aware analysis software and storage interfaces, in a transparent way from an end-user perspective. Moreover, the interactive analysis on the federated cloud reduces the execution time with respect to grid batch jobs. The tests of the investigated solutions for both cloud computing and distributed storage on wide area network will be presented.

Installation of the Ignitor Machine at the Caorso Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Migliori, S.; Pierattini, S.; Bombarda, F.; Faelli, G.; Zucchetti, M.; Coppi, B.

2008-11-01

The actual cost of building a new experiment can be considerably contained if infrastructures are already available on its envisioned site. The facilities of the Caorso site (near Piacenza, Italy) that, at present, houses a spent nuclear power station, have been analyzed in view of their utilization for the operation of the Ignitor machine. The main feature of the site is its robust connection to the electrical national power grid that can take the disturbance caused by Ignitor discharges with the highest magnetic fields and plasma currents, avoiding the need for rotating flywheels generators. Other assets include a vast building that can be modified to house the machine core and the associated diagnostic systems. A layout of the Ignitor plant, including the tritium laboratory and other service areas, the distribution of the components of the electrical power supply system and of the He gas cooling sytem are presented. Relevant safety issues have been analyzed, based on the in depth activation analysis of the machine components carried out by means of the FISPAC code. Waste management and environment impact issues, including risk to the population assessments, have also been addressed.

Simple economic evaluation and applications experiments for photovoltaic systems for remote sites

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

Rios, M. Jr.

1980-01-01

A simple evaluation of the cost effectiveness of photovoltaic systems is presented. The evaluation is based on a calculation of breakeven costs of photovoltaics (PV) arrays with the levelized costs of two alternative energy sources (1) extension of the utility grid and (2) diesel generators. A selected number of PV applications experiments that are in progress in remote areas of the US are summarized. These applications experiments range from a 23 watt insect survey trap to a 100 kW PV system for a national park complex. It is concluded that PV systems for remote areas are now cost effective inmore » remote small applications with commercially available technology and will be cost competitive for intermediate scale systems (approx. 10 kW) in the 1980s if the DOE 1986 Commercial Readiness Goals are achieved.« less

Progress of targeted genome modification approaches in higher plants.

PubMed

Cardi, Teodoro; Neal Stewart, C

2016-07-01

Transgene integration in plants is based on illegitimate recombination between non-homologous sequences. The low control of integration site and number of (trans/cis)gene copies might have negative consequences on the expression of transferred genes and their insertion within endogenous coding sequences. The first experiments conducted to use precise homologous recombination for gene integration commenced soon after the first demonstration that transgenic plants could be produced. Modern transgene targeting categories used in plant biology are: (a) homologous recombination-dependent gene targeting; (b) recombinase-mediated site-specific gene integration; (c) oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis; (d) nuclease-mediated site-specific genome modifications. New tools enable precise gene replacement or stacking with exogenous sequences and targeted mutagenesis of endogeneous sequences. The possibility to engineer chimeric designer nucleases, which are able to target virtually any genomic site, and use them for inducing double-strand breaks in host DNA create new opportunities for both applied plant breeding and functional genomics. CRISPR is the most recent technology available for precise genome editing. Its rapid adoption in biological research is based on its inherent simplicity and efficacy. Its utilization, however, depends on available sequence information, especially for genome-wide analysis. We will review the approaches used for genome modification, specifically those for affecting gene integration and modification in higher plants. For each approach, the advantages and limitations will be noted. We also will speculate on how their actual commercial development and implementation in plant breeding will be affected by governmental regulations.

Cloud-Scale Vertical Velocity and Turbulent Dissipation Rate Retrievals

DOE Data Explorer

Shupe, Matthew

2013-05-22

Time-height fields of retrieved in-cloud vertical wind velocity and turbulent dissipation rate, both retrieved primarily from vertically-pointing, Ka-band cloud radar measurements. Files are available for manually-selected, stratiform, mixed-phase cloud cases observed at the North Slope of Alaska (NSA) site during periods covering the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (MPACE, late September through early November 2004) and the Indirect and Semi-Direct Aerosol Campaign (ISDAC, April-early May 2008). These time periods will be expanded in a future submission.

A pedagogical walkthrough of computational modeling and simulation of Wnt signaling pathway using static causal models in MATLAB.

PubMed

Sinha, Shriprakash

2016-12-01

Simulation study in systems biology involving computational experiments dealing with Wnt signaling pathways abound in literature but often lack a pedagogical perspective that might ease the understanding of beginner students and researchers in transition, who intend to work on the modeling of the pathway. This paucity might happen due to restrictive business policies which enforce an unwanted embargo on the sharing of important scientific knowledge. A tutorial introduction to computational modeling of Wnt signaling pathway in a human colorectal cancer dataset using static Bayesian network models is provided. The walkthrough might aid biologists/informaticians in understanding the design of computational experiments that is interleaved with exposition of the Matlab code and causal models from Bayesian network toolbox. The manuscript elucidates the coding contents of the advance article by Sinha (Integr. Biol. 6:1034-1048, 2014) and takes the reader in a step-by-step process of how (a) the collection and the transformation of the available biological information from literature is done, (b) the integration of the heterogeneous data and prior biological knowledge in the network is achieved, (c) the simulation study is designed, (d) the hypothesis regarding a biological phenomena is transformed into computational framework, and (e) results and inferences drawn using d -connectivity/separability are reported. The manuscript finally ends with a programming assignment to help the readers get hands-on experience of a perturbation project. Description of Matlab files is made available under GNU GPL v3 license at the Google code project on https://code.google.com/p/static-bn-for-wnt-signaling-pathway and https: //sites.google.com/site/shriprakashsinha/shriprakashsinha/projects/static-bn-for-wnt-signaling-pathway. Latest updates can be found in the latter website.

Phosphate fertilizer impacts on glyphosate sorption by soil.

PubMed

Munira, Sirajum; Farenhorst, Annemieke; Flaten, Don; Grant, Cynthia

2016-06-01

This research examined the impact of field-aged phosphate and cadmium (Cd) concentrations, and fresh phosphate co-applications, on glyphosate sorption by soil. Soil samples were collected in 2013 from research plots that had received, from 2002 to 2009, annual applications of mono ammonium phosphate (MAP) at 20, 40 and 80 kg P ha(-1) and from products containing 0.4, 70 or 210 mg Cd kg(-1) as an impurity. A series of batch equilibrium experiments were carried out to quantify the glyphosate sorption distribution constant, Kd. Extractable Cd concentrations in soil had no significant effect on glyphosate sorption. Glyphosate Kd values significantly decreased with increasing Olsen-P concentrations in soil, regardless of the pH conditions studied. Experiments repeated with a commercially available glyphosate formulation showed statistically similar results as the experiments performed with analytical-grade glyphosate. Co-applications of MAP with glyphosate also reduced the available sorption sites to retain glyphosate, but less so when soils already contain large amounts of phosphate. Glyphosate Kd values in soils ranged from 173 to 939 L kg(-1) under very strong to strongly acidic condition but the Kd was always <100 L kg(-1) under moderately acidic to slightly alkaline conditions. The highest Olsen-P concentrations in soil reduced Kd values by 25-44% relative to control soils suggesting that, under moderately acidic to slightly alkaline conditions, glyphosate may become mobile by water in soils with high phosphate levels. Otherwise, glyphosate residues in agricultural soils are more likely to be transported off-site by wind and water-eroded sediments than by leaching or runoff. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nicotinamide Cofactors Suppress Active-Site Labeling of Aldehyde Dehydrogenases.

PubMed

Stiti, Naim; Chandrasekar, Balakumaran; Strubl, Laura; Mohammed, Shabaz; Bartels, Dorothea; van der Hoorn, Renier A L

2016-06-17

Active site labeling by (re)activity-based probes is a powerful chemical proteomic tool to globally map active sites in native proteomes without using substrates. Active site labeling is usually taken as a readout for the active state of the enzyme because labeling reflects the availability and reactivity of active sites, which are hallmarks for enzyme activities. Here, we show that this relationship holds tightly, but we also reveal an important exception to this rule. Labeling of Arabidopsis ALDH3H1 with a chloroacetamide probe occurs at the catalytic Cys, and labeling is suppressed upon nitrosylation and oxidation, and upon treatment with other Cys modifiers. These experiments display a consistent and strong correlation between active site labeling and enzymatic activity. Surprisingly, however, labeling is suppressed by the cofactor NAD(+), and this property is shared with other members of the ALDH superfamily and also detected for unrelated GAPDH enzymes with an unrelated hydantoin-based probe in crude extracts of plant cell cultures. Suppression requires cofactor binding to its binding pocket. Labeling is also suppressed by ALDH modulators that bind at the substrate entrance tunnel, confirming that labeling occurs through the substrate-binding cavity. Our data indicate that cofactor binding adjusts the catalytic Cys into a conformation that reduces the reactivity toward chloroacetamide probes.

pocketZebra: a web-server for automated selection and classification of subfamily-specific binding sites by bioinformatic analysis of diverse protein families

PubMed Central

Suplatov, Dmitry; Kirilin, Eugeny; Arbatsky, Mikhail; Takhaveev, Vakil; Švedas, Vytas

2014-01-01

The new web-server pocketZebra implements the power of bioinformatics and geometry-based structural approaches to identify and rank subfamily-specific binding sites in proteins by functional significance, and select particular positions in the structure that determine selective accommodation of ligands. A new scoring function has been developed to annotate binding sites by the presence of the subfamily-specific positions in diverse protein families. pocketZebra web-server has multiple input modes to meet the needs of users with different experience in bioinformatics. The server provides on-site visualization of the results as well as off-line version of the output in annotated text format and as PyMol sessions ready for structural analysis. pocketZebra can be used to study structure–function relationship and regulation in large protein superfamilies, classify functionally important binding sites and annotate proteins with unknown function. The server can be used to engineer ligand-binding sites and allosteric regulation of enzymes, or implemented in a drug discovery process to search for potential molecular targets and novel selective inhibitors/effectors. The server, documentation and examples are freely available at http://biokinet.belozersky.msu.ru/pocketzebra and there are no login requirements. PMID:24852248

A Web-based tool for UV irradiance data: predictions for European and Southeast Asian sites.

PubMed

Kift, Richard; Webb, Ann R; Page, John; Rimmer, John; Janjai, Serm

2006-01-01

There are a range of UV models available, but one needs significant pre-existing knowledge and experience in order to be able to use them. In this article a comparatively simple Web-based model developed for the SoDa (Integration and Exploitation of Networked Solar Radiation Databases for Environment Monitoring) project is presented. This is a clear-sky model with modifications for cloud effects. To determine if the model produces realistic UV data the output is compared with 1 year sets of hourly measurements at sites in the United Kingdom and Thailand. The accuracy of the output depends on the input, but reasonable results were obtained with the use of the default database inputs and improved when pyranometer instead of modeled data provided the global radiation input needed to estimate the UV. The average modeled values of UV for the UK site were found to be within 10% of measurements. For the tropical sites in Thailand the average modeled values were within 1120% of measurements for the four sites with the use of the default SoDa database values. These results improved when pyranometer data and TOMS ozone data from 2002 replaced the standard SoDa database values, reducing the error range for all four sites to less than 15%.

Distribution of Unlinked Transpositions of a Ds Element from a T-DNA Locus on Tomato Chromosome 4

PubMed Central

Briza, J.; Carroll, B. J.; Klimyuk, V. I.; Thomas, C. M.; Jones, D. A.; Jones, JDG.

1995-01-01

In maize, receptor sites for unlinked transpositions of Activator (Ac) elements are not distributed randomly. To test whether the same is true in tomato, the receptor sites for a Dissociation (Ds) element derived from Ac, were mapped for 26 transpositions unlinked to a donor T-DNA locus on chromosome 4. Four independent transposed Dss mapped to sites on chromosome 4 genetically unlinked to the donor T-DNA, consistent with a preference for transposition to unlinked sites on the same chromosome as opposed to sites on other chromosomes. There was little preference among the nondonor chromosomes, except perhaps for chromosome 2, which carried seven transposed Dss, but these could not be proven to be independent. However, these data, when combined with those from other studies in tomato examining the distribution of transposed Acs or Dss among nondonor chromosomes, suggest there may be absolute preferences for transposition irrespective of the chromosomal location of the donor site. If true, transposition to nondonor chromosomes in tomato would differ from that in maize, where the preference seems to be determined by the spatial arrangement of chromosomes in the interphase nucleus. The tomato lines carrying Ds elements at known locations are available for targeted transposon tagging experiments. PMID:8536985

Salinity Effects on the Adsorption of Nucleic Acid Compounds on Na-Montmorillonite: a Prebiotic Chemistry Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villafañe-Barajas, Saúl A.; Baú, João Paulo T.; Colín-García, María; Negrón-Mendoza, Alicia; Heredia-Barbero, Alejandro; Pi-Puig, Teresa; Zaia, Dimas A. M.

2018-02-01

Any proposed model of Earth's primitive environments requires a combination of geochemical variables. Many experiments are prepared in aqueous solutions and in the presence of minerals. However, most sorption experiments are performed in distilled water, and just a few in seawater analogues, mostly inconsistent with a representative primitive ocean model. Therefore, it is necessary to perform experiments that consider the composition and concentration of dissolved salts in the early ocean to understand how these variables could have affected the absorption of organic molecules into minerals. In this work, the adsorption of adenine, adenosine, and 5'AMP onto Na+montmorillonite was studied using a primitive ocean analog (4.0 Ga) from experimental and computational approaches. The order of sorption of the molecules was: 5'AMP > adenine > adenosine. Infrared spectra showed that the interaction between these molecules and montmorillonite occurs through the NH2 group. In addition, electrostatic interaction between negatively charged montmorillonite and positively charge N1 of these molecules could occur. Results indicate that dissolved salts affect the sorption in all cases; the size and structure of each organic molecule influence the amount sorbed. Specifically, the X-ray diffraction patterns show that dissolved salts occupy the interlayer space in Na-montmorillonite and compete with organic molecules for available sites. The adsorption capacity is clearly affected by dissolved salts in thermodynamic terms as deduced by isotherm models. Indeed, molecular dynamic models suggest that salts are absorbed in the interlamellar space and can interact with oxygen atoms exposed in the edges of clay or in its surface, reducing the sorption of the organic molecules. This research shows that the sorption process could be affected by high concentration of salts, since ions and organic molecules may compete for available sites on inorganic surfaces. Salt concentration in primitive oceans may have strongly affected the sorption, and hence the concentration processes of organic molecules on minerals.

Experimental investigations and geochemical modelling of site-specific fluid-fluid and fluid-rock interactions in underground storage of CO2/H2/CH4 mixtures: the H2STORE project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Lucia, Marco; Pilz, Peter

2015-04-01

Underground gas storage is increasingly regarded as a technically viable option for meeting the energy demand and environmental targets of many industrialized countries. Besides the long-term CO2 sequestration, energy can be chemically stored in form of CO2/CH4/H2 mixtures, for example resulting from excess wind energy. A precise estimation of the impact of such gas mixtures on the mineralogical, geochemical and petrophysical properties of specific reservoirs and caprocks is crucial for site selection and optimization of storage depth. Underground gas storage is increasingly regarded as a technically viable option for meeting environmental targets and the energy demand through storage in form of H2 or CH4, i.e. resulting from excess wind energy. Gas storage in salt caverns is nowadays a mature technology; in regions where favorable geologic structures such as salt diapires are not available, however, gas storage can only be implemented in porous media such as depleted gas and oil reservoirs or suitable saline aquifers. In such settings, a significant amount of in-situ gas components such as CO2, CH4 (and N2) will always be present, making the CO2/CH4/H2 system of particular interest. A precise estimation of the impact of their gas mixtures on the mineralogical, geochemical and petrophysical properties of specific reservoirs and caprocks is therefore crucial for site selection and optimization of storage depth. In the framework of the collaborative research project H2STORE, the feasibility of industrial-scale gas storage in porous media in several potential siliciclastic depleted gas and oil reservoirs or suitable saline aquifers is being investigated by means of experiments and modelling on actual core materials from the evaluated sites. Among them are the Altmark depleted gas reservoir in Saxony-Anhalt and the Ketzin pilot site for CO2 storage in Brandenburg (Germany). Further sites are located in the Molasse basin in South Germany and Austria. In particular, two work packages hosted at the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) focus on the fluid-fluid and fluid-rock interactions triggered by CO2, H2 and their mixtures. Laboratory experiments expose core samples to hydrogen and CO2/hydrogen mixtures under site-specific conditions (temperatures up to 200 °C and pressure up to 300 bar). The resulting qualitative and, whereas possible, quantitative data are expected to ameliorate the precision of predictive geochemical and reactive transport modelling, which is also performed within the project. The combination of experiments, chemical and mineralogical analyses and models is needed to improve the knowledge about: (1) solubility model and mixing rule for multicomponent gas mixtures in high saline formation fluids: no data are namely available in literature for H2-charged gas mixtures in the conditions expected in the potential sites; (2) chemical reactivity of different mineral assemblages and formation fluids in a broad spectrum of P-T conditions and composition of the stored gas mixtures; (3) thermodynamics and kinetics of relevant reactions involving mineral dissolution or precipitation. The resulting amelioration of site characterization and the overall enhancement in understanding the potential processes will benefit the operational reliability, the ecological tolerance, and the economic efficiency of future energy storing plants, crucial aspects for public acceptance and for industrial investors.

Comparison of three pesticide fate models based on lysimeter data of chloridazon and s-metolachlor from the Wagna test site, Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brückner, Lisa; Klammler, Gernot; Schuhmann, Andrea; Kupfersberger, Hans; Fank, Johann

2017-04-01

A lysimeter experiment was conducted at the agricultural test site in Wagna, Austria, where clayey-sandy cambisol are predominant. The pesticides chloridazon and s-metolachlor were applied between 2010 and 2014 and the concentration of the active ingredients and their metabolites were measured regularly in the soil and the leachate in different depths (Schuhmann et al. 2016). During the lysimeter experiment maize, pumpkin and triticale were cultivated, which are the main field crops in that region. Beside this data, precise measurements of the soil hydrology parameters as well as meteorological data are available. Average annual precipitation at this site is 972 mm, mean annual groundwater recharge is 358 mm (2005-2014). Based on this data and the different breakthrough curves a comparison of the three different pesticide fate models PEARL, PELMO and MACRO is carried out for the pesticides s-metolachlor and chloridazon and their metabolites metolachlor oxanilic acid, metolachlor ethane sulfonic acid, desphenyl-chloridazon and methyl-desphenyl-chloridazon. The results of the modeling of the water movement and pesticide fate are evaluated and discussed. This work will contribute to a better understanding of the performance of this pesticide fate models for the above mentioned soil and hydrologic conditions. Schuhmann, A; Gans, O; Weiss, S; Fank, J; Klammler, G; Haberhauer, G; Gerzabek, MH (2016): A long-term lysimeter experiment to investigate the environmental dispersion of the herbicide chloridazon and its metabolites - comparison of lysimeter types. J SOIL SEDIMENT. 2016; 16(3): 1032-1045

Molecular Characterization of the Gas-Particle Interface of Soot Sampled from a Diesel Engine Using a Titration Method.

PubMed

Tapia, A; Salgado, M S; Martín, María Pilar; Lapuerta, M; Rodríguez-Fernández, J; Rossi, M J; Cabañas, B

2016-03-15

Surface functional groups of two different types of combustion aerosols, a conventional diesel (EN 590) and a hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) soot, have been investigated using heterogeneous chemistry (i.e., gas-particle surface reactions). A commercial sample of amorphous carbon (Printex XE2-B) was analyzed as a reference substrate. A Knudsen flow reactor was used to carry out the experiments under molecular flow conditions. The selected gases for the titration experiments were: N(CH3)3 for the identification of acidic sites, NH2OH for the presence of carbonyl groups, CF3COOH and HCl for basic sites of different strength, and O3 and NO2 for reducing groups. Reactivity with N(CH3)3 indicates a lower density of acidic functionalities for Printex XE2-B in relation to diesel and HVO soot. Results for NH2OH experiments indicates that commercial amorphous carbon exhibits a lower abundance of available carbonyl groups at the interface compared to the results from diesel and HVO soot, the latter being the one with the largest abundance of carbonyl functions. Reactions with acids indicate the presence of weak basic oxides on the particle surface that preferentially interact with the strong acid CF3COOH. Finally, reactions with O3 and NO2 reveal that diesel and especially HVO have a significantly higher reactivity with both oxidizers compared to that of Printex XE2-B because they have more reducing sites by roughly a factor of 10 and 30, respectively. The kinetics of titration reactions have also been investigated.

Surveying World Heritage Islamic Monuments in North Africa: Experiences with Simple Photogrammetric Tools and no Previous Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almagro, A.

2013-07-01

Different experiences of surveys of Islamic monuments from different sites of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco are presented. They have been made with simple tools: one photographic camera and a laser meter, without a previous planning or prevision for the survey, profiting from visits organized during scientific meetings to which the author was invited. Some of these monuments belong to sites included in the World Heritage List, but no metric documents or only low quality information is available. Monumental Almohad gates from Rabat and Marrakech, the al-Badi palace of Marrakech, the minarets of Mansura and the Qala of Beni Hammad, the dome in front of the mihrab of the mosque of Tlemcen are some of the examples to be presented. The methodology applied is based on ideas and tools acquired in CIPA meetings proving the usefulness of these encounters but supporting the idea that "providers" should provide tools and methods and "users" should be responsible for documentation, never missing the opportunity of acquiring knowledge from the heritage during the survey process.

Maintenance and testing of anodized aluminum mirrors on the Whipple 10 m Whipple Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badran, H. M.; Weekes, T. C.

2001-08-01

Threshold energy sensitivity depends not only on the high reflectivity of the mirrors used in atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes but also on the maintenance of this reflectivity over months/years. The successful application of a mirror maintenance technique depends on the type of mirror coating and the contamination that must be removed. The uncovered mirrors in use on the 10-m Whipple gamma-ray telescope are anodized aluminum mirrors. A standard cleaning technique for such mirrors is not available. With the aim of extending the life of the aluminum coating exposed to the Mt ˙Hopkins environment, several cleaning procedures were tested on mirrors that had been exposed for three years. Evaluation of the most effective cleaners is presented. Preliminary results are also presented from a long-term experiment using newly coated mirrors at the proposed VERITAS site and at the current 10 m site. This experiment is designed to reveal the rates at which the reflectance degrades as a function of time, depth of anodization, storage direction, degree of covering, and maintenance procedures.

Non-vascularized free toe phalanx transfers in congenital hand deformities--the Great Ormond Street experience.

PubMed

Cavallo, A V; Smith, P J; Morley, S; Morsi, A W

2003-12-01

Many options of varying complexity are available for the management of congenital short digits resulting from aphalangia in symbrachydactyly and constriction ring syndrome. We have used non-vascularized free toe phalanx transfers for these children when a vascularized toe transfer has been contraindicated. We describe our technique and experience with 22 children who underwent a total of 64 transfers of the proximal (35) or middle (29) toe phalanges (average 3 per child). The mean age at initial surgery was 15 months, and the mean follow-up was 5 years. Duration of time until epiphyseal closure could not be determined accurately, but total digital elongation averaged 6mm. Complications of this technique include joint instability, premature epiphyseal closure and, in one patient, infection and graft loss. Donor site deformity was determined according to measured growth deficit and toe function. This technique is a simple option for digital elongation and, if performed in the appropriate age group in short fingered and monodactylous subtypes of symbrachydactyly, has the potential to allow growth and function with minimal donor site deficit.

Opportunistic Resource Usage in CMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreuzer, Peter; Hufnagel, Dirk; Dykstra, D.; Gutsche, O.; Tadel, M.; Sfiligoi, I.; Letts, J.; Wuerthwein, F.; McCrea, A.; Bockelman, B.; Fajardo, E.; Linares, L.; Wagner, R.; Konstantinov, P.; Blumenfeld, B.; Bradley, D.; Cms Collaboration

2014-06-01

CMS is using a tiered setup of dedicated computing resources provided by sites distributed over the world and organized in WLCG. These sites pledge resources to CMS and are preparing them especially for CMS to run the experiment's applications. But there are more resources available opportunistically both on the GRID and in local university and research clusters which can be used for CMS applications. We will present CMS' strategy to use opportunistic resources and prepare them dynamically to run CMS applications. CMS is able to run its applications on resources that can be reached through the GRID, through EC2 compliant cloud interfaces. Even resources that can be used through ssh login nodes can be harnessed. All of these usage modes are integrated transparently into the GlideIn WMS submission infrastructure, which is the basis of CMS' opportunistic resource usage strategy. Technologies like Parrot to mount the software distribution via CVMFS and xrootd for access to data and simulation samples via the WAN are used and will be described. We will summarize the experience with opportunistic resource usage and give an outlook for the restart of LHC data taking in 2015.

Information and communication technology and community-based health sciences training in Uganda: perceptions and experiences of educators and students.

PubMed

Chang, Larry W; Mwanika, Andrew; Kaye, Dan; Muhwezi, Wilson W; Nabirye, Rose C; Mbalinda, Scovia; Okullo, Isaac; Kennedy, Caitlin E; Groves, Sara; Sisson, Stephen D; Burnham, Gilbert; Bollinger, Robert C

2012-01-01

Information and communication technology (ICT) has been advocated as a powerful tool for improving health education in low-resource settings. However, few evaluations have been performed of ICT perceptions and user experiences in low-resource settings. During late 2009, an internet-based survey on ICT was administered to students, tutors, and faculty members associated with a Community-Based Education and Service (COBES) program in Uganda. 255 surveys were completed. Response rates varied (students, 188/684, 27.5%; tutors, 14/27, 51.9%; faculty, 53/335, 15.8%). Most respondents owned mobile phones (98%). Students were less likely (p < 0.001) to own laptops (25%) compared to tutors (71%) and faculty (85%). Internet access at rural sites was uncommon; mobile phone coverage was almost universally present. Laptop ownership and internet and mobile phone access was not associated with high valuation of students' COBES experiences. Free text responses found that respondents valued ICT access for research, learning, and communication purposes. In summary, ICT penetration in this population is primarily manifest by extensive mobile phone ownership. Internet access in rural educational sites is still lacking, but students and educators appear eager to utilize this resource if availability improves. ICT may offer a unique opportunity to improve the quality of teaching and learning for COBES participants.

NASA Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX 2002/03): Local scale observation site

Treesearch

Janet Hardy; Robert Davis; Yeohoon Koh; Don Cline; Kelly Elder; Richard Armstrong; Hans-Peter Marshall; Thomas Painter; Gilles Castres Saint-Martin; Roger DeRoo; Kamal Sarabandi; Tobias Graf; Toshio Koike; Kyle McDonald

2008-01-01

The local scale observation site (LSOS) is the smallest study site (0.8 ha) of the 2002/03 Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX) and is located within the Fraser mesocell study area. It was the most intensively measured site of the CLPX, and measurements here had the greatest temporal component of all CLPX sites. Measurements made at the LSOS were designed to produce a...

Spatial multi-criteria analysis for selecting potential sites for aquifer recharge via harvesting and infiltration of surface runoff in north Jordan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinel, Anke; Schelkes, Klaus; Subah, Ali; Himmelsbach, Thomas

2016-11-01

In (semi-)arid regions, available water resources are scarce and groundwater resources are often overused. Therefore, the option to increase available water resources by managed aquifer recharge (MAR) via infiltration of captured surface runoff was investigated for two basins in northern Jordan. This study evaluated the general suitability of catchments to generate sufficient runoff and tried to identify promising sites to harvest and infiltrate the runoff into the aquifer for later recovery. Large sets of available data were used to create regional thematic maps, which were then combined to constraint maps using Boolean logic and to create suitability maps using weighted linear combination. This approach might serve as a blueprint which could be adapted and applied to similar regions. The evaluation showed that non-committed source water availability is the most restricting factor for successful water harvesting in regions with <200 mm/a rainfall. Experiences with existing structures showed that sediment loads of runoff are high. Therefore, the effectiveness of any existing MAR scheme will decrease rapidly to the point where it results in an overall negative impact due to increased evaporation if maintenance is not undertaken. It is recommended to improve system operation and maintenance, as well as monitoring, in order to achieve a better and constant effectiveness of the infiltration activities.

Law enforcement tools available at the Savannah River Site

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

Hofstetter, K.J.

A number of nuclear technologies developed and applied at the Savannah River Site in support of nuclear weapons material production and environmental remediation can be applied to problems in law enforcement. Techniques and equipment for high-sensitivity analyses of samples are available to identify and quantify trace elements and establish origins and histories of forensic evidence removed from crime scenes. While some of theses capabilities are available at local crime laboratories, state-of-the-art equipment and breakthroughs in analytical techniques are continually being developed at DOE laboratories. Extensive experience with the handling of radioactive samples at the DOE labs minimizes the chances ofmore » cross-contamination of evidence received from law enforcement. In addition to high-sensitivity analyses, many of the field techniques developed for use in a nuclear facility can assist law enforcement personnel in detecting illicit materials and operations, in retrieving of pertinent evidence and in surveying crime scenes. Some of these tools include chemical sniffers, hand-held detectors, thermal imaging, etc. In addition, mobile laboratories can be deployed to a crime scene to provide field screening of potential evidence. A variety of portable sensors can be deployed on vehicle, aerial, surface or submersible platforms to assist in the location of pertinent evidence or illicit operations. Several specific nuclear technologies available to law enforcement and their potential uses are discussed.« less

Mistletoe as a keystone resource: an experimental test

PubMed Central

Watson, David M.; Herring, Matthew

2012-01-01

Various entities have been designated keystone resources, but few tests have been attempted and we are unaware of any experimental manipulations of purported keystone resources. Mistletoes (Loranthaceae) provide structural and nutritional resources within canopies, and their pervasive influence on diversity led to their designation as keystone resources. We quantified the effect of mistletoe on diversity with a woodland-scale experiment, comparing bird diversities before and after all mistletoe plants were removed from 17 treatment sites, with those of 11 control sites and 12 sites in which mistletoe was naturally absent. Three years after mistletoe removal, treatment woodlands lost, on average, 20.9 per cent of their total species richness, 26.5 per cent of woodland-dependent bird species and 34.8 per cent of their woodland-dependent residents, compared with moderate increases in control sites and no significant changes in mistletoe-free sites. Treatment sites lost greater proportions of birds recorded nesting in mistletoe, but changes in species recorded feeding on mistletoe did not differ from control sites. Having confirmed the status of mistletoe as a keystone resource, we suggest that nutrient enrichment via litter-fall is the main mechanism promoting species richness, driving small-scale heterogeneity in productivity and food availability for woodland animals. This explanation applies to other parasitic plants with high turnover of enriched leaves, and the community-scale influence of these plants is most apparent in low productivity systems. PMID:22787026

Evaluation of the Content and Accessibility of Web Sites for Accredited Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery Fellowships.

PubMed

Shaath, M Kareem; Yeranosian, Michael G; Ippolito, Joseph A; Adams, Mark R; Sirkin, Michael S; Reilly, Mark C

2018-05-02

Orthopaedic trauma fellowship applicants use online-based resources when researching information on potential U.S. fellowship programs. The 2 primary sources for identifying programs are the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) database and the San Francisco Match (SF Match) database. Previous studies in other orthopaedic subspecialty areas have demonstrated considerable discrepancies among fellowship programs. The purpose of this study was to analyze content and availability of information on orthopaedic trauma surgery fellowship web sites. The online databases of the OTA and SF Match were reviewed to determine the availability of embedded program links or external links for the included programs. Thereafter, a Google search was performed for each program individually by typing the program's name, followed by the term "orthopaedic trauma fellowship." All identified fellowship web sites were analyzed for accessibility and content. Web sites were evaluated for comprehensiveness in mentioning key components of the orthopaedic trauma surgery curriculum. By consensus, we refined the final list of variables utilizing the methodology of previous studies on the topic. We identified 54 OTA-accredited fellowship programs, offering 87 positions. The majority (94%) of programs had web sites accessible through a Google search. Of the 51 web sites found, all (100%) described their program. Most commonly, hospital affiliation (88%), operative experiences (76%), and rotation overview (65%) were listed, and, least commonly, interview dates (6%), selection criteria (16%), on-call requirements (20%), and fellow evaluation criteria (20%) were listed. Programs with ≥2 fellows provided more information with regard to education content (p = 0.0001) and recruitment content (p = 0.013). Programs with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accreditation status also provided greater information with regard to education content (odds ratio, 4.0; p = 0.0001). Otherwise, no differences were seen by region, residency affiliation, medical school affiliation, or hospital affiliation. The SF Match and OTA databases provide few direct links to fellowship web sites. Individual program web sites do not effectively and completely convey information about the programs. The Internet is an underused resource for fellow recruitment. The lack of information on these sites allows for future opportunity to optimize this resource.

[The LESS (Laparo-endoscopic Single-Site) procedure in urology. Technical and clinical aspects].

PubMed

Neri, F; Cindolo, L; Gidaro, S; Schips, L

2010-01-01

Minimally invasive urology is rapidly advancing, and single-site laparoscopic surgery is being explored clinically. Such laparoscopic procedures are technically challenging and require an experienced laparoscopic surgeon due to the lack of port placement triangulation and instrument clashing. In the last years several surgeons all over the world have explored the feasibility and safety of LESS using several and different ports, approaches and devices. Hundreds of procedures have been described with overall favorable intraoperative and postoperative outcomes. Our experience consists of more than 30 procedures successfully completed for adrenal, kidney disease and varicocele. To date, LESS could be considered feasible and effective using currently available devices, however it is to be considered as an initial status technique requiring further confirmatory studies and advanced laparoscopic skills.

A Carbon Flux Super Site. New Insights and Innovative Atmosphere-Terrestrial Carbon Exchange Measurements and Modeling

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

Leclerc, Monique Y.

2014-11-17

This final report presents the main activities and results of the project “A Carbon Flux Super Site: New Insights and Innovative Atmosphere-Terrestrial Carbon Exchange Measurements and Modeling” from 10/1/2006 to 9/30/2014. It describes the new AmeriFlux tower site (Aiken) at Savanna River Site (SC) and instrumentation, long term eddy-covariance, sodar, microbarograph, soil and other measurements at the site, and intensive field campaigns of tracer experiment at the Carbon Flux Super Site, SC, in 2009 and at ARM-CF site, Lamont, OK, and experiments in Plains, GA. The main results on tracer experiment and modeling, on low-level jet characteristics and their impactmore » on fluxes, on gravity waves and their influence on eddy fluxes, and other results are briefly described in the report.« less

Exploring variability of teaching & supervision at clinical clerkship teaching sites

PubMed Central

Naeem, Naghma; Elzubeir, Margaret; Al-Houqani, Mohammad; Ahmed, Luai Awad

2018-01-01

Objective: To explore undergraduate medical students’ perception of variation in teaching and supervision at different clinical teaching sites. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the College of Medicine & Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, UAE during 2017. Four clinical teaching sites affiliated with CMHS were evaluated namely Shaikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), Ambulatory Care Clinics (AC), Tawam Hospital (TH) and Al-Ain Hospital (AH). An online questionnaire was administered to year five and six students. Results: The response rate was 84.4%. Overall perception of the students about their clinical clerkship experience was positive. SKMC was rated as the best teaching site with mean rating of 3.79±0.97-4.79±0.43. The highest rated item was clinical teacher’s promotion of critical thinking in students while the lowest rated item was the opportunity to take responsibility for patient care. Ambulatory Care site had a mean rating of 2.33±1.23-4.13±1.19. The highest rated item at this site was the clinical teacher encouraging students to ask questions and participate actively. At Tawam Hospital, the mean ratings ranged between 2.65±1.64-4.31±0.86 with highest rated item being ability of the students to see cases with positive clinical findings. At the Al-Ain Hospital, the mean rating was in the range of 2.79±1.45-3.81±1.11. The item rated highest here was the ability of students to see cases with positive clinical findings. The lowest rated item at all three sites was the availability of on-call rooms and lockers. Significant variability was seen across training sites in the clinical teacher’s ability to act as professional role models, the opportunity for students to apply their previous knowledge to patient care and to independently assess patients before discussion with teachers. Conclusion: This study tool highlights variation in clinical teaching and supervision at four clinical teaching sites. It provides specific, actionable information which can be utilized to deliver equitable learning experiences across clinical clerkships and teaching sites. It places emphasis on the fact that lack of physical facilities hampers clinical teaching and supervision, hence, on call rooms, lockers and separate rooms for independent student interaction with patients should be provided at all clinical teaching sites. PMID:29805410

Exploring variability of teaching & supervision at clinical clerkship teaching sites.

PubMed

Naeem, Naghma; Elzubeir, Margaret; Al-Houqani, Mohammad; Ahmed, Luai Awad

2018-01-01

To explore undergraduate medical students' perception of variation in teaching and supervision at different clinical teaching sites. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the College of Medicine & Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, UAE during 2017. Four clinical teaching sites affiliated with CMHS were evaluated namely Shaikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), Ambulatory Care Clinics (AC), Tawam Hospital (TH) and Al-Ain Hospital (AH). An online questionnaire was administered to year five and six students. The response rate was 84.4%. Overall perception of the students about their clinical clerkship experience was positive. SKMC was rated as the best teaching site with mean rating of 3.79±0.97-4.79±0.43. The highest rated item was clinical teacher's promotion of critical thinking in students while the lowest rated item was the opportunity to take responsibility for patient care. Ambulatory Care site had a mean rating of 2.33±1.23-4.13±1.19. The highest rated item at this site was the clinical teacher encouraging students to ask questions and participate actively. At Tawam Hospital, the mean ratings ranged between 2.65±1.64-4.31±0.86 with highest rated item being ability of the students to see cases with positive clinical findings. At the Al-Ain Hospital, the mean rating was in the range of 2.79±1.45-3.81±1.11. The item rated highest here was the ability of students to see cases with positive clinical findings. The lowest rated item at all three sites was the availability of on-call rooms and lockers. Significant variability was seen across training sites in the clinical teacher's ability to act as professional role models, the opportunity for students to apply their previous knowledge to patient care and to independently assess patients before discussion with teachers. This study tool highlights variation in clinical teaching and supervision at four clinical teaching sites. It provides specific, actionable information which can be utilized to deliver equitable learning experiences across clinical clerkships and teaching sites. It places emphasis on the fact that lack of physical facilities hampers clinical teaching and supervision, hence, on call rooms, lockers and separate rooms for independent student interaction with patients should be provided at all clinical teaching sites.

French Atomic Energy Commission Decommissioning Programme and Feedback Experience - 12230

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

Guiberteau, Ph.; Nokhamzon, J.G.

Since the French Atomic and Alternatives Energy Commission (CEA) was founded in 1945 to carry out research programmes on use of nuclear, and its application France has set up and run various types of installations: research or prototypes reactors, process study or examination laboratories, pilot installations, accelerators, nuclear power plants and processing facilities. Some of these are currently being dismantled or must be dismantled soon so that the DEN, the Nuclear Energy Division, can construct new equipment and thus have available a range of R and D facilities in line with the issues of the nuclear industry of the future.more » Since the 1960's and 1970's in all its centres, the CEA has acquired experience and know-how through dismantling various nuclear facilities. The dismantling techniques are nowadays operational, even if sometimes certain specific developments are necessary to reduce the cost of operations. Thanks to availability of techniques and guarantees of dismantling programme financing now from two dedicated funds, close to euro 15,000 M for the next thirty years, for current or projected dismantling operations, the CEA's Nuclear Energy Division has been able to develop, when necessary, its immediate dismantling strategy. Currently, nearly thirty facilities are being dismantled by the CEA's Nuclear Energy Division operational units with industrial partners. Thus the next decade will see completion of the dismantling and radioactive clean-up of the Grenoble site and of the facilities on the Fontenay-aux-Roses site. By 2016, the dismantling of the UP1 plant at Marcoule, the largest dismantling work in France, will be well advanced, with all the process equipment dismantled. After an overview of the French regulatory framework, the paper will describe the DD and R (Decontamination Decommissioning and Remediation) strategy, programme and feedback experience inside the CEA's Nuclear Energy Division. A special feature of dismantling operations at the CEA comes from the diversity of facilities to be dismantled, which are predominantly research facilities and therefore have no series advantage. There is tremendous operating feedback, however. For more than twenty years in all its centres, the CEA has acquired experience and know-how through dismantling research reactors or critical models and laboratories or plants. The dismantling techniques are nowadays operational, even if sometimes certain specific developments are necessary to reduce the cost of operations. Thanks to availability of techniques and guarantees of dismantling programme financing from two dedicated funds, close to euro 15,000 Millions for the next thirty years, for current or projected dismantling operations, the Nuclear Energy Division has been able to develop, when necessary, its immediate dismantling strategy. Currently, nearly thirty facilities are being dismantled by the CEA's Nuclear Energy Division operational units with industrial partners. Thus the next decade will see completion of the dismantling and radioactive clean-up of the Grenoble site and of the facilities on the Fontenay-aux-Roses site. By 2020, the dismantling of the UP1 plant at Marcoule, one of the largest dismantling works in the world, will be well advanced, with all the process equipment dismantled. (authors)« less

Adsorption of heavy metals by road deposited solids.

PubMed

Gunawardana, Chandima; Goonetilleke, Ashantha; Egodawatta, Prasanna

2013-01-01

The research study discussed in the paper investigated the adsorption/desorption behaviour of heavy metals commonly deposited on urban road surfaces, namely, Zn, Cu, Cr and Pb, for different particle size ranges of solids. The study outcomes, based on field studies and batch experiments, confirmed that road deposited solids particles contain a significantly high amount of vacant charge sites with the potential to adsorb additional heavy metals. Kinetic studies and adsorption experiments indicated that Cr is the most preferred metal element to associate with solids due to the relatively high electronegativity and high charge density of trivalent cation (Cr(3+)). However, the relatively low availability of Cr in the urban road environment could influence this behaviour. Comparing total adsorbed metals present in solids particles, it was found that Zn has the highest capacity for adsorption to solids. Desorption experiments confirmed that a low concentration of Cu, Cr and Pb in solids was present in water-soluble and exchangeable form, whilst a significant fraction of adsorbed Zn has a high likelihood of being released back into solution. Among heavy metals, Zn is considered to be the most commonly available metal among road surface pollutants.

Review of potential EGS sites and possible EGS demonstration scenarios

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

None

1999-09-01

Review of potential sites for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and development of reference scenarios for EGS demonstration projects are two sub-tasks included in the FY 1999 EGS Research and Development (R&D) Management Task (DOE Task Order Number DE-AT07-99ID60365, included in the Appendix of this report). These sub-tasks are consistent with the EGS Strategic Plan, which includes milestones relating to EGS site selection (Milestone 4, to be completed in 2004) and development of a cost-shared, pilot-scale demonstration project (Milestone 5, to be completed in 2008). The purpose of the present work is to provide some reference points for discussing what typemore » of EGS projects might be undertaken, where they might be located, and what the associated benefits are likely to be. The review of potential EGS sites is presented in Chapter 2 of this report. It draws upon site-selection criteria (and potential project sites that were identified using those criteria) developed at a mini-workshop held at the April 1998 DOE Geothermal Program Review to discuss EGS R&D issues. The criteria and the sites were the focus of a paper presented at the 4th International Hot Dry Rock Forum in Strasbourg in September 1998 (Sass and Robertson-Tait, 1998). The selection criteria, project sites and possible EGS developments discussed in the workshop and paper are described in more detail herein. Input from geothermal operators is incorporated, and water availability and transmission-line access are emphasized. The reference scenarios for EGS demonstration projects are presented in Chapter 3. Three alternative scenarios are discussed: (1) a stand-alone demonstration plant in an area with no existing geothermal development; (2) a separate generating facility adjacent to an existing geothermal development; and (3) an EGS project that supplies an existing geothermal power plant with additional generating capacity. Furthermore, information potentially useful to DOE in framing solicitations and selecting projects for funding is discussed objectively. Although defined as separate sub-tasks, the EGS site review and reference scenarios are closely related. The incremental approach to EGS development that has recently been adopted could logically be expected to yield proposals for studies that lead up to and include production-enhancement experiments in producing geothermal fields in the very near future. However, the strategic plan clearly calls for the development of a more comprehensive demonstration project that can generate up to perhaps 10 MW (gross). It is anticipated that a series of small-scale experiments will define what realistically may be achieved in the near future, thus setting the stage for a successful pilot demonstration. This report continues the process of presenting information on EGS sites and experiments, and begins the process of defining what a demonstration project might be.« less

Traverse Planning Experiments for Future Planetary Surface Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, S. J.; Voels, S. A.; Mueller, R. P.; Lee, P. C.

2011-01-01

This paper describes the results of a recent (July-August 2010 and July 2011) planetary surface traverse planning experiment. The purpose of this experiment was to gather data relevant to robotically repositioning surface assets used for planetary surface exploration. This is a scenario currently being considered for future human exploration missions to the Moon and Mars. The specific scenario selected was a robotic traverse on the lunar surface from an outpost at Shackleton Crater to the Malapert Massif. As these are exploration scenarios, the route will not have been previously traversed and the only pre-traverse data sets available will be remote (orbital) observations. Devon Island was selected as an analog location where a traverse route of significant length could be planned and then traveled. During the first half of 2010, a team of engineers and scientists who had never been to Devon Island used remote sensing data comparable to that which is likely to be available for the Malapert region (eg., 2-meter/pixel imagery, 10-meter interval topographic maps and associated digital elevation models, etc.) to plan a 17-kilometer (km) traverse. Surface-level imagery data was then gathered on-site that was provided to the planning team. This team then assessed whether the route was actually traversable or not. Lessons learned during the 2010 experiment were then used in a second experiment in 2011 for which a much longer traverse (85 km) was planned and additional surface-level imagery different from that gathered in 2010 was obtained for a comparative analysis. This paper will describe the route planning techniques used, the data sets available to the route planners and the lessons learned from the two traverses planned and carried out on Devon Island.

Analysis of rotation sensor data from the SINAPS@ Kefalonia (Greece) post-seismic experiment—link to surface geology and wavefield characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sbaa, Sarah; Hollender, Fabrice; Perron, Vincent; Imtiaz, Afifa; Bard, Pierre-Yves; Mariscal, Armand; Cochard, Alain; Dujardin, Alain

2017-09-01

Although rotational seismology has progressed in recent decades, the links between rotational ground motion and site soil conditions are poorly documented. New experiments were performed on Kefalonia Island (Greece) following two large earthquakes ( M W = 6.0, M W = 5.9) in early 2014 on two well-characterized sites (soft soil, V S30 250 m/s; rock, V S30 830 m/s, V S30 being harmonic average shear-wave velocity between 0 and 30 m depth). These earthquakes led to large six-component (three translations and three rotations) datasets of hundreds of well-recorded events. The relationship between peak translational acceleration versus peak rotational velocity is found sensitive to the site conditions mainly for the rotation around the vertical axis (torsion; dominated by Love waves): the stiffer the soil, the lower the torsion, for a given level of translational acceleration. For rotation around the horizontal axes (rocking; dominated by Rayleigh waves), this acceleration/rotation relationship exhibits much weaker differences between soft and rock sites. Using only the rotation sensor, an estimate of the Love-to-Rayleigh energy ratios could be carried out and provided the same results as previous studies that have analyzed the Love- and Rayleigh-wave energy proportions using data from translational arrays deployed at the same two sites. The coupling of translational and rotational measurements appears to be useful, not only for direct applications of engineering seismology, but also to investigate the composition of the wavefield, while avoiding deployment of dense arrays. The availability of new, low-noise rotation sensors that are easy to deploy in the field is of great interest and should extend the use of rotation sensors and expand their possible applications.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Global opportunities on 239 general surgery residency Web sites.

PubMed

Wackerbarth, Joel J; Campbell, Timothy D; Wren, Sherry; Price, Raymond R; Maier, Ronald V; Numann, Patricia; Kushner, Adam L

2015-09-01

Many general surgical residency programs lack a formal international component. We hypothesized that most surgery programs do not have international training or do not provide the information to prospective applicants regarding electives or programs in an easily accessible manner via Web-based resources. Individual general surgery program Web sites and the American College of Surgeons residency tool were used to identify 239 residencies. The homepages were examined for specific mention of international or global health programs. Ease of access was also considered. Global surgery specific pages or centers were noted. Programs were assessed for length of rotation, presence of research component, and mention of benefits to residents and respective institution. Of 239 programs, 24 (10%) mentioned international experiences on their home page and 42 (18%) contained information about global surgery. Of those with information available, 69% were easily accessible. Academic programs were more likely than independent programs to have information about international opportunities on their home page (13.7% versus 4.0%, P = 0.006) and more likely to have a dedicated program or pathway Web site (18.8% versus 2.0%, P < 0.0001). Half of the residencies with global surgery information did not have length of rotation available. Research was only mentioned by 29% of the Web sites. Benefits to high-income country residents were discussed more than benefits to low- and middle-income country residents (57% versus 17%). General surgery residency programs do not effectively communicate international opportunities for prospective residents through Web-based resources and should seriously consider integrating international options into their curriculum and better present them on department Web sites. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Blind comparisons of shear-wave velocities at closely-spaced sites in San Jose, California: Proceedings of a Workshop held at the US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, May 3, 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asten, Michael W.; Boore, David M.

2005-01-01

Shear-wave velocities within several hundred meters of Earth's surface are important in specifying earthquake ground motions for engineering design. Not only are the shearwave velocities used in classifying sites for use of modern building codes, but they are also used in site-specific studies of particularly significant structures. Many are the methods for estimating sub-surface shear-wave velocities, but few are the blind comparisons of a number of the methods at a single site. The word "blind" is important here and means that the measurements and interpretations are done completely independent of one another. Stephen Hartzell of the USGS office on Golden, Colorado realized that such an experiment would be very useful for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the various methods, and he and Jack Boatwright of the USGS office in Menlo Park, California, in cooperation with Carl Wentworth of the Menlo Park USGS office found a convenient site in the city of San Jose, California. The site had good access and space for conducting experiments, and a borehole drilled to several hundred meters by the Santa Clara Valley Water District was made available for downhole logging. Jack Boatwright asked David Boore to coordinate the experiment. In turn, David Boore persuaded several teams to make measurements, helped with the local logistics, collected the results, and organized and conducted an International Workshop in May, 2004. At this meeting the participants in the experiment gathered in Menlo Park to describe their measurements and interpretations, and to see the results of the comparisons of the various methods for the first time. This Open-File Report describes the results of that workshop. One of the participants, Michael Asten, offered to help the coordinator prepare this report. Because of his lead role in pulling the report together, Dr. Asten is the lead author of the paper to follow and is also the lead Compiler for the Open-File Report.It is important to recognize that most of the participants in the experiments contributed at their own expense. It is gratifying that many people recognized the importance of the experiment and were willing to volunteer their time and resources. We thank them for this effort.This Report is organized in three parts: the first part is a paper summarizing the results of the Workshop, and presenting some conclusions regarding the various methods; the second part is a compilation of those documents describing the experiments that were presented at the meeting (a few of the reports have had minor post-meeting revisions, but with only one exception noted later, none of the models were changed). The final part of this Report is a compilation of the presentations from the meeting -- these are largely in the form of Powerpoint files. No attempt has been made by the compilers to edit the material in parts 2 and 3. It is included here as is for the benefit of the reader.

Exotic plant invasion alters nitrogen dynamics in an arid grassland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evans, R.D.; Rimer, R.; Sperry, L.; Belnap, J.

2001-01-01

The introduction of nonnative plant species may decrease ecosystem stability by altering the availability of nitrogen (N) for plant growth. Invasive species can impact N availability by changing litter quantity and quality, rates of N2-fixation, or rates of N loss. We quantified the effects of invasion by the annual grass Bromus tectorum on N cycling in an arid grassland on the Colorado Plateau (USA). The invasion occurred in 1994 in two community types in an undisturbed grassland. This natural experiment allowed us to measure the immediate responses following invasion without the confounding effects of previous disturbance. Litter biomass and the C:N and lignin:N ratios were measured to determine the effects on litter dynamics. Long-term soil incubations (415 d) were used to measure potential microbial respiration and net N mineralization. Plant-available N was quantified for two years in situ with ion-exchange resin bags, and potential changes in rates of gaseous N loss were estimated by measuring denitrification enzyme activity. Bromus invasion significantly increased litter biomass, and Bromus litter had significantly greater C:N and lignin:N ratios than did native species. The change in litter quantity and chemistry decreased potential rates of net N mineralization in sites with Bromus by decreasing nitrogen available for microbial activity. Inorganic N was 50% lower on Hilaria sites with Bromus during the spring of 1997, but no differences were observed during 1998. The contrasting differences between years are likely due to moisture availability; spring precipitation was 15% greater than average during 1997, but 52% below average during spring of 1998. Bromus may cause a short-term decrease in N loss by decreasing substrate availability and denitrification enzyme activity, but N loss is likely to be greater in invaded sites in the long term because of increased fire frequency and greater N volatilization during fire. We hypothesize that the introduction of Bromus in conjunction with land-use change has established a series of positive feedbacks that will decrease N availability and alter species composition.

The Effect of Ion Adsorption on Microbial Dissimilatory Iron-Reduction and the Mobility of Adsorbed As(V)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, B. A.; Stillings, L. L.

2003-12-01

The effect of varying environmental conditions on the microbial reduction of Fe(III) and the mobility of adsorbed As(V) was investigated by studying the kinetics of reductive dissolution of synthetic, hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) in three batch-reactor experiments. Growth medium, containing HFO as an electron acceptor (EA) and acetate as an electron donor (ED), was dispensed into 500-ml septum sealed serum bottles. Each bottle was inoculated with an enrichment culture (MEC) containing an anaerobic Fe-reducing bacterium obtained from sediments at Milltown Reservoir near Missoula, MT. Each enrichment culture grew for at least 600 hrs and exhibited both exponential and stationary growth. Microbial reduction was monitored by measuring the production of dissolved Fe(II). Total Fe(II) was calculated by applying a Langmuir adsorption model, developed for each growth condition, to the measured dissolved Fe(II). Total Fe(II) production was modeled by: x = Xs(1-e-ket)-[kL(e-ket)]+(kL/ke) where x is the total Fe(II) concentration (mM) at t, ke is the exponential production rate constant (hr-1), Xs is the total Fe(II) concentration (mM) at the time of transition between exponential and stationary growth, t is the time since inoculation minus lag time, and kL is the stationary (linear) production rate constant (mM hr-1). From our experiments we learned that: 1) increasing the concentration of EA from 10-30 mM had no effect on the value of ke, which remained constant at 0.015 hr-1. However, the maximum production rate, Rmax = (ke Xs)+kL, did increase with increasing EA, varying from 0.014-0.031 mM hr-1; 2) increasing the concentration of ED from 10-30 mM had no effect on either ke or Rmax. These values remained constant as ED increased; 3) sorption of As(V) to the EA (in mM ratios of 1:10 and 1:30, As(V):HFO) affected Rmax but not ke. Rmax increased with increasing EA, as observed earlier, but its value was lower than in cultures without arsenic. In the presence of As(V), Rmax was unaffected by increasing ED. Microbial reduction of EA did not result in the release of aqueous As(V) or As(III). In all cases, representative blank and kill controls were run concurrent with growth experiments. No Fe(II) production was observed in the controls. The modeling method showed that increases in Rmax, when observed, were due to an elongated exponential growth phase. We conclude that the availability of surface sites to the culture is the controlling factor in microbial iron reduction. The length of the exponential growth phase depends on the concentration of surface sites available for microbial reduction. Adsorbed Fe(II) or As(V) inhibits reduction by decreasing the concentration of available surface sites. Likewise, increasing the initial concentration of EA increases the concentration of available surface sites thus increasing Rmax.

76 FR 35233 - Notice of Web Availability; Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2011...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-16

...: HUD announces the availability on its Web site and Grants.gov of the applicant information, submission... agency link on the Grants.gov /Find Web site at http://www.grants.gov/search/agency.do . A link to the funding opportunity is also available on the HUD Web site at http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src...

The Textures of Heroin: User Perspectives on "Black Tar" and Powder Heroin in Two U.S. Cities.

PubMed

Mars, Sarah G; Bourgois, Philippe; Karandinos, George; Montero, Fernando; Ciccarone, Daniel

2016-01-01

Since the 1990s, U.S. heroin consumers have been divided from the full range of available products: east of the Mississippi River, Colombian-sourced powder heroin (PH) dominates the market while, to the west, Mexican-sourced "black tar" (BTH) is the main heroin available. By conducting qualitative research in two exemplar cities, Philadelphia (PH) and San Francisco (BTH), we compare users' experiences of heroin source-types, markets, health consequences, and consumption preferences. The strict division of heroin markets may be changing with novel forms of powder heroin appearing in San Francisco. Our researchers and interviewees perceived vein loss stemming from the injection of heroin alone to be a particular problem of BTH while, among the Philadelphia sample, those who avoided the temptations of nearby cocaine sales displayed healthier injecting sites and reported few vein problems. Abscesses were common across both sites, the Philadelphia sample generally blaming missing a vein when injecting cocaine and the San Francisco group finding several explanations, including the properties of BTH. Consumption preferences revealed a "connoisseurship of potency," with knowledge amassed and deployed to obtain the strongest heroin available. We discuss the reasons that their tastes take this narrow form and its relationship to the structural constraints of the heroin market.

The Textures of Heroin: User Perspectives on “Black Tar” and Powder Heroin in Two US Cities

PubMed Central

Mars, Sarah G.; Bourgois, Philippe; Karandinos, George; Montero, Fernando; Ciccarone, Daniel

2016-01-01

Since the 1990s, US heroin consumers have been divided from the full range of available products: east of the Mississippi River, Colombian-sourced powder heroin (PH) dominates the market, while to the west, Mexican-sourced “black tar” (BTH) is the main heroin available. By conducting qualitative research in two exemplar cities, Philadelphia (PH) and San Francisco (BTH), we compare users’ experiences of heroin source-types, markets, health consequences and consumption preferences. The strict division of heroin markets may be changing with novel forms of powder heroin appearing in San Francisco. Our researchers and interviewees perceived vein loss stemming from the injection of heroin alone to be a particular problem of BTH while among the Philadelphia sample, those who avoided the temptations of nearby cocaine sales displayed healthier injecting sites and reported few vein problems. Abscesses were common across both sites, the Philadelphia sample generally blaming missing a vein when injecting cocaine and the San Francisco group finding several explanations, including the properties of BTH. Consumption preferences revealed a ‘connoisseurship of potency’, with knowledge amassed and deployed to obtain the strongest heroin available. We discuss the reasons that their tastes take this narrow form and its relationship to the structural constraints of the heroin market. PMID:27440088

Evaluation of site effects on ground motions based on equivalent linear site response analysis and liquefaction potential in Chennai, south India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nampally, Subhadra; Padhy, Simanchal; Trupti, S.; Prabhakar Prasad, P.; Seshunarayana, T.

2018-05-01

We study local site effects with detailed geotechnical and geophysical site characterization to evaluate the site-specific seismic hazard for the seismic microzonation of the Chennai city in South India. A Maximum Credible Earthquake (MCE) of magnitude 6.0 is considered based on the available seismotectonic and geological information of the study area. We synthesized strong ground motion records for this target event using stochastic finite-fault technique, based on a dynamic corner frequency approach, at different sites in the city, with the model parameters for the source, site, and path (attenuation) most appropriately selected for this region. We tested the influence of several model parameters on the characteristics of ground motion through simulations and found that stress drop largely influences both the amplitude and frequency of ground motion. To minimize its influence, we estimated stress drop after finite bandwidth correction, as expected from an M6 earthquake in Indian peninsula shield for accurately predicting the level of ground motion. Estimates of shear wave velocity averaged over the top 30 m of soil (V S30) are obtained from multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) at 210 sites at depths of 30 to 60 m below the ground surface. Using these V S30 values, along with the available geotechnical information and synthetic ground motion database obtained, equivalent linear one-dimensional site response analysis that approximates the nonlinear soil behavior within the linear analysis framework was performed using the computer program SHAKE2000. Fundamental natural frequency, Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) at surface and rock levels, response spectrum at surface level for different damping coefficients, and amplification factors are presented at different sites of the city. Liquefaction study was done based on the V S30 and PGA values obtained. The major findings suggest show that the northeast part of the city is characterized by (i) low V S30 values (< 200 m/s) associated with alluvial deposits, (ii) relatively high PGA value, at the surface, of about 0.24 g, and (iii) factor of safety and liquefaction below unity at three sites (no. 12, no. 37, and no. 70). Thus, this part of the city is expected to experience damage for the expected M6 target event.

Stoichiometry of the Cre recombinase bound to the lox recombining site.

PubMed Central

Mack, A; Sauer, B; Abremski, K; Hoess, R

1992-01-01

The site-specific recombinase Cre from bacteriophage P1 binds and carries out recombination at a 34 bp lox site. The lox site consists of two 13 bp inverted repeats, separated by an 8 bp spacer region. Both the palindromic nature of the site and the results of footprinting and band shift experiments suggest that a minimum of two Cre molecules bind to a lox site. We report here experiments that demonstrate the absolute stoichiometry of the Cre-lox complex to be one molecule of Cre bound per inverted repeat, or two molecules per lox site. Images PMID:1408747

How Accurate Is Your Activity Tracker? A Comparative Study of Step Counts in Low-Intensity Physical Activities

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background As commercially available activity trackers are being utilized in clinical trials, the research community remains uncertain about reliability of the trackers, particularly in studies that involve walking aids and low-intensity activities. While these trackers have been tested for reliability during walking and running activities, there has been limited research on validating them during low-intensity activities and walking with assistive tools. Objective The aim of this study was to (1) determine the accuracy of 3 Fitbit devices (ie, Zip, One, and Flex) at different wearing positions (ie, pants pocket, chest, and wrist) during walking at 3 different speeds, 2.5, 5, and 8 km/h, performed by healthy adults on a treadmill; (2) determine the accuracy of the mentioned trackers worn at different sites during activities of daily living; and (3) examine whether intensity of physical activity (PA) impacts the choice of optimal wearing site of the tracker. Methods We recruited 15 healthy young adults to perform 6 PAs while wearing 3 Fitbit devices (ie, Zip, One, and Flex) on their chest, pants pocket, and wrist. The activities include walking at 2.5, 5, and 8 km/h, pushing a shopping cart, walking with aid of a walker, and eating while sitting. We compared the number of steps counted by each tracker with gold standard numbers. We performed multiple statistical analyses to compute descriptive statistics (ie, ANOVA test), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), mean absolute error rate, and correlation by comparing the tracker-recorded data with that of the gold standard. Results All the 3 trackers demonstrated good-to-excellent (ICC>0.75) correlation with the gold standard step counts during treadmill experiments. The correlation was poor (ICC<0.60), and the error rate was significantly higher in walker experiment compared to other activities. There was no significant difference between the trackers and the gold standard in the shopping cart experiment. The wrist worn tracker, Flex, counted several steps when eating (P<.01). The chest tracker was identified as the most promising site to capture steps in more intense activities, while the wrist was the optimal wearing site in less intense activities. Conclusions This feasibility study focused on 6 PAs and demonstrated that Fitbit trackers were most accurate when walking on a treadmill and least accurate during walking with a walking aid and for low-intensity activities. This may suggest excluding participants with assistive devices from studies that focus on PA interventions using commercially available trackers. This study also indicates that the wearing site of the tracker is an important factor impacting the accuracy performance. A larger scale study with a more diverse population, various activity tracker vendors, and a larger activity set are warranted to generalize our results. PMID:28801304

Effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water in a sandplain setting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Delin, G.N.; Landon, M.K.

2002-01-01

An experiment was conducted at a depressional (lowland) and an upland site in sandy soils to evaluate the effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water. Approximately 16.5 cm of water was applied to both sites during the experiment, representing a natural precipitation event with a recurrence interval of approximately 100 years. Run-off was quantified at the lowland site and was not detected at the upland site during the experiment. Run-off of water to the lowland site was the most important factor affecting differences in the concentrations and fluxes of the agricultural chemicals between the two sites. Run-off of water to the lowland site appears to have played a dual role by diluting chemical concentrations in the unsaturated zone as well as increasing the concentrations at the water table, compared to the upland site. Concentrations of chloride, nitrate and atrazine plus metabolites were noticeably greater at the water table than in the unsaturated zone at both sites. The estimated mass flux of chloride and nitrate to the water table during the test were 5-2 times greater, respectively, at the lowland site compared to the upland site, whereas the flux of sulfate and atrazine plus metabolites was slightly greater at the upland site. Results indicate that matrix flow of water and chemicals was the primary process causing the observed differences between the two sites. Results of the experiment illustrate the effects of heterogeneity and the complexity of evaluating chemical transport through the unsaturated zone. Copyright ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

Effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water in a sandplain setting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Delin, Geoffrey N.; Landon, Matthew K.

2002-01-01

An experiment was conducted at a depressional (lowland) and an upland site in sandy soils to evaluate the effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water. Approximately 16.5 cm of water was applied to both sites during the experiment, representing a natural precipitation event with a recurrence interval of approximately 100 years. Run-off was quantified at the lowland site and was not detected at the upland site during the experiment. Run-off of water to the lowland site was the most important factor affecting differences in the concentrations and fluxes of the agricultural chemicals between the two sites. Run-off of water to the lowland site appears to have played a dual role by diluting chemical concentrations in the unsaturated zone as well as increasing the concentrations at the water table, compared to the upland site. Concentrations of chloride, nitrate and atrazine plus metabolites were noticeably greater at the water table than in the unsaturated zone at both sites. The estimated mass flux of chloride and nitrate to the water table during the test were 5–2 times greater, respectively, at the lowland site compared to the upland site, whereas the flux of sulfate and atrazine plus metabolites was slightly greater at the upland site. Results indicate that matrix flow of water and chemicals was the primary process causing the observed differences between the two sites. Results of the experiment illustrate the effects of heterogeneity and the complexity of evaluating chemical transport through the unsaturated zone.

Cross-site strain comparison of pharmacological deficits in the touchscreen visual discrimination test.

PubMed

Mohler, Eric G; Ding, Zhiyong; Rueter, Lynne E; Chapin, Douglas; Young, Damon; Kozak, Rouba

2015-11-01

The low rate of success for identifying effective treatments for cognitive dysfunction has prompted recent efforts to improve pharmaceutical discovery and development. In particular, investigators have emphasized improving translation from pre-clinical to clinical research. A specific area of focus has been touchscreen technology; this computer-automated behavioral testing method provides an objective assessment of performance that can be used across species. As part of a larger multi-site study with partners from the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), two US sites, AbbVie and Pfizer, conducted a cross-site experiment with a common protocol for the visual discrimination (VD) task using identical testing equipment, stimuli, and rats of the same strains, sex, and age from the same supplier. As most touchscreen-based rodent experiments have used Lister-Hooded rats that are not readily available outside of Europe, a strain comparison with male Long-Evans rats was conducted as part of the study. Rats were trained for asymptotic performance, and test sessions were performed once per week in a full crossover design with cognition-impairing drugs. Drugs tested were phencyclidine and S-ketamine (N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists), D-amphetamine (indirect dopamine agonist), and scopolamine (muscarinic antagonist). Satellite brain and plasma samples were taken to confirm appropriate exposures. Results indicate that both rat strains show similar patterns of impairment, although Lister-Hooded rats were more sensitive than Long-Evans rats to three out of four drugs tested. This suggests that researchers should fully explore dose-response relationships in their strain of choice and use care in the interpretation of reversal of cognitive impairment.

Syngas production over La 0.9Ni yAl 11.95-yO 19-δ catalysts during C 14-alkane partial oxidation: Effects of sulfur and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

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

Gardner, Todd H.

Partial oxidation studies were conducted over a series of Ni-substituted lanthanum hexaaluminate catalysts, La 0.9Ni yAl 11.95-yO 19-δ (y = 1.0, 0.8, 0.4 and 0.2) to evaluate the effect of higher alkane, sulfur and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using tetradecane (n-C 14), dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 1-methylnapthalene (1-MN) as model reaction compounds. XRD showed the Ni-substituted lanthanum hexaaluminate catalysts to have magnetoplumbite structure. Lattice parameters along the a,b-axis are shown to increase systematically with increasing Ni substitution. The unit cell is also shown to increase systematically with Ni substitution providing clear evidence of Ni 2+ substitution for Al 3+ in the lanthanummore » hexaaluminate lattice. Catalytic activity and product yields were evaluated by temperature programmed surface reaction (TPSR) using n-C 14 partial oxidation as a probe reaction. Between 750 and 900°C, H 2 and CO yields are shown to increase with increasing Ni surface sites while aromatic and olefin yields are shown to decrease. Step response experiments were performed to show the effect of 0.1 wt% 1-MN addition on catalytic activity and performance. As expected, at lower Ni substitution, thermal chemistry predominates suggesting fewer available active Ni sites. At the conditions tested, the site blocking effect is shown to be reversible at all levels of Ni substitution. Similar catalytic behaviors are observed with step response experiments to 50 ppm w/w dibenzothiophene (DBT) where site blocking is shown to produce a concomitantly greater effect on catalytic performance and active site occlusion with catalysts that have less active sites. The step response to DBT is also observed to be reversible. Post analysis of the used catalysts shows that coke deposition is greater on the catalysts with lower Ni substitution.« less

Syngas production over La 0.9Ni yAl 11.95-yO 19-δ catalysts during C 14-alkane partial oxidation: Effects of sulfur and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

DOE PAGES

Gardner, Todd H.

2018-02-07

Partial oxidation studies were conducted over a series of Ni-substituted lanthanum hexaaluminate catalysts, La 0.9Ni yAl 11.95-yO 19-δ (y = 1.0, 0.8, 0.4 and 0.2) to evaluate the effect of higher alkane, sulfur and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using tetradecane (n-C 14), dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 1-methylnapthalene (1-MN) as model reaction compounds. XRD showed the Ni-substituted lanthanum hexaaluminate catalysts to have magnetoplumbite structure. Lattice parameters along the a,b-axis are shown to increase systematically with increasing Ni substitution. The unit cell is also shown to increase systematically with Ni substitution providing clear evidence of Ni 2+ substitution for Al 3+ in the lanthanummore » hexaaluminate lattice. Catalytic activity and product yields were evaluated by temperature programmed surface reaction (TPSR) using n-C 14 partial oxidation as a probe reaction. Between 750 and 900°C, H 2 and CO yields are shown to increase with increasing Ni surface sites while aromatic and olefin yields are shown to decrease. Step response experiments were performed to show the effect of 0.1 wt% 1-MN addition on catalytic activity and performance. As expected, at lower Ni substitution, thermal chemistry predominates suggesting fewer available active Ni sites. At the conditions tested, the site blocking effect is shown to be reversible at all levels of Ni substitution. Similar catalytic behaviors are observed with step response experiments to 50 ppm w/w dibenzothiophene (DBT) where site blocking is shown to produce a concomitantly greater effect on catalytic performance and active site occlusion with catalysts that have less active sites. The step response to DBT is also observed to be reversible. Post analysis of the used catalysts shows that coke deposition is greater on the catalysts with lower Ni substitution.« less

Data management and scientific integration within the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gracio, Deborah K.; Hatfield, Larry D.; Yates, Kenneth R.; Voyles, Jimmy W.; Tichler, Joyce L.; Cederwall, Richard T.; Laufersweiler, Mark J.; Leach, Martin J.; Singley, Paul

1995-01-01

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program has been developed by the U.S. Department of Energy with the goal to improve the predictive capabilities of General Circulation Models (GCM's) in their treatment of clouds and radiative transfer effects. To achieve this goal, three experimental testbeds were designed for the deployment of instruments that will collect atmospheric data used to drive the GCM's. Each site, known as a Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART), consists of a highly available, redundant data system for the collection of data from a variety of instrumentation. The first CART site was deployed in April 1992 in the Southern Great Plains (SGP), Lamont, Oklahoma, with the other two sites to follow in September 1995 in the Tropical Western Pacific and in 1997 on the North Slope of Alaska. Approximately 400 MB of data are transferred per day via the Internet from the SGP site to the ARM Experiment Center at Pacific Northwest Laboratory in Richland, Washington. The Experiment Center is central to the ARM data path and provides for the collection, processing, analysis, and delivery of ARM data. Data are received from the CART sites from a variety of instrumentation, observational systems, amd external data sources. The Experiment Center processes these data streams on a continuous basis to provide derived data products to the ARM Science Team in near real-time while providing a three-month running archive of data. A primary requirement of the ARM Program is to preserve and protect all data produced or acquired. This function is performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory where leading edge technology is employed for the long-term storage of ARM data. The ARM Archive provides access to data for participation outside of the ARM Program. The ARM Program involves a collaborative effort by teams from various DOE National Laboratories, providing multi-disciplinary areas of expertise. This paper will discuss the collaborative methods in which the ARM teams translate the scientific goals of the Program into data products. By combining atmospheric scientists, systems engineers, and software engineers, the ARM Program has successfully designed and developed an environment where advances in understanding the parameterizations of GCM's can be made.

Toward Data-Driven Radiology Education-Early Experience Building Multi-Institutional Academic Trainee Interpretation Log Database (MATILDA).

PubMed

Chen, Po-Hao; Loehfelm, Thomas W; Kamer, Aaron P; Lemmon, Andrew B; Cook, Tessa S; Kohli, Marc D

2016-12-01

The residency review committee of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) collects data on resident exam volume and sets minimum requirements. However, this data is not made readily available, and the ACGME does not share their tools or methodology. It is therefore difficult to assess the integrity of the data and determine if it truly reflects relevant aspects of the resident experience. This manuscript describes our experience creating a multi-institutional case log, incorporating data from three American diagnostic radiology residency programs. Each of the three sites independently established automated query pipelines from the various radiology information systems in their respective hospital groups, thereby creating a resident-specific database. Then, the three institutional resident case log databases were aggregated into a single centralized database schema. Three hundred thirty residents and 2,905,923 radiologic examinations over a 4-year span were catalogued using 11 ACGME categories. Our experience highlights big data challenges including internal data heterogeneity and external data discrepancies faced by informatics researchers.

Regiospecific Ester Hydrolysis by Orange Peel Esterase - An Undergraduate Experiment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bugg, Timothy D. H.; Lewin, Andrew M.; Catlin, Eric R.

1997-01-01

A simple but effective experiment has been developed to demonstrate the regiospecificity of enzyme catalysis using an esterase activity easily isolated from orange peel. The experiment involves the preparation of diester derivatives of para-, meta- and ortho-hydroxybenzoic acid (e.g. methyl 4-acetoxy-benzoic acid). The derivatives are incubated with orange peel esterase, as a crude extract, and with commercially available pig liver esterase and porcine pancreatic lipase. The enzymatic hydrolysis reactions are monitored by thin layer chromatography, revealing which of the two ester groups is hydrolysed, and the rate of the enzyme-catalysed reaction. The results of a group experiment revealed that in all cases hydrolysis was observed with at least one enzyme, and in most cases the enzymatic hydrolysis was specific for production of either the hydroxy-ester or acyl-acid product. Specificity towards the ortho-substituted series was markedly different to that of the para-substituted series, which could be rationalised in the case of pig liver esterase by a published active site model.

Coalmine: an experience in building a system for social media analytics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Joshua S.; Matthews, Jeanna N.; Stacy, John L.

2012-06-01

Social media networks make up a large percentage of the content available on the Internet and most of the time users spend online today is in interacting with them. All of the seemingly small pieces of information added by billions of people result in a enormous rapidly changing dataset. Searching, correlating, and understanding billions of individual posts is a significant technical problem; even the data from a single site such as Twitter can be difficult to manage. In this paper, we present Coalmine a social network data-mining system. We describe the overall architecture of Coalmine including the capture, storage and search components. We also describe our experience with pulling 150-350 GB of Twitter data per day through their REST API. Specifically, we discuss our experience with the evolution of the Twitter data APIs from 2011 to 2012 and present strategies for maximizing the amount of data collected. Finally, we describe our experiences looking for evidence of botnet command and control channels and examining patterns of SPAM in the Twitter dataset.

Awareness of the earth and possibilities for new science education in the Internet age.

PubMed

Takemura, S

1999-01-01

The internet as "the nervous system of global size" and multimedia technology have changed our global experience radically and suggests possibilities of entirely new approaches to the conventional education of sciences and the environment. They are not merely the changes where printed text books are converted into dynamic things with vivid appeal to our senses and information about the world's museums and art galleries, digitalized and shared by all. If the seismic activities occurring every day in various parts of the world can be seen in real form directly through the internet by all the people of the world, how will children's views of the earth change and how will their scientific understanding improved? If there was a system whereby one could monitor, in real time, how one member or others of the world net surf the global home pages, and if one could follow the "moving" process on the internet, children would certainly appreciate the presence of the internet as a global network of information. The web site "Sensorium" (http://www.sensorium.org) was created by us in an effort to put these live experiences of the internet into design. Sensorium is not a site merely to digitalize and list the existing knowledge and data. It is an experiment for the Digital Museum as a new "forum" where we may experience and share a moment. It is also an attempt to create tools for science and environment education which are only available on the network.

The Wisconsin Snow and Cloud-Terra 2000 Experiment (WISC-T2000)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Atmospheric scientists take to the skies this winter for the Wisconsin Snow and Cloud-Terra 2000 experiment, Feb. 25 through March 13. Scientists in WISC-T2000 will use instruments on board NASA's ER-2, a high-altitude research plane, to validate new science products from NASA's earth-observing satellite Terra, which began its five-year mission on Dec. 18, 1999. Contact Terri Gregory Public Information Coordinator Space Science and Engineering Center University of Wisconsin-Madison (608) 263-3373; fax (608) 262-5974 terri.gregory@ssec.wisc.edu Science Goals: WISC-T2000 is the third in a series of field experiments sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Space Science and Engineering Center. The center helped develop one of the five science instruments on Terra, the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). MODIS will make global measurements of clouds, oceans, land, and atmospheric properties in an effort to monitor and predict global climate change. Infrastructure: The ER-2 will be based at Madison's Truax Field and will fly over the upper Midwest and Oklahoma. ER-2 measurements will be coordinated with observations at the Department of Energy's Cloud and Radiation Testbed site in Oklahoma (http://www.arm.gov/), which will be engaged in a complementary cloud experiment. The center will work closely with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, which will collect and distribute MODIS data and science products. Additional information on the WISC-T2000 field campaign is available at the project's Web site http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/wisct2000/

Research Experience for Undergraduates: Understanding the Arctic as a System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexeev, V. A.; Walsh, J. E.; Arp, C. D.; Hock, R.; Euskirchen, E. S.; Kaden, U.; Polyakov, I.; Romanovsky, V. E.; Trainor, S.

2017-12-01

Today, more than ever, an integrated cross-disciplinary approach is necessary to understand and explain changes in the Arctic and the implications of those changes. Responding to needs in innovative research and education for understanding high-latitude rapid climate change, scientists at the International Arctic research Center of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) established a new REU (=Research Experience for Undergraduates) NSF-funded site, aiming to attract more undergraduates to arctic sciences. The science focus of this program, building upon the research strengths of UAF, is on understanding the Arctic as a system with emphasis on its physical component. The goals, which were to disseminate new knowledge at the frontiers of polar science and to ignite the enthusiasm of the undergraduates about the Arctic, are pursued by involving undergraduate students in research and educational projects with their mentors using the available diverse on-campus capabilities. IARC hosted the first group of eight students this past summer, focusing on a variety of different disciplines of the Arctic System Science. Students visited research sites around Fairbanks and in remote parts of Alaska (Toolik Lake Field Station, Gulkana glacier, Bonanza Creek, Poker Flats, the CRREL Permafrost Tunnel and others) to see and experience first-hand how the arctic science is done. Each student worked on a research project guided by an experienced instructor. The summer program culminated with a workshop that consisted of reports from the students about their experiences and the results of their projects.

UMTS rapid response real-time seismic networks: implementation and strategies at INGV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Govoni, A.; Margheriti, L.; Moretti, M.; Lauciani, V.; Sensale, G.; Bucci, A.; Criscuoli, F.

2015-12-01

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and its evolutions are nowadays the most affordable and widespread data communication infrastructure available almost world wide. Moreover the always growing cellular phone market is pushing the development of new devices with higher performances and lower power consumption. All these characteristics make UMTS really useful for the implementation of an "easy to deploy" temporary real-time seismic station. Despite these remarkable features, there are many drawbacks that must be properly taken in account to effectively transmit the seismic data: Internet security, signal and service availability, power consumption. - Internet security: exposing seismological data services and seismic stations to the Internet is dangerous, attack prone and can lead to downtimes in the services, so we setup a dedicated Virtual Private Network (VPN) service to protect all the connected devices. - Signal and service availability: while for temporary experiment a carefull planning and an accurate site selection can minimize the problem, this is not always the case with rapid response networks. Moreover, as with any other leased line, the availability of the UMTS service during a seismic crisis is basically unpredictable. Nowadays in Italy during a major national emergency a Committee of the Italian Civil Defense ensures unified management and coordination of emergency activities. Inside it the telecom companies are committed to give support to the crisis management improving the standards in their communication networks. - Power consumption: it is at least of the order of that of the seismic station and, being related to data flow and signal quality is largely unpredictable. While the most secure option consists in adding a second independent solar power supply to the seismic station, this is not always a very convenient solution since it doubles the cost and doubles the equipment on site. We found that an acceptable trade-off is to add an inexpensive Low Voltage Disconnect (LVD) circuit to the UMTS router power supply that switches off the data transmission when the power is low. This greatly reduces the probability of data loss but lowers the real-time data availabilty. This approach guarantees on the average a satisfactory data acquistion rate, only in very few cases and when the real-time data is extremely important for a particular site we needed to double the power supply on the site. Overall the UMTS data transmission has been used in most temporary seismic experiments and in all seismic emergencies happened in Italy since 2010 and has proved to be a very cost effective approach with real-time data acquisition rates usually greater than 97 % and all the benefits that result from the fast integration of the temporary data in the National Network monitoring system and in the EIDA data bank.

Usability Evaluation of Public Web Mapping Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, C.

2014-04-01

Web mapping sites are interactive maps that are accessed via Webpages. With the rapid development of Internet and Geographic Information System (GIS) field, public web mapping sites are not foreign to people. Nowadays, people use these web mapping sites for various reasons, in that increasing maps and related map services of web mapping sites are freely available for end users. Thus, increased users of web mapping sites led to more usability studies. Usability Engineering (UE), for instance, is an approach for analyzing and improving the usability of websites through examining and evaluating an interface. In this research, UE method was employed to explore usability problems of four public web mapping sites, analyze the problems quantitatively and provide guidelines for future design based on the test results. Firstly, the development progress for usability studies were described, and simultaneously several usability evaluation methods such as Usability Engineering (UE), User-Centered Design (UCD) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) were generally introduced. Then the method and procedure of experiments for the usability test were presented in detail. In this usability evaluation experiment, four public web mapping sites (Google Maps, Bing maps, Mapquest, Yahoo Maps) were chosen as the testing websites. And 42 people, who having different GIS skills (test users or experts), gender (male or female), age and nationality, participated in this test to complete the several test tasks in different teams. The test comprised three parts: a pretest background information questionnaire, several test tasks for quantitative statistics and progress analysis, and a posttest questionnaire. The pretest and posttest questionnaires focused on gaining the verbal explanation of their actions qualitatively. And the design for test tasks targeted at gathering quantitative data for the errors and problems of the websites. Then, the results mainly from the test part were analyzed. The success rate from different public web mapping sites was calculated and compared, and displayed by the means of diagram. And the answers from questionnaires were also classified and organized in this part. Moreover, based on the analysis, this paper expands the discussion about the layout, map visualization, map tools, search logic and etc. Finally, this paper closed with some valuable guidelines and suggestions for the design of public web mapping sites. Also, limitations for this research stated in the end.

Using dynamic N-mixture models to test cavity limitation on northern flying squirrel demographic parameters using experimental nest box supplementation.

PubMed

Priol, Pauline; Mazerolle, Marc J; Imbeau, Louis; Drapeau, Pierre; Trudeau, Caroline; Ramière, Jessica

2014-06-01

Dynamic N-mixture models have been recently developed to estimate demographic parameters of unmarked individuals while accounting for imperfect detection. We propose an application of the Dail and Madsen (2011: Biometrics, 67, 577-587) dynamic N-mixture model in a manipulative experiment using a before-after control-impact design (BACI). Specifically, we tested the hypothesis of cavity limitation of a cavity specialist species, the northern flying squirrel, using nest box supplementation on half of 56 trapping sites. Our main purpose was to evaluate the impact of an increase in cavity availability on flying squirrel population dynamics in deciduous stands in northwestern Québec with the dynamic N-mixture model. We compared abundance estimates from this recent approach with those from classic capture-mark-recapture models and generalized linear models. We compared apparent survival estimates with those from Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) models. Average recruitment rate was 6 individuals per site after 4 years. Nevertheless, we found no effect of cavity supplementation on apparent survival and recruitment rates of flying squirrels. Contrary to our expectations, initial abundance was not affected by conifer basal area (food availability) and was negatively affected by snag basal area (cavity availability). Northern flying squirrel population dynamics are not influenced by cavity availability at our deciduous sites. Consequently, we suggest that this species should not be considered an indicator of old forest attributes in our study area, especially in view of apparent wide population fluctuations across years. Abundance estimates from N-mixture models were similar to those from capture-mark-recapture models, although the latter had greater precision. Generalized linear mixed models produced lower abundance estimates, but revealed the same relationship between abundance and snag basal area. Apparent survival estimates from N-mixture models were higher and less precise than those from CJS models. However, N-mixture models can be particularly useful to evaluate management effects on animal populations, especially for species that are difficult to detect in situations where individuals cannot be uniquely identified. They also allow investigating the effects of covariates at the site level, when low recapture rates would require restricting classic CMR analyses to a subset of sites with the most captures.

Chemical restrictions of roots in Ultisol subsoils lessened by long-term management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hardy, D. H.; Raper, C. D. Jr; Miner, G. S.; Raper CD, J. r. (Principal Investigator)

1990-01-01

Exchangeable Al in subsoils of Ultisols in the southeastern USA can restrict rooting depth. Downward movement of basic cations (Ca, Mg, and K), applied as lime and fertilizer, may diminish that restriction over time. Materials from the argillic horizon were collected from three paired sites, having managed (long-term cropping) and nonmanaged topsoils (Typic Paleudults and Hapludults). One managed site was cropped continuously for 15 yr while the others were cultivated for more than 30 yr. Concentrations of extractable cations and other nutrients from the paired sites were compared to determine the magnitude of change due to management. The ability of the subsoils to support plant growth was evaluated in a missing-nutrient greenhouse experiment with sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. Subsoils of managed sites had greater effective cation-exchange capacity (CEC) and base saturation than those of non-managed sites. While availabilities of Ca, Mg, and K in subsoils of nonmanaged sites were inadequate to support maximal plant growth, they were adequate in subsoils of managed sites. Compared with nonmanaged sites, KCl-exchangeable Al in subsoils of managed sites was 23% lower at the 15-yr location and 65 and 100% lower at the two other locations. In the absence of lime, sorghum growth was almost totally inhibited on nonmanaged subsoils amended with optimum nutrients. On the managed subsoils, where 100, 65, and 23% of the nonmanaged exchangeable Al had been neutralized by topsoil fertilization and liming, growth reductions under the same conditions were 0, 50, and 100%, respectively. Thus, relatively long-term management had improved these Ultisol subsoils for root growth and development.

Factors governing the substitution of La3+ for Ca2+ and Mg2+ in metalloproteins: a DFT/CDM study.

PubMed

Dudev, Todor; Chang, Li-Ying; Lim, Carmay

2005-03-23

Trivalent lanthanide cations are extensively being used in biochemical experiments to probe various dication-binding sites in proteins; however, the factors governing the binding specificity of lanthanide cations for these binding sites remain unclear. Hence, we have performed systematic studies to evaluate the interactions between La3+ and model Ca2+ - and Mg2+ -binding sites using density functional theory combined with continuum dielectric methods. The calculations reveal the key factors and corresponding physical bases favoring the substitution of trivalent lanthanides for divalent Ca2+ and Mg2+ in holoproteins. Replacing Ca2+ or Mg2+ with La3+ is facilitated by (1) minimizing the solvent exposure and the flexibility of the metal-binding cavity, (2) freeing both carboxylate oxygen atoms of Asp/Glu side chains in the metal-binding site so that they could bind bidentately to La3+, (3) maximizing the number of metal-bound carboxylate groups in buried sites, but minimizing the number of metal-bound carboxylate groups in solvent-exposed sites, and (4) including an Asn/Gln side chain for sites lined with four Asp/Glu side chains. In proteins bound to both Mg2+ and Ca2+, La3+ would prefer to replace Ca2+, as compared to Mg2+. A second Mg2+-binding site with a net positive charge would hamper the Mg2+ --> La3+ exchange, as compared to the respective mononuclear site, although the La3+ substitution of the first native metal is more favorable than the second one. The findings of this work are in accord with available experimental data.

How to Make Data a Blessing to Parametric Uncertainty Quantification and Reduction?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, M.; Shi, X.; Curtis, G. P.; Kohler, M.; Wu, J.

2013-12-01

In a Bayesian point of view, probability of model parameters and predictions are conditioned on data used for parameter inference and prediction analysis. It is critical to use appropriate data for quantifying parametric uncertainty and its propagation to model predictions. However, data are always limited and imperfect. When a dataset cannot properly constrain model parameters, it may lead to inaccurate uncertainty quantification. While in this case data appears to be a curse to uncertainty quantification, a comprehensive modeling analysis may help understand the cause and characteristics of parametric uncertainty and thus turns data into a blessing. In this study, we illustrate impacts of data on uncertainty quantification and reduction using an example of surface complexation model (SCM) developed to simulate uranyl (U(VI)) adsorption. The model includes two adsorption sites, referred to as strong and weak sites. The amount of uranium adsorption on these sites determines both the mean arrival time and the long tail of the breakthrough curves. There is one reaction on the weak site but two reactions on the strong site. The unknown parameters include fractions of the total surface site density of the two sites and surface complex formation constants of the three reactions. A total of seven experiments were conducted with different geochemical conditions to estimate these parameters. The experiments with low initial concentration of U(VI) result in a large amount of parametric uncertainty. A modeling analysis shows that it is because the experiments cannot distinguish the relative adsorption affinity of the strong and weak sites on uranium adsorption. Therefore, the experiments with high initial concentration of U(VI) are needed, because in the experiments the strong site is nearly saturated and the weak site can be determined. The experiments with high initial concentration of U(VI) are a blessing to uncertainty quantification, and the experiments with low initial concentration help modelers turn a curse into a blessing. The data impacts on uncertainty quantification and reduction are quantified using probability density functions of model parameters obtained from Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation using the DREAM algorithm. This study provides insights to model calibration, uncertainty quantification, experiment design, and data collection in groundwater reactive transport modeling and other environmental modeling.

Solar UV dose patterns in Italy.

PubMed

Meloni, D; Casale, G R; Siani, A M; Palmieri, S; Cappellani, F

2000-06-01

Since 1992 solar ultraviolet (UV) spectral irradiance (290-325 nm) has been measured at two Italian stations of Rome (urban site) and Ispra (semirural site) using Brewer spectrophotometry. The data collected under all sky conditions, are compared with the output of a sophisticated radiative transfer model (System for Transfer of Atmospheric Radiation--STAR model). The STAR multiple scattering scheme is able to cope with all physical processes relevant to the UV transfer through the atmosphere. The experience so far acquired indicates that, in spite of the unavoidable uncertainties in the input parameters (ozone, aerosol, surface albedo, pressure, temperature, relative humidity, cloud cover), measured and computed clear sky iradiances are in reasonable agreement. The STAR model is applied to build up the solar UV geographic patterns in Italy: the daily dose in the range 290-325 nm is computed at about 70 sites where a thorough and homogeneous climatology is available. For each month the concept of an idealized "standard day" is introduced and the surface distribution of solar UV field determined. The map of solar UV patterns for Italy, available for the first time, meets the study requirements in the field of skin and eye epidemiology, as well as in other investigations dealing with the impact of UV on the biosphere. The results are interpreted in terms of atmospheric and meteorological parameters modulating UV radiation reaching the ground.

footprintDB: a database of transcription factors with annotated cis elements and binding interfaces.

PubMed

Sebastian, Alvaro; Contreras-Moreira, Bruno

2014-01-15

Traditional and high-throughput techniques for determining transcription factor (TF) binding specificities are generating large volumes of data of uneven quality, which are scattered across individual databases. FootprintDB integrates some of the most comprehensive freely available libraries of curated DNA binding sites and systematically annotates the binding interfaces of the corresponding TFs. The first release contains 2422 unique TF sequences, 10 112 DNA binding sites and 3662 DNA motifs. A survey of the included data sources, organisms and TF families was performed together with proprietary database TRANSFAC, finding that footprintDB has a similar coverage of multicellular organisms, while also containing bacterial regulatory data. A search engine has been designed that drives the prediction of DNA motifs for input TFs, or conversely of TF sequences that might recognize input regulatory sequences, by comparison with database entries. Such predictions can also be extended to a single proteome chosen by the user, and results are ranked in terms of interface similarity. Benchmark experiments with bacterial, plant and human data were performed to measure the predictive power of footprintDB searches, which were able to correctly recover 10, 55 and 90% of the tested sequences, respectively. Correctly predicted TFs had a higher interface similarity than the average, confirming its diagnostic value. Web site implemented in PHP,Perl, MySQL and Apache. Freely available from http://floresta.eead.csic.es/footprintdb.

Characterization of (/sup 3/H)forskolin binding sites in the iris-ciliary body of the albino rabbit

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

Goldman, M.E.; Mallorga, P.; Pettibone, D.J.

1988-01-01

(/sup 3/H)forskolin binding sites were identified using membranes prepared from the iris-ciliary body of adult, albino rabbits. Scatchard analysis of saturation binding experiments demonstrated that (/sup 3/H)forskolin bound to a single population of high affinity sites. The K/sub d/ and B/sub max/ values were 8.7 +- 0.9 nM and 119.0 +- 30.9 fmolmg prot. using membranes prepared from frozen tissue and 17.0 +- 6.2 nM and 184.4 +- 47.2 fmolmg prot. using fresh tissue. The binding of (/sup 3/H)forskolin was magnesium-dependent. The B/sub max/ was enhanced by sodium fluoride and Gpp(NH)p, a nonhydrolyzable guanine nucleotide analog. Forskolin was the mostmore » potent inhibitor of (/sup 3/H)forskolin binding; two commercially-available analogs were weaker inhibitors. In an adenylate cyclase assay, there was the same rank order of potency to enhance enzyme activity. Based upon binding affinities, magnesium-dependence, sensitivity to sodium fluoride and Gpp(NH)p, rank order of potencies of analogs and correlation of binding with adenylate cyclase activity, these studies suggest that the (/sup 3/H)forskolin binding site in the iris-ciliary body is similar to the binding site in other tissues« less

Curiosity First 16 Rock or Soil Sampling Sites on Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-03

This graphic maps locations of the sites where NASA's Curiosity Mars rover collected its first 18 rock or soil samples for analysis by laboratory instruments inside the vehicle. It also presents images of the drilled holes where 14 rock-powder samples were acquired. Curiosity scooped two soil samples at each of the other two sites: Rocknest and Gobabeb. The diameter of each drill hole is about 0.6 inch (1.6 centimeters), slightly smaller than a U.S. dime. The images used here are raw color, as recorded by the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera. Notice the differences in color of the material at different drilling sites. For the map, north is toward upper left corner. The scale bar represents 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). The base map is from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The latest sample site included is "Quela,"where Curiosity drilled into bedrock of the Murray formation on Sept. 18, 2016, during the 1,464th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Curiosity landed in August 2012 on the plain (named Aeolis Palus) near Mount Sharp (or Aeolis Mons). More drilling samples collected by MSL are available at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20845

A High-Altitude Site Survey for SOFIA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haas, Michael R.; Pfister, Leonhard

1998-03-01

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a modified Boeing 747-SP equipped with a 2.5 m telescope dedicated to astronomical research. Currently under joint development by the US (NASA) and Germany (DLR), it is scheduled to begin operations in late 2001. The ability of SOFIA to carry out its mission will depend strongly on the meteorological conditions at and above flight altitudes in the vicinity of its home base. The most important meteorological factors are the frequency of high-altitude clouds and the magnitude of the water vapor overburdens. This paper performs a high-altitude site survey by gathering together the best available meteorological data, defining metrics, and evaluating them for a variety of sites. These metrics are found to corroborate past airborne experience and to be consistent with well-known global circulation patterns, convection, and upper tropospheric dynamics. They indicate that there are significant variations in the weather at SOFIA flight altitudes. Particularly in summer, some continental US sites are shown to be worse than Hawaii, where high-altitude cirrus clouds and the associated moisture have historically caused significant losses in the amount and quality of the astronomical data collected by NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory. SOFIA's planned home base, Moffett Field, CA, is found to have excellent high-altitude weather and to be one of the best continental US sites.

Laparoendoscopic single site in pelvic surgery

PubMed Central

Sanchez-Salas, Rafael; Clavijo, Rafael; Barret, Eric; Sotelo, Rene

2012-01-01

Laparoendoscopic single site (LESS) has recently gained momentum as feasible techniques for minimal access surgery. Our aim is to describe the current status of laparoendoscopic single site (LESS) in pelvic surgery. A comprehensive revision of the literature in LESS pelvic surgery was performed. References for this manuscript were obtained by performing a review of the available literature in PubMed from 01-01-01 to 30-11-11. References outside the search period were obtained selected manuscript΄s bibliography. Search terms included: pelvic anatomy, less in gynecology, single port colectomy, urological less, single port, single site, NOTES, LESS and single incision. 314 manuscripts were initially identified. Out of these, 46 manuscripts were selected based in their pelvic anatomy or surgical content; including experimental experience, clinical series and literature reviews. LESS drastically limit the surgeon's ability to perform in the operative field and the latter becomes hardened by the lack of space in anatomical location like the pelvis. Potential advantages of LESS are gained with the understanding that the surgical procedure is more technically challenging. Pelvic surgical procedures related to colorectal surgery, gynecology and urology have been performed with LESS technique and information available is mostly represented by case reports and short case series. Comparative series remain few. LESS pelvic surgery remain in its very beginning and due to the very specific anatomical conditions further development of LESS surgery in the mentioned area can be clearly be facilitated by using robotic technology. Standardization ad reproducibility of techniques are mandatory to further develop LESS in the surgical arena.. PMID:22557719

A catalytic metal ion interacts with the cleavage site G•U wobble in the HDV ribozyme†

PubMed Central

Chen, Jui-Hui; Gong, Bo; Bevilacqua, Philip C.; Carey, Paul R.; Golden, Barbara L.

2009-01-01

The HDV ribozyme self-cleaves by a chemical mechanism involving general acid-base catalysis to generate a 2′,3′-cyclic phosphate and a 5′-hydroxyl termini. Biochemical studies from several laboratories have implicated C75 as the general acid and hydrated magnesium as the general base. We have previously shown that C75 has a pKa shifted > 2 pH units toward neutrality [Gong, B., Chen, J. H., Chase, E., Chadalavada, D. M., Yajima, R., Golden, B. L., Bevilacqua, P. C., and Carey, P. R. (2007) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 13335–13342.], while in crystal structures, it is well-positioned for proton transfer. However no crystallographic evidence for a hydrated magnesium poised to serve as a general base in the reaction has been observed in high-resolution crystal structures of various reaction states and mutants. Herein, we use solution kinetic experiments and parallel Raman crystallographic studies to examine the effects of pH on rate and Mg2+-binding properties of wild-type and 7-deazaguanosine mutants of the HDV ribozyme. These data suggest that a previously-unobserved hydrated magnesium ion interacts with the N7 of the cleavage site G•U wobble base pair. Integrating this metal ion binding site with the available crystal structures provides a new three-dimensional model for the active site of the ribozyme that accommodates all available biochemical data and appears competent for catalysis. The position of this metal is consistent with a role of a magnesium-bound hydroxide as a general base as dictated by biochemical data. PMID:19178151

A catalytic metal ion interacts with the cleavage Site G.U wobble in the HDV ribozyme.

PubMed

Chen, Jui-Hui; Gong, Bo; Bevilacqua, Philip C; Carey, Paul R; Golden, Barbara L

2009-02-24

The HDV ribozyme self-cleaves by a chemical mechanism involving general acid-base catalysis to generate 2',3'-cyclic phosphate and 5'-hydroxyl termini. Biochemical studies from several laboratories have implicated C75 as the general acid and hydrated magnesium as the general base. We have previously shown that C75 has a pK(a) shifted >2 pH units toward neutrality [Gong, B., Chen, J. H., Chase, E., Chadalavada, D. M., Yajima, R., Golden, B. L., Bevilacqua, P. C., and Carey, P. R. (2007) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 13335-13342], while in crystal structures, it is well-positioned for proton transfer. However, no evidence for a hydrated magnesium poised to serve as a general base in the reaction has been observed in high-resolution crystal structures of various reaction states and mutants. Herein, we use solution kinetic experiments and parallel Raman crystallographic studies to examine the effects of pH on the rate and Mg(2+) binding properties of wild-type and 7-deazaguanosine mutants of the HDV ribozyme. These data suggest that a previously unobserved hydrated magnesium ion interacts with N7 of the cleavage site G.U wobble base pair. Integrating this metal ion binding site with the available crystal structures provides a new three-dimensional model for the active site of the ribozyme that accommodates all available biochemical data and appears competent for catalysis. The position of this metal is consistent with a role of a magnesium-bound hydroxide as a general base as dictated by biochemical data.

Oxygen limitation and tissue metabolic potential of the African fish Barbus neumayeri: roles of native habitat and acclimatization

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Oxygen availability in aquatic habitats is a major environmental factor influencing the ecology, behaviour, and physiology of fishes. This study evaluates the contribution of source population and hypoxic acclimatization of the African fish, Barbus neumayeri, in determining growth and tissue metabolic enzyme activities. Individuals were collected from two sites differing dramatically in concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO), Rwembaita Swamp (annual average DO 1.35 mgO2 L-1) and Inlet Stream West (annual average DO 5.58 mgO2 L-1) in Kibale National Park, Uganda, and reciprocally transplanted using a cage experiment in the field, allowing us to maintain individuals under natural conditions of oxygen, food availability, and flow. Fish were maintained under these conditions for four weeks and sampled for growth rate and the activities of phosphofructokinase (PFK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), citrate synthase (CS), and cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) in four tissues, liver, heart, brain, and skeletal muscle. Results Acclimatization to the low DO site resulted in lower growth rates, lower activities of the aerobic enzyme CCO in heart, and higher activities of the glycolytic enzyme PFK in heart and skeletal muscle. The activity of LDH in liver tissue was correlated with site of origin, being higher in fish collected from a hypoxic habitat, regardless of acclimatization treatment. Conclusions Our results suggest that the influence of site of origin and hypoxic acclimatization in determining enzyme activity differs among enzymes and tissues, but both factors contribute to higher glycolytic capacity and lower aerobic capacity in B. neumayeri under naturally-occurring conditions of oxygen limitation. PMID:21251277

Oxygen limitation and tissue metabolic potential of the African fish Barbus neumayeri: roles of native habitat and acclimatization.

PubMed

Martínez, Mery L; Raynard, Erin L; Rees, Bernard B; Chapman, Lauren J

2011-01-20

Oxygen availability in aquatic habitats is a major environmental factor influencing the ecology, behaviour, and physiology of fishes. This study evaluates the contribution of source population and hypoxic acclimatization of the African fish, Barbus neumayeri, in determining growth and tissue metabolic enzyme activities. Individuals were collected from two sites differing dramatically in concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO), Rwembaita Swamp (annual average DO 1.35 mgO2 L(-1)) and Inlet Stream West (annual average DO 5.58 mgO2 L(-1)) in Kibale National Park, Uganda, and reciprocally transplanted using a cage experiment in the field, allowing us to maintain individuals under natural conditions of oxygen, food availability, and flow. Fish were maintained under these conditions for four weeks and sampled for growth rate and the activities of phosphofructokinase (PFK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), citrate synthase (CS), and cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) in four tissues, liver, heart, brain, and skeletal muscle. Acclimatization to the low DO site resulted in lower growth rates, lower activities of the aerobic enzyme CCO in heart, and higher activities of the glycolytic enzyme PFK in heart and skeletal muscle. The activity of LDH in liver tissue was correlated with site of origin, being higher in fish collected from a hypoxic habitat, regardless of acclimatization treatment. Our results suggest that the influence of site of origin and hypoxic acclimatization in determining enzyme activity differs among enzymes and tissues, but both factors contribute to higher glycolytic capacity and lower aerobic capacity in B. neumayeri under naturally-occurring conditions of oxygen limitation.

A geographic comparison of the resting site fidelity behaviour in an intertidal limpet: Correlation with biological and physical factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuñez, Jesús D.; Ocampo, Emiliano H.; Cledón, Maximiliano

2014-05-01

Many organisms vary their behaviour in response to environmental change. In stressful habitats motile organisms often exhibit behavioural patterns that are consistent with stress-minimizing strategies. In the present study we analysed the proportions of individuals with strong site fidelity and distances travelled by “unfaithful” individuals from their home scar at different temporal and spatial scales in the intertidal gastropod Siphonaria lessoni. We also assessed the behavioural response of S. lessoni to biological pressures such as conspecific population density and food availability (assessed by measures of chlorophyll a). The experiments were carried out in the arid climate of Patagonia on the rocky intertidal of Las Grutas (LG), and in the humid climate of The Pampas on the rocky intertidal of Mar del Plata (MDP) Argentina. At each site, shells of five hundred animals were marked with epoxy paint. Movement was measured as distance to a reference point after periods of one, five and ten days. Our results showed a positive relationship between food availability, site fidelity and distance to home scar for almost all observation days, but no relationship between population density and behavioural variables. Limpets in LG were more “faithful” than in MDP. Unfaithful limpets had the same mean displacement for all days and seasons except for Spring day-1 where MDP was higher than in LG and in Autumn day-10 where MDP was smaller than LG. The present results thus show differential response behaviour in intertidal limpets probably driven by the environmental conditions in which they live.

Large scale and cloud-based multi-model analytics experiments on climate change data in the Earth System Grid Federation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiore, Sandro; Płóciennik, Marcin; Doutriaux, Charles; Blanquer, Ignacio; Barbera, Roberto; Donvito, Giacinto; Williams, Dean N.; Anantharaj, Valentine; Salomoni, Davide D.; Aloisio, Giovanni

2017-04-01

In many scientific domains such as climate, data is often n-dimensional and requires tools that support specialized data types and primitives to be properly stored, accessed, analysed and visualized. Moreover, new challenges arise in large-scale scenarios and eco-systems where petabytes (PB) of data can be available and data can be distributed and/or replicated, such as the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) serving the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, Phase 5 (CMIP5) experiment, providing access to 2.5PB of data for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). A case study on climate models intercomparison data analysis addressing several classes of multi-model experiments is being implemented in the context of the EU H2020 INDIGO-DataCloud project. Such experiments require the availability of large amount of data (multi-terabyte order) related to the output of several climate models simulations as well as the exploitation of scientific data management tools for large-scale data analytics. More specifically, the talk discusses in detail a use case on precipitation trend analysis in terms of requirements, architectural design solution, and infrastructural implementation. The experiment has been tested and validated on CMIP5 datasets, in the context of a large scale distributed testbed across EU and US involving three ESGF sites (LLNL, ORNL, and CMCC) and one central orchestrator site (PSNC). The general "environment" of the case study relates to: (i) multi-model data analysis inter-comparison challenges; (ii) addressed on CMIP5 data; and (iii) which are made available through the IS-ENES/ESGF infrastructure. The added value of the solution proposed in the INDIGO-DataCloud project are summarized in the following: (i) it implements a different paradigm (from client- to server-side); (ii) it intrinsically reduces data movement; (iii) it makes lightweight the end-user setup; (iv) it fosters re-usability (of data, final/intermediate products, workflows, sessions, etc.) since everything is managed on the server-side; (v) it complements, extends and interoperates with the ESGF stack; (vi) it provides a "tool" for scientists to run multi-model experiments, and finally; and (vii) it can drastically reduce the time-to-solution for these experiments from weeks to hours. At the time the contribution is being written, the proposed testbed represents the first concrete implementation of a distributed multi-model experiment in the ESGF/CMIP context joining server-side and parallel processing, end-to-end workflow management and cloud computing. As opposed to the current scenario based on search & discovery, data download, and client-based data analysis, the INDIGO-DataCloud architectural solution described in this contribution addresses the scientific computing & analytics requirements by providing a paradigm shift based on server-side and high performance big data frameworks jointly with two-level workflow management systems realized at the PaaS level via a cloud infrastructure.

pocketZebra: a web-server for automated selection and classification of subfamily-specific binding sites by bioinformatic analysis of diverse protein families.

PubMed

Suplatov, Dmitry; Kirilin, Eugeny; Arbatsky, Mikhail; Takhaveev, Vakil; Svedas, Vytas

2014-07-01

The new web-server pocketZebra implements the power of bioinformatics and geometry-based structural approaches to identify and rank subfamily-specific binding sites in proteins by functional significance, and select particular positions in the structure that determine selective accommodation of ligands. A new scoring function has been developed to annotate binding sites by the presence of the subfamily-specific positions in diverse protein families. pocketZebra web-server has multiple input modes to meet the needs of users with different experience in bioinformatics. The server provides on-site visualization of the results as well as off-line version of the output in annotated text format and as PyMol sessions ready for structural analysis. pocketZebra can be used to study structure-function relationship and regulation in large protein superfamilies, classify functionally important binding sites and annotate proteins with unknown function. The server can be used to engineer ligand-binding sites and allosteric regulation of enzymes, or implemented in a drug discovery process to search for potential molecular targets and novel selective inhibitors/effectors. The server, documentation and examples are freely available at http://biokinet.belozersky.msu.ru/pocketzebra and there are no login requirements. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

The NOAA Integrated Surface Irradiance Study (ISIS)-A New Surface Radiation Monitoring Program.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hicks, B. B.; Deluisi, J. J.; Matt, D. R.

1996-12-01

This paper describes a new radiation monitoring program, the Integrated Surface Irradiance Study (ISIS), that builds upon and takes over from earlier NOAA networks monitoring components of solar radiation [both the visible component (SOLRAD) and the shortwave component that causes sunburn, UV-B] across the continental United States. ISIS is implemented in two levels. Level 1 addresses incoming radiation only, and level 2 addresses the surface radiation balance. Level 2 also constitutes the SURFRAD (Surface Radiation) program of the NOAA Office of Global Programs, specifically intended to provide radiation data to support large-scale hydrologic studies that will be conducted under the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment. Eventually, it is planned for level 2 sites to monitor all components of the surface energy balance. Both levels of ISIS will eventually measure both visible and UV radiation components. At present, there are nine sites that are considered to be at ISIS level 1 standard and an additional four level 2 SURFRAD sites. A 10th level 1 site will be in operation soon. Plans call for an increase in the number of sites of both kinds, up to about 15 ISIS sites, of which 6 will be at the SURFRAD level. Data are available via FTP at ftp.atdd.noaa.govlpublisis or at http://www.srrb.noaa.gov (level 2).

Carnegie Science Academy Web Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotwicki, John; Atzinger, Joe; Turso, Denise

1997-11-01

The Carnegie Science Academy is a professional society "For Teens...By Teens" at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh. The CSA Web Site [ http://csa.clpgh.org ] is designed for teens who have an interest in science and technology. This online or virtual science academy provides resources for teens in high school science classes. The Web site also allows students around the world to participate and communicate with other students, discuss current events in science, share opinions, find answers to questions, or make online friends. Visitors can enjoy the main components of the site or sign up for a free membership which allows access to our chat room for monthly meeting, online newsletter, members forum, and much more. Main components to the site include a spot for cool links and downloads, available for any visitor to download or view. Online exhibits are created by students to examine and publish an area of study and also allow teachers to easily post classroom activities as exhibits by submitting pictures and text. Random Access, the interactive part of the academy, allows users to share ideas and opinions. Planet CSA focuses on current events in science and the academy. In the future the CSA Web site will become a major resource for teens and science teachers providing materials that will allow students to further enhance their interest and experiences in science.

Understanding the optimal learning environment in palliative care.

PubMed

Connell, Shirley E; Yates, Patsy; Barrett, Linda

2011-07-01

The learning experiences of student nurses undertaking clinical placement are reported widely, however little is known about the learning experiences of health professionals undertaking continuing professional development (CPD) in a clinical setting, especially in palliative care. The aim of this study, which was conducted as part of the national evaluation of a professional development program involving clinical attachments with palliative care services (The Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach [PEPA]), was to explore factors influencing the learning experiences of participants over time. Thirteen semi-structured, one-to-one telephone interviews were conducted with five participants throughout their PEPA experience. The analysis was informed by the traditions of adult, social and psychological learning theories and relevant literature. The participants' learning was enhanced by engaging interactively with host site staff and patients, and by the validation of their personal and professional life experiences together with the reciprocation of their knowledge with host site staff. Self-directed learning strategies maximised the participants' learning outcomes. Inclusion in team activities aided the participants to feel accepted within the host site. Personal interactions with host site staff and patients shaped this social/cultural environment of the host site. Optimal learning was promoted when participants were actively engaged, felt accepted and supported by, and experienced positive interpersonal interactions with, the host site staff. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 54163 - Notice of Availability: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-03

... the availability on its Web site of the applicant information, submission deadlines, funding criteria... funding for architectural and engineering work, site control, and other planning related expenses that are... using the Department of Housing and Urban Development agency link on the Grants.gov/Find Web site at...

Managing for desired experiences and site preferences: the case of fee-fishing anglers.

PubMed

Schuett, Michael A; Pierskalla, Chad D

2007-02-01

Fee-fishing involves paying a fee for the privilege of fishing a body of water where fish populations are enhanced by stocking fish. Past literature on this activity has focused more on the operation of the enterprise and management of the fish than the people and site characteristics. The objectives of the study were to profile anglers and describe their site/management preferences. This study utilized an on-site interview and mail-back questionnaire at fee-fishing establishments in West Virginia (n = 212). Factor analysis of desired recreation experiences yielded five factors: Experience nature & adventure, Stress release & relaxation, Trophy fishing, Escape, and Family time. Cluster analysis showed that these anglers can be segmented into two distinct clusters, differing by sociodemographic characteristics, fishing behavior, and site/management preferences. The findings from this study provide baseline data to aid public resource managers and fee-fishing business owners in determining how to provide satisfying outdoor experiences and deliver desired services on-site. Future research will be needed from additional fee-fishing sites to obtain more detail about this outdoor recreation cohort and be able to generalize to a larger population of participants.

Managing for Desired Experiences and Site Preferences: The Case of Fee-Fishing Anglers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuett, Michael A.; Pierskalla, Chad D.

2007-02-01

Fee-fishing involves paying a fee for the privilege of fishing a body of water where fish populations are enhanced by stocking fish. Past literature on this activity has focused more on the operation of the enterprise and management of the fish than the people and site characteristics. The objectives of the study were to profile anglers and describe their site/management preferences. This study utilized an on-site interview and mail-back questionnaire at fee-fishing establishments in West Virginia ( n = 212). Factor analysis of desired recreation experiences yielded five factors: Experience nature & adventure, Stress release & relaxation, Trophy fishing, Escape, and Family time. Cluster analysis showed that these anglers can be segmented into two distinct clusters, differing by sociodemographic characteristics, fishing behavior, and site/management preferences. The findings from this study provide baseline data to aid public resource managers and fee-fishing business owners in determining how to provide satisfying outdoor experiences and deliver desired services on-site. Future research will be needed from additional fee-fishing sites to obtain more detail about this outdoor recreation cohort and be able to generalize to a larger population of participants.

JPL Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC) data availability, version 1-94

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC) archive at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) includes satellite data sets for the ocean sciences and global-change research to facilitate multidisciplinary use of satellite ocean data. Parameters include sea-surface height, surface-wind vector, sea-surface temperature, atmospheric liquid water, and integrated water vapor. The JPL PO.DAAC is an element of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) and is the United States distribution site for Ocean Topography Experiment (TOPEX)/POSEIDON data and metadata.

On the choice of statistical models for estimating occurrence and extinction from animal surveys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dorazio, R.M.

2007-01-01

In surveys of natural animal populations the number of animals that are present and available to be detected at a sample location is often low, resulting in few or no detections. Low detection frequencies are especially common in surveys of imperiled species; however, the choice of sampling method and protocol also may influence the size of the population that is vulnerable to detection. In these circumstances, probabilities of animal occurrence and extinction will generally be estimated more accurately if the models used in data analysis account for differences in abundance among sample locations and for the dependence between site-specific abundance and detection. Simulation experiments are used to illustrate conditions wherein these types of models can be expected to outperform alternative estimators of population site occupancy and extinction. ?? 2007 by the Ecological Society of America.

Development of adaptable and flexible treatment manuals for externalizing and internalizing disorders in children and adolescents.

PubMed

Bauermeister, José J; So, Cheryl Y C; Jensen, Peter S; Krispin, Orit; El Din, Amira Seif

2006-03-01

In this paper we describe the process used to develop treatment manuals for internalizing and externalizing disorders in children and adolescents. These manuals were developed to offer health care providers and others working in child mental health a flexible intervention that could be adapted to different countries and localities based on: 1) the amount of health care and school resources that are available; 2) the nature and severity of the types of problems children have; and 3) the preferences and cultural factors that are important within these communities. We also discuss the experiences and cultural issues faced by sites in Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, and Brazil who volunteered to implement the manualized treatment programs. The feedback received from these sites indicates that the manuals can be implemented to help children with internalizing and externalizing problems.

Remote Internet access to advanced analytical facilities: a new approach with Web-based services.

PubMed

Sherry, N; Qin, J; Fuller, M Suominen; Xie, Y; Mola, O; Bauer, M; McIntyre, N S; Maxwell, D; Liu, D; Matias, E; Armstrong, C

2012-09-04

Over the past decade, the increasing availability of the World Wide Web has held out the possibility that the efficiency of scientific measurements could be enhanced in cases where experiments were being conducted at distant facilities. Examples of early successes have included X-ray diffraction (XRD) experimental measurements of protein crystal structures at synchrotrons and access to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and NMR facilities by users from institutions that do not possess such advanced capabilities. Experimental control, visual contact, and receipt of results has used some form of X forwarding and/or VNC (virtual network computing) software that transfers the screen image of a server at the experimental site to that of the users' home site. A more recent development is a web services platform called Science Studio that provides teams of scientists with secure links to experiments at one or more advanced research facilities. The software provides a widely distributed team with a set of controls and screens to operate, observe, and record essential parts of the experiment. As well, Science Studio provides high speed network access to computing resources to process the large data sets that are often involved in complex experiments. The simple web browser and the rapid transfer of experimental data to a processing site allow efficient use of the facility and assist decision making during the acquisition of the experimental results. The software provides users with a comprehensive overview and record of all parts of the experimental process. A prototype network is described involving X-ray beamlines at two different synchrotrons and an SEM facility. An online parallel processing facility has been developed that analyzes the data in near-real time using stream processing. Science Studio and can be expanded to include many other analytical applications, providing teams of users with rapid access to processed results along with the means for detailed discussion of their significance.

Streamflow properties from time series of surface velocity and stage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plant, W.J.; Keller, W.C.; Hayes, K.; Spicer, K.

2005-01-01

Time series of surface velocity and stage have been collected simultaneously. Surface velocity was measured using an array of newly developed continuous-wave microwave sensors. Stage was obtained from the standard U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measurements. The depth of the river was measured several times during our experiments using sounding weights. The data clearly showed that the point of zero flow was not the bottom at the measurement site, indicating that a downstream control exists. Fathometer measurements confirmed this finding. A model of the surface velocity expected at a site having a downstream control was developed. The model showed that the standard form for the friction velocity does not apply to sites where a downstream control exists. This model fit our measured surface velocity versus stage plots very well with reasonable values of the parameters. Discharges computed using the surface velocities and measured depths matched the USGS rating curve for the site. Values of depth-weighted mean velocities derived from our data did not agree with those expected from Manning's equation due to the downstream control. These results suggest that if real-time surface velocities were available at a gauging station, unstable stream beds could be monitored. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering ?? ASCE.

Perception of Sacredness at Heritage Religious Sites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levi, Daniel; Kocher, Sara

2013-01-01

Tourism at historic religious sites requires balancing the needs of historic preservation, the tourist experience, and community use of the site. The sacredness of these places is defined by the behaviors that occur there, the experience of users and visitors, and the meanings associated with the place by various groups. This research examines the…

Site Selection in Experiments: An Assessment of Site Recruitment and Generalizability in Two Scale-Up Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tipton, Elizabeth; Fellers, Lauren; Caverly, Sarah; Vaden-Kiernan, Michael; Borman, Geoffrey; Sullivan, Kate; Ruiz de Castilla, Veronica

2016-01-01

Recently, statisticians have begun developing methods to improve the generalizability of results from large-scale experiments in education. This work has included the development of methods for improved site selection when random sampling is infeasible, including the use of stratification and targeted recruitment strategies. This article provides…

Isotopic Expression of Soil Denitrification across Gradients in Nitrogen and Carbon Availability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, R.; Houlton, B. Z.; Perakis, S. S.

2016-12-01

Denitrification removes biologically available nitrogen (N) from ecosystems, making it an important control over the biosphere's N balance, with implications for air quality, human health and climate change. Despite its importance, estimates of the global soil denitrification flux remain highly uncertain. Major challenges lie in directly measuring the gaseous by-products of denitrification and scaling this complex microbial processes in both space and time. Process-based models constrained by empirical isotopic evidence have emerged as a method to help overcome these challenges. These models use the terrestrial 15N budget, along with soil moisture and N input data, to quantify denitrification fluxes and its gaseous forms, including NO, N2O and N2. However, the robustness of this method is limited by incomplete understanding of isotopic expression of denitrification and how it varies across known controls, such as carbon (C) and nitrate (NO3) availability. Here, we present a quantitative assessment of the isotope effect expression of in situ soil denitrification across gradients in N and C concentrations. This experiment tests the hypothesis that isotopic expression of soil denitrification (a kinetic process) increases with NO3 availability (reaction substrate) and decreases with increasing availability of organic C (electron donor). To test the impact of NO3 availability on the isotope effect of denitrification, field incubations experiments were conducted across a natural soil N gradient, ranging from 0.11 to 0.69% N. Similarly, the impact of electron donor availability was tested by conducting field incubations across a natural soil C gradient ranging from 1.94 to 11.60%. Data show that in lower N sites, the percent of NO3 consumed during the incubation was higher, while C availability neither affected the fraction of NO3 consumed nor the rate of consumption. These findings suggest that greater NO3 concentrations allow for greater isotope expression of denitrification in soil, supporting the working hypothesis. These results will be complemented by laboratory experiments in which NO3 concentration, C availability, and temperature are systematically varied. Future goals include the incorporation of these data into existing models to improve estimates of global N fluxes.

Scholars and Faculty Members' Lived Experiences in Online Social Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veletsianos, George; Kimmons, Royce

2013-01-01

Research into faculty members' use of technology and social networking sites has largely focused upon pedagogical practice, at the expense of understanding user experiences with these technologies. Through phenomenological interviews with three faculty members, we investigate their lived experiences with social networking sites. Results point to a…

Uncertainties in Eddy Covariance fluxes due to post-field data processing: a multi-site, full factorial analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabbatini, S.; Fratini, G.; Arriga, N.; Papale, D.

2012-04-01

Eddy Covariance (EC) is the only technologically available direct method to measure carbon and energy fluxes between ecosystems and atmosphere. However, uncertainties related to this method have not been exhaustively assessed yet, including those deriving from post-field data processing. The latter arise because there is no exact processing sequence established for any given situation, and the sequence itself is long and complex, with many processing steps and options available. However, the consistency and inter-comparability of flux estimates may be largely affected by the adoption of different processing sequences. The goal of our work is to quantify the uncertainty introduced in each processing step by the fact that different options are available, and to study how the overall uncertainty propagates throughout the processing sequence. We propose an easy-to-use methodology to assign a confidence level to the calculated fluxes of energy and mass, based on the adopted processing sequence, and on available information such as the EC system type (e.g. open vs. closed path), the climate and the ecosystem type. The proposed methodology synthesizes the results of a massive full-factorial experiment. We use one year of raw data from 15 European flux stations and process them so as to cover all possible combinations of the available options across a selection of the most relevant processing steps. The 15 sites have been selected to be representative of different ecosystems (forests, croplands and grasslands), climates (mediterranean, nordic, arid and humid) and instrumental setup (e.g. open vs. closed path). The software used for this analysis is EddyPro™ 3.0 (www.licor.com/eddypro). The critical processing steps, selected on the basis of the different options commonly used in the FLUXNET community, are: angle of attack correction; coordinate rotation; trend removal; time lag compensation; low- and high- frequency spectral correction; correction for air density fluctuations; and length of the flux averaging interval. We illustrate the results of the full-factorial combination relative to a subset of the selected sites with particular emphasis on the total uncertainty at different time scales and aggregations, as well as a preliminary analysis of the most critical steps for their contribution to the total uncertainties and their potential relation with site set-up characteristics and ecosystem type.

Local site variation in stopover physiology of migrating songbirds near the south shore of Lake Ontario is linked to fruit availability and quality

PubMed Central

Smith, Susan B.; Miller, Allyson C.; Merchant, Charmaine R.; Sankoh, Amie F.

2015-01-01

Birds that migrate long distances between breeding and wintering grounds are challenged to find adequate stopover sites that can provide a high-quality source of nutrition in order to refuel quickly and continue on their migratory journeys. Wild fruits are a well-documented component in the diets of many passerines during autumn migration. Thus, fruit availability and the proliferation of shrubs that bear low-quality fruits at important stopover sites may dictate the quality of food resources available for refuelling birds and present a conservation concern. We profiled plasma metabolites of two migratory passerine species at two different stopover sites near the south shore of Lake Ontario during the peak of autumn migration. We also measured diversity, availability and nutritional quality of fruits present at these sites. Site explained most of the variation in plasma triglyceride for both bird species, but was less important than other confounding variables for explaining concentrations of plasma β-hydroxybutyrate and plasma uric acid concentrations. Site differences in fat deposition, as indicated by plasma triglyceride, may in part be explained by the large differences in diversity and availability of high-quality fruits between the two sites. Our results suggest that abundant, lipid-rich native fruits with high-energy density are associated with increased fat deposition during autumn stopovers for some species, although other factors, such as proximity to the Lake Ontario shoreline and the opportunities to refuel in the surrounding landscape, are likely to play a role in stopover site use by birds. It is possible that local site characteristics that influence growing conditions may impact the quality of fruits produced by a plant species, altering the availability of critical nutrients for avian consumers. PMID:27293721

Search for sterile neutrinos in muon neutrino disappearance mode at FNAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anokhina, A.; Bagulya, A.; Benettoni, M.; Bernardini, P.; Brugnera, R.; Calabrese, M.; Cecchetti, A.; Cecchini, S.; Chernyavskiy, M.; Dal Corso, F.; Dalkarov, O.; Del Prete, A.; De Robertis, G.; De Serio, M.; Di Ferdinando, D.; Dusini, S.; Dzhatdoev, T.; Fini, R. A.; Fiore, G.; Garfagnini, A.; Guerzoni, M.; Klicek, B.; Kose, U.; Jakovcic, K.; Laurenti, G.; Lippi, I.; Loddo, F.; Longhin, A.; Malenica, M.; Mancarella, G.; Mandrioli, G.; Margiotta, A.; Marsella, G.; Mauri, N.; Medinaceli, E.; Mingazheva, R.; Morgunova, O.; Muciaccia, M. T.; Nessi, M.; Orecchini, D.; Paoloni, A.; Papadia, G.; Paparella, L.; Pasqualini, L.; Pastore, A.; Patrizii, L.; Polukhina, N.; Pozzato, M.; Roda, M.; Roganova, T.; Rosa, G.; Sahnoun, Z.; Shchedrina, T.; Simone, S.; Sirignano, C.; Sirri, G.; Spurio, M.; Stanco, L.; Starkov, N.; Stipcevic, M.; Surdo, A.; Tenti, M.; Togo, V.; Vladymyrov, M.

2017-01-01

The NESSiE Collaboration has been setup to undertake a conclusive experiment to clarify the muon-neutrino disappearance measurements at short baselines in order to put severe constraints to models with more than the three-standard neutrinos. To this aim the current FNAL-Booster neutrino beam for a Short-Baseline experiment was carefully evaluated by considering the use of magnetic spectrometers at two sites, near and far ones. The detector locations were studied, together with the achievable performances of two OPERA-like spectrometers. The study was constrained by the availability of existing hardware and a time-schedule compatible with the undergoing project of multi-site Liquid-Argon detectors at FNAL. The settled physics case and the kind of proposed experiment on the Booster neutrino beam would definitively clarify the existing tension between the ν _{μ } disappearance and the ν e appearance/disappearance at the eV mass scale. In the context of neutrino oscillations the measurement of ν _{μ } disappearance is a robust and fast approach to either reject or discover new neutrino states at the eV mass scale. We discuss an experimental program able to extend by more than one order of magnitude (for neutrino disappearance) and by almost one order of magnitude (for antineutrino disappearance) the present range of sensitivity for the mixing angle between standard and sterile neutrinos. These extensions are larger than those achieved in any other proposal presented so far.

Impact of Demographic Siting Criteria and Environmental Suitability on Land Availability for Nuclear Reactor Siting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansen, K. L.

1982-01-01

The effect of population and certain environmental characteristics on the availability of land for siting nuclear power plants was assessed. The study area, consisting of the 48 contiguous states, was divided into 5 kilometer (km) square grid cells yielding a total of 600,000 cells. Through the use of a modern geographic information system, it was possible to provide a detailed analysis of a quite large area. Numerous maps and statistical tables were produced, the detail of which were limited only by available data. Evaluation issues included population density, restricted lands, seismic hardening, site preparation, water availability, and cost factors.

Storage element performance optimization for CMS analysis jobs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behrmann, G.; Dahlblom, J.; Guldmyr, J.; Happonen, K.; Lindén, T.

2012-12-01

Tier-2 computing sites in the Worldwide Large Hadron Collider Computing Grid (WLCG) host CPU-resources (Compute Element, CE) and storage resources (Storage Element, SE). The vast amount of data that needs to processed from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments requires good and efficient use of the available resources. Having a good CPU efficiency for the end users analysis jobs requires that the performance of the storage system is able to scale with I/O requests from hundreds or even thousands of simultaneous jobs. In this presentation we report on the work on improving the SE performance at the Helsinki Institute of Physics (HIP) Tier-2 used for the Compact Muon Experiment (CMS) at the LHC. Statistics from CMS grid jobs are collected and stored in the CMS Dashboard for further analysis, which allows for easy performance monitoring by the sites and by the CMS collaboration. As part of the monitoring framework CMS uses the JobRobot which sends every four hours 100 analysis jobs to each site. CMS also uses the HammerCloud tool for site monitoring and stress testing and it has replaced the JobRobot. The performance of the analysis workflow submitted with JobRobot or HammerCloud can be used to track the performance due to site configuration changes, since the analysis workflow is kept the same for all sites and for months in time. The CPU efficiency of the JobRobot jobs at HIP was increased approximately by 50 % to more than 90 %, by tuning the SE and by improvements in the CMSSW and dCache software. The performance of the CMS analysis jobs improved significantly too. Similar work has been done on other CMS Tier-sites, since on average the CPU efficiency for CMSSW jobs has increased during 2011. Better monitoring of the SE allows faster detection of problems, so that the performance level can be kept high. The next storage upgrade at HIP consists of SAS disk enclosures which can be stress tested on demand with HammerCloud workflows, to make sure that the I/O-performance is good.

Rates of Eolian Rock Abrasion in the Ice-Free Valleys, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallet, B.; Malin, M. C.; Sletten, R. S.

2016-12-01

Eolian abrasion is a principal surface process in dry regions of Earth and Mars and there is evidence for wind processes active on Venus and Titan. Rock abrasion also has practical significance in diverse fields ranging from preservation of cultural material (artifacts, monuments) to damage of solar panels and windshields in arid regions. Despite its scientific and practical importance, and there have ben only few studies that define rates of rock abrasion quantitatively under natural conditions. Herein we report abrasion rates that have been exceptionally well characterized through a unique long-term (30+-year) field experiment in the ice-free McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. In 1983 and 1984, over 5000 rock targets of several lithologies (25.4 mm-diameter and 5 mm-thick disks of dolerite, basalt, tuff and sandstone) were installed at five heights (7,14, 21, 35, and 70 cm) facing the 4 cardinal directions at 10 locations (one additional site contains fewer targets). Sequential collections of rock targets exposed to abrasion enable definition of mass loss after 1, 5, 10, 30 and 31 years of exposure; the latter were retrieved during the 2014-2015 season. The abrasion rates generally show striking consistency for each lithology at any site; the multiple targets permit definition of intrinsic differences in mass loss. The rates vary considerably from site to site owing to differences in availability of transportable sediment, wind regime, and surface roughness, and at each site, owing to target orientation relative to the dominant winds and, secondarily, to height above the ground. For the hardest targets, basalt and dolerite, mass loss in 30+ years ranged from essentially zero at some sites to 1/3 of the deployed mass (2.59 g; equivalent to a rock thickness >1.8 mm) where abrasion was most active (Site 7, Central Wright Valley). The tuff targets showed the greatest mass loss, and in many cases were entirely abraded away by the end of the experiment.Current work is focused on understanding the spatial and directional variation in measured mass losses based on a wealth of information.

Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 465: Hydronuclear Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Mark Burmeister and Patrick Matthews

2012-11-01

The corrective action sites (CASs) within CAU 465 are located within Areas 6 and 27 of the NNSS. CAU 465 comprises the following CASs: • 00-23-01, Hydronuclear Experiment, located in Area 27 of the NNSS and known as the Charlie site. • 00-23-02, Hydronuclear Experiment, located in Area 27 of the NNSS and known as the Dog site. • 00-23-03, Hydronuclear Experiment, located in Area 27 of the NNSS and known as the Charlie Prime and Anja sites. • 06-99-01, Hydronuclear, located in Area 6 of the NNSS and known as the Trailer 13 site. The purpose of this CRmore » is to provide documentation supporting the completed corrective actions and provide data confirming that the closure objectives for CASs within CAU 465 were met. From September 2011 through July 2012, closure activities were performed as set forth in the Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration Plan for CAU 465: Hydronuclear, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada.« less

An online tool for tracking soil nitrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J.; Umar, M.; Banger, K.; Pittelkow, C. M.; Nafziger, E. D.

2016-12-01

Near real-time crop models can be useful tools for optimizing agricultural management practices. For example, model simulations can potentially provide current estimates of nitrogen availability in soil, helping growers decide whether more nitrogen needs to be applied in a given season. Traditionally, crop models have been used at point locations (i.e. single fields) with homogenous soil, climate and initial conditions. However, nitrogen availability across fields with varied weather and soil conditions at a regional or national level is necessary to guide better management decisions. This study presents the development of a publicly available, online tool that automates the integration of high-spatial-resolution forecast and past weather and soil data in DSSAT to estimate nitrogen availability for individual fields in Illinois. The model has been calibrated with field experiments from past year at six research corn fields across Illinois. These sites were treated with applications of different N fertilizer timings and amounts. The tool requires minimal management information from growers and yet has the capability to simulate nitrogen-water-crop interactions with calibrated parameters that are more appropriate for Illinois. The results from the tool will be combined with incoming field experiment data from 2016 for model validation and further improvement of model's predictive accuracy. The tool has the potential to help guide better nitrogen management practices to maximize economic and environmental benefits.

Biophysical Fitness Landscapes for Transcription Factor Binding Sites

PubMed Central

Haldane, Allan; Manhart, Michael; Morozov, Alexandre V.

2014-01-01

Phenotypic states and evolutionary trajectories available to cell populations are ultimately dictated by complex interactions among DNA, RNA, proteins, and other molecular species. Here we study how evolution of gene regulation in a single-cell eukaryote S. cerevisiae is affected by interactions between transcription factors (TFs) and their cognate DNA sites. Our study is informed by a comprehensive collection of genomic binding sites and high-throughput in vitro measurements of TF-DNA binding interactions. Using an evolutionary model for monomorphic populations evolving on a fitness landscape, we infer fitness as a function of TF-DNA binding to show that the shape of the inferred fitness functions is in broad agreement with a simple functional form inspired by a thermodynamic model of two-state TF-DNA binding. However, the effective parameters of the model are not always consistent with physical values, indicating selection pressures beyond the biophysical constraints imposed by TF-DNA interactions. We find little statistical support for the fitness landscape in which each position in the binding site evolves independently, indicating that epistasis is common in the evolution of gene regulation. Finally, by correlating TF-DNA binding energies with biological properties of the sites or the genes they regulate, we are able to rule out several scenarios of site-specific selection, under which binding sites of the same TF would experience different selection pressures depending on their position in the genome. These findings support the existence of universal fitness landscapes which shape evolution of all sites for a given TF, and whose properties are determined in part by the physics of protein-DNA interactions. PMID:25010228

Implementation of integrated dual disorders treatment: a qualitative analysis of facilitators and barriers.

PubMed

Brunette, Mary F; Asher, Dianne; Whitley, Rob; Lutz, Wilma J; Wieder, Barbara L; Jones, Amanda M; McHugo, Gregory J

2008-09-01

Approximately half of the people who have serious mental illnesses experience a co-occurring substance use disorder at some point in their lifetime. Integrated dual disorders treatment, a program to treat persons with co-occurring disorders, improves outcomes but is not widely available in public mental health settings. This report describes the extent to which this intervention was implemented by 11 community mental health centers participating in a large study of practice implementation. Facilitators and barriers to implementation are described. Trained implementation monitors conducted regular site visits over two years. During visits, monitors interviewed key informants, conducted ethnographic observations of implementation efforts, and assessed fidelity to the practice model. These data were coded and used as a basis for detailed site reports summarizing implementation processes. The authors reviewed the reports and distilled the three top facilitators and barriers for each site. The most prominent cross-site facilitators and barriers were identified. Two sites reached high fidelity, six sites reached moderate fidelity, and three sites remained at low fidelity over the two years. Prominent facilitators and barriers to implementation with moderate to high fidelity were administrative leadership, consultation and training, supervisor mastery and supervision, chronic staff turnover, and finances. Common facilitators and barriers to implementation of integrated dual disorders treatment emerged across sites. The results confirmed the importance of the use of the consultant-trainer in the model of implementation, as well as the need for intensive activities at multiple levels to facilitate implementation. Further research on service implementation is needed, including but not limited to clarifying strategies to overcome barriers.

Opportunistic Resource Usage in CMS

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

Kreuzer, Peter; Hufnagel, Dirk; Dykstra, D.

2014-01-01

CMS is using a tiered setup of dedicated computing resources provided by sites distributed over the world and organized in WLCG. These sites pledge resources to CMS and are preparing them especially for CMS to run the experiment's applications. But there are more resources available opportunistically both on the GRID and in local university and research clusters which can be used for CMS applications. We will present CMS' strategy to use opportunistic resources and prepare them dynamically to run CMS applications. CMS is able to run its applications on resources that can be reached through the GRID, through EC2 compliantmore » cloud interfaces. Even resources that can be used through ssh login nodes can be harnessed. All of these usage modes are integrated transparently into the GlideIn WMS submission infrastructure, which is the basis of CMS' opportunistic resource usage strategy. Technologies like Parrot to mount the software distribution via CVMFS and xrootd for access to data and simulation samples via the WAN are used and will be described. We will summarize the experience with opportunistic resource usage and give an outlook for the restart of LHC data taking in 2015.« less

Directed-Backbone Dissociation Following Bond-Specific Carbon-Sulfur UVPD at 213 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talbert, Lance E.; Julian, Ryan R.

2018-04-01

Ultraviolet photodissociation or UVPD is an increasingly popular option for tandem-mass spectrometry experiments. UVPD can be carried out at many wavelengths, and it is important to understand how the results will be impacted by this choice. Here, we explore the utility of 213 nm photons for initiating bond-selective fragmentation. It is found that bonds previously determined to be labile at 266 nm, including carbon-iodine and sulfur-sulfur bonds, can also be cleaved with high selectivity at 213 nm. In addition, many carbon-sulfur bonds that are not subject to direct dissociation at 266 nm can be selectively fragmented at 213 nm. This capability can be used to site-specifically create alaninyl radicals that direct backbone dissociation at the radical site, creating diagnostic d-ions. Furthermore, the additional carbon-sulfur bond fragmentation capability leads to signature triplets for fragmentation of disulfide bonds. Absorption of amide bonds can enhance dissociation of nearby labile carbon-sulfur bonds and can be used for stochastic backbone fragmentation typical of UVPD experiments at shorter wavelengths. Several potential applications of the bond-selective fragmentation chemistry observed at 213 nm are discussed. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Reading, Learning and Enacting: Interpretation at Visitor Sites in the Wet Tropics Rainforest of Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNamara, Karen Elizabeth; Prideaux, Bruce

2010-01-01

The northern Wet Tropics rainforest of Australia was declared a world heritage site in 1988 and now supports an extensive tourism industry that attracts an estimated 2.5 million local and international visits annually. As part of the visitor experience, many sites include both environmental and cultural interpretation experiences, which range from…

Understanding the Experience of CACREP On-Site Visiting Review Team Chairpersons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minor, Amanda J.

2012-01-01

Understanding the experience of CACREP on-site review team members provides insight into the phenomenon of four counselor educators who have each served as a CACREP on-site visiting review team chairperson a minimum of three times. In total, the participants had been within the counselor education field for approximately 95 years and active within…

Evaluation of post-wildfire runoff and erosion on semiarid ecological sites

Treesearch

Ginger B. Paige; Jeffry J. Stone; D. Phillip Guertin

2005-01-01

Field studies are being conducted to quantify runoff and erosion rates following wildfires in semiarid rangelands. Rainfall simulator experiments were conducted on two grassland sites and one oak woodland site in Southern Arizona immediately following wildfires in 2002 and 2003. The experiments applied a range of rainfall intensities between 50 and 180 mm/h....

Vegetation of the Glacier Lakes Ecosystem Experiments Site

Treesearch

Claudia M. Regan; Robert C. Musselman; June D. Haines

1997-01-01

Vegetation at the Glacier Lakes Ecosystem Experiment Site, a 600 ha research site at 3200 to 3500 m elevation in the Snowy Range of southeastern Wyoming, was categorized and described from an intensive sampling of species abundances. A total of 304 vascular plant taxa were identified through collection and herbarium documentation. Plots with tree species were separated...

Energy Gradients Structure Microbial Communities Across Sediment Horizons in Deep Marine Sediments of the South China Sea

PubMed Central

Graw, Michael F.; D'Angelo, Grace; Borchers, Matthew; Thurber, Andrew R.; Johnson, Joel E.; Zhang, Chuanlun; Liu, Haodong; Colwell, Frederick S.

2018-01-01

The deep marine subsurface is a heterogeneous environment in which the assembly of microbial communities is thought to be controlled by a combination of organic matter deposition, electron acceptor availability, and sedimentology. However, the relative importance of these factors in structuring microbial communities in marine sediments remains unclear. The South China Sea (SCS) experiences significant variability in sedimentation across the basin and features discrete changes in sedimentology as a result of episodic deposition of turbidites and volcanic ashes within lithogenic clays and siliceous or calcareous ooze deposits throughout the basin's history. Deep subsurface microbial communities were recently sampled by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) at three locations in the SCS with sedimentation rates of 5, 12, and 20 cm per thousand years. Here, we used Illumina sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene to characterize deep subsurface microbial communities from distinct sediment types at these sites. Communities across all sites were dominated by several poorly characterized taxa implicated in organic matter degradation, including Atribacteria, Dehalococcoidia, and Aerophobetes. Sulfate-reducing bacteria comprised only 4% of the community across sulfate-bearing sediments from multiple cores and did not change in abundance in sediments from the methanogenic zone at the site with the lowest sedimentation rate. Microbial communities were significantly structured by sediment age and the availability of sulfate as an electron acceptor in pore waters. However, microbial communities demonstrated no partitioning based on the sediment type they inhabited. These results indicate that microbial communities in the SCS are structured by the availability of electron donors and acceptors rather than sedimentological characteristics. PMID:29696012

Assessment of Habitat Suitability Is Affected by Plant-Soil Feedback: Comparison of Field and Garden Experiment.

PubMed

Hemrová, Lucie; Knappová, Jana; Münzbergová, Zuzana

2016-01-01

Field translocation experiments (i.e., the introduction of seeds or seedlings of different species into different localities) are commonly used to study habitat associations of species, as well as factors limiting species distributions and local abundances. Species planted or sown in sites where they naturally occur are expected to perform better or equally well compared to sites at which they do not occur or are rare. This, however, contrasts with the predictions of the Janzen-Connell hypothesis and commonly reported intraspecific negative plant-soil feedback. The few previous studies indicating poorer performance of plants at sites where they naturally occur did not explore the mechanisms behind this pattern. In this study, we used field translocation experiments established using both seeds and seedlings to study the determinants of local abundance of four dominant species in grasslands. To explore the possible effects of intraspecific negative plant-soil feedback on our results, we tested the effect of local species abundance on the performance of the plants in the field experiment. In addition, we set up a garden experiment to explore the intensity of intraspecific as well as interspecific feedback between the dominants used in the experiment. In some cases, the distribution and local abundances of the species were partly driven by habitat conditions at the sites, and species performed better at their own sites. However, the prevailing pattern was that the local dominants performed worse at sites where they naturally occur than at any other sites. Moreover, the success of plants in the field experiment was lower in the case of higher intraspecific abundance prior to experimental setup. In the garden feedback experiment, two of the species performed significantly worse in soils conditioned by their species than in soils conditioned by the other species. In addition, the performance of the plants was significantly correlated between the two experiments, suggesting that plant-soil feedback is a likely explanation of the patterns observed in the field. All of the results indicate that intraspecific negative plant-soil feedback, either biotic or abiotic, may be a key factor determining the performance of the plants in our field translocation experiment. The possible effects of negative feedback should thus be considered when evaluating results of translocation experiments in future studies.

Assessment of Habitat Suitability Is Affected by Plant-Soil Feedback: Comparison of Field and Garden Experiment

PubMed Central

Hemrová, Lucie; Knappová, Jana; Münzbergová, Zuzana

2016-01-01

Background Field translocation experiments (i.e., the introduction of seeds or seedlings of different species into different localities) are commonly used to study habitat associations of species, as well as factors limiting species distributions and local abundances. Species planted or sown in sites where they naturally occur are expected to perform better or equally well compared to sites at which they do not occur or are rare. This, however, contrasts with the predictions of the Janzen-Connell hypothesis and commonly reported intraspecific negative plant-soil feedback. The few previous studies indicating poorer performance of plants at sites where they naturally occur did not explore the mechanisms behind this pattern. Aims and Methods In this study, we used field translocation experiments established using both seeds and seedlings to study the determinants of local abundance of four dominant species in grasslands. To explore the possible effects of intraspecific negative plant-soil feedback on our results, we tested the effect of local species abundance on the performance of the plants in the field experiment. In addition, we set up a garden experiment to explore the intensity of intraspecific as well as interspecific feedback between the dominants used in the experiment. Key Results In some cases, the distribution and local abundances of the species were partly driven by habitat conditions at the sites, and species performed better at their own sites. However, the prevailing pattern was that the local dominants performed worse at sites where they naturally occur than at any other sites. Moreover, the success of plants in the field experiment was lower in the case of higher intraspecific abundance prior to experimental setup. In the garden feedback experiment, two of the species performed significantly worse in soils conditioned by their species than in soils conditioned by the other species. In addition, the performance of the plants was significantly correlated between the two experiments, suggesting that plant-soil feedback is a likely explanation of the patterns observed in the field. Conclusions All of the results indicate that intraspecific negative plant-soil feedback, either biotic or abiotic, may be a key factor determining the performance of the plants in our field translocation experiment. The possible effects of negative feedback should thus be considered when evaluating results of translocation experiments in future studies. PMID:27336400

Choice of hunting site as a consequence of experience in late-instar crab spiders.

PubMed

Morse, Douglass H

1999-08-01

Earlier experiences may play an important role in the choice of hunting sites, but their effects on the foraging repertoire of most animals remain poorly understood. I tested the role of previous flower choices (hunting sites) by penultimate-instar female crab spiders Misumena vatia in making subsequent patch-choice decisions. M. vatia is a sit-and-wait predator, and the two flower species used, ox-eye daisy Chrysanthemum leucanthemum and common buttercup Ranunculus acris, are important hunting sites. Spiders with different immediate experience showed similar short-term (<1 day) giving-up times on the two flower species, independent of their previous substrate. However, four-fifths of the individuals that remained a day or longer tended to leave buttercups sooner than daisies, especially if they had previously occupied daisies. Thus they may directly assess the quality of a potential hunting site, perhaps in response to prey abundance, but previous experience may play a minor role as well. Of spiders that made several consecutive choices of hunting sites, those on daisies often confined these runs to daisies (one of two years); those on buttercups did not exhibit comparable fidelity. Spiders molting into the adult stage almost always subsequently chose the same flower species (either daisy or buttercup) as the one on which they molted. Thus, juvenile experiences may influence adults, the critical stage when virtually all of the spiders' reproductive resources are gathered, even if this resulted from imprinting on their molt sites rather than carrying information over the molt.

Instructor Experiences with a Social Networking Site in a Higher Education Setting: Expectations, Frustrations, Appropriation, and Compartmentalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veletsianos, George; Kimmons, Royce; French, Karen D.

2013-01-01

Researchers and practitioners have suggested that the use of social networking sites in formal education may be a worthwhile endeavor. Toward this goal, emerging learning platforms have included social networking features. Nevertheless, empirical literature examining user experiences, and more specifically instructor experiences, with these tools…

Site Selection in Experiments: A Follow-Up Evaluation of Site Recruitment in Two Scale-Up Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tipton, Elizabeth; Fellers, Lauren; Caverly, Sarah; Vaden-Kiernan, Michael; Borman, Geoffrey; Sullivan, Kate; Ruiz de Castillo, Veronica

2015-01-01

Randomized experiments are commonly used to evaluate if particular interventions improve student achievement. While these experiments can establish that a treatment actually "causes" changes, typically the participants are not randomly selected from a well-defined population and therefore the results do not readily generalize. Three…

Challenges in data quality: the influence of data quality assessments on data availability and completeness in a voluntary medical male circumcision programme in Zimbabwe

PubMed Central

Xiao, Y; Bochner, A F; Makunike, B; Holec, M; Xaba, S; Tshimanga, M; Chitimbire, V; Barnhart, S; Feldacker, C

2017-01-01

Objectives To assess availability and completeness of data collected before and after a data quality audit (DQA) in voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) sites in Zimbabwe to determine the effect of this process on data quality. Setting 4 of 10 VMMC sites in Zimbabwe that received a DQA in February, 2015 selected by convenience sampling. Participants Retrospective reviews of all client intake forms (CIFs) from November, 2014 and May, 2015. A total of 1400 CIFs were included from those 2 months across four sites. Primary and secondary outcomes Data availability was measured as the percentage of VMMC clients whose CIF was on file at each site. A data evaluation tool measured the completeness of 34 key CIF variables. A comparison of pre-DQA and post-DQA results was conducted using χ2 and t-tests. Results After the DQA, high record availability of over 98% was maintained by sites 3 and 4. For sites 1 and 2, record availability increased by 8.0% (p=0.001) and 9.7% (p=0.02), respectively. After the DQA, sites 1, 2 and 3 improved significantly in data completeness across 34 key indicators, increasing by 8.6% (p<0.001), 2.7% (p=0.003) and 3.8% (p<0.001), respectively. For site 4, CIF data completeness decreased by 1.7% (p<0.01) after the DQA. Conclusions Our findings suggest that CIF data availability and completeness generally improved after the DQA. However, gaps in documentation of vital signs and adverse events signal areas for improvement. Additional emphasis on data completeness would help support high-quality programme implementation and availability of reliable data for decision-making. PMID:28132009

An ethics curriculum for short-term global health trainees.

PubMed

DeCamp, Matthew; Rodriguez, Joce; Hecht, Shelby; Barry, Michele; Sugarman, Jeremy

2013-02-14

Interest in short-term global health training and service programs continues to grow, yet they can be associated with a variety of ethical issues for which trainees or others with limited global health experience may not be prepared to address. Therefore, there is a clear need for educational interventions concerning these ethical issues. We developed and evaluated an introductory curriculum, "Ethical Challenges in Short-term Global Health Training." The curriculum was developed through solicitation of actual ethical issues experienced by trainees and program leaders; content drafting; and external content review. It was then evaluated from November 1, 2011, through July 1, 2012, by analyzing web usage data and by conducting user surveys. The survey included basic demographic data; prior experience in global health and global health ethics; and assessment of cases within the curriculum. The ten case curriculum is freely available at http://ethicsandglobalhealth.org. An average of 238 unique visitors accessed the site each month (standard deviation, 19). Of users who had been abroad before for global health training or service, only 31% reported prior ethics training related to short-term work. Most users (62%) reported accessing the site via personal referral or their training program; however, a significant number (28%) reported finding the site via web search, and 8% discovered it via web links. Users represented different fields: medicine (46%), public health (15%), and nursing (11%) were most common. All cases in the curriculum were evaluated favorably. The curriculum is meeting a critical need for an introduction to the ethical issues in short-term global health training. Future work will integrate this curriculum within more comprehensive curricula for global health and evaluate specific knowledge and behavioral effects, including at training sites abroad.

An ethics curriculum for short-term global health trainees

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Interest in short-term global health training and service programs continues to grow, yet they can be associated with a variety of ethical issues for which trainees or others with limited global health experience may not be prepared to address. Therefore, there is a clear need for educational interventions concerning these ethical issues. Methods We developed and evaluated an introductory curriculum, “Ethical Challenges in Short-term Global Health Training.” The curriculum was developed through solicitation of actual ethical issues experienced by trainees and program leaders; content drafting; and external content review. It was then evaluated from November 1, 2011, through July 1, 2012, by analyzing web usage data and by conducting user surveys. The survey included basic demographic data; prior experience in global health and global health ethics; and assessment of cases within the curriculum. Results The ten case curriculum is freely available at http://ethicsandglobalhealth.org. An average of 238 unique visitors accessed the site each month (standard deviation, 19). Of users who had been abroad before for global health training or service, only 31% reported prior ethics training related to short-term work. Most users (62%) reported accessing the site via personal referral or their training program; however, a significant number (28%) reported finding the site via web search, and 8% discovered it via web links. Users represented different fields: medicine (46%), public health (15%), and nursing (11%) were most common. All cases in the curriculum were evaluated favorably. Conclusions The curriculum is meeting a critical need for an introduction to the ethical issues in short-term global health training. Future work will integrate this curriculum within more comprehensive curricula for global health and evaluate specific knowledge and behavioral effects, including at training sites abroad. PMID:23410089

Colloid-Facilitated Transport of 137Cs in Fracture-Fill Material. Experiments and Modeling

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

Dittrich, Timothy M.; Reimus, Paul William

2015-10-29

In this study, we demonstrate how a combination of batch sorption/desorption experiments and column transport experiments were used to effectively parameterize a model describing the colloid-facilitated transport of Cs in the Grimsel granodiorite/FFM system. Cs partition coefficient estimates onto both the colloids and the stationary media obtained from the batch experiments were used as initial estimates of partition coefficients in the column experiments, and then the column experiment results were used to obtain refined estimates of the number of different sorption sites and the adsorption and desorption rate constants of the sites. The desorption portion of the column breakthrough curvesmore » highlighted the importance of accounting for adsorption-desorption hysteresis (or a very nonlinear adsorption isotherm) of the Cs on the FFM in the model, and this portion of the breakthrough curves also dictated that there be at least two different types of sorption sites on the FFM. In the end, the two-site model parameters estimated from the column experiments provided excellent matches to the batch adsorption/desorption data, which provided a measure of assurance in the validity of the model.« less

The Carbon-Land Model Intercomparison Project (C-LAMP): A Model-Data Comparison System for Evaluation of Coupled Biosphere-Atmosphere Models

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

Hoffman, Forrest M; Randerson, Jim; Thornton, Peter E

2009-01-01

The need to capture important climate feebacks in general circulation models (GCMs) has resulted in new efforts to include atmospheric chemistry and land and ocean biogeochemistry into the next generation of production climate models, now often referred to as Earth System Models (ESMs). While many terrestrial and ocean carbon models have been coupled to GCMs, recent work has shown that such models can yield a wide range of results, suggesting that a more rigorous set of offline and partially coupled experiments, along with detailed analyses of processes and comparisons with measurements, are warranted. The Carbon-Land Model Intercomparison Project (C-LAMP) providesmore » a simulation protocol and model performance metrics based upon comparisons against best-available satellite- and ground-based measurements (Hoffman et al., 2007). C-LAMP provides feedback to the modeling community regarding model improvements and to the measurement community by suggesting new observational campaigns. C-LAMP Experiment 1 consists of a set of uncoupled simulations of terrestrial carbon models specifically designed to examine the ability of the models to reproduce surface carbon and energy fluxes at multiple sites and to exhibit the influence of climate variability, prescribed atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}), nitrogen (N) deposition, and land cover change on projections of terrestrial carbon fluxes during the 20th century. Experiment 2 consists of partially coupled simulations of the terrestrial carbon model with an active atmosphere model exchanging energy and moisture fluxes. In all experiments, atmospheric CO{sub 2} follows the prescribed historical trajectory from C{sup 4}MIP. In Experiment 2, the atmosphere model is forced with prescribed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and corresponding sea ice concentrations from the Hadley Centre; prescribed CO{sub 2} is radiatively active; and land, fossil fuel, and ocean CO{sub 2} fluxes are advected by the model. Both sets of experiments have been performed using two different terrestrial biogeochemistry modules coupled to the Community Land Model version 3 (CLM3) in the Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3): The CASA model of Fung, et al., and the carbon-nitrogen (CN) model of Thornton. Comparisons against Ameriflus site measurements, MODIS satellite observations, NOAA flask records, TRANSCOM inversions, and Free Air CO{sub 2} Enrichment (FACE) site measurements, and other datasets have been performed and are described in Randerson et al. (2009). The C-LAMP diagnostics package was used to validate improvements to CASA and CN for use in the next generation model, CLM4. It is hoped that this effort will serve as a prototype for an international carbon-cycle model benchmarking activity for models being used for the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report. More information about C-LAMP, the experimental protocol, performance metrics, output standards, and model-data comparisons from the CLM3-CASA and CLM3-CN models are available at http://www.climatemodeling.org/c-lamp.« less

Carbon and nitrogen limitation explain the contrasting responses of rhizospheric N-cycling microbial communities to maize inoculation by Azospirillum lipoferum CRT1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florio, Alessandro; Pommier, Thomas; Gervaix, Jonathan; Bréfort, Caroline; Bérard, Annette; Le Roux, Xavier

2017-04-01

Introduction Maize inoculation with the plant-growth promoting rhizobacterium Azospirillum stimulates root growth and carbon, C, exudation, thereby enabling a better exploitation of soil and enhancing plant uptake of nitrogen, N. This can modulate the availability of N in the rhizosphere, by enhancing plant-microbe competition for N and modifying rhizosphere environmental variables important for N-cycling microbial communities, i.e. the amount of soil mineral N and oxygen availability. We tested the hypothesis that inoculation-induced stimulation of root N uptake and C exudation would enhance plant competition over microorganisms for N while increasing C availability for heterotrophs, thus leading to (i) a decrease of nitrifier abundance and activity, and (ii) a decrease or increase of denitrifier abundance and activity depending on the level of denitrifier limitation by N and C. Methods The extent of inoculation-induced changes in microbial activities (potential nitrification and denitrification), abundances and diversity of (de)nitrifiers as well as in root functional traits was assessed at 4 dates over two consecutive years in a multi-site field trial. Measurements were performed for the 6- and 12-leaves maize stages. In a second experiment, we artificially altered the level of denitrifier limitation by N and C in a greenhouse pot experiment by applying synthetic root exudates to inoculated and non-inoculated maize plants. Inoculation-induced response to nutrient limitation on microbial N-related activities and abundances was assessed for the 6-leaves stage maizeplants. Results Inoculation resulted in an idiosyncratic response of nitrification and nitrifier (AOA, AOB) abundance, which varied from one sampling date to another at a given site, and between sites and treatments at a given date. Modifications of water balance and soil moisture rather than increased plant-nitrifiers competition for soil NH4+ were the main drivers of nitrification. Conversely, inoculation-induced changes in denitrifier activity and abundance (nirK, nirS) were consistent across sites and ranged from -23% to +84% depending on sites. Particularly, in soils with high C limitation levels, inoculation increased nirS-denitrifier abundance and denitrification, likely by stimulating root C exudation. Conversely, in soils with lower C limitation, the stimulating effect of inoculation on root C exudation was less critical for denitrifiers whereas the increased competition between roots and denitrifiers for NO3- became prominent, thus resulting in slightly decreased nirS-denitrifier abundance and denitrification. Pot experiment results revealed that the inoculation effect on denitrification decreased with increased amount of root exudates-like amended to soil. Discussion Maize seed inoculation with the beneficial Azospirillum lipoferum CRT1 can be a sustainable, though soil-specific, agricultural practice providing both beneficial agronomic and environmental effects. Our findings may indicate that the crop seed inoculation practice would increase potential N2O losses from agricultural soils where denitrifiers are highly C-limited. However, our results also demonstrate that the responses of nitrite reducers and N2O reducers to inoculation are tightly coupled, and that inoculation thus does not necessarily represent a risk for increased N2O losses from C-limited soils. Finally, the nirS-denitrifier abundance to microbial basal respiration ratio could be successfully used as a proxy of gaseous-N losses through denitrification from the soil-plant system following inoculation.

Restoration of rare earth mine areas: organic amendments and phytoremediation.

PubMed

Zhou, Lingyan; Li, Zhaolong; Liu, Wen; Liu, Shenghong; Zhang, Limin; Zhong, Liyan; Luo, Ximei; Liang, Hong

2015-11-01

Overexploitation of rare earth mine has caused serious desertification and various environmental issues, and ecological restoration of a mining area is an important concern in China. In this study, experiments involving dry grass landfilling, chicken manure broadcasting, and plant cultivation were carried out to reclaim a rare earth mine area located in Heping County, Guangdong Province, China. The prime focus was to improve soil quality in terms of nutrients, microbial community, enzyme activity, and physicochemical properties so as to reclaim the land. After 2 years of restoration, an increase of organic matter (OM), available potassium (K), available phosphorus (P) levels, and acid phosphatase (ACP) activity and a reduction of the available nitrogen (N) level and urease (URE) activity in soil were achieved compared to the original mined land. The nutrients and enzyme activities in soil with 5 years of restoration were close to or surpass those in the unexploited land as control. The bulk density, total porosity, water holding capacity, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) of soil were improved, and the number of cultivable microorganisms and the bacterial diversity in soil were greatly increased with time during ecological restoration, especially for surface soil. Furthermore, the artificial vegetation stably grew at the restored mining sites. The results indicated that organic amendments and phytoremediation could ecologically restore the rare earth mining sites and the mined land could finally be planted as farmland.

Discovery of phosphorylation motif mixtures in phosphoproteomics data

PubMed Central

Ritz, Anna; Shakhnarovich, Gregory; Salomon, Arthur R.; Raphael, Benjamin J.

2009-01-01

Motivation: Modification of proteins via phosphorylation is a primary mechanism for signal transduction in cells. Phosphorylation sites on proteins are determined in part through particular patterns, or motifs, present in the amino acid sequence. Results: We describe an algorithm that simultaneously discovers multiple motifs in a set of peptides that were phosphorylated by several different kinases. Such sets of peptides are routinely produced in proteomics experiments.Our motif-finding algorithm uses the principle of minimum description length to determine a mixture of sequence motifs that distinguish a foreground set of phosphopeptides from a background set of unphosphorylated peptides. We show that our algorithm outperforms existing motif-finding algorithms on synthetic datasets consisting of mixtures of known phosphorylation sites. We also derive a motif specificity score that quantifies whether or not the phosphoproteins containing an instance of a motif have a significant number of known interactions. Application of our motif-finding algorithm to recently published human and mouse proteomic studies recovers several known phosphorylation motifs and reveals a number of novel motifs that are enriched for interactions with a particular kinase or phosphatase. Our tools provide a new approach for uncovering the sequence specificities of uncharacterized kinases or phosphatases. Availability: Software is available at http:/cs.brown.edu/people/braphael/software.html. Contact: aritz@cs.brown.edu; braphael@cs.brown.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:18996944

Water and light improvement after thinning at a xeric site: Which weights the most? A dual isotope approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giuggiola, Arnaud; Ogée, Jérôme; Gessler, Arthur; Rigling, Andreas; Bugmann, Harald; Treydte, Kerstin

2015-04-01

Reductions in stand density foster individual tree growth due to increases of resources such as water, light and nutrients. Detailed knowledge of the short- to long-term physiological response underlying the growth response to thinning is crucial for the management of forests already suffering from recurrent drought-induced dieback. We applied a dual isotope approach together with mechanistic isotope models such as MuSICA to study the physiological processes underlying growth enhancement in a long-term thinning experiment in a xeric Pinus sylvestris forest in Switzerland. This approach allowed for identifying and disentangling changes in stomatal conductance and assimilation rate. Our results indicate that an increase in stomatal conductance outweighs an increase in assimilation, meaning that the observed growth releases in heavy thinned trees at our xeric site are primarily driven by enhanced water availability rather than by the increase in light availability. We conclude that in areas with isohydric species (drought avoiders) that tend to grow close to their physiological limits, thinning is highly recommended to maintain a less negative water balance and thus foster tree growth, and ultimately the survival rate of individual trees and forests.

TThe role of nitrogen availability in land-atmosphere interactions: a systematic evaluation of carbon-nitrogen coupling in a global land surface model using plot-level nitrogen fertilization experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, R. Q.; Goodale, C. L.; Bonan, G. B.; Mahowald, N. M.; Ricciuto, D. M.; Thornton, P. E.

2010-12-01

Recent research from global land surface models emphasizes the important role of nitrogen cycling on global climate, via its control on the terrestrial carbon balance. Despite the implications of nitrogen cycling on global climate predictions, the research community has not performed a systematic evaluation of nitrogen cycling in global models. Here, we present such an evaluation for one global land model, CLM-CN. In the evaluation we simulated 45 plot-scale nitrogen-fertilization experiments distributed across 33 temperate and boreal forest sites. Model predictions were evaluated against field observations by comparing the vegetation and soil carbon responses to the additional nitrogen. Aggregated across all experiments, the model predicted a larger vegetation carbon response and a smaller soil carbon response than observed; the responses partially offset each other, leading to a slightly larger total ecosystem carbon response than observed. However, the model-observation agreement improved for vegetation carbon when the sites with observed negative carbon responses to nitrogen were excluded, which may be because the model lacks mechanisms whereby nitrogen additions increase tree mortality. Among experiments, younger forests and boreal forests’ vegetation carbon responses were less than predicted and mature forests (> 40 years old) were greater than predicted. Specific to the CLM-CN, this study used a systematic evaluation to identify key areas to focus model development, especially soil carbon- nitrogen interactions and boreal forest nitrogen cycling. Applicable to the modeling community, this study demonstrates a standardized protocol for comparing carbon-nitrogen interactions among global land models.

The NASA Sounding Rocket Program and space sciences.

PubMed

Gurkin, L W

1992-10-01

High altitude suborbital rockets (sounding rockets) have been extensively used for space science research in the post-World War II period; the NASA Sounding Rocket Program has been on-going since the inception of the Agency and supports all space science disciplines. In recent years, sounding rockets have been utilized to provide a low gravity environment for materials processing research, particularly in the commercial sector. Sounding rockets offer unique features as a low gravity flight platform. Quick response and low cost combine to provide more frequent spaceflight opportunities. Suborbital spacecraft design practice has achieved a high level of sophistication which optimizes the limited available flight times. High data-rate telemetry, real-time ground up-link command and down-link video data are routinely used in sounding rocket payloads. Standard, off-the-shelf, active control systems are available which limit payload body rates such that the gravitational environment remains less than 10(-4) g during the control period. Operational launch vehicles are available which can provide up to 7 minutes of experiment time for experiment weights up to 270 kg. Standard payload recovery systems allow soft impact retrieval of payloads. When launched from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, payloads can be retrieved and returned to the launch site within hours.

The NASA Sounding Rocket Program and space sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurkin, L. W.

1992-01-01

High altitude suborbital rockets (sounding rockets) have been extensively used for space science research in the post-World War II period; the NASA Sounding Rocket Program has been on-going since the inception of the Agency and supports all space science disciplines. In recent years, sounding rockets have been utilized to provide a low gravity environment for materials processing research, particularly in the commercial sector. Sounding rockets offer unique features as a low gravity flight platform. Quick response and low cost combine to provide more frequent spaceflight opportunities. Suborbital spacecraft design practice has achieved a high level of sophistication which optimizes the limited available flight times. High data-rate telemetry, real-time ground up-link command and down-link video data are routinely used in sounding rocket payloads. Standard, off-the-shelf, active control systems are available which limit payload body rates such that the gravitational environment remains less than 10(-4) g during the control period. Operational launch vehicles are available which can provide up to 7 minutes of experiment time for experiment weights up to 270 kg. Standard payload recovery systems allow soft impact retrieval of payloads. When launched from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, payloads can be retrieved and returned to the launch site within hours.

Soil ionomic and enzymatic responses and correlations to fertilizations amended with and without organic fertilizer in long-term experiments.

PubMed

Feng, Xumeng; Ling, Ning; Chen, Huan; Zhu, Chen; Duan, Yinghua; Peng, Chang; Yu, Guanghui; Ran, Wei; Shen, Qirong; Guo, Shiwei

2016-04-15

To investigate potential interactions between the soil ionome and enzyme activities affected by fertilization with or without organic fertilizer, soil samples were collected from four long-term experiments over China. Irrespective of variable interactions, fertilization type was the major factor impacting soil ionomic behavior and accounted for 15.14% of the overall impact. Sampling site was the major factor affecting soil enzymatic profile and accounted for 34.25% of the overall impact. The availabilities of Pb, La, Ni, Co, Fe and Al were significantly higher in soil with only chemical fertilizer than the soil with organic amendment. Most of the soil enzyme activities, including α-glucosidase activity, were significantly activated by organic amendment. Network analysis between the soil ionome and the soil enzyme activities was more complex in the organic-amended soils than in the chemical fertilized soils, whereas the network analysis among the soil ions was less complex with organic amendment. Moreover, α-glucosidase was revealed to generally harbor more corrections with the soil ionic availabilities in network. We concluded that some of the soil enzymes activated by organic input can make the soil more vigorous and stable and that the α-glucosidase revealed by this analysis might help stabilize the soil ion availability.

Soil ionomic and enzymatic responses and correlations to fertilizations amended with and without organic fertilizer in long-term experiments

PubMed Central

Feng, Xumeng; Ling, Ning; Chen, Huan; Zhu, Chen; Duan, Yinghua; Peng, Chang; Yu, Guanghui; Ran, Wei; Shen, Qirong; Guo, Shiwei

2016-01-01

To investigate potential interactions between the soil ionome and enzyme activities affected by fertilization with or without organic fertilizer, soil samples were collected from four long-term experiments over China. Irrespective of variable interactions, fertilization type was the major factor impacting soil ionomic behavior and accounted for 15.14% of the overall impact. Sampling site was the major factor affecting soil enzymatic profile and accounted for 34.25% of the overall impact. The availabilities of Pb, La, Ni, Co, Fe and Al were significantly higher in soil with only chemical fertilizer than the soil with organic amendment. Most of the soil enzyme activities, including α-glucosidase activity, were significantly activated by organic amendment. Network analysis between the soil ionome and the soil enzyme activities was more complex in the organic-amended soils than in the chemical fertilized soils, whereas the network analysis among the soil ions was less complex with organic amendment. Moreover, α-glucosidase was revealed to generally harbor more corrections with the soil ionic availabilities in network. We concluded that some of the soil enzymes activated by organic input can make the soil more vigorous and stable and that the α-glucosidase revealed by this analysis might help stabilize the soil ion availability. PMID:27079657

Woody energy crops in the southeastern United States: Two centuries of practitioner experience$$\\star$$

DOE PAGES

Kline, Keith L.; Coleman, Mark D.

2010-12-01

Forest industry experts were consulted on the potential for hardwood tree species to serve as feedstock for bioenergy in the southeastern United States. Hardwoods are of interest for bioenergy because of desirable physical qualities, genetic research advances, and growth potential. Yet little data is available regarding potential productivity and costs. This paper describes required operations and provides a realistic estimate of the costs of producing bioenergy feedstock based on commercial experiences. Forestry practitioners reported that high productivity rates in southeastern hardwood plantations are confined to narrow site conditions or require costly inputs. Eastern cottonwood and American sycamore grow quickly onmore » rich bottomlands, but are also prone to pests and disease. Sweetgum is frost hardy, has few pest or disease problems, and grows across a broad range of sites, yet growth rates are relatively low. Eucalypts require fewer inputs than do other species and offer high potential productivity but are limited by frost to the lower Coastal Plain and Florida. Further research is required to study naturally regenerated hardwood biomass resources. Loblolly pine has robust site requirements, growth rates rivaling hardwoods, and lower costs of production. More time and investment in silviculture, selection, and breeding will be needed to develop hardwoods as competitive biofuel feedstock species. Because of existing stands and fully developed operations, the forestry community considers loblolly pine to be a prime candidate for plantation bioenergy in the Southeast.« less

Telestroke in Northern Alberta: a two year experience with remote hospitals.

PubMed

Khan, Khurshid; Shuaib, Ashfaq; Whittaker, Tammy; Saqqur, Maher; Jeerakathil, Thomas; Butcher, Ken; Crumley, Patrick

2010-11-01

Thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke is usually performed in comprehensive stroke centres. Lack of stroke expertise in remote small hospitals may preclude thrombolysis. Telemedicine allows such management opportunities in distant hospitals. We report our experience in managing acute stroke over a two-year time period with telestroke. The University of Alberta Hospital acted as the 'hub' and seven remote hospitals as 'spoke'. The neurologist at the 'hub' provided stroke expertise to the local physician using either a two-way video link or telephone. Cranial CT scans were transmitted to 'hub'. Education sessions were held before the initiation of the program. Of 210 patients 44 (21%) received thrombolysis at the 'spoke' sites. In 34/44 (77%) two-way video link was available while in 10/44 (23%) telephone was used. Five (11.4%) patients experienced intracranial hemorrhage after thrombolysis, 2 (4.5%) were symptomatic. Favorable (mRS=0-1) outcome at three months was 16/40 (40%) and mortality was 9/40 (22.5%). Four patients were lost to follow-up. There was no significant three months outcome difference between two-way video link and telephone consultation (P = 0.689). Over two years the number of acute stroke transfers decreased from 144 to 15 at one of the 'spoke' sites, a 92.5% decline. It is possible to successfully treat patients with acute ischemic stroke at remote sites through videoconferencing or telephone consultation. Telestroke can also lead to a significant reduction in the number of patients requiring transfer to a tertiary care centre.

Challenges in Obtaining Property Access: The FUSRAP Maywood Site Experience - 13433

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

Kollar, William

2013-07-01

The Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) is the US government program started in 1974 to identify, investigate and clean up or control sites that became contaminated as a result of the nation's early atomic programs. Many of these sites are not owned by the federal government and therefore require owner permission to enter. The experience in pursuing such access at the FUSRAP Maywood Superfund Site (the Maywood Site or the Site) in Bergen County, New Jersey, is extensive. Since the US Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) assumed responsibility for the Maywood Site from the US Department ofmore » Energy in 1997, at least 186 separate property access agreements (known in FUSRAP as a Real Estate Right-of- Entry or ROE) have been executed between the Corps and approximately 55 different land owners and tenant occupants at the Maywood Site (agreement renewals with the same owners over time account for the difference). Maywood's experience during the Corps' tenure, reflected here in three case studies of representative property access efforts, offers some lessons and best practices that may apply to other remedial programs. While the Site Community Relations Manager (the author of this paper) managed the property access task, multi-disciplinary support from across the project was also critical to success in this endeavor. (authors)« less

How the University of Texas system responded to the need for interim storage of low-level radioactive waste materials.

PubMed

Emery, Robert J

2012-11-01

Faced with the prospect of being unable to permanently dispose of low-level radioactive wastes (LLRW) generated from teaching, research, and patient care activities, component institutions of the University of Texas System worked collaboratively to create a dedicated interim storage facility to be used until a permanent disposal facility became available. Located in a remote section of West Texas, the University of Texas System Interim Storage Facility (UTSISF) was licensed and put into operation in 1993, and since then has provided safe and secure interim storage for up to 350 drums of dry solid LLRW at any given time. Interim storage capability provided needed relief to component institutions, whose on-site waste facilities could have possibly become overburdened. Experiences gained from the licensing and operation of the site are described, and as a new permanent LLRW disposal facility emerges in Texas, a potential new role for the storage facility as a surge capacity storage site in times of natural disasters and emergencies is also discussed.

Shared Skies Partnership: A Dual-Site All-Sky Live Remote Observing Initiative for Research and Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kielkopf, John F.; Hart, R.; Carter, B.; Collins, K. A.; Brown, C.; Hay, J.; Hons, A.; Marsden, S.

2014-01-01

The University of Southern Queensland's Mt. Kent Observatory in Queensland, Australia, and the University of Louisville's Moore Observatory in Kentucky, USA, are collaborating in the development of live remote observing for research, student training, and education. With a focus on flexible operation assisted by semi-autonomous controllers, rather than completely robotic data acquisition, the partnership provides interactive hands-on experience to students at all levels, optimized performance based on real-time observations, and flexible scheduling for transient events and targets of opportunity. Two sites on opposites sides of the globe cover the entire sky, and for equatorial regions allow nearly continuous coverage. The facilites include 0.5-m corrected Dall-Kirkham (CDK) telescopes at both sites, a 0.6 m Ritchie-Chretien telescope at Moore, and a new Nasmyth design 0.7-meter CDK at Mt. Kent instrumented for milli-magnitude precision photometry and wide field imaging, with spectrographs under development. We will describe the operational and data acquisition software, recent research results, and how remote access is being made available to students and observers.

The democratization of gene editing: Insights from site-specific cleavage and double-strand break repair.

PubMed

Jasin, Maria; Haber, James E

2016-08-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are dangerous lesions that if not properly repaired can lead to genomic change or cell death. Organisms have developed several pathways and have many factors devoted to repairing DSBs, which broadly occurs by homologous recombination, which relies on an identical or homologous sequence to template repair, or nonhomologous end-joining. Much of our understanding of these repair mechanisms has come from the study of induced DNA cleavage by site-specific endonucleases. In addition to their biological role, these cellular pathways can be co-opted for gene editing to study gene function or for gene therapy or other applications. While the first gene editing experiments were done more than 20 years ago, the recent discovery of RNA-guided endonucleases has simplified approaches developed over the years to make gene editing an approach that is available to the entire biomedical research community. Here, we review DSB repair mechanisms and site-specific cleavage systems that have provided insight into these mechanisms and led to the current gene editing revolution. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Robotic-assisted laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (R-LESS) in urology: an evidence-based analysis.

PubMed

Barret, E; Sanchez-Salas, R; Ercolani, M; Forgues, A; Rozet, F; Galiano, M; Cathelineau, X

2011-06-01

The objective of this manuscript is to provide an evidence-based analysis of the current status and future perspectives of robotic laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (R-LESS). A PubMed search has been performed for all relevant urological literature regarding natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) and laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS). All clinical and investigative reports for robotic LESS and NOTES procedures in the urological literature have been considered. A significant number of clinical urological procedures have been successfully completed utilizing R-LESS procedures. The available experience is limited to referral centers, where the case volume is sufficient to help overcome the challenges and learning curve of LESS surgery. The robotic interface remains the best fit for LESS procedures but its mode of use continues to evolve in attempts to improve surgical technique. We stand today at the dawn of R-LESS surgery, but this approach may well become the standard of care in the near future. Further technological development is needed to allow widespread adoption of the technique.

Linking Arctic plant biodiversity measurements with landscape heterogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerber, F.; Schaepman-Strub, G.; Furrer, R.

2016-12-01

Climate warming in the Arctic region triggers changes in the vegetation productivity and species composition of the tundra. To investigate these changes and their feedback to climate, we consider species richness and abundance data of the International Tundra EXperiment (ITEX). As this information is very sparse in time and space, we aim to upscale available records to climatically relevant scales with a remote sensing based characterization of the study sites. More precisely, we relate species richness and evenness derived from the ITEX data to summary statistics describing the landscape heterogeneity, which are derived from an elevation model (ASTER GDEM) and spectral satellite observations (LANDSAT 5 and 7). Preliminary results from the statistical analysis using generalized linear mixed models show that no remote sensing based landscape characterization does significantly explain species richness. Reasons could be a mismatch of the spatial scales, an inappropriate characterization of the test sites through the satellite measurements, incomparable plot measurements from the different test sites and/or too few plot measurements. We are looking forward to presenting our results and getting your inputs.

Adsorption, Desorption, and Displacement Kinetics of H2O and CO2 on TiO2(110)

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

Smith, R. Scott; Li, Zhenjun; Chen, Long

The adsorption, desorption, and displacement kinetics of H2O and CO2 on TiO2(110) are investigated using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and molecular beam techniques. The TPD spectra for both H2O and CO2 have well-resolved peaks corresponding to desorption from bridge-bonded oxygen (BBO), Ti, and oxygen vacancies (VO) sites in order of increasing peak temperature. Analysis of the saturated monolayer peak for both species reveals that the corresponding adsorption energies on all sites are greater for H2O and for CO2. Sequential dosing of H2O and CO2 reveals that, independent of the dose order, H2O molecules will displace CO2 in order to occupymore » the highest energy binding sites available. Isothermal experiments show that the displacement of CO2 by H2O occurs between 75 and 80 K. Further analysis shows that a ratio of 4 H2O to 3 CO2 molecules is needed to displace CO2 from the TiO2(110) surface.« less

The Democratization of Gene Editing: Insights from site-specific cleavage and double-strand break repair

PubMed Central

Jasin, Maria; Haber, James E.

2017-01-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are dangerous lesions that if not properly repaired can lead to genomic change or cell death. Organisms have developed several pathways and have many factors devoted to repairing DSBs, which broadly occur by homologous recombination that relies on an identical or homologous sequence to template repair, or nonhomologous end-joining. Much of our understanding of these repair mechanisms has come from the study of induced DNA cleavage by site-specific endonucleases. In addition to their biological role, these cellular pathways can be co-opted for gene editing to study gene function or for gene therapy or other applications. While the first gene editing experiments were done more than 20 years ago, the recent discovery of RNA-guided endonucleases has simplified approaches developed over the years to make gene editing an approach that is available to the entire biomedical research community. Here, we review DSB repair mechanisms and site-specific cleavage systems that have provided insight into these mechanisms and led to the current gene editing revolution. PMID:27261202

Simulation of Local Seismic Ground Motions from the FLASK Underground Nuclear Explosion near the Source Physics Experiment Dry Alluvium Geology Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodgers, A. J.; Pitarka, A.; Wagoner, J. L.; Helmberger, D. V.

2017-12-01

The FLASK underground nuclear explosion (UNE) was conducted in Area 2 of Yucca Flat at the Nevada Test Site on May 26, 1970. The yield was 105 kilotons (DOE/NV-209-Rev 16) and the working point was 529 m below the surface. This test was detonated in faulted Tertiary volcanic rocks of Yucca Flat. Coincidently, the FLASK UNE ground zero (GZ) is close (< 600 m) to the U2ez hole where the Source Physics Experiment will be conducting Phase II of its chemical high explosives test series in the so-called Dry Alluvium Geology (DAG) site. Ground motions from FLASK were recorded by twelve (12) three-component seismic stations in the near-field at ranges 3-4 km. We digitized the paper records and used available metadata on peak particle velocity measurements made at the time to adjust the amplitudes. These waveforms show great variability in amplitudes and waveform complexity with azimuth from the shot, likely due to along propagation path structure such as the geometry of the hard-rock/alluvium contact above the working point. Peak particle velocities at stations in the deeper alluvium to the north, east and south of GZ have larger amplitudes than those to the west where the basement rock is much shallower. Interestingly, the transverse components show a similar trend with azimuth. In fact, the transverse component amplitudes are similar to the other components for many stations overlying deeper basement. In this study, we simulated the seismic response at the available near-field stations using the SW4 three-dimensional (3D) finite difference code. SW4 can simulate seismic wave propagation in 3D inelastic earth structure, including surface topography. SW4 includes vertical mesh refinement which greatly reduces the computational resources needed to run a specific problem. Simulations are performed on high-performance computers with grid spacing as small as 10 meters and resolution to 6 Hz. We are testing various subsurface models to identify the role of 3D structure on path propagation effects from the source. We are also testing 3D models to constrain structure for the upcoming DAG experiments in 2018.

Pharmacy Service Orientation: a measure of organizational culture in pharmacy practice sites.

PubMed

Clark, Bartholomew E; Mount, Jeanine K

2006-03-01

The importance of organizational culture in shaping everyday organizational life is well accepted, but little work has focused on organizational culture in pharmacy. Examining new pharmacists' experiences at various practice sites may help us to understand how these shape their professional ethos and practice habits. (1) Present development and assessment of the Pharmacy Service Orientation (PSO) measure, a tool for assessing pharmacists' impressions of pharmacy practice sites. (2) Use data gathered from a sample of new pharmacists to explore potential predictors of PSO, including type of practice site, type of pharmacy work experience, and type of pharmacy degree. Mail survey of randomly selected class of 1999 pharmacy graduates within 3 months of graduation (response rate: 259 of 1,850; 14%), each of whom reported on up to 6 different pharmacy practice sites for a total of 1,192 pharmacy observations. Pharmacy Service Orientation is scored on a 1-10 semantic differential scale and reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Predictors of PSO were explored using t test and ordinary least squares regression procedures. Reliability of the PSO across all observations was 0.86. When divided according to recency of experience and type of experience, reliabilities ranged from 0.78 to 0.87. Analysis of potential predictors of PSO showed that non-corporate-community sites had significantly greater pharmaceutical care-oriented cultures (mean PSOs of 7.42 and 5.13, respectively; P<.001). The same pattern was seen for academic and nonacademic worksites (mean PSOs of 7.46 and 6.01, respectively; P<.001). The pharmacist's pharmacy degree type was not predictive of PSO. Multivariate regression results showed that type of practice site and type of pharmacy work experience explained more than 25% of the observed variance in PSO. Pharmacy Service Orientation is a reliable measure. Statistically significant differences in PSO comparisons by degree and by experience type are explained by significant differences between the PSOs of corporate-community and non-corporate-community sites.

SiteDB: Marshalling people and resources available to CMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metson, S.; Bonacorsi, D.; Dias Ferreira, M.; Egeland, R.

2010-04-01

In a collaboration the size of CMS (approx. 3000 users, and almost 100 computing centres of varying size) communication and accurate information about the sites it has access to is vital in co-ordinating the multitude of computing tasks required for smooth running. SiteDB is a tool developed by CMS to track sites available to the collaboration, the allocation to CMS of resources available at those sites and the associations between CMS members and the sites (as either a manager/operator of the site or a member of a group associated to the site). It is used to track the roles a person has for an associated site or group. SiteDB eases the coordination load for the operations teams by providing a consistent interface to manage communication with the people working at a site, by identifying who is responsible for a given task or service at a site and by offering a uniform interface to information on CMS contacts and sites. SiteDB provides api's and reports for other CMS tools to use to access the information it contains, for instance enabling CRAB to use "user friendly" names when black/white listing CE's, providing role based authentication and authorisation for other web based services and populating various troubleshooting squads in external ticketing systems in use daily by CMS Computing operations.

Boise Hydrogeophysical Research Site: Control Volume/Test Cell and Community Research Asset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrash, W.; Bradford, J.; Malama, B.

2008-12-01

The Boise Hydrogeophysical Research Site (BHRS) is a research wellfield or field-scale test facility developed in a shallow, coarse, fluvial aquifer with the objectives of supporting: (a) development of cost- effective, non- or minimally-invasive quantitative characterization and imaging methods in heterogeneous aquifers using hydrologic and geophysical techniques; (b) examination of fundamental relationships and processes at multiple scales; (c) testing theories and models for groundwater flow and solute transport; and (d) educating and training of students in multidisciplinary subsurface science and engineering. The design of the wells and the wellfield support modular use and reoccupation of wells for a wide range of single-well, cross-hole, multiwell and multilevel hydrologic, geophysical, and combined hydrologic-geophysical experiments. Efforts to date by Boise State researchers and collaborators have been largely focused on: (a) establishing the 3D distributions of geologic, hydrologic, and geophysical parameters which can then be used as the basis for jointly inverting hard and soft data to return the 3D K distribution and (b) developing subsurface measurement and imaging methods including tomographic characterization and imaging methods. At this point the hydrostratigraphic framework of the BHRS is known to be a hierarchical multi-scale system which includes layers and lenses that are recognized with geologic, hydrologic, radar, seismic, and EM methods; details are now emerging which may allow 3D deterministic characterization of zones and/or material variations at the meter scale in the central wellfield. Also the site design and subsurface framework have supported a variety of testing configurations for joint hydrologic and geophysical experiments. Going forward we recognize the opportunity to increase the R&D returns from use of the BHRS with additional infrastructure (especially for monitoring the vadose zone and surface water-groundwater interactions), more collaborative activity, and greater access to site data. Our broader goal of becoming more available as a research asset for the scientific community also supports the long-term business plan of increasing funding opportunities to maintain and operate the site.

Throughfall reduction and nutrient availability effects on carbon balance in loblolly pine plantations in the southeastern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bracho, R. G.; Vogel, J.; Jokela, E. J.; Cucinella, J.; Noormets, A.; Laviner, M. A.; Gonzalez-Benecke, C. A.; Samuelson, L. J.; Markewitz, D.; Will, R.; Meek, C.; Seiler, J.; Strahm, B. D.; McElligott, K.; Martin, T.

2016-12-01

Planted loblolly pine covers over 11 million hectares in the southeastern United States. Occurring across a range of climatic conditions, these pine plantations are critical for the regional economy and offset a significant fraction of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Loblolly pine productivity has been enhanced through genetic improvement and intensive silviculture. However, climate projections forecast higher air temperature and more variable precipitation patterns for the region. A critical question is how silvicultural practices will interact with projected climate change to affect loblolly pine carbon balance. A fertilization by throughfall reduction experiment was established in the spring of 2012 at four loblolly pine plantations at the margins of the natural range of the specie (Florida FL, Georgia GA, Oklahoma OK and Virginia VA). Net primary productivity (NPP) was estimated from repeated tree inventories and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) as the difference between NPP and heterotrophic respiration (RH). Soil respiration (RS) and RH were measured simultaneously several times during the experiment. Throughfall reduction significantly decreased surface soil water content at all sites. After four years of treatment, fertilization increased NPP at all sites and throughfall reduction had a negative effect on NPP at the GA and OK sites. The combination fertilization x throughfall reduction did not have a significant effect on NPP. RS and RH were, in general negatively affected by fertilization and throughfall reduction with differential responses between sites, leading to significant NEP increases under fertilization, while throughfall reduction increased NEP at FL and VA due to no effect on NPP and negative effect on RS. Fertilization offset the negative effect of throughfall reduction on NEP in the fertilization x throughfall reduction treatment. All sites were significant carbon sinks, accumulating from 3.5 to 24 Mg C ha-1 in a 3 year period under a range of climatic conditions, age and treatments.

N cycling and the composition of terpenes and tannins in boreal forest soils: Effects of logging residues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smolander, Aino; Kitunen, Veikko; Kukkola, Mikko; Tamminen, Pekka

2014-05-01

There is increasing evidence available that certain terpenes and tannins may mediate substantial changes in nitrogen cycling processes in boreal forest soils. Terpenes and tannins are two important groups of plant secondary metabolites: Terpenes are hydrocarbons having different number of isoprene-derived units and tannins are complex polyphenolic compounds able to interact with proteins. Logging residues, consisting of fresh tree tops and branches with needles contain large amounts of terpenes and tannins. Currently there is increasing demand for forest biomass for bioenergy production. Therefore, harvesting of logging residues has become more common from both clear-cutting and thinning stands, instead of conventional stem-only harvest where logging residues are retained on the site. Our aim was to determine how logging residues affect soil N cycling processes in Scots pine and Norway spruce thinning stands in long-term, and how these processes are related to the composition of terpenes and tannins in the soil. Samples were taken from the humus layer of pine and spruce experiments which had been thinned 4-to-19 years before; in the thinning different amounts of logging residues had been distributed on the plots. Logging residues had only little effect on soil microbial biomass N or C. However, in several sites logging residues increased the rate of net N mineralization and the ratios net N mineralization/ C mineralization and net N mineralization/microbial biomass N, and these positive effects were very long-lasting. Logging residues also changed the composition of different terpenes and condensed tannins in soil. In general, with regard to the processes and ratios indicating N availability, stem-only harvest seems to be more favorable than whole-tree harvest. The results from long-term field experiments will be discussed in relation to the effects of different terpenes and tannins, observed in short-term laboratory experiments, on N cycling processes.

Crustal dynamics project session 4 validation and intercomparison experiments 1979-1980 report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liebrecht, P.; Kolenkiewicz, R.; Ryan, J.; Hothem, L.

1983-01-01

As part of the Crustal Dynamics Project, an experiment was performed to verify the ability of Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), Very Long Baseline interferometry (VLBI) and Doppler Satellite Positioning System (Doppler) techniques to estimate the baseline distances between several locations. The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) lasers were in operation at all five sites available to them. The ten baselines involved were analyzed using monthly orbits and various methods of selecting data. The standard deviation of the monthly SLR baseline lengths was at the 7 cm level. The GSFC VLBI (Mark III) data was obtained during three separate experiments. November 1979 at Haystack and Owens Valley, and April and July 1980 at Haystack, Owens Valley, and Fort Davis. Repeatability of the VLBI in determining baseline lengths was calculated to be at the 2 cm level. Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) VLBI (Mark II) data was acquired on the Owens Valley to Goldstone baseline on ten occasions between August 1979 and November 1980. The repeatability of these baseline length determinations was calculated to be at the 5 cm level. National Geodetic Survey (NGS) Doppler data was acquired at all five sites in January 1980. Repeatability of the Doppler determined baseline lengths results were calculated at approximately 30 cm. An intercomparison between baseline distances and associated parameters was made utilizing SLR, VLBI, and Doppler results on all available baselines. The VLBI and SLR length determinations were compared on four baselines with a resultant mean difference of -1 cm and a maximum difference of 12 cm. The SLR and Doppler length determinations were compared on ten baselines with a resultant mean difference of about 30 cm and a maximum difference of about 60 cm. The VLBI and Doppler lengths from seven baselines showed a resultant mean difference of about 30 cm and maximum difference of about 1 meter. The intercomparison of baseline orientation parameters were consistent with past analysis.

Effectiveness of a WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist Coaching-based intervention on the availability of Essential Birth Supplies in Uttar Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Maisonneuve, Jenny J; Semrau, Katherine E A; Maji, Pinki; Pratap Singh, Vinay; Miller, Kate A; Solsky, Ian; Dixit, Neeraj; Sharma, Jigyasa; Lagoo, Janaka; Panariello, Natalie; Neal, Brandon; Kalita, Tapan; Kara, Nabihah; Kumar, Vishwajeet; Hirschhorn, Lisa R

2018-04-30

Evaluate the impact of a World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist coaching-based intervention (BetterBirth Program) on availability and procurement of essential childbirth-related supplies. Matched pair, cluster-randomized controlled trial. Uttar Pradesh, India. 120 government-sector health facilities (60 interventions, 60 controls). Supply-availability surveys were conducted quarterly in all sites. Coaches collected supply procurement sources from intervention sites. Coaching targeting implementation of Checklist with data feedback and action planning. Mean supply availability by study arm; change in procurement sources for intervention sites. At baseline, 6 and 12 months, the intervention sites had a mean of 20.9 (95% confidence interval (CI): 20.2-21.5); 22.4 (95% CI: 21.8-22.9) and 22.1 (95% CI:21.4-22.8) items, respectively. Control sites had 20.8 (95% CI: 20.3-21.3); 20.9 (95% CI: 20.3-21.5) and 21.7 (95% CI: 20.8-22.6) items at the same time-points. There was a small but statistically significant higher availability in intervention sites at 6 months (difference-in-difference (DID) = 1.43, P < 0.001), which was not seen by 12 months (DID = 0.37, P = 0.53). Greater difference between intervention and control sites starting in the bottom quartile of supply availability was seen at 6 months (DID = 4.0, P = 0.0002), with no significant difference by 12 months (DID = 1.5, P = 0.154). No change was seen in procurement sources with ~5% procured by patients with some rates as high as 29% (oxytocin). Implementation of the BetterBirth Program, incorporating supply availability, resulted in modest improvements with catch-up by control facilities by 12 months. Supply-chain coaching may be most beneficial in sites starting with lower supply availability. Efforts are needed to reduce reliance on patient-funding for some critical medications. ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT02148952; Universal Trial Number: U1111-1131-5647.

Optimal plant nitrogen use improves model representation of vegetation response to elevated CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caldararu, Silvia; Kern, Melanie; Engel, Jan; Zaehle, Sönke

2017-04-01

Existing global vegetation models often cannot accurately represent observed ecosystem behaviour under transient conditions such as elevated atmospheric CO2, a problem that can be attributed to an inflexibility in model representation of plant responses. Plant optimality concepts have been proposed as a solution to this problem as they offer a way to represent plastic plant responses in complex models. Here we present a novel, next generation vegetation model which includes optimal nitrogen allocation to and within the canopy as well as optimal biomass allocation between above- and belowground components in response to nutrient and water availability. The underlying hypothesis is that plants adjust their use of nitrogen in response to environmental conditions and nutrient availability in order to maximise biomass growth. We show that for two FACE (Free Air CO2 enrichment) experiments, the Duke forest and Oak Ridge forest sites, the model can better predict vegetation responses over the duration of the experiment when optimal processes are included. Specifically, under elevated CO2 conditions, the model predicts a lower optimal leaf N concentration as well as increased biomass allocation to fine roots, which, combined with a redistribution of leaf N between the Rubisco and chlorophyll components, leads to a continued NPP response under high CO2, where models with a fixed canopy stoichiometry predict a quick onset of N limitation.Existing global vegetation models often cannot accurately represent observed ecosystem behaviour under transient conditions such as elevated atmospheric CO2, a problem that can be attributed to an inflexibility in model representation of plant responses. Plant optimality concepts have been proposed as a solution to this problem as they offer a way to represent plastic plant responses in complex models. Here we present a novel, next generation vegetation model which includes optimal nitrogen allocation to and within the canopy as well as optimal biomass allocation between above- and belowground components in response to nutrient and water availability. The underlying hypothesis is that plants adjust their use of nitrogen in response to environmental conditions and nutrient availability in order to maximise biomass growth. We show that for two FACE (Free Air CO2 enrichment) experiments, the Duke forest and Oak Ridge forest sites, the model can better predict vegetation responses over the duration of the experiment when optimal processes are included. Specifically, under elevated CO2 conditions, the model predicts a lower optimal leaf N concentration as well as increased biomass allocation to fine roots, which, combined with a redistribution of leaf N between the Rubisco and chlorophyll components, leads to a continued NPP response under high CO2, where models with a fixed canopy stoichiometry predict a quick onset of N limitation.

Herbivores and nutrients control grassland plant diversity via light limitation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Borer, Elizabeth T.; Seabloom, Eric W.; Gruner, Daniel S.; Harpole, W. Stanley; Hillebrand, Helmut; Lind, Eric M.; Alder, Peter B.; Alberti, Juan; Anderson, T. Michael; Bakker, Jonathan D.; Biederman, Lori; Blumenthal, Dana; Brown, Cynthia S.; Brudvig, Lars A.; Buckley, Yvonne M.; Cadotte, Marc; Chu, Cheng-Jin; Cleland, Elsa E.; Crawley, Michael J.; Daleo, Pedro; Damschen, Ellen Ingman; Davies, Kendi F.; DeCrappeo, Nicole M.; Du, Guozhen; Firn, Jennifer; Hautier, Yann; Heckman, Robert W.; Hector, Andy; HilleRisLambers, Janneke; Iribarne, Oscar; Klein, Julia A.; Knops, Johannes M.H.; La Pierre, Kimberly J.; Leakey, Andrew D.B.; Li, Wei; MacDougall, Andrew S.; McCulley, Rebecca L.; Melbourne, Brett A.; Mitchell, Charles E.; Moore, Joslin L.; Mortensen, Brent; O'Halloran, Lydia R.; Orrock, John L.; Pascual, Jesús; Prober, Suzanne M.; Pyke, David A.; Risch, Anita C.; Schuetz, Martin; Smith, Melinda D.; Stevens, Carly J.; Sullivan, Lauren L.; Williams, Ryan J.; Wragg, Peter D.; Wright, Justin P.; Yang, Louie H.

2014-01-01

Human alterations to nutrient cycles and herbivore communities are affecting global biodiversity dramatically. Ecological theory predicts these changes should be strongly counteractive: nutrient addition drives plant species loss through intensified competition for light, whereas herbivores prevent competitive exclusion by increasing ground-level light, particularly in productive systems. Here we use experimental data spanning a globally relevant range of conditions to test the hypothesis that herbaceous plant species losses caused by eutrophication may be offset by increased light availability due to herbivory. This experiment, replicated in 40 grasslands on 6 continents, demonstrates that nutrients and herbivores can serve as counteracting forces to control local plant diversity through light limitation, independent of site productivity, soil nitrogen, herbivore type and climate. Nutrient addition consistently reduced local diversity through light limitation, and herbivory rescued diversity at sites where it alleviated light limitation. Thus, species loss from anthropogenic eutrophication can be ameliorated in grasslands where herbivory increases ground-level light.

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

Jensen, Michael; Kollias, Pavlos; Giangrande, Scott

The Mid-latitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) took place from April 22 through June 6, 2011, centered at the ARM Southern Great Plains site (http://www.arm.gov/sites/sgp) in northcentral Oklahoma. MC3E was a collaborative effort between the ARM Climate Research Facility and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission Ground Validation (GV) program. The campaign leveraged the largest ground-based observing infrastructure available in the central United States, including recent upgrades through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, combined with an extensive sounding array, remote sensing and in situ aircraft observations, and additional radar and inmore » situ precipitation instrumentation. The overarching goal of the campaign was to provide a three-dimensional characterization of convective clouds and precipitation for the purpose of improving the representation of convective lifecycle in atmospheric models and the reliability of satellite-based retrievals of precipitation.« less

Herbivores and nutrients control grassland plant diversity via light limitation.

PubMed

Borer, Elizabeth T; Seabloom, Eric W; Gruner, Daniel S; Harpole, W Stanley; Hillebrand, Helmut; Lind, Eric M; Adler, Peter B; Alberti, Juan; Anderson, T Michael; Bakker, Jonathan D; Biederman, Lori; Blumenthal, Dana; Brown, Cynthia S; Brudvig, Lars A; Buckley, Yvonne M; Cadotte, Marc; Chu, Chengjin; Cleland, Elsa E; Crawley, Michael J; Daleo, Pedro; Damschen, Ellen I; Davies, Kendi F; DeCrappeo, Nicole M; Du, Guozhen; Firn, Jennifer; Hautier, Yann; Heckman, Robert W; Hector, Andy; HilleRisLambers, Janneke; Iribarne, Oscar; Klein, Julia A; Knops, Johannes M H; La Pierre, Kimberly J; Leakey, Andrew D B; Li, Wei; MacDougall, Andrew S; McCulley, Rebecca L; Melbourne, Brett A; Mitchell, Charles E; Moore, Joslin L; Mortensen, Brent; O'Halloran, Lydia R; Orrock, John L; Pascual, Jesús; Prober, Suzanne M; Pyke, David A; Risch, Anita C; Schuetz, Martin; Smith, Melinda D; Stevens, Carly J; Sullivan, Lauren L; Williams, Ryan J; Wragg, Peter D; Wright, Justin P; Yang, Louie H

2014-04-24

Human alterations to nutrient cycles and herbivore communities are affecting global biodiversity dramatically. Ecological theory predicts these changes should be strongly counteractive: nutrient addition drives plant species loss through intensified competition for light, whereas herbivores prevent competitive exclusion by increasing ground-level light, particularly in productive systems. Here we use experimental data spanning a globally relevant range of conditions to test the hypothesis that herbaceous plant species losses caused by eutrophication may be offset by increased light availability due to herbivory. This experiment, replicated in 40 grasslands on 6 continents, demonstrates that nutrients and herbivores can serve as counteracting forces to control local plant diversity through light limitation, independent of site productivity, soil nitrogen, herbivore type and climate. Nutrient addition consistently reduced local diversity through light limitation, and herbivory rescued diversity at sites where it alleviated light limitation. Thus, species loss from anthropogenic eutrophication can be ameliorated in grasslands where herbivory increases ground-level light.

Single and pair-wise manipulation of atoms in a 3D optical lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corcovilos, Theodore; Wang, Yang; Weiss, David

2013-05-01

We describe the hardware used in a quantum computing experiment using individual Cs atoms in a 5 μm -spaced 3D optical lattice as qubits. Far-off-resonance addressing beams can be steered to any site in the array using MEMS mirrors within 10 μs , allowing the translation of individual atoms between lattice sites, for example to remove vacancies in the atom array, and the manipulation of single atoms for single qubit gates in < 100 μs . Two-qubit gates on adjacent atoms can be performed via the Rydberg blockade mechanism using a second MEMS system and high-NA imaging objective. The lasers for the Rydberg excitation are built using a new extended cavity diode laser design utilizing an interference filter as the frequency selecting element following Baillard, et al. (Opt. Comm. 266: 609 (2009)), but using commercially available components. We gratefully acknowledge funding from ARO and DARPA.

Environmental quality of Korean coasts as determined by modified Shannon-Wiener evenness proportion.

PubMed

Yoo, Jae-Won; Lee, Yong-Woo; Ruesink, Jennifer L; Lee, Chang-Gun; Kim, Chang-Soo; Park, Mi-Ra; Yoon, Kon-Tak; Hwang, In-Seo; Maeng, Jun-Ho; Rosenberg, Rutger; Hong, Jae-Sang

2010-11-01

The coast of the Korean peninsula experiences a range of human impacts, including pollution, shipping, reclamation, and aquaculture, that have motivated numerous local studies of macrobenthic organisms. In this paper, 1,492 subtidal stations were compiled from 23 studies (areas) to evaluate environmental quality on a broader scale. A common index in biomonitoring, Shannon-Wiener evenness proportion (SEP), could not incorporate azoic or single-species samples. This shortcoming was overcome by developing an inverse function of SEP (ISEP), which was positively correlated with independent measures of water quality available for nine sites and was not biased by the size of the sampling unit. Additionally, at Shihwa Dike, where samples were collected before and after reinstating a tidal connection with the ocean, ISEP values improved over time, as expected. Thus, it is now possible to assign Korean subtidal sites to seven ISEP "grades" and to use their values and trends to guide coastal management.

Examining Primary Healthcare Performance through a Triple Aim Lens.

PubMed

Ryan, Bridget L; Brown, Judith Belle; Glazier, Richard H; Hutchison, Brian

2016-02-01

This study sought to apply a Triple Aim framework to the measurement and evaluation of primary healthcare (PHC) team performance. Triple Aim components were populated with 10 dimensions derived from survey and health administrative data for 17 Family Health Teams (FHTs) in Ontario, Canada. Bivariate analyses and rankings of sites examined the relationships among dimensions and among Triple Aim components. Readily available measures to fully populate the Triple Aim framework were lacking in FHTs. Within sites, there was little consistency in performance across the Triple Aim components (health, patient experience and cost). More and better measures are needed that can be readily used to examine the Triple Aim performance in PHC teams. FHTs, in this study, are partially achieving Triple Aim goals; however, there was a lack of consistency in performance. It is essential to collect appropriate measures and attend to performance across all components of the Triple Aim. Copyright © 2016 Longwoods Publishing.

Examining Primary Healthcare Performance through a Triple Aim Lens

PubMed Central

Ryan, Bridget L.; Brown, Judith Belle; Glazier, Richard H.; Hutchison, Brian

2016-01-01

Purpose: This study sought to apply a Triple Aim framework to the measurement and evaluation of primary healthcare (PHC) team performance. Methods: Triple Aim components were populated with 10 dimensions derived from survey and health administrative data for 17 Family Health Teams (FHTs) in Ontario, Canada. Bivariate analyses and rankings of sites examined the relationships among dimensions and among Triple Aim components. Results: Readily available measures to fully populate the Triple Aim framework were lacking in FHTs. Within sites, there was little consistency in performance across the Triple Aim components (health, patient experience and cost). Conclusions: More and better measures are needed that can be readily used to examine the Triple Aim performance in PHC teams. FHTs, in this study, are partially achieving Triple Aim goals; however, there was a lack of consistency in performance. It is essential to collect appropriate measures and attend to performance across all components of the Triple Aim. PMID:27027790

Analysis of ORNL site temperature and humidity data

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

Willis, B.E.

1989-08-01

The Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) is planned as a new state-of-the-art facility for neutron research and is currently undergoing conceptual design at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The current concept calls for a nuclear research reactor with an operating power near 350 MW and extensive experiment and user support facilities. Analyses have been undertaken to determine an acceptable design basis wet-bulb temperature range for the facility. Comparisons are drawn with the design wet-bulb temperature previously used for the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), which is located on an adjacent site a Oak Ridge. This report explains the importance ofmore » wet-bulb temperature to the reactor cooling system performance, and describes the analysis of available meteorological data, and presents the results and the recommendations for a wet-bulb temperature range for use as a part of the plant design basis conditions. 1 ref., 6 figs.« less

Learning That's Out of This World

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

NASA's Ames Research Center developed a new curriculum to educate the space explorers of tomorrow. The Mars Virtual Exploration CD-ROM is exclusively licensed to Modern School Supplies, Inc., of Bloomfield, Connecticut. The CD-ROM allows students to imagine they are residents of a research team at an advanced facility divided into four different domes. Students experience how scientists approach planetary exploration through interactive exercises in ExoPaleontology, Meteorology, Exobiology, and Volcanology. Once the students have learned the facts and have consulted with the experts, they select a potential landing site. Using QuickTimeVR(TM) software, the students get a 360-degree view of the potential landing terrain. They are then able to virtually explore the four available sites and select the one they feel is best for conducting research. The Mars Virtual Exploration CD-ROM comes complete with a printable teacher's guide and student logbook.

Soil erosion modelled with USLE and PESERA using QuickBird derived vegetation parameters in an alpine catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meusburger, K.; Konz, N.; Schaub, M.; Alewell, C.

2010-06-01

The focus of soil erosion research in the Alps has been in two categories: (i) on-site measurements, which are rather small scale point measurements on selected plots often constrained to irrigation experiments or (ii) off-site quantification of sediment delivery at the outlet of the catchment. Results of both categories pointed towards the importance of an intact vegetation cover to prevent soil loss. With the recent availability of high-resolution satellites such as IKONOS and QuickBird options for detecting and monitoring vegetation parameters in heterogeneous terrain have increased. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of QuickBird derived vegetation parameters in soil erosion models for alpine sites by comparison to Cesium-137 (Cs-137) derived soil erosion estimates. The study site (67 km 2) is located in the Central Swiss Alps (Urseren Valley) and is characterised by scarce forest cover and strong anthropogenic influences due to grassland farming for centuries. A fractional vegetation cover (FVC) map for grassland and detailed land-cover maps are available from linear spectral unmixing and supervised classification of QuickBird imagery. The maps were introduced to the Pan-European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment (PESERA) model as well as to the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). Regarding the latter model, the FVC was indirectly incorporated by adapting the C factor. Both models show an increase in absolute soil erosion values when FVC is considered. In contrast to USLE and the Cs-137 soil erosion rates, PESERA estimates are low. For the USLE model also the spatial patterns improved and showed "hotspots" of high erosion of up to 16 t ha -1 a -1. In conclusion field measurements of Cs-137 confirmed the improvement of soil erosion estimates using the satellite-derived vegetation data.

Anthropogenic vs. natural pollution: An environmental study of an industrial site under remediation (Naples, Italy)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tarzia, M.; de Vivo, B.; Somma, R.; Ayuso, R.A.; McGill, R.A.R.; Parrish, R.R.

2002-01-01

Heavy metal concentrations and Pb isotopic composition were determined in the soils, slags, scums and landfill materials from a shut down industrial (brownfield) site. This was the second largest integrated steelworks in Italy, and is now under remediation by a Government project. It is located in the outskirts of Napoli on the Bagnoli-Fuorigrotta plain (BFP), which is part of the Campi Flegrei (CF) volcanic caldera, where many spas and geothermal springs occur. The purpose of this work is to distinguish the natural (geogenic) component, originated by hydrothermal activity, from anthropogenic contamination owing to industrial activity. 'In-situ sediments' (soils), slags, scums and landfill materials from 20 drill-cores were selected from a network of 197 drills carried out on a 100 ?? 100 m grid, covering the entire brownfield site. In general, heavy metal enrichments in the upper 3 m of the cores strongly suggest mixing between natural (geogenic) and anthropogenic components. Pb isotopic data are suggestive of three potential end members, and confirm the existence of a strong natural component in addition to contamination from anthropogenic activities. The slags, scums and landfill materials have been proved, through mineralogy and leachate experiments, to be geochemically stable; this shows that metal pollutants are not bio-available and, hence, do not pose a risk to future developments on this site. The natural contribution of hydrothermal fluids to soil pollution, in addition to the non-bio-availability of metal pollutants from industrial materials, indicate that heavy metal remediation of soils in this area would be of little use. Continuous discharge from mineralized hydrothermal solutions would cancel out any remediation effort.

Effects of Air Drying on Soil Available Phosphorus in Two Grassland Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaerer, M.; Frossard, E.; Sinaj, S.

2003-04-01

Mobilization of P from the soil to ground and surface water is principally determined by the amount of P in the soil and physico-chemical as well as biological processes determining the available P-pool that is in equilibrium with soil solution. Soil available P is commonly estimated on air dry soil using a variety of methods (extraction with water, dilute acids and bases, anion exchange resin, isotopic exchange or infinite sinks). Recently, attempts have been made to use these measurements to define the potential for transport of P from soil to water by overland flow or subsurface flow. The effect of air drying on soil properties in general, and plant nutrient status in particular, have been subject of a number of studies. The main objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of air-drying on soil properties and available P. For this experiment, grassland soils were sampled on two study sites located on slopes in the watershed of Lake Greifensee, 25 km south-east of Zurich. Both soils (0-4 cm depth) are rich in P with 1.7 and 1.3 g kg-1 total P at site I and site II, respectively. The concentrations on isotopically exchangeable P within 1 minute (E1min, readily available P) for the same depth were also very high, 58 and 27 mg P kg soil-1 for the site I and II, respectively. In the present study both field moist and air dried soil samples were analyzed for microbial P (Pmic), resin extractable P (P_r), isotopically exchangeable P (E1min) and amorphous Al and Fe (Alox, Feox). Generally, the microbial P in field moist soils reached values up to 120 mg P/kg soil, whereas after drying they decreased by 73% in average for both soils. On the contrary to Pmic, available P estimated by different methods strongly increased after drying of the soil samples. The concentration of phosphate ions in the soil solution c_p, E1min and P_r were 4.2, 2.2 and 2 times higher in dry soils than in field moist soils. The increase in available P shows significant semilogarithmic correlations with the decrease in microbial P (r^2 = 0.66, r^2 = 0.53 and r^2 = 0.75 respectively for c_p, E(1 min) and resin P). The parameter R_0/r1min from the isotopic exchange approach, which is well correlated with the soil P fixing capacity, generally decreased after drying. Drying of the soil significantly modifies soil properties that control P availability, such as amorphous Fe- and Al-oxides. The amount of Feox and Alox was decreased by 3 and 6% respectively. It can be concluded that drying of the soils leads a strong increase in available P as estimated by different methods. The observed available P increase is mainly related to a modification of both soil chemistry and biology. Especially for grassland soils with a high organic matter content and microbial biomass, available P measurements on dry soil seem to overestimate the available P mainly due to a release of microbial P.

Development of Virtual Field Experiences for undergraduate geoscience using 3D models from aerial drone imagery and other data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karchewski, B.; Dolphin, G.; Dutchak, A.; Cooper, J.

2017-12-01

In geoscience one must develop important skills related to data collection, analysis and interpretation in the field. The quadrupling of student enrollment in geoscience at the University of Calgary in recent years presents a unique challenge in providing field experience. With introductory classes ranging from 300-500 students, field trips are logistical impossibilities and the impact on the quality of student learning and engagement is major and negative. Field experience is fundamental to geoscience education, but is presently lacking prior to the third year curriculum. To mitigate the absence of field experience in the introductory curricula, we are developing a set of Virtual Field Experiences (VFEs) that approximate field experiences via inquiry-based exploration of geoscientific principles. We incorporate a variety of data into the VFEs including gigapan photographs, geologic maps and high resolution 3D models constructed from aerial drone imagery. We link the data using a web-based platform to support lab exercises guided by a set of inquiry questions. An important feature that distinguishes a VFE is that students explore the data in a nonlinear fashion to construct and revise models that explain the nature of the field site. The aim is to approximate an actual field experience rather than provide a virtual guided tour where the explanation of the site comes pre-packaged. Thus far, our group has collected data at three sites in Southern Alberta: Mt. Yamnuska, Drumheller environs and the North Saskatchewan River valley near the toe of the Saskatchewan Glacier. The Mt. Yamnuska site focusses on a prominent thrust fault in the front ranges of the Western Cordillera. The Drumheller environs site demonstrates the siliciclastic sedimentation and stratigraphy typical of southeastern Alberta. The Saskatchewan Glacier site highlights periglacial geomorphology and glacial recession. All three sites were selected because they showcase a broad range of geoscientific principles, and are accessible as daytrips from Calgary should students be inspired to follow up with self-organized field trips. We present preliminary data collected from each of the sites and lessons learned during the data collection and curation process, as well as the first pilot of a VFE in our introductory geoscience course.

How Accurate Is Your Activity Tracker? A Comparative Study of Step Counts in Low-Intensity Physical Activities.

PubMed

Alinia, Parastoo; Cain, Chris; Fallahzadeh, Ramin; Shahrokni, Armin; Cook, Diane; Ghasemzadeh, Hassan

2017-08-11

As commercially available activity trackers are being utilized in clinical trials, the research community remains uncertain about reliability of the trackers, particularly in studies that involve walking aids and low-intensity activities. While these trackers have been tested for reliability during walking and running activities, there has been limited research on validating them during low-intensity activities and walking with assistive tools. The aim of this study was to (1) determine the accuracy of 3 Fitbit devices (ie, Zip, One, and Flex) at different wearing positions (ie, pants pocket, chest, and wrist) during walking at 3 different speeds, 2.5, 5, and 8 km/h, performed by healthy adults on a treadmill; (2) determine the accuracy of the mentioned trackers worn at different sites during activities of daily living; and (3) examine whether intensity of physical activity (PA) impacts the choice of optimal wearing site of the tracker. We recruited 15 healthy young adults to perform 6 PAs while wearing 3 Fitbit devices (ie, Zip, One, and Flex) on their chest, pants pocket, and wrist. The activities include walking at 2.5, 5, and 8 km/h, pushing a shopping cart, walking with aid of a walker, and eating while sitting. We compared the number of steps counted by each tracker with gold standard numbers. We performed multiple statistical analyses to compute descriptive statistics (ie, ANOVA test), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), mean absolute error rate, and correlation by comparing the tracker-recorded data with that of the gold standard. All the 3 trackers demonstrated good-to-excellent (ICC>0.75) correlation with the gold standard step counts during treadmill experiments. The correlation was poor (ICC<0.60), and the error rate was significantly higher in walker experiment compared to other activities. There was no significant difference between the trackers and the gold standard in the shopping cart experiment. The wrist worn tracker, Flex, counted several steps when eating (P<.01). The chest tracker was identified as the most promising site to capture steps in more intense activities, while the wrist was the optimal wearing site in less intense activities. This feasibility study focused on 6 PAs and demonstrated that Fitbit trackers were most accurate when walking on a treadmill and least accurate during walking with a walking aid and for low-intensity activities. This may suggest excluding participants with assistive devices from studies that focus on PA interventions using commercially available trackers. This study also indicates that the wearing site of the tracker is an important factor impacting the accuracy performance. A larger scale study with a more diverse population, various activity tracker vendors, and a larger activity set are warranted to generalize our results. ©Parastoo Alinia, Chris Cain, Ramin Fallahzadeh, Armin Shahrokni, Diane Cook, Hassan Ghasemzadeh. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 11.08.2017.

Intraoperative Ultrasound to Assess for Pancreatic Duct Injuries

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-01

cholecystocholangiopancreatography is often nondiagnostic, gastroenterologists may not be available for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP...10MHz.We use the SonoSite MicroMaxx SLT 10-5 MHz 52mm broadband linear array intraoperative US probe ( FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc., Bothell, WA). The duct...Intraoperative US Availability Is gastroenterology available? Is the fluoroscopic and endoscopic equipment available? Is MRCP available? Is a

Do Health Reforms to Improve Quality Have Long-Term Effects? Results of a Follow-Up on a Randomized Policy Experiment in the Philippines.

PubMed

Quimbo, Stella; Wagner, Natascha; Florentino, Jhiedon; Solon, Orville; Peabody, John

2016-02-01

We tracked doctors who had previously participated in a randomized policy experiment in the Philippines. The original experiment involved 30 district hospitals divided equally into one control site and two intervention sites that increased insurance payments (full insurance support for children under 5 years old) or made bonus payments to hospital staff. During the 3 years of the intervention, quality-as measured by clinical performance and value vignettes-improved and was sustained in both intervention sites compared with controls. Five years after the interventions were discontinued, we remeasured the quality of care of the doctors. We found that the intervention sites continued to have significantly higher quality compared with the control sites. The previously documented quality improvement in intervention sites appears to be sustained; moreover, it was subject to a very low (less than 1% per year) rate of decay in quality scores. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Downwelled longwave surface irradiance data from five sites for the FIRE/SRB Wisconsin Experiment from October 12 through November 2, 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitlock, Charles H.; Cox, Stephen K.; Lecroy, Stuart R.

1990-01-01

Tables are presented which show data from five sites in the First ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) Regional Experiment (FIRE)/Surface Radiation Budget (SRB) Wisconsin experiment regional from October 12 through November 2, 1986. A discussion of intercomparison results is also included. The field experiment was conducted for the purposes of both intensive cirrus-cloud measurements and SRB algorithm validation activities.

Loblolly pine productivity and water relations in response to throughfall reduction and fertilizer application on a poorly drained site in northern Florida

DOE PAGES

Wightman, Maxwell G.; Martin, Timothy A.; Gonzalez-Benecke, Carlos A.; ...

2016-09-26

Loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.) forests are of great ecological and economic value in the southeastern United States, where nutrient availability frequently limits productivity. The impact of fertilizer application on the growth and water relations of loblolly pine has been investigated by numerous studies; however, few field experiments have examined the effects of drought. Drought is of particular interest due to the potential for climate change to alter soil water availability. In this study, we investigated the impact of fertilizer application and a 30% reduction in throughfall on loblolly pine productivity, transpiration, hydraulic conductance, and stomatal conductance. The studymore » was installed in a ten-year-old loblolly pine plantation on a somewhat poorly drained site in northern Florida. Throughfall reduction did not impact tree productivity or water relations of the trees. This lack of response was attributed to abundant rainfall and the ability of trees to access the shallow water table at this site. Fertilizer application increased basal area production by 20% and maximum leaf area index by 0.5 m2 m 2, but it did not affect whole-tree hydraulic conductance or the sensitivity of stomatal conductance to vapor pressure deficit. During the spring, when leaf area and vapor pressure deficit were high, the fertilizer-only treatment increased monthly transpiration by 17% when compared to the control. This relationship, furthermore, was not significant during the rest of the year.« less

Response of Phytoplankton Iron Contents to Gradients in Iron Availability in the California Current System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Twining, B. S.; Jacquot, J. E.; Rauschenberg, S.; Enright, J.; Marchetti, A.; Cohen, N.; Brown, M.; Parker, C.; Bruland, K. W.

2016-02-01

Iron is a critical micronutrient that controls primary production in large swaths of the global ocean. Experiments with laboratory cultures indicate that phytoplankton differ in their ability to compete for and store Fe in response to varying ambient Fe concentrations. However there are very few measurements of the physiological responses of natural phytoplankton populations to gradients in Fe availability. Incubation experiments were conducted off the coast of California and Oregon at two sites characterized by a 10-fold difference in dissolved Fe (0.3 and 3 nM). In each experiment, incubation water was amended with either dissolved Fe (5-10 nM), the model siderophore desferrioxamine B (DFB; 200 nM), or left unamended. Iron contents of three abundant diatom groups (Chaetoceros sp. and large and small pennate diatoms) were monitored by synchrotron X-ray fluorescence, along with dissolved and bulk particulate trace metals and macronutrients over the course of 3 days. Transcriptomic samples were also collected at daily timepoints to assess molecular responses. Added dissolved Fe was drawn down in both experiments, while DFB appeared to solubilize a fraction of ambient particulate Fe in the high-Fe experiment. Iron quotas of unamended diatoms were nearly 10-fold higher under high-Fe conditions. Quotas increased in response to added Fe in both experiments, but the magnitude of changes varied between diatom taxa. DFB additions resulted in reduced Fe quotas in the low-Fe incubation, since cells were presumably forced to use internal Fe stores to support growth. These data demonstrate significant plasticity in the abilities of phytoplankton to take advantage of changing micronutrient inputs. Quota data will be compared to transcript abundance data to ascertain mechanisms of Fe quota maintenance.

PoroTomo Subtask 3.2 Data files from the Distributed Acoustic Sensing experiment at Garner Valley, California

DOE Data Explorer

Chelsea Lancelle

2013-09-11

In September 2013, an experiment using Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) was conducted at Garner Valley, a test site of the University of California Santa Barbara (Lancelle et al., 2014). This submission includes all DAS data recorded during the experiment. The sampling rate for all files is 1000 samples per second. Any files with the same filename but ending in _01, _02, etc. represent sequential files from the same test. Locations of the sources are plotted on the basemap in GDR submission 481, titled: "PoroTomo Subtask 3.2 Sample data from a Distributed Acoustic Sensing experiment at Garner Valley, California (PoroTomo Subtask 3.2)." Lancelle, C., N. Lord, H. Wang, D. Fratta, R. Nigbor, A. Chalari, R. Karaulanov, J. Baldwin, and E. Castongia (2014), Directivity and Sensitivity of Fiber-Optic Cable Measuring Ground Motion using a Distributed Acoustic Sensing Array (abstract # NS31C-3935), AGU Fall Meeting. 
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm1/meetingapp.cgi#Paper/19828 The e-poster is available at: https://agu.confex.com/data/handout/agu/fm14/Paper_19828_handout_696_0.pdf

STEP--a System for Teaching Experimental Psychology using E-Prime.

PubMed

MacWhinney, B; St James, J; Schunn, C; Li, P; Schneider, W

2001-05-01

Students in psychology need to learn to design and analyze their own experiments. However, software that allows students to build experiments on their own has been limited in a variety of ways. The shipping of the first full release of the E-Prime system later this year will open up a new opportunity for addressing this problem. Because E-Prime promises to become the standard for building experiments in psychology, it is now possible to construct a Web-based resource that uses E-Prime as the delivery engine for a wide variety of instructional materials. This new system, funded by the National Science Foundation, is called STEP (System for the Teaching of Experimental Psychology). The goal of the STEP Project is to provide instructional materials that will facilitate the use of E-Prime in various learning contexts. We are now compiling a large set of classic experiments implemented in E-Prime and available over the Internet from http://step.psy.cmu.edu. The Web site also distributes instructional materials for building courses in experimental psychology based on E-Prime.

OFF-SITE SMARTPHONE VS. STANDARD WORKSTATION IN THE RADIOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF SMALL INTESTINAL MECHANICAL OBSTRUCTION IN DOGS AND CATS.

PubMed

Noel, Peter G; Fischetti, Anthony J; Moore, George E; Le Roux, Alexandre B

2016-09-01

Off-site consultations by board-certified veterinary radiologists benefit residents and emergency clinicians by providing immediate feedback and potentially improving patient outcome. Smartphone devices and compressed images transmitted by email or text greatly facilitate availability of these off-site consultations. Criticism of a smartphone interface for off-site consultation is mostly directed at image degradation relative to the standard radiographic viewing room and monitors. The purpose of this retrospective, cross-sectional, methods comparison study was to compare the accuracy of abdominal radiographs in two imaging interfaces (Joint Photographic Experts Group, off-site, smartphone vs. Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine, on-site, standard workstation) for the diagnosis of small intestinal mechanical obstruction in vomiting dogs and cats. Two board-certified radiologists graded randomized abdominal radiographs using a five-point Likert scale for the presence of mechanical obstruction in 100 dogs or cats presenting for vomiting. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curves for both imaging interfaces was high. The accuracy of the smartphone and traditional workstation was not statistically significantly different for either reviewer (P = 0.384 and P = 0.536). Correlation coefficients were 0.821 and 0.705 for each reviewer when the same radiographic study was viewed in different formats. Accuracy differences between radiologists were potentially related to years of experience. We conclude that off-site expert consultation with a smartphone provides an acceptable interface for accurate diagnosis of small intestinal mechanical obstruction in dogs and cat. © 2016 American College of Veterinary Radiology.

Combined effects of climate, restoration measures and slope position in change in soil chemical properties and nutrient loss across lands affected by the Wenchuan Earthquake in China.

PubMed

Lin, Yongming; Deng, Haojun; Du, Kun; Rafay, Loretta; Zhang, Guang-Shuai; Li, Jian; Chen, Can; Wu, Chengzhen; Lin, Han; Yu, Wei; Fan, Hailan; Ge, Yonggang

2017-10-15

The MS 8.0Wenchuan Earthquake in 2008 caused huge damage to land cover in the northwest of China's Sichuan province. In order to determine the nutrient loss and short term characteristics of change in soil chemical properties, we established an experiment with three treatments ('undestroyed', 'destroyed and treated', and 'destroyed and untreated'), two climate types (semi-arid hot climate and subtropical monsoon climate), and three slope positions (upslope, mid-slope, and bottom-slope) in 2011. Ten soil properties-including pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , alkaline hydrolysable nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium-were measured in surface soil samples in December 2014. Analyses were performed to compare the characteristics of 3-year change in soil chemical properties in two climate zones. This study revealed that soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, Ca 2+ content, alkaline hydrolysable nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium were significantly higher in subtropical monsoon climate zones than in semi-arid hot climate zones. However, subtropical monsoon climate zones had a higher decrease in soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, and alkaline hydrolysable nitrogen in 'destroyed and untreated' sites than in semi-arid hot climate zones. Most soil chemical properties exhibited significant interactions, indicating that they may degrade or develop concomitantly. 'Destroyed and treated' sites in both climate types had lower C:P and N:P ratios than 'destroyed and untreated' sites. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the first, second, and third principal components explained 76.53% of the variation and might be interpreted as structural integrity, nutrient supply availability, and efficiency of soil; the difference of soil parent material; as well as weathering and leaching effects. Our study indicated that the characteristics of short term change in soil properties were affected by climate types and treatments, but not slope positions. Our results provide useful information for the selection of restoration countermeasures in different climate types to facilitate ecological restoration and reconstruction strategies in earthquake-affected areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Drought sensitivities of dominant plant functional types in the Colorado Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoover, D. L.; Duniway, M.; Belnap, J.

2014-12-01

Drylands of the Southwestern US are predicted to experience greater water limitations with climate change due to changes in precipitation and increased warming. Certain plants may be living at or near their tolerance thresholds in these ecosystems and thus subtle changes in water availability may have dramatic effects on their performances. We imposed a four-year experiment in the Colorado Plateau to assess the vulnerability of this dryland ecosystem to chronic, but subtle drought using 40 sites varying in plant communities, parent materials and soil textures. Within a site, two plots were selected with matching cover of target species, which were randomly assigned to either control (ambient precipitation) or drought (35% reduction) treatments. Drought treatments were imposed year-round from 2011 through 2014. Over the course of the experiment, we examined plant cover changes and mortality of four dominant plant functional types (PFT's): C3 grasses, C4 grasses, C3 shrubs and C4 shrubs. We hypothesized that overall, grasses would be more sensitive to drought than shrubs, and that within these two groups, plants with C3 photosynthesis would be more sensitive than plants with C4 photosynthesis. During three of the four years, precipitation inputs were either near average (50th percentile, control) or dry (25th percentile, drought). However in 2012, both treatments experienced extremely dry growing season precipitation with the control and drought below the 5th and 1st percentiles, respectively. We observed three general responses to drought in this experiment: 1. change in cover with mortality (C3 grasses), 2. change in cover without mortality (C4 grasses and C4 shrubs) and 3. no change in cover or mortality (C3 shrubs). The dramatic responses of the C3 grasses suggest that this PFT is very sensitive to drought and it is living at or near its tolerance threshold in this region. While the C4 grasses also experienced cover changes, they did not experience widespread mortality and thus have higher tolerance to drought than the C3 grasses. Finally, contrary to our hypothesis, C3 shrubs were more drought tolerant than C4 shrubs. These results suggest that subtle changes in water availability may differentially impact key plant functional types and potentially alter the structure and function of this ecosystem.

A technique to minimize uncertainties in load duration curves (LDCs) for water quality-impaired ungauged sites

EPA Science Inventory

For many water quality-impaired stream segments, streamflow and water quality monitoring sites are not available. Lack of available streamflow data at impaired ungauged sites leads to uncertainties in total maximum daily load (TMDL) estimation. We developed a technique to minimiz...

Personality in cyberspace: personal Web sites as media for personality expressions and impressions.

PubMed

Marcus, Bernd; Machilek, Franz; Schütz, Astrid

2006-06-01

This research examined the personality of owners of personal Web sites based on self-reports, visitors' ratings, and the content of the Web sites. The authors compared a large sample of Web site owners with population-wide samples on the Big Five dimensions of personality. Controlling for demographic differences, the average Web site owner reported being slightly less extraverted and more open to experience. Compared with various other samples, Web site owners did not generally differ on narcissism, self-monitoring, or self-esteem, but gender differences on these traits were often smaller in Web site owners. Self-other agreement was highest with Openness to Experience, but valid judgments of all Big Five dimensions were derived from Web sites providing rich information. Visitors made use of quantifiable features of the Web site to infer personality, and the cues they utilized partly corresponded to self-reported traits. Copyright 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

Project IMPACT: a report on barriers and facilitators to sustainability.

PubMed

Blasinsky, Margaret; Goldman, Howard H; Unützer, Jürgen

2006-11-01

Project IMPACT is a collaborative care intervention to assist older adults suffering from major depressive disorder or dysthymia. Qualitative research methods were used to determine the barriers and facilitators to sustaining IMPACT in a primary care setting. Strong evidence supports the program's sustainability, but considerable variation exists in continuation strategies and operationalization across sites. Sustainability depended on the organizations' support of collaborative care models, the availability of staff trained in the intervention, and funding. The intervention's success was the most important sustainability factor, as documented by outcome data and through the "real world" experience of treating patients with this intervention.

Scaling of the velocity fluctuations in turbulent channels up to Reτ=2003

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoyas, Sergio; Jiménez, Javier

2006-01-01

A new numerical simulation of a turbulent channel in a large box at Reτ=2003 is described and briefly compared with simulations at lower Reynolds numbers and with experiments. Some of the fluctuation intensities, especially the streamwise velocity, do not scale well in wall units, both near and away from the wall. Spectral analysis traces the near-wall scaling failure to the interaction of the logarithmic layer with the wall. The present statistics can be downloaded from http://torroja.dmt.upm.es/ftp/channels. Further ones will be added to the site as they become available.

Provider perceptions of knowledge exchange and communication in a multisite family health team

PubMed Central

Slater, Morgan; Nicholas, Emily; Leung, Fok-Han; Lofters, Aisha

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective To describe providers’ self-reported knowledge and use of family health team (FHT) services and to explore attitudes and perspectives about communication issues among health care professionals active within a large multisite FHT. Design Electronic questionnaire. Setting A multisite FHT in Toronto, Ont. Participants Health care professionals active within the FHT (N = 90). Main outcome measures The survey captured demographic characteristics, including the respondents’ roles and experience; knowledge about services available within the FHT; use of services; and perceived communication issues within the FHT. Results Forty-six health care professionals participated (51% response rate). While respondents were highly aware of the clinical resources and services offered at their own site of practice (95% agreed or strongly agreed), only 54% were aware of services offered at other sites within the FHT. Internal referrals for certain specialty services were high (ie, methadone management, obstetric care, intrauterine device insertion, and psychiatry), but less than 50% of other referrals (ie, sports medicine, joint injections, or tropical medicine) were to physicians within the FHT, despite physicians within the FHT offering services in these areas of expertise. Only 60% of respondents believed that patients had equal access to all of the services within the FHT, and 42% agreed or strongly agreed that patients were unlikely to travel between sites to access services. Roughly one-quarter of respondents believed that physicians were unlikely to refer patients to another site within the FHT to receive health care services. Most respondents agreed that the geographic distribution of the sites negatively affected communication within the FHT (68% agreed or strongly agreed). Conclusion Geographic dispersion of team members in a multisite FHT had a negative effect on provider knowledge of available services, perceived patient access to services, and communication within the team. As most FHTs are spread across multiple locations, finding ways to improve communication among team members will be key to maximizing the effectiveness of the patient care provided by these team-based models.

Response of Tree Rings Growth to Various Climatological Indices in the Sierra Nevada Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamir, E.; Kaliff, R.; Graham, R.; Lepley, K. S.; Meko, D. M.; Touchan, R.

2017-12-01

Tree rings properties have been used to reconstruct historic regional climatological proxies. In this study, we examine whether tree rings can inform us on the basin scale spatial variability of the snow pack and soil moisture. Cores from seven sites and nine tree species of conifers were sampled in a vertical transect along the American River watershed at the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The tree cores were then cross-dated and chronologies of total ring width, early wood width, late wood width and late wood density measured by blue intensity methodology were developed. For each sampling site, a high-resolution land surface model was implemented to simulate 6-hour climatological time series of snow and soil moisture that are congruent in time and space for 1912- 2016. These time series were then used to derive independent indices that represent key climatological features that were thought to impact the tree growth. These indices include for example the duration of the dormancy season (winter), the duration of the growth season (spring), the duration of the dry season (summer) and the available seasonal soil moisture at the root zone. A comprehensive analysis of these indices with respect to the tree chronologies revealed that although different sites responded differently to these indices, all the sites were relatively insensitive to the winter temperature. Initial results suggest that warming condition and early spring onset as during the recent (2012-2015) drought increase growth in the high elevation that had a short winter with ample moisture while suppressing growth in lower elevation that experiences long dry summers. It is also interesting to note that the growth at the high elevation sites was found to be associated with the available moisture from the previous year, while in lower elevations growth responded to moisture conditions of the current year.

Numerical Predictions of Wind Turbine Power and Aerodynamic Loads for the NREL Phase II and IV Combined Experiment Rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duque, Earl P. N.; Johnson, Wayne; vanDam, C. P.; Chao, David D.; Cortes, Regina; Yee, Karen

1999-01-01

Accurate, reliable and robust numerical predictions of wind turbine rotor power remain a challenge to the wind energy industry. The literature reports various methods that compare predictions to experiments. The methods vary from Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEM), Vortex Lattice (VL), to variants of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RaNS). The BEM and VL methods consistently show discrepancies in predicting rotor power at higher wind speeds mainly due to inadequacies with inboard stall and stall delay models. The RaNS methodologies show promise in predicting blade stall. However, inaccurate rotor vortex wake convection, boundary layer turbulence modeling and grid resolution has limited their accuracy. In addition, the inherently unsteady stalled flow conditions become computationally expensive for even the best endowed research labs. Although numerical power predictions have been compared to experiment. The availability of good wind turbine data sufficient for code validation experimental data that has been extracted from the IEA Annex XIV download site for the NREL Combined Experiment phase II and phase IV rotor. In addition, the comparisons will show data that has been further reduced into steady wind and zero yaw conditions suitable for comparisons to "steady wind" rotor power predictions. In summary, the paper will present and discuss the capabilities and limitations of the three numerical methods and make available a database of experimental data suitable to help other numerical methods practitioners validate their own work.

Dynamic Responses in a Plant-Insect System to Fertilization by Cormorant Feces

PubMed Central

Kolb, Gundula; Hambäck, Peter A.

2015-01-01

Theoretical arguments suggest that increased plant productivity may not only increase consumer densities but also their fluctuations. While increased consumer densities are commonly observed in fertilization experiments, experiments are seldom performed at a spatial and temporal scale where effects on population fluctuations may be observed. In this study we used a natural gradient in soil fertility caused by cormorant nesting. Cormorants feed on fish but defecate on their nesting islands. On these islands we studied soil nutrient availability, plant nutrient content and the density of Galerucella beetles, main herbivores feeding on Lythrum salicaria. In a common garden experiment, we followed larval development on fertilized plants and estimated larval stoichiometry. Soil nutrient availability varied among islands, and several cormorant islands had very high N and P soil content. Plant nutrient content, however, did not vary among islands, and there was no correlation between soil and plant nutrient contents. Beetle densities increased with plant nutrient content in the field study. However, there was either no effect on temporal fluctuations in beetle density or that temporal fluctuations decreased (at high P). In the common garden experiment, we found limited responses in either larval survival or pupal weights to fertilization. A possible mechanism for the limited effect of fertilization on density fluctuations may be that the distribution of L. salicaria on nesting islands was restricted to sites with a lower N and P content, presumably because high N loads are toxic. PMID:26463193

Drilling Deep Into STEM Education with JOIDES Resolution Education and Outreach Officers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christiansen, E. A.

2015-12-01

During International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) expeditions, IODP scientists and Education/Outreach (E/O) Officers enter classrooms and informal science venues via live Internet video links between the JOIDES Resolution (JR) and land-based learning centers. Post-expedition, E/O Officers, serving as JR Ambassadors, deepen and broaden the learning experience by bringing STEM from the JR to the general public through targeted outreach events at those land-based sites. Youth and adult learners participate in scientific inquiry through interactive activities linked directly to the video broadcast experience. Outreach venues include museums, summer camps, and after-school programs; classroom visits from E/O Officers encompass kindergarten to undergraduate school groups and often include professional development for educators. Events are hands-on with simulations, expedition samples, core models, and equipment available for interaction. This program can serve as a model for linking virtual and real experiences; deepening the educational value of virtual field trip events; and bringing cutting edge science into both classrooms and informal science venues.

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Climate Research Facility Operations Quarterly Report. October 1 - December 31, 2009.

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

D. L. Sisterson

2010-01-12

Individual raw data streams from instrumentation at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Climate Research Facility (ACRF) fixed and mobile sites are collected and sent to the Data Management Facility (DMF) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for processing in near real-time. Raw and processed data are then sent approximately daily to the ACRF Archive, where they are made available to users. For each instrument, we calculate the ratio of the actual number of data records received daily at the Archive to the expected number of data records. The results are tabulated by (1) individual data stream, site, and monthmore » for the current year and (2) site and fiscal year (FY) dating back to 1998. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requires national user facilities to report time-based operating data. The requirements concern the actual hours of operation (ACTUAL); the estimated maximum operation or uptime goal (OPSMAX), which accounts for planned downtime; and the VARIANCE [1 - (ACTUAL/OPSMAX)], which accounts for unplanned downtime. The OPSMAX time for the first quarter of FY 2010 for the North Slope Alaska (NSA) locale is 1,987.20 hours (0.90 x 2,208); for the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site is 2,097.60 hours (0.95 x 2,208); and for the Tropical Western Pacific (TWP) locale is 1,876.8 hours (0.85 x 2,208). The ARM Mobile Facility (AMF) deployment in Graciosa Island, the Azores, Portugal, continues; its OPSMAX time this quarter is 2,097.60 hours (0.95 x 2,208). The differences in OPSMAX performance reflect the complexity of local logistics and the frequency of extreme weather events. It is impractical to measure OPSMAX for each instrument or data stream. Data availability reported here refers to the average of the individual, continuous data streams that have been received by the Archive. Data not at the Archive are the result of downtime (scheduled or unplanned) of the individual instruments. Therefore, data availability is directly related to individual instrument uptime. Thus, the average percentage of data in the Archive represents the average percentage of the time (24 hours per day, 92 days for this quarter) the instruments were operating this quarter. The Site Access Request System is a web-based database used to track visitors to the fixed and mobile sites, all of which have facilities that can be visited. The NSA locale has the Barrow and Atqasuk sites. The SGP locale has historically had a central facility, 23 extended facilities, 4 boundary facilities, and 3 intermediate facilities. Beginning this quarter, the SGP began a transition to a smaller footprint (150 km x 150 km) by rearranging the original and new instrumentation made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The central facility and 4 extended facilities will remain, but there will be up to 16 surface new characterization facilities, 4 radar facilities, and 3 profiler facilities sited in the smaller domain. This new configuration will provide observations at scales more appropriate to current and future climate models. The TWP locale has the Manus, Nauru, and Darwin sites. These sites will also have expanded measurement capabilities with the addition of new instrumentation made available through ARRA funds. It is anticipated that the new instrumentation at all the fixed sites will be in place within the next 12 months. The AMF continues its 20-month deployment in Graciosa Island, Azores, Portugal, that started May 1, 2009. The AMF will also have additional observational capabilities within the next 12 months. Users can participate in field experiments at the sites and mobile facility, or they can participate remotely. Therefore, a variety of mechanisms are provided to users to access site information. Users who have immediate (real-time) needs for data access can request a research account on the local site data systems. This access is particularly useful to users for quick decisions in executing time-dependent activities associated with field campaigns at the fixed sites and mobile facility locations. The eight computers for the research accounts are located at the Barrow and Atqasuk sites; the SGP central facility; the TWP Manus, Nauru, and Darwin sites; the AMF; and the DMF at PNNL. However, users are warned that the data provided at the time of collection have not been fully screened for quality and therefore are not considered to be official ACRF data. Hence, these accounts are considered to be part of the facility activities associated with field campaign activities, and users are tracked. In addition, users who visit sites can connect their computer or instrument to an ACRF site data system network, which requires an on-site device account. Remote (off-site) users can also have remote access to any ACRF instrument or computer system at any ACRF site, which requires an off-site device account. These accounts are also managed and tracked.« less

Availability of pediatric rheumatology training in United States pediatric residencies.

PubMed

Mayer, Michelle L; Brogan, Laura; Sandborg, Christy I

2006-12-15

To characterize the availability of pediatric rheumatology training in general pediatric residencies. We surveyed 195 pediatric residency program directors in the US using a combined Web-based and paper-based survey format. The survey asked directors about the availability of an on-site pediatric rheumatologist in their institution, the availability of formal pediatric rheumatology rotations, and the types of physicians involved in teaching curriculum components related to pediatric rheumatology. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive and bivariate statistics. Of the 195 program directors surveyed, 127 (65%) responded. More than 40% of responding programs did not have a pediatric rheumatologist on site. Programs with on-site pediatric rheumatologists were significantly more likely than those without on-site pediatric rheumatologists to have an on-site pediatric rheumatology rotation available (94% versus 9%; P < 0.001). Although pediatric rheumatologists' involvement in 4 curriculum areas relevant to pediatric rheumatology is nearly universal in programs with on-site pediatric rheumatologists, nearly two-thirds of programs without on-site pediatric rheumatologists rely on internist rheumatologists, general pediatricians, or other physicians to cover these areas. Programs without pediatric rheumatologists on site are less likely to have pediatric rheumatology rotations and are more likely to rely on internist rheumatologists and nonrheumatologists to address rheumatology-related curriculum components. Lack of exposure to pediatric rheumatology during residency may impede general pediatricians' ability to identify and treat children with rheumatic diseases, undermine resident interest in this field, and perpetuate low levels of supply.

2008 High-Flow Experiment at Glen Canyon Dam Benefits Colorado River Resources in Grand Canyon National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Melis, Theodore S.; Topping, David J.; Grams, Paul E.; Rubin, David M.; Wright, Scott A.; Draut, Amy E.; Hazel, Joseph E.; Ralston, Barbara E.; Kennedy, Theodore A.; Rosi-Marshall, Emma; Korman, Josh; Hilwig, Kara D.; Schmit, Lara M.

2010-01-01

On March 5, 2008, the Department of the Interior began a 60-hour high-flow experiment at Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, to determine if water releases designed to mimic natural seasonal flooding could be used to improve downstream resources in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists and their cooperators undertook a wide range of physical and biological resource monitoring and research activities before, during, and after the release. Scientists sought to determine whether or not high flows could be used to rebuild Grand Canyon sandbars, create nearshore habitat for the endangered humpback chub, and benefit other resources such as archaeological sites, rainbow trout, aquatic food availability, and riverside vegetation. This fact sheet summarizes research completed by January 2010.

Models of chromatin spatial organisation in the cell nucleus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicodemi, Mario

2014-03-01

In the cell nucleus chromosomes have a complex architecture serving vital functional purposes. Recent experiments have started unveiling the interaction map of DNA sites genome-wide, revealing different levels of organisation at different scales. The principles, though, which orchestrate such a complex 3D structure remain still mysterious. I will overview the scenario emerging from some classical polymer physics models of the general aspect of chromatin spatial organisation. The available experimental data, which can be rationalised in a single framework, support a picture where chromatin is a complex mixture of differently folded regions, self-organised across spatial scales according to basic physical mechanisms. I will also discuss applications to specific DNA loci, e.g. the HoxB locus, where models informed with biological details, and tested against targeted experiments, can help identifying the determinants of folding.

ExpTreeDB: web-based query and visualization of manually annotated gene expression profiling experiments of human and mouse from GEO.

PubMed

Ni, Ming; Ye, Fuqiang; Zhu, Juanjuan; Li, Zongwei; Yang, Shuai; Yang, Bite; Han, Lu; Wu, Yongge; Chen, Ying; Li, Fei; Wang, Shengqi; Bo, Xiaochen

2014-12-01

Numerous public microarray datasets are valuable resources for the scientific communities. Several online tools have made great steps to use these data by querying related datasets with users' own gene signatures or expression profiles. However, dataset annotation and result exhibition still need to be improved. ExpTreeDB is a database that allows for queries on human and mouse microarray experiments from Gene Expression Omnibus with gene signatures or profiles. Compared with similar applications, ExpTreeDB pays more attention to dataset annotations and result visualization. We introduced a multiple-level annotation system to depict and organize original experiments. For example, a tamoxifen-treated cell line experiment is hierarchically annotated as 'agent→drug→estrogen receptor antagonist→tamoxifen'. Consequently, retrieved results are exhibited by an interactive tree-structured graphics, which provide an overview for related experiments and might enlighten users on key items of interest. The database is freely available at http://biotech.bmi.ac.cn/ExpTreeDB. Web site is implemented in Perl, PHP, R, MySQL and Apache. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Mimicking floodplain reconnection and disconnection using 15N mesocosm incubations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welti, N.; Bondar-Kunze, E.; Mair, M.; Bonin, P.; Wanek, W.; Pinay, G.; Hein, T.

2012-11-01

Floodplain restoration changes the nitrate delivery pattern and dissolved organic matter pool in backwaters, though the effects these changes have are not yet well known. We performed two mesocosm experiments on floodplain sediments to quantify the nitrate metabolism in two types of floodplains. Rates of denitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) and anammox were measured using 15N-NO3 tracer additions in mesocosms of undisturbed floodplain sediments originating from (1) restored and (2) disconnected sites in the Alluvial Zone National Park on the Danube River downstream of Vienna, Austria. DNRA rates were an order of magnitude lower than denitrification and neither rate was affected by changes in nitrate delivery pattern or organic matter quality. Anammox was not detected at any of the sites. Denitrification was out-competed by assimilation, which was estimated to use up to 70% of the available nitrate. Overall, denitrification was higher in the restored sites, with mean rates of 5.7 ± 2.8 mmol N m-2 h-1 compared to the disconnected site (0.6 ± 0.5 mmol N m-2 h-1). In addition, ratios of N2O : N2 were lower in the restored site indicating a more complete denitrification. Nitrate addition had neither an effect on denitrification, nor on the N2O : N2 ratio. However, DOM (dissolved organic matter) quality significantly changed the N2O : N2 ratio in both sites. Addition of riverine-derived organic matter lowered the N2O : N2 ratio in the disconnected site, whereas addition of floodplain-derived organic matter increased the N2O : N2 ratio in the restored site. These results demonstrate that increasing floodplains hydrological connection to the main river channel increases nitrogen retention and decreases nitrous oxide emissions.

Separating the Role of Protein Restraints and Local Metal-Site Interaction Chemistry in the Thermodynamics of a Zinc Finger Protein

PubMed Central

Dixit, Purushottam D.; Asthagiri, D.

2011-01-01

We express the effective Hamiltonian of an ion-binding site in a protein as a combination of the Hamiltonian of the ion-bound site in vacuum and the restraints of the protein on the site. The protein restraints are described by the quadratic elastic network model. The Hamiltonian of the ion-bound site in vacuum is approximated as a generalized Hessian around the minimum energy configuration. The resultant of the two quadratic Hamiltonians is cast into a pure quadratic form. In the canonical ensemble, the quadratic nature of the resultant Hamiltonian allows us to express analytically the excess free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of ion binding to the protein. The analytical expressions allow us to separate the roles of the dynamic restraints imposed by the protein on the binding site and the temperature-independent chemical effects in metal-ligand coordination. For the consensus zinc-finger peptide, relative to the aqueous phase, the calculated free energy of exchanging Zn2+ with Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, and Cd2+ are in agreement with experiments. The predicted excess enthalpy of ion exchange between Zn2+ and Co2+ also agrees with the available experimental estimate. The free energy of applying the protein restraints reveals that relative to Zn2+, the Co2+, and Cd2+-site clusters are more destabilized by the protein restraints. This leads to an experimentally testable hypothesis that a tetrahedral metal binding site with minimal protein restraints will be less selective for Zn2+ over Co2+ and Cd2+ compared to a zinc finger peptide. No appreciable change is expected for Fe2+ and Ni2+. The framework presented here may prove useful in protein engineering to tune metal selectivity. PMID:21943427

Effects of Source RDP Models and Near-source Propagation: Implication for Seismic Yield Estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saikia, C. K.; Helmberger, D. V.; Stead, R. J.; Woods, B. B.

- It has proven difficult to uniquely untangle the source and propagation effects on the observed seismic data from underground nuclear explosions, even when large quantities of near-source, broadband data are available for analysis. This leads to uncertainties in our ability to quantify the nuclear seismic source function and, consequently the accuracy of seismic yield estimates for underground explosions. Extensive deterministic modeling analyses of the seismic data recorded from underground explosions at a variety of test sites have been conducted over the years and the results of these studies suggest that variations in the seismic source characteristics between test sites may be contributing to the observed differences in the magnitude/yield relations applicable at those sites. This contributes to our uncertainty in the determination of seismic yield estimates for explosions at previously uncalibrated test sites. In this paper we review issues involving the relationship of Nevada Test Site (NTS) source scaling laws to those at other sites. The Joint Verification Experiment (JVE) indicates that a magnitude (mb) bias (δmb) exists between the Semipalatinsk test site (STS) in the former Soviet Union (FSU) and the Nevada test site (NTS) in the United States. Generally this δmb is attributed to differential attenuation in the upper-mantle beneath the two test sites. This assumption results in rather large estimates of yield for large mb tunnel shots at Novaya Zemlya. A re-examination of the US testing experiments suggests that this δmb bias can partly be explained by anomalous NTS (Pahute) source characteristics. This interpretation is based on the modeling of US events at a number of test sites. Using a modified Haskell source description, we investigated the influence of the source Reduced Displacement Potential (RDP) parameters ψ ∞ , K and B by fitting short- and long-period data simultaneously, including the near-field body and surface waves. In general, estimates of B and K are based on the initial P-wave pulse, which various numerical analyses show to be least affected by variations in near-source path effects. The corner-frequency parameter K is 20% lower at NTS (Pahute) than at other sites, implying larger effective source radii. The overshoot parameter B appears to be low at NTS (although variable) relative to other sites and is probably due to variations in source conditions. For a low B, the near-field data require a higher value of ψ ∞ to match the long-period MS and short-period mb observations. This flexibility in modeling proves useful in comparing released FSU yields against predictions based on mb and MS.

Web Proxy Auto Discovery for the WLCG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dykstra, D.; Blomer, J.; Blumenfeld, B.; De Salvo, A.; Dewhurst, A.; Verguilov, V.

2017-10-01

All four of the LHC experiments depend on web proxies (that is, squids) at each grid site to support software distribution by the CernVM FileSystem (CVMFS). CMS and ATLAS also use web proxies for conditions data distributed through the Frontier Distributed Database caching system. ATLAS & CMS each have their own methods for their grid jobs to find out which web proxies to use for Frontier at each site, and CVMFS has a third method. Those diverse methods limit usability and flexibility, particularly for opportunistic use cases, where an experiment’s jobs are run at sites that do not primarily support that experiment. This paper describes a new Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) system for discovering the addresses of web proxies. The system is based on an internet standard called Web Proxy Auto Discovery (WPAD). WPAD is in turn based on another standard called Proxy Auto Configuration (PAC). Both the Frontier and CVMFS clients support this standard. The input into the WLCG system comes from squids registered in the ATLAS Grid Information System (AGIS) and CMS SITECONF files, cross-checked with squids registered by sites in the Grid Configuration Database (GOCDB) and the OSG Information Management (OIM) system, and combined with some exceptions manually configured by people from ATLAS and CMS who operate WLCG Squid monitoring. WPAD servers at CERN respond to http requests from grid nodes all over the world with a PAC file that lists available web proxies, based on IP addresses matched from a database that contains the IP address ranges registered to organizations. Large grid sites are encouraged to supply their own WPAD web servers for more flexibility, to avoid being affected by short term long distance network outages, and to offload the WLCG WPAD servers at CERN. The CERN WPAD servers additionally support requests from jobs running at non-grid sites (particularly for LHC@Home) which they direct to the nearest publicly accessible web proxy servers. The responses to those requests are geographically ordered based on a separate database that maps IP addresses to longitude and latitude.

Vadose zone studies at an industrial contaminated site: the vadose zone monitoring system and cross-hole geophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez de Vera, Natalia; Beaujean, Jean; Jamin, Pierre; Nguyen, Frédéric; Dahan, Ofer; Vanclooster, Marnik; Brouyère, Serge

2014-05-01

In order to improve risk characterization and remediation measures for soil and groundwater contamination, there is a need to improve in situ vadose zone characterization. However, most available technologies have been developed in the context of agricultural soils. Such methodologies are not applicable at industrial sites, where soils and contamination differ in origin and composition. In addition, most technologies are applicable only in the first meters of soils, leaving deeper vadose zones with lack of information, in particular on field scale heterogeneity. In order to overcome such difficulties, a vadose zone experiment has been setup at a former industrial site in Belgium. Industrial activities carried out on site left a legacy of soil and groundwater contamination in BTEX, PAH, cyanide and heavy metals. The experiment comprises the combination of two techniques: the Vadose Zone Monitoring System (VMS) and cross-hole geophysics. The VMS allows continuous measurements of water content and temperature at different depths of the vadose zone. In addition, it provides the possibility of pore water sampling at different depths. The system is formed by a flexible sleeve containing monitoring units along its depth which is installed in a slanted borehole. The flexible sleeve contains three types of monitoring units in the vadose zone: Time Domain Transmissometry (TDT), which allows water content measurements; Vadose Sampling Ports (VSP), used for collecting water samples coming from the matrix; the Fracture Samplers (FS), which are used for retrieving water samples from the fractures. Cross-hole geophysics techniques consist in the injection of an electrical current using electrodes installed in vertical boreholes. From measured potential differences, detailed spatial patterns about electrical properties of the subsurface can be inferred. Such spatial patterns are related with subsurface heterogeneities, water content and solute concentrations. Two VMS were installed in two slanted boreholes on site, together with four vertical boreholes containing electrodes for geophysical measurements. Currently the site is being monitored under natural recharge conditions. Initial results show the reaction of the vadose zone to rainfall events, as well as chemical evolution of soil water with depth.

Web Proxy Auto Discovery for the WLCG

DOE PAGES

Dykstra, D.; Blomer, J.; Blumenfeld, B.; ...

2017-11-23

All four of the LHC experiments depend on web proxies (that is, squids) at each grid site to support software distribution by the CernVM FileSystem (CVMFS). CMS and ATLAS also use web proxies for conditions data distributed through the Frontier Distributed Database caching system. ATLAS & CMS each have their own methods for their grid jobs to find out which web proxies to use for Frontier at each site, and CVMFS has a third method. Those diverse methods limit usability and flexibility, particularly for opportunistic use cases, where an experiment’s jobs are run at sites that do not primarily supportmore » that experiment. This paper describes a new Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) system for discovering the addresses of web proxies. The system is based on an internet standard called Web Proxy Auto Discovery (WPAD). WPAD is in turn based on another standard called Proxy Auto Configuration (PAC). Both the Frontier and CVMFS clients support this standard. The input into the WLCG system comes from squids registered in the ATLAS Grid Information System (AGIS) and CMS SITECONF files, cross-checked with squids registered by sites in the Grid Configuration Database (GOCDB) and the OSG Information Management (OIM) system, and combined with some exceptions manually configured by people from ATLAS and CMS who operate WLCG Squid monitoring. WPAD servers at CERN respond to http requests from grid nodes all over the world with a PAC file that lists available web proxies, based on IP addresses matched from a database that contains the IP address ranges registered to organizations. Large grid sites are encouraged to supply their own WPAD web servers for more flexibility, to avoid being affected by short term long distance network outages, and to offload the WLCG WPAD servers at CERN. The CERN WPAD servers additionally support requests from jobs running at non-grid sites (particularly for LHC@Home) which it directs to the nearest publicly accessible web proxy servers. Furthermore, the responses to those requests are geographically ordered based on a separate database that maps IP addresses to longitude and latitude.« less

Web Proxy Auto Discovery for the WLCG

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

Dykstra, D.; Blomer, J.; Blumenfeld, B.

All four of the LHC experiments depend on web proxies (that is, squids) at each grid site to support software distribution by the CernVM FileSystem (CVMFS). CMS and ATLAS also use web proxies for conditions data distributed through the Frontier Distributed Database caching system. ATLAS & CMS each have their own methods for their grid jobs to find out which web proxies to use for Frontier at each site, and CVMFS has a third method. Those diverse methods limit usability and flexibility, particularly for opportunistic use cases, where an experiment’s jobs are run at sites that do not primarily supportmore » that experiment. This paper describes a new Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) system for discovering the addresses of web proxies. The system is based on an internet standard called Web Proxy Auto Discovery (WPAD). WPAD is in turn based on another standard called Proxy Auto Configuration (PAC). Both the Frontier and CVMFS clients support this standard. The input into the WLCG system comes from squids registered in the ATLAS Grid Information System (AGIS) and CMS SITECONF files, cross-checked with squids registered by sites in the Grid Configuration Database (GOCDB) and the OSG Information Management (OIM) system, and combined with some exceptions manually configured by people from ATLAS and CMS who operate WLCG Squid monitoring. WPAD servers at CERN respond to http requests from grid nodes all over the world with a PAC file that lists available web proxies, based on IP addresses matched from a database that contains the IP address ranges registered to organizations. Large grid sites are encouraged to supply their own WPAD web servers for more flexibility, to avoid being affected by short term long distance network outages, and to offload the WLCG WPAD servers at CERN. The CERN WPAD servers additionally support requests from jobs running at non-grid sites (particularly for LHC@Home) which it directs to the nearest publicly accessible web proxy servers. Furthermore, the responses to those requests are geographically ordered based on a separate database that maps IP addresses to longitude and latitude.« less

Downward shortwave surface irradiance from 17 sites for the FIRE/SRB Wisconsin experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitlock, Charles H.; Hay, John E.; Robinson, David A.; Cox, Stephen K.; Wardle, David I.; Lecroy, Stuart R.

1990-01-01

A field experiment was conducted in Wisconsin during Oct. to Nov. 1986 for purposes of both intensive cirrus cloud measurments and SRB algorithm validation activities. The cirrus cloud measurements were part of the FIRE. Tables are presented which show data from 17 sites in the First ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) Regional Experiment/Surface Radiation Budget (FIRE/SRB) Wisconsin experiment region. A discussion of intercomparison results and calibration inconsistencies is also included.

Acetate availability and its influence on sustainable bioremediation of Uranium-contaminated groundwater

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, K.H.; Long, P.E.; Davis, J.A.; Wilkins, M.J.; N'Guessan, A. L.; Steefel, Carl; Yang, L.; Newcomer, D.; Spane, F.A.; Kerkhof, L.J.; Mcguinness, L.; Dayvault, R.; Lovley, D.R.

2011-01-01

Field biostimulation experiments at the U.S. Department of Energy's Integrated Field Research Challenge (IFRC) site in Rifle, Colorado, have demonstrated that uranium concentrations in groundwater can be decreased to levels below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) drinking water standard (0.126??M).During successive summer experiments - referred to as "Winchester" (2007) and "Big Rusty" (2008) - acetate was added to the aquifer to stimulate the activity of indigenous dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria capable of reductively immobilizing uranium. The two experiments differed in the length of injection (31 vs. 110 days), the maximum concentration of acetate (5 vs. 30 mM),and the extent to which iron reduction ("Winchester") or sulfate reduction("Big Rusty") was the predominant metabolic process. In both cases, rapid removal of U(VI) from groundwater occurred at calcium concentrations (6 mM) and carbonate alkalinities (8 meq/L) where Ca-UO2-CO3 ternary complexes constitute >90% of uranyl species in groundwater. Complete consumption of acetate and increased alkalinity (>30 meq/L) accompanying the onset of sulfate reduction corresponded to temporary increases in U(VI);however, by increasing acetate concentrations in excess of available sulfate (10 mM), low U(VI) concentrations (0.1-0.05 ??M) were achieved for extended periods of time (>140 days). Uniform delivery of acetate during "Big Rusty" was impeded due to decreases in injection well permeability, likely resulting from biomass accumulation and carbonate and sulfide mineral precipitation. Such decreases were not observed during the short-duration "Winchester" experiment. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) analysis of 16S rRNA genes demonstrated that Geobacter sp. and Geobacter-like strains dominated the groundwater community profile during iron reduction, with 13C stable isotope probing (SIP) results confirming these strains were actively utilizing acetate to replicate their genome during the period of optimal U(VI) removal. Gene transcript levels during "Big Rusty" were quantified for Geobacter-specific citrate synthase (gltA), with ongoing transcription during sulfate reduction indicating that members of the Geobacteraceae were still active and likely contributing to U(VI) removal. The persistence of reducible Fe(III) in sediments recovered from an area of prolonged (110-day) sulfate reduction is consistent with this conclusion. These results indicate that acetate availability and its ability to sustain the activity of iron- and uranyl-respiring Geobacter strains during sulfate reduction exerts a primary control on optimized U(VI) removal from groundwater at the Rifle IFRC site over extended time scales (>50 days). ?? Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Search for Martian fossil communities: Science strategies, sediment sites, and sample handling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Desmarais, David J.

1988-01-01

The strategy for locating and sampling possible fossilized Martian organisms benefits from our experience with fossil microbial ecosystems on Earth. Evidence of early life is typically preserved as stromatolites in carbonates and cherts, and as microfossils in cherts, carbonates and shales. Stromatolites, which are laminated flat or domal structures built by microbial communities, are very likely the oldest and most widespread relics of early life. These communities flourished in supratidal to subtidal coastal benthic environments, wherever sunlight was available and where incoming sediments were insufficient to bury the communities before they became established. A logical site for such communities on Mars might be those areas in an ancient lake bed which were furthest from sediment input, but were still sufficiently shallow to have received sunlight. Therefore, although some sites within Valles Marineris might have contained ponded water, the possibly abundant sediment inputs might have overwhelmed stromatolite-like communities. Localized depressions which acted as catchment basins for ancient branched valley systems might be superior sites. Perhaps such depressions received drainage which, because of the relatively modest water discharges implied for these streams, was relatively low in transported sediment. Multiple streams converging on a single basin might have been able to maintain a shallow water environment for extended periods of time.

The New Face of FLUXNET: Redesigning the Web Site and Data Organization to Enhance the User Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanafield, Harold; Shamblin, Stephanie; Devarakonda, Ranjeet; McMurry, Ben; Walker Beaty, Tammy; Wilson, Bruce; Cook, Robert B.

2011-02-01

The FLUXNET global network of regional flux tower networks serves to coordinate the regional and global analysis of eddy covariance based CO2, water vapor and energy flux measurements taken at more than 500 sites in continuous long-term operation. The FLUXNET database presently contains information about the location, characteristics, and data availability of each of these sites. To facilitate the coordination and distribution of this information, we redesigned the underlying database and associated web site. We chose the PostgreSQL database as a platform based on its performance, stability and GIS extensions. PostreSQL allows us to enhance our search and presentation capabilities, which will in turn provide increased functionality for users seeking to understand the FLUXNET data. The redesigned database will also significantly decrease the burden of managing such highly varied data. The website is being developed using the Drupal content management system, which provides many community-developed modules and a robust framework for custom feature development. In parallel, we are working with the regional networks to ensure that the information in the FLUXNET database is identical to that in the regional networks. Going forward, we also plan to develop an automated way to synchronize information with the regional networks.

Growth and invasive potential of Sapium sebiferum (Euphorbiaceae) within the coastal prairie region: the effects of soil and moisture regime

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barrilleaux, T.C.; Grace, J.B.

2000-01-01

The introduced tree Sapium sebiferum (Euphorbiaceae) is considered a serious threat to the preservation of the coastal prairie region of Louisiana and Texas, although it is currently uncommon in the western part of the region. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential effects of location, soils, and available moisture on the growth and survival of S. sebiferum in coastal prairie. In a field experiment, S. sebiferum mortality was significantly greater at a western site than at central and eastern sites. The greatest mortality and least growth of surviving plants occurred on a soil from the western region, regardless of site. A greenhouse study also found that S. sebiferum growth was lowest on the western soil. Watering frequency significantly affected S. sebiferum growth, except on the western soil. Sapium sebiferum growth responded to both nitrogen and phosphorum additions for all soils. Soil analyses revealed the highest sand, sodium, and phosphorus contents, and much higher electrical conductivity in the western soil. It is concluded that the soil examined from the western region is unfavorable for S. sebiferum growth, though not to the extent to preclude S. sebiferum completely. Evidence suggests that soil salinity may be the primary cause of the poor S. sebiferum growth at the western site.

Robotic Single-Site Surgery for Female-to-Male Transsexuals: Preliminary Experience

PubMed Central

Bogliolo, Stefano; Cassani, Chiara; Babilonti, Luciana; Gardella, Barbara; Zanellini, Francesca; Santamaria, Valentina; Nappi, Rossella Elena; Spinillo, Arsenio

2014-01-01

Hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is a part of gender reassignment surgery for the treatment of female-to-male transsexualism. Over the last years many efforts were made in order to reduce invasiveness of laparoscopic and robotic surgery such as the introduction of single-site approach. We report our preliminary experience on single-site robotic hysterectomy for cross-sex reassignment surgery. Our data suggest that single-site robotic hysterectomy is feasible and safe in female-to-male transsexualism with some benefits in terms of postoperative pain and aesthetic results. PMID:24982976

What counts for ants? How return behaviour and food search of Cataglyphis ants are modified by variations in food quantity and experience.

PubMed

Bolek, Siegfried; Wittlinger, Matthias; Wolf, Harald

2012-09-15

When finding more food than one is able to carry home, should one come back to the site to exploit it further? This question is crucial for central place foragers that provide for a home place with brood or nest mates. The benefit of returning has to be weighed against the chance of finding food elsewhere and the resources available. Desert ants Cataglyphis fortis are well-studied examples when it comes to navigating back and forth between their nest and a foraging area, due to their primary reliance on path integration in the open and featureless desert habitat. The ants use path integration not only for a safe return from their foraging trips but also for future returns to plentiful feeding sites. The direction from the nest that has previously yielded food items is preferred for future foraging trips, a phenomenon termed sector fidelity. What prompts the ants to return to a particular site, and how faithfully they search for that place, has not been well studied. We examine the evaluation of food sources in channel experiments by varying both the number of food items in a feeder and the number of visits to the feeder before testing search distances of foragers returning to the feeding site. Ants exhibited more focused searches for plentiful food sources than for sources with only few food items upon their first return visit. After several successful visits, the ants always searched thoroughly for the food source, independent of the amount of food offered. Thus, desert ants consider both food abundance and reliability of food encounter, with corroborative learning of reliability gradually overriding the initial preference for plentiful feeders. The density of food items appears to be used by the ants as a proxy for food abundance. On the level of our analysis, the searches performed in the experimental channels are indistinguishable from those performed in the open desert terrain. The present results not only demonstrate how otherwise well-studied desert ants assess yield and experience with reliability of food sources, but also establish a model system for future study of how itemised food sources are exploited.

Experimental evidence for route integration and strategic planning in wild capuchin monkeys.

PubMed

Janson, Charles H

2007-07-01

Both in captivity and the wild, primates are found to travel mostly to the nearest available resource, but they may skip over the closest resource and travel to more distant resources, which are often found to be more productive. This study examines the tradeoff between distance and reward in the foraging choices of one group of wild capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella nigritus) using feeding platforms in large-scale foraging experiments conducted over four years. Three feeding sites were arrayed in an oblique triangle, such that once the monkey group had chosen one site to feed, they had a choice between two remaining sites, a close one with less food and the other up to 2.3 times as far away but with more food. Sites were provisioned once per day. The capuchins generally chose the closer feeding site, even when the more distant site offered up to 12 times as much food. The distances to, rewards of, or various profitability measures applied to each alternative site individually did not explain the group's choices in ways consistent with foraging theory or principles of operant psychology. The group's site choices were predicted only by comparing efficiency measures of entire foraging pathways: (1) direct travel to the more rewarding distant site, versus (2) the longer 'detour' through the closer site on the way to the more distant one. The group chose the detour more often when the reward was larger and the added detour distance shorter. They appeared to be more sensitive to the absolute increase in detour distance than to the relative increase compared to the straight route. The qualitative and quantitative results agree with a simple rule: do not use the detour unless the energy gain from extra food outweighs the energy cost of extra travel. These results suggest that members of this group integrate information on spatial location, reward, and perhaps potential food competition in their choice of multi-site foraging routes, with important implications for social foraging.

The chemical reactivity of the Martian soil and implications for future missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zent, Aaron P.; Mckay, Christopher P.

1994-01-01

Possible interpretations of the results of the Viking Biology Experiments suggest that greater than 1 ppm of a thermally labile oxidant, perhaps H2O2, and about 10 ppm of a thermally stable oxidant are present in the martian soil. We reexamine these results and discuss implications for future missions, the search for organics on Mars, and the possible health and engineering effects for human exploration. We conclude that further characterization of the reactivity of the martian regolith materials is warrented-although if our present understanding is correct the oxidant does not pose a hazard to humans. There are difficulties in explaining the reactivity of the Martian soil by oxidants. Most bulk phase compounds that are capable of oxidizing H2O to O2 per the Gas Exchange Experiment (GEx) are thermally labile or unstable against reduction by atmospheric CO2. Models invoking trapped O2 or peroxynitrates (NOO2(-)) require an unlikely geologic history for the Viking Lander 2 site. Most suggested oxidants, including H2O2, are expected to decompose rapidly under martian UV. Nonetheless, we conclude that the best model for the martian soil contains oxidants produced by heterogeneous chemical reactions with a photochemically produced atmospheric oxidant. The GEx results may be due to catalytic decomposition of an unstable oxidizing material by H2O. We show that interfacial reaction sites covering less than 1% of the available soil surfaces could explain the Viking Biology Experiments results.

Species-specific recognition of the carrier insect by dauer larvae of the nematode Caenorhabditis japonica.

PubMed

Okumura, Etsuko; Tanaka, Ryusei; Yoshiga, Toyoshi

2013-02-15

Host recognition is crucial during the phoretic stage of nematodes because it facilitates their association with hosts. However, limited information is available on the direct cues used for host recognition and host specificity in nematodes. Caenorhabditis japonica forms an intimate association with the burrower bug Parastrachia japonensis. Caenorhabditis japonica dauer larvae (DL), the phoretic stage of the nematode, are mainly found on adult P. japonensis females but no other species. To understand the mechanisms of species-specific and female carrier-biased ectophoresy in C. japonica, we investigated whether C. japonica DL could recognize their hosts using nematode loading and chemoattraction experiments. During the loading experiments, up to 300 C. japonica DL embarked on male and female P. japonensis, whereas none or very few utilized the other shield bugs Erthesina fullo and Macroscytus japonensis or the terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare. In the chemoattraction experiments, hexane extracts containing the body surface components of nymphs and both adult P. japonensis sexes attracted C. japonica DL, whereas those of other shield bugs did not. Parastrachia japonensis extracts also arrested the dispersal of C. japonica DL released at a site where hexane extracts were spotted on an agar plate; i.e. >50% of DL remained at the site even 60 min after nematode inoculation whereas M. japonensis extracts or hexane alone did not have the same effect. These results suggest that C. japonica DL recognize their host species using direct chemical attractants from their specific host to maintain their association.

The NESSiE way to searches for sterile neutrinos at FNAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanco, L.; NESSiE Collaboration

2016-04-01

Neutrino physics is nowadays receiving more and more attention as a possible source of information for the long-standing problem of new physics beyond the Standard Model. The recent measurement of the mixing angle θ13 in the standard mixing oscillation scenario encourages us to pursue the still missing results on leptonic CP violation and absolute neutrino masses. However, puzzling measurements exist that deserve an exhaustive evaluation. The NESSiE Collaboration has been setup to undertake conclusive experiments to clarify the muon-neutrino disappearance measurements at small L/E, which will be able to put severe constraints to models with more than the three-standard neutrinos, or even to robustly measure the presence of a new kind of neutrino oscillation for the first time. To this aim the use of the current FNAL-Booster neutrino beam for a Short-Baseline experiment has been carefully evaluated. Its recent proposal refers to the use of magnetic spectrometers at two different sites, Near and Far ones. Their positions have been extensively studied, together with the possible performances of two OPERA-like spectrometers. The proposal is constrained by availability of existing hardware and a time-schedule compatible with the undergoing project of a multi-site Liquid-Argon detectors at FNAL. The experiment to be possibly setup at Booster will allow to definitively clarify the current νμ disappearance tension with νe appearance and disappearance at the eV mass scale.

Benthic biological C processing patterns in two Scottish estuaries and the significance of bacterial C uptake in sandy sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woulds, Clare; Cowie, Greg; Witte, Ursula; Middelburg, Jack

2013-04-01

The supply of detrital organic matter to marine sediments is important for the nutrition of benthic ecosystems, while its remineralisation and burial supplies nutrients to the water column, and is a significant C sequestration process. Biological processes regulate sedimentary organic matter cycling, however the dominant processes vary between sites, and our knowledge of the factors driving that variation is still limited. Isotope tracing experiments have shown that the pattern and rate of biological processing of organic carbon (C) in marine sediments allows sites to be categorised based on the relative importance of different processes and C pools. Thus, total community respiration is often the dominant process, but its dominance is maximal in deep ocean sediments. In shallower settings, with greater organic matter availability, faunal uptake of organic C becomes more significant, and, where there is particularly high faunal biomass, can become dominant. New isotope tracing experiments have been conducted which compare biological C processing patterns in two contrasting Scottish estuaries. These are Loch Etive, where muddy, comparatively organic C rich sediments become hypoxic within millimetres of the sediment-water interface; and the Ythan estuary, where organic C poor, sandy sediments are kept oxygenated by porewater advection. Taken together with other experiments from the literature, the results now suggest that estuarine and shelf sandy sediments constitute a distinct category of biological C processing, in which bacterial C uptake plays a particularly significant role.

Metropolitan open-space protection with uncertain site availability

Treesearch

Robert G. Haight; Stephanie A. Snyder; Charles S. Revelle

2005-01-01

Urban planners acquire open space to protect natural areas and provide public access to recreation opportunities. Because of limited budgets and dynamic land markets, acquisitions take place sequentially depending on available funds and sites. To address these planning features, we formulated a two-period site selection model with two objectives: maximize the...

10 CFR 1303.103 - Public reading area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... the address in this paragraph (a): (2) Telephone: 703-235-4473; (3) A request to the Board's Web site... Board's Web site or by letter or fax. Please ensure that the records sought are clearly described... available electronically at the Board's Web site (http://www.nwtrb.gov). (d) Records of the Board available...

Availability and acceptability of HIV counselling and testing services. A qualitative study comparing clients' experiences of accessing HIV testing at public sector primary health care facilities or non-governmental mobile services in Cape Town, South Africa.

PubMed

Meehan, Sue-Ann; Leon, Natalie; Naidoo, Pren; Jennings, Karen; Burger, Ronelle; Beyers, Nulda

2015-09-02

The South African government is striving for universal access to HIV counselling and testing (HCT), a fundamental component of HIV care and prevention. In the Cape Town district, Western Cape Province of South Africa, HCT is provided free of charge at publically funded primary health care (PHC) facilities and through non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This study investigated the availability and accessibility of HCT services; comparing health seeking behaviour and client experiences of HCT across public PHC facilities (fixed sites) and NGO mobile services. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews. Systematic sampling was used to select 16 participants who accessed HCT in either a PHC facility (8) or a NGO mobile service (8). Interviews, conducted between March and June 2011, were digitally recorded, transcribed and where required, translated into English. Constant comparative and thematic analysis was used to identify common and divergent responses and themes in relation to the key questions (reasons for testing, choice of service provider and experience of HCT). The sample consisted of 12 females and 4 males with an age range of 19-60 years (median age 28 years). Motivations for accessing health facilities and NGO services were similar; opportunity to test, being affected by HIV and a perceived personal risk for contracting HIV. Participants chose a particular service provider based on accessibility, familiarity with and acceptability of that service. Experiences of both services were largely positive, though instances of poor staff attitude and long waiting times were reported at PHC facilities. Those attending NGO services reported shorter waiting times and overall positive testing experiences. Concerns about lack of adequate privacy and associated stigma were expressed about both services. Realised access to HCT is dependent on availability and acceptability of HCT services. Those who utilised either a NGO mobile service or a public PHC facility perceived both service types as available and acceptable. Mobile NGO services provided an accessible opportunity for those who would otherwise not have tested at that time. Policy makers should consider the perceptions and experiences of those accessing HCT services when increasing access to HCT.

Definitions of components of the master water data index maintained by the National Water Data Exchange

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, R.A.; Williams, O.O.

1982-01-01

The Master Water Data Index is a computerized data base developed and maintained by the National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX). The Index contains information about water-data collection sites. This information includes: the identification of new sites for which water data are available, the locations of these sites, the type of site, the data-collection organization, the types of data available, the major water-data parameters for which data are available, the frequency at which these parameters are measured, the period of time for which data are available, and the medial in which the data are stored. This document, commonly referred to as the MWDI data dictionary, contains a definition and description of each component of the Master Water Data Index data base. (USGS)

Modeling Reactivity to Biological Macromolecules with a Deep Multitask Network

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Most small-molecule drug candidates fail before entering the market, frequently because of unexpected toxicity. Often, toxicity is detected only late in drug development, because many types of toxicities, especially idiosyncratic adverse drug reactions (IADRs), are particularly hard to predict and detect. Moreover, drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is the most frequent reason drugs are withdrawn from the market and causes 50% of acute liver failure cases in the United States. A common mechanism often underlies many types of drug toxicities, including both DILI and IADRs. Drugs are bioactivated by drug-metabolizing enzymes into reactive metabolites, which then conjugate to sites in proteins or DNA to form adducts. DNA adducts are often mutagenic and may alter the reading and copying of genes and their regulatory elements, causing gene dysregulation and even triggering cancer. Similarly, protein adducts can disrupt their normal biological functions and induce harmful immune responses. Unfortunately, reactive metabolites are not reliably detected by experiments, and it is also expensive to test drug candidates for potential to form DNA or protein adducts during the early stages of drug development. In contrast, computational methods have the potential to quickly screen for covalent binding potential, thereby flagging problematic molecules and reducing the total number of necessary experiments. Here, we train a deep convolution neural network—the XenoSite reactivity model—using literature data to accurately predict both sites and probability of reactivity for molecules with glutathione, cyanide, protein, and DNA. On the site level, cross-validated predictions had area under the curve (AUC) performances of 89.8% for DNA and 94.4% for protein. Furthermore, the model separated molecules electrophilically reactive with DNA and protein from nonreactive molecules with cross-validated AUC performances of 78.7% and 79.8%, respectively. On both the site- and molecule-level, the model’s performances significantly outperformed reactivity indices derived from quantum simulations that are reported in the literature. Moreover, we developed and applied a selectivity score to assess preferential reactions with the macromolecules as opposed to the common screening traps. For the entire data set of 2803 molecules, this approach yielded totals of 257 (9.2%) and 227 (8.1%) molecules predicted to be reactive only with DNA and protein, respectively, and hence those that would be missed by standard reactivity screening experiments. Site of reactivity data is an underutilized resource that can be used to not only predict if molecules are reactive, but also show where they might be modified to reduce toxicity while retaining efficacy. The XenoSite reactivity model is available at http://swami.wustl.edu/xenosite/p/reactivity. PMID:27610414

The Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis (LAMBDA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Nathan; LAMBDA

2018-01-01

The Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis (LAMBDA) provides CMB researchers with archival data for cosmology missions, software tools, and links to other sites of interest. LAMBDA is one-stop shopping for CMB researchers. It hosts data from WMAP along with many suborbital experiments. Over the past year, LAMBDA has acquired new data from SPTpol, SPIDER and ACTPol. In addition to the primary CMB, LAMBDA also provides foreground data.LAMBDA has several ongoing efforts to provide tools for CMB researchers. These tools include a web interface for CAMB and a web interface for a CMB survey footprint database and plotting tool. Additionally, we have recently developed a Docker container with standard CMB analysis tools and demonstrations in the form of Jupyter notebooks. These containers will be publically available through Docker's container repository and the source will be available on github.

THE NASA AMES POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC DATABASE: THE COMPUTED SPECTRA

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

Bauschlicher, C. W.; Ricca, A.; Boersma, C.

The astronomical emission features, formerly known as the unidentified infrared bands, are now commonly ascribed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The laboratory experiments and computational modeling done at the NASA Ames Research Center to create a collection of PAH IR spectra relevant to test and refine the PAH hypothesis have been assembled into a spectroscopic database. This database now contains over 800 PAH spectra spanning 2-2000 {mu}m (5000-5 cm{sup -1}). These data are now available on the World Wide Web at www.astrochem.org/pahdb. This paper presents an overview of the computational spectra in the database and the tools developed to analyzemore » and interpret astronomical spectra using the database. A description of the online and offline user tools available on the Web site is also presented.« less

Foraging ecology of sanderlings Calidris alba wintering in estuarine and non-estuarine intertidal areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lourenço, Pedro M.; Alves, José A.; Catry, Teresa; Granadeiro, José P.

2015-10-01

Outside the breeding season, most shorebirds use either estuarine or non-estuarine intertidal areas as foraging grounds. The sanderling Calidris alba is mostly associated with coastal sandy beaches, a habitat which is currently at risk worldwide due to increasing coastal erosion, but may also use estuarine sites as alternative foraging areas. We aimed to compare the trophic conditions for sanderlings wintering in estuarine and non-estuarine sites within and around the Tejo estuary, Portugal, where these two alternative wintering options are available within a relatively small spatial scale. To achieve this, we analysed sanderling diet, prey availability, foraging behaviour, and time and energy budgets in the different substrates available in estuarine and non-estuarine sites. In terms of biomass, the most important sanderling prey in the estuarine sites were siphons of the bivalve Scrobicularia plana, polychaetes, staphylinids and the gastropod Hydrobia ulvae. In non-estuarine sites the main prey were polychaetes, the bivalve Donax trunculus and chironomid larvae. Both food availability and energetic intake rates were higher on estuarine sites, and sanderlings spent a higher proportion of time foraging on non-estuarine sites. In the estuary, sanderlings foraged in muddy-sand substrate whenever it was available, achieving higher intake rates than in sandy substrates. In the non-estuarine sites they used both sandy and rocky substrates throughout the tidal cycle but had higher intakes rates in sandy substrate. Estuarine sites seem to offer better foraging conditions for wintering sanderlings than non-estuarine sites. However, sanderlings only use muddy-sand and sandy substrates, which represent a small proportion of the intertidal area of the estuary. The extent of these substrates and the current sanderling density in the estuary suggest it is unlikely that the estuary could provide alternative wintering habitat for sanderlings if they face habitat loss and degradation in coastal sites.

Participant Trends in the Geosciences Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walters, C. K.; Patino, L. C.; Rom, E. L.; Adams, A. S.

2016-12-01

The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports programs for undergraduate students to gain experience in research. In 2016, there were nearly 60 active Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) sites across the nation that provided research opportunities in Geosciences (GEO). At these REU sites, students carried out independent research projects and had the chance to present the information at national conferences. The participants often joined research groups that included other undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and investigators. Between 2009 and 2016, there were over 26,000 applications to GEO REU sites and about 1,953 applicants were selected to participate. Data for GEO REU sites has been collected using two mechanisms, direct queries to the REU site managers (2009-2012, and 2016) and analysis of award progress reports (2014-2015). The information collected since 2009 has provided a temporal description of who is participating in the GEO REU sites (e.g. gender, demographics, academic level). The analysis of the trends in the REU sites has shown an increase of women participating in the research opportunities across all disciplines, to the point that in some sites there is need to increase the participation of men. The number of minority and underrepresented students has also increased. Throughout this period, the academic level of the participants in GEO REU sites has also changed; the number of students who have completed only the first or second year of college has increased. The trends in the data allow NSF to understand who is participating in the REUs and to incentivize the research community to engage students who will benefit from these experiences, but who are not currently participating.

Skin impedance is not a factor in transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation effectiveness

PubMed Central

Vance, Carol GT; Rakel, Barbara A; Dailey, Dana L; Sluka, Kathleen A

2015-01-01

Objective Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a nonpharmacological intervention used to manage pain using skin surface electrodes. Optimal electrode placement is unclear. We hypothesized that better analgesia would occur if electrodes were placed over sites with lower skin impedance. Optimal site selection (OSS) and sham site selection (SSS) electrode sites on the forearm were identified using a standard clinical technique. Methods Experiment 1 measured skin impedance in the forearm at OSS and SSS. Experiment 2 was a crossover design double-blind randomized controlled trial comparing OSS-TENS, SSS-TENS, and placebo TENS (P-TENS) to confirm differences in skin impedance between OSS and SSS, and measure change in pressure pain threshold (PPT) following a 30-minute TENS treatment. Healthy volunteers were recruited (ten for Experiment 1 [five male, five female] and 24 for Experiment 2 [12 male, 12 female]). TENS was applied for 30 minutes at 100 Hz frequency, 100 µs pulse duration, and “strong but nonpainful” amplitude. Results Experiment 1 results demonstrate significantly higher impedance at SSS (17.69±1.24 Ω) compared to OSS (13.53±0.57 Ω) (P=0.007). For Experiment 2, electrode site impedance was significantly higher over SSS, with both the impedance meter (P=0.001) and the TENS unit (P=0.012) compared to OSS. PPT change was significantly greater for both OSS-TENS (P=0.024) and SSS-TENS (P=0.025) when compared to P-TENS. PPT did not differ between the two active TENS treatments (P=0.81). Conclusion Skin impedance is lower at sites characterized as optimal using the described technique of electrode site selection. When TENS is applied at adequate intensities, skin impedance is not a factor in attainment of hypoalgesia of the forearm in healthy subjects. Further investigation should include testing in patients presenting with painful conditions. PMID:26316808

Systems-Oriented Workplace Learning Experiences for Early Learners: Three Models.

PubMed

O'Brien, Bridget C; Bachhuber, Melissa R; Teherani, Arianne; Iker, Theresa M; Batt, Joanne; O'Sullivan, Patricia S

2017-05-01

Early workplace learning experiences may be effective for learning systems-based practice. This study explores systems-oriented workplace learning experiences (SOWLEs) for early learners to suggest a framework for their development. The authors used a two-phase qualitative case study design. In Phase 1 (spring 2014), they prepared case write-ups based on transcribed interviews from 10 SOWLE leaders at the authors' institution and, through comparative analysis of cases, identified three SOWLE models. In Phase 2 (summer 2014), studying seven 8-week SOWLE pilots, the authors used interview and observational data collected from the seven participating medical students, two pharmacy students, and site leaders to construct case write-ups of each pilot and to verify and elaborate the models. In Model 1, students performed specific patient care activities that addressed a system gap. Some site leaders helped students connect the activities to larger systems problems and potential improvements. In Model 2, students participated in predetermined systems improvement (SI) projects, gaining experience in the improvement process. Site leaders had experience in SI and often had significant roles in the projects. In Model 3, students worked with key stakeholders to develop a project and conduct a small test of change. They experienced most elements of an improvement cycle. Site leaders often had experience with SI and knew how to guide and support students' learning. Each model could offer systems-oriented learning opportunities provided that key elements are in place including site leaders facile in SI concepts and able to guide students in SOWLE activities.

Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Kauai Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate Project and Its Associated Marine Mammal Research Program: Vol 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-05-01

at zero source level to allow time for any mobile marine animal who was annoyed by the sound to depart the affected area; and project facilities would...using conventional thermometers); autonomous polar hydrophones; and a dual site experiment using mobile playback experiments. Of the twelve alternatives...HYDROPHONES (ICE NOISE 2-43 MEASUREMENTS) (ALTERNATIVE 11) 2.2.12 DUAL SITE EXPERIMENT; ALTERNATIVE MMRP 2-44 TECHNIQUES -- MOBILE PLAYBACK EXPERIMENTS

Site Response for Micro-Zonation from Small Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gospe, T. B.; Hutchings, L.; Liou, I. Y. W.; Jarpe, S.

2017-12-01

We have developed a method to obtain absolute geologic site response from small earthquakes using inexpensive instrumentation that enables us to perform micro-zonation inexpensively and in a short amount of time. We record small earthquakes (M<3) at several sites simultaneously and perform inversion to obtain actual absolute site response. The key to the inversion is that recordings at several stations from an earthquake have the same moment, source corner frequency and whole path Q effect on their spectra, but have individual Kappa and spectral amplification as a function of frequency. When these source and path effects are removed and corrections for different propagation distances are performed, we are left with actual site response. We develop site response functions from 0.5 to 25.0 Hz. Cities situated near active and dangerous faults experience small earthquakes on a regular basis. We typically record at least ten small earthquakes over time to stabilize the uncertainly. Of course, dynamic soil modeling is necessary to scale our linear site response to non-linear regime for large earthquakes. Our instrumentation is very inexpensive and virtually disposable, and can be placed throughout a city at a high density. Operation only requires turning on a switch, and data processing is automated to minimize human labor. We have installed a test network and implemented our full methodology in upper Napa Valley, California where there is variable geology and nearby rock outcrop sites, and a supply of small earthquakes from the nearby Geysers development area. We test several methbods of obtaining site response. We found that rock sites have a site response of their own and distort the site response estimate based upon spectral ratios with soil sites. Also, rock sites may not even be available near all sites throughout a city. Further, H/V site response estimates from earthquakes are marginally better, but vertical motion also has a site response of its own. H/V spectral ratios of noise don't provide accurate site response estimates either. Vs30 only provides one amplification number and doesn't account for the variable three-dimensional structure beneath sites. We conclude that absolute site response obtained directly from earthquakes is the best, and possibly, the only way to get accurate site response estimates.

The Offering, Scheduling and Maintenance of Elective Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

PubMed Central

Brown, Rex O.; Patel, Zalak V.; Foster, Stephan L.

2015-01-01

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) provides standards for colleges of pharmacy to assist in the provision of pharmacy education to student pharmacists. An integral part of all college educational programs includes the provision of experiential learning. Experiential learning allows students to gain real-world experience in direct patient care during completion of the curriculum. All college of pharmacy programs provide several Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs), which include a balance between the four required experiences and a number of other required or elective APPEs. Required APPEs include advanced community, advanced institutional, ambulatory care, and general medicine. The elective APPEs include a myriad of opportunities to help provide a balanced education in experiential learning for student pharmacists. These unique opportunities help to expose student pharmacists to different career tracks that they may not have been able to experience otherwise. Not all colleges offer enough elective APPEs to enable the student pharmacist to obtain experiences in a defined area. Such an approach is required to produce skilled pharmacy graduates that are capable to enter practice in various settings. Elective APPEs are scheduled logically and are based upon student career interest and site availability. This article describes the offering, scheduling and maintenance of different elective APPEs offered by The University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. PMID:28975920

76 FR 35460 - Notice of Web Availability: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2011...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5500-N-05] Notice of Web Availability...: Notice. SUMMARY: HUD announces the availability on its Web site and Grants.gov , applicant information... Department of Housing and Urban Development agency link on the Grants.gov/Find Web site at http://www.grants...

Restoration of the Apollo Heat Flow Experiments Metadata

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nagihara, S.; Stephens, M. K.; Taylor, P. T.; Williams, D. R.; Hills, H. K.; Nakamura, Y.

2015-01-01

Geothermal heat flow probes were deployed on the Apollo 15 and 17 missions as part of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP). At each landing site, the astronauts drilled 2 holes, 10-m apart, and installed a probe in each. The holes were 1- and 1.5-m deep at the Apollo 15 site and 2.5-m deep at the Apollo 17 sites. The probes monitored surface temperature and subsurface temperatures at different depths. At the Apollo 15 site, the monitoring continued from July 1971 to January 1977. At the Apollo 17 site, it did from December 1972 to September 1977. Based on the observations made through December 1974, Marcus Langseth, the principal investigator of the heat flow experiments (HFE), determined the thermal conductivity of the lunar regolith by mathematically modeling how the seasonal temperature fluctuation propagated down through the regolith. He also determined the temperature unaffected by diurnal and seasonal thermal waves of the regolith at different depths, which yielded the geothermal gradient. By multiplying the thermal gradient and the thermal conductivity, Langseth obtained the endogenic heat flow of the Moon as 21 mW/m(exp 2) at Site 15 and 16 mW/m(exp 2) at Site 17.

EXPERIENCE IN INCINERATION APPLICABLE TO SUPERFUND SITE REMEDIATION

EPA Science Inventory

This document can be used as a reference tool for hazardous waste site remediation where incineration is used as a treatment alternative. It provides the user with information garnered from the experiences of others who use incineration. The document presents useful lessons in ev...

NEVADA TEST SITE EXPERIMENTAL FARM: SUMMARY REPORT 1963-1981

EPA Science Inventory

This report summarizes the findings from experiments conducted at the Experimental Dairy Farm located on the Nevada Test Site. These experiments included the air-forage-cow-milk transport of the radioiodines, and the metabolism and milk transfer of other fission products and seve...

Web-based X-ray quality control documentation.

PubMed

David, George; Burnett, Lou Ann; Schenkel, Robert

2003-01-01

The department of radiology at the Medical College of Georgia Hospital and Clinics has developed an equipment quality control web site. Our goal is to provide immediate access to virtually all medical physics survey data. The web site is designed to assist equipment engineers, department management and technologists. By improving communications and access to equipment documentation, we believe productivity is enhanced. The creation of the quality control web site was accomplished in three distinct steps. First, survey data had to be placed in a computer format. The second step was to convert these various computer files to a format supported by commercial web browsers. Third, a comprehensive home page had to be designed to provide convenient access to the multitude of surveys done in the various x-ray rooms. Because we had spent years previously fine-tuning the computerization of the medical physics quality control program, most survey documentation was already in spreadsheet or database format. A major technical decision was the method of conversion of survey spreadsheet and database files into documentation appropriate for the web. After an unsatisfactory experience with a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) converter (packaged with spreadsheet and database software), we tried creating Portable Document Format (PDF) files using Adobe Acrobat software. This process preserves the original formatting of the document and takes no longer than conventional printing; therefore, it has been very successful. Although the PDF file generated by Adobe Acrobat is a proprietary format, it can be displayed through a conventional web browser using the freely distributed Adobe Acrobat Reader program that is available for virtually all platforms. Once a user installs the software, it is automatically invoked by the web browser whenever the user follows a link to a file with a PDF extension. Although no confidential patient information is available on the web site, our legal department recommended that we secure the site in order to keep out those wishing to make mischief. Our interim solution has not been to password protect the page, which we feared would hinder access for occasional legitimate users, but also not to provide links to it from other hospital and department pages. Utility and productivity were improved and time and money were saved by making radiological equipment quality control documentation instantly available on-line.

XenoSite server: a web-available site of metabolism prediction tool.

PubMed

Matlock, Matthew K; Hughes, Tyler B; Swamidass, S Joshua

2015-04-01

Cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s) are metabolic enzymes that process the majority of FDA-approved, small-molecule drugs. Understanding how these enzymes modify molecule structure is key to the development of safe, effective drugs. XenoSite server is an online implementation of the XenoSite, a recently published computational model for P450 metabolism. XenoSite predicts which atomic sites of a molecule--sites of metabolism (SOMs)--are modified by P450s. XenoSite server accepts input in common chemical file formats including SDF and SMILES and provides tools for visualizing the likelihood that each atomic site is a site of metabolism for a variety of important P450s, as well as a flat file download of SOM predictions. XenoSite server is available at http://swami.wustl.edu/xenosite. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Strategic considerations for the sustainable remediation of nuclear installations.

PubMed

Mobbs, S; Orr, P; Weber, I

2017-08-05

Nuclear sites around the world are being decommissioned and remedial actions are being undertaken to enable the sites or parts of the sites to be reused. Although this is relatively straightforward for most sites, experience has suggested that preventative action is needed to minimise the impact of remediation activities on the environment and the potential burden to future generations. Removing all contamination in order to make a site suitable for any use generates waste and has associated environmental, social and economic detriments and benefits that should be taken into account. Recent experience of OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) member countries in the remediation of contaminated land, predominantly contaminated soil and groundwater, on nuclear sites during decommissioning has been assessed by an NEA task group. The experience was used to identify strategic considerations for nuclear site remediation, to consider the application of sustainability principles to nuclear site remediation, to describe good practice, and to make recommendations for further research and development. The key aspects that were identified were that 1) site remediation should be sustainable by resulting in an overall net benefit; and 2) an adaptive approach is essential in order to take into account the inherent uncertainty associated with the decommissioning and site remediation timescales. A report describing the findings was published by OECD/NEA in 2016. The conclusions provide insights to decision makers, regulators, implementers and stakeholders involved in nuclear site decommissioning so that they can achieve sustainable remediation of nuclear sites, now and in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stratigraphic framework for Pliocene paleoclimate reconstruction: The correlation conundrum

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dowsett, H.J.; Robinson, M.M.

2006-01-01

Pre-Holocene paleoclimate reconstructions face a correlation conundrum because complications inherent in the stratigraphic record impede the development of synchronous reconstruction. The Pliocene Research, Interpretation and Synoptic Mapping (PRISM) paleoenvironmental reconstructions have carefully balanced temporal resolution and paleoclimate proxy data to achieve a useful and reliable product and are the most comprehensive pre-Pleistocene data sets available for analysis of warmer-than-present climate and for climate modeling experiments. This paper documents the stratigraphic framework for the mid-Pliocene sea surface temperature (SST) reconstruction of the North Atlantic and explores the relationship between stratigraphic/temporal resolution and various paleoceanographic estimates of SST. The magnetobiostratigraphic framework for the PRISM North Atlantic region is constructed from planktic foraminifer, calcareous nannofossil and paleomagnetic reversal events recorded in deep-sea cores and calibrated to age. Planktic foraminifer census data from multiple samples within the mid-Pliocene yield multiple SST estimates for each site. Extracting a single SST value at each site from multiple estimates, given the limitations of the material and stratigraphic resolution, is problematic but necessary for climate model experiments. The PRISM reconstruction, unprecedented in its integration of many different types of data at a focused stratigraphic interval, utilizes a time slab approach and is based on warm peak average temperatures. A greater understanding of the dynamics of the climate system and significant advances in models now mandate more precise, globally distributed yet temporally synchronous SST estimates than are available through averaging techniques. Regardless of the precision used to correlate between sequences within the midd-Pliocene, a truly synoptic reconstruction in the temporal sense is unlikely. SST estimates from multiple proxies promise to further refine paleoclimate reconstructions but must consider the complications associated with each method, what each proxy actually records, and how these different proxies compare in time-averaged samples.

Bioaccessibility of Cd and Pb in tailings from a zinc smelting in Brazil: implications for human health

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

Ono, Fabio Benedito; Penido, Evanise Silva; Tappero, Ryan

Soils and wastes enriched with heavy metals may present significant ecological and human health risks. A considerable number of mining/smelting areas exist in Brazil, where high levels of metals have been found, as well as in their surrounding soils and sediments. However, studies of bioaccessibility of metals in soils/tailings from these areas are scarce, despite their potential informational contribution concerning exposure risks for residents near these areas. This study evaluated tailing samples collected from four sites of a smelting area aiming to: (i) evaluate the presence of metals of potential concern; (ii) investigate Cd and Pb bioaccessibility; and, (iii) determinemore » the desorption kinetics of Cd and Pb. Five composite samples were collected from each site, at two depths, from a zinc smelting area located near Três Marias city - MG, Brazil. Availability of Cd and Pb was measured using a bioaccessibility test and a desorption experiment. High concentrations of total Cd and Pb and great variability were found in the tailings (up to 1743 mg Cd kg -1 and 8675 mg Pb kg -1), indicating the importance of adequate planning for their final disposal, in order to avoid contamination in the surrounding environment. Cadmium and Pb bioaccessibility percentages in the intestinal phase were less than 47 and 4%, respectively, which represents significant fractions not available for absorption in the intestinal tract. However, this material has to be monitored since its bioaccessibility may increase with eventual physicochemical changes, releasing Cd and Pb. Desorption kinetics experiments revealed that the Pb in the samples remained in less labile fractions whereas Cd was found in more labile fractions, which is in accordance with the bioaccessibility result.« less

Selective oviposition of the mayfly Baetis bicaudatus.

PubMed

Encalada, Andrea C; Peckarsky, Barbara L

2006-06-01

Selective oviposition can have important consequences for recruitment limitation and population dynamics of organisms with complex life cycles. Temporal and spatial variation in oviposition may be driven by environmental or behavioral constraints. The goals of this study were to: (1) develop an empirical model of the substrate characteristics that best explain observed patterns of oviposition by Baetis bicaudatus (Ephemeroptera), whose females lay eggs under rocks protruding from high-elevation streams in western Colorado; and (2) test experimentally selective oviposition of mayfly females. We surveyed the number and physical characteristics of potential oviposition sites, and counted the number and density of egg masses in different streams of one watershed throughout two consecutive flight seasons. Results of surveys showed that variability in the proportion of protruding rocks with egg masses and the density of egg masses per rock were explained primarily by seasonal and annual variation in hydrology, and variation in geomorphology among streams. Moreover, surveys and experiments showed that females preferred to oviposit under relatively large rocks located in places with high splash associated with fast current, which may provide visual, mechanical or both cues to females. Experiments also showed that high densities of egg masses under certain rocks were caused by rock characteristics rather than behavioral aggregation of ovipositing females. While aggregations of egg masses provided no survival advantage, rocks selected by females had lower probabilities of desiccating during egg incubation. Our data suggest that even when protruding rocks are abundant, not all rocks are used as oviposition sites by females, due to female selectivity and to differences in rock availability within seasons, years, or streams depending on variation in climate and hydrogeomorphology. Therefore, specialized oviposition behavior combined with variation in availability of quality oviposition substrata has the potential to limit recruitment of this species.

Bioaccessibility of Cd and Pb in tailings from a zinc smelting in Brazil: implications for human health

DOE PAGES

Ono, Fabio Benedito; Penido, Evanise Silva; Tappero, Ryan; ...

2015-10-22

Soils and wastes enriched with heavy metals may present significant ecological and human health risks. A considerable number of mining/smelting areas exist in Brazil, where high levels of metals have been found, as well as in their surrounding soils and sediments. However, studies of bioaccessibility of metals in soils/tailings from these areas are scarce, despite their potential informational contribution concerning exposure risks for residents near these areas. This study evaluated tailing samples collected from four sites of a smelting area aiming to: (i) evaluate the presence of metals of potential concern; (ii) investigate Cd and Pb bioaccessibility; and, (iii) determinemore » the desorption kinetics of Cd and Pb. Five composite samples were collected from each site, at two depths, from a zinc smelting area located near Três Marias city - MG, Brazil. Availability of Cd and Pb was measured using a bioaccessibility test and a desorption experiment. High concentrations of total Cd and Pb and great variability were found in the tailings (up to 1743 mg Cd kg -1 and 8675 mg Pb kg -1), indicating the importance of adequate planning for their final disposal, in order to avoid contamination in the surrounding environment. Cadmium and Pb bioaccessibility percentages in the intestinal phase were less than 47 and 4%, respectively, which represents significant fractions not available for absorption in the intestinal tract. However, this material has to be monitored since its bioaccessibility may increase with eventual physicochemical changes, releasing Cd and Pb. Desorption kinetics experiments revealed that the Pb in the samples remained in less labile fractions whereas Cd was found in more labile fractions, which is in accordance with the bioaccessibility result.« less

What users want in e-commerce design: effects of age, education and income.

PubMed

Lightner, Nancy J

2003-01-15

Preferences for certain characteristics of an online shopping experience may be related to demographic data. This paper discusses the characteristics of that experience, demographic data and preferences by demographic group. The results of an online survey of 488 individuals in the United States indicate that respondents are generally satisfied with their online shopping experiences, with security, information quality and information quantity ranking first in importance overall. The sensory impact of a site ranked last overall of the seven characteristics measured. Preferences for these characteristics in e-commerce sites were differentiated by age, education and income. The sensory impact of sites became less important as respondents increased in age, income or education. As the income of respondents increased, the importance of the reputation of the vendor rose. Web site designers may incorporate these findings into the design of e-commerce sites in an attempt to increase the shopping satisfaction of their users. Results from the customer relationship management portion of the survey suggest that current push technologies and site personalization are not an effective means of achieving user satisfaction.

Movement of tagged dredged sand at thalweg disposal sites in the Upper Mississippi River. Volume 2. Savanna Bay and Duck Creek sites

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

Paddock, R.A.; McCown, D.L.

Experiments were conducted on the Upper Mississippi River at two sites, Savanna Bay and Duck Creek, to investigate the movement of dredged sand after disposal in the thalweg. These experiments are part of a larger study, which includes similar experiments conducted earlier at two other sites on the Upper Mississippi River. At the Savanna Bay site, hydraulically dredged sand was tagged with sand coated with fluorescent dye before being deposited as a pile in the thalweg. Bathymetric surveys and surficial bottom sampling were conducted on five occasions over a nine-month period following disposal to identify changes in the topography ofmore » the pile and to detect the presence of dyed sand. At the Duck Creek site, only bathymetric surveys were conducted. The general behavior of the disposal piles at these two new sites was similar to that of the piles at the first two sites. Topographic evidence of the piles disappeared, and bottom conditions similar to the predisposal conditions were reestablished following the first period of high river flows after disposal. At Savanna Bay, as had happened at the first two sites, the tagged sand remained in the main river channel as it moved downstream in response to flood currents and did not migrate into nearby border areas, backwaters, or sloughs. 6 references, 89 figures, 2 tables.« less

Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Experiment to Derive a Detailed Understanding of Hammerhead Ribozyme Catalysis

PubMed Central

Lee, Tai-Sung; Wong, Kin-Yiu; Giambasu, George M.; York, Darrin M.

2016-01-01

Herein we summarize our progress toward the understanding of hammerhead ribozyme (HHR) catalysis through a multiscale simulation strategy. Simulation results collectively paint a picture of HHR catalysis: HHR first folds to form an electronegative active site pocket to recruit a threshold occupation of cationic charges, either a Mg2+ ion or multiple monovalent cations. Catalytically active conformations that have good in-line fitness are supported by specific metal ion coordination patterns that involve either a bridging Mg2+ ion or multiple Na+ ions, one of which is also in a bridging coordination pattern. In the case of a single Mg2+ ion bound in the active site, the Mg2+ ion undergoes a migration that is coupled with deprotonation of the nucleophile (C17:O2′). As the reaction proceeds, the Mg2+ ion stabilizes the accumulating charge of the leaving group and significantly increases the general acid ability of G8:O2′. Further computational mutagenesis simulations suggest that the disruptions due to mutations may severely impact HHR catalysis at different stages of the reaction. Catalytic mechanisms supported by the simulation results are consistent with available structural and biochemical experiments, and together they advance our understanding of HHR catalysis. PMID:24156941

Extraterrestrial Virtual Field Experience: Water at Meridiani

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duggan-Haas, D.; Million, C.; Sullivan, R. J., Jr.; Hayes, A. G., Jr.; Ross, R. M.; St Clair, M.

2014-12-01

The Spacecraft Planetary Imaging Facility (SPIF) at Cornell University, in collaboration with Million Concepts and the Paleontological Research Institute (PRI), has developed the Extraterrestrial Virtual Field Experience (EVFE), a web-based, game-like and inquiry-driven classroom activity targeted to middle school through undergraduate introductory Earth science classrooms. Students play the role of mission scientists for a NASA rover mission, tasked with targeting the rover's scientific instruments to investigate a specific scientific question about the landing site. As with the real mission, the student operators must optimize the efficient use of limited resources and time against the need to make observations to address working hypotheses. The activity uses only real--not artificial or simulated--mission data, and students are guided throughout by a "Mission Manager" who provides hints and advice about the scientific meaning of observations within the broader context of the mission objectives. The MER Opportunity EVFE is a pilot effort, the first of five EVFE modules planned a rate of one per year that will feature different NASA missions and scientific topics. The MER Opportunity EVFE has already been developed and focuses on the investigation of the history of water on Mars at the Meridiani landing site of the Opportunity rover. The module includes a teacher guide and is currently available to educators through the SPIF website.

Rainfall simulation experiments in the southwestern USA using the Walnut Gulch Rainfall Simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polyakov, Viktor; Stone, Jeffry; Holifield Collins, Chandra; Nearing, Mark A.; Paige, Ginger; Buono, Jared; Gomez-Pond, Rae-Landa

2018-01-01

This dataset contains hydrological, erosion, vegetation, ground cover, and other supplementary information from 272 rainfall simulation experiments conducted on 23 semiarid rangeland locations in Arizona and Nevada between 2002 and 2013. On 30 % of the plots, simulations were conducted up to five times during the decade of study. The rainfall was generated using the Walnut Gulch Rainfall Simulator on 2 m by 6 m plots. Simulation sites included brush and grassland areas with various degrees of disturbance by grazing, wildfire, or brush removal. This dataset advances our understanding of basic hydrological and biological processes that drive soil erosion on arid rangelands. It can be used to estimate runoff, infiltration, and erosion rates at a variety of ecological sites in the Southwestern USA. The inclusion of wildfire and brush treatment locations combined with long-term observations makes it important for studying vegetation recovery, ecological transitions, and the effect of management. It is also a valuable resource for erosion model parameterization and validation. The dataset is available from the National Agricultural Library at https://data.nal.usda.gov/search/type/dataset (DOI: https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/1358583).

NASA/DARPA advanced communications technology satellite project for evaluation of telemedicine outreach using next-generation communications satellite technology: Mayo Foundation participation.

PubMed

Gilbert, B K; Mitchell, M P; Bengali, A R; Khandheria, B K

1999-08-01

To describe the development of telemedicine capabilities-application of remote consultation and diagnostic techniques-and to evaluate the feasibility and practicality of such clinical outreach to rural and underserved communities with limited telecommunications infrastructures. In 1992, Mayo Foundation (Rochester, Minn, Jacksonville, Fla, and Scottsdale, Ariz), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency collaborated to create a complex network of fiberoptic landlines, video recording systems, satellite terminals, and specially developed data translators linking Mayo sites with other locations in the continental United States on an on-demand basis. The purpose was to transmit data via the asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) digital communications protocol over the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite. The links were intended to provide a conduit for transmission of data for patient-specific consultations between physicians, evaluation of medical imagery, and medical education for clinical staffs at remote sites. Low-data-rate (LDR) experiments went live late in 1993. Mayo Clinic Rochester successfully provided medical consultation and services to 2 small regional medical facilities. High-data-rate (HDR) experiments included studies of remote digital echocardiography, store-and-forward telemedicine, cardiac catheterization, and teleconsultation for congenital heart disease. These studies combined landline data transmission with use of the satellite. The complexity of the routing paths and network components, immaturity of available software, and inexperience with existing telecommunications caused significant study delays. These experiments demonstrated that next-generation satellite technology can provide batch and real-time imagery for telemedicine. The first-generation of the ATM and satellite network technology used in these experiments created several technical problems and inconveniences that should be overcome as the network infrastructure matures.

Supplement to the Carcinogenic Potency Database (CPDB): Results ofanimal bioassays published in the general literature through 1997 and bythe National Toxicology Program in 1997-1998

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

Gold, Lois Swirsky; Manley, Neela B.; Slone, Thomas H.

2005-04-08

The Carcinogenic Potency Database (CPDB) is a systematic and unifying resource that standardizes the results of chronic, long-term animal cancer tests which have been conducted since the 1950s. The analyses include sufficient information on each experiment to permit research into many areas of carcinogenesis. Both qualitative and quantitative information is reported on positive and negative experiments that meet a set of inclusion criteria. A measure of carcinogenic potency, TD50 (daily dose rate in mg/kg body weight/day to induce tumors in half of test animals that would have remained tumor-free at zero dose), is estimated for each tissue-tumor combination reported. Thismore » article is the ninth publication of a chronological plot of the CPDB; it presents results on 560 experiments of 188 chemicals in mice, rats, and hamsters from 185 publications in the general literature updated through 1997, and from 15 Reports of the National Toxicology Program in 1997-1998. The test agents cover a wide variety of uses and chemical classes. The CPDB Web Site(http://potency.berkeley.edu/) presents the combined database of all published plots in a variety of formats as well as summary tables by chemical and by target organ, supplemental materials on dosing and survival, a detailed guide to using the plot formats, and documentation of methods and publications. The overall CPDB, including the results in this article, presents easily accessible results of 6153 experiments on 1485 chemicals from 1426 papers and 429 NCI/NTP (National Cancer Institute/National Toxicology program) Technical Reports. A tab-separated format of the full CPDB for reading the data into spreadsheets or database applications is available on the Web Site.« less

Supporting Shared Resource Usage for a Diverse User Community: the OSG Experience and Lessons Learned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garzoglio, Gabriele; Levshina, Tanya; Rynge, Mats; Sehgal, Chander; Slyz, Marko

2012-12-01

The Open Science Grid (OSG) supports a diverse community of new and existing users in adopting and making effective use of the Distributed High Throughput Computing (DHTC) model. The LHC user community has deep local support within the experiments. For other smaller communities and individual users the OSG provides consulting and technical services through the User Support area. We describe these sometimes successful and sometimes not so successful experiences and analyze lessons learned that are helping us improve our services. The services offered include forums to enable shared learning and mutual support, tutorials and documentation for new technology, and troubleshooting of problematic or systemic failure modes. For new communities and users, we bootstrap their use of the distributed high throughput computing technologies and resources available on the OSG by following a phased approach. We first adapt the application and run a small production campaign on a subset of “friendly” sites. Only then do we move the user to run full production campaigns across the many remote sites on the OSG, adding to the community resources up to hundreds of thousands of CPU hours per day. This scaling up generates new challenges - like no determinism in the time to job completion, and diverse errors due to the heterogeneity of the configurations and environments - so some attention is needed to get good results. We cover recent experiences with image simulation for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), small-file large volume data movement for the Dark Energy Survey (DES), civil engineering simulation with the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES), and accelerator modeling with the Electron Ion Collider group at BNL. We will categorize and analyze the use cases and describe how our processes are evolving based on lessons learned.

Young Investigator Challenge: Building an ultrasound-guided FNA clinic-our 5-year experience: From project to practice.

PubMed

Rafael, Oana C; Klein, Melissa; Serbonich, Melissa M; Vadalia, Bhumika; Das, Kasturi; Gimenez, Cecilia E

2017-03-01

The authors' fine-needle aspiration (FNA) clinic opened in 2010, allowing cytopathologists to increase their proficiency and experience in FNA performance. Here, they report their 5-year experience. The FNA clinic log book and the institution's database were retrospectively reviewed to record patients' demographics, the number of FNAs performed per year by each cytopathologist, the number of passes, rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) and diagnosis, adequacy-diagnosis concordance, and follow-up histology when available. The numbers and types of cases per year and variations among cytopathologists were compared. In total, 474 cases were identified within a 5-year time-frame. The discrepancy rate between the on-site and final diagnoses decreased progressively, from 4.4% to 2.4%. The nondiagnostic rate decreased from 2011 to 2015, with the exception of 2014, when an increase was noted, possibly because of a lower number of cases. Cytopathologists' performance was assessed over a 3-year period. The number of passes for each FNA decreased over time. The cytology-histology concordance was 100% over time for all cytopathologists. There was a diagnostic discrepancy between the ROSE and final diagnoses for 3 of 104 cases in 2013 and for 3 of 124 cases in 2015. The total number of passes was not consistently recorded until 2014, when a final report template was instituted. The technique improved over time because of accumulated experience, constant practice with phantoms, and attending the College of American Pathologists' training in ultrasound-guided FNA. FNAs performed by cytopathologists have a high-rate of ROSE/adequacy and a low diagnostic discrepancy rate. Cytopathologists as interventionalists provide optimal care and excellent patient satisfaction. Cancer Cytopathol 2017;125:161-168. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Sanford Underground Research Facility - The United State's Deep Underground Research Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vardiman, D.

2012-12-01

The 2.5 km deep Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) is managed by the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA) at the former Homestake Mine site in Lead, South Dakota. The US Department of Energy currently supports the development of the facility using a phased approach for underground deployment of experiments as they obtain an advanced design stage. The geology of the Sanford Laboratory site has been studied during the 125 years of operations at the Homestake Mine and more recently as part of the preliminary geotechnical site investigations for the NSF's Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory project. The overall geology at DUSEL is a well-defined stratigraphic sequence of schist and phyllites. The three major Proterozoic units encountered in the underground consist of interbedded schist, metasediments, and amphibolite schist which are crosscut by Tertiary rhyolite dikes. Preliminary geotechnical site investigations included drift mapping, borehole drilling, borehole televiewing, in-situ stress analysis, laboratory analysis of core, mapping and laser scanning of new excavations, modeling and analysis of all geotechnical information. The investigation was focused upon the determination if the proposed site rock mass could support the world's largest (66 meter diameter) deep underground excavation. While the DUSEL project has subsequently been significantly modified, these data are still available to provide a baseline of the ground conditions which may be judiciously extrapolated throughout the entire Proterozoic rock assemblage for future excavations. Recommendations for facility instrumentation and monitoring were included in the preliminary design of the DUSEL project design and include; single and multiple point extensometers, tape extensometers and convergence measurements (pins), load cells and pressure cells, smart cables, inclinometers/Tiltmeters, Piezometers, thermistors, seismographs and accelerometers, scanners (laser/LIDAR), surveying instruments, and surveying benchmarks and optical survey points. Currently an array of single and multipoint extensometers monitors the Davis Campus. A facility-wide micro seismic monitoring system is anticipated to be deployed during the latter half of 2012. This system is designed to monitor minor events initiated within the historical mined out portions of the facility. The major science programs for the coming five years consist of the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR (MJD) neutrinoless double beta decay experiment; the Large Underground Xenon (LUX) dark matter search, the Center for Ultralow Background Experiments at DUSEL (CUBED), numerous geoscience installations, Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE), a nuclear astrophysics program involving a low energy underground particle accelerator, second and third generation dark matter experiments, and additional low background counting facilities. The Sanford Lab facility is an active, U.S. based, deep underground research facility dedicated to science, affording the science community the opportunity to conduct unprecedented scientific research in a broad range of physics, biology and geoscience fields at depth. SURF is actively interested in hosting additional research collaborations and provides resources for full facility design, cost estimation, excavation, construction and support management services.

Comparing homeless persons' care experiences in tailored versus nontailored primary care programs.

PubMed

Kertesz, Stefan G; Holt, Cheryl L; Steward, Jocelyn L; Jones, Richard N; Roth, David L; Stringfellow, Erin; Gordon, Adam J; Kim, Theresa W; Austin, Erika L; Henry, Stephen Randal; Kay Johnson, N; Shanette Granstaff, U; O'Connell, James J; Golden, Joya F; Young, Alexander S; Davis, Lori L; Pollio, David E

2013-12-01

We compared homeless patients' experiences of care in health care organizations that differed in their degree of primary care design service tailoring. We surveyed homeless-experienced patients (either recently or currently homeless) at 3 Veterans Affairs (VA) mainstream primary care settings in Pennsylvania and Alabama, a homeless-tailored VA clinic in California, and a highly tailored non-VA Health Care for the Homeless Program in Massachusetts (January 2011-March 2012). We developed a survey, the "Primary Care Quality-Homeless Survey," to reflect the concerns and aspirations of homeless patients. Mean scores at the tailored non-VA site were superior to those from the 3 mainstream VA sites (P < .001). Adjusting for patient characteristics, these differences remained significant for subscales assessing the patient-clinician relationship (P < .001) and perceptions of cooperation among providers (P = .004). There were 1.5- to 3-fold increased odds of an unfavorable experience in the domains of the patient-clinician relationship, cooperation, and access or coordination for the mainstream VA sites compared with the tailored non-VA site; the tailored VA site attained intermediate results. Tailored primary care service design was associated with a superior service experience for patients who experienced homelessness.

75 FR 13268 - Extension of the Public Comment Period for the Draft Tank Closure and Waste Management...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-19

... Management Environmental Impact Statement for the Hanford Site, Richland, WA AGENCY: Department of Energy... Statement for the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington (Draft EIS, DOE/EIS-00391), made available for public... Draft EIS is also available through the Hanford Web site at: http://www.hanford.gov/orp . Issued in...

A preliminary test of estimating forest site quality using species composition in a southern Appalachian watershed

Treesearch

W. Henry McNab; David L. Loftis

2013-01-01

Characteristic arborescent communities of mesophytic or xerophytic species have long been recognized as indicative of forest site quality in the Southern Appalachians, where soil moisture availability is the primary environmental variable affecting productivity. But, a workable quantitative system of site classification based on species composition is not available. We...

49 CFR 190.11 - Availability of informal guidance and interpretive assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... established a Web site and a telephone line to OPS headquarters where information on and advice about compliance with the pipeline safety regulations specified in 49 CFR parts 190-199 is available. The Web site..., individuals may leave a recorded voicemail message or post a message on the OPS Web site. The telephone number...

78 FR 62862 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; Notice of Filing of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-22

... count information for equity securities publicly available on its Web site. The text of the proposed rule change is available on FINRA's Web site at http://www.finra.org , at the principal office of FINRA... basis.\\15\\ Under the proposed rule change, FINRA would publish on its Web site the reported information...

Oak Seedlings: Quality Improved Available Now Genetically Improved Available Soon

Treesearch

S.E. Schlarbaum; Paul P. Kormanik; T. Tibbs; L.R. Barber

1997-01-01

Technology for obtaining natural oak regeneration on low quality upland sites, e.g. site indices of 60-65 or less, was developed in the Central Statesregion and has been successfully applied throughout the eastern United States (Sanderand Graney 1993, Clark 1993, Sander 1972). Modification of this technology for use on high quality mesic sites, productive coves and...

Evaluation of positron-emission-tomography for visualisation of migration processes in geomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulenkampff, J.; Gründig, M.; Richter, M.; Enzmann, F.

Positron-emission-tomography (PET) was applied for direct visualisation of solute transport in order to overcome the limitations of conventional methods for measuring advection and diffusion properties. At intervals from minutes to days the 3D-spatial distribution of the PET-tracer is determined. This spatiotemporal evolution of the tracer concentration can be used as experimental basis for clarification of the relevant transport processes, derivation of transport parameters, and model calibration. Here, 18F and 124I in 0.01 M carrier solution of KF and KI, respectively, have been chosen out of the limited number of available PET-tracers, primarily on account of their decay time and the time span of the experiments. The sample is a granite core from the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory which carries an axial fracture with an aperture of ∼0.5 mm. Therefore, its permeability is high: high injection rates of 0.1 ml/min caused a pressure drop below 100 kPa. The experiments showed that the transport path through the fracture is modulated by the flow rate. The comparison of the experiments with different flow rates indicates diffusion into the matrix material at localized sites. However, the derived diffusion length falls below the resolution limits of the medical PET-scanner. With recently available dedicated high-resolution PET-scanners, which are usually applied in biomedical research, diffusion effects will be clearly resolvable.

Skyline: an open source document editor for creating and analyzing targeted proteomics experiments.

PubMed

MacLean, Brendan; Tomazela, Daniela M; Shulman, Nicholas; Chambers, Matthew; Finney, Gregory L; Frewen, Barbara; Kern, Randall; Tabb, David L; Liebler, Daniel C; MacCoss, Michael J

2010-04-01

Skyline is a Windows client application for targeted proteomics method creation and quantitative data analysis. It is open source and freely available for academic and commercial use. The Skyline user interface simplifies the development of mass spectrometer methods and the analysis of data from targeted proteomics experiments performed using selected reaction monitoring (SRM). Skyline supports using and creating MS/MS spectral libraries from a wide variety of sources to choose SRM filters and verify results based on previously observed ion trap data. Skyline exports transition lists to and imports the native output files from Agilent, Applied Biosystems, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Waters triple quadrupole instruments, seamlessly connecting mass spectrometer output back to the experimental design document. The fast and compact Skyline file format is easily shared, even for experiments requiring many sample injections. A rich array of graphs displays results and provides powerful tools for inspecting data integrity as data are acquired, helping instrument operators to identify problems early. The Skyline dynamic report designer exports tabular data from the Skyline document model for in-depth analysis with common statistical tools. Single-click, self-updating web installation is available at http://proteome.gs.washington.edu/software/skyline. This web site also provides access to instructional videos, a support board, an issues list and a link to the source code project.

A universal surface complexation framework for modeling proton binding onto bacterial surfaces in geologic settings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Borrok, D.; Turner, B.F.; Fein, J.B.

2005-01-01

Adsorption onto bacterial cell walls can significantly affect the speciation and mobility of aqueous metal cations in many geologic settings. However, a unified thermodynamic framework for describing bacterial adsorption reactions does not exist. This problem originates from the numerous approaches that have been chosen for modeling bacterial surface protonation reactions. In this study, we compile all currently available potentiometric titration datasets for individual bacterial species, bacterial consortia, and bacterial cell wall components. Using a consistent, four discrete site, non-electrostatic surface complexation model, we determine total functional group site densities for all suitable datasets, and present an averaged set of 'universal' thermodynamic proton binding and site density parameters for modeling bacterial adsorption reactions in geologic systems. Modeling results demonstrate that the total concentrations of proton-active functional group sites for the 36 bacterial species and consortia tested are remarkably similar, averaging 3.2 ?? 1.0 (1??) ?? 10-4 moles/wet gram. Examination of the uncertainties involved in the development of proton-binding modeling parameters suggests that ignoring factors such as bacterial species, ionic strength, temperature, and growth conditions introduces relatively small error compared to the unavoidable uncertainty associated with the determination of cell abundances in realistic geologic systems. Hence, we propose that reasonable estimates of the extent of bacterial cell wall deprotonation can be made using averaged thermodynamic modeling parameters from all of the experiments that are considered in this study, regardless of bacterial species used, ionic strength, temperature, or growth condition of the experiment. The average site densities for the four discrete sites are 1.1 ?? 0.7 ?? 10-4, 9.1 ?? 3.8 ?? 10-5, 5.3 ?? 2.1 ?? 10-5, and 6.6 ?? 3.0 ?? 10-5 moles/wet gram bacteria for the sites with pKa values of 3.1, 4.7, 6.6, and 9.0, respectively. It is our hope that this thermodynamic framework for modeling bacteria-proton binding reactions will also provide the basis for the development of an internally consistent set of bacteria-metal binding constants. 'Universal' constants for bacteria-metal binding reactions can then be used in conjunction with equilibrium constants for other important metal adsorption and complexation reactions to calculate the overall distribution of metals in realistic geologic systems.

Evaluation of Norwegian cancer hospitals' Web sites and explorative survey among cancer patients on their use of the Internet

PubMed Central

2001-01-01

Background Hospital homepages should provide comprehensive information on the hospital's services, such as departments and treatments available, prices, waiting time, leisure facilities, and other information important for patients and their relatives. Norway, with its population of approximately 4.3 million, ranks among the top countries globally for its ability to absorb and use technology. It is unclear to what degree Norwegian hospitals and patients use the Internet for information about health services. Objectives This study was undertaken to evaluate the quality of the biggest Norwegian cancer hospitals' Web sites and to gather some preliminary data on patients' use of the Internet. Methods In January 2001, we analyzed Web sites of 5 of the 7 biggest Norwegian hospitals treating cancer patients using a scoring system. The scoring instrument was based on recommendations developed by the Norwegian Central Information Service for Web sites and reflects the scope and depth of service information offered on hospital Web pages. In addition, 31 cancer patients visiting one hospital-based medical oncologist were surveyed about their use of the Internet. Results Of the 7 hospitals, 5 had a Web site. The Web sites differed markedly in quality. Types of information included - and number of Web sites that included each type of information - were, for example: search option, 1; interpreter service, 2; date of last update, 2; postal address, phone number, and e-mail service, 3; information in English, 2. None of the Web sites included information on waiting time or prices. Of the 31 patients surveyed, 12 had personal experience using the Internet and 4 had searched for medical information. The Internet users were significantly younger (mean age 47.8 years, range 28.4-66.8 years) than the nonusers (mean age 61.8 years, range 33.1-90.0 years) ( P= 0.007). Conclusions The hospitals' Web sites offer cancer patients and relatives useful information, but the Web sites were not impressive. PMID:11772545

Root Responses to Altered Ecosystem N/P Stoichiometry in a Mediterranean Tree-Grass Ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nair, Richard; Moreno, Gerado; Morris, Kendalynn; Schrumpf, Marion; Migliavacca, Mirco

2017-04-01

Biological components of the soil system (plant roots, fungi, microbes) may respond to biogeochemical drivers (e.g. nutrient status, water availability, C availability) in dissimilar ways due to differing scales, activities and access to resources. Understanding individual components and their phenology in the soil system is therefore critical to interpret overall fluxes. In seasonally dry systems, plants balance belowground investment with other growth and maintenance in life strategies where water limitations (in dry periods), nutrient limitations (in wet periods) and temperature/light limitations (in winter) interact, varying the need to invest in gaining these three resources throughout the year. Additionally, root growth may also be desynchronized with overall nutrient demand due to the ability to take up nutrients outside of seasonal periods of demand for storage and subsequent reallocation. We examined root responses to an ecosystem level stoichiometry (+N / +N+P) manipulation experiment at a highly instrumented site in a strongly seasonal semi-arid tree-grass ('dehesa') system (Majadas del Tietar, Spain). We are interested in whether root growth and phenology is affected by differing demand for nutrients/water both between sites and at tree and grass-dominated subsites. Many non-invasive, ecosystem-scale methods to measure changes in biogeochemical cycling focus only on integrated whole-system fluxes or above-ground change and it is difficult to extract a root signal. However, local soil respiration fluxes and root growth introduces a variety of method-dependent artefacts and drawbacks necessitating multiple approaches and careful interpretation. Therefore, in coordination with indirect measurements (subcanopy fluxes via eddy covariance, soil respiration chambers) we are using direct soil coring, ingrowth cores and repeatable measurements from custom-built minirhizotron systems to attempt to assess site-level variation in root biomass and phenology. In this presentation, we show initial results from manual minirhizotron measurements and direct root biomass measurements at Majadas del Tietar indicating that +N and +N+P additions are driving increased root biomass, primarily in areas of open grassland rather than under canopies. We interpret differences in root observations within the context of water, nutrient availability, whole plant and site-level trends.

EarthInquiry: Using On-Line Data to Help Students Explore Fundamental Concepts in Geoscience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfano, M.; Keane, C. M.; Ridky, R. W.

2002-12-01

Using local case studies to learn about earth processes increases the relevance of science instruction. Students are encouraged to think about how geological processes affect their lives and experiences. Today, with many global data sets available on-line, instructors have unprecedented opportunities to bring local data into the classroom. However, while the resources are available, using on-line data presents a particular set of challenges. Access and entry to web sites frequently change and data format can be unpredictable. Often, instructors are faced with non-functional web sites on the day, or week, that they plan to assign a given activity. The American Geological Institute, with the participation of numerous geoscience professors, has developed EarthInquiry, a series of activities that utilize the abundant real-time and archived geoscience data available on-line. These modules are developed primarily for introductory college students. EarthInquiry modules follow a structured format, beginning with familiar examples at the global and national level to introduce students to the on-line data and the EarthInquiry web site. The web site offers detailed and up-to-date instructions on how to access the data, cached copies of sample data that can be used to complete each activity in the event of a network outage, and an assessment activity that helps students determine how well they have achieved an understanding of key concepts. The EarthInquiry booklet contains a series of engaging questions that allow students to solve problems in a scientific manner. As students gain content understanding and confidence in the requisite analysis, they examine the presented material at a more local level. In one activity, students explore the recurrence interval of a local stream. In other activities, they investigate the mineral resources and earthquake histories of their state. All modules are developed with the intent of building an appropriate cognitive foundation, while complimenting the topics typically discussed in an introductory physical or environmental geology course. The project is a collaboration of the American Geological Institute and W.H. Freeman and Company Publishers.

Prospective evaluation of remote, interactive videoconferencing to enhance urology resident education: the genitourinary teleteaching initiative.

PubMed

Cook, Anthony; Salle, Joao L Pippi; Reid, Joanne; Chow, Karen Fontana; Kuan, James; Razvi, Hassan; Farhat, Walid A; Bagli, Darius J; Khoury, Antoine E

2005-11-01

Changes in referral patterns and resource allocation into Centers of Excellence affect the educational experience of urology trainees by altering resident exposure to patients and clinicians, especially at sites where subspecialty deficiencies exist. Access to educators at Centers of Excellence using interactive videoconferencing technology may facilitate residency training objectives and enhance trainees' overall educational experience. We prospectively evaluated the implementation of this technology at tertiary care teaching centers to enhance urology resident education. Using videoconferencing technology, urology residents at the University of Western Ontario (London, Canada) participated in a series of didactic, interactive pediatric urology teleteaching seminars. These were presented by an expert pediatric urologist from the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. Using a 5-point Likert scale (1-strongly disagree, 5-strongly agree), participants responded to statements pertaining to seminar content, technology and ease of use at the completion of each session. The results were subsequently tabulated and evaluated to determine the effectiveness and accessibility of the program in providing expert pediatric urological education to residents at a remote urology training program. The entire urology resident staff from postgraduate year 1 to 5 participated in the seminar program. The overall acceptance of this medium was high (mean score 4.5). The quality of presentation, as well as picture and sound quality, all received mean scores greater than 4. Participants indicated that their ability to interact with the presenter was not inhibited by using this medium. All participants agreed that they would use this technology in the future (mean score 4.5) and that the presentation would not be improved if the presenter were on-site. Due to preexisting technology at both centers, no direct cost was incurred throughout the study. Our experience suggests that interactive teleteaching using readily available, existing technology, is a cost-effective and accepted method of providing trainees with an appropriate educational experience. In centers where subspecialty deficiencies exist, this medium may provide residents with the necessary education requirements of their respective programs without the need for costly teacher (or student) travel. Continual improvements in technology as well as the addition of multiple sites will increased this medium's impact in the future.

A single mutation in a tunnel to the active site changes the mechanism and kinetics of product release in haloalkane dehalogenase LinB.

PubMed

Biedermannová, Lada; Prokop, Zbyněk; Gora, Artur; Chovancová, Eva; Kovács, Mihály; Damborsky, Jiří; Wade, Rebecca C

2012-08-17

Many enzymes have buried active sites. The properties of the tunnels connecting the active site with bulk solvent affect ligand binding and unbinding and also the catalytic properties. Here, we investigate ligand passage in the haloalkane dehalogenase enzyme LinB and the effect of replacing leucine by a bulky tryptophan at a tunnel-lining position. Transient kinetic experiments show that the mutation significantly slows down the rate of product release. Moreover, the mechanism of bromide ion release is changed from a one-step process in the wild type enzyme to a two-step process in the mutant. The rate constant of bromide ion release corresponds to the overall steady-state turnover rate constant, suggesting that product release became the rate-limiting step of catalysis in the mutant. We explain the experimental findings by investigating the molecular details of the process computationally. Analysis of trajectories from molecular dynamics simulations with a tunnel detection software reveals differences in the tunnels available for ligand egress. Corresponding differences are seen in simulations of product egress using a specialized enhanced sampling technique. The differences in the free energy barriers for egress of a bromide ion obtained using potential of mean force calculations are in good agreement with the differences in rates obtained from the transient kinetic experiments. Interactions of the bromide ion with the introduced tryptophan are shown to affect the free energy barrier for its passage. The study demonstrates how the mechanism of an enzymatic catalytic cycle and reaction kinetics can be engineered by modification of protein tunnels.

The Transportable Measurements Facility (TMF) System Description.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-05-23

sites using different antennas, antenna/site characterization, ATCRBS-mode and DABS-mode processor evaluation, and DABS-based ATC and ATARS system...conditions met. 34 TABLE 3 TMF DATA RECORDED DURING EXPERIMENTS By Word Type 1) By Parameter Word No. of Bits Experiment Number 8 Physical Location Number of

76 FR 35461 - Notice of Web Availability: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2011...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5509-N-01] Notice of Web Availability... Housing and Urban Development agency link on the Grants.gov/Find Web site at http://www.grants.gov/search/agency.do . A link to the funding opportunity is also available on the HUD Web site at http://portal.hud...

Model-data integration for developing the Cropland Carbon Monitoring System (CCMS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, C. D.; Bandaru, V.; Pnvr, K.; Jin, H.; Reddy, A.; Sahajpal, R.; Sedano, F.; Skakun, S.; Wagle, P.; Gowda, P. H.; Hurtt, G. C.; Izaurralde, R. C.

2017-12-01

The Cropland Carbon Monitoring System (CCMS) has been initiated to improve regional estimates of carbon fluxes from croplands in the conterminous United States through integration of terrestrial ecosystem modeling, use of remote-sensing products and publically available datasets, and development of improved landscape and management databases. In order to develop these improved carbon flux estimates, experimental datasets are essential for evaluating the skill of estimates, characterizing the uncertainty of these estimates, characterizing parameter sensitivities, and calibrating specific modeling components. Experiments were sought that included flux tower measurement of CO2 fluxes under production of major agronomic crops. Currently data has been collected from 17 experiments comprising 117 site-years from 12 unique locations. Calibration of terrestrial ecosystem model parameters using available crop productivity and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) measurements resulted in improvements in RMSE of NEE predictions of between 3.78% to 7.67%, while improvements in RMSE for yield ranged from -1.85% to 14.79%. Model sensitivities were dominated by parameters related to leaf area index (LAI) and spring growth, demonstrating considerable capacity for model improvement through development and integration of remote-sensing products. Subsequent analyses will assess the impact of such integrated approaches on skill of cropland carbon flux estimates.

Robust Classification and Segmentation of Planar and Linear Features for Construction Site Progress Monitoring and Structural Dimension Compliance Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maalek, R.; Lichti, D. D.; Ruwanpura, J.

2015-08-01

The application of terrestrial laser scanners (TLSs) on construction sites for automating construction progress monitoring and controlling structural dimension compliance is growing markedly. However, current research in construction management relies on the planned building information model (BIM) to assign the accumulated point clouds to their corresponding structural elements, which may not be reliable in cases where the dimensions of the as-built structure differ from those of the planned model and/or the planned model is not available with sufficient detail. In addition outliers exist in construction site datasets due to data artefacts caused by moving objects, occlusions and dust. In order to overcome the aforementioned limitations, a novel method for robust classification and segmentation of planar and linear features is proposed to reduce the effects of outliers present in the LiDAR data collected from construction sites. First, coplanar and collinear points are classified through a robust principal components analysis procedure. The classified points are then grouped using a robust clustering method. A method is also proposed to robustly extract the points belonging to the flat-slab floors and/or ceilings without performing the aforementioned stages in order to preserve computational efficiency. The applicability of the proposed method is investigated in two scenarios, namely, a laboratory with 30 million points and an actual construction site with over 150 million points. The results obtained by the two experiments validate the suitability of the proposed method for robust segmentation of planar and linear features in contaminated datasets, such as those collected from construction sites.

Impacts of ocean acidification on coral calcification: experimental results from a field study around submarine springs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paytan, A.; Martínez Fernández, A.; Varona, N.

2017-12-01

Reef building corals are facing the effects of ocean acidification on calcification. Atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolves into the oceans and decreases the pH and the availability of carbonate ions in seawater. Carbonate ions are used by calcifying corals to create their calcium carbonate exoskeletons in the form of aragonite. As carbon dioxide emissions increase, corals may have problems precipitating their aragonite skeleton in low carbonate saturation seawater. Natural submarine groundwater springs discharge low pH seawater into the Caribbean Sea, in the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico). These submarine springs serve as a natural laboratory to study the effects of low aragonite saturation water on coral growth. Here we show the skeletal growth parameters of three coral species under an in situ ocean acidification experiment. Nubbins of Porites porites, Porites astreoides and Siderastrea radians were collected at low pH springs and control sites and reciprocally transplanted into a low pH discharge site and into a control site not impacted by discharge. After two years, the nubbins were collected and linear extension, density and calcification rates were analyzed. Preliminary results show that coral skeleton density is significantly lower in corals transplanted into the low pH than in corals transplanted in control sites. Infaunal bioerosion is present in corals deployed at low pH sites. In contrast, linear extension and hence calcification rates do not seem to show a significant difference among sites. However, the coral species show diverse calcification responses under ocean acidification conditions, suggesting some species may be more vulnerable than others to a change in water chemistry.

Inferring nucleosome positions with their histone mark annotation from ChIP data

PubMed Central

Mammana, Alessandro; Vingron, Martin; Chung, Ho-Ryun

2013-01-01

Motivation: The nucleosome is the basic repeating unit of chromatin. It contains two copies each of the four core histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4 and about 147 bp of DNA. The residues of the histone proteins are subject to numerous post-translational modifications, such as methylation or acetylation. Chromatin immunoprecipitiation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) is a technique that provides genome-wide occupancy data of these modified histone proteins, and it requires appropriate computational methods. Results: We present NucHunter, an algorithm that uses the data from ChIP-seq experiments directed against many histone modifications to infer positioned nucleosomes. NucHunter annotates each of these nucleosomes with the intensities of the histone modifications. We demonstrate that these annotations can be used to infer nucleosomal states with distinct correlations to underlying genomic features and chromatin-related processes, such as transcriptional start sites, enhancers, elongation by RNA polymerase II and chromatin-mediated repression. Thus, NucHunter is a versatile tool that can be used to predict positioned nucleosomes from a panel of histone modification ChIP-seq experiments and infer distinct histone modification patterns associated to different chromatin states. Availability: The software is available at http://epigen.molgen.mpg.de/nuchunter/. Contact: chung@molgen.mpg.de Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:23981350

Web survey data collection and retrieval to plan teleradiology implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alaoui, Adil; Collmann, Jeff R.; Johnson, Jeffrey A.; Lindisch, David; Nguyen, Dan; Mun, Seong K.

2003-05-01

This case study details the experience of system engineers of the Imaging Science and Information Systems Center, Georgetown University Medical Center (ISIS) and radiologists from the department of Radiology in the implementation of a new Teleradiology system. The Teleradiology system enables radiologists to view medical images from remote sites under those circumstances where a resident radiologist needs assistance in evaluating the images after hours and during weekends; it also enables clinicians access to patients" medical images from different workstations within the hospital. The Implementation of the Teleradiology project was preceded by an evaluation phase to perform testing, gather users feedback using a web site and collect information that helped eliminate system bugs, complete recommendations regarding minimum hardware configuration and bandwidth and enhance system"s functions, this phase included a survey-based system assessment of computer configurations, Internet connections, problem identification, and recommendations for improvement, and a testing period with 2 radiologists and ISIS engineers; The second phase was designed to launch the system and make it available to all attending radiologists in the department. To accomplish the first phase of the project a web site was designed and ASP pages were created to enable users to securely logon and enter feedback and recommendations into an SQL database. This efficient, accurate data flow alleviated networking, software and hardware problems. Corrective recommendations were immediately forwarded to the software vendor. The vendor responded with software updates that better met the needs of the radiologists. The ISIS Center completed recommendations for minimum hardware and bandwidth requirements. This experience illustrates that the approach used in collecting the data and facilitating the teamwork between the system engineers and radiologists was instrumental in the project"s success. Major problems with the Teleradiology system were discovered and remedied early by linking the actual practice experience of the physicians to the system improvements.

Development of a health information technology-based data system in community-based hospice and palliative care.

PubMed

Abernethy, Amy P; Wheeler, Jane L; Bull, Janet

2011-05-01

Few hospice and palliative care organizations use health information technology (HIT) for data collection and management; the feasibility and utility of a HIT-based approach in this multi-faceted, interdisciplinary context is unclear. To develop a HIT-based data infrastructure that serves multiple hospice and palliative care sites, meeting clinical and administrative needs with data, technical, and analytic support. Through a multi-site academic/community partnership, a data infrastructure was collaboratively developed, pilot-tested at a community-based site, refined, and demonstrated for data collection and preliminary analysis. Additional sites, which participated in system development, became prepared to contribute data to the growing aggregate database. Electronic data collection proved feasible in community-based hospice and palliative care. The project highlighted "success factors" for implementing HIT in this field: engagement of site-based project "champions" to promote the system from within; involvement of stakeholders at all levels of the organization, to promote culture change and buy-in; attention to local needs (e.g., data for quality reporting) and requirements (e.g., affordable cost, efficiency); consideration of practical factors (e.g., potential to interfere with clinical flow); provision of adequate software, technical, analytic, and statistical support; availability of flexible HIT options (e.g., different data-collection platforms); and adoption of a consortium approach in which sites can support one another, learn from each others' experiences, pool data, and benefit from economies of scale. In hospice and palliative care, HIT-based data collection/management has potential to generate better understanding of populations and outcomes, support quality assessment/quality improvement, and prepare sites to participate in research. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Central coordination as an alternative for local coordination in a multicenter randomized controlled trial: the FAITH trial experience.

PubMed

Zielinski, Stephanie M; Viveiros, Helena; Heetveld, Martin J; Swiontkowski, Marc F; Bhandari, Mohit; Patka, Peter; Van Lieshout, Esther M M

2012-01-08

Surgeons in the Netherlands, Canada and the US participate in the FAITH trial (Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures). Dutch sites are managed and visited by a financed central trial coordinator, whereas most Canadian and US sites have local study coordinators and receive per patient payment. This study was aimed to assess how these different trial management strategies affected trial performance. Details related to obtaining ethics approval, time to trial start-up, inclusion, and percentage completed follow-ups were collected for each trial site and compared. Pre-trial screening data were compared with actual inclusion rates. Median trial start-up ranged from 41 days (P25-P75 10-139) in the Netherlands to 232 days (P25-P75 98-423) in Canada (p = 0.027). The inclusion rate was highest in the Netherlands; median 1.03 patients (P25-P75 0.43-2.21) per site per month, representing 34.4% of the total eligible population. It was lowest in Canada; 0.14 inclusions (P25-P75 0.00-0.28), representing 3.9% of eligible patients (p < 0.001). The percentage completed follow-ups was 83% for Canadian and Dutch sites and 70% for US sites (p = 0.217). In this trial, a central financed trial coordinator to manage all trial related tasks in participating sites resulted in better trial progression and a similar follow-up. It is therefore a suitable alternative for appointing these tasks to local research assistants. The central coordinator approach can enable smaller regional hospitals to participate in multicenter randomized controlled trials. Circumstances such as available budget, sample size, and geographical area should however be taken into account when choosing a management strategy. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00761813.

Searching for transcription factor binding sites in vector spaces

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Computational approaches to transcription factor binding site identification have been actively researched in the past decade. Learning from known binding sites, new binding sites of a transcription factor in unannotated sequences can be identified. A number of search methods have been introduced over the years. However, one can rarely find one single method that performs the best on all the transcription factors. Instead, to identify the best method for a particular transcription factor, one usually has to compare a handful of methods. Hence, it is highly desirable for a method to perform automatic optimization for individual transcription factors. Results We proposed to search for transcription factor binding sites in vector spaces. This framework allows us to identify the best method for each individual transcription factor. We further introduced two novel methods, the negative-to-positive vector (NPV) and optimal discriminating vector (ODV) methods, to construct query vectors to search for binding sites in vector spaces. Extensive cross-validation experiments showed that the proposed methods significantly outperformed the ungapped likelihood under positional background method, a state-of-the-art method, and the widely-used position-specific scoring matrix method. We further demonstrated that motif subtypes of a TF can be readily identified in this framework and two variants called the k NPV and k ODV methods benefited significantly from motif subtype identification. Finally, independent validation on ChIP-seq data showed that the ODV and NPV methods significantly outperformed the other compared methods. Conclusions We conclude that the proposed framework is highly flexible. It enables the two novel methods to automatically identify a TF-specific subspace to search for binding sites. Implementations are available as source code at: http://biogrid.engr.uconn.edu/tfbs_search/. PMID:23244338

77 FR 52702 - Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the Silver Strand Training Complex, California

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-30

... of Decision is available for public viewing on the project Web site at http://www... Decision are available by contacting: Ms. Amy P. Kelley, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest... project Web site is found at http://www.silverstrandtrainingcomplexeis.com . Dated: August 24, 2012. C. K...

The Glacier Lakes Ecosystem Experiments Site

Treesearch

R. C. Musselman

1994-01-01

The Glacier Lakes Ecosystem Experiment Site (GLEES), a 600 ha research watershed at 3200-3400 m elevation in the Snowy Range of SE Wyoming, has been established to examine the effects of atmospheric deposition on alpine and subalpine ecosystems. This document provides preliminary data on the landscape habitats, floristics, geology, soils, aquatics, atmospheric...

Biochars ability to sequester metals in contaminated mine spoils: A greenhouse study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novak, Jeff; Johnson, Mark G.; Ippolito, Jim; Spokas, Kurt; Trippe, Kristin; Ducey, Tom; Sigua, Gilbert

2017-04-01

Biochars are under consideration as an amendment to remediate contaminated mine spoils and improving plant growth cover. Scientists from the USDA-ARS, US EPA, and Colorado State University have conducted a greenhouse experiment using Miscanthous (Miscanthus giganteus) biochar produced at 700⁰C to reclaim mine spoils obtained from the Formosa mine site (near Riddle, Oregon, USA). Spoil at this site is acidic and has elevated total and plant available copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) concentrations. Blue Wildrye (Elymus glaucus) was planted in mine spoil that was treated with Miscanthus biochar at 0, 1, 2.5 and 5% (w/w), lime, and N-P-K fertilizer. Mine spoil treated with biochar alone (no lime) along with samples (no lime or biochar) were also included. After almost 60 days of incubation, above ground and below ground wildrye samples were collected. Remaining spoils were then extracted with Mehlich 3 reagent and plant available Cu and Zn concentrations measured. Mehlich 3 extractable Cu and Zn concentrations decreased significantly only in the lime treated samples—their concentrations were not influenced by biochar. Our preliminary findings are that lime is an important amendment to reduce metal concentrations in mine spoils and that choice of biochar type must be carefully considered beforehand.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration with liquid-based cytologic preparation in the diagnosis of primary pancreatic lymphoma.

PubMed

Rossi, Esther Diana; Larghi, Alberto; Verna, Elizabeth C; Martini, Maurizio; Galasso, Domenico; Carnuccio, Antonella; Larocca, Luigi Maria; Costamagna, Guido; Fadda, Guido

2010-11-01

The diagnosis subtyping of lymphoma on specimens collected by endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) can be extremely difficult. When a cytopathologist is available for the on-site evaluation, the diagnosis may be achieved by applying flow cytometric techniques. We describe our experience with immunocytochemistry (ICC) and molecular biology studies applied on EUS-FNA specimens processed with a liquid-based cytologic (LBC) preparation for the diagnosis of primary pancreatic lymphoma (PPL). Three patients with a pancreatic mass underwent EUS-FNA. The collected specimens were processed with the ThinPrep method for the cytologic diagnosis and eventual additional investigations. A morphologic picture consistent with PPL was found on the LBC specimens of the 3 patients. Subsequent ICC and molecular biology studies for immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement established the diagnosis of pancreatic large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2 patients and a non-Hodgkin lymphoma with plasmoblastic/immunoblastic differentiation in the remaining one. An LBC preparation can be used to diagnose and subtype PPL by applying ICC and molecular biology techniques to specimens collected with EUS-FNA. This method can be an additional processing method for EUS-FNA specimens in centers where on-site cytopathologist expertise is not available.

Protein-protein interaction site prediction in Homo sapiens and E. coli using an interaction-affinity based membership function in fuzzy SVM.

PubMed

Sriwastava, Brijesh Kumar; Basu, Subhadip; Maulik, Ujjwal

2015-10-01

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) site prediction aids to ascertain the interface residues that participate in interaction processes. Fuzzy support vector machine (F-SVM) is proposed as an effective method to solve this problem, and we have shown that the performance of the classical SVM can be enhanced with the help of an interaction-affinity based fuzzy membership function. The performances of both SVM and F-SVM on the PPI databases of the Homo sapiens and E. coli organisms are evaluated and estimated the statistical significance of the developed method over classical SVM and other fuzzy membership-based SVM methods available in the literature. Our membership function uses the residue-level interaction affinity scores for each pair of positive and negative sequence fragments. The average AUC scores in the 10-fold cross-validation experiments are measured as 79.94% and 80.48% for the Homo sapiens and E. coli organisms respectively. On the independent test datasets, AUC scores are obtained as 76.59% and 80.17% respectively for the two organisms. In almost all cases, the developed F-SVM method improves the performances obtained by the corresponding classical SVM and the other classifiers, available in the literature.

Can selection on nest size from nest predation explain the latitudinal gradient in clutch size?

PubMed

Biancucci, Luis; Martin, Thomas E

2010-09-01

1. Latitudinal variation in clutch sizes of birds is a well described, but poorly understood pattern. Many hypotheses have been proposed, but few have been experimentally tested, and none have been universally accepted by researchers. 2. The nest size hypothesis posits that higher nest predation in the tropics favours selection for smaller nests and thereby constrains clutch size by shrinking available space for eggs and/or nestlings in the nest. We tested this hypothesis with an experiment in a tropical forest and a comparative study between temperate and tropical field sites. 3. Specifically, we tested if: (i) predation increased with nest size; (ii) tropical birds had smaller nests controlled for body size; and (iii) clutch size was explained by nest size controlled for body size. 4. Experimental swapping of nests of different sizes showed that nest predation increased with nest size in the tropical site. Moreover, nest predation rates were higher in species with larger nests in both sites. However, nest size, corrected for body mass and phylogeny, did not differ between sites and was not related to clutch size between sites. 5. Hence, nest predation can exert selection on nest size as predicted by the hypothesis. Nest size increased with adult body mass, such that adult size might indirectly influence reproductive success through effects on nest size and nest predation risk. Ultimately, however, selection from nest predation on nest size does not explain the smaller clutch sizes typical of the tropics.

Energy Balance and Evapotranspiration in a High Mountain Area during Summer.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konzelmann, T.; Calanca, P.; Müller, G.; Menzel, L.; Lang, H.

1997-07-01

A meteorological experiment was carried out in summer 1995 at two representative sites above and below the timberline in the Dischma Valley, near Davos, Switzerland. The study aimed at investigating the characteristics of the surface energy balance and of the evapotranspiration in a high alpine environment during the vegetation period. At both sites, net radiation is the only energy source. It amounts to about 80 W m2 at the lower and 100 W m2 at the upper sites, respectively. Since the albedo and the longwave radiation budget do not differ significantly, net radiation was found to be linearly dependent on global radiation. The latent heat flux associated with evapotranspiration represents the most important energy sink, averaging to 70 W m2 at the lower and 63 W m2 at the upper locations. It is therefore of comparable magnitude, despite a larger energy availability at the upper site. This is due to a significantly larger Bowen ratio at this upper location. On the other hand, the diurnal course of the Bowen ratio is at both sites such that the latent heat flux can be expressed as a linear function of net or global radiation. For a better characterization, the actual evapotranspiration was compared to Penman's parameterization, which represents the potential limit for saturated surface conditions. The comparison shows that, even during wet periods, evapotranspiration is regulated by the moisture conditions in the soil and the physiological behavior of vegetation.

Can selection on nest size from nest predation explain the latitudinal gradient in clutch size?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Biancucci, L.; Martin, T.E.

2010-01-01

1. Latitudinal variation in clutch sizes of birds is a well described, but poorly understood pattern. Many hypotheses have been proposed, but few have been experimentally tested, and none have been universally accepted by researchers. 2. The nest size hypothesis posits that higher nest predation in the tropics favours selection for smaller nests and thereby constrains clutch size by shrinking available space for eggs and/or nestlings in the nest. We tested this hypothesis with an experiment in a tropical forest and a comparative study between temperate and tropical field sites. 3. Specifically, we tested if: (i) predation increased with nest size; (ii) tropical birds had smaller nests controlled for body size; and (iii) clutch size was explained by nest size controlled for body size. 4. Experimental swapping of nests of different sizes showed that nest predation increased with nest size in the tropical site. Moreover, nest predation rates were higher in species with larger nests in both sites. However, nest size, corrected for body mass and phylogeny, did not differ between sites and was not related to clutch size between sites. 5. Hence, nest predation can exert selection on nest size as predicted by the hypothesis. Nest size increased with adult body mass, such that adult size might indirectly influence reproductive success through effects on nest size and nest predation risk. Ultimately, however, selection from nest predation on nest size does not explain the smaller clutch sizes typical of the tropics.

45 CFR 154.230 - Submission and posting of Final Justifications for unreasonable rate increases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... information available to the public on its Web site for at least three years. (d) CMS will post all Final Justifications on the CMS Web site. This information will remain available to the public on the CMS Web site for... submitted in the Preliminary Justification supporting the rate increase; and (2) Prominently post on its Web...

SITEQUAL v2.0—a Fortran program to determine bottomland hardwood site quality

Treesearch

Don C. Bragg

2017-01-01

SITEQUAL is a computerized expert system that uses a number of easily determined soil conditions associated with physical structure, available moisture, available nutrients, and aeration to estimate site index for 14 southern hardwood species. The original program was written in the Basic language by Harrington and Casson (1986) based on the field methods for site...

43 CFR 3273.13 - What lands are not available for geothermal site licenses?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false What lands are not available for geothermal site licenses? 3273.13 Section 3273.13 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE LEASING How To Apply for a Site...

43 CFR 3273.13 - What lands are not available for geothermal site licenses?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false What lands are not available for geothermal site licenses? 3273.13 Section 3273.13 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE LEASING How To Apply for a Site...

43 CFR 3273.13 - What lands are not available for geothermal site licenses?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false What lands are not available for geothermal site licenses? 3273.13 Section 3273.13 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE LEASING How To Apply for a Site...