Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi facilitate rapid adaptation of Elsholtzia splendens to copper.

PubMed

Li, Junmin; Liang, Huijuan; Yan, Ming; Chen, Luxi; Zhang, Huating; Liu, Jie; Wang, Suizi; Jin, Zexin

2017-12-01

Closely associated microbes have been shown to drive local adaptation of plants. However, few studies provide direct evidence, disclosing the role of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) in their rapid adaptation of plants toward heavy metal tolerance. Elsholtzia splendens is a Cu-tolerant plant that was used as a model plant to study seed morphological traits as well as traits related to seed germination and seedling growth. This was achieved after acclimation for two generations with 1000mg/kg CuSO 4 in either absence or presence of AMF. In the absence of AMF, acclimation to Cu for two generations significantly decreased surface area, perimeter length, and perimeter width of E. splendens seeds, as well as seedling survival rate and fresh weight of the radicle of seedlings. However, in the presence of AMF, both the germination rate and the germination index of E. splendens seeds as well as the fresh weights of hypocotyl and radicle significantly increased. These results revealed that after Cu acclimation treatment, seeds and seedlings that had been inoculated with AMF outperformed those without AMF inoculation under Cu addition, indicating that AMF can facilitate rapid adaptation of E. splendens to Cu stress. In addition, two generations of Cu acclimation under AMF absence significantly increased radicle length, while amplitude increased under AMF presence, indicating that the direct adaptive plasticity response of radicle length to Cu stress helps with the Cu stress adaptation of E. splendens. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid response deluge system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mille, J. R.

1984-08-01

The development of a rapid response deluge system by the Ammunition Equipment Directorate (AED) for use in suppressing propellant fires during demilitarization shows great promise. Prototype systems have been tested and data acquired on their efficiencies. Present system vs previous generations and lessons learned are discussed.

Addressing unmet need for HIV testing in emergency care settings: a role for computer-facilitated rapid HIV testing?

PubMed

Kurth, Ann E; Severynen, Anneleen; Spielberg, Freya

2013-08-01

HIV testing in emergency departments (EDs) remains underutilized. The authors evaluated a computer tool to facilitate rapid HIV testing in an urban ED. Randomly assigned nonacute adult ED patients were randomly assigned to a computer tool (CARE) and rapid HIV testing before a standard visit (n = 258) or to a standard visit (n = 259) with chart access. The authors assessed intervention acceptability and compared noted HIV risks. Participants were 56% nonWhite and 58% male; median age was 37 years. In the CARE arm, nearly all (251/258) of the patients completed the session and received HIV results; four declined to consent to the test. HIV risks were reported by 54% of users; one participant was confirmed HIV-positive, and two were confirmed false-positive (seroprevalence 0.4%, 95% CI [0.01, 2.2]). Half (55%) of the patients preferred computerized rather than face-to-face counseling for future HIV testing. In the standard arm, one HIV test and two referrals for testing occurred. Computer-facilitated HIV testing appears acceptable to ED patients. Future research should assess cost-effectiveness compared with staff-delivered approaches.

Rapid onset of mafic magmatism facilitated by volcanic edifice collapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassidy, M.; Watt, S. F. L.; Talling, P. J.; Palmer, M. R.; Edmonds, M.; Jutzeler, M.; Wall-Palmer, D.; Manga, M.; Coussens, M.; Gernon, T.; Taylor, R. N.; Michalik, A.; Inglis, E.; Breitkreuz, C.; Le Friant, A.; Ishizuka, O.; Boudon, G.; McCanta, M. C.; Adachi, T.; Hornbach, M. J.; Colas, S. L.; Endo, D.; Fujinawa, A.; Kataoka, K. S.; Maeno, F.; Tamura, Y.; Wang, F.

2015-06-01

Volcanic edifice collapses generate some of Earth's largest landslides. How such unloading affects the magma storage systems is important for both hazard assessment and for determining long-term controls on volcano growth and decay. Here we present a detailed stratigraphic and petrological analyses of volcanic landslide and eruption deposits offshore Montserrat, in a subduction zone setting, sampled during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 340. A large (6-10 km3) collapse of the Soufrière Hills Volcano at ~130 ka was followed by explosive basaltic volcanism and the formation of a new basaltic volcanic center, the South Soufrière Hills, estimated to have initiated <100 years after collapse. This basaltic volcanism was a sharp departure from the andesitic volcanism that characterized Soufrière Hills' activity before the collapse. Mineral-melt thermobarometry demonstrates that the basaltic magma's transit through the crust was rapid and from midcrustal depths. We suggest that this rapid ascent was promoted by unloading following collapse.

The national web-based outbreak rapid alert system in Norway: eight years of experience, 2006-2013.

PubMed

Guzman-Herrador, B; Vold, L; Berg, T; Berglund, T M; Heier, B; Kapperud, G; Lange, H; Nygård, K

2016-01-01

In 2005, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health established a web-based outbreak rapid alert system called Vesuv. The system is used for mandatory outbreak alerts from municipal medical officers, healthcare institutions, and food safety authorities. As of 2013, 1426 outbreaks have been reported, involving 32913 cases. More than half of the outbreaks occurred in healthcare institutions (759 outbreaks, 53·2%). A total of 474 (33·2%) outbreaks were associated with food or drinking water. The web-based rapid alert system has proved to be a helpful tool by enhancing reporting and enabling rapid and efficient information sharing between different authorities at both the local and national levels. It is also an important tool for event-based reporting, as required by the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005. Collecting information from all the outbreak alerts and reports in a national database is also useful for analysing trends, such as occurrence of certain microorganisms, places or sources of infection, or route of transmission. This can facilitate the identification of specific areas where more general preventive measures are needed.

Early warning systems and rapid response to the deteriorating patient in hospital: A realist evaluation.

PubMed

McGaughey, Jennifer; O'Halloran, Peter; Porter, Sam; Trinder, John; Blackwood, Bronagh

2017-12-01

To test the Rapid Response Systems programme theory against actual practice components of the Rapid Response Systems implemented to identify those contexts and mechanisms which have an impact on the successful achievement of desired outcomes in practice. Rapid Response Systems allow deteriorating patients to be recognized using Early Warning Systems, referred early via escalation protocols and managed at the bedside by competent staff. Realist evaluation. The research design was an embedded multiple case study approach of four wards in two hospitals in Northern Ireland which followed the principles of Realist Evaluation. We used various mixed methods including individual and focus group interviews, observation of nursing practice between June-November 2010 and document analysis of Early Warning Systems audit data between May-October 2010 and hospital acute care training records over 4.5 years from 2003-2008. Data were analysed using NiVivo8 and SPPS. A cross-case analysis highlighted similar patterns of factors which enabled or constrained successful recognition, referral and response to deteriorating patients in practice. Key enabling factors were the use of clinical judgement by experienced nurses and the empowerment of nurses as a result of organizational change associated with implementation of Early Warning System protocols. Key constraining factors were low staffing and inappropriate skill mix levels, rigid implementation of protocols and culturally embedded suboptimal communication processes. Successful implementation of Rapid Response Systems was dependent on adopting organizational and cultural changes that facilitated staff empowerment, flexible implementation of protocols and ongoing experiential learning. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How can "Super Corals" facilitate global coral reef survival under rapid environmental and climatic change?

PubMed

Camp, Emma F; Schoepf, Verena; Suggett, David J

2018-03-26

Coral reefs are in a state of rapid global decline via environmental and climate change, and efforts have intensified to identify or engineer coral populations with increased resilience. Concurrent with these efforts has been increasing use of the popularized term "Super Coral" in both popular media and scientific literature without a unifying definition. However, how this subjective term is currently applied has the potential to mislead inference over factors contributing to coral survivorship, and the future trajectory of coral reef form and functioning. Here, we discuss that the information required to support a single definition does not exist, and in fact may never be appropriate, i.e. "How Super is Super"? Instead, we advocate caution of this term, and suggest a workflow that enables contextualization and clarification of superiority to ensure that inferred or asserted survivorship is appropriate into future reef projections. This is crucial to robustly unlock how "Super Corals" can be integrated into the suite of management options required to facilitate coral survival under rapid environmental and climate change. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

AFRPL Rapid Indexing System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beltran, Alfred A.

A modified Keyword Out of Context (KWOC) system was developed to gain rapid control over more than 8,000 scattered, unindexed documents. This was the first step in providing the technical information support required by Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory scientists and engineers. Implementation of the KWOC system, computer routines, and…

Impact Of Rapid Incident Detection On Freeway Accident Fatalities

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-06-01

Heavily congested urban highways in the United States have spurred the development of Freeway Management Systems (FMS). Among the goals of these systems is the improvement of traffic management and the facilitation of more rapid incident detection an...

Rapidly Deployed Modular Telemetry System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Varnavas, Kosta A. (Inventor); Sims, William Herbert, III (Inventor)

2013-01-01

The present invention is a telemetry system, and more specifically is a rapidly deployed modular telemetry apparatus which utilizes of SDR technology and the FPGA programming capability to reduce the number of hardware components and programming required to deploy a telemetry system.

Rapid response to intensive treatment for bulimia nervosa and purging disorder: A randomized controlled trial of a CBT intervention to facilitate early behavior change.

PubMed

MacDonald, Danielle E; McFarlane, Traci L; Dionne, Michelle M; David, Lauren; Olmsted, Marion P

2017-09-01

Rapid response to cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for eating disorders (i.e., rapid and substantial change to key eating disorder behaviors in the initial weeks of treatment) robustly predicts good outcome at end-of-treatment and in follow up. The objective of this study was to determine whether rapid response to day hospital (DH) eating disorder treatment could be facilitated using a brief adjunctive CBT intervention focused on early change. 44 women (average age 27.3 [8.4]; 75% White, 6.3% Black, 6.9% Asian) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 4-session adjunctive interventions: CBT focused on early change, or motivational interviewing (MI). DH was administered as usual. Outcomes included binge/purge frequency, Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Intent-to-treat analyses were used. The CBT group had a higher rate of rapid response (95.7%) compared to MI (71.4%; p = .04, V = .33). Those who received CBT also had fewer binge/purge episodes (p = .02) in the first 4 weeks of DH. By end-of-DH, CBT participants made greater improvements on overvaluation of weight and shape (p = .008), and emotion regulation (ps < .008). Across conditions, there were no significant baseline differences between rapid and nonrapid responders (ps > .05). The results of this study demonstrate that rapid response can be clinically facilitated using a CBT intervention that explicitly encourages early change. This provides the foundation for future research investigating whether enhancing rates of rapid response using such an intervention results in improved longer term outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

RADER: a RApid DEcoy Retriever to facilitate decoy based assessment of virtual screening.

PubMed

Wang, Ling; Pang, Xiaoqian; Li, Yecheng; Zhang, Ziying; Tan, Wen

2017-04-15

Evaluation of the capacity for separating actives from challenging decoys is a crucial metric of performance related to molecular docking or a virtual screening workflow. The Directory of Useful Decoys (DUD) and its enhanced version (DUD-E) provide a benchmark for molecular docking, although they only contain a limited set of decoys for limited targets. DecoyFinder was released to compensate the limitations of DUD or DUD-E for building target-specific decoy sets. However, desirable query template design, generation of multiple decoy sets of similar quality, and computational speed remain bottlenecks, particularly when the numbers of queried actives and retrieved decoys increases to hundreds or more. Here, we developed a program suite called RApid DEcoy Retriever (RADER) to facilitate the decoy-based assessment of virtual screening. This program adopts a novel database-management regime that supports rapid and large-scale retrieval of decoys, enables high portability of databases, and provides multifaceted options for designing initial query templates from a large number of active ligands and generating subtle decoy sets. RADER provides two operational modes: as a command-line tool and on a web server. Validation of the performance and efficiency of RADER was also conducted and is described. RADER web server and a local version are freely available at http://rcidm.org/rader/ . lingwang@scut.edu.cn or went@scut.edu.cn . Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Aniracetam and DNQX affect the acquisition of rapid tolerance to ethanol in mice.

PubMed

Rial, Daniel; Takahashi, Reinaldo Naoto; Morato, Gina Struffaldi

2009-03-01

Several studies have emphasized the role of learning in the development of rapid tolerance and have shown that glutamate-mediated neurotransmission plays an important role in this phenomenon. Since the AMPA/kainate receptor system is directly involved in plasticity mechanisms, the influence of this receptor system on rapid tolerance induced by ethanol was studied using the rotarod. In the first experiment, mice were pretreated with aniracetam, an agonist of AMPA/kainate receptors, 30 min before ethanol (2.75 g/kg; IP) treatment, and tested on the rotarod. After 24 h, the groups were tested on the rotarod under ethanol treatment. Aniracetam facilitated the acquisition of rapid tolerance to ethanol. In the second experiment, mice received DNQX, a competitive antagonist of the AMPA receptor, 30 min before ethanol treatment (3 g/kg) and submitted to the rotarod. This dose of ethanol produced tolerance per se. Groups were tested under ethanol treatment (1.75 g/kg) after 24 h. DNQX blocked rapid tolerance to ethanol. Using a similar protocol, the third experiment showed that DNQX blocked the aniracetam-induced facilitation of rapid tolerance to ethanol. Our results show that aniracetam facilitates whereas DNQX blocks ethanol tolerance, suggesting that the non-NMDA receptors are involved in this phenomenon.

NASA MSFC Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) Rapid Quench System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

SanSoucie, Michael P.; Craven, Paul D.

2014-01-01

Electrostatic levitation, a form of containerless processing, is an important tool in materials research. Levitated specimens are free from contact with a container; therefore, heterogeneous nucleation on container walls is not possible. This allows studies of deeply undercooled melts. Furthermore, studies of high-temperature, highly reactive materials are also possible. Studies of the solidification and crystallization of undercooled melts is vital to the understanding of microstructure development, particularly the formation of alloys with unique properties by rapid solidification. The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) lab has recently been upgraded to allow for rapid quenching of levitated materials. The ESL Rapid Quench System uses a small crucible-like vessel that can be partially filled with a low melting point material, such as a Gallium alloy, as a quench medium. An undercooled sample can be dropped into the vessel to rapidly quench the sample. A carousel with nine vessels sits below the bottom electrode assembly. This system allows up to nine rapid quenches before having to break vacuum and remove the vessels. This new Rapid Quench System will allow materials science studies of undercooled materials and new materials development. In this presentation, the system is described and initial results are presented.

Internal validation of the RapidHIT® ID system.

PubMed

Wiley, Rachel; Sage, Kelly; LaRue, Bobby; Budowle, Bruce

2017-11-01

Traditionally, forensic DNA analysis has required highly skilled forensic geneticists in a dedicated laboratory to generate short tandem repeat (STR) profiles. STR profiles are routinely used either to associate or exclude potential donors of forensic biological evidence. The typing of forensic reference samples has become more demanding, especially with the requirement in some jurisdictions to DNA profile arrestees. The Rapid DNA (RDNA) platform, the RapidHIT ® ID (IntegenX ® , Pleasanton, CA), is a fully automated system capable of processing reference samples in approximately 90min with minimal human intervention. Thus, the RapidHIT ID instrument can be deployed to non-laboratory environments (e.g., booking stations) and run by trained atypical personnel such as law enforcement. In order to implement the RapidHIT ID platform, validation studies are needed to define the performance and limitations of the system. Internal validation studies were undertaken with four early-production RapidHIT ID units. Reliable and concordant STR profiles were obtained from reference buccal swabs. Throughout the study, no contamination was observed. The overall first-pass success rate with an "expert-like system" was 72%, which is comparable to another current RDNA platform commercially available. The system's second-pass success rate (involving manual interpretation on first-pass inconclusive results) increased to 90%. Inhibitors (i.e., coffee, smoking tobacco, and chewing tobacco) did not appear to affect typing by the instrument system; however, substrate (i.e., swab type) did impact typing success. Additionally, one desirable feature not available with other Rapid systems is that in the event of a system failed run, a swab can be recovered and subsequently re-analyzed in a new sample cartridge. Therefore, rarely should additional sampling or swab consumption be necessary. The RapidHIT ID system is a robust and reliable tool capable of generating complete STR profiles within

Mepivacaine Spinal Anesthesia Facilitates Rapid Recovery in Total Knee Arthroplasty Compared to Bupivacaine.

PubMed

Mahan, M Chad; Jildeh, Toufic R; Tenbrunsel, Troy N; Davis, Jason J

2018-06-01

Mepivacaine as a spinal anesthetic for rapid recovery in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has not been assessed. The purpose of this study is to compare spinal mepivacaine vs bupivacaine for postoperative measures in patients undergoing primary TKA. Retrospective review of a prospectively collected single-institution database was performed on 156 consecutive patients who underwent primary TKA. Fifty-three patients were administered mepivacaine and 103 patients were administered bupivacaine. Primary outcomes were urinary retention, length of stay, pain control, opioid consumption, and distance associated with physical therapy. Statistical analysis with univariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate the effect of anesthetic with primary outcomes. Patients undergoing TKA with mepivacaine had a shorter length of stay (28.1 ± 11.2 vs 33.6 ± 14.4 hours, P = .002) and fewer episodes of straight catheterization (3.8% vs 16.5%, P = .021) compared to bupivacaine. Patients administered mepivacaine exhibited slightly higher VAS pain scores and morphine consumption in the postanesthesia care unit (1.3 ± 1.9 vs 0.5 ± 1.3, P = .002; 2.2 ± 3.3 vs 0.8 ± 2.1 equivalents/h, P = .002), but otherwise exhibited no difference in VAS scores or morphine consumption afterwards. There was no need to convert to general anesthesia or transient neurologic symptom complication in either group. Mepivacaine for spinal anesthesia with TKA had adequate duration to complete the surgery and facilitated a more rapid recovery with less urinary complications and a shorter length of stay. Patients administered mepivacaine did not display worse pain control or transient neurologic symptoms afterwards. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rapid response learning of brand logo priming: Evidence that brand priming is not dominated by rapid response learning.

PubMed

Boehm, Stephan G; Smith, Ciaran; Muench, Niklas; Noble, Kirsty; Atherton, Catherine

2017-08-31

Repetition priming increases the accuracy and speed of responses to repeatedly processed stimuli. Repetition priming can result from two complementary sources: rapid response learning and facilitation within perceptual and conceptual networks. In conceptual classification tasks, rapid response learning dominates priming of object recognition, but it does not dominate priming of person recognition. This suggests that the relative engagement of network facilitation and rapid response learning depends on the stimulus domain. Here, we addressed the importance of the stimulus domain for rapid response learning by investigating priming in another domain, brands. In three experiments, participants performed conceptual decisions for brand logos. Strong priming was present, but it was not dominated by rapid response learning. These findings add further support to the importance of the stimulus domain for the relative importance of network facilitation and rapid response learning, and they indicate that brand priming is more similar to person recognition priming than object recognition priming, perhaps because priming of both brands and persons requires individuation.

The impact of Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems on nurses' competence: An integrative literature review and synthesis.

PubMed

Jensen, Jørghild Karlotte; Skår, Randi; Tveit, Bodil

2018-04-01

To describe, interpret and synthesise the current research findings on the impact of the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems on nurses' competence in identifying and managing deteriorating patients in general hospital wards. As patient safety initiatives designed to ensure the early identification and management of deteriorating patients, the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems have broad appeal. However, it is still unclear how these systems impact nurses' competence when these systems are used in general hospital wards. CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE and Ovid MEDLINE databases were systematically searched for relevant articles. Articles were appraised, a thematic analysis was conducted, and similar and divergent perspectives on emergent themes and subthemes were extracted by a team of researchers. Thirty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. The analysis of findings showed how the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems impacted three competence areas: (i) Nurses' competence in assessing and caring for patients related to the subthemes: (a) sensing clinical deterioration and (b) the development of skills and knowledge. (ii). Nurses' competence in referring patients, related to the subthemes: (a) deciding whether to summon help and (b) the language and communication lines in the referral process. (ii) Nurses' coping and mastery experiences. The impact of the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems on nurses' competence in identifying and managing deteriorating patients is beneficial but also somewhat contradictory. A greater understanding of nurses' development of competence when using the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems will facilitate the design of implementation strategies and the use of these systems to improve practice. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An RF-based wearable sensor system for indoor tracking to facilitate efficient healthcare management.

PubMed

Yuzhe Ouyang; Shan, Kai; Bui, Francis Minhthang

2016-08-01

To understand the utilization of clinical resources and improve the efficiency of healthcare, it is often necessary to accurately locate patients and doctors in a healthcare facility. However, existing tracking methods, such as GPS, Wi-Fi and RFID, have technological drawbacks or impose significant costs, thus limiting their applications in many clinical environments, especially those with indoor enclosures. This paper proposes a low-cost and flexible tracking system that is well suited for operating in an indoor environment. Based on readily available RF transceivers and microcontrollers, our wearable sensor system can facilitate locating users (e.g., patients or doctors) or objects (e.g., medical devices) in a building. The strategic construction of the sensor system, along with a suitably designed tracking algorithm, together provide for reliability and dispatch in localization performance. For demonstration purposes, several simplified experiments, with different configurations of the system, are implemented in two testing rooms to assess the baseline performance. From the obtained results, our system exhibits immense promise in acquiring a user location and corresponding time-stamp, with high accuracy and rapid response. This capability is conducive to both short- and long-term data analytics, which are crucial for improving healthcare management.

An application generator for rapid prototyping of Ada real-time control software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Jim; Biglari, Haik; Lehman, Larry

1990-01-01

The need to increase engineering productivity and decrease software life cycle costs in real-time system development establishes a motivation for a method of rapid prototyping. The design by iterative rapid prototyping technique is described. A tool which facilitates such a design methodology for the generation of embedded control software is described.

Public Schools and the Juvenile Justice System: Facilitating Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazzotti, Valerie L.; Higgins, Kyle

2006-01-01

This article describes the importance of facilitating relationships between schools and the Juvenile Justice System. Emphasis is placed on statistics concerning children/youth involved in the Juvenile Justice System and the current state of school programs. Strategies for developing integrated programs between schools and the Juvenile Justice…

BTFS: The Border Trade Facilitation System

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

Phillips, L.R.

The author demonstrates the Border Trade Facilitation System (BTFS), an agent-based bilingual e-commerce system built to expedite the regulation, control, and execution of commercial trans-border shipments during the delivery phase. The system was built to serve maquila industries at the US/Mexican border. The BTFS uses foundation technology developed here at Sandia Laboratories' Advanced Information Systems Lab (AISL), including a distributed object substrate, a general-purpose agent development framework, dynamically generated agent-human interaction via the World-Wide Web, and a collaborative agent architecture. This technology is also the substrate for the Multi-Agent Simulation Management System (MASMAS) proposed for demonstration at this conference. Themore » BTFS executes authenticated transactions among agents performing open trading over the Internet. With the BTFS in place, one could conduct secure international transactions from any site with an Internet connection and a web browser. The BTFS is currently being evaluated for commercialization.« less

Personalized Rapid Transit Systems : a First Analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-07-01

A preliminary systems analysis of the presonalized rapid transit system concept is given. It includes presentatin of the significant advantages and disadvantages. Question of system capacity, station capacity, urban grid design, and headway requireme...

Computer-facilitated rapid HIV testing in emergency care settings: provider and patient usability and acceptability.

PubMed

Spielberg, Freya; Kurth, Ann E; Severynen, Anneleen; Hsieh, Yu-Hsiang; Moring-Parris, Daniel; Mackenzie, Sara; Rothman, Richard

2011-06-01

Providers in emergency care settings (ECSs) often face barriers to expanded HIV testing. We undertook formative research to understand the potential utility of a computer tool, "CARE," to facilitate rapid HIV testing in ECSs. Computer tool usability and acceptability were assessed among 35 adult patients, and provider focus groups were held, in two ECSs in Washington State and Maryland. The computer tool was usable by patients of varying computer literacy. Patients appreciated the tool's privacy and lack of judgment and their ability to reflect on HIV risks and create risk reduction plans. Staff voiced concerns regarding ECS-based HIV testing generally, including resources for follow-up of newly diagnosed people. Computer-delivered HIV testing support was acceptable and usable among low-literacy populations in two ECSs. Such tools may help circumvent some practical barriers associated with routine HIV testing in busy settings though linkages to care will still be needed.

Practice Facilitators' and Leaders' Perspectives on a Facilitated Quality Improvement Program.

PubMed

McHugh, Megan; Brown, Tiffany; Liss, David T; Walunas, Theresa L; Persell, Stephen D

2018-04-01

Practice facilitation is a promising approach to helping practices implement quality improvements. Our purpose was to describe practice facilitators' and practice leaders' perspectives on implementation of a practice facilitator-supported quality improvement program and describe where their perspectives aligned and diverged. We conducted interviews with practice leaders and practice facilitators who participated in a program that included 35 improvement strategies aimed at the ABCS of heart health (aspirin use in high-risk individuals, blood pressure control, cholesterol management, and smoking cessation). Rapid qualitative analysis was used to collect, organize, and analyze the data. We interviewed 17 of the 33 eligible practice leaders, and the 10 practice facilitators assigned to those practices. Practice leaders and practice facilitators both reported value in the program's ability to bring needed, high-quality resources to practices. Practice leaders appreciated being able to set the schedule for facilitation and select among the 35 interventions. According to practice facilitators, however, relying on practice leaders to set the pace of the intervention resulted in a lower level of program intensity than intended. Practice leaders preferred targeted assistance, particularly electronic health record documentation guidance and linkages to state smoking cessation programs. Practice facilitators reported that the easiest interventions were those that did not alter care practices. The dual perspectives of practice leaders and practice facilitators provide a more holistic picture of enablers and barriers to program implementation. There may be greater opportunities to assist small practices through simple, targeted practice facilitator-supported efforts rather than larger, comprehensive quality improvement projects. © 2018 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Management of patients with acute aortic syndrome through a regional rapid transport system.

PubMed

Manzur, Miguel; Han, Sukgu M; Dunn, Joie; Elsayed, Ramsey S; Fleischman, Fernando; Casagrande, Yolee; Weaver, Fred A

2017-01-01

blood pressure <90 mm Hg in the intensive care unit (P < .001), and APACHE II score >10 (P = .004). Distance traveled and transport mode and duration were not associated with increased risk of system-related mortality. Only SVSCSS of >8 (odds ratio, 7.73; 95% confidence interval, 2.32-25.8; P = .001) was independently associated with an increase in system-related mortality on multivariate analysis. Implementation of a rapid transport system, regardless of mode or distance, can facilitate effective transfer of patients with AAS to a regional aortic center. An SVSCSS of >8 predicted an increased system-related mortality and may be a useful metric to assess the appropriateness of patient transfer. Copyright © 2016 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MSFC Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) Rapid Quench System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

SanSoucie, Michael P.; Craven, Paul D.; Rogers, Jan R.

2014-01-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) Laboratory is a unique facility for investigators studying high-temperature materials. The laboratory boasts two levitators in which samples can be levitated, heated, melted, undercooled, and resolidified, all without the interference of a container or data-gathering instrument. The ESL main chamber has been upgraded with the addition of a rapid quench system. This system allows samples to be dropped into a quench vessel that can be filled with a low melting point material, such as a gallium or indium alloy. Thereby allowing rapid quenching of undercooled liquid metals. Up to 8 quench vessels can be loaded into the quench wheel, which is indexed with LabVIEW control software. This allows up to 8 samples to be rapidly quenched before having to open the chamber. The system has been tested successfully on several zirconium samples. Future work will be done with other materials using different quench mediums. Microstructural analysis will also be done on successfully quench samples.

Rapid identification of herbal compounds derived metabolites using zebrafish larvae as the biotransformation system.

PubMed

Wang, Chen; Yin, Ying-Hao; Wei, Ying-Jie; Shi, Zi-Qi; Liu, Jian-Qun; Liu, Li-Fang; Xin, Gui-Zhong

2017-09-15

Metabolites derived from herbal compounds are becoming promising sources for discovering new drugs. However, the rapid identification of metabolites from biological matrixes is limited by massive endogenous interference and low abundance of metabolites. Thus, by using zebrafish larvae as the biotransformation system, we herein proposed and validated an integrated strategy for rapid identification of metabolites derived from herbal compounds. Two pivotal steps involved in this strategy are to differentiate metabolites from herbal compounds and match metabolites with their parent compounds. The differentiation step was achieved by cross orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis. Automatic matching analysis was performed on R Project based on a self-developed program, of which the number of matched ionic clusters and its corresponding percentage between metabolite and parent compound were taken into account to assess their similarity. Using this strategy, 46 metabolites screened from incubation water samples of zebrafish treated with total Epimedium flavonoids (EFs) could be matched with their corresponding parent compounds, 37 of them were identified and validated by the known metabolic pathways and fragmentation patterns. Finally, 75% of the identified EFs metabolites were successfully detected in urine samples of rats treated with EFs. These experimental results indicate that the proposed strategy using zebrafish larvae as the biotransformation system will facilitate the rapid identification of metabolites derived from herbal compounds, which shows promising perspectives in providing additional resources for pharmaceutical developments from natural products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Systems Approach to Rapid School Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCauley, Carlas

2018-01-01

To support systemic thinking about school improvement, the Center on School Turnaround at WestEd developed a framework to assist states, districts, and schools in leading and managing rapid improvement efforts. The framework, which is presented in this article, has four domains that have proved central to rapid, significant improvement: (1)…

Rapid-Learning System for Cancer Care

PubMed Central

Abernethy, Amy P.; Etheredge, Lynn M.; Ganz, Patricia A.; Wallace, Paul; German, Robert R.; Neti, Chalapathy; Bach, Peter B.; Murphy, Sharon B.

2010-01-01

Compelling public interest is propelling national efforts to advance the evidence base for cancer treatment and control measures and to transform the way in which evidence is aggregated and applied. Substantial investments in health information technology, comparative effectiveness research, health care quality and value, and personalized medicine support these efforts and have resulted in considerable progress to date. An emerging initiative, and one that integrates these converging approaches to improving health care, is “rapid-learning health care.” In this framework, routinely collected real-time clinical data drive the process of scientific discovery, which becomes a natural outgrowth of patient care. To better understand the state of the rapid-learning health care model and its potential implications for oncology, the National Cancer Policy Forum of the Institute of Medicine held a workshop entitled “A Foundation for Evidence-Driven Practice: A Rapid-Learning System for Cancer Care” in October 2009. Participants examined the elements of a rapid-learning system for cancer, including registries and databases, emerging information technology, patient-centered and -driven clinical decision support, patient engagement, culture change, clinical practice guidelines, point-of-care needs in clinical oncology, and federal policy issues and implications. This Special Article reviews the activities of the workshop and sets the stage to move from vision to action. PMID:20585094

A rapid-exchange monorail stent system for salvage of failing femoropopliteal bypass grafts.

PubMed

Jahnke, Thomas; Brossmann, Joachim; Walluscheck, Knut; Heller, Martin; Müller-Hülsbeck, Stefan

2003-08-01

To analyze the safety and effectiveness of a new monorail stent system for the treatment of failing femoropopliteal bypass grafts. Acute distal occlusions or stenoses of femoropopliteal bypass grafts were treated with balloon-expandable stents (13 or 18-mm diameter) pre-mounted on a monorail balloon catheter system. The delivery system was assessed subjectively for (1). compatibility with the sheath, (2). lesion crossing potential, (3). radiopacity, (4). flexibility of the catheter, (5). adequacy of stent expansion, and (5). balloon refolding. In 8 failing bypass grafts with distal lesions, the delivery system successfully deployed the stent at the desired location. Sheath compatibility, catheter flexibility, lesion crossing, and stent expansion were rated "excellent" by all examiners for the 18-mm device. Radiopacity of the mounted stent was graded "good" before and during positioning, but only "sufficient" following expansion. For this type of lesion, the investigators rated the overall performance of the device superior to conventional "over-the-wire" systems. The monorail balloon-expandable stent delivery system provides rapid introduction of the device over the guidewire, and its low profile facilitates the use of small sheaths to minimize access-site complications.

Effectiveness Analysis of a Part-Time Rapid Response System During Operation Versus Nonoperation.

PubMed

Kim, Youlim; Lee, Dong Seon; Min, Hyunju; Choi, Yun Young; Lee, Eun Young; Song, Inae; Park, Jong Sun; Cho, Young-Jae; Jo, You Hwan; Yoon, Ho Il; Lee, Jae Ho; Lee, Choon-Taek; Do, Sang Hwan; Lee, Yeon Joo

2017-06-01

To evaluate the effect of a part-time rapid response system on the occurrence rate of cardiopulmonary arrest by comparing the times of rapid response system operation versus nonoperation. Retrospective cohort study. A 1,360-bed tertiary care hospital. Adult patients admitted to the general ward were screened. Data were collected over 36 months from rapid response system implementation (October 2012 to September 2015) and more than 45 months before rapid response system implementation (January 2009 to September 2012). None. The rapid response system operates from 7 AM to 10 PM on weekdays and from 7 AM to 12 PM on Saturdays. Primary outcomes were the difference of cardiopulmonary arrest incidence between pre-rapid response system and post-rapid response system periods and whether the rapid response system operating time affects the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence. The overall cardiopulmonary arrest incidence (per 1,000 admissions) was 1.43. Although the number of admissions per month and case-mix index were increased (3,555.18 vs 4,564.72, p < 0.001; 1.09 vs 1.13, p = 0.001, respectively), the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence was significantly decreased after rapid response system (1.60 vs 1.23; p = 0.021), and mortality (%) was unchanged (1.38 vs 1.33; p = 0.322). After rapid response system implementation, the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence significantly decreased by 40% during rapid response system operating times (0.82 vs 0.49/1,000 admissions; p = 0.001) but remained similar during rapid response system nonoperating times (0.77 vs 0.73/1,000 admissions; p = 0.729). The implementation of a part-time rapid response system reduced the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence based on the reduction of cardiopulmonary arrest during rapid response system operating times. Further analysis of the cost effectiveness of part-time rapid response system is needed.

MedRapid--medical community & business intelligence system.

PubMed

Finkeissen, E; Fuchs, H; Jakob, T; Wetter, T

2002-01-01

currently, it takes at least 6 months for researchers to communicate their results. This delay is caused (a) by partial lacks of machine support for both representation as well as communication and (b) by media breaks during the communication process. To make an integrated communication between researchers and practitioners possible, a general structure for medical content representation has been set up. The procedure for data entry and quality management has been generalized and implemented in a web-based authoring system. The MedRapid-system supports the medical experts in entering their knowledge into a database. Here, the level of detail is still below that of current medical guidelines representation. However, the symmetric structure for an area-wide medical knowledge representation is highly retrievable and thus can quickly be communicated into daily routine for the improvement of the treatment quality. In addition, other sources like journal articles and medical guidelines can be references within the MedRapid-system and thus be communicated into daily routine. The fundamental system for the representation of medical reference knowledge (from reference works/books) itself is not sufficient for the friction-less communication amongst medical staff. Rather, the process of (a) representing medical knowledge, (b) refereeing the represented knowledge, (c) communicating the represented knowledge, and (d) retrieving the represented knowledge has to be unified. MedRapid will soon support the whole process on one server system.

Application of Rapid Prototyping Pelvic Model for Patients with DDH to Facilitate Arthroplasty Planning: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Xu, Jie; Li, Deng; Ma, Ruo-fan; Barden, Bertram; Ding, Yue

2015-11-01

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is challenging in cases of osteoarthritis secondary to developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Acetabular deficiency makes the positioning of the acetabular component difficult. Computer tomography based, patient-individual three dimensional (3-D) rapid prototype technology (RPT)-models were used to plan the placement of acetabular cup so that a surgeon was able to identify pelvic structures, assess the ideal extent of reaming and determine the size of cup after a reconstructive procedure. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to analyze the agreement between the sizes of chosen components on the basis of preoperative planning and the actual sizes used in the operation. The use of the 3-D RPT-model facilitates the surgical procedures due to better planning and improved orientation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Visual Input: A Graphical Method for Rapid Entry of Patient-Specific Data

PubMed Central

Bergeron, Bryan P.; Greenes, Robert A.

1987-01-01

Intelligent Visual Input (IVI) provides a rapid, graphical method of data entry for both expert system interaction and medical record keeping purposes. Key components of IVI include: a high-resolution graphic display; an interface supportive of rapid selection, i.e., one utilizing a mouse or light pen; algorithm simplification modules; and intelligent graphic algorithm expansion modules. A prototype IVI system, designed to facilitate entry of physical exam findings, is used to illustrates the potential advantages of this approach.

Facilitators and Barriers of Implementing a Measurement Feedback System in Public Youth Mental Health.

PubMed

Kotte, Amelia; Hill, Kaitlin A; Mah, Albert C; Korathu-Larson, Priya A; Au, Janelle R; Izmirian, Sonia; Keir, Scott S; Nakamura, Brad J; Higa-McMillan, Charmaine K

2016-11-01

This study examines implementation facilitators and barriers of a statewide roll-out of a measurement feedback system (MFS) in a youth public mental health system. 76 % of all state care coordinators (N = 47) completed interviews, which were coded via content analysis until saturation. Facilitators (e.g., recognition of the MFS's clinical utility) and barriers (e.g., MFS's reliability and validity) emerged paralleling the Exploration, Adoption/Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment framework outlined by Aarons et al. (Adm Policy Mental Health Mental Health Serv Res, 38:4-23, 2011). Sustainment efforts may leverage innovation fit, individual adopter, and system related facilitators.

Interagency partnering for weed prevention--progress on development of a National Early Detection and Rapid Response System for Invasive Plants in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Westbrooks, R.; Westbrooks, R.

2011-01-01

Over the past 50 years, experience has shown that interagency groups provide an effective forum for addressing various invasive species issues and challenges on multiple land units. However, more importantly, they can also provide a coordinated framework for early detection, reporting, identification and vouchering, rapid assessment, and rapid response to new and emerging invasive plants in the United States. Interagency collaboration maximizes the use of available expertise, resources, and authority for promoting early detection and rapid response (EDRR) as the preferred management option for addressing new and emerging invasive plants. Currently, an interagency effort is underway to develop a National EDRR System for Invasive Plants in the United States. The proposed system will include structural and informational elements. Structural elements of the system include a network of interagency partner groups to facilitate early detection and rapid response to new invasive plants, including the Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds (FICMNEW), State Invasive Species Councils, State Early Detection and Rapid Response Coordinating Committees, State Volunteer Detection and Reporting Networks, Invasive Plant Task Forces, and Cooperative Weed Management Areas. Informational elements and products being developed include Regional Invasive Plant Atlases, and EDRR Guidelines for EDRR Volunteer Network Training, Rapid Assessment and Rapid Response, and Criteria for Selection of EDRR Species. System science and technical support elements which are provided by cooperating state and federal scientists, include EDRR guidelines, training curriculum for EDRR volunteers and agency field personnel, plant identification and vouchering, rapid assessments, as well as predictive modeling and ecological range studies for invasive plant species.

Project FAST: [Functional Analysis Systems Training]: Adopter/Facilitator Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Essexville-Hampton Public Schools, MI.

Presented is adopter/facilitator information of Project FAST (Functional Analysis Systems Training) to provide educational and support services to learning disordered children and their regular elementary teachers. Briefly described are the three schools in the Essexville-Hampton (Michigan) school district; objectives of the program; program…

Animation of Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transport System (HERTS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-04-20

Animation of Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transport System (HERTS) concept. NASA engineers are conducting tests to develop models for the Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transport System. HERTS builds upon the electric sail invention of Dr. Pekka Janhunen of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. An electric sail could potentially send scientific payloads to the edge of our solar system, the heliopause, in less than 10 years. The research is led by Bruce M. Wiegmann, an engineer in the Advanced Concepts Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. The HERTS E-Sail development and testing is funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate through the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program.

Rapid transit system noise abatement program

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1972-01-01

This program plan describes a broad program for the reduction of noise and vibration in rapid transit systems, which impacts the patrons and inhabitants of the nearby commuity. An UMTA/TSC survey has provided data on the most urgent needs and state-o...

Rapid effects of dorsal hippocampal G-protein coupled estrogen receptor on learning in female mice.

PubMed

Lymer, Jennifer; Robinson, Alana; Winters, Boyer D; Choleris, Elena

2017-03-01

Through rapid mechanisms of action, estrogens affect learning and memory processes. It has been shown that 17β-estradiol and an Estrogen Receptor (ER) α agonist enhances performance in social recognition, object recognition, and object placement tasks when administered systemically or infused in the dorsal hippocampus. In contrast, systemic and dorsal hippocampal ERβ activation only promote spatial learning. In addition, 17β-estradiol, the ERα and the G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) agonists increase dendritic spine density in the CA1 hippocampus. Recently, we have shown that selective systemic activation of the GPER also rapidly facilitated social recognition, object recognition, and object placement learning in female mice. Whether activation the GPER specifically in the dorsal hippocampus can also rapidly improve learning and memory prior to acquisition is unknown. Here, we investigated the rapid effects of infusion of the GPER agonist, G-1 (dose: 50nM, 100nM, 200nM), in the dorsal hippocampus on social recognition, object recognition, and object placement learning tasks in home cage. These paradigms were completed within 40min, which is within the range of rapid estrogenic effects. Dorsal hippocampal administration of G-1 improved social (doses: 50nM, 200nM G-1) and object (dose: 200nM G-1) recognition with no effect on object placement. Additionally, when spatial cues were minimized by testing in a Y-apparatus, G-1 administration promoted social (doses: 100nM, 200nM G-1) and object (doses: 50nM, 100nM, 200nM G-1) recognition. Therefore, like ERα, the GPER in the hippocampus appears to be sufficient for the rapid facilitation of social and object recognition in female mice, but not for the rapid facilitation of object placement learning. Thus, the GPER in the dorsal hippocampus is involved in estrogenic mediation of learning and memory and these effects likely occur through rapid signalling mechanisms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

Rapid starting methanol reactor system

DOEpatents

Chludzinski, Paul J.; Dantowitz, Philip; McElroy, James F.

1984-01-01

The invention relates to a methanol-to-hydrogen cracking reactor for use with a fuel cell vehicular power plant. The system is particularly designed for rapid start-up of the catalytic methanol cracking reactor after an extended shut-down period, i.e., after the vehicular fuel cell power plant has been inoperative overnight. Rapid system start-up is accomplished by a combination of direct and indirect heating of the cracking catalyst. Initially, liquid methanol is burned with a stoichiometric or slightly lean air mixture in the combustion chamber of the reactor assembly. The hot combustion gas travels down a flue gas chamber in heat exchange relationship with the catalytic cracking chamber transferring heat across the catalyst chamber wall to heat the catalyst indirectly. The combustion gas is then diverted back through the catalyst bed to heat the catalyst pellets directly. When the cracking reactor temperature reaches operating temperature, methanol combustion is stopped and a hot gas valve is switched to route the flue gas overboard, with methanol being fed directly to the catalytic cracking reactor. Thereafter, the burner operates on excess hydrogen from the fuel cells.

Facilitating superior chronic disease management through a knowledge-based systems development model.

PubMed

Wickramasinghe, Nilmini S; Goldberg, Steve

2008-01-01

To date, the adoption and diffusion of technology-enabled solutions to deliver better healthcare has been slow. There are many reasons for this. One of the most significant is that the existing methodologies that are normally used in general for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) implementations tend to be less successful in a healthcare context. This paper describes a knowledge-based adaptive mapping to realisation methodology to traverse successfully from idea to realisation rapidly and without compromising rigour so that success ensues. It is discussed in connection with trying to implement superior ICT-enabled approaches to facilitate superior Chronic Disease Management (CDM).

Forensic toxicology in drug-facilitated sexual assault.

PubMed

Dinis-Oliveira, Ricardo Jorge; Magalhães, Teresa

2013-09-01

The low rates of reporting, prosecution and conviction that characterize sexual assault, is likely even more evident in drug-facilitated cases. Typically, in these crimes, victims are incapacitated and left unable to resist sexual advances, unconscious, unable to fight off the abuser or to say "no" and unable to clearly remember the circumstances surrounding the events due to anterograde amnesia. The consequence is the delay in performing toxicological analysis aggravated by the reluctance of the victim to disclose the crime. Moreover since "date rape drugs" are often consumed with ethanol and exhibit similar toxicodynamic effects, the diagnosis is erroneously performed as being classical ethanol intoxication. Therefore, it is imperative to rapidly consider toxicological analysis in drug-facilitated sexual assaults. The major focus of this review is to harmonize practical approaches and guidelines to rapidly uncover drug-facilitated sexual assault, namely issues related to when to perform toxicological analysis, toxicological requests, samples to be collected, storage, preservation and transport precautions and xenobiotics or endobiotics to be analyzed.

Classroom Evaluation of a Rapid Prototyping System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tennyson, Stephen A.; Krueger, Thomas J.

2001-01-01

Introduces rapid prototyping which creates virtual models through a variety of automated material additive processes. Relates experiences using JP System 5 in freshman and sophomore engineering design graphics courses. Analyzes strengths and limitations of the JP System 5 and discusses how to use it effectively. (Contains 15 references.)…

Systems to Harness Digital Footprint to Elucidate and Facilitate Ageing in Place.

PubMed

Knight, Alissa; Fouyaxis, John; Jarrad, Geoff; Beski, Kinga; Cho, Gerald; Bidargaddi, Niranjan

2018-01-01

The rapid ageing of the population is a worldwide inexorable demographic transformation. At a time of immense social, political and economic change, the growing elderly population is at the forefront of global burden, placing an increasing strain on the federal, state, and local budgets. Many public policy responses to the impending ageing epidemic have begun, particularly with regards to dementia prevention and quality of life for older adults. However, to date, the fruition of such efforts remains to be discovered. Indeed, there is a need to find more novel and multifaceted ways of understanding the fragmentary changes and underlying mechanisms in the biopsychosocial contexts of ageing. Discovering better ways to measure these intricate domains will create better insight into how to improve clinical and public health information systems for the development of more personalisation support and services across the continuum of aged care. Technology now permeates all aspects of our everyday living. Digital footprints are data arising as a by-product of interactions we do as part of everyday living. The digital traces we live behind, be it on internet, social media, on mobile phone apps, as well as in health records (EHRs) could be used to infer how we behave and interact with environment, and how we feel in different situations. Commercial sector has very successfully used these footprints in the advertisement and marketing space. This type of information may provide clinicians with an unobtrusive way of monitoring older adults in their daily living, and provide an alternative means to traditional self-report and expert-rated assessment. In this paper we present two innovative digital footprint applications, Actionable Intime Insights and the SAIL Mobile app, which aim to facilitate "Ageing in Place" through adaptive, dynamic, early intervention strategies. These systems are devised to unveil contextual indicators of how a person is functioning mentally, socially

The Requirements and Design of the Rapid Prototyping Capabilities System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haupt, T. A.; Moorhead, R.; O'Hara, C.; Anantharaj, V.

2006-12-01

The Rapid Prototyping Capabilities (RPC) system will provide the capability to rapidly evaluate innovative methods of linking science observations. To this end, the RPC will provide the capability to integrate the software components and tools needed to evaluate the use of a wide variety of current and future NASA sensors, numerical models, and research results, model outputs, and knowledge, collectively referred to as "resources". It is assumed that the resources are geographically distributed, and thus RPC will provide the support for the location transparency of the resources. The RPC system requires providing support for: (1) discovery, semantic understanding, secure access and transport mechanisms for data products available from the known data provides; (2) data assimilation and geo- processing tools for all data transformations needed to match given data products to the model input requirements; (3) model management including catalogs of models and model metadata, and mechanisms for creation environments for model execution; and (4) tools for model output analysis and model benchmarking. The challenge involves developing a cyberinfrastructure for a coordinated aggregate of software, hardware and other technologies, necessary to facilitate RPC experiments, as well as human expertise to provide an integrated, "end-to-end" platform to support the RPC objectives. Such aggregation is to be achieved through a horizontal integration of loosely coupled services. The cyberinfrastructure comprises several software layers. At the bottom, the Grid fabric encompasses network protocols, optical networks, computational resources, storage devices, and sensors. At the top, applications use workload managers to coordinate their access to physical resources. Applications are not tightly bounded to a single physical resource. Instead, they bind dynamically to resources (i.e., they are provisioned) via a common grid infrastructure layer. For the RPC system, the

Simple scale interpolator facilitates reading of graphs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fetterman, D. E., Jr.

1965-01-01

Simple transparent overlay with interpolation scale facilitates accurate, rapid reading of graph coordinate points. This device can be used for enlarging drawings and locating points on perspective drawings.

An FPGA-Based Rapid Wheezing Detection System

PubMed Central

Lin, Bor-Shing; Yen, Tian-Shiue

2014-01-01

Wheezing is often treated as a crucial indicator in the diagnosis of obstructive pulmonary diseases. A rapid wheezing detection system may help physicians to monitor patients over the long-term. In this study, a portable wheezing detection system based on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is proposed. This system accelerates wheezing detection, and can be used as either a single-process system, or as an integrated part of another biomedical signal detection system. The system segments sound signals into 2-second units. A short-time Fourier transform was used to determine the relationship between the time and frequency components of wheezing sound data. A spectrogram was processed using 2D bilateral filtering, edge detection, multithreshold image segmentation, morphological image processing, and image labeling, to extract wheezing features according to computerized respiratory sound analysis (CORSA) standards. These features were then used to train the support vector machine (SVM) and build the classification models. The trained model was used to analyze sound data to detect wheezing. The system runs on a Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGA ML605 platform. The experimental results revealed that the system offered excellent wheezing recognition performance (0.912). The detection process can be used with a clock frequency of 51.97 MHz, and is able to perform rapid wheezing classification. PMID:24481034

Long-term culture change related to rapid response system implementation.

PubMed

Stevens, Jennifer; Johansson, Anna; Lennes, Inga; Hsu, Douglas; Tess, Anjala; Howell, Michael

2014-12-01

Increasing attention to patient safety in training hospitals may come at the expense of trainee autonomy and professional growth. This study sought to examine changes in medical trainees' self-reported behaviour after the institution-wide implementation of a rapid response system. We conducted a two-point cross-sectional survey of medical trainees in 2006, during the implementation of a rapid response system, and in 2010, in a single academic medical centre. A novel instrument was used to measure trainee likelihood of calling for supervisory assistance, perception of autonomy, and comfort in managing decompensating patients. Non-parametric tests to assess for change were used and year of training was evaluated as an effect modifier. Response rates were 38% in 2006 and 70% in 2010. After 5 years of the full implementation of the rapid response system, residents were significantly more likely to report calling their attending physicians for assistance (rising from 40% to 65% of relevant situations; p < 0.0001). Year of training was a significant effect modifier. Interns felt significantly more comfortable in managing acutely ill patients; juniors and seniors felt significantly less concerned about their autonomy at 5 years after the implementation of the rapid response system. These changes were mirrored in the actual use of the rapid response system, which increased by 41% during the 5-year period after adjustment for patient volume (p < 0.0001). A primary team-focused implementation of a rapid response system was associated with durable changes in resident physicians' reported behaviour, including increased comfort with involving more experienced physicians and managing unstable patients. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Co-feeding transmission facilitates strain coexistence in Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease agent.

PubMed

States, S L; Huang, C I; Davis, S; Tufts, D M; Diuk-Wasser, M A

2017-06-01

Coexistence of multiple tick-borne pathogens or strains is common in natural hosts and can be facilitated by resource partitioning of the host species, within-host localization, or by different transmission pathways. Most vector-borne pathogens are transmitted horizontally via systemic host infection, but transmission may occur in the absence of systemic infection between two vectors feeding in close proximity, enabling pathogens to minimize competition and escape the host immune response. In a laboratory study, we demonstrated that co-feeding transmission can occur for a rapidly-cleared strain of Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease agent, between two stages of the tick vector Ixodes scapularis while feeding on their dominant host, Peromyscus leucopus. In contrast, infections rapidly became systemic for the persistently infecting strain. In a field study, we assessed opportunities for co-feeding transmission by measuring co-occurrence of two tick stages on ears of small mammals over two years at multiple sites. Finally, in a modeling study, we assessed the importance of co-feeding on R 0 , the basic reproductive number. The model indicated that co-feeding increases the fitness of rapidly-cleared strains in regions with synchronous immature tick feeding. Our results are consistent with increased diversity of B. burgdorferi in areas of higher synchrony in immature feeding - such as the midwestern United States. A higher relative proportion of rapidly-cleared strains, which are less human pathogenic, would also explain lower Lyme disease incidence in this region. Finally, if co-feeding transmission also occurs on refractory hosts, it may facilitate the emergence and persistence of new pathogens with a more limited host range. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

RAPID MANUFACTURING SYSTEM OF ORTHOPEDIC IMPLANTS

PubMed Central

Relvas, Carlos; Reis, Joana; Potes, José Alberto Caeiro; Fonseca, Fernando Manuel Ferreira; Simões, José Antonio Oliveira

2015-01-01

This study, aimed the development of a methodology for rapid manufacture of orthopedic implants simultaneously with the surgical intervention, considering two potential applications in the fields of orthopedics: the manufacture of anatomically adapted implants and implants for bone loss replacement. This work innovation consists on the capitation of the in situ geometry of the implant by direct capture of the shape using an elastomeric material (polyvinylsiloxane) which allows fine detail and great accuracy of the geometry. After scanning the elastomeric specimen, the implant is obtained by machining using a CNC milling machine programmed with a dedicated CAD/CAM system. After sterilization, the implant is able to be placed on the patient. The concept was developed using low cost technology and commercially available. The system has been tested in an in vivo hip arthroplasty performed on a sheep. The time increase of surgery was 80 minutes being 40 minutes the time of implant manufacturing. The system developed has been tested and the goals defined of the study achieved enabling the rapid manufacture of an implant in a time period compatible with the surgery time. PMID:27004181

A randomized trial of motivational interviewing and facilitated contraceptive access to prevent rapid repeat pregnancy among adolescent mothers.

PubMed

Stevens, Jack; Lutz, Robyn; Osuagwu, Ngozi; Rotz, Dana; Goesling, Brian

2017-10-01

Most interventions designed to reduce teen pregnancy rates have not focused on pregnant and/or parenting adolescents. Therefore, a large randomized controlled trial was conducted regarding a motivational interviewing program entitled Teen Options to Prevent Pregnancy in a low-income sample of adolescent mothers. This program recommended monthly sessions between a participant and a registered nurse over 18 months. This program also featured facilitated birth control access through transportation assistance and a part-time contraceptive clinic. The impact of this program on rapid repeat pregnancies at 18 months after enrollment was evaluated. Five hundred ninety-eight adolescent females were enrolled from 7 obstetrics-gynecology clinics and 5 postpartum units of a large hospital system in a Midwestern city. Each participant was enrolled at least 28 weeks pregnant or less than 9 weeks postpartum. Each participant was randomized to either the Teen Options to Prevent Pregnancy intervention or a usual-care control condition. Intervention participants averaged 4.5 hours of assistance. Participants were contacted by blinded research staff at 6 and 18 months to complete self-report surveys. Differences in outcomes between the intervention and control groups were assessed using ordinary least-squares regression. There was an 18.1% absolute reduction in self-reported repeat pregnancy in the intervention group relative to the control group (20.5% vs 38.6%%; P < .001). There was a 13.7% absolute increase in self-reported long-acting reversible contraception use in the intervention group relative to the control group (40.2% vs 26.5%, P = .002). There was no evidence of harmful effects of the intervention on sexual risk behaviors, such as having sexual intercourse without a condom or greater number of partners. The Teen Options to Prevent Pregnancy program represents one of the few evidence-based interventions to reduce rapid repeat teen pregnancy. This relatively brief

Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit Longitudinal Control System Design Summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-12-01

Experience with the longitudinal control system used on each vehicle in the Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit System has shown that nonlinearities and variations in control system parameters can significantly affect performance if such characteristic...

A meta-analysis of plant facilitation in coastal dune systems: responses, regions, and research gaps.

PubMed

Castanho, Camila de Toledo; Lortie, Christopher J; Zaitchik, Benjamin; Prado, Paulo Inácio

2015-01-01

Empirical studies in salt marshes, arid, and alpine systems support the hypothesis that facilitation between plants is an important ecological process in severe or 'stressful' environments. Coastal dunes are both abiotically stressful and frequently disturbed systems. Facilitation has been documented, but the evidence to date has not been synthesized. We did a systematic review with meta-analysis to highlight general research gaps in the study of plant interactions in coastal dunes and examine if regional and local factors influence the magnitude of facilitation in these systems. The 32 studies included in the systematic review were done in coastal dunes located in 13 countries around the world but the majority was in the temperate zone (63%). Most of the studies adopt only an observational approach to make inferences about facilitative interactions, whereas only 28% of the studies used both observational and experimental approaches. Among the factors we tested, only geographic region mediates the occurrence of facilitation more broadly in coastal dune systems. The presence of a neighbor positively influenced growth and survival in the tropics, whereas in temperate and subartic regions the effect was neutral for both response variables. We found no evidence that climatic and local factors, such as life-form and life stage of interacting plants, affect the magnitude of facilitation in coastal dunes. Overall, conclusions about plant facilitation in coastal dunes depend on the response variable measured and, more broadly, on the geographic region examined. However, the high variability and the limited number of studies, especially in tropical region, indicate we need to be cautious in the generalization of the conclusions. Anyway, coastal dunes provide an important means to explore topical issues in facilitation research including context dependency, local versus regional drivers of community structure, and the importance of gradients in shaping the outcome of net

A passerine spreads its tail to facilitate a rapid recovery of its body posture during hovering

PubMed Central

Su, Jian-Yuan; Ting, Shang-Chieh; Chang, Yu-Hung; Yang, Jing-Tang

2012-01-01

We demonstrate experimentally that a passerine exploits tail spreading to intercept the downward flow induced by its wings to facilitate the recovery of its posture. The periodic spreading of its tail by the White-eye bird exhibits a phase correlation with both wingstroke motion and body oscillation during hovering flight. During a downstroke, a White-eye's body undergoes a remarkable pitch-down motion, with the tail undergoing an upward swing. This pitch-down motion becomes appropriately suppressed at the end of the downstroke; the bird's body posture then recovers gradually to its original status. Employing digital particle-image velocimetry, we show that the strong downward flow induced by downstroking the wings serves as an external jet flow impinging upon the tail, providing a depressing force on the tail to counteract the pitch-down motion of the bird's body. Spreading of the tail enhances a rapid recovery of the body posture because increased forces are experienced. The maximum force experienced by a spread tail is approximately 2.6 times that of a non-spread tail. PMID:22258552

A passerine spreads its tail to facilitate a rapid recovery of its body posture during hovering.

PubMed

Su, Jian-Yuan; Ting, Shang-Chieh; Chang, Yu-Hung; Yang, Jing-Tang

2012-07-07

We demonstrate experimentally that a passerine exploits tail spreading to intercept the downward flow induced by its wings to facilitate the recovery of its posture. The periodic spreading of its tail by the White-eye bird exhibits a phase correlation with both wingstroke motion and body oscillation during hovering flight. During a downstroke, a White-eye's body undergoes a remarkable pitch-down motion, with the tail undergoing an upward swing. This pitch-down motion becomes appropriately suppressed at the end of the downstroke; the bird's body posture then recovers gradually to its original status. Employing digital particle-image velocimetry, we show that the strong downward flow induced by downstroking the wings serves as an external jet flow impinging upon the tail, providing a depressing force on the tail to counteract the pitch-down motion of the bird's body. Spreading of the tail enhances a rapid recovery of the body posture because increased forces are experienced. The maximum force experienced by a spread tail is approximately 2.6 times that of a non-spread tail.

Rapid Conditioning for the Next Generation Melting System

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

Rue, David M.

This report describes work on Rapid Conditioning for the Next Generation Melting System under US Department of Energy Contract DE-FC36-06GO16010. The project lead was the Gas Technology Institute (GTI). Partners included Owens Corning and Johns Manville. Cost share for this project was provided by NYSERDA (the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority), Owens Corning, Johns Manville, Owens Illinois, and the US natural gas industry through GTI’s SMP and UTD programs. The overreaching focus of this project was to study and develop rapid refining approaches for segmented glass manufacturing processes using high-intensity melters such as the submerged combustion melter.more » The objectives of this project were to 1) test and evaluate the most promising approaches to rapidly condition the homogeneous glass produced from the submerged combustion melter, and 2) to design a pilot-scale NGMS system for fiberglass recycle.« less

Microelectromechanical high-density energy storage/rapid release system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodgers, M. Steven; Allen, James J.; Meeks, Kent D.; Jensen, Brian D.; Miller, Samuel L.

1999-08-01

One highly desirable characteristic of electrostatically driven microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) is that they consume very little power. The corresponding drawback is that the force they produce may be inadequate for many applications. It has previously been demonstrated that gear reduction units or microtransmissions can substantially increase the torque generated by microengines. Operating speed, however, is also reduced by the transmission gear ratio. Some applications require both high speed and high force. If this output is only required for a limited period of time, then energy could be stored in a mechanical system and rapidly released upon demand. We have designed, fabricated, and demonstrated a high-density energy storage/rapid release system that accomplishes this task. Built using a 5-level surface micromachining technology, the assembly closely resembles a medieval crossbow. Energy releases on the order of tens of nanojoules have already been demonstrated, and significantly higher energy systems are under development.

Methods and systems for rapid prototyping of high density circuits

DOEpatents

Palmer, Jeremy A [Albuquerque, NM; Davis, Donald W [Albuquerque, NM; Chavez, Bart D [Albuquerque, NM; Gallegos, Phillip L [Albuquerque, NM; Wicker, Ryan B [El Paso, TX; Medina, Francisco R [El Paso, TX

2008-09-02

A preferred embodiment provides, for example, a system and method of integrating fluid media dispensing technology such as direct-write (DW) technologies with rapid prototyping (RP) technologies such as stereolithography (SL) to provide increased micro-fabrication and micro-stereolithography. A preferred embodiment of the present invention also provides, for example, a system and method for Rapid Prototyping High Density Circuit (RPHDC) manufacturing of solderless connectors and pilot devices with terminal geometries that are compatible with DW mechanisms and reduce contact resistance where the electrical system is encapsulated within structural members and manual electrical connections are eliminated in favor of automated DW traces. A preferred embodiment further provides, for example, a method of rapid prototyping comprising: fabricating a part layer using stereolithography and depositing thermally curable media onto the part layer using a fluid dispensing apparatus.

Structure Design and Realization of Rapid Medicine Dispensing System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiangquan

In this paper, the main components and function of rapid medicine dispensing system is analyzed, structure design of automatic feeding device, sloping storeroom, automatic dispensing device and automatic sorting device is completed. The system adopts medicine conveyer working in with manipulator to realize automatic batch supply of the boxed medicine, adopts sloping storeroom as warehouse of medicine to realize dense depositing, adopts dispensing mechanism which includes elevator, turning panel and electric magnet to realize rapid medicine dispensing, adopts sorting conveyor belt and sorting device to send medicine to designated outlet.

Systems Analysis of Rapid Transit Underground Construction : Volume 1. Sections 1-5.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-12-01

This study describes rapid transit system implementation, design, and construction procedures. The relationships and responsibilities of governmental, private, and public groups involved in planning and implementing an urban rapid transit system are ...

Biodegradable lipids enabling rapidly eliminated lipid nanoparticles for systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics.

PubMed

Maier, Martin A; Jayaraman, Muthusamy; Matsuda, Shigeo; Liu, Ju; Barros, Scott; Querbes, William; Tam, Ying K; Ansell, Steven M; Kumar, Varun; Qin, June; Zhang, Xuemei; Wang, Qianfan; Panesar, Sue; Hutabarat, Renta; Carioto, Mary; Hettinger, Julia; Kandasamy, Pachamuthu; Butler, David; Rajeev, Kallanthottathil G; Pang, Bo; Charisse, Klaus; Fitzgerald, Kevin; Mui, Barbara L; Du, Xinyao; Cullis, Pieter; Madden, Thomas D; Hope, Michael J; Manoharan, Muthiah; Akinc, Akin

2013-08-01

In recent years, RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics, most notably with lipid nanoparticle-based delivery systems, have advanced into human clinical trials. The results from these early clinical trials suggest that lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), and the novel ionizable lipids that comprise them, will be important materials in this emerging field of medicine. A persistent theme in the use of materials for biomedical applications has been the incorporation of biodegradability as a means to improve biocompatibility and/or to facilitate elimination. Therefore, the aim of this work was to further advance the LNP platform through the development of novel, next-generation lipids that combine the excellent potency of the most advanced lipids currently available with biodegradable functionality. As a representative example of this novel class of biodegradable lipids, the lipid evaluated in this work displays rapid elimination from plasma and tissues, substantially improved tolerability in preclinical studies, while maintaining in vivo potency on par with that of the most advanced lipids currently available.

Facilitating consumer access to health information.

PubMed

Snowdon, Anne; Schnarr, Karin; Alessi, Charles

2014-01-01

The lead paper from Zelmer and Hagens details the substantive evolution occurring in health information technologies that has the potential to transform the relationship between consumers, health practitioners and health systems. In this commentary, the authors suggest that Canada is experiencing a shift in consumer behaviour toward a desire to actively manage one's health and wellness that is being facilitated through the advent of health applications on mobile and online technologies platforms. The result is that Canadians are now able to create personalized health solutions based on their individual health values and goals. However, before Canadians are able to derive a personal health benefit from these rapid changes in information technology, they require and are increasingly demanding greater real-time access to their own health information to better inform decision-making, as well as interoperability between their personal health tracking systems and those of their health practitioner team.

17β-estradiol rapidly facilitates lordosis through G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER) via deactivation of medial preoptic nucleus μ-opioid receptors in estradiol primed female rats.

PubMed

Long, Nathan; Serey, Chhorvann; Sinchak, Kevin

2014-09-01

In female rats sexual receptivity (lordosis) can be induced with either a single large dose of estradiol benzoate (EB), or a priming dose of EB that does not induce sexual receptivity followed by 17β-estradiol (E2). Estradiol priming initially inhibits lordosis through a multi-synaptic circuit originating in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARH) that activates and internalizes μ-opioid receptors (MOR) in medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) neurons. Lordosis is facilitated when MPN MOR are deactivated after the initial estradiol-induced activation. We tested the hypothesis that E2 given 47.5 h post EB acts rapidly through G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER) in the ARH to deactivate MPN MOR and facilitate lordosis. Ovariectomized Long Evans rats implanted with a third ventricle cannula were primed with 2 μg EB. DMSO control, E2, or G1 (GPER selective agonist) was infused 47.5 h later, and rats were tested for sexual receptivity. E2 and G1 infusions significantly increased levels of sexual receptivity compared to DMSO controls and pretreatment with G15 (GPER antagonist) blocked the facilitation of sexual receptivity. Brains were processed for MPN MOR immunohistochemistry to measure MPN MOR activation levels. E2 and G1 both significantly reduced MPN MOR activation compared to DMSO controls, while pretreatment with G15 blocked MPN MOR deactivation. In another group of EB treated ovariectomized rats, GPER immunofluorescence positive staining was observed throughout the ARH. Together these data indicate that in the 2 μg EB primed rat, E2 rapidly signals through GPER in the ARH to deactivate MPN MOR and facilitate lordosis. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Staged venting of fuel cell system during rapid shutdown

DOEpatents

Clingerman, Bruce J.; Doan, Tien M.; Keskula, Donald H.

2002-01-01

A venting methodology and system for rapid shutdown of a fuel cell apparatus of the type used in a vehicle propulsion system. H.sub.2 and air flows to the fuel cell stack are slowly bypassed to the combustor upon receipt of a rapid shutdown command. The bypass occurs over a period of time (for example one to five seconds) using conveniently-sized bypass valves. Upon receipt of the rapid shutdown command, the anode inlet of the fuel cell stack is instantaneously vented to a remote vent to remove all H.sub.2 from the stack. Airflow to the cathode inlet of the fuel cell stack gradually diminishes over the bypass period, and when the airflow bypass is complete the cathode inlet is also instantaneously vented to a remote vent to eliminate pressure differentials across the stack.

Staged venting of fuel cell system during rapid shutdown

DOEpatents

Keskula, Donald H.; Doan, Tien M.; Clingerman, Bruce J.

2004-09-14

A venting methodology and system for rapid shutdown of a fuel cell apparatus of the type used in a vehicle propulsion system. H.sub.2 and air flows to the fuel cell stack are slowly bypassed to the combustor upon receipt of a rapid shutdown command. The bypass occurs over a period of time (for example one to five seconds) using conveniently-sized bypass valves. Upon receipt of the rapid shutdown command, the anode inlet of the fuel cell stack is instantaneously vented to a remote vent to remove all H.sub.2 from the stack. Airflow to the cathode inlet of the fuel cell stack gradually diminishes over the bypass period, and when the airflow bypass is complete the cathode inlet is also instantaneously vented to a remote vent to eliminate pressure differentials across the stack.

An interactive graphics system to facilitate finite element structural analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burk, R. C.; Held, F. H.

1973-01-01

The characteristics of an interactive graphics systems to facilitate the finite element method of structural analysis are described. The finite element model analysis consists of three phases: (1) preprocessing (model generation), (2) problem solution, and (3) postprocessing (interpretation of results). The advantages of interactive graphics to finite element structural analysis are defined.

A pilot study of omalizumab to facilitate rapid oral desensitization in high-risk peanut allergic patients

PubMed Central

Schneider, Lynda C.; Rachid, Rima; LeBovidge, Jennifer; Blood, Emily; Mittal, Mudita; Umetsu, Dale T.

2015-01-01

Background Peanut allergy is a major public health problem that affects 1% of the population and has no effective therapy. Objective To examine the safety and efficacy of oraldesensitization in peanut allergic children in combination with a brief course of anti-IgE monoclonal antibody (omalizumab, Xolair). Methods We performed oral peanut desensitization in peanut allergic children at high risk for developing significant peanut-induced allergic reactions. Omalizumab was administered prior to and during oral peanut desensitization. Results We enrolled 13 children (median age, 10 years), with a median peanut-specific IgE of 229 kUA/L and a median total serum IgE of 621 kU/L, who failed an initial double-blind placebo controlled food challenge at doses 100 mg peanut flour. After pre-treatment with omalizumab, all subjects tolerated the initial 11 desensitization doses given on the first day, including the maximum dose of 500 mg peanut flour (cumulative dose, 992 mg, equivalent to >2 peanuts), requiring minimal or no rescue therapy. 12 subjects then reached the maximum maintenance dose of 4,000 mg peanut flour/day in a median time of 8 weeks, at which point omalizumab was discontinued. All 12 subjects continued on 4,000 mg peanut flour/day and subsequently tolerated a challenge with 8,000 mg peanut flour (equivalent to about 20 peanuts), or 160 to 400 times the dose tolerated before desensitization. During the study, 6 of the 13 subjects experienced mild or no allergic reactions; 6 subjects had Grade 2, and 2 subjects Grade 3 reactions, all of which responded rapidly to treatment. Conclusions Among children with high-risk peanut allergy, treatment with omalizumab may facilitate rapid oral desensitization, and qualitativelyimprove the desensitization process. PMID:24176117

A pilot study of omalizumab to facilitate rapid oral desensitization in high-risk peanut-allergic patients.

PubMed

Schneider, Lynda C; Rachid, Rima; LeBovidge, Jennifer; Blood, Emily; Mittal, Mudita; Umetsu, Dale T

2013-12-01

Peanut allergy is a major public health problem that affects 1% of the population and has no effective therapy. To examine the safety and efficacy of oral desensitization in peanut-allergic children in combination with a brief course of anti-IgE mAb (omalizumab [Xolair]). We performed oral peanut desensitization in peanut-allergic children at high risk for developing significant peanut-induced allergic reactions. Omalizumab was administered before and during oral peanut desensitization. We enrolled 13 children (median age, 10 years), with a median peanut-specific IgE level of 229 kU(A)/L and a median total serum IgE level of 621 kU/L, who failed an initial double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge at peanut flour doses of 100 mg or less. After pretreatment with omalizumab, all 13 subjects tolerated the initial 11 desensitization doses given on the first day, including the maximum dose of 500 mg peanut flour (cumulative dose, 992 mg, equivalent to >2 peanuts), requiring minimal or no rescue therapy. Twelve subjects then reached the maximum maintenance dose of 4000 mg peanut flour per day in a median time of 8 weeks, at which point omalizumab was discontinued. All 12 subjects continued on 4000 mg peanut flour per day and subsequently tolerated a challenge with 8000 mg peanut flour (equivalent to about 20 peanuts), or 160 to 400 times the dose tolerated before desensitization. During the study, 6 of the 13 subjects experienced mild or no allergic reactions, 5 subjects had grade 2 reactions, and 2 subjects had grade 3 reactions, all of which responded rapidly to treatment. Among children with high-risk peanut allergy, treatment with omalizumab may facilitate rapid oral desensitization and qualitatively improve the desensitization process. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Software for rapid prototyping in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

PubMed

Kappler, Michael A

2008-05-01

The automation of drug discovery methods continues to develop, especially techniques that process information, represent workflow and facilitate decision-making. The magnitude of data and the plethora of questions in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research give rise to the need for rapid prototyping software. This review describes the advantages and disadvantages of three solutions: Competitive Workflow, Taverna and Pipeline Pilot. Each of these systems processes large amounts of data, integrates diverse systems and assists novice programmers and human experts in critical decision-making steps.

Advantages of utilizing DMD based rapid manufacturing systems in mass customization applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Siblani, A.

2010-02-01

The Use of DMD based Rapid Manufacturing Systems has proven to be very advantageous in the production of highly accurate plastic based components for use in mass customization market such as hearing aids, and dental markets. The voxelization process currently afforded with the DLP technology eliminates any layering effect associated with all existing additive Rapid Manufacturing technologies. The smooth accurate surfaces produced in an additive process utilizing DLP technology, through the voxelization approach, allow for the production of custom finished products. The implementation of DLP technology in rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing systems allow for the usage of highly viscous photopolymer based liquid and paste composites for rapid manufacturing that could not be used in any other additive process prior to implementation of DLP technology in RP and RM systems. It also allowed for the greater throughput in production without sacrificing quality and accuracy.

A Systemic-Constructivist Approach to the Facilitation and Debriefing of Simulations and Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kriz, Willy Christian

2010-01-01

This article introduces some basic concepts of a systemic-constructivist perspective. These show that gaming simulation corresponds closely to a systemic-constructivist approach to learning and instruction. Some quality aspects of facilitating and debriefing simulation games are described from a systemic-constructivist point of view. Finally, a…

A Rapid Information Dissemination System--A Follow-Up Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miner, Lynn E.; Niederjohn, Russel J.

1980-01-01

A rapid information dissemination system at Marquette University which uses an audio-based technique for quickly transmitting time-dependent information to research faculty is described. The system uses a tape recorder, a special purpose speech processing system, and a telephone auto-answer recorder. Present uses and proposed future modifications…

Facilitating Ambulatory Electronic Health Record System Implementation: Evidence from a Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Hefner, Jennifer; Robbins, Julie; Huerta, Timothy R.

2013-01-01

Background. Ambulatory care practices have increasing interest in leveraging the capabilities of electronic health record (EHR) systems, but little information is available documenting how organizations have successfully implemented these systems. Objective. To characterize elements of successful electronic health record (EHR) system implementation and to synthesize the key informants' perspectives about successful implementation practices. Methods. Key informant interviews and focus groups were conducted with a purposive sample of individuals from US healthcare organizations identified for their success with ambulatory EHR implementation. Rigorous qualitative data analyses used both deductive and inductive methods. Results. Participants identified personal and system-related barriers, at both the individual and organization levels, including poor computer skills, productivity losses, resistance to change, and EHR system failure. Implementation success was reportedly facilitated by careful planning and consistent communication throughout distinct stages of the implementation process. A significant element of successful implementation was an emphasis on optimization, both during “go-live” and, subsequently, when users had more experience with the system. Conclusion. Successful EHR implementation requires both detailed planning and clear mechanisms to deal with unforeseen or unintended consequences. Focusing on user buy-in early and including plans for optimization can facilitate greater success. PMID:24228257

Luciferase-Zinc-Finger System for the Rapid Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria.

PubMed

Shi, Chu; Xu, Qing; Ge, Yue; Jiang, Ling; Huang, He

2017-08-09

Rapid and reliable detection of pathogenic bacteria is crucial for food safety control. Here, we present a novel luciferase-zinc finger system for the detection of pathogens that offers rapid and specific profiling. The system, which uses a zinc-finger protein domain to probe zinc finger recognition sites, was designed to bind the amplified conserved regions of 16S rDNA, and the obtained products were detected using a modified luciferase. The luciferase-zinc finger system not only maintained luciferase activity but also allowed the specific detection of different bacterial species, with a sensitivity as low as 10 copies and a linear range from 10 to 10 4 copies per microliter of the specific PCR product. Moreover, the system is robust and rapid, enabling the simultaneous detection of 6 species of bacteria in artificially contaminated samples with excellent accuracy. Thus, we envision that our luciferase-zinc finger system will have far-reaching applications.

Energy-beam-driven rapid fabrication system

DOEpatents

Keicher, David M.; Atwood, Clinton L.; Greene, Donald L.; Griffith, Michelle L.; Harwell, Lane D.; Jeantette, Francisco P.; Romero, Joseph A.; Schanwald, Lee P.; Schmale, David T.

2002-01-01

An energy beam driven rapid fabrication system, in which an energy beam strikes a growth surface to form a molten puddle thereon. Feed powder is then injected into the molten puddle from a converging flow of feed powder. A portion of the feed powder becomes incorporated into the molten puddle, forcing some of the puddle contents to freeze on the growth surface, thereby adding an additional layer of material. By scanning the energy beam and the converging flow of feed powder across the growth surface, complex three-dimensional shapes can be formed, ready or nearly ready for use. Nearly any class of material can be fabricated using this system.

Facilitating preemptive hardware system design using partial reconfiguration techniques.

PubMed

Dondo Gazzano, Julio; Rincon, Fernando; Vaderrama, Carlos; Villanueva, Felix; Caba, Julian; Lopez, Juan Carlos

2014-01-01

In FPGA-based control system design, partial reconfiguration is especially well suited to implement preemptive systems. In real-time systems, the deadline for critical task can compel the preemption of noncritical one. Besides, an asynchronous event can demand immediate attention and, then, force launching a reconfiguration process for high-priority task implementation. If the asynchronous event is previously scheduled, an explicit activation of the reconfiguration process is performed. If the event cannot be previously programmed, such as in dynamically scheduled systems, an implicit activation to the reconfiguration process is demanded. This paper provides a hardware-based approach to explicit and implicit activation of the partial reconfiguration process in dynamically reconfigurable SoCs and includes all the necessary tasks to cope with this issue. Furthermore, the reconfiguration service introduced in this work allows remote invocation of the reconfiguration process and then the remote integration of off-chip components. A model that offers component location transparency is also presented to enhance and facilitate system integration.

Facilitating Preemptive Hardware System Design Using Partial Reconfiguration Techniques

PubMed Central

Rincon, Fernando; Vaderrama, Carlos; Villanueva, Felix; Caba, Julian; Lopez, Juan Carlos

2014-01-01

In FPGA-based control system design, partial reconfiguration is especially well suited to implement preemptive systems. In real-time systems, the deadline for critical task can compel the preemption of noncritical one. Besides, an asynchronous event can demand immediate attention and, then, force launching a reconfiguration process for high-priority task implementation. If the asynchronous event is previously scheduled, an explicit activation of the reconfiguration process is performed. If the event cannot be previously programmed, such as in dynamically scheduled systems, an implicit activation to the reconfiguration process is demanded. This paper provides a hardware-based approach to explicit and implicit activation of the partial reconfiguration process in dynamically reconfigurable SoCs and includes all the necessary tasks to cope with this issue. Furthermore, the reconfiguration service introduced in this work allows remote invocation of the reconfiguration process and then the remote integration of off-chip components. A model that offers component location transparency is also presented to enhance and facilitate system integration. PMID:24672292

Validation of a rapid DNA process with the RapidHIT® ID system using GlobalFiler® Express chemistry, a platform optimized for decentralized testing environments.

PubMed

Salceda, Susana; Barican, Arnaldo; Buscaino, Jacklyn; Goldman, Bruce; Klevenberg, Jim; Kuhn, Melissa; Lehto, Dennis; Lin, Frank; Nguyen, Phong; Park, Charles; Pearson, Francesca; Pittaro, Rick; Salodkar, Sayali; Schueren, Robert; Smith, Corey; Troup, Charles; Tsou, Dean; Vangbo, Mattias; Wunderle, Justus; King, David

2017-05-01

The RapidHIT ® ID is a fully automated sample-to-answer system for short tandem repeat (STR)-based human identification. The RapidHIT ID has been optimized for use in decentralized environments and processes presumed single source DNA samples, generating Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)-compatible DNA profiles in less than 90min. The system is easy to use, requiring less than one minute of hands-on time. Profiles are reviewed using centralized linking software, RapidLINK™ (IntegenX, Pleasanton, CA), a software tool designed to collate DNA profiles from single or multiple RapidHIT ID systems at different geographic locations. The RapidHIT ID has been designed to employ GlobalFiler ® Express and AmpFLSTR ® NGMSElect™, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Waltham, MA) STR chemistries. The Developmental Validation studies were performed using GlobalFiler ® Express with single source reference samples according to Scientific Working Group for DNA Analysis Methods guidelines. These results show that multiple RapidHIT ID systems networked with RapidLINK software form a highly reliable system for wide-scale deployment in locations such as police booking stations and border crossings enabling real-time testing of arrestees, potential human trafficking victims, and other instances where rapid turnaround is essential. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

RAPID: Collaborative Commanding and Monitoring of Lunar Assets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Torres, Recaredo J.; Mittman, David S.; Powell, Mark W.; Norris, Jeffrey S.; Joswig, Joseph C.; Crockett, Thomas M.; Abramyan, Lucy; Shams, Khawaja S.; Wallick, Michael; Allan, Mark;

Facilitated recycling protects human RNA polymerase III from repression by Maf1 in vitro.

PubMed

Cabart, Pavel; Lee, JaeHoon; Willis, Ian M

2008-12-26

Yeast cells synthesize approximately 3-6 million molecules of tRNA every cell cycle at a rate of approximately 2-4 transcripts/gene/s. This high rate of transcription is achieved through many rounds of reinitiation by RNA polymerase (pol) III on stable DNA-bound complexes of the initiation factor TFIIIB. Studies in yeast have shown that the rate of reinitiation is increased by facilitated recycling, a process that involves the repeated reloading of the polymerase on the same transcription unit. However, when nutrients become limiting or stress conditions are encountered, RNA pol III transcription is rapidly repressed through the action of the conserved Maf1 protein. Here we examine the relationship between Maf1-mediated repression and facilitated recycling in a human RNA pol III in vitro system. Using an immobilized template transcription assay, we demonstrate that facilitated recycling is conserved from yeast to humans. We assessed the ability of recombinant human Maf1 to inhibit different steps in transcription before and after preinitiation complex assembly. We show that recombinant Maf1 can inhibit the recruitment of TFIIIB and RNA pol III to immobilized templates. However, RNA pol III bound to preinitiation complexes or in elongation complexes is protected from repression by Maf1 and can undergo several rounds of initiation. This indicates that recombinant Maf1 is unable to inhibit facilitated recycling. The data suggest that additional biochemical steps may be necessary for rapid Maf1-dependent repression of RNA pol III transcription.

A Microelectromechanical High-Density Energy Storage/Rapid Release System

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

Rodgers, M. Steven; Allen, Jim J.; Meeks, Kent D.

1999-07-21

One highly desirable characteristic of electrostatically driven microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) is that they consume very little power. The corresponding drawback is that the force they produce may be inadequate for many applications. It has previously been demonstrated that gear reduction units or microtransmissions can substantially increase the torque generated by microengines. Operating speed, however, is also reduced by the transmission gear ratio. Some applications require both high speed and high force. If this output is only required for a limited period of time, then energy could be stored in a mechanical system and rapidly released upon demand. We have designed,more » fabricated, and demonstrated a high-density energy storage/rapid release system that accomplishes this task. Built using a 5-level surface micromachining technology, the assembly closely resembles a medieval crossbow. Energy releases on the order of tens of nanojoules have already been demonstrated, and significantly higher energy systems are under development.« less

Tailoring Systems Engineering for Rapid Acquisition

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-27

center’s focus would be the collection of lessons learned and the dissemination of the basic knowledge to the members who are conducting rapid acquisition...dictates that they rarely do lessons learned . Adding in the turnover of personnel and they reported that they make the same mistakes over and over...weapon system program of record designated by the CSAF. This is where the interviewee heard the phrase “when skating on thin ice your best asset is

Computational System For Rapid CFD Analysis In Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barson, Steven L.; Ascoli, Edward P.; Decroix, Michelle E.; Sindir, Munir M.

1995-01-01

Computational system comprising modular hardware and software sub-systems developed to accelerate and facilitate use of techniques of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in engineering environment. Addresses integration of all aspects of CFD analysis process, including definition of hardware surfaces, generation of computational grids, CFD flow solution, and postprocessing. Incorporates interfaces for integration of all hardware and software tools needed to perform complete CFD analysis. Includes tools for efficient definition of flow geometry, generation of computational grids, computation of flows on grids, and postprocessing of flow data. System accepts geometric input from any of three basic sources: computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided engineering (CAE), or definition by user.

Understanding Science: Frameworks for using stories to facilitate systems thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ElShafie, S. J.; Bean, J. R.

2017-12-01

Studies indicate that using a narrative structure for teaching and learning helps audiences to process and recall new information. Stories also help audiences retain specific information, such as character names or plot points, in the context of a broader narrative. Stories can therefore facilitate high-context systems learning in addition to low-context declarative learning. Here we incorporate a framework for science storytelling, which we use in communication workshops, with the Understanding Science framework developed by the UC Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) to explore the application of storytelling to systems thinking. We translate portions of the Understanding Science flowchart into narrative terms. Placed side by side, the two charts illustrate the parallels between the scientific process and the story development process. They offer a roadmap for developing stories about scientific studies and concepts. We also created a series of worksheets for use with the flowcharts. These new tools can generate stories from any perspective, including a scientist conducting a study; a character that plays a role in a larger system (e.g., foraminifera or a carbon atom); an entire system that interacts with other systems (e.g., the carbon cycle). We will discuss exemplar stories about climate change from each of these perspectives, which we are developing for workshops using content and storyboard models from the new UCMP website Understanding Global Change. This conceptual framework and toolkit will help instructors to develop stories about scientific concepts for use in a classroom setting. It will also help students to analyze stories presented in class, and to create their own stories about new concepts. This approach facilitates student metacognition of the learning process, and can also be used as a form of evaluation. We are testing this flowchart and its use in systems teaching with focus groups, in preparation for use in teacher professional development workshops.

Survey of Propulsion Systems for High Capacity Personal Rapid Transit

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-07-01

The high-capacity personal rapid transit (HCPRT) system must operate with very short headways. To achieve safe operation at these headways, the propulsion system should meet certain unconventional requirements. They include reversible thrust capabili...

Ultra-modified rapid sequence induction with transnasal humidified rapid insufflation ventilatory exchange: Challenging convention.

PubMed

Kulkarni, Ketan Sakharam; Dave, Nandini; Saran, Shriyam; Garasia, Madhu; Parelkar, Sandesh

2018-04-01

During positive pressure ventilation, gastric inflation and subsequent pulmonary aspiration can occur. Rapid sequence induction (RSI) technique is an age-old formula to prevent this. We adopted a novel approach of RSI for patients with high risk of aspiration and evaluated it further in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgeries. We believe that, in patients with risk of gastric insufflation and pulmonary aspiration, transnasal humidified rapid-insufflation ventilatory exchange can be useful in facilitating pre- and apnoeic oxygenation till tracheal isolation is achieved.

Multicentre evaluations of two new rapid IgG4 tests (WB rapid and panLF rapid) for detection of lymphatic filariasis

PubMed Central

Noordin, Rahmah; Itoh, Makoto; Kimura, Eisaku; Abdul Rahman, Rohana; Ravindran, Balachandran; Mahmud, Rohela; Supali, Taniawati; Weerasooriya, Mirani

2007-01-01

In the global effort to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF), rapid field-applicable tests are useful tools that will allow on-site testing to be performed in remote places and the results to be obtained rapidly. Exclusive reliance on the few existing tests may jeopardize the progress of the LF elimination program, thus the introduction of other rapid tests would be useful to address this issue. Two new rapid immunochromatographic IgG4 cassette tests have been produced, namely WB rapid and panLF rapid, for detection of bancroftian filariasis and all three species of lymphatic filaria respectively. WB rapid was developed using BmSXP recombinant antigen, while PanLF rapid was developed using BmR1 and BmSXP recombinant antigens. A total of 165 WB rapid and 276 panLF rapid tests respectively were evaluated at USM and the rest were couriered to another university in Malaysia (98 WB rapid, 129 panLF rapid) and to universities in Indonesia (56 WB rapid, 62 panLF rapid), Japan (152 of each test) and India (18 of each test) where each of the tests underwent independent evaluations in a blinded manner. The average sensitivities of WB rapid and panLF rapid were found to be 97.6% (94%–100%) and 96.5% (94%–100%) respectively; while their average specificities were both 99.6% (99%–100%). Thus this study demonstrated that both the IgG4 rapid tests were highly sensitive and specific, and would be useful additional tests to facilitate the global drive to eliminate this disease. PMID:17961262

Rapid MRSA PCR on respiratory specimens from ventilated patients with suspected pneumonia: a tool to facilitate antimicrobial stewardship.

PubMed

Trevino, S E; Pence, M A; Marschall, J; Kollef, M H; Babcock, H M; Burnham, C-A D

2017-05-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important cause of pneumonia in ventilated patients. Our objective was to evaluate the GeneXpert MRSA/SA SSTI Assay (Xpert MRSA/SA) (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA) for use in lower respiratory tract (LRT) specimens for rapid MRSA detection and to determine the potentially saved antibiotic-days if a culture-based identification method was replaced by this assay. Remnant LRT samples from ventilated patients submitted to the microbiology laboratory for routine culture were tested using conventional culture and Xpert MRSA/SA. One hundred of 310 LRT specimens met the inclusion criteria. Ten samples were positive for MRSA by Xpert MRSA/SA, while six were positive by routine culture methods. Xpert MRSA/SA correctly identified 5/6 positive and 89/94 negative MRSA specimens, for a sensitivity of 83.3%, specificity of 94.7%, positive predictive value of 45.6%, and negative predictive value of 98.9%. The assay also correctly detected 3/3 positive and 90/97 negative methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) specimens, for a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 92.8%, positive predictive value of 30%, and negative predictive value of 100%. A total of 748 vancomycin and 305 linezolid antibiotic-days were associated with the enrolled specimens. Vancomycin and linezolid utilization could decrease by 68.4% and 83%, respectively, if discontinued 1 day after negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results. The Xpert MRSA/SA SSTI rapid MRSA PCR assay performed well in respiratory samples from ventilated patients with suspected pneumonia and has the potential to facilitate stewardship efforts such as reducing empiric vancomycin and linezolid therapy.

Safety and Automated Train Control for Rail Rapid Transit Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-07-01

The anticipated construction and expansion of rail rapid transit system in the United States over the next 10-15 years implies major capital expenditures. A significant level of automation in train cntrol is likely to be central to these systems. The...

Advances in developing rapid, reliable and portable detection systems for alcohol.

PubMed

Thungon, Phurpa Dema; Kakoti, Ankana; Ngashangva, Lightson; Goswami, Pranab

2017-11-15

Development of portable, reliable, sensitive, simple, and inexpensive detection system for alcohol has been an instinctive demand not only in traditional brewing, pharmaceutical, food and clinical industries but also in rapidly growing alcohol based fuel industries. Highly sensitive, selective, and reliable alcohol detections are currently amenable typically through the sophisticated instrument based analyses confined mostly to the state-of-art analytical laboratory facilities. With the growing demand of rapid and reliable alcohol detection systems, an all-round attempt has been made over the past decade encompassing various disciplines from basic and engineering sciences. Of late, the research for developing small-scale portable alcohol detection system has been accelerated with the advent of emerging miniaturization techniques, advanced materials and sensing platforms such as lab-on-chip, lab-on-CD, lab-on-paper etc. With these new inter-disciplinary approaches along with the support from the parallel knowledge growth on rapid detection systems being pursued for various targets, the progress on translating the proof-of-concepts to commercially viable and environment friendly portable alcohol detection systems is gaining pace. Here, we summarize the progress made over the years on the alcohol detection systems, with a focus on recent advancement towards developing portable, simple and efficient alcohol sensors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Facilitating Constructive Alignment in Power Systems Engineering Education Using Free and Open-Source Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanfretti, L.; Milano, F.

2012-01-01

This paper describes how the use of free and open-source software (FOSS) can facilitate the application of constructive alignment theory in power systems engineering education by enabling the deep learning approach in power system analysis courses. With this aim, this paper describes the authors' approach in using the Power System Analysis Toolbox…

Rapid cycling medical synchrotron and beam delivery system

DOEpatents

Peggs, Stephen G [Port Jefferson, NY; Brennan, J Michael [East Northport, NY; Tuozzolo, Joseph E [Sayville, NY; Zaltsman, Alexander [Commack, NY

2008-10-07

A medical synchrotron which cycles rapidly in order to accelerate particles for delivery in a beam therapy system. The synchrotron generally includes a radiofrequency (RF) cavity for accelerating the particles as a beam and a plurality of combined function magnets arranged in a ring. Each of the combined function magnets performs two functions. The first function of the combined function magnet is to bend the particle beam along an orbital path around the ring. The second function of the combined function magnet is to focus or defocus the particle beam as it travels around the path. The radiofrequency (RF) cavity is a ferrite loaded cavity adapted for high speed frequency swings for rapid cycling acceleration of the particles.

Fuel cell system logic for differentiating between rapid and normal shutdown commands

DOEpatents

Keskula, Donald H.; Doan, Tien M.; Clingerman, Bruce J.

2000-01-01

A method of controlling the operation of a fuel cell system wherein each shutdown command for the system is subjected to decision logic which determines whether the command should be a normal shutdown command or rapid shutdown command. If the logic determines that the shutdown command should be a normal shutdown command, then the system is shutdown in a normal step-by-step process in which the hydrogen stream is consumed within the system. If the logic determines that the shutdown command should be a rapid shutdown command, the hydrogen stream is removed from the system either by dumping to atmosphere or routing to storage.

Operator procedure verification with a rapidly reconfigurable simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iwasaki, Yumi; Engelmore, Robert; Fehr, Gary; Fikes, Richard

1994-01-01

Generating and testing procedures for controlling spacecraft subsystems composed of electro-mechanical and computationally realized elements has become a very difficult task. Before a spacecraft can be flown, mission controllers must envision a great variety of situations the flight crew may encounter during a mission and carefully construct procedures for operating the spacecraft in each possible situation. If, despite extensive pre-compilation of control procedures, an unforeseen situation arises during a mission, the mission controller must generate a new procedure for the flight crew in a limited amount of time. In such situations, the mission controller cannot systematically consider and test alternative procedures against models of the system being controlled, because the available simulator is too large and complex to reconfigure, run, and analyze quickly. A rapidly reconfigurable simulation environment that can execute a control procedure and show its effects on system behavior would greatly facilitate generation and testing of control procedures both before and during a mission. The How Things Work project at Stanford University has developed a system called DME (Device Modeling Environment) for modeling and simulating the behavior of electromechanical devices. DME was designed to facilitate model formulation and behavior simulation of device behavior including both continuous and discrete phenomena. We are currently extending DME for use in testing operator procedures, and we have built a knowledge base for modeling the Reaction Control System (RCS) of the space shuttle as a testbed. We believe that DME can facilitate design of operator procedures by providing mission controllers with a simulation environment that meets all these requirements.

Rapid assessment of household needs in the Houston area after Tropical Storm Allison.

PubMed

Waring, Stephen C; Reynolds, Kaye M; D'Souza, Gypsyamber; Arafat, Raouf R

2002-09-01

Tropical Storm Allison, which hit landfall near Galveston, Texas, on June 5, 2001, caused the most severe flood-related damage ever recorded in the Houston metropolitan area. The main goal of the public health response to tropical storm Allison was to evaluate the immediate health needs of the community. To estimate damage and household needs, we conducted a rapid needs assessment in the areas most affected by flooding with use of a modified cluster sampling method facilitated by Geographical Information Systems methodology. A total of 420 households participated in the survey, 210 each from the 2 sampling areas. We found a 4-fold increase in illness among persons living in flooded homes compared with those living in nonflooded homes. These findings suggest a need for rapid resolution of flood-related damage and the possibility that residents should seek temporary housing during clean-up and repair. In addition, we obtained reliable estimates of damage and household needs to help guide relief efforts. The findings underscore the usefulness of a rapid-needs assessment as a tool to identify actual health threats and to facilitate delivery of resources to those with the greatest and most immediate need.

Rapid immunocytochemistry based on alternating current electric field using squash smear preparation of central nervous system tumors.

PubMed

Moriya, Jun; Tanino, Mishie Ann; Takenami, Tomoko; Endoh, Tomoko; Urushido, Masana; Kato, Yasutaka; Wang, Lei; Kimura, Taichi; Tsuda, Masumi; Nishihara, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Shinya

2016-01-01

The role of intraoperative pathological diagnosis for central nervous system (CNS) tumors is crucial for neurosurgery when determining the surgical procedure. Especially, treatment of carmustine (BCNU) wafers requires a conclusive diagnosis of high-grade glioma proven by intraoperative diagnosis. Recently, we demonstrated the usefulness of rapid immunohistochemistry (R-IHC) that facilitates antigen-antibody reaction under alternative current (AC) electric field in the intraoperative diagnosis of CNS tumors; however, a higher proportion of water and lipid in the brain parenchyma sometimes leads to freezing artifacts, resulting in poor quality of frozen sections. On the other hand, squash smear preparation of CNS tumors for cytology does not affect the frozen artifacts, and the importance of smear preparation is now being re-recognized as being better than that of the tissue sections. In this study, we established the rapid immunocytochemistry (R-ICC) protocol for squash smears of CNS tumors using AC electric field that takes only 22 min, and demonstrated its usefulness for semi-quantitative Ki-67/MIB-1 labeling index and CD 20 by R-ICC for intraoperative diagnosis. R-ICC by AC electric field may become a substantial tool for compensating R-IHC and will be applied for broad antibodies in the future.

[Introduction and some problems of the rapid time series laboratory reporting system].

PubMed

Kanao, M; Yamashita, K; Kuwajima, M

1999-09-01

We introduced an on-line system of biochemical, hematological, serological, urinary, bacteriological, and emergency examinations and associated office work using a client server system NEC PC-LACS based on a system consisting of concentration of outpatient blood collection, concentration of outpatient reception, and outpatient examination by reservation. Using this on-line system, results of 71 items in chemical serological, hematological, and urinary examinations are rapidly reported within 1 hour. Since the ordering system at our hospital has not been completed yet, we constructed a rapid time series reporting system in which time series data obtained on 5 serial occasions are printed on 2 sheets of A4 paper at the time of the final report. In each consultation room of the medical outpatient clinic, at the neuromedical outpatient clinic, and at the kidney center where examinations are frequently performed, terminal equipment and a printer for inquiry were established for real-time output of time series reports. Results are reported by FAX to the other outpatient clinics and wards, and subsequently, time series reports are output at the clinical laboratory department. This system allowed rapid examination, especially preconsultation examination. This system was also useful for reducing office work and effectively utilize examination data.

Evaluation of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority intelligent transportation system

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-07-01

This report documents the implementation and operation of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority's Advanced Public Transportation System (ITS MARTA '96) as part of a showcase of Intelligent Transportation Systems technologies deployed for t...

Rapid deployable global sensing hazard alert system

DOEpatents

Cordaro, Joseph V; Tibrea, Steven L; Shull, Davis J; Coleman, Jerry T; Shuler, James M

2015-04-28

A rapid deployable global sensing hazard alert system and associated methods of operation are provided. An exemplary system includes a central command, a wireless backhaul network, and a remote monitoring unit. The remote monitoring unit can include a positioning system configured to determine a position of the remote monitoring unit based on one or more signals received from one or more satellites located in Low Earth Orbit. The wireless backhaul network can provide bidirectional communication capability independent of cellular telecommunication networks and the Internet. An exemplary method includes instructing at least one of a plurality of remote monitoring units to provide an alert based at least in part on a location of a hazard and a plurality of positions respectively associated with the plurality of remote monitoring units.

A system for household enumeration and re-identification in densely populated slums to facilitate community research, education, and advocacy.

PubMed

Thomson, Dana R; Shitole, Shrutika; Shitole, Tejal; Sawant, Kiran; Subbaraman, Ramnath; Bloom, David E; Patil-Deshmukh, Anita

2014-01-01

We devised and implemented an innovative Location-Based Household Coding System (LBHCS) appropriate to a densely populated informal settlement in Mumbai, India. LBHCS codes were designed to double as unique household identifiers and as walking directions; when an entire community is enumerated, LBHCS codes can be used to identify the number of households located per road (or lane) segment. LBHCS was used in community-wide biometric, mental health, diarrheal disease, and water poverty studies. It also facilitated targeted health interventions by a research team of youth from Mumbai, including intensive door-to-door education of residents, targeted follow-up meetings, and a full census. In addition, LBHCS permitted rapid and low-cost preparation of GIS mapping of all households in the slum, and spatial summation and spatial analysis of survey data. LBHCS was an effective, easy-to-use, affordable approach to household enumeration and re-identification in a densely populated informal settlement where alternative satellite imagery and GPS technologies could not be used.

Noise Assessment of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-10-01

The report describes the noise on and near the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART). BART has approximately 75 miles of two-way revenue track (of which 19.7 miles are in subway) and 34 stations. Noise data is given for specific measurem...

49 CFR 37.47 - Key stations in light and rapid rail systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Key stations in light and rapid rail systems. 37.47 Section 37.47 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES (ADA) Transportation Facilities § 37.47 Key stations in light and rapid rail...

Drug-facilitated sexual assault ('date rape').

PubMed

Schwartz, R H; Milteer, R; LeBeau, M A

2000-06-01

In the past few years, drug-facilitated sexual assaults have received widespread media coverage. In addition to alcohol, the most frequently used date-rape drug, flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), a fast-acting benzodiazepine, and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and its congeners are among the most popular drugs used for this purpose. The latter drug is easily procured at some gymnasiums, popular bars, discos, and rave clubs, as well as over the Internet. Perpetrators choose these drugs because they act rapidly, produce disinhibition and relaxation of voluntary muscles, and cause the victim to have lasting anterograde amnesia for events that occur under the influence of the drug. Alcoholic beverages potentiate the drug effects. We review several date-rape drugs, provide information on laboratory testing for them, and offer guidelines for preventing drug-facilitated sexual assault.

Developing an Inclusive System in a Rapidly Changing European Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drudy, Sheelagh; Kinsella, William

2009-01-01

This paper uses Ireland--one of Europe's most rapidly changing societies--as a case study and examines progress towards an inclusive education system. It explores policy and progress on developing an inclusive system under a number of key headings: social class, ethnicity, gender and disability. On the basis of analysis of official statistics and…

Facilitating mathematics learning for students with upper extremity disabilities using touch-input system.

PubMed

Choi, Kup-Sze; Chan, Tak-Yin

2015-03-01

To investigate the feasibility of using tablet device as user interface for students with upper extremity disabilities to input mathematics efficiently into computer. A touch-input system using tablet device as user interface was proposed to assist these students to write mathematics. User-switchable and context-specific keyboard layouts were designed to streamline the input process. The system could be integrated with conventional computer systems only with minor software setup. A two-week pre-post test study involving five participants was conducted to evaluate the performance of the system and collect user feedback. The mathematics input efficiency of the participants was found to improve during the experiment sessions. In particular, their performance in entering trigonometric expressions by using the touch-input system was significantly better than that by using conventional mathematics editing software with keyboard and mouse. The participants rated the touch-input system positively and were confident that they could operate at ease with more practice. The proposed touch-input system provides a convenient way for the students with hand impairment to write mathematics and has the potential to facilitate their mathematics learning. Implications for Rehabilitation Students with upper extremity disabilities often face barriers to learning mathematics which is largely based on handwriting. Conventional computer user interfaces are inefficient for them to input mathematics into computer. A touch-input system with context-specific and user-switchable keyboard layouts was designed to improve the efficiency of mathematics input. Experimental results and user feedback suggested that the system has the potential to facilitate mathematics learning for the students.

Facilitating the openEHR approach - organizational structures for defining high-quality archetypes.

PubMed

Kohl, Christian Dominik; Garde, Sebastian; Knaup, Petra

2008-01-01

Using openEHR archetypes to establish an electronic patient record promises rapid development and system interoperability by using or adopting existing archetypes. However, internationally accepted, high quality archetypes which enable a comprehensive semantic interoperability require adequate development and maintenance processes. Therefore, structures have to be created involving different health professions. In the following we present a model which facilitates and governs distributed but cooperative development and adoption of archetypes by different professionals including peer reviews. Our model consists of a hierarchical structure of professional committees and descriptions of the archetype development process considering these different committees.

Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiegmann, Bruce M.

2015-01-01

A recent six month investigation focused on: "Determining the benefits of propelling a scientific spacecraft by an 'Electric Sail' propulsion system to the edge of our solar system (the Heliopause), a distance of 100 to 120 AU, in ten years or less" has recently been completed by the Advance Concepts Office at NASA's MSFC. The concept investigated has been named the Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS) by the MSFC team. The HERTS is a revolutionary propellant-less propulsion concept that is ideal for deep space missions to the Outer Planets, Heliopause, and beyond. It is unique in that it uses momentum exchange from naturally occurring solar wind protons to propel a spacecraft within the heliosphere. The propulsion system consists of an array of electrically positively-biased wires that extend outward 20 km from a rotating (one revolution per hour) spacecraft. It was determined that the HERTS system can accelerate a spacecraft to velocities as much as two to three times that possible by any realistic extrapolation of current state-of-the-art propulsion technologies- including solar electric and solar sail propulsion systems. The data produced show that a scientific spacecraft could reach distances of 100AU in less than 10 years. Moreover, it can be reasonably expected that this system could be developed within a decade and provide meaningful Heliophysics Science and Outer Planetary Science returns in the 2025-2035 timeframe.

Rapid Data Delivery System (RDDS)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cress, Jill J.; Goplen, Susan E.

2007-01-01

Since the start of the active 2000 summer fire season, the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center (RMGSC) has been actively engaged in providing crucial and timely support to Federal, State, and local natural hazards monitoring, analysis, response, and recovery activities. As part of this support, RMGSC has developed the Rapid Data Delivery System (RDDS) to provide emergency and incident response teams with timely access to geospatial data. The RDDS meets these needs by combining a simple web-enabled data viewer for the selection and preview of vector and raster geospatial data with an easy to use data ordering form. The RDDS viewer also incorporates geospatial locations for current natural hazard incidents, including wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcanoes, allowing incident responders to quickly focus on their area of interest for data selection.

Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing of clinical isolates by digital time-lapse microscopy.

PubMed

Fredborg, M; Rosenvinge, F S; Spillum, E; Kroghsbo, S; Wang, M; Sondergaard, T E

2015-12-01

Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is essential for early and appropriate therapy. Methods with short detection time enabling same-day treatment optimisation are highly favourable. In this study, we evaluated the potential of a digital time-lapse microscope system, the oCelloScope system, to perform rapid AST. The oCelloScope system demonstrated a very high accuracy (96% overall agreement) when determining the resistance profiles of four reference strains, nine clinical isolates, including multi-drug-resistant isolates, and three positive blood cultures. AST of clinical isolates (168 antimicrobial agent-organism combinations) demonstrated 3.6% minor, no major and 1.2% very major errors of the oCelloScope system compared to conventional susceptibility testing, as well as a rapid and correct phenotypic detection of strains with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) profiles. The net average time-to-result was 108 min, with 95% of the results being available within 180 min. In conclusion, this study strongly indicates that the oCelloScope system holds considerable potential as an accurate and sensitive AST method with short time-to-result, enabling same-day targeted antimicrobial therapy, facilitating antibiotic stewardship and better patient management. A full-scale validation of the oCelloScope system including more isolates is necessary to assess the impact of using it for AST.

Evaluation of rapid SYS system as screen for Yersinia enterocolitica in the United States.

PubMed Central

Mele, L; Nadler, H; Gomez, S

1987-01-01

Clinical isolates (n = 150) from stool specimens were selected for evaluation of the Rapid SYS system (Analytab Products, Plainview, N.Y.) as a screening test for Shigella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica, and Salmonella spp. The Gram-Negative Identification Card (Vitek Systems, Inc., Hazelwood, Mo.) was used for identification. Although acceptable performance of the Rapid SYS system was described, the interpretative criteria provided by the vendor for previous studies led to inappropriate screening for Y. enterocolitica, particularly biotype 1. When corrected screening criteria were used for the present study, the sensitivity for the detection of 76 enteric pathogens was 98.7%. Of the 76 pathogens, 1 of 21 Shigella spp. was not detected. However, specificity was only 16.6% when 72 selected nonpathogens frequently encountered in stools were eliminated. Although the Rapid SYS system can identify Shigella spp., Y. enterocolitica, and Salmonella spp., only phenylalanine deaminase-producing and cytochrome oxidase-producing organisms can be eliminated from additional testing. Therefore, the Rapid SYS system cannot be used as a three-pathogen screen in the United States or in other geographic locales where Y. enterocolitica biotype 1 may be encountered. PMID:3323232

Method and system to facilitate sealing in gas turbines

DOEpatents

Morgan, Victor John; Foster, Gregory Thomas; Sarawate, Neelesh Nandkumar

2017-09-12

A method and system for sealing between components within a gas turbine is provided. A first recess defined in a first component receives a seal member. A second recess defined in a second component adjacent the first component also receives the seal member. The first and second recesses are located proximate a hot gas path defined through the gas turbine, and define circumferential paths about the turbine axis. The seal member includes a sealing face that extends in a direction substantially parallel to the turbine axis. The seal member also includes a plurality of seal layers, wherein at least one of the seal layers includes at least one stress relief region for facilitating flexing of the first seal member.

Research and Development of Rapid Design Systems for Aerospace Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaeffer, Harry G.

1999-01-01

This report describes the results of research activities associated with the development of rapid design systems for aerospace structures in support of the Intelligent Synthesis Environment (ISE). The specific subsystems investigated were the interface between model assembly and analysis; and, the high performance NASA GPS equation solver software system in the Windows NT environment on low cost high-performance PCs.

Nicotine facilitates memory consolidation in perceptual learning.

PubMed

Beer, Anton L; Vartak, Devavrat; Greenlee, Mark W

2013-01-01

Perceptual learning is a special type of non-declarative learning that involves experience-dependent plasticity in sensory cortices. The cholinergic system is known to modulate declarative learning. In particular, reduced levels or efficacy of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine were found to facilitate declarative memory consolidation. However, little is known about the role of the cholinergic system in memory consolidation of non-declarative learning. Here we compared two groups of non-smoking men who learned a visual texture discrimination task (TDT). One group received chewing tobacco containing nicotine for 1 h directly following the TDT training. The other group received a similar tasting control substance without nicotine. Electroencephalographic recordings during substance consumption showed reduced alpha activity and P300 latencies in the nicotine group compared to the control group. When re-tested on the TDT the following day, both groups responded more accurately and more rapidly than during training. These improvements were specific to the retinal location and orientation of the texture elements of the TDT suggesting that learning involved early visual cortex. A group comparison showed that learning effects were more pronounced in the nicotine group than in the control group. These findings suggest that oral consumption of nicotine enhances the efficacy of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Our findings further suggest that enhanced efficacy of the cholinergic system facilitates memory consolidation in perceptual learning (and possibly other types of non-declarative learning). In that regard acetylcholine seems to affect consolidation processes in perceptual learning in a different manner than in declarative learning. Alternatively, our findings might reflect dose-dependent cholinergic modulation of memory consolidation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Cognitive Enhancers'. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patient safety competencies in undergraduate nursing students: a rapid evidence assessment.

PubMed

Bianchi, Monica; Bressan, Valentina; Cadorin, Lucia; Pagnucci, Nicola; Tolotti, Angela; Valcarenghi, Dario; Watson, Roger; Bagnasco, Annamaria; Sasso, Loredana

2016-12-01

To identify patient safety competencies, and determine the clinical learning environments that facilitate the development of patient safety competencies in nursing students. Patient safety in nursing education is of key importance for health professional environments, settings and care systems. To be effective, safe nursing practice requires a good integration between increasing knowledge and the different clinical practice settings. Nurse educators have the responsibility to develop effective learning processes and ensure patient safety. Rapid Evidence Assessment. MEDLINE, CINAHL, SCOPUS and ERIC were searched, yielding 500 citations published between 1 January 2004-30 September 2014. Following the Rapid Evidence Assessment process, 17 studies were included in this review. Hawker's (2002) quality assessment tool was used to assess the quality of the selected studies. Undergraduate nursing students need to develop competencies to ensure patient safety. The quality of the pedagogical atmosphere in the clinical setting has an important impact on the students' overall level of competence. Active student engagement in clinical processes stimulates their critical reasoning, improves interpersonal communication and facilitates adequate supervision and feedback. Few studies describe the nursing students' patient safety competencies and exactly what they need to learn. In addition, studies describe only briefly which clinical learning environments facilitate the development of patient safety competencies in nursing students. Further research is needed to identify additional pedagogical strategies and the specific characteristics of the clinical learning environments that encourage the development of nursing students' patient safety competencies. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A rapid prototyping facility for flight research in advanced systems concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duke, Eugene L.; Brumbaugh, Randal W.; Disbrow, James D.

1989-01-01

The Dryden Flight Research Facility of the NASA Ames Research Facility of the NASA Ames Research Center is developing a rapid prototyping facility for flight research in flight systems concepts that are based on artificial intelligence (AI). The facility will include real-time high-fidelity aircraft simulators, conventional and symbolic processors, and a high-performance research aircraft specially modified to accept commands from the ground-based AI computers. This facility is being developed as part of the NASA-DARPA automated wingman program. This document discusses the need for flight research and for a national flight research facility for the rapid prototyping of AI-based avionics systems and the NASA response to those needs.

Global Rapid Flood Mapping System with Spaceborne SAR Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, S. H.; Owen, S. E.; Hua, H.; Agram, P. S.; Fattahi, H.; Liang, C.; Manipon, G.; Fielding, E. J.; Rosen, P. A.; Webb, F.; Simons, M.

2017-12-01

As part of the Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) project for Natural Hazards, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and California Institute of Technology, we have developed an automated system that produces derived products for flood extent map generation using spaceborne SAR data. The system takes user's input of area of interest polygons and time window for SAR data search (pre- and post-event). Then the system automatically searches and downloads SAR data, processes them to produce coregistered SAR image pairs, and generates log amplitude ratio images from each pair. Currently the system is automated to support SAR data from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1A/B satellites. We have used the system to produce flood extent maps from Sentinel-1 SAR data for the May 2017 Sri Lanka floods, which killed more than 200 people and displaced about 600,000 people. Our flood extent maps were delivered to the Red Cross to support response efforts. Earlier we also responded to the historic August 2016 Louisiana floods in the United States, which claimed 13 people's lives and caused over $10 billion property damage. For this event, we made synchronized observations from space, air, and ground in close collaboration with USGS and NOAA. The USGS field crews acquired ground observation data, and NOAA acquired high-resolution airborne optical imagery within the time window of +/-2 hours of the SAR data acquisition by JAXA's ALOS-2 satellite. The USGS coordinates of flood water boundaries were used to calibrate our flood extent map derived from the ALOS-2 SAR data, and the map was delivered to FEMA for estimating the number of households affected. Based on the lessons learned from this response effort, we customized the ARIA system automation for rapid flood mapping and developed a mobile friendly web app that can easily be used in the field for data collection. Rapid automatic generation of SAR-based global flood maps calibrated with independent observations from

Effectiveness of Kanban Approaches in Systems Engineering within Rapid Response Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

Procedia Computer Science Procedia Computer Science 00 (2012) 000–000 www.elsevier.com/locate/ procedia New Challenges in Systems...Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2011) 000–000 inefficient use of resources. The move from ―one step to glory‖ system initiatives to...University of Science and Technology Effectiveness of kanban approaches in systems engineering within rapid response environments Richard Turner

Rapid identification of antibiotic-resistant corynebacteria with the API 20S system.

PubMed Central

Kelly, M C; Smith, I D; Anstey, R J; Thornley, J H; Rennie, R P

1984-01-01

The API 20S system (Analytab Products, Plainview, N.Y.) was evaluated for the rapid identification of multiply antibiotic-resistant aerobic diphtheroids. Sixty-eight clinical isolates of multiply resistant Centers for Disease Control group JK and group D2 corynebacteria had API 20S profiles which were clearly different from those of a number of strains of other Corynebacterium species which were tested. The API 20S system allowed more rapid identification of antibiotic-resistant diphtheroids than conventional biochemical tests. Its use for corynebacteria other than group JK and group D2 is not recommended at this time. PMID:6699150

Mathematical estimates of recovery after loss of activity: II. Long-range connectivity facilitates rapid functional recovery.

PubMed

Hübler, Merla J; Buchman, Timothy G

2008-02-01

To model the effects of system connectedness on recovery of dysfunctional tissues. One-dimensional elementary cellular automata models with small-world features, where the center-input for a few cells comes not from itself but, with a given probability, from another cell. This probability represents the connectivity of the network. The long-range connections are chosen randomly to survey the potential influences of distant information flowing into a local region. MATLAB and Mathematica computing environments. None. None. We determined the recovery rate of the entropy after perturbing a uniformly dormant system. We observed that the recovery of normal activity after perturbation of a dormant system had the characteristics of an epidemic. Moreover, we found that the rate of recovery to normal steady-state activity increased rapidly even for small amounts of long-range connectivity. Findings obtained through numerical simulation were verified through analytical solutions. This study links our hypothesis that multiple organ function syndromes represent recoupling failure with a mathematical model showing the contribution of such coupling to reactivation of dormant systems. The implication is that strategies aimed not at target tissues or target organs but rather at restoring the quality and quantity of interconnections across those tissues and organs may be a novel therapeutic strategy.

Oligonucleotide facilitators may inhibit or activate a hammerhead ribozyme.

PubMed Central

Jankowsky, E; Schwenzer, B

1996-01-01

Facilitators are oligonucleotides capable of affecting hammerhead ribozyme activity by interacting with the substrate at the termini of the ribozyme. Facilitator effects were determined in vitro using a system consisting of a ribozyme with 7 nucleotides in every stem sequence and two substrates with inverted facilitator binding sequences. The effects of 9mer and 12mer RNA as well as DNA facilitators which bind either adjacent to the 3'- or 5'-end of the ribozyme were investigated. A kinetic model was developed which allows determination of the apparent dissociation constant of the ribozyme-substrate complex from single turnover reactions. We observed a decreased dissociation constant of the ribozyme-substrate complex due to facilitator addition corresponding to an additional stabilization energy of delta delta G=-1.7 kcal/mol with 3'-end facilitators. The cleavage rate constant was increased by 3'-end facilitators and decreased by 5'-end facilitators. Values for Km were slightly lowered by all facilitators and kcat was increased by 3'-end facilitators and decreased by 5'-end facilitators in our system. Generally the facilitator effects increased with the length of the facilitators and RNA provided greater effects than DNA of the same sequence. Results suggest facilitator influences on several steps of the hammerhead reaction, substrate association, cleavage and dissociation of products. Moreover, these effects are dependent in different manners on ribozyme and substrate concentration. This leads to the conclusion that there is a concentration dependence whether activation or inhibition is caused by facilitators. Conclusions are drawn with regard to the design of hammerhead ribozyme facilitator systems. PMID:8602353

Modular, Reconfigurable, and Rapid Response Space Systems: The Remote Sensing Advanced Technology Microsatellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esper, Jaime; Andary, Jim; Oberright, John; So, Maria; Wegner, Peter; Hauser, Joe

2004-01-01

Modular, Reconfigurable, and Rapid-response (MR(sup 2)) space systems represent a paradigm shift in the way space assets of all sizes are designed, manufactured, integrated, tested, and flown. This paper will describe the MR(sup 2) paradigm in detail, and will include guidelines for its implementation. The Remote Sensing Advanced Technology microsatellite (RSAT) is a proposed flight system test-bed used for developing and implementing principles and best practices for MR(sup 2) spacecraft, and their supporting infrastructure. The initial goal of this test-bed application is to produce a lightweight (approx. 100 kg), production-minded, cost-effective, and scalable remote sensing micro-satellite capable of high performance and broad applicability. Such applications range from future distributed space systems, to sensor-webs, and rapid-response satellite systems. Architectures will be explored that strike a balance between modularity and integration while preserving the MR(sup 2) paradigm. Modularity versus integration has always been a point of contention when approaching a design: whereas one-of-a-kind missions may require close integration resulting in performance optimization, multiple and flexible application spacecraft benefit &om modularity, resulting in maximum flexibility. The process of building spacecraft rapidly (< 7 days), requires a concerted and methodical look at system integration and test processes and pitfalls. Although the concept of modularity is not new and was first developed in the 1970s by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (Multi-Mission Modular Spacecraft), it was never modernized and was eventually abandoned. Such concepts as the Rapid Spacecraft Development Office (RSDO) became the preferred method for acquiring satellites. Notwithstanding, over the past 30 years technology has advanced considerably, and the time is ripe to reconsider modularity in its own right, as enabler of R(sup 2), and as a key element of transformational systems. The

Rapid preparation of functional polysaccharides from Pyropia yezoensis by microwave-assistant rapid enzyme digest system.

PubMed

Lee, Ji-Hyeok; Kim, Hyung-Ho; Ko, Ju-Young; Jang, Jun-Ho; Kim, Gwang-Hoon; Lee, Jung-Suck; Nah, Jae-Woon; Jeon, You-Jin

2016-11-20

This study describes a simple preparation of functional polysaccharides from Pyropia yezoensis using a microwave-assistant rapid enzyme digest system (MAREDS) with various carbohydrases, and evaluates their antioxidative effects. Polysaccharide hydrolysates were prepared using MAREDS under different hydrolytic conditions of the carbohydrases and microwave powers. Polysaccharides less than 10kDa (Low molecular weight polysaccharides, LMWP, ≤10kDa) were efficiently obtained using an ultrafiltration (molecular weight cut-off of 10kDa). MAREDS increases AMG activation via an increased degree of hydrolysis; the best AMG hydrolysate was prepared using a 10:1 ratio of substrate to enzyme for 2h in MAREDS with 400W. LMWP consisted of galactose (27.3%), glucose (64.5%), and mannose (8.3%) from the AMG hydrolysate had stronger antioxidant effects than the high molecular weight polysaccharides (>10kDa). We rapidly prepared functional LMWPs by using MAREDS with carbohydrases, and suggest that LMWP might be potentially a valuable algal polysaccharide antioxidant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic facilitation explains 'democratic' particle motion of metabasin transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hedges, Lester O.; Garrahan, Juan P.

2008-08-01

Transitions between metabasins in supercooled liquids seem to occur through rapid collective particle rearrangements. These events have been called 'democratic' as they appear homogeneous over a significant number of particles. This could suggest that 'democratic' rearrangements are fundamentally distinct to those leading to dynamic heterogeneity. Here we show, however, that this apparent homogeneous particle motion can be explained solely in terms of dynamic facilitation, and is therefore intriniscally heterogeneous. We do so by studying metabasin transitions in facilitated spin models and constrained lattice gases. We find that metabasin transitions occur through a sequence of locally facilitated events taking place over a relatively short time frame. When observed on small enough spatial windows these events appear sudden and homogeneous. Our results indicate that metabasin transitions, while apparently homogeneous and 'democratic', are yet another manifestation of dynamical heterogeneity in glass formers.

Rapid response of a hydrologic system to volcanic activity: Masaya volcano, Nicaragua

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearson, S.C.P.; Connor, C.B.; Sanford, W.E.

2008-01-01

Hydrologic systems change in response to volcanic activity, and in turn may be sensitive indicators of volcanic activity. Here we investigate the coupled nature of magmatic and hydrologic systems using continuous multichannel time series of soil temperature collected on the flanks of Masaya volcano, Nicaragua, one of the most active volcanoes in Central America. The soil temperatures were measured in a low-temperature fumarole field located 3.5 km down the flanks of the volcano. Analysis of these time series reveals that they respond extremely rapidly, on a time scale of minutes, to changes in volcanic activity also manifested at the summit vent. These rapid temperature changes are caused by increased flow of water vapor through flank fumaroles during volcanism. The soil temperature response, ~5 °C, is repetitive and complex, with as many as 13 pulses during a single volcanic episode. Analysis of the frequency spectrum of these temperature time series shows that these anomalies are characterized by broad frequency content during volcanic activity. They are thus easily distinguished from seasonal trends, diurnal variations, or individual rainfall events, which triggered rapid transient increases in temperature during 5% of events. We suggest that the mechanism responsible for the distinctive temperature signals is rapid change in pore pressure in response to magmatism, a response that can be enhanced by meteoric water infiltration. Monitoring of distal fumaroles can therefore provide insight into coupled volcanic-hydrologic-meteorologic systems, and has potential as an inexpensive monitoring tool.

Design of rapid prototype of UAV line-of-sight stabilized control system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Gang; Zhao, Liting; Li, Yinlong; Yu, Fei; Lin, Zhe

2018-01-01

The line-of-sight (LOS) stable platform is the most important technology of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), which can reduce the effect to imaging quality from vibration and maneuvering of the aircraft. According to the requirement of LOS stability system (inertial and optical-mechanical combined method) and UAV's structure, a rapid prototype is designed using based on industrial computer using Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) and Windows RTX to exchange information. The paper shows the control structure, and circuit system including the inertial stability control circuit with gyro and voice coil motor driven circuit, the optical-mechanical stability control circuit with fast-steering-mirror (FSM) driven circuit and image-deviation-obtained system, outer frame rotary follower, and information-exchange system on PC. Test results show the stability accuracy reaches 5μrad, and prove the effectiveness of the combined line-of-sight stabilization control system, and the real-time rapid prototype runs stable.

RAPID: A random access picture digitizer, display, and memory system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yakimovsky, Y.; Rayfield, M.; Eskenazi, R.

1976-01-01

RAPID is a system capable of providing convenient digital analysis of video data in real-time. It has two modes of operation. The first allows for continuous digitization of an EIA RS-170 video signal. Each frame in the video signal is digitized and written in 1/30 of a second into RAPID's internal memory. The second mode leaves the content of the internal memory independent of the current input video. In both modes of operation the image contained in the memory is used to generate an EIA RS-170 composite video output signal representing the digitized image in the memory so that it can be displayed on a monitor.

Evolution of local facilitation in arid ecosystems.

PubMed

Kéfi, Sonia; van Baalen, Minus; Rietkerk, Max; Loreau, Michel

2008-07-01

In harsh environments, sessile organisms can make their habitat more hospitable by buffering environmental stress or increasing resource availability. Although the ecological significance of such local facilitation is widely established, the evolutionary aspects have been seldom investigated. Yet addressing the evolutionary aspects of local facilitation is important because theoretical studies show that systems with such positive interactions can exhibit alternative stable states and that such systems may suddenly become extinct when they evolve (evolutionary suicide). Arid ecosystems currently experience strong changes in climate and human pressures, but little is known about the effects of these changes on the selective pressures exerted on the vegetation. Here, we focus on the evolution of local facilitation in arid ecosystems, using a lattice-structured model explicitly considering local interactions among plants. We found that the evolution of local facilitation depends on the seed dispersal strategy. In systems characterized by short-distance seed dispersal, adaptation to a more stressful environment leads to high local facilitation, allowing the population to escape extinction. In contrast, systems characterized by long-distance seed dispersal become extinct under increased stress even when allowed to adapt. In this case, adaptation in response to climate change and human pressures could give the final push to the desertification of arid ecosystems.

Mid-aged and aged wild-type and progestin receptor knockout (PRKO) mice demonstrate rapid progesterone and 3alpha,5alpha-THP-facilitated lordosis.

PubMed

Frye, C A; Sumida, K; Lydon, J P; O'Malley, B W; Pfaff, D W

2006-05-01

Progesterone (P) and its 5alpha-reduced metabolite, 3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one (3alpha,5alpha-THP), facilitate sexual behavior of rodents via agonist-like actions at intracellular progestin receptors (PRs) and membrane GABA(A)/benzodiazepine receptor complexes (GBRs), respectively. Given that ovarian secretion of progestins declines with aging, whether or not senescent mice are responsive to progestins was of interest. Homozygous PR knockout (PRKO) or wild-type mice that were between 10-12 (mid-aged) or 20-24 (aged) months of age were administered P or 3alpha,5alpha-THP, and the effect on lordosis were examined. Effects of a progestin-priming regimen that enhances PR-mediated (experiment 1) or more rapid, PR-independent effects of progestins (experiments 2 and 3) on sexual behavior were examined. Levels of P, 3alpha,5alpha-THP, and muscimol binding were examined in tissues from aged mice (experiment 4). Wild-type, but not PRKO, mice were responsive when primed with 17beta-estradiol (E(2); 0.5 microg) and administered P (500 microg, subcutaneously). Mid-aged wild-type mice demonstrated greater increases in lordosis 6 h later compared to their pre-P, baseline test than did aged wild-type mice (experiment 1). Lordosis of younger and older wild-type, but not PRKO, mice was significantly increased within 5 min of intravenous (IV) administration of P (100 ng), compared with E(2)-priming alone (experiment 2). However, wild-type and PRKO mice demonstrated significant increases in lordosis 5 min after IV administration of 3alpha,5alpha-THP, an effect which was more pronounced in mid-aged than in aged animals (100 ng-experiment 3). In tissues from aged wild-type and PRKO mice, levels of P, 3alpha,5alpha-THP, and muscimol binding were increased by P administration (experiment 4). PR binding was lower in the cortex of PRKO than that of wild-type mice. Mid-aged and aged PRKO and wild-type mice demonstrated rapid P or 3alpha,5alpha-THP-facilitated lordosis that may be

Facilitating Decision Making, Re-Use and Collaboration: A Knowledge Management Approach for System Self-Awareness

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

FACILITATING DECISION MAKING, RE-USE AND COLLABORATION: A KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT APPROACH FOR SYSTEM SELF- AWARENESS Shelley P. Gallup, Douglas J... Information Systems Experimentation (DISE) Group Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA 93943 Keywords: Program self- awareness , decision making...decision makers express in obtaining constant awareness of what is going on in their domains of decision making because information that is needed

Perceptual processing of natural scenes at rapid rates: Effects of complexity, content, and emotional arousal

PubMed Central

Bradley, Margaret M.; Lang, Peter J.

2013-01-01

During rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP), the perceptual system is confronted with a rapidly changing array of sensory information demanding resolution. At rapid rates of presentation, previous studies have found an early (e.g., 150–280 ms) negativity over occipital sensors that is enhanced when emotional, as compared with neutral, pictures are viewed, suggesting facilitated perception. In the present study, we explored how picture composition and the presence of people in the image affect perceptual processing of pictures of natural scenes. Using RSVP, pictures that differed in perceptual composition (figure–ground or scenes), content (presence of people or not), and emotional content (emotionally arousing or neutral) were presented in a continuous stream for 330 ms each with no intertrial interval. In both subject and picture analyses, all three variables affected the amplitude of occipital negativity, with the greatest enhancement for figure–ground compositions (as compared with scenes), irrespective of content and emotional arousal, supporting an interpretation that ease of perceptual processing is associated with enhanced occipital negativity. Viewing emotional pictures prompted enhanced negativity only for pictures that depicted people, suggesting that specific features of emotionally arousing images are associated with facilitated perceptual processing, rather than all emotional content. PMID:23780520

Facilitation Skills: The Catalyst for Increased Effectiveness in Consultant Practice and Clinical Systems Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manley, Kim; Titchen, Angie

2017-01-01

Consultant practitioner is the pinnacle of the clinical career ladder for all health care disciplines in the United Kingdom. Consultant nurse, midwife and health visitor roles build on the clinical credibility and expertise characteristic of advanced level practice, but also possess expertise in: clinical systems leadership and the facilitation of…

49 CFR 37.81 - Purchase or lease of used rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.81 Section 37.81 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. (a) Except as provided elsewhere in this section, each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system which, after August 25, 1990, purchases or leases a used rapid or...

49 CFR 37.81 - Purchase or lease of used rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.81 Section 37.81 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. (a) Except as provided elsewhere in this section, each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system which, after August 25, 1990, purchases or leases a used rapid or...

49 CFR 37.81 - Purchase or lease of used rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.81 Section 37.81 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. (a) Except as provided elsewhere in this section, each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system which, after August 25, 1990, purchases or leases a used rapid or...

49 CFR 37.81 - Purchase or lease of used rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.81 Section 37.81 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. (a) Except as provided elsewhere in this section, each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system which, after August 25, 1990, purchases or leases a used rapid or...

49 CFR 37.81 - Purchase or lease of used rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.81 Section 37.81 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. (a) Except as provided elsewhere in this section, each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system which, after August 25, 1990, purchases or leases a used rapid or...

Rapid Identification of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by the Vitek MS Saramis system.

PubMed

Shan, Weiguang; Li, Jiaping; Fang, Ying; Wang, Xuan; Gu, Danxia; Zhang, Rong

2016-01-01

A rapid, sensitive, and accurate Vitek MS assay was developed to distinguish clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from clinical isolates of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) by developing an in-house knowledgebase of SuperSpectra. Three unique peaks, including peaks at 2305.6 and 3007.3 Da specific to MRSA, and 6816.7 Da specific to MSSA, were selected for differentiating MRSA and MSSA. This assay accurately identified 84 and 91% of clinical MRSA and MSSA strains out of the total 142 clinically acquired S. aureus strains that were tested. This method will greatly improve the efficiency of single clinical sample identification of MRSA, thereby facilitating a reduction in the transmission of MRSA in clinical settings.

Interorganisational Integration: Healthcare Professionals’ Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators within the Danish Healthcare System

PubMed Central

Godtfredsen, Nina Skavlan; Frølich, Anne

2016-01-01

Introduction: Despite many initiatives to improve coordination of patient pathways and intersectoral cooperation, Danish health care is still fragmented, lacking intra- and interorganisational integration. This study explores barriers to and facilitators of interorganisational integration as perceived by healthcare professionals caring for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease within the Danish healthcare system. Methods: Seven focus groups were conducted in January through July 2014 with 21 informants from general practice, local healthcare centres and a pulmonary department at a university hospital in the Capital Region of Denmark. Results and discussion: Our results can be grouped into five influencing areas for interorganisational integration: communication/information transfer, committed leadership, patient engagement, the role and competencies of the general practitioner and organisational culture. Proposed solutions to barriers in each area hold the potential to improve care integration as experienced by individuals responsible for supporting and facilitating it. Barriers and facilitators to integrating care relate to clinical, professional, functional and normative integration. Especially, clinical, functional and normative integration seems fundamental to developing integrated care in practice from the perspective of healthcare professionals. PMID:27616948

Facilitating Co-Design for Extreme-Scale Systems Through Lightweight Simulation

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

Engelmann, Christian; Lauer, Frank

This work focuses on tools for investigating algorithm performance at extreme scale with millions of concurrent threads and for evaluating the impact of future architecture choices to facilitate the co-design of high-performance computing (HPC) architectures and applications. The approach focuses on lightweight simulation of extreme-scale HPC systems with the needed amount of accuracy. The prototype presented in this paper is able to provide this capability using a parallel discrete event simulation (PDES), such that a Message Passing Interface (MPI) application can be executed at extreme scale, and its performance properties can be evaluated. The results of an initial prototype aremore » encouraging as a simple 'hello world' MPI program could be scaled up to 1,048,576 virtual MPI processes on a four-node cluster, and the performance properties of two MPI programs could be evaluated at up to 16,384 virtual MPI processes on the same system.« less

Barriers and facilitators to the quality use of essential medicines for maternal health in low-resource countries: An Ishikawa framework.

PubMed

Tran, Dan N; Bero, Lisa A

2015-06-01

An estimated 800 women die every day due to complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. Complications such as postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and pre-eclampsia and eclampsia can be prevented by the appropriate use of essential medicines. The objective of this study was to identify the common barriers and facilitators to the availability and use of oxytocin, ergometrine, and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) - essential medicines indicated for the prevention and treatment of PPH and pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. We analyzed seven UNFPA/WHO reports published in 2008-2010. These reports summarized country-wide rapid assessments of access to and use of essential medicines for maternal health in Mongolia, Nepal, Laos, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Philippines, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands. We used a "fishbone" (Ishikawa) diagram as the analytic framework to identify facilitators and barriers at four health-system levels: government/regulatory, pharmaceutical supply, health facility, and health professional. Common facilitators to the quality use of essential medicines for maternal health were observed at the government/regulatory and health professional level. A majority of countries had these medicines listed in their essential medicines lists. Awareness of the medicines was generally high among health professionals. Common barriers were identified at all health-system levels. First, standard treatment guidelines were not available, updated, or standardized. Second, there was an inadequate capacity to forecast and procure medicines. Third, a required MgSO4 antidote was often not available and the storage conditions for oxytocin were deficient. The "fishbone" Ishikawa diagram is a useful tool for describing the findings of rapid assessments of quality use of essential medicines for maternal health across countries. The facilitators and barriers identified should guide the development of tailored intervention programs to improve and expand the use

Rapid solution of large-scale systems of equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Storaasli, Olaf O.

1994-01-01

The analysis and design of complex aerospace structures requires the rapid solution of large systems of linear and nonlinear equations, eigenvalue extraction for buckling, vibration and flutter modes, structural optimization and design sensitivity calculation. Computers with multiple processors and vector capabilities can offer substantial computational advantages over traditional scalar computer for these analyses. These computers fall into two categories: shared memory computers and distributed memory computers. This presentation covers general-purpose, highly efficient algorithms for generation/assembly or element matrices, solution of systems of linear and nonlinear equations, eigenvalue and design sensitivity analysis and optimization. All algorithms are coded in FORTRAN for shared memory computers and many are adapted to distributed memory computers. The capability and numerical performance of these algorithms will be addressed.

Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing the HEADS-ED: A Rapid Screening Tool for Pediatric Patients in Emergency Departments.

PubMed

MacWilliams, Kate; Curran, Janet; Racek, Jakub; Cloutier, Paula; Cappelli, Mario

2017-12-01

This study sought to identify barriers and facilitators to the implementation of the HEADS-ED, a screening tool appropriate for use in the emergency department (ED) that facilitates standardized assessments, discharge planning, charting, and linking pediatric mental health patients to appropriate community resources. A qualitative theory-based design was used to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing the HEADS-ED tool. Focus groups were conducted with participants recruited from 6 different ED settings across 2 provinces (Ontario and Nova Scotia). The Theoretical Domains Framework was used as a conceptual framework to guide data collection and to identify themes from focus group discussions. The following themes spanning 12 domains were identified as reflective of participants' beliefs about the barriers and facilitators to implementing the HEADS-ED tool: knowledge, skills, beliefs about capabilities, social professional role and identity, optimism, beliefs about consequences, reinforcement, environmental context and resources, social influences, emotion, behavioral regulation and memory, and attention and decision process. The HEADS-ED has the potential to address the need for better discharge planning, complete charting, and standardized assessments for the increasing population of pediatric mental health patients who present to EDs. This study has identified potential barriers and facilitators, which should be considered when developing an implementation plan for adopting the HEADS-ED tool into practice within EDs.

Using Group Drawings Activities to Facilitate the Understanding of the Systemic Aspects of Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arantes do Amaral, João Alberto; Hess, Aurélio; Gonçalves, Paulo; Rodrigues, Vinícius Picanço

2017-01-01

In this article, we present our findings regarding promoting group drawing activities in order to facilitate the learning of systemic aspects of projects. We discuss the approach we used to engage the students and foster learning in our classes. We used group drawing activities in two project management undergraduate courses. The courses, which…

Knowledge bases, clinical decision support systems, and rapid learning in oncology.

PubMed

Yu, Peter Paul

2015-03-01

One of the most important benefits of health information technology is to assist the cognitive process of the human mind in the face of vast amounts of health data, limited time for decision making, and the complexity of the patient with cancer. Clinical decision support tools are frequently cited as a technologic solution to this problem, but to date useful clinical decision support systems (CDSS) have been limited in utility and implementation. This article describes three unique sources of health data that underlie fundamentally different types of knowledge bases which feed into CDSS. CDSS themselves comprise a variety of models which are discussed. The relationship of knowledge bases and CDSS to rapid learning health systems design is critical as CDSS are essential drivers of rapid learning in clinical care. Copyright © 2015 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Noise Assessment of the New York City Rail Rapid Transit System

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-01-01

The report describes the noise climate on and near the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) urban rail system, including the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA). Noise level data is also presented for the Port Authority Trans-...

Development of a high-speed real-time PCR system for rapid and precise nucleotide recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terazono, Hideyuki; Takei, Hiroyuki; Hattori, Akihiro; Yasuda, Kenji

2010-04-01

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a common method used to create copies of a specific target region of a DNA sequence and to produce large quantities of DNA. A few DNA molecules, which act as templates, are rapidly amplified by PCR into many billions of copies. PCR is a key technology in genome-based biological analysis, revolutionizing many life science fields such as medical diagnostics, food safety monitoring, and countermeasures against bioterrorism. Thus, many applications have been developed with the thermal cycling. For these PCR applications, one of the most important key factors is reduction in the data acquisition time. To reduce the acquisition time, it is necessary to decrease the temperature transition time between the high and low ends as much as possible. We have developed a novel rapid real-time PCR system based on rapid exchange of media maintained at different temperatures. This system consists of two thermal reservoirs and a reaction chamber for PCR observation. The temperature transition was achieved within 0.3 sec, and good thermal stability was achieved during thermal cycling with rapid exchange of circulating media. This system allows rigorous optimization of the temperatures required for each stage of the PCR processes. Resulting amplicons were confirmed by electrophoresis. Using the system, rapid DNA amplification was accomplished within 3.5 min, including initial heating and complete 50 PCR cycles. It clearly shows that the device could allow us faster temperature switching than the conventional conduction-based heating systems based on Peltier heating/cooling.

A rapidly changing global medicines environment: How adaptable are funding decision-making systems?

PubMed

Leopold, Christine; Morgan, Steven G; Wagner, Anita K

2017-06-01

With the launch of very highly priced therapies and sudden price increases of generics, pressures on health systems have drastically increased. We aimed to elicit opinions of key decision makers responsible for national assessment and funding decisions on their experiences to adapt to these new realities. Through interviews with decision makers of pharmaceutical assessment and/or funding agencies, we describe the challenges systems are currently facing, systems' responses and systems' characteristics facilitating or hindering responses to changes and overarching topics for the future. Among the most common challenges are increased funding pressures, increased uncertainty and lack of transparency in decision-making. Systems' responses include utilization management, changing of assessment processes, stakeholder engagement and a focus on outcomes and on coordinated negotiations. Integrated delivery systems, fixed health care budgets and geographic and historical characteristics facilitate or sometimes hinder responses to change. Future policy emphasis lays on expanding data structures, managing the exit of drugs funded early, and implementing processes for communications with patients and the public. Going forward emphasis has to be given to structured communications with all stakeholders with a specific emphasis on the broader public and patients about financial limits and priority setting in health care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Professor as Facilitator: Shaping an Emerging, Living System of Shared Leadership in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bright, David S.; Turesky, Elizabeth Fisher; Putzel, Roger; Stang, Thomas

2012-01-01

From the perspective of emergence, professors can facilitate and shape a class as a complex, adaptive, and living system. A case study illustrates phases of emergence in the classroom by tracing how a professor may use this perspective to empower students to share in the leadership of the classroom. Instead of presenting lessons, the professor…

Practice-tailored facilitation to improve pediatric preventive care delivery: a randomized trial.

PubMed

Meropol, Sharon B; Schiltz, Nicholas K; Sattar, Abdus; Stange, Kurt C; Nevar, Ann H; Davey, Christina; Ferretti, Gerald A; Howell, Diana E; Strosaker, Robyn; Vavrek, Pamela; Bader, Samantha; Ruhe, Mary C; Cuttler, Leona

2014-06-01

Evolving primary care models require methods to help practices achieve quality standards. This study assessed the effectiveness of a Practice-Tailored Facilitation Intervention for improving delivery of 3 pediatric preventive services. In this cluster-randomized trial, a practice facilitator implemented practice-tailored rapid-cycle feedback/change strategies for improving obesity screening/counseling, lead screening, and dental fluoride varnish application. Thirty practices were randomized to Early or Late Intervention, and outcomes assessed for 16 419 well-child visits. A multidisciplinary team characterized facilitation processes by using comparative case study methods. Baseline performance was as follows: for Obesity: 3.5% successful performance in Early and 6.3% in Late practices, P = .74; Lead: 62.2% and 77.8% success, respectively, P = .11; and Fluoride: <0.1% success for all practices. Four months after randomization, performance rose in Early practices, to 82.8% for Obesity, 86.3% for Lead, and 89.1% for Fluoride, all P < .001 for improvement compared with Late practices' control time. During the full 6-month intervention, care improved versus baseline in all practices, for Obesity for Early practices to 86.5%, and for Late practices 88.9%; for Lead for Early practices to 87.5% and Late practices 94.5%; and for Fluoride, for Early practices to 78.9% and Late practices 81.9%, all P < .001 compared with baseline. Improvements were sustained 2 months after intervention. Successful facilitation involved multidisciplinary support, rapid-cycle problem solving feedback, and ongoing relationship-building, allowing individualizing facilitation approach and intensity based on 3 levels of practice need. Practice-tailored Facilitation Intervention can lead to substantial, simultaneous, and sustained improvements in 3 domains, and holds promise as a broad-based method to advance pediatric preventive care. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Practice-Tailored Facilitation to Improve Pediatric Preventive Care Delivery: A Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Schiltz, Nicholas K.; Sattar, Abdus; Stange, Kurt C.; Nevar, Ann H.; Davey, Christina; Ferretti, Gerald A.; Howell, Diana E.; Strosaker, Robyn; Vavrek, Pamela; Bader, Samantha; Ruhe, Mary C.; Cuttler, Leona

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Evolving primary care models require methods to help practices achieve quality standards. This study assessed the effectiveness of a Practice-Tailored Facilitation Intervention for improving delivery of 3 pediatric preventive services. METHODS: In this cluster-randomized trial, a practice facilitator implemented practice-tailored rapid-cycle feedback/change strategies for improving obesity screening/counseling, lead screening, and dental fluoride varnish application. Thirty practices were randomized to Early or Late Intervention, and outcomes assessed for 16 419 well-child visits. A multidisciplinary team characterized facilitation processes by using comparative case study methods. RESULTS: Baseline performance was as follows: for Obesity: 3.5% successful performance in Early and 6.3% in Late practices, P = .74; Lead: 62.2% and 77.8% success, respectively, P = .11; and Fluoride: <0.1% success for all practices. Four months after randomization, performance rose in Early practices, to 82.8% for Obesity, 86.3% for Lead, and 89.1% for Fluoride, all P < .001 for improvement compared with Late practices’ control time. During the full 6-month intervention, care improved versus baseline in all practices, for Obesity for Early practices to 86.5%, and for Late practices 88.9%; for Lead for Early practices to 87.5% and Late practices 94.5%; and for Fluoride, for Early practices to 78.9% and Late practices 81.9%, all P < .001 compared with baseline. Improvements were sustained 2 months after intervention. Successful facilitation involved multidisciplinary support, rapid-cycle problem solving feedback, and ongoing relationship-building, allowing individualizing facilitation approach and intensity based on 3 levels of practice need. CONCLUSIONS: Practice-tailored Facilitation Intervention can lead to substantial, simultaneous, and sustained improvements in 3 domains, and holds promise as a broad-based method to advance pediatric preventive care. PMID:24799539

49 CFR 37.79 - Purchase or lease of new rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.79 Section 37.79 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. Each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system making a... system shall ensure that the vehicle is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities...

49 CFR 37.79 - Purchase or lease of new rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.79 Section 37.79 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. Each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system making a... system shall ensure that the vehicle is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities...

49 CFR 37.79 - Purchase or lease of new rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.79 Section 37.79 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. Each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system making a... system shall ensure that the vehicle is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities...

49 CFR 37.79 - Purchase or lease of new rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.79 Section 37.79 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. Each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system making a... system shall ensure that the vehicle is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities...

49 CFR 37.79 - Purchase or lease of new rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.79 Section 37.79 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. Each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system making a... system shall ensure that the vehicle is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities...

Emerging Microtechnologies and Automated Systems for Rapid Bacterial Identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing

PubMed Central

Li, Yiyan; Yang, Xing; Zhao, Weian

2018-01-01

Rapid bacterial identification (ID) and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) are in great demand due to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria. Conventional culture-based AST methods suffer from a long turnaround time. By necessity, physicians often have to treat patients empirically with antibiotics, which has led to an inappropriate use of antibiotics, an elevated mortality rate and healthcare costs, and antibiotic resistance. Recent advances in miniaturization and automation provide promising solutions for rapid bacterial ID/AST profiling, which will potentially make a significant impact in the clinical management of infectious diseases and antibiotic stewardship in the coming years. In this review, we summarize and analyze representative emerging micro- and nanotechnologies, as well as automated systems for bacterial ID/AST, including both phenotypic (e.g., microfluidic-based bacterial culture, and digital imaging of single cells) and molecular (e.g., multiplex PCR, hybridization probes, nanoparticles, synthetic biology tools, mass spectrometry, and sequencing technologies) methods. We also discuss representative point-of-care (POC) systems that integrate sample processing, fluid handling, and detection for rapid bacterial ID/AST. Finally, we highlight major remaining challenges and discuss potential future endeavors toward improving clinical outcomes with rapid bacterial ID/AST technologies. PMID:28850804

Emerging Microtechnologies and Automated Systems for Rapid Bacterial Identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing.

PubMed

Li, Yiyan; Yang, Xing; Zhao, Weian

2017-12-01

Rapid bacterial identification (ID) and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) are in great demand due to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria. Conventional culture-based AST methods suffer from a long turnaround time. By necessity, physicians often have to treat patients empirically with antibiotics, which has led to an inappropriate use of antibiotics, an elevated mortality rate and healthcare costs, and antibiotic resistance. Recent advances in miniaturization and automation provide promising solutions for rapid bacterial ID/AST profiling, which will potentially make a significant impact in the clinical management of infectious diseases and antibiotic stewardship in the coming years. In this review, we summarize and analyze representative emerging micro- and nanotechnologies, as well as automated systems for bacterial ID/AST, including both phenotypic (e.g., microfluidic-based bacterial culture, and digital imaging of single cells) and molecular (e.g., multiplex PCR, hybridization probes, nanoparticles, synthetic biology tools, mass spectrometry, and sequencing technologies) methods. We also discuss representative point-of-care (POC) systems that integrate sample processing, fluid handling, and detection for rapid bacterial ID/AST. Finally, we highlight major remaining challenges and discuss potential future endeavors toward improving clinical outcomes with rapid bacterial ID/AST technologies.

Developing Collective Learning Extension for Rapidly Evolving Information System Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agarwal, Nitin; Ahmed, Faysal

2017-01-01

Due to rapidly evolving Information System (IS) technologies, instructors find themselves stuck in the constant game of catching up. On the same hand students find their skills obsolete almost as soon as they graduate. As part of IS curriculum and education, we need to emphasize more on teaching the students "how to learn" while keeping…

An extractables/leachables strategy facilitated by collaboration between drug product vendors and plastic material/system suppliers.

PubMed

Jenke, Dennis

2007-01-01

Leaching of plastic materials, packaging, or containment systems by finished drug products and/or their related solutions can happen when contact occurs between such materials, systems, and products. While the drug product vendor has the regulatory/legal responsibility to demonstrate that such leaching does not affect the safety, efficacy, and/or compliance of the finished drug product, the plastic's supplier can facilitate that demonstration by providing the drug product vendor with appropriate and relevant information. Although it is a reasonable expectation that suppliers would possess and share such facilitating information, it is not reasonable for vendors to expect suppliers to (1) reveal confidential information without appropriate safeguards and (2) possess information specific to the vendor's finished drug product. Any potential conflict between the vendor's desire for information and the supplier's willingness to either generate or supply such information can be mitigated if the roles and responsibilities of these two stakeholders are established up front. The vendor of the finished drug product is responsible for supplying regulators with a full and complete leachables assessment for its finished drug product. To facilitate (but not take the place of) the vendor's leachables assessment, suppliers of the materials, components, or systems can provide the vendor with a full and complete extractables assessment for their material/system. The vendor and supplier share the responsibility for reconciling or correlating the extractables and leachables data. While this document establishes the components of a full and complete extractables assessment, specifying the detailed process by which a full and complete extractables assessment is performed is beyond its scope.

Rapid automated classification of anesthetic depth levels using GPU based parallelization of neural networks.

PubMed

Peker, Musa; Şen, Baha; Gürüler, Hüseyin

2015-02-01

The effect of anesthesia on the patient is referred to as depth of anesthesia. Rapid classification of appropriate depth level of anesthesia is a matter of great importance in surgical operations. Similarly, accelerating classification algorithms is important for the rapid solution of problems in the field of biomedical signal processing. However numerous, time-consuming mathematical operations are required when training and testing stages of the classification algorithms, especially in neural networks. In this study, to accelerate the process, parallel programming and computing platform (Nvidia CUDA) facilitates dramatic increases in computing performance by harnessing the power of the graphics processing unit (GPU) was utilized. The system was employed to detect anesthetic depth level on related electroencephalogram (EEG) data set. This dataset is rather complex and large. Moreover, the achieving more anesthetic levels with rapid response is critical in anesthesia. The proposed parallelization method yielded high accurate classification results in a faster time.

[A study on facilitators and inhibitors to the introduction of outsourcing in the hospital information systems in Korea].

PubMed

Choy, Soon; Shin, Hyeong-Sik; Choi, Inyoung; Kim, Sukil

2007-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate the current status of outsourcing in Korean hospital information systems and the factors influencing its introduction. The authors surveyed 136 hospitals located in Seoul and its surrounding vicinities from June 7 to June 23, 2006. The facilitators and inhibitors to outsourcing in hospital information systems were derived from literature and expert reviews. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the major influencing factors on outsourcing in hospital information systems. Eighty-six (63.2%) of the 136 hospitals surveyed, which were mainly tertiary hospitals, responded to using outsourcing for their hospital information systems. "Hardware and software maintenance and support," "application development," and "management of service and staff" were the major areas of outsourcing. Outsourcing had been employed for 4-7 years by 45.5% of the hospitals and the proportion of the budget used for outsourcing was less than 20%. A need for an extension in outsourcing was agreed on by 76.5% of the hospitals. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that both consumer satisfaction and security risk have an influence on hospital information system outsourcing. Outsourcing in hospital information systems is expected to increase just as in other industries. One primary facilitator to outsourcing in other industries is consumer satisfaction. We found that this was also a facilitator to outsourcing in hospital information systems. Security risk, which is usually considered an inhibitor to information technology outsourcing, was proven to be an inhibitor here as well. The results of this study may help hospital information systems establish a strategy and management plan for outsourcing.

A Low Cost Course Information Syndication System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ajayi, A. O.; Olajubu, E. A.; Bello, S. A.; Soriyan, H. A.; Obamuyide, A. V.

2011-01-01

This study presents a cost effective, reliable, and convenient mobile web-based system to facilitate the dissemination of course information to students, to support interaction that goes beyond the classroom. The system employed the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) technology and was developed using Rapid Application Development (RAD) methodology.…

A Language Translator for a Computer Aided Rapid Prototyping System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-01

PROBLEM ................... S B. THE TRADITIONAL "WATERFALL LIFE CYCLE" .. ............... 14 C. RAPID PROTOTYPING...feature of everyday life for almost the entire industrialized world. Few governments or businesses function without the aid of computer systems. Com...engineering. B. TIE TRADITIONAL "WATERFALL LIFE CYCLE" I. Characteristics The traditional method of software engineering is the "waterfall life cycle

A method of rapidly evaluating image quality of NED optical system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Qi; Qiu, Chuankai; Yang, Huan

2014-11-01

In recent years, with the development of technology of micro-display, advanced optics and the software and hardware, near-to-eye display ( NED) optical system will have a wide range of potential applications in the fields of amusement and virtual reality. However, research on the evaluating image quality of this kind optical system is comparatively lagging behind. Although now there are some methods and equipment for evaluation, they can't be applied in commercial production because of their complex operation and inaccuracy. In this paper, an academic method is proposed and a Rapid Evaluation System (RES) is designed to evaluate the image of optical system rapidly and exactly. Firstly, a set of parameters that eyes are sensitive to and also express the quality of system should be extracted and quantized to be criterion, so the evaluation standards can be established. Then, some parameters can be detected by RES consisted of micro-display, CCD camera and computer and so on. By process of scaling, the measuring results of the RES are exact and creditable, relationship between object measurement, subjective evaluation and the RES will be established. After that, image quality of optical system can be evaluated just by detecting parameters of that. The RES is simple and the results of evaluation are exact and keeping with human vision. So the method can be used not only for optimizing design of optical system, but also for evaluation in commercial production.

The limitations in implementing and operating a rapid response system.

PubMed

Subramaniam, A; Botha, J; Tiruvoipati, R

2016-10-01

Despite the widespread introduction of rapid response systems (RRS)/medical emergency teams (MET), there is still controversy regarding how effective they are. While there are some observational studies showing improved outcomes with RRS, there are no data from randomised controlled trials to support the effectiveness. Nevertheless, the MET system has become a standard of care in many healthcare organisations. In this review, we present an overview of the limitations in implementing and operating a RRS in modern healthcare. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Facilitating access to information in large documents with an intelligent hypertext system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mathe, Nathalie

1993-01-01

Retrieving specific information from large amounts of documentation is not an easy task. It could be facilitated if information relevant in the current problem solving context could be automatically supplied to the user. As a first step towards this goal, we have developed an intelligent hypertext system called CID (Computer Integrated Documentation) and tested it on the Space Station Freedom requirement documents. The CID system enables integration of various technical documents in a hypertext framework and includes an intelligent context-sensitive indexing and retrieval mechanism. This mechanism utilizes on-line user information requirements and relevance feedback either to reinforce current indexing in case of success or to generate new knowledge in case of failure. This allows the CID system to provide helpful responses, based on previous usage of the documentation, and to improve its performance over time.

Istanbul Earthquake Early Warning and Rapid Response System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdik, M. O.; Fahjan, Y.; Ozel, O.; Alcik, H.; Aydin, M.; Gul, M.

2003-12-01

As part of the preparations for the future earthquake in Istanbul a Rapid Response and Early Warning system in the metropolitan area is in operation. For the Early Warning system ten strong motion stations were installed as close as possible to the fault zone. Continuous on-line data from these stations via digital radio modem provide early warning for potentially disastrous earthquakes. Considering the complexity of fault rupture and the short fault distances involved, a simple and robust Early Warning algorithm, based on the exceedance of specified threshold time domain amplitude levels is implemented. The band-pass filtered accelerations and the cumulative absolute velocity (CAV) are compared with specified threshold levels. When any acceleration or CAV (on any channel) in a given station exceeds specific threshold values it is considered a vote. Whenever we have 2 station votes within selectable time interval, after the first vote, the first alarm is declared. In order to specify the appropriate threshold levels a data set of near field strong ground motions records form Turkey and the world has been analyzed. Correlations among these thresholds in terms of the epicenter distance the magnitude of the earthquake have been studied. The encrypted early warning signals will be communicated to the respective end users by UHF systems through a "service provider" company. The users of the early warning signal will be power and gas companies, nuclear research facilities, critical chemical factories, subway system and several high-rise buildings. Depending on the location of the earthquake (initiation of fault rupture) and the recipient facility the alarm time can be as high as about 8s. For the rapid response system one hundred 18 bit-resolution strong motion accelerometers were placed in quasi-free field locations (basement of small buildings) in the populated areas of the city, within an area of approximately 50x30km, to constitute a network that will enable early

Facilitating Facilitators: Enhancing PBL through a Structured Facilitator Development Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salinitri, Francine D.; Wilhelm, Sheila M.; Crabtree, Brian L.

2015-01-01

With increasing adoption of the problem-based learning (PBL) model, creative approaches to enhancing facilitator training and optimizing resources to maintain effective learning in small groups is essential. We describe a theoretical framework for the development of a PBL facilitator training program that uses the constructivist approach as the…

Evolution of rapid nerve conduction.

PubMed

Castelfranco, Ann M; Hartline, Daniel K

2016-06-15

Rapid conduction of nerve impulses is a priority for organisms needing to react quickly to events in their environment. While myelin may be viewed as the crowning innovation bringing about rapid conduction, the evolution of rapid communication mechanisms, including those refined and enhanced in the evolution of myelin, has much deeper roots. In this review, a sequence is traced starting with diffusional communication, followed by transport-facilitated communication, the rise of electrical signaling modalities, the invention of voltage-gated channels and "all-or-none" impulses, the emergence of elongate nerve axons specialized for communication and their fine-tuning to enhance impulse conduction speeds. Finally within the evolution of myelin itself, several innovations have arisen and have been interactively refined for speed enhancement, including the addition and sealing of layers, their limitation by space availability, and the optimization of key parameters: channel density, lengths of exposed nodes and lengths of internodes. We finish by suggesting several design principles that appear to govern the evolution of rapid conduction. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Myelin Evolution. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Development of a Novel and Rapid Fully Automated Genetic Testing System.

PubMed

Uehara, Masayuki

2016-01-01

We have developed a rapid genetic testing system integrating nucleic acid extraction, purification, amplification, and detection in a single cartridge. The system performs real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after nucleic acid purification in a fully automated manner. RNase P, a housekeeping gene, was purified from human nasal epithelial cells using silica-coated magnetic beads and subjected to real-time PCR using a novel droplet-real-time-PCR machine. The process was completed within 13 min. This system will be widely applicable for research and diagnostic uses.

Conductive interference in rapid transit signaling systems. volume 2. suggested test procedures

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1987-05-31

Methods for detecting and quantifying the levels of conductive electromagnetic interference produced by solid state rapid transit propulsion equipment and for determining the susceptibility of signaling systems to these emissions are presented. These...

Development of a rapid 21-plex autosomal STR typing system for forensic applications.

PubMed

Yang, Meng; Yin, Caiyong; Lv, Yuexin; Yang, Yaran; Chen, Jing; Yu, Zailiang; Liu, Xu; Xu, Meibo; Chen, Feng; Wu, Huijuan; Yan, Jiangwei

2016-10-01

DNA-STR genotyping technology has been widely used in forensic investigations. Even with such success, there is a great need to reduce the analysis time. In this study, we established a new rapid 21-plex STR typing system, including 13 CODIS loci, Penta D, Penta E, D12S391, D2S1338, D6S1043, D19S433, D2S441 and Amelogenin loci. This system could shorten the amplification time to a minimum of 90 min and does not require DNA extraction from the samples. Validation of the typing system complied with the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) and the Chinese National Standard (GA/T815-2009) guidelines. The results demonstrated that this 21-plex STR typing system was a valuable tool for rapid criminal investigation. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The improvement of movement and speech during rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder in multiple system atrophy.

PubMed

De Cock, Valérie Cochen; Debs, Rachel; Oudiette, Delphine; Leu, Smaranda; Radji, Fatai; Tiberge, Michel; Yu, Huan; Bayard, Sophie; Roze, Emmanuel; Vidailhet, Marie; Dauvilliers, Yves; Rascol, Olivier; Arnulf, Isabelle

2011-03-01

Multiple system atrophy is an atypical parkinsonism characterized by severe motor disabilities that are poorly levodopa responsive. Most patients develop rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder. Because parkinsonism is absent during rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder in patients with Parkinson's disease, we studied the movements of patients with multiple system atrophy during rapid eye movement sleep. Forty-nine non-demented patients with multiple system atrophy and 49 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease were interviewed along with their 98 bed partners using a structured questionnaire. They rated the quality of movements, vocal and facial expressions during rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder as better than, equal to or worse than the same activities in an awake state. Sleep and movements were monitored using video-polysomnography in 22/49 patients with multiple system atrophy and in 19/49 patients with Parkinson's disease. These recordings were analysed for the presence of parkinsonism and cerebellar syndrome during rapid eye movement sleep movements. Clinical rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder was observed in 43/49 (88%) patients with multiple system atrophy. Reports from the 31/43 bed partners who were able to evaluate movements during sleep indicate that 81% of the patients showed some form of improvement during rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder. These included improved movement (73% of patients: faster, 67%; stronger, 52%; and smoother, 26%), improved speech (59% of patients: louder, 55%; more intelligible, 17%; and better articulated, 36%) and normalized facial expression (50% of patients). The rate of improvement was higher in Parkinson's disease than in multiple system atrophy, but no further difference was observed between the two forms of multiple system atrophy (predominant parkinsonism versus cerebellar syndrome). Video-monitored movements during rapid eye movement sleep in patients with multiple system

Facilitation influences patterns of perennial species abundance and richness in a subtropical dune system.

PubMed

Dalotto, Cecilia E S; Sühs, Rafael B; Dechoum, Michele S; Pugnaire, Francisco I; Peroni, Nivaldo; Castellani, Tânia T

2018-04-01

Positive interactions in plant communities are under-reported in subtropical systems most likely because they are not identified as stressful environments. However, environmental factors or disturbance can limit plant growth in any system and lead to stressful conditions. For instance, salinity and low nutrient and water availability generate a gradient of stressful conditions in coastal systems depending on distance to shore. In a tropical coastal system in SE Brazil, we aimed to assess whether Guapira opposita , a shrub common in restinga environments, acted as nurse involved in ecological succession and which factors influenced its facilitation process. We sampled perennial species above 10 cm in height under the canopy of 35 G. opposita individuals and in neighbouring open areas. Shrub height, canopy area and distance to freshwater bodies were measured in the field, and distance to the ocean was obtained from aerial images. In addition, we measured the distance to the closest forest patch as a potential source of seeds. Plant abundance and species richness were higher under the canopy of G. opposita than in open areas. Facilitation by G. opposita was mainly determined by shrub height, which had a positive relationship with woody and bromeliads abundance and species richness while there was no relationship with the other factors. Overall, our data evidence that tropical environments may be highly stressful for plants and that nurse species play a key role in the regeneration of restinga environments, where their presence is critical to maintain ecosystem diversity and function.

Rapid Assessment Response (RAR) study: drug use, health and systemic risks--Emthonjeni Correctional Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.

PubMed

Dos Santos, Monika M L; Trautmann, Franz; Wolvaardt, Gustaaf; Palakatsela, Romeo

2014-04-03

Correctional centre populations are one of the populations most at risk of contracting HIV infection for many reasons, such as unprotected sex, violence, rape and tattooing with contaminated equipment. Specific data on drug users in correctional centres is not available for the majority of countries, including South Africa. The study aimed to identify the attitudes and knowledge of key informant (KI) offender and correctional centre staff regarding drug use, health and systemic-related problems so as to facilitate the long-term planning of activities in the field of drug-use prevention and systems strengthening in correctional centres, including suggestions for the development of appropriate intervention and rehabilitation programmes. A Rapid Assessment Response (RAR) methodology was adopted which included observation, mapping of service providers (SP), KI interviews (staff and offenders) and focus groups (FGs). The study was implemented in Emthonjeni Youth Correctional Centre, Pretoria, South Africa. Fifteen KI staff participants were interviewed and 45 KI offenders. Drug use is fairly prevalent in the centre, with tobacco most commonly smoked, followed by cannabis and heroin. The banning of tobacco has also led to black-market features such as transactional sex, violence, gangsterism and smuggling in order to obtain mainly prohibited tobacco products, as well as illicit substances. HIV, health and systemic-related risk reduction within the Correctional Service sector needs to focus on measures such as improvement of staff capacity and security measures, deregulation of tobacco products and the development and implementation of comprehensive health promotion programmes.

Memory management and compiler support for rapid recovery from failures in computer systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuchs, W. K.

1991-01-01

This paper describes recent developments in the use of memory management and compiler technology to support rapid recovery from failures in computer systems. The techniques described include cache coherence protocols for user transparent checkpointing in multiprocessor systems, compiler-based checkpoint placement, compiler-based code modification for multiple instruction retry, and forward recovery in distributed systems utilizing optimistic execution.

Mathematical Modeling Of Life-Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seshan, Panchalam K.; Ganapathi, Balasubramanian; Jan, Darrell L.; Ferrall, Joseph F.; Rohatgi, Naresh K.

1994-01-01

Generic hierarchical model of life-support system developed to facilitate comparisons of options in design of system. Model represents combinations of interdependent subsystems supporting microbes, plants, fish, and land animals (including humans). Generic model enables rapid configuration of variety of specific life support component models for tradeoff studies culminating in single system design. Enables rapid evaluation of effects of substituting alternate technologies and even entire groups of technologies and subsystems. Used to synthesize and analyze life-support systems ranging from relatively simple, nonregenerative units like aquariums to complex closed-loop systems aboard submarines or spacecraft. Model, called Generic Modular Flow Schematic (GMFS), coded in such chemical-process-simulation languages as Aspen Plus and expressed as three-dimensional spreadsheet.

Gold Nanorod-based Photo-PCR System for One-Step, Rapid Detection of Bacteria

PubMed Central

Kim, Jinjoo; Kim, Hansol; Park, Ji Ho; Jon, Sangyong

2017-01-01

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been an essential tool for diagnosis of infectious diseases, but conventional PCR still has some limitations with respect to applications to point-of-care (POC) diagnostic systems that require rapid detection and miniaturization. Here we report a light-based PCR method, termed as photo-PCR, which enables rapid detection of bacteria in a single step. In the photo-PCR system, poly(enthylene glycol)-modified gold nanorods (PEG-GNRs), used as a heat generator, are added into the PCR mixture, which is subsequently periodically irradiated with a 808-nm laser to create thermal cycling. Photo-PCR was able to significantly reduce overall thermal cycling time by integrating bacterial cell lysis and DNA amplification into a single step. Furthermore, when combined with KAPA2G fast polymerase and cooling system, the entire process of bacterial genomic DNA extraction and amplification was further shortened, highlighting the potential of photo-PCR for use in a portable, POC diagnostic system. PMID:29071186

Rapid prototyping facility for flight research in artificial-intelligence-based flight systems concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duke, E. L.; Regenie, V. A.; Deets, D. A.

1986-01-01

The Dryden Flight Research Facility of the NASA Ames Research Facility of the NASA Ames Research Center is developing a rapid prototyping facility for flight research in flight systems concepts that are based on artificial intelligence (AI). The facility will include real-time high-fidelity aircraft simulators, conventional and symbolic processors, and a high-performance research aircraft specially modified to accept commands from the ground-based AI computers. This facility is being developed as part of the NASA-DARPA automated wingman program. This document discusses the need for flight research and for a national flight research facility for the rapid prototyping of AI-based avionics systems and the NASA response to those needs.

A Rapid Turnaround Cryogenic Detector Characterization System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benford, Dominic j.; Dipirro, Michael J.; Forgione, Joshua B.; Jackson, Clifton E.; Jackson, Michael L.; Kogut, Al; Moseley, S. Harvey; Shirron, Peter J.

2004-01-01

Upcoming major NASA missions such as the Einstein Inflation Probe and the Single Aperture Far-Infrared Observatory require arrays of detectors with thousands of elements, operating at temperatures near l00 mK and sensitive to wavelengths from approx. 100 microns to approx. 3 mm. Such detectors represent a substantial enabling technology for these missions, and must be demonstrated soon in order for them to proceed. In order to make rapid progress on detector development, the cryogenic testing cycle must be made convenient and quick. We have developed a cryogenic detector characterization system capable of testing superconducting detector arrays in formats up to 8 x 32, read out by SQUID multiplexers. The system relies on the cooling of a two-stage adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator immersed in a liquid helium bath. This approach permits a detector to be cooled from 300K to 50 mK in about 4 hours, so that a test cycle begun in the morning will be over by the end of the day. Tine system is modular, with two identical immersible units, so that while one unit is cooling, the second can be reconfigured for the next battery of tests. We describe the design, construction, and performance of this cryogenic detector testing facility.

Snake venoms are integrated systems, but abundant venom proteins evolve more rapidly.

PubMed

Aird, Steven D; Aggarwal, Shikha; Villar-Briones, Alejandro; Tin, Mandy Man-Ying; Terada, Kouki; Mikheyev, Alexander S

2015-08-28

While many studies have shown that extracellular proteins evolve rapidly, how selection acts on them remains poorly understood. We used snake venoms to understand the interaction between ecology, expression level, and evolutionary rate in secreted protein systems. Venomous snakes employ well-integrated systems of proteins and organic constituents to immobilize prey. Venoms are generally optimized to subdue preferred prey more effectively than non-prey, and many venom protein families manifest positive selection and rapid gene family diversification. Although previous studies have illuminated how individual venom protein families evolve, how selection acts on venoms as integrated systems, is unknown. Using next-generation transcriptome sequencing and mass spectrometry, we examined microevolution in two pitvipers, allopatrically separated for at least 1.6 million years, and their hybrids. Transcriptomes of parental species had generally similar compositions in regard to protein families, but for a given protein family, the homologs present and concentrations thereof sometimes differed dramatically. For instance, a phospholipase A2 transcript comprising 73.4 % of the Protobothrops elegans transcriptome, was barely present in the P. flavoviridis transcriptome (<0.05 %). Hybrids produced most proteins found in both parental venoms. Protein evolutionary rates were positively correlated with transcriptomic and proteomic abundances, and the most abundant proteins showed positive selection. This pattern holds with the addition of four other published crotaline transcriptomes, from two more genera, and also for the recently published king cobra genome, suggesting that rapid evolution of abundant proteins may be generally true for snake venoms. Looking more broadly at Protobothrops, we show that rapid evolution of the most abundant components is due to positive selection, suggesting an interplay between abundance and adaptation. Given log-scale differences in toxin

Determining Barriers and Facilitators Associated With Willingness to Use a Personal Health Information Management System to Support Worksite Wellness Programs.

PubMed

Neyens, David M; Childers, Ashley Kay

2017-07-01

To determine the barriers and facilitators associated with willingness to use personal health information management (PHIM) systems to support an existing worksite wellness program (WWP). The study design involved a Web-based survey. The study setting was a regional hospital. Hospital employees comprised the study subjects. Willingness, barriers, and facilitators associated with PHIM were measured. Bivariate logit models were used to model two binary dependent variables. One model predicted the likelihood of believing PHIM systems would positively affect overall health and willingness to use. Another predicted the likelihood of worrying about online security and not believing PHIM systems would benefit health goals. Based on 333 responses, believing PHIM systems would positively affect health was highly associated with willingness to use PHIM systems (p < .01). Those comfortable online were 7.22 times more willing to use PHIM systems. Participants in exercise-based components of WWPs were 3.03 times more likely to be willing to use PHIM systems. Those who worried about online security were 5.03 times more likely to believe PHIM systems would not help obtain health goals. Comfort with personal health information online and exercise-based WWP experience was associated with willingness to use PHIM systems. However, nutrition-based WWPs did not have similar effects. Implementation barriers relate to technology anxiety and trust in security, as well as experience with specific WWP activities. Identifying differences between WWP components and addressing technology concerns before implementation of PHIM systems into WWPs may facilitate improved adoption and usage.

A versatile modular vector system for rapid combinatorial mammalian genetics.

PubMed

Albers, Joachim; Danzer, Claudia; Rechsteiner, Markus; Lehmann, Holger; Brandt, Laura P; Hejhal, Tomas; Catalano, Antonella; Busenhart, Philipp; Gonçalves, Ana Filipa; Brandt, Simone; Bode, Peter K; Bode-Lesniewska, Beata; Wild, Peter J; Frew, Ian J

2015-04-01

Here, we describe the multiple lentiviral expression (MuLE) system that allows multiple genetic alterations to be introduced simultaneously into mammalian cells. We created a toolbox of MuLE vectors that constitute a flexible, modular system for the rapid engineering of complex polycistronic lentiviruses, allowing combinatorial gene overexpression, gene knockdown, Cre-mediated gene deletion, or CRISPR/Cas9-mediated (where CRISPR indicates clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) gene mutation, together with expression of fluorescent or enzymatic reporters for cellular assays and animal imaging. Examples of tumor engineering were used to illustrate the speed and versatility of performing combinatorial genetics using the MuLE system. By transducing cultured primary mouse cells with single MuLE lentiviruses, we engineered tumors containing up to 5 different genetic alterations, identified genetic dependencies of molecularly defined tumors, conducted genetic interaction screens, and induced the simultaneous CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of 3 tumor-suppressor genes. Intramuscular injection of MuLE viruses expressing oncogenic H-RasG12V together with combinations of knockdowns of the tumor suppressors cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (Cdkn2a), transformation-related protein 53 (Trp53), and phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten) allowed the generation of 3 murine sarcoma models, demonstrating that genetically defined autochthonous tumors can be rapidly generated and quantitatively monitored via direct injection of polycistronic MuLE lentiviruses into mouse tissues. Together, our results demonstrate that the MuLE system provides genetic power for the systematic investigation of the molecular mechanisms that underlie human diseases.

A Rapid Screen for Host-Encoded miRNAs with Inhibitory Effects against Ebola Virus Using a Transcription- and Replication-Competent Virus-Like Particle System.

PubMed

Wang, Zhongyi; Li, Jiaming; Fu, Yingying; Zhao, Zongzheng; Zhang, Chunmao; Li, Nan; Li, Jingjing; Cheng, Hongliang; Jin, Xiaojun; Lu, Bing; Guo, Zhendong; Qian, Jun; Liu, Linna

2018-05-16

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may become efficient antiviral agents against the Ebola virus (EBOV) targeting viral genomic RNAs or transcripts. We previously conducted a genome-wide search for differentially expressed miRNAs during viral replication and transcription. In this study, we established a rapid screen for miRNAs with inhibitory effects against EBOV using a tetracistronic transcription- and replication-competent virus-like particle (trVLP) system. This system uses a minigenome comprising an EBOV leader region, luciferase reporter, VP40, GP, VP24, EBOV trailer region, and three noncoding regions from the EBOV genome and can be used to model the life cycle of EBOV under biosafety level (BSL) 2 conditions. Informatic analysis was performed to select up-regulated miRNAs targeting the coding regions of the minigenome with the highest binding energy to perform inhibitory effect screening. Among these miRNAs, miR-150-3p had the most significant inhibitory effect. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot, and double fluorescence reporter experiments demonstrated that miR-150-3p inhibited the reproduction of trVLPs via the regulation of GP and VP40 expression by directly targeting the coding regions of GP and VP40. This novel, rapid, and convenient screening method will efficiently facilitate the exploration of miRNAs against EBOV under BSL-2 conditions.

Catastrophic Shifts in Semiarid Vegetation-Soil Systems May Unfold Rapidly or Slowly.

PubMed

Karssenberg, Derek; Bierkens, Marc F P; Rietkerk, Max

2017-12-01

Under gradual change of a driver, complex systems may switch between contrasting stable states. For many ecosystems it is unknown how rapidly such a critical transition unfolds. Here we explore the rate of change during the degradation of a semiarid ecosystem with a model coupling the vegetation and geomorphological system. Two stable states-vegetated and bare-are identified, and it is shown that the change between these states is a critical transition. Surprisingly, the critical transition between the vegetated and bare state can unfold either rapidly over a few years or gradually over decennia up to millennia, depending on parameter values. An important condition for the phenomenon is the linkage between slow and fast ecosystems components. Our results show that, next to climate change and disturbance rates, the geological and geomorphological setting of a semiarid ecosystem is crucial in predicting its fate.

RAPADAPTE for rapid guideline development: high-quality clinical guidelines can be rapidly developed with limited resources.

PubMed

Alper, Brian S; Tristan, Mario; Ramirez-Morera, Anggie; Vreugdenhil, Maria M T; Van Zuuren, Esther J; Fedorowicz, Zbys

2016-06-01

Guideline development is challenging, expensive and labor-intensive. A high-quality guideline with 90 recommendations for breast cancer treatment was developed within 6 months with limited resources in Costa Rica. We describe the experience and propose a process others can use and adapt.The ADAPTE method (using existing guidelines to minimize repeating work that has been done) was used but existing guidelines were not current. The method was extended to use databases that systematically identify, appraise and synthesize evidence for clinical application (DynaMed, EBM Guidelines) to provide current evidence searches and critical appraisal of evidence. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to rate the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations. Draft recommendations with supporting evidence were provided to panel members for facilitated voting to target panel discussion to areas necessary for reaching consensus.Training panelists in guideline development methodology facilitated rapid consensus development. Extending 'guideline adaptation' to 'evidence database adaptation' was highly effective and efficient. Methods were created to simplify mapping DynaMed evidence ratings to GRADE ratings. Twelve steps are presented to facilitate rapid guideline development and enable further adaptation by others.This is a case report and the RAPADAPTE method was retrospectively derived. Prospective replication and validation will support advances for the guideline development community. If guideline development can be accelerated without compromising validity and relevance of the resulting recommendations this would greatly improve our ability to impact clinical care. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.

Facilitation influences patterns of perennial species abundance and richness in a subtropical dune system

PubMed Central

Dalotto, Cecilia E S; Sühs, Rafael B; Dechoum, Michele S; Pugnaire, Francisco I; Peroni, Nivaldo; Castellani, Tânia T

2018-01-01

Abstract Positive interactions in plant communities are under-reported in subtropical systems most likely because they are not identified as stressful environments. However, environmental factors or disturbance can limit plant growth in any system and lead to stressful conditions. For instance, salinity and low nutrient and water availability generate a gradient of stressful conditions in coastal systems depending on distance to shore. In a tropical coastal system in SE Brazil, we aimed to assess whether Guapira opposita, a shrub common in restinga environments, acted as nurse involved in ecological succession and which factors influenced its facilitation process. We sampled perennial species above 10 cm in height under the canopy of 35 G. opposita individuals and in neighbouring open areas. Shrub height, canopy area and distance to freshwater bodies were measured in the field, and distance to the ocean was obtained from aerial images. In addition, we measured the distance to the closest forest patch as a potential source of seeds. Plant abundance and species richness were higher under the canopy of G. opposita than in open areas. Facilitation by G. opposita was mainly determined by shrub height, which had a positive relationship with woody and bromeliads abundance and species richness while there was no relationship with the other factors. Overall, our data evidence that tropical environments may be highly stressful for plants and that nurse species play a key role in the regeneration of restinga environments, where their presence is critical to maintain ecosystem diversity and function. PMID:29644027

Knowledge acquisition and rapid protyping of an expert system: Dealing with real world problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, Patrick A.; Doehr, Brett B.

1988-01-01

The knowledge engineering and rapid prototyping phases of an expert system that does fault handling for a Solid Amine, Water Desorbed CO2 removal assembly for the Environmental Control and Life Support System for space based platforms are addressed. The knowledge acquisition phase for this project was interesting because it could not follow the textbook examples. As a result of this, a variety of methods were used during the knowledge acquisition task. The use of rapid prototyping and the need for a flexible prototype suggested certain types of knowledge representation. By combining various techniques, a representative subset of faults and a method for handling those faults was achieved. The experiences should prove useful for developing future fault handling expert systems under similar constraints.

Design of Soil Salinity Policies with Tinamit, a Flexible and Rapid Tool to Couple Stakeholder-Built System Dynamics Models with Physically-Based Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malard, J. J.; Baig, A. I.; Hassanzadeh, E.; Adamowski, J. F.; Tuy, H.; Melgar-Quiñonez, H.

2016-12-01

Model coupling is a crucial step to constructing many environmental models, as it allows for the integration of independently-built models representing different system sub-components to simulate the entire system. Model coupling has been of particular interest in combining socioeconomic System Dynamics (SD) models, whose visual interface facilitates their direct use by stakeholders, with more complex physically-based models of the environmental system. However, model coupling processes are often cumbersome and inflexible and require extensive programming knowledge, limiting their potential for continued use by stakeholders in policy design and analysis after the end of the project. Here, we present Tinamit, a flexible Python-based model-coupling software tool whose easy-to-use API and graphical user interface make the coupling of stakeholder-built SD models with physically-based models rapid, flexible and simple for users with limited to no coding knowledge. The flexibility of the system allows end users to modify the SD model as well as the linking variables between the two models themselves with no need for recoding. We use Tinamit to couple a stakeholder-built socioeconomic model of soil salinization in Pakistan with the physically-based soil salinity model SAHYSMOD. As climate extremes increase in the region, policies to slow or reverse soil salinity buildup are increasing in urgency and must take both socioeconomic and biophysical spheres into account. We use the Tinamit-coupled model to test the impact of integrated policy options (economic and regulatory incentives to farmers) on soil salinity in the region in the face of future climate change scenarios. Use of the Tinamit model allowed for rapid and flexible coupling of the two models, allowing the end user to continue making model structure and policy changes. In addition, the clear interface (in contrast to most model coupling code) makes the final coupled model easily accessible to stakeholders with

Barriers and facilitators to senior centers participating in translational research.

PubMed

Felix, Holly C; Adams, Becky; Cornell, Carol E; Fausett, Jennifer K; Krukowski, Rebecca A; Love, ShaRhonda J; Prewitt, T Elaine; West, Delia Smith

2014-01-01

Senior centers are ideal locations to deliver evidence-based health promotion programs to the rapidly growing population of older Americans to help them remain healthy and independent in the community. However, little reported research is conducted in partnership with senior centers; thus, not much is known about barriers and facilitators for senior centers serving as research sites. To fill this gap and potentially accelerate research within senior centers to enhance translation of evidence-based interventions into practice, the present study examined barriers and facilitators of senior centers invited to participate in a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Primary barriers to participation related to staffing and perceived inability to recruit older adult participants meeting research criteria. The primary facilitator was a desire to offer programs that were of interest and beneficial to seniors. Senior centers are interested in participating in research that provides benefit to older adults but may need assistance from researchers to overcome participation barriers. © The Author(s) 2012.

Development of a colony lift immunoassay to facilitate rapid detection and quantification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from agar plates and filter monitor membranes.

PubMed

Ingram, D T; Lamichhane, C M; Rollins, D M; Carr, L E; Mallinson, E T; Joseph, S W

1998-07-01

E. coli O157:H7 is a food-borne adulterant that can cause hemorrhagic ulcerative colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Faced with an increasing risk of foods contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, food safety officials are seeking improved methods to detect and isolate E. coli O157:H7 in hazard analysis and critical control point systems in meat- and poultry-processing plants. A colony lift immunoassay was developed to facilitate the positive identification and quantification of E. coli O157:H7 by incorporating a simple colony lift enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with filter monitors and traditional culture methods. Polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes (Millipore, Bedford, Mass.) were prewet with methanol and were used to make replicates of every bacterial colony on agar plates or filter monitor membranes that were then reincubated for 15 to 18 h at 36 +/- 1 degree C, during which the colonies not only remained viable but were reestablished. The membranes were dried, blocked with blocking buffer (Kirkegaard and Perry Laboratories [KPL], Gaithersburg, Md.), and exposed for 7 min to an affinity-purified horseradish peroxidase-labeled goat anti-E. coli O157 antibody (KPL). The membranes were washed, exposed to a 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine membrane substrate (TMB; KPL) or aminoethyl carbazole (AEC; Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.), rinsed in deionized water, and air dried. Colonies of E. coli O157:H7 were identified by either a blue (via TMB) or a red (via AEC) color reaction. The colored spots on the PVDF lift membrane were then matched to their respective parent colonies on the agar plates or filter monitor membranes. The colony lift immunoassay was tested with a wide range of genera in the family Enterobacteriaceae as well as different serotypes within the E. coli genus. The colony lift immunoassay provided a simple, rapid, and accurate method for confirming the presence of E. coli O157:H7 colonies isolated on filter monitors or spread plates by

Development of a Colony Lift Immunoassay To Facilitate Rapid Detection and Quantification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from Agar Plates and Filter Monitor Membranes

PubMed Central

Ingram, David T.; Lamichhane, Chinta M.; Rollins, David M.; Carr, Lewis E.; Mallinson, Edward T.; Joseph, Sam W.

1998-01-01

E. coli O157:H7 is a food-borne adulterant that can cause hemorrhagic ulcerative colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Faced with an increasing risk of foods contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, food safety officials are seeking improved methods to detect and isolate E. coli O157:H7 in hazard analysis and critical control point systems in meat- and poultry-processing plants. A colony lift immunoassay was developed to facilitate the positive identification and quantification of E. coli O157:H7 by incorporating a simple colony lift enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with filter monitors and traditional culture methods. Polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes (Millipore, Bedford, Mass.) were prewet with methanol and were used to make replicates of every bacterial colony on agar plates or filter monitor membranes that were then reincubated for 15 to 18 h at 36 ± 1°C, during which the colonies not only remained viable but were reestablished. The membranes were dried, blocked with blocking buffer (Kirkegaard and Perry Laboratories [KPL], Gaithersburg, Md.), and exposed for 7 min to an affinity-purified horseradish peroxidase-labeled goat anti-E. coli O157 antibody (KPL). The membranes were washed, exposed to a 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine membrane substrate (TMB; KPL) or aminoethyl carbazole (AEC; Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.), rinsed in deionized water, and air dried. Colonies of E. coli O157:H7 were identified by either a blue (via TMB) or a red (via AEC) color reaction. The colored spots on the PVDF lift membrane were then matched to their respective parent colonies on the agar plates or filter monitor membranes. The colony lift immunoassay was tested with a wide range of genera in the family Enterobacteriaceae as well as different serotypes within the E. coli genus. The colony lift immunoassay provided a simple, rapid, and accurate method for confirming the presence of E. coli O157:H7 colonies isolated on filter monitors or spread plates by traditional

Computer Controlled Microwave Oven System for Rapid Water Content Determination

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-11-01

Codes - .d/or CONTENTS Page PREFACE .................................................................... 1 CONVERSION FACTORS, NON- SI TO SI (METRIC...CONVERSION FACTORS, NON- SI TO SI (METRIC) UNITS OF MEASUREMENT Non- SI units of measurement used in this report can be converted to SI (metric) units as...formula: C = (5/9)(F - 32) . To obtain Kelvin ( K ) readings, use: K = (5/9)(F - 32) + 273.15 3 COMPUTER CONTROLLED MICROWAVE OVEN SYSTEM FOR RAPID WATER

Web-services-based spatial decision support system to facilitate nuclear waste siting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, L. Xinglai; Sheng, Grant

2006-10-01

The availability of spatial web services enables data sharing among managers, decision and policy makers and other stakeholders in much simpler ways than before and subsequently has created completely new opportunities in the process of spatial decision making. Though generally designed for a certain problem domain, web-services-based spatial decision support systems (WSDSS) can provide a flexible problem-solving environment to explore the decision problem, understand and refine problem definition, and generate and evaluate multiple alternatives for decision. This paper presents a new framework for the development of a web-services-based spatial decision support system. The WSDSS is comprised of distributed web services that either have their own functions or provide different geospatial data and may reside in different computers and locations. WSDSS includes six key components, namely: database management system, catalog, analysis functions and models, GIS viewers and editors, report generators, and graphical user interfaces. In this study, the architecture of a web-services-based spatial decision support system to facilitate nuclear waste siting is described as an example. The theoretical, conceptual and methodological challenges and issues associated with developing web services-based spatial decision support system are described.

Applying Lean: Implementation of a Rapid Triage and Treatment System

PubMed Central

Murrell, Karen L.; Offerman, Steven R.; Kauffman, Mark B.

2011-01-01

Objective: Emergency department (ED) crowding creates issues with patient satisfaction, long wait times and leaving the ED without being seen by a doctor (LWBS). Our objective was to evaluate how applying Lean principles to develop a Rapid Triage and Treatment (RTT) system affected ED metrics in our community hospital. Methods: Using Lean principles, we made ED process improvements that led to the RTT system. Using this system, patients undergo a rapid triage with low-acuity patients seen and treated by a physician in the triage area. No changes in staffing, physical space or hospital resources occurred during the study period. We then performed a retrospective, observational study comparing hospital electronic medical record data six months before and six months after implementation of the RTT system. Results: ED census was 30,981 in the six months prior to RTT and 33,926 after. Ambulance arrivals, ED patient acuity and hospital admission rates were unchanged throughout the study periods. Mean ED length of stay was longer in the period before RTT (4.2 hours, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.2–4.3; standard deviation [SD] = 3.9) than after (3.6 hours, 95% CI = 3.6–3.7; SD = 3.7). Mean ED arrival to physician start time was 62.2 minutes (95% CI = 61.5–63.0; SD = 58.9) prior to RTT and 41.9 minutes (95% CI = 41.5–42.4; SD = 30.9) after. The LWBS rate for the six months prior to RTT was 4.5% (95% CI = 3.1–5.5) and 1.5% (95% CI = 0.6–1.8) after RTT initiation. Conclusion: Our experience shows that changes in ED processes using Lean thinking and available resources can improve efficiency. In this community hospital ED, use of an RTT system decreased patient wait times and LWBS rates. PMID:21691524

Inductive Interference in Rapid Transit Signaling Systems. Volume 3. Data and Test Results.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-11-01

This report presents comparative inductive interference data obtained from four U.S. rapid transit systems employing chopper propulsion control, as part of the Rail Transit Electromagnetic Interference/Electromagnetic Compatibility program conducted ...

A System Concept for Facilitating User Preferences in En Route Airspace

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vivona, R. A.; Ballin, M. G.; Green, S. M.; Bach, R. E.; McNally, B. D.

1996-01-01

The Federal Aviation Administration is trying to make its air traffic management system more responsive to the needs of the aviation community by exploring the concept of 'free flight' for aircraft flying under instrument flight rules. A logical first step toward free flight could be made without significantly altering current air traffic control (ATC) procedures or requiring new airborne equipment by designing a ground-based system to be highly responsive to 'user preference' in en route airspace while providing for an orderly transition to the terminal area. To facilitate user preference in all en route environments, a system based on an extension of the Center/TRACON Automation System (CTAS) is proposed in this document. The new system would consist of two integrated components. An airspace tool (AT) focuses on unconstrained en route aircraft (e.g., not transitioning to the terminal airspace), taking advantage of the relatively unconstrained nature of their flights and using long-range trajectory prediction to provide cost-effective conflict resolution advisories to sector controllers. A sector tool (ST) generates efficient advisories for all aircraft, with a focus on supporting controllers in analyzing and resolving complex, highly constrained traffic situations. When combined, the integrated AT/ST system supports user preference in any air route traffic control center sector. The system should also be useful in evaluating advanced free-flight concepts by serving as a test bed for future research. This document provides an overview of the design concept, explains its anticipated benefits, and recommends a development strategy that leads to a deployable system.

Probing fast ribozyme reactions under biological conditions with rapid quench-flow kinetics

PubMed Central

Bingaman, Jamie L.; Messina, Kyle J.; Bevilacqua, Philip C.

2017-01-01

Reaction kinetics on the millisecond timescale pervade the protein and RNA fields. To study such reactions, investigators often perturb the system with abiological solution conditions or substrates in order to slow the rate to timescales accessible by hand-mixing; however, such perturbations can change the rate-limiting step and obscure key folding and chemical steps that are found under biological conditions. Mechanical methods for collecting data on the millisecond timescale, which allow these perturbations to be avoided, have been developed over the last few decades. These methods are relatively simple and can be conducted on affordable and commercially available instruments. Here, we focus on using the rapid quench-flow technique to study the fast reaction kinetics of RNA enzymes, or ribozymes, which often react on the millisecond timescale under biological conditions. Rapid quench of ribozymes is completely parallel to the familiar hand-mixing approach, including the use of radiolabeled RNAs and fractionation of reactions on polyacrylamide gels. We provide tips on addressing and preventing common problems that can arise with the rapid-quench technique. Guidance is also offered on ensuring the ribozyme is properly folded and fast-reacting. We hope that this article will facilitate the broader use of rapid-quench instrumentation to study fast-reacting ribozymes under biological reaction conditions. PMID:28315484

Leading Instructional Rounds in Education: A Facilitator?'s Guide. Instructional Rounds Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fowler-Finn, Thomas

2013-01-01

Instructional rounds is a powerful form of professional learning aimed at helping schools and systems develop the capacity to educate all children to high levels. In this practical book, Thomas Fowler-Finn, an experienced consultant who has worked closely with the Harvard team that pioneered instructional rounds, discusses how facilitators can…

An efficient and rapid influenza gene cloning strategy for reverse genetics system.

PubMed

Shao, Hongxia; Fan, Zhonglei; Wan, Zhimin; Tian, Xiaoyan; Chen, Hongjun; Perez, Daniel R; Qin, Aijian; Ye, Jianqiang

2015-09-15

Influenza reverse genetics plays vital roles in understanding influenza molecular characteristics and vaccine development. However, current influenza reverse genetics heavily depends on restriction enzyme and ligation for gene cloning. The traditional cloning process of influenza eight fragments for virus rescuing generally requires considerable work. To simplify and increase the pace of gene cloning for influenza reverse genetics system, we developed a rapid restriction enzyme-free ExnaseTM II-based in vitro recombination approach for influenza gene cloning. We used this strategy rapidly and successfully to clone influenza eight genes both from viruses PR8 and H9N2 for virus rescuing. Our data demonstrate that the strategy developed here can accelerate the process of influenza gene cloning into reverse genetics system, and shows high potential for applications in both influenza basic and applied research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid prototyping of soil moisture estimates using the NASA Land Information System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anantharaj, V.; Mostovoy, G.; Li, B.; Peters-Lidard, C.; Houser, P.; Moorhead, R.; Kumar, S.

2007-12-01

The Land Information System (LIS), developed at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, is a functional Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS) that incorporates a suite of land models in an interoperable computational framework. LIS has been integrated into a computational Rapid Prototyping Capabilities (RPC) infrastructure. LIS consists of a core, a number of community land models, data servers, and visualization systems - integrated in a high-performance computing environment. The land surface models (LSM) in LIS incorporate surface and atmospheric parameters of temperature, snow/water, vegetation, albedo, soil conditions, topography, and radiation. Many of these parameters are available from in-situ observations, numerical model analysis, and from NASA, NOAA, and other remote sensing satellite platforms at various spatial and temporal resolutions. The computational resources, available to LIS via the RPC infrastructure, support e- Science experiments involving the global modeling of land-atmosphere studies at 1km spatial resolutions as well as regional studies at finer resolutions. The Noah Land Surface Model, available with-in the LIS is being used to rapidly prototype soil moisture estimates in order to evaluate the viability of other science applications for decision making purposes. For example, LIS has been used to further extend the utility of the USDA Soil Climate Analysis Network of in-situ soil moisture observations. In addition, LIS also supports data assimilation capabilities that are used to assimilate remotely sensed soil moisture retrievals from the AMSR-E instrument onboard the Aqua satellite. The rapid prototyping of soil moisture estimates using LIS and their applications will be illustrated during the presentation.

Run-Time Support for Rapid Prototyping

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-01

prototyping. One such system is the Computer-Aided Proto- typing System (CAPS). It combines rapid prototypng with automatic program generation. Some of the...a design database, and a design management system [Ref. 3:p. 66. By using both rapid prototyping and automatic program genera- tion. CAPS will be...Most proto- typing systems perform these functions. CAPS is different in that it combines rapid prototyping with a variant of automatic program

Rapid and noncontact photoacoustic tomography imaging system using an interferometer with high-speed phase modulation technique

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

Liu, Jun; Tang, Zhilie; Wu, Yongbo

2015-04-15

We designed, fabricated, and tested a rapid and noncontact photoacoustic tomography (PAT) imaging system using a low-coherence interferometer with high-speed phase modulation technique. Such a rapid and noncontact probing system can greatly decrease the time of imaging. The proposed PAT imaging system is experimentally verified by capturing images of a simulated tissue sample and the blood vessels within the ear flap of a mouse (pinna) in vivo. The axial and lateral resolutions of the system are evaluated at 45 and ∼15 μm, respectively. The imaging depth of the system is 1 mm in a special phantom. Our results show thatmore » the proposed system opens a promising way to realize noncontact, real-time PAT.« less

Rapid initiation of fetal therapy services with a system of learner-centred training under proctorship: the National University Hospital (Singapore) experience

PubMed Central

Gosavi, Arundhati; Vijayakumar, Pradip D; Ng, Bryan SW; Loh, May-Han; Tan, Lay Geok; Johana, Nuryanti; Tan, Yi Wan; Sandikin, Dedy; Su, Lin Lin; Wataganara, Tuangsit; Biswas, Arijit; Choolani, Mahesh A; Mattar, Citra NZ

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION Management of complicated monochorionic twins and certain intrauterine structural anomalies is a pressing challenge in communities that still lack advanced fetal therapy. We describe our efforts to rapidly initiate selective feticide using radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and selective fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (SFLP) for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), and present the latter as a potential model for aspiring fetal therapy units. METHODS Five pregnancies with fetal complications were identified for RFA. Three pregnancies with Stage II TTTS were selected for SFLP. While RFA techniques utilising ultrasonography skills were quickly mastered, SFLP required stepwise technical learning with an overseas-based proctor, who provided real-time hands-off supervision. RESULTS All co-twins were live-born following selective feticide; one singleton pregnancy was lost. Fetoscopy techniques were learned in a stepwise manner and procedures were performed by a novice team of surgeons under proctorship. Dichorionisation was completed in only one patient. Five of six twins were live-born near term. One pregnancy developed twin anaemia-polycythaemia sequence, while another was complicated by co-twin demise. DISCUSSION Proctor-supervised directed learning facilitated the rapid provision of basic fetal therapy services by our unit. While traditional apprenticeship is important for building individual expertise, this system is complementary and may benefit other small units committed to providing these services. PMID:27439783

Rapid identification of group JK and other corynebacteria with the Minitek system.

PubMed Central

Slifkin, M; Gil, G M; Engwall, C

1986-01-01

Forty primary clinical isolates and 50 stock cultures of corynebacteria and coryneform bacteria were tested with the Minitek system (BBL Microbiology Systems, Cockeysville, Md.). The Minitek correctly identified all of these organisms, including JK group isolates, within 12 to 18 h of incubation. The method does not require serum supplements for testing carbohydrate utilization by the bacteria. The Minitek system is an extremely simple and rapid way to identify the JK group, as well as many other corynebacteria, by established identification schemata for these bacteria. PMID:3091632

Free-space laser communication system with rapid acquisition based on astronomical telescopes.

PubMed

Wang, Jianmin; Lv, Junyi; Zhao, Guang; Wang, Gang

2015-08-10

The general structure of a free-space optical (FSO) communication system based on astronomical telescopes is proposed. The light path for astronomical observation and for communication can be easily switched. A separate camera is used as a star sensor to determine the pointing direction of the optical terminal's antenna. The new system exhibits rapid acquisition and is widely applicable in various astronomical telescope systems and wavelengths. We present a detailed analysis of the acquisition time, which can be decreased by one order of magnitude compared with traditional optical communication systems. Furthermore, we verify software algorithms and tracking accuracy.

Rapid scanning system for fuel drawers

DOEpatents

Caldwell, J.T.; Fehlau, P.E.; France, S.W.

A nondestructive method for uniquely distinguishing among and quantifying the mass of individual fuel plates in situ in fuel drawers utilized in nuclear reactors is described. The method is both rapid and passive, eliminating the personnel hazard of the commonly used irradiation techniques which require that the analysis be performed in proximity to an intense neutron source such as a reactor. In the present technique, only normally decaying nuclei are observed. This allows the analysis to be performed anywhere. This feature, combined with rapid scanning of a given fuel drawer (in approximately 30 s), and the computer data analysis allows the processing of large numbers of fuel drawers efficiently in the event of a loss alert.

Rapid scanning system for fuel drawers

DOEpatents

Caldwell, John T.; Fehlau, Paul E.; France, Stephen W.

1981-01-01

A nondestructive method for uniqely distinguishing among and quantifying the mass of individual fuel plates in situ in fuel drawers utilized in nuclear reactors is described. The method is both rapid and passive, eliminating the personnel hazard of the commonly used irradiation techniques which require that the analysis be performed in proximity to an intense neutron source such as a reactor. In the present technique, only normally decaying nuclei are observed. This allows the analysis to be performed anywhere. This feature, combined with rapid scanning of a given fuel drawer (in approximately 30 s), and the computer data analysis allows the processing of large numbers of fuel drawers efficiently in the event of a loss alert.

Nanomaterial categorization for assessing risk potential to facilitate regulatory decision-making.

PubMed

Godwin, Hilary; Nameth, Catherine; Avery, David; Bergeson, Lynn L; Bernard, Daniel; Beryt, Elizabeth; Boyes, William; Brown, Scott; Clippinger, Amy J; Cohen, Yoram; Doa, Maria; Hendren, Christine Ogilvie; Holden, Patricia; Houck, Keith; Kane, Agnes B; Klaessig, Frederick; Kodas, Toivo; Landsiedel, Robert; Lynch, Iseult; Malloy, Timothy; Miller, Mary Beth; Muller, Julie; Oberdorster, Gunter; Petersen, Elijah J; Pleus, Richard C; Sayre, Philip; Stone, Vicki; Sullivan, Kristie M; Tentschert, Jutta; Wallis, Philip; Nel, Andre E

2015-01-01

For nanotechnology to meet its potential as a game-changing and sustainable technology, it is important to ensure that the engineered nanomaterials and nanoenabled products that gain entry to the marketplace are safe and effective. Tools and methods are needed for regulatory purposes to allow rapid material categorization according to human health and environmental risk potential, so that materials of high concern can be targeted for additional scrutiny, while material categories that pose the least risk can receive expedited review. Using carbon nanotubes as an example, we discuss how data from alternative testing strategies can be used to facilitate engineered nanomaterial categorization according to risk potential and how such an approach could facilitate regulatory decision-making in the future.

Timing is Essential for Rapid Effects of Corticosterone on Synaptic Potentiation in the Mouse Hippocampus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joels, Marian; Krugers, Harm; Wiegert, Olof

2006-01-01

Stress facilitates memory formation, but only when the stressor is closely linked to the learning context. These effects are, at least in part, mediated by corticosteroid hormones. Here we demonstrate that corticosterone rapidly facilitates synaptic potentiation in the mouse hippocampal CA1 area when high levels of the hormone and high-frequency…

Stimulated Recall Methodology for Assessing Work System Barriers and Facilitators in Family-Centered Rounds in a Pediatric Hospital

PubMed Central

Carayon, Pascale; Li, Yaqiong; Kelly, Michelle M.; DuBenske, Lori L.; Xie, Anping; McCabe, Brenna; Orne, Jason; Cox, Elizabeth D.

2014-01-01

Human factors and ergonomics methods are needed to redesign healthcare processes and support patient-centered care, in particular for vulnerable patients such as hospitalized children. We implemented and evaluated a stimulated recall methodology for collective confrontation in the context of family-centered rounds. Five parents and five healthcare team members reviewed video records of their bedside rounds, and were then interviewed using the stimulated recall methodology to identify work system barriers and facilitators in family-centered rounds. The evaluation of the methodology was based on a survey of the participants, and a qualitative analysis of interview data in light of the work system model of Smith and Carayon (1989; 2000). Positive survey feedback from the participants was received. The stimulated recall methodology identified barriers and facilitators in all work system elements. Participatory ergonomics methods such as the stimulated recall methodology allow a range of participants, including parents and children, to participate in healthcare process improvement. PMID:24894378

Rapid identification of antibiotic resistance using droplet microfluidics.

PubMed

Keays, Marie C; O'Brien, Mark; Hussain, Anam; Kiely, Patrick A; Dalton, Tara

2016-04-02

Culturing bacteria and monitoring bacterial cell growth is a critical issue when dealing with patients who present with bacterial infections. One of the main challenges that arises is the time taken to identify the particular strain of bacteria and consequently, decide the correct treatment. In the majority of cases, broad spectrum antibiotics are used to target infections when a narrow spectrum drug would be more appropriate. The efficient monitoring of bacterial growth and potential antibiotic resistance is necessary to identify the best treatment options for patients. Minturising the reactions into microfluidic droplets offers a novel method to rapidy analyze bacteria. Microfluidics facilitates low volume reactions that provide a unique system where each droplet reaction acts as an individual bioreactor. Here, we designed and built a novel platform that allowed us to create and monitor E.coli microfluidic droplet cultures. Optical capacity was built in and measurements of bacterial cultures were captured facilitating the continuous monitoring of individual reactions. The capacity of the instrument was demonstrated by the application of treatments to both bacteria and drug resistant strains of bacteria. We were able to detect responses within one hour in the droplet cultures, demonstrating the capacity of this workflow to the culture and rapid characterization of bacterial strains.

Rapid prototyping of microfluidic systems using a PDMS/polymer tape composite.

PubMed

Kim, Jungkyu; Surapaneni, Rajesh; Gale, Bruce K

2009-05-07

Rapid prototyping of microfluidic systems using a combination of double-sided tape and PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) is introduced. PDMS is typically difficult to bond using adhesive tapes due to its hydrophobic nature and low surface energy. For this reason, PDMS is not compatible with the xurography method, which uses a knife plotter and various adhesive coated polymer tapes. To solve these problems, a PDMS/tape composite was developed and demonstrated in microfluidic applications. The PDMS/tape composite was created by spinning it to make a thin layer of PDMS over double-sided tape. Then the PDMS/tape composite was patterned to create channels using xurography, and bonded to a PDMS slab. After removing the backing paper from the tape, a complete microfluidic system could be created by placing the construct onto nearly any substrate; including glass, plastic or metal-coated glass/silicon substrates. The bond strength was shown to be sufficient for the pressures that occur in typical microfluidic channels used for chemical or biological analysis. This method was demonstrated in three applications: standard microfluidic channels and reactors, a microfluidic system with an integrated membrane, and an electrochemical biosensor. The PDMS/tape composite rapid prototyping technique provides a fast and cost effective fabrication method and can provide easy integration of microfluidic channels with sensors and other components without the need for a cleanroom facility.

A qualitative, interprofessional analysis of barriers to and facilitators of implementation of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Clostridium difficile prevention bundle using a human factors engineering approach.

PubMed

Yanke, Eric; Moriarty, Helene; Carayon, Pascale; Safdar, Nasia

2018-03-01

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is increasingly prevalent, severe, and costly. Adherence to infection prevention practices remains suboptimal. More effective strategies to implement guidelines and evidence are needed. Interprofessional focus groups consisting of physicians, resident physicians, nurses, and health technicians were conducted for a quality improvement project evaluating adherence to the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) nationally mandated C difficile prevention bundle. Qualitative analysis with a visual matrix display identified barrier and facilitator themes guided by the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety model, a human factors engineering approach. Several themes, encompassing both barriers and facilitators to bundle adherence, emerged. Rapid turnaround time of C difficile polymerase chain reaction testing was a facilitator of timely diagnosis. Too few, poorly located, and cluttered sinks were barriers to appropriate hand hygiene. Patient care workload and the time-consuming process of contact isolation precautions were also barriers to adherence. Multiple work system components serve as barriers to and facilitators of adherence to the VA CDI prevention bundle among an interprofessional group of health care workers. Organizational factors appear to significantly influence bundle adherence. Interprofessional perspectives are needed to identify barriers to and facilitators of bundle implementation, which is a necessary first step to address adherence to bundled infection prevention practices. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Re-engineering a pharmacy work system and layout to facilitate patient counseling.

PubMed

Lin, A C; Jang, R; Sedani, D; Thomas, S; Barker, K N; Flynn, E A

1996-07-01

The development and evaluation of a new work system and facility design for a chain of community pharmacies are described. A new work system was developed to optimize utilization of pharmacist and technician time and allow the pharmacy to increase patient counseling without adding personnel. In the new system, pharmacists would review prescriptions, check technicians' work, and dispense prescriptions, counseling patients as needed; technicians would enter prescriptions into the pharmacy computer and fill them. The existing work system and design were evaluated in June and July of 1992 by observing, classifying, and recording activities of pharmacy personnel three days per week at six pharmacies in the chain. Pharmacy designs that would work with the new work system were created by a university design class after consultation with representatives of the pharmacy chain and the university's college of pharmacy. The pharmacy chain selected one design, and a detailed floor plan and specifications were created. To test how the new design and system would work at each of the six test pharmacies, a computer simulation program was developed and verified by using the data collected on the existing pharmacy operations. Computer simulation showed that, with the new design and system, increasing patient counseling would increase patient waiting time slightly but would not require additional personnel. The layout and work system in a chain of community pharmacies were redesigned to facilitate patient counseling and make the best use of employee time.

Minutes of the Rapid Action Fire Protection System Seminar Held at Rock Island, Illinois on 23-24 October 1984

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-10-01

A\\5AI5?? 93<» MINUTES OF THE RAPID ACTION FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM SEMINAR AMCCOM SAFETY OFFICE 23-24 OCTOBER 1984 PREFACE This seminar was...held as a medium by which there could be a free exchange of information on rapid action fire protection systems used in munition production operations...The objectives of the seminar were- - Discuss system operating principles & system components. - Exchange latest technical data, developments, and

Rapid-Testing Technology and Systems Improvement for the Elimination of Congenital Syphilis in Haiti: Overcoming the "Technology to Systems Gap".

PubMed

Severe, Linda; Benoit, Daphne; Zhou, Xi K; Pape, Jean W; Peeling, Rosanna W; Fitzgerald, Daniel W; Mate, Kedar S

2013-01-01

Background. Despite the availability of rapid diagnostic tests and inexpensive treatment for pregnant women, maternal-child syphilis transmission remains a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality in developing countries. In Haiti, more than 3000 babies are born with congenital syphilis annually. Methods and Findings. From 2007 to 2011, we used a sequential time series, multi-intervention study design in fourteen clinics throughout Haiti to improve syphilis testing and treatment in pregnancy. The two primary interventions were the introduction of a rapid point-of-care syphilis test and systems strengthening based on quality improvement (QI) methods. Syphilis testing increased from 91.5% prediagnostic test to 95.9% after (P < 0.001) and further increased to 96.8% (P < 0.001) after the QI intervention. Despite high rates of testing across all time periods, syphilis treatment lagged behind and only increased from 70.3% to 74.7% after the introduction of rapid tests (P = 0.27), but it improved significantly from 70.2% to 84.3% (P < 0.001) after the systems strengthening QI intervention. Conclusion. Both point-of-care diagnostic testing and health systems-based quality improvement interventions can improve the delivery of specific evidence-based healthcare interventions to prevent congenital syphilis at scale in Haiti. Improved treatment rates for syphilis were seen only after the use of systems-based quality improvement approaches.

Dual Electrophoresis Detection System for Rapid and Sensitive Immunoassays with Nanoparticle Signal Amplification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Fangfang; Ma, Junjie; Watanabe, Junji; Tang, Jinlong; Liu, Huiyu; Shen, Heyun

2017-02-01

An electrophoretic technique was combined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system to achieve a rapid and sensitive immunoassay. A cellulose acetate filter modified with polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) was used as a solid substrate for three-dimensional antigen-antibody reactions. A dual electrophoresis process was used to induce directional migration and local condensation of antigens and antibodies at the solid substrate, avoiding the long diffusion times associated with antigen-antibody reactions in conventional ELISAs. The electrophoretic forces drove two steps in the ELISA process, namely the adsorption of antigen, and secondary antibody-labelled polystyrene nanoparticles (NP-Ab). The total time needed for dual electrophoresis-driven detection was just 4 min, nearly 2 h faster than a conventional ELISA system. Moreover, the rapid NP-Ab electrophoresis system simultaneously achieved amplification of the specific signal and a reduction in noise, leading to a more sensitive NP-Ab immunoassay with a limit of detection (LOD) of 130 fM, and wide range of detectable concentrations from 0.13 to 130 pM. These results suggest that the combination of dual electrophoresis detection and NP-Ab signal amplification has great potential for future immunoassay systems.

[Introduction of rapid syphilis and HIV testing in prenatal care in Colombia: qualitative analysis].

PubMed

Ochoa-Manjarrés, María Teresa; Gaitán-Duarte, Hernando Guillermo; Caicedo, Sidia; Gómez, Berta; Pérez, Freddy

2016-12-01

Interpret perceptions of Colombian health professionals concerning factors that obstruct and facilitate the introduction of rapid syphilis and HIV testing in prenatal care services. A qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews was carried out. A convenience sample was selected with 37 participants, who included health professionals involved in prenatal care services, programs for pregnant women, clinical laboratories, and directors of health care units or centers, as well as representatives from regional departments and the Ministry of Health. Colombia does not do widespread screening with rapid syphilis and HIV tests in prenatal care. The professionals interviewed stated they did not have prior experience in the use of rapid tests-except for laboratory staff-or in the course of action in response to a positive result. The insurance system hinders access to timely diagnosis and treatment. Health authorities perceive a need to review existing standards, strengthen the first level of care, and promote comprehensive prenatal care starting with contracts between insurers and health service institutional providers. Participants recommended staff training and integration between health-policymaking and academic entities for updating training programs. The market approach and the characteristics of the Colombian health system constitute the main barriers to implementation of rapid testing as a strategy for elimination of mother-to-child transmission of syphilis and HIV. Measures identified include making changes in contracts between insurers and health service institutional providers, adapting the timing and duration of prenatal care procedures, and training physicians and nurses involved in prenatal care.

Connected Classroom Technology Facilitates Multiple Components of Formative Assessment Practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirley, Melissa L.; Irving, Karen E.

2015-02-01

Formative assessment has been demonstrated to result in increased student achievement across a variety of educational contexts. When using formative assessment strategies, teachers engage students in instructional tasks that allow the teacher to uncover levels of student understanding so that the teacher may change instruction accordingly. Tools that support the implementation of formative assessment strategies are therefore likely to enhance student achievement. Connected classroom technologies (CCTs) include a family of devices that show promise in facilitating formative assessment. By promoting the use of interactive student tasks and providing both teachers and students with rapid and accurate data on student learning, CCT can provide teachers with necessary evidence for making instructional decisions about subsequent lessons. In this study, the experiences of four middle and high school science teachers in their first year of implementing the TI-Navigator™ system, a specific type of CCT, are used to characterize the ways in which CCT supports the goals of effective formative assessment. We present excerpts of participant interviews to demonstrate the alignment of CCT with several main phases of the formative assessment process. CCT was found to support implementation of a variety of instructional tasks that generate evidence of student learning for the teacher. The rapid aggregation and display of student learning evidence provided teachers with robust data on which to base subsequent instructional decisions.

Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: How Facilitators Learn to Lead Lesson Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Jennifer M.

2016-01-01

This article presents research on how teacher developers in the United States learn to conduct lesson study. Although the practice of lesson study is expanding rapidly in the US, high-quality implementation requires skilled facilitation. In contexts such as the United States where this form of professional development is relatively novel, few…

Validation of a Rapid Bacteria Endospore Enumeration System for Planetary Protection Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Fei; Kern, Roger; Kazarians, Gayane; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri

NASA monitors spacecraft surfaces to assure that the presence of bacterial endospores meets strict criteria at launch, to minimize the risk of inadvertent contamination of the surface of Mars. Currently, the only approved method for enumerating the spores is a culture based assay that requires three days to produce results. In order to meet the demanding schedules of spacecraft assembly, a more rapid spore detection assay is being considered as an alternate method to the NASA standard culture-based assay. The Millipore Rapid Microbiology Detection System (RMDS) has been used successfully for rapid bioburden enumeration in the pharmaceutical and food industries. The RMDS is rapid and simple, shows high sensitivity (to 1 colony forming unit [CFU]/sample), and correlates well with traditional culture-based methods. It combines membrane filtration, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence chemistry, and image analysis based on photon detection with a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera. In this study, we have optimized the assay conditions and evaluated the use of the RMDS as a rapid spore detection tool for NASA applications. In order to select for spores, the samples were subjected to a heat shock step before proceeding with the RMDS incubation protocol. Seven species of Bacillus (nine strains) that have been repeatedly isolated from clean room environments were assayed. All strains were detected by the RMDS in 5 hours and these assay times were repeatedly demonstrated along with low image background noise. Validation experiments to compare the Rapid Sore Assay (RSA) and NASA standard assay (NSA) were also performed. The evaluation criteria were modeled after the FDA Guideline of Process Validation, and Analytical Test Methods. This body of research demonstrates that the Rapid Spore Assay (RSA) is quick, and of equivalent sensitivity to the NASA standard assay, potentially reducing the assay time for bacterial endospores from over 72 hours to less than 8 hours

Instructional authoring by direct manipulation of simulations: Exploratory applications of RAPIDS. RAPIDS 2 authoring manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

RAPIDS II is a simulation-based intelligent tutoring system environment. It is a system for producing computer-based training courses that are built on the foundation of graphical simulations. RAPIDS II simulations can be animated and they can have continuously updating elements.

Data fusion algorithm for rapid multi-mode dust concentration measurement system based on MEMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Maohao; Lou, Wenzhong; Wang, Jinkui; Zhang, Yan

2018-03-01

As single measurement method cannot fully meet the technical requirements of dust concentration measurement, the multi-mode detection method is put forward, as well as the new requirements for data processing. This paper presents a new dust concentration measurement system which contains MEMS ultrasonic sensor and MEMS capacitance sensor, and presents a new data fusion algorithm for this multi-mode dust concentration measurement system. After analyzing the relation between the data of the composite measurement method, the data fusion algorithm based on Kalman filtering is established, which effectively improve the measurement accuracy, and ultimately forms a rapid data fusion model of dust concentration measurement. Test results show that the data fusion algorithm is able to realize the rapid and exact concentration detection.

Probing fast ribozyme reactions under biological conditions with rapid quench-flow kinetics.

PubMed

Bingaman, Jamie L; Messina, Kyle J; Bevilacqua, Philip C

2017-05-01

Reaction kinetics on the millisecond timescale pervade the protein and RNA fields. To study such reactions, investigators often perturb the system with abiological solution conditions or substrates in order to slow the rate to timescales accessible by hand mixing; however, such perturbations can change the rate-limiting step and obscure key folding and chemical steps that are found under biological conditions. Mechanical methods for collecting data on the millisecond timescale, which allow these perturbations to be avoided, have been developed over the last few decades. These methods are relatively simple and can be conducted on affordable and commercially available instruments. Here, we focus on using the rapid quench-flow technique to study the fast reaction kinetics of RNA enzymes, or ribozymes, which often react on the millisecond timescale under biological conditions. Rapid quench of ribozymes is completely parallel to the familiar hand-mixing approach, including the use of radiolabeled RNAs and fractionation of reactions on polyacrylamide gels. We provide tips on addressing and preventing common problems that can arise with the rapid-quench technique. Guidance is also offered on ensuring the ribozyme is properly folded and fast-reacting. We hope that this article will facilitate the broader use of rapid-quench instrumentation to study fast-reacting ribozymes under biological reaction conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the pathotec Rapid I-D system for identification of Enterobacteriaceae.

PubMed Central

Smith, P B; Rhoden, D L; Tomfohrde, K M

1975-01-01

The PathoTec Rapid I-D System for identifying Enterobacteriaceae was evaluated with 471 cultures. In 4,910 individual test comparisons, 95.5% of the results agreed, with results of only two test strips, those for esculin hydrolysis and urease production, agreeing with conventional tests in less than 94% of the trials. The PathoTec system exhibited 94.3% accuracy in identifying these cultures in a double-blind study with conventional media and procedures as the alternate system. Two newly developed test strips, for 0-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside and ornithine decarboxylase, were found to be highly reliable. PMID:1041590

SSh versus TSE sequence protocol in rapid MR examination of pediatric patients with programmable drainage system.

PubMed

Brichtová, Eva; Šenkyřík, J

2017-05-01

A low radiation burden is essential during diagnostic procedures in pediatric patients due to their high tissue sensitivity. Using MR examination instead of the routinely used CT reduces the radiation exposure and the risk of adverse stochastic effects. Our retrospective study evaluated the possibility of using ultrafast single-shot (SSh) sequences and turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences in rapid MR brain imaging in pediatric patients with hydrocephalus and a programmable ventriculoperitoneal drainage system. SSh sequences seem to be suitable for examining pediatric patients due to the speed of using this technique, but significant susceptibility artifacts due to the programmable drainage valve degrade the image quality. Therefore, a rapid MR examination protocol based on TSE sequences, less sensitive to artifacts due to ferromagnetic components, has been developed. Of 61 pediatric patients who were examined using MR and the SSh sequence protocol, a group of 15 patients with hydrocephalus and a programmable drainage system also underwent TSE sequence MR imaging. The susceptibility artifact volume in both rapid MR protocols was evaluated using a semiautomatic volumetry system. A statistically significant decrease in the susceptibility artifact volume has been demonstrated in TSE sequence imaging in comparison with SSh sequences. Using TSE sequences reduced the influence of artifacts from the programmable valve, and the image quality in all cases was rated as excellent. In all patients, rapid MR examinations were performed without any need for intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. Our study results strongly suggest the superiority of the TSE sequence MR protocol compared to the SSh sequence protocol in pediatric patients with a programmable ventriculoperitoneal drainage system due to a significant reduction of susceptibility artifact volume. Both rapid sequence MR protocols provide quick and satisfactory brain imaging with no ionizing radiation and a reduced need

Rapid and systemic accumulation of chloroplast mRNA-binding protein transcripts after flame stimulus in tomato

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vian, A.; Henry-Vian, C.; Davies, E.

1999-01-01

It has been shown that tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) plants respond to flame wounding and electrical stimulation by a rapid (15 min) and systemic up-regulation of proteinase inhibitor (pin) genes. To find other genes having a similar expression pattern, we used subtractive cDNA screening between flamed and control plants to select clones up-regulated by flame wounding. We report the characterization of one of them, a chloroplast mRNA-binding protein encoded by a single gene and expressed preferentially in the leaves. Systemic gene expression in response to flaming in the youngest terminal leaf exhibited three distinct phases: a rapid and transient increase (5-15 min) in transcript accumulation, a decline to basal levels (15-45 min), and then a second, more prolonged increase (60-90 min). In contrast, after a mechanical wound the rapid, transient increase (5 min) was followed by a rapid decline to basal levels but no later, prolonged accumulation. In the petiole, the initial flame-wound-evoked transient increase (15 min) was followed by a continuous decline for 3 h. The nature of the wound signal(s) causing such rapid changes in transcript abundance is discussed in relation to electrical signaling, which has recently been implicated in plant responses to wounding.

The Development and Evaluation of an Information Technology Support System to Facilitate Inter-Organisational Collaboration in HRD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Norma J.

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to evaluate the diffusion of and user response to an information technology support system (ITSS) which was designed to facilitate inter-organisational coordination and collaboration in the professional development of officers employed by local authorities (LAs). Design/methodology/approach: An action…

Attention and emotion: an ERP analysis of facilitated emotional stimulus processing.

PubMed

Schupp, Harald T; Junghöfer, Markus; Weike, Almut I; Hamm, Alfons O

2003-06-11

Recent event-related potential studies observed an early posterior negativity (EPN) reflecting facilitated processing of emotional images. The present study explored if the facilitated processing of emotional pictures is sustained while subjects perform an explicit non-emotional attention task. EEG was recorded from 129 channels while subjects viewed a rapid continuous stream of images containing emotional pictures as well as task-related checkerboard images. As expected, explicit selective attention to target images elicited large P3 waves. Interestingly, emotional stimuli guided stimulus-driven selective encoding as reflected by augmented EPN amplitudes to emotional stimuli, in particular to stimuli of evolutionary significance (erotic contents, mutilations, and threat). These data demonstrate the selective encoding of emotional stimuli while top-down attentional control was directed towards non-emotional target stimuli.

Rapid Stress System Drives Chemical Transfer of Fear from Sender to Receiver

PubMed Central

de Groot, Jasper H. B.; Smeets, Monique A. M.; Semin, Gün R.

2015-01-01

Humans can register another person’s fear not only with their eyes and ears, but also with their nose. Previous research has demonstrated that exposure to body odors from fearful individuals elicited implicit fear in others. The odor of fearful individuals appears to have a distinctive signature that can be produced relatively rapidly, driven by a physiological mechanism that has remained unexplored in earlier research. The apocrine sweat glands in the armpit that are responsible for chemosignal production contain receptors for adrenalin. We therefore expected that the release of adrenalin through activation of the rapid stress response system (i.e., the sympathetic-adrenal medullary system) is what drives the release of fear sweat, as opposed to activation of the slower stress response system (i.e., hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis). To test this assumption, sweat was sampled while eight participants prepared for a speech. Participants had higher heart rates and produced more armpit sweat in the fast stress condition, compared to baseline and the slow stress condition. Importantly, exposure to sweat from participants in the fast stress condition induced in receivers (N = 31) a simulacrum of the state of the sender, evidenced by the emergence of a fearful facial expression (facial electromyography) and vigilant behavior (i.e., faster classification of emotional facial expressions). PMID:25723720

Ebselen is a dehydroascorbate reductase mimic, facilitating the recycling of ascorbate via mammalian thioredoxin systems.

PubMed

Zhao, Rong; Holmgren, Arne

2004-02-01

Ebselen is a selanazal drug recently revealed as a highly efficient peroxiredoxin mimic catalyzing the hydroperoxide reduction by the mammalian thioredoxin system [thioredoxin (Trx), thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), and NADPH]. The mammalian Trx system is a dehydroascorbic acid reductase recycling ascorbic acid essential for cell functions. Here we report that ebselen strongly facilitated the recycling of ascorbic acid by the TrxR both with and without Trx present. Reduction of dehydroascorbic acid by TrxR has a pH optimum of 6.4, and only approximately 55% of this activity at a physiological pH of 7.4. Ebselen at 6 microM enhances this reaction three-fold and with the same pH optimum of 6.4. The mechanism of the ebselen effect is suggested to involve reduction of dehydroascorbic acid by the ebselen selenol, a highly efficient two-electron reductant. Thus, ebselen acts as an antioxidant to lower the peroxide tone inside cells and to facilitate the recycling of dehydroascorbic acid to ascorbic acid, so as to increase the radical scavenging capacity of ascorbic acid directly or indirectly via vitamin E. The high ascorbic acid recycling efficiency of ebselen at pH 6.4 may play a major role in oxidatively stressed cells, where cytosol acidosis may trigger various responses, including apoptosis.

Facilitating critical thinking.

PubMed

Hansten, R I; Washburn, M J

2000-01-01

Supporting staff to think effectively is essential to improve clinical systems, decrease errors and sentinel events, and engage staff involvement to refine patient care systems in readiness for new care-delivery models that truly reflect the valued role of the RN. The authors explore practical methods, based on current research and national consulting experience, to facilitate the development of mature critical thinking skills. Assessment tools, a sample agenda for formal presentations, and teaching strategies using behavioral examples that make the important and necessary link of theory to reality are discussed in the form of a critical thinking test as well as a conceptual model for application in problem solving.

On-site Rapid Diagnosis of Intracranial Hematoma using Portable Multi-slice Microwave Imaging System.

PubMed

Mobashsher, Ahmed Toaha; Abbosh, A M

2016-11-29

Rapid, on-the-spot diagnostic and monitoring systems are vital for the survival of patients with intracranial hematoma, as their conditions drastically deteriorate with time. To address the limited accessibility, high costs and static structure of currently used MRI and CT scanners, a portable non-invasive multi-slice microwave imaging system is presented for accurate 3D localization of hematoma inside human head. This diagnostic system provides fast data acquisition and imaging compared to the existing systems by means of a compact array of low-profile, unidirectional antennas with wideband operation. The 3D printed low-cost and portable system can be installed in an ambulance for rapid on-site diagnosis by paramedics. In this paper, the multi-slice head imaging system's operating principle is numerically analysed and experimentally validated on realistic head phantoms. Quantitative analyses demonstrate that the multi-slice head imaging system is able to generate better quality reconstructed images providing 70% higher average signal to clutter ratio, 25% enhanced maximum signal to clutter ratio and with around 60% hematoma target localization compared to the previous head imaging systems. Nevertheless, numerical and experimental results demonstrate that previous reported 2D imaging systems are vulnerable to localization error, which is overcome in the presented multi-slice 3D imaging system. The non-ionizing system, which uses safe levels of very low microwave power, is also tested on human subjects. Results of realistic phantom and subjects demonstrate the feasibility of the system in future preclinical trials.

JXTA: A Technology Facilitating Mobile P2P Health Management System

PubMed Central

Rajkumar, Rajasekaran; Nallani Chackravatula Sriman, Narayana Iyengar

2012-01-01

Objectives Mobile JXTA (Juxtapose) gaining momentum and has attracted the interest of doctors and patients through P2P service that transmits messages. Audio and video can also be transmitted through JXTA. The use of mobile streaming mechanism with the support of mobile hospital management and healthcare system would enable better interaction between doctors, nurses, and the hospital. Experimental results demonstrate good performance in comparison with conventional systems. This study evaluates P2P JXTA/JXME (JXTA functionality to MIDP devices.) which facilitates peer-to-peer application+ using mobile-constraint devices. Also a proven learning algorithm was used to automatically send and process sorted patient data to nurses. Methods From December 2010 to December 2011, a total of 500 patients were referred to our hospital due to minor health problems and were monitored. We selected all of the peer groups and the control server, which controlled the BMO (Block Medical Officer) peer groups and BMO through the doctor peer groups, and prescriptions were delivered to the patient’s mobile phones through the JXTA/ JXME network. Results All 500 patients were registered in the JXTA network. Among these, 300 patient histories were referred to the record peer group by the doctors, 100 patients were referred to the external doctor peer group, and 100 patients were registered as new users in the JXTA/JXME network. Conclusion This system was developed for mobile streaming applications and was designed to support the mobile health management system using JXTA/ JXME. The simulated results show that this system can carry out streaming audio and video applications. Controlling and monitoring by the doctor peer group makes the system more flexible and structured. Enhanced studies are needed to improve knowledge mining and cloud-based M health management technology in comparison with the traditional system. PMID:24159509

A self-pumping lab-on-a-chip for rapid detection of botulinum toxin.

PubMed

Lillehoj, Peter B; Wei, Fang; Ho, Chih-Ming

2010-09-07

A robust poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surface treatment was utilized for the development of a self-pumping lab-on-a-chip (LOC) to rapidly detect minute quantities of toxic substances. One such toxin, botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), is an extremely lethal substance, which has the potential to cause hundreds of thousands of fatalities if as little as a few grams are released into the environment. To prevent such an outcome, a quick (<45 min) and sensitive detection format is needed. We have developed a self-pumping LOC that can sense down to 1 pg of BoNT type A (in a 1 microL sample) within 15 min in an autonomous manner. The key technologies enabling for such a device are a sensitive electrochemical sensor, an optimized fluidic network and a robust hydrophilic PDMS coating, thereby facilitating autonomous delivery of liquid samples for rapid detection. The stability, simplicity and portability of this device make possible for a storable and distributable system for monitoring bioterrorist attacks.

Rapid on-site monitoring of Legionella pneumophila in cooling tower water using a portable microfluidic system.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Nobuyasu; Tokunaga, Yusuke; Goto, Satoko; Fujii, Yudai; Banno, Fumiya; Edagawa, Akiko

2017-06-08

Legionnaires' disease, predominantly caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila, has increased in prevalence worldwide. The most common mode of transmission of Legionella is inhalation of contaminated aerosols, such as those generated by cooling towers. Simple, rapid and accurate methods to enumerate L. pneumophila are required to prevent the spread of this organism. Here, we applied a microfluidic device for on-chip fluorescent staining and semi-automated counting of L. pneumophila in cooling tower water. We also constructed a portable system for rapid on-site monitoring and used it to enumerate target bacterial cells rapidly flowing in the microchannel. A fluorescently-labelled polyclonal antibody was used for the selective detection of L. pneumophila serogroup 1 in the samples. The counts of L. pneumophila in cooling tower water obtained using the system and fluorescence microscopy were similar. The detection limit of the system was 10 4  cells/ml, but lower numbers of L. pneumophila cells (10 1 to 10 3  cells/ml) could be detected following concentration of 0.5-3 L of the water sample by filtration. Our technique is rapid to perform (1.5 h), semi-automated (on-chip staining and counting), and portable for on-site measurement, and it may therefore be effective in the initial screening of Legionella contamination in freshwater.

Implementing a Measurement Feedback System in Community Mental Health Clinics: A Case Study of Multilevel Barriers and Facilitators

PubMed Central

Gleacher, Alissa A.; Olin, Serene S.; Nadeem, Erum; Pollock, Michele; Ringle, Vanesa; Bickman, Leonard; Douglas, Susan; Hoagwood, Kimberly

2015-01-01

Measurement feedback systems (MFSs) have been proposed as a means of improving practice. The present study examined the implementation of a MFS, the Contextualized Feedback System (CFS), in two community-based clinic sites. Significant implementation differences across sites provided a basis for examining factors that influenced clinician uptake of CFS. Following the theoretical implementation framework of Aarons, Hurlburt & Horwitz (2011), we coded qualitative data collected from eighteen clinicians (13 from Clinic U and 5 from Clinic R) who participated in semi-structured interviews about their experience with CFS implementation. Results suggest that clinicians at both clinics perceived more barriers than facilitators to CFS implementation. Interestingly, clinicians at the higher implementing clinic reported a higher proportion of barriers to facilitators (3:1 vs. 2:1); however, these clinicians also reported a significantly higher level of organizational and leadership supports for CFS implementation. Implications of these findings are discussed. PMID:25735619

Consumer participation in early detection of the deteriorating patient and call activation to rapid response systems: a literature review.

PubMed

Vorwerk, Jane; King, Lindy

2016-01-01

This review investigated the impact of consumer participation in recognition of patient deterioration and response through call activation in rapid response systems. Nurses and doctors have taken the main role in recognition and response to patient deterioration through hospital rapid response systems. Yet patients and visitors (consumers) have appeared well placed to notice early signs of deterioration. In response, many hospitals have sought to partner health professionals with consumers in detection and response to early deterioration. However, to date, there have been no published research-based reviews to establish the impact of introducing consumer involvement into rapid response systems. A critical research-based review was undertaken. A comprehensive search of databases from 2006-2014 identified 11 studies. Critical appraisal of these studies was undertaken and thematic analysis of the findings revealed four major themes. Following implementation of the consumer activation programmes, the number of calls made by the consumers following detection of deterioration increased. Interestingly, the number of staff calls also increased. Importantly, mortality numbers were found to decrease in one major study following the introduction of consumer call activation. Consumer and staff knowledge and satisfaction with the new programmes indicated mixed results. Initial concerns of the staff over consumer involvement overwhelming the rapid response systems did not eventuate. Evaluation of successful consumer-activated programmes indicated the importance of: effective staff education and training; ongoing consumer education by nurses and clear educational materials. Findings indicated positive patient outcomes following introduction of consumer call activation programmes within rapid response systems. Effective consumer programmes included information that was readily accessible, easy-to-understand and available in a range of multimedia materials accompanied by the

A simplified CARS measurement system for rapid determination of temperature and oxygen concentration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fujii, Shoichi

1987-01-01

A new spectroscopic concept for the rapid determination of temperature and oxygen concentration by CARS (Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy) was described. The ratio of two spectral regions in the broadband Q-branch spectrum was detected by photomultipliers in a monochromator, which ratio depends on temperature and species concentration. The comparison of the measured data with theory was made using a flat flame burner and an electric furnace, with reasonable results. Various optical techniques for alignment were introduced including a highly efficient, stable dye oscillator. The combination of the spectroscopic concept and the optical techniques will make the CARS measurement system rapid in data processing and simple in optical parts.

Integrated database for rapid mass movements in Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaedicke, C.; Lied, K.; Kronholm, K.

2009-03-01

Rapid gravitational slope mass movements include all kinds of short term relocation of geological material, snow or ice. Traditionally, information about such events is collected separately in different databases covering selected geographical regions and types of movement. In Norway the terrain is susceptible to all types of rapid gravitational slope mass movements ranging from single rocks hitting roads and houses to large snow avalanches and rock slides where entire mountainsides collapse into fjords creating flood waves and endangering large areas. In addition, quick clay slides occur in desalinated marine sediments in South Eastern and Mid Norway. For the authorities and inhabitants of endangered areas, the type of threat is of minor importance and mitigation measures have to consider several types of rapid mass movements simultaneously. An integrated national database for all types of rapid mass movements built around individual events has been established. Only three data entries are mandatory: time, location and type of movement. The remaining optional parameters enable recording of detailed information about the terrain, materials involved and damages caused. Pictures, movies and other documentation can be uploaded into the database. A web-based graphical user interface has been developed allowing new events to be entered, as well as editing and querying for all events. An integration of the database into a GIS system is currently under development. Datasets from various national sources like the road authorities and the Geological Survey of Norway were imported into the database. Today, the database contains 33 000 rapid mass movement events from the last five hundred years covering the entire country. A first analysis of the data shows that the most frequent type of recorded rapid mass movement is rock slides and snow avalanches followed by debris slides in third place. Most events are recorded in the steep fjord terrain of the Norwegian west coast, but

Designing a rapid response program to support evidence-informed decision-making in the Americas region: using the best available evidence and case studies.

PubMed

Haby, Michelle M; Chapman, Evelina; Clark, Rachel; Barreto, Jorge; Reveiz, Ludovic; Lavis, John N

2016-08-18

The objective of this work was to inform the design of a rapid response program to support evidence-informed decision-making in health policy and practice for the Americas region. Specifically, we focus on the following: (1) What are the best methodological approaches for rapid reviews of the research evidence? (2) What other strategies are needed to facilitate evidence-informed decision-making in health policy and practice? and (3) How best to operationalize a rapid response program? The evidence used to inform the design of a rapid response program included (i) two rapid reviews of methodological approaches for rapid reviews of the research evidence and strategies to facilitate evidence-informed decision-making, (ii) supplementary literature in relation to the "shortcuts" that could be considered to reduce the time needed to complete rapid reviews, (iii) four case studies, and (iv) supplementary literature to identify additional operational issues for the design of the program. There is no agreed definition of rapid reviews in the literature and no agreed methodology for conducting them. Better reporting of rapid review methods is needed. The literature found in relation to shortcuts will be helpful in choosing shortcuts that maximize timeliness while minimizing the impact on quality. Evidence for other strategies that can be used concurrently to facilitate the uptake of research evidence, including evidence drawn from rapid reviews, is presented. Operational issues that need to be considered in designing a rapid response program include the implications of a "user-pays" model, the importance of recruiting staff with the right mix of skills and qualifications, and ensuring that the impact of the model on research use in decision-making is formally evaluated. When designing a new rapid response program, greater attention needs to be given to specifying the rapid review methods and reporting these in sufficient detail to allow a quality assessment. It will also be

Research on the Application of Rapid Surveying and Mapping for Large Scare Topographic Map by Uav Aerial Photography System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Z.; Song, Y.; Li, C.; Zeng, F.; Wang, F.

2017-08-01

Rapid acquisition and processing method of large scale topographic map data, which relies on the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) low-altitude aerial photogrammetry system, is studied in this paper, elaborating the main work flow. Key technologies of UAV photograph mapping is also studied, developing a rapid mapping system based on electronic plate mapping system, thus changing the traditional mapping mode and greatly improving the efficiency of the mapping. Production test and achievement precision evaluation of Digital Orth photo Map (DOM), Digital Line Graphic (DLG) and other digital production were carried out combined with the city basic topographic map update project, which provides a new techniques for large scale rapid surveying and has obvious technical advantage and good application prospect.

Facilitating Learning Organizations. Making Learning Count.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsick, Victoria J.; Watkins, Karen E.

This book offers advice to facilitators and change agents who wish to build systems-level learning to create knowledge that can be used to gain a competitive advantage. Chapter 1 describes forces driving companies to build, sustain, and effectively use systems-level learning and presents and links a working definition of the learning organization…

Rapid assessment of infrastructure of primary health care facilities - a relevant instrument for health care systems management.

PubMed

Scholz, Stefan; Ngoli, Baltazar; Flessa, Steffen

2015-05-01

Health care infrastructure constitutes a major component of the structural quality of a health system. Infrastructural deficiencies of health services are reported in literature and research. A number of instruments exist for the assessment of infrastructure. However, no easy-to-use instruments to assess health facility infrastructure in developing countries are available. Present tools are not applicable for a rapid assessment by health facility staff. Therefore, health information systems lack data on facility infrastructure. A rapid assessment tool for the infrastructure of primary health care facilities was developed by the authors and pilot-tested in Tanzania. The tool measures the quality of all infrastructural components comprehensively and with high standardization. Ratings use a 2-1-0 scheme which is frequently used in Tanzanian health care services. Infrastructural indicators and indices are obtained from the assessment and serve for reporting and tracing of interventions. The tool was pilot-tested in Tanga Region (Tanzania). The pilot test covered seven primary care facilities in the range between dispensary and district hospital. The assessment encompassed the facilities as entities as well as 42 facility buildings and 80 pieces of technical medical equipment. A full assessment of facility infrastructure was undertaken by health care professionals while the rapid assessment was performed by facility staff. Serious infrastructural deficiencies were revealed. The rapid assessment tool proved a reliable instrument of routine data collection by health facility staff. The authors recommend integrating the rapid assessment tool in the health information systems of developing countries. Health authorities in a decentralized health system are thus enabled to detect infrastructural deficiencies and trace the effects of interventions. The tool can lay the data foundation for district facility infrastructure management.

Rapid-Testing Technology and Systems Improvement for the Elimination of Congenital Syphilis in Haiti: Overcoming the “Technology to Systems Gap”

PubMed Central

Benoit, Daphne; Zhou, Xi K.; Pape, Jean W.; Peeling, Rosanna W.; Fitzgerald, Daniel W.; Mate, Kedar S.

2013-01-01

Background. Despite the availability of rapid diagnostic tests and inexpensive treatment for pregnant women, maternal-child syphilis transmission remains a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality in developing countries. In Haiti, more than 3000 babies are born with congenital syphilis annually. Methods and Findings. From 2007 to 2011, we used a sequential time series, multi-intervention study design in fourteen clinics throughout Haiti to improve syphilis testing and treatment in pregnancy. The two primary interventions were the introduction of a rapid point-of-care syphilis test and systems strengthening based on quality improvement (QI) methods. Syphilis testing increased from 91.5% prediagnostic test to 95.9% after (P < 0.001) and further increased to 96.8% (P < 0.001) after the QI intervention. Despite high rates of testing across all time periods, syphilis treatment lagged behind and only increased from 70.3% to 74.7% after the introduction of rapid tests (P = 0.27), but it improved significantly from 70.2% to 84.3% (P < 0.001) after the systems strengthening QI intervention. Conclusion. Both point-of-care diagnostic testing and health systems-based quality improvement interventions can improve the delivery of specific evidence-based healthcare interventions to prevent congenital syphilis at scale in Haiti. Improved treatment rates for syphilis were seen only after the use of systems-based quality improvement approaches. PMID:26316955

Improving safety culture in hospitals: Facilitators and barriers to implementation of Systemic Falls Investigative Method (SFIM).

PubMed

Zecevic, Aleksandra A; Li, Alvin Ho-Ting; Ngo, Charity; Halligan, Michelle; Kothari, Anita

2017-06-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the facilitators and barriers to implementation of the Systemic Falls Investigative Method (SFIM) on selected hospital units. A cross-sectional explanatory mixed methods design was used to converge results from a standardized safety culture survey with themes that emerged from interviews and focus groups. Findings were organized by six elements of the Ottawa Model of Research Use framework. A geriatric rehabilitation unit of an acute care hospital and a neurological unit of a rehabilitation hospital were selected purposefully due to the high frequency of falls. Hospital staff who took part in: surveys (n = 39), interviews (n = 10) and focus groups (n = 12), and 38 people who were interviewed during falls investigations: fallers, family, unit staff and hospital management. Implementation of the SFIM to investigate fall occurrences. Percent of positive responses on the Modified Stanford Patient Safety Culture Survey Instrument converged with qualitative themes on facilitators and barriers for intervention implementation. Both hospital units had an overall poor safety culture which hindered intervention implementation. Facilitators were hospital accreditation, strong emphasis on patient safety, infrastructure and dedicated champions. Barriers included heavy workloads, lack of time, lack of resources and poor communication. Successful implementation of SFIM requires regulatory and organizational support, committed frontline staff and allocation of resources to identify active causes and latent contributing factors to falls. System-wide adjustments show promise for promotion of safety culture in hospitals where falls happen regularly. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Understanding the formation mechanism of graphene frameworks synthesized by solvothermal and rapid pyrolytic processes based on an alcohol-sodium hydroxide system.

PubMed

Cui, Huijuan; Zheng, Jianfeng; Yang, Pengju; Zhu, Yanyan; Wang, Zhijian; Zhu, Zhenping

2015-06-03

The determination of ways to facilitate the 2D-oriented assembly of carbons into graphene instead of other carbon structures while restraining the π-π stacking interaction is a challenge for the controllable bulk synthesis of graphene, which is vital both scientifically and technically. In this study, graphene frameworks (GFs) are synthesized by solvothermal and rapid pyrolytic processes based on an alcohol-sodium hydroxide system. The evolution mechanism of GFs is investigated systematically. Under sodium catalysis, the abundant carbon atoms produced by the fast decomposition of solvothermal intermediate self-assembled to graphene. The existence of abundant ether bonds may be favorable for 3D graphene formation. More importantly, GFs were successfully obtained using acetic acid as the carbon source in the synthetic process, suggesting the reasonability of analyzing the formation mechanism. It is quite possible to determine more favorable routes to synthesize graphene under this cognition. The electrochemical energy storage capacity of GFs was also studied, which revealed a high supercapacitor performance with a specific capacitance of 310.7 F/g at the current density of 0.2 A/g.

Facilitators and barriers to implementing electronic referral and/or consultation systems: a qualitative study of 16 health organizations.

PubMed

Tuot, Delphine S; Leeds, Kiren; Murphy, Elizabeth J; Sarkar, Urmimala; Lyles, Courtney R; Mekonnen, Tekeshe; Chen, Alice H M

2015-12-19

Access to specialty care remains a challenge for primary care providers and patients. Implementation of electronic referral and/or consultation (eCR) systems provides an opportunity for innovations in the delivery of specialty care. We conducted key informant interviews to identify drivers, facilitators, barriers and evaluation metrics of diverse eCR systems to inform widespread implementation of this model of specialty care delivery. Interviews were conducted with leaders of 16 diverse health care delivery organizations between January 2013 and April 2014. A limited snowball sampling approach was used for recruitment. Content analysis was used to examine key informant interview transcripts. Electronic referral systems, which provide referral management and triage by specialists, were developed to enhance tracking and operational efficiency. Electronic consultation systems, which encourage bi-directional communication between primary care and specialist providers facilitating longitudinal virtual co-management, were developed to improve access to specialty expertise. Integrated eCR systems leverage both functionalities to enhance the delivery of coordinated, specialty care at the population level. Elements of successful eCR system implementation included executive and clinician leadership, established funding models for specialist clinician reimbursement, and a commitment to optimizing clinician workflows. eCR systems have great potential to streamline access to and enhance the coordination of specialty care delivery. While different eCR models help solve different organizational challenges, all require institutional investments for successful implementation, such as funding for program management, leadership and clinician incentives.

A Data System for a Rapid Evaluation Class of Subscale Aerial Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogge, Edward F.; Quach, Cuong C.; Vazquez, Sixto L.; Hill, Boyd L.

2011-01-01

A low cost, rapid evaluation, test aircraft is used to develop and test airframe damage diagnosis algorithms at Langley Research Center as part of NASA's Aviation Safety Program. The remotely operated subscale aircraft is instrumented with sensors to monitor structural response during flight. Data is collected for good and compromised airframe configurations to develop data driven models for diagnosing airframe state. This paper describes the data acquisition system (DAS) of the rapid evaluation test aircraft. A PC/104 form factor DAS was developed to allow use of Matlab, Simulink simulation code in Langley's existing subscale aircraft flight test infrastructure. The small scale of the test aircraft permitted laboratory testing of the actual flight article under controlled conditions. The low cost and modularity of the DAS permitted adaptation to various flight experiment requirements.

Optimization of an on-board imaging system for extremely rapid radiation therapy

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

Cherry Kemmerling, Erica M.; Wu, Meng, E-mail: mengwu@stanford.edu; Yang, He

2015-11-15

Purpose: Next-generation extremely rapid radiation therapy systems could mitigate the need for motion management, improve patient comfort during the treatment, and increase patient throughput for cost effectiveness. Such systems require an on-board imaging system that is competitively priced, fast, and of sufficiently high quality to allow good registration between the image taken on the day of treatment and the image taken the day of treatment planning. In this study, three different detectors for a custom on-board CT system were investigated to select the best design for integration with an extremely rapid radiation therapy system. Methods: Three different CT detectors aremore » proposed: low-resolution (all 4 × 4 mm pixels), medium-resolution (a combination of 4 × 4 mm pixels and 2 × 2 mm pixels), and high-resolution (all 1 × 1 mm pixels). An in-house program was used to generate projection images of a numerical anthropomorphic phantom and to reconstruct the projections into CT datasets, henceforth called “realistic” images. Scatter was calculated using a separate Monte Carlo simulation, and the model included an antiscatter grid and bowtie filter. Diagnostic-quality images of the phantom were generated to represent the patient scan at the time of treatment planning. Commercial deformable registration software was used to register the diagnostic-quality scan to images produced by the various on-board detector configurations. The deformation fields were compared against a “gold standard” deformation field generated by registering initial and deformed images of the numerical phantoms that were used to make the diagnostic and treatment-day images. Registrations of on-board imaging system data were judged by the amount their deformation fields differed from the corresponding gold standard deformation fields—the smaller the difference, the better the system. To evaluate the registrations, the pointwise distance between gold standard and realistic

RAPID and DDS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Utz, Hans Heinrich

2011-01-01

This talk gives an overview of the the Robot Applications Programmers Interface Delegate (RAPID) as well as the distributed systems middleware Data Distribution Service (DDS). DDS is an open software standard, RAPID is cleared for open-source release under NOSA. RAPID specifies data-structures and semantics for high-level telemetry published by NASA robotic software. These data-structures are supported by multiple robotic platforms at Johnson Space Center (JSC), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Ames Research Center (ARC), providing high-level interoperability between those platforms. DDS is used as the middleware for data transfer. The feature set of the middleware heavily influences the design decision made in the RAPID specification. So it is appropriate to discuss both in this introductory talk.

Integrating Low-Cost Rapid Usability Testing into Agile System Development of Healthcare IT: A Methodological Perspective.

PubMed

Kushniruk, Andre W; Borycki, Elizabeth M

2015-01-01

The development of more usable and effective healthcare information systems has become a critical issue. In the software industry methodologies such as agile and iterative development processes have emerged to lead to more effective and usable systems. These approaches highlight focusing on user needs and promoting iterative and flexible development practices. Evaluation and testing of iterative agile development cycles is considered an important part of the agile methodology and iterative processes for system design and re-design. However, the issue of how to effectively integrate usability testing methods into rapid and flexible agile design cycles has remained to be fully explored. In this paper we describe our application of an approach known as low-cost rapid usability testing as it has been applied within agile system development in healthcare. The advantages of the integrative approach are described, along with current methodological considerations.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobium facilitate nitrogen uptake and transfer in soybean/maize intercropping system

PubMed Central

Meng, Lingbo; Zhang, Aiyuan; Wang, Fei; Han, Xiaoguang; Wang, Dejiang; Li, Shumin

2015-01-01

The tripartite symbiosis between legumes, rhizobia and mycorrhizal fungi are generally considered to be beneficial for the nitrogen (N) uptake of legumes, but the facilitation of symbiosis in legume/non-legume intercropping systems is not clear. Therefore, the aims of the research are as follows: (1) to verify if the dual inoculation can facilitate the N uptake and N transfer in maize/soybean intercropping systems and (2) to calculate how much N will be transferred from soybean to maize. A pot experiment with different root separations [solid barrier, mesh (30 μm) barrier and no barrier] was conducted, and the 15N isotopic tracing method was used to calculate how much N transferred from soybean to maize inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobium in a soybean (Glycine max L.cv. Dongnong No. 42)/maize (Zea mays L.cv. Dongnong No. 48) intercropping system. Compared with the Glomus mosseae inoculation (G.m.), Rhizobium SH212 inoculation (SH212), no inoculation (NI), the dual inoculation (SH212+G.m.) increased the N uptake of soybean by 28.69, 39.58, and 93.07% in a solid barrier system. N uptake of maize inoculated with both G. mosseae and rhizobium was 1.20, 1.28, and 1.68 times more than that of G.m., SH212 and NI, respectively, in solid barrier treatments. In addition, the amount of N transferred from soybean to maize in a dual inoculation system with a mesh barrier was 7.25, 7.01, and 11.45 mg more than that of G.m., SH212 and NI and similarly, 6.40, 7.58, and 12.46 mg increased in no barrier treatments. Inoculating with both AMF and rhizobium in the soybean/maize intercropping system improved the N fixation efficiency of soybean and promoted N transfer from soybean to maize, resulting in the improvement of yield advantages of legume/non-legume intercropping. PMID:26029236

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobium facilitate nitrogen uptake and transfer in soybean/maize intercropping system.

PubMed

Meng, Lingbo; Zhang, Aiyuan; Wang, Fei; Han, Xiaoguang; Wang, Dejiang; Li, Shumin

2015-01-01

The tripartite symbiosis between legumes, rhizobia and mycorrhizal fungi are generally considered to be beneficial for the nitrogen (N) uptake of legumes, but the facilitation of symbiosis in legume/non-legume intercropping systems is not clear. Therefore, the aims of the research are as follows: (1) to verify if the dual inoculation can facilitate the N uptake and N transfer in maize/soybean intercropping systems and (2) to calculate how much N will be transferred from soybean to maize. A pot experiment with different root separations [solid barrier, mesh (30 μm) barrier and no barrier] was conducted, and the (15)N isotopic tracing method was used to calculate how much N transferred from soybean to maize inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobium in a soybean (Glycine max L.cv. Dongnong No. 42)/maize (Zea mays L.cv. Dongnong No. 48) intercropping system. Compared with the Glomus mosseae inoculation (G.m.), Rhizobium SH212 inoculation (SH212), no inoculation (NI), the dual inoculation (SH212+G.m.) increased the N uptake of soybean by 28.69, 39.58, and 93.07% in a solid barrier system. N uptake of maize inoculated with both G. mosseae and rhizobium was 1.20, 1.28, and 1.68 times more than that of G.m., SH212 and NI, respectively, in solid barrier treatments. In addition, the amount of N transferred from soybean to maize in a dual inoculation system with a mesh barrier was 7.25, 7.01, and 11.45 mg more than that of G.m., SH212 and NI and similarly, 6.40, 7.58, and 12.46 mg increased in no barrier treatments. Inoculating with both AMF and rhizobium in the soybean/maize intercropping system improved the N fixation efficiency of soybean and promoted N transfer from soybean to maize, resulting in the improvement of yield advantages of legume/non-legume intercropping.

Implementing a Measurement Feedback System in Community Mental Health Clinics: A Case Study of Multilevel Barriers and Facilitators.

PubMed

Gleacher, Alissa A; Olin, Serene S; Nadeem, Erum; Pollock, Michele; Ringle, Vanesa; Bickman, Leonard; Douglas, Susan; Hoagwood, Kimberly

2016-05-01

Measurement feedback systems (MFSs) have been proposed as a means of improving practice. The present study examined the implementation of a MFS, the Contextualized Feedback System (CFS), in two community-based clinic sites. Significant implementation differences across sites provided a basis for examining factors that influenced clinician uptake of CFS. Following the theoretical implementation framework of Aarons et al. (Adm Policy Mental Health Mental Health Serv Res 38(1):4-23, 2011), we coded qualitative data collected from eighteen clinicians (13 from Clinic U and 5 from Clinic R) who participated in semi-structured interviews about their experience with CFS implementation. Results suggest that clinicians at both clinics perceived more barriers than facilitators to CFS implementation. Interestingly, clinicians at the higher implementing clinic reported a higher proportion of barriers to facilitators (3:1 vs. 2:1); however, these clinicians also reported a significantly higher level of organizational and leadership supports for CFS implementation. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Rapid and selective updating of the target template in visual search.

PubMed

Sha, Li Z; Remington, Roger W; Jiang, Yuhong V

2017-01-01

Frequent target stimuli are detected more rapidly than infrequent ones. Here, we examined whether the frequency effect reflected durable attentional biases toward frequent target features, and whether the effect was confined to featural properties that defined the target. Participants searched for two specific target colors among distractors of heterogeneous colors and reported the line orientation of the target. The target was more often in one specific feature (e.g., a specific color or a specific orientation) than another in a training phase. This frequency difference was removed or reversed in a testing phase. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that when frequency differences were introduced to the target's defining feature, participants more rapidly found the high-frequency target than the low-frequency target. However, changes in attention were not durable-the search advantage vanished immediately when the frequency differences were removed. Experiments 3-5 showed that only featural properties that defined the target facilitated search of the more frequent feature. Features that did not define the target, such as the target feature that participants reported, sped up response but did not facilitate search. These data showed that when searching for multiple targets in a feature search task, people selectively and rapidly adapt to the frequency in the target's defining feature.

A rapid algorithm for realistic human reaching and its use in a virtual reality system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aldridge, Ann; Pandya, Abhilash; Goldsby, Michael; Maida, James

1994-01-01

The Graphics Analysis Facility (GRAF) at JSC has developed a rapid algorithm for computing realistic human reaching. The algorithm was applied to GRAF's anthropometrically correct human model and used in a 3D computer graphics system and a virtual reality system. The nature of the algorithm and its uses are discussed.

The Influence of Facilitator and Facilitation Characteristics on Participants' Ratings of Stepfamily Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higginbotham, Brian J.; Myler, Cory

2010-01-01

We examine the relative importance of facilitator and facilitation characteristics on participant ratings of a stepfamily education program. Data from 48 facilitators and 598 participants suggest that quality facilitation is more meaningful to participants than whether facilitators have comparable demographic characteristics or life experiences.…

Desulfurization characteristics of rapidly hydrated sorbents with various adhesive carrier particles for a semidry CFB-FGD system.

PubMed

You, Changfu; Li, Yuan

2013-03-19

Semidry flue gas desulfurization (FGD) experiments were conducted using rapidly hydrated sorbents with four different adhesive carrier particles: circulation ash from a circulating fluidized bed boiler (CFBB circulation ash), fly ash from the first electrical field of the electrostatic precipitator of a circulating fluidized bed boiler (CFBB ESP ash), fly ash from a chain boiler (chain boiler ash), and river sand smaller than 1 mm. The influences of various adhesive carrier particles and operating conditions on the desulfurization characteristics of the sorbents were investigated, including sprayed water, reaction temperature, and the ratio of calcium to sulfur (Ca/S). The experimental results indicated that the rapidly hydrated sorbents had better desulfurization characteristics by using adhesive carrier particles which possessed better pore, adhesion, and fluidization characteristics. The desulfurization efficiency of the system increased as the reaction temperature decreased, it improved from 35% to 90% as the mass flow rate of the sprayed water increased from 0 to 10 kg/h, and it increased from 65.6% to 82.7% as Ca/S increased from 1.0 to 2.0. Based on these findings, a new semidry circulating fluidized bed (CFB)-FGD system using rapidly hydrated sorbent was developed. Using the rapidly hydrated sorbent, this system uses a cyclone separator instead of an ESP or a bag filter to recycle the sorbent particles, thereby decreasing the system flow resistance, saving investment and operating costs of the solids collection equipment.

The Sequences of 1504 Mutants in the Model Rice Variety Kitaake Facilitate Rapid Functional Genomic Studies

PubMed Central

Pham, Nikki T.; Wei, Tong; Schackwitz, Wendy S.; Lipzen, Anna M.; Duong, Phat Q.; Jones, Kyle C.; Ruan, Deling; Bauer, Diane; Peng, Yi; Schmutz, Jeremy

2017-01-01

The availability of a whole-genome sequenced mutant population and the cataloging of mutations of each line at a single-nucleotide resolution facilitate functional genomic analysis. To this end, we generated and sequenced a fast-neutron-induced mutant population in the model rice cultivar Kitaake (Oryza sativa ssp japonica), which completes its life cycle in 9 weeks. We sequenced 1504 mutant lines at 45-fold coverage and identified 91,513 mutations affecting 32,307 genes, i.e., 58% of all rice genes. We detected an average of 61 mutations per line. Mutation types include single-base substitutions, deletions, insertions, inversions, translocations, and tandem duplications. We observed a high proportion of loss-of-function mutations. We identified an inversion affecting a single gene as the causative mutation for the short-grain phenotype in one mutant line. This result reveals the usefulness of the resource for efficient, cost-effective identification of genes conferring specific phenotypes. To facilitate public access to this genetic resource, we established an open access database called KitBase that provides access to sequence data and seed stocks. This population complements other available mutant collections and gene-editing technologies. This work demonstrates how inexpensive next-generation sequencing can be applied to generate a high-density catalog of mutations. PMID:28576844

Rapid antibiotic efficacy screening with aluminum oxide nanoporous membrane filter-chip and optical detection system.

PubMed

Tsou, Pei-Hsiang; Sreenivasappa, Harini; Hong, Sungmin; Yasuike, Masayuki; Miyamoto, Hiroshi; Nakano, Keiyo; Misawa, Takeyuki; Kameoka, Jun

2010-09-15

We have developed a filter-chip and optical detection system for rapid antibiotic efficacy screening. The filter-chip consisted of a 1-mL reservoir and an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nanoporous membrane. Sample solution with liquid growth media, bacteria, and antibiotics was incubated in the reservoir for a specific period of time. The number of live bacteria on the surface of membrane was counted after the incubation with antibiotics and filtration. Using this biosensing system, we have demonstrated a 1-h antibiotic screening for patients' clinical samples, significantly faster than the conventional antibiotic susceptibility tests that typically take more than 24h. This rapid screening nature makes the filter-chip and detection system ideal for tailoring antibiotic treatment to individual patients by reducing the microbial antibiotic resistance, and improving the survival rate for patients suffering from postoperative infections. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The 6 "ws" of rapid response systems: best practices for improving development, implementation, and evaluation.

PubMed

Lazzara, Elizabeth H; Benishek, Lauren E; Sonesh, Shirley C; Patzer, Brady; Robinson, Patricia; Wallace, Ruth; Salas, Eduardo

2014-01-01

Delays in care have been cited as one of the primary contributors of preventable mortality; thus, quality patient safety is often contingent upon the delivery of timely clinical care. Rapid response systems (RRSs) have been touted as one mechanism to improve the ability of suitable staff to respond to deteriorating patients quickly and appropriately. Rapid response systems are defined as highly skilled individual(s) who mobilize quickly to provide medical care in response to clinical deterioration. While there is mounting evidence that RRSs are a valid strategy for managing obstetric emergencies, reducing adverse events, and improving patient safety, there remains limited insight into the practices underlying the development and execution of these systems. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to synthesize the literature and answer the primary questions necessary for successfully developing, implementing, and evaluating RRSs within inpatient settings-the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of RRSs.

Development of the PARVMEC Code for Rapid Analysis of 3D MHD Equilibrium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seal, Sudip; Hirshman, Steven; Cianciosa, Mark; Wingen, Andreas; Unterberg, Ezekiel; Wilcox, Robert; ORNL Collaboration

2015-11-01

The VMEC three-dimensional (3D) MHD equilibrium has been used extensively for designing stellarator experiments and analyzing experimental data in such strongly 3D systems. Recent applications of VMEC include 2D systems such as tokamaks (in particular, the D3D experiment), where application of very small (delB/B ~ 10-3) 3D resonant magnetic field perturbations render the underlying assumption of axisymmetry invalid. In order to facilitate the rapid analysis of such equilibria (for example, for reconstruction purposes), we have undertaken the task of parallelizing the VMEC code (PARVMEC) to produce a scalable and temporally rapidly convergent equilibrium code for use on parallel distributed memory platforms. The parallelization task naturally splits into three distinct parts 1) radial surfaces in the fixed-boundary part of the calculation; 2) two 2D angular meshes needed to compute the Green's function integrals over the plasma boundary for the free-boundary part of the code; and 3) block tridiagonal matrix needed to compute the full (3D) pre-conditioner near the final equilibrium state. Preliminary results show that scalability is achieved for tasks 1 and 3, with task 2 still nearing completion. The impact of this work on the rapid reconstruction of D3D plasmas using PARVMEC in the V3FIT code will be discussed. Work supported by U.S. DOE under Contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle, LLC.

A Low-Cost Multielectrode System for Data Acquisition Enabling Real-Time Closed-Loop Processing with Rapid Recovery from Stimulation Artifacts

PubMed Central

Rolston, John D.; Gross, Robert E.; Potter, Steve M.

2009-01-01

Commercially available data acquisition systems for multielectrode recording from freely moving animals are expensive, often rely on proprietary software, and do not provide detailed, modifiable circuit schematics. When used in conjunction with electrical stimulation, they are prone to prolonged, saturating stimulation artifacts that prevent the recording of short-latency evoked responses. Yet electrical stimulation is integral to many experimental designs, and critical for emerging brain-computer interfacing and neuroprosthetic applications. To address these issues, we developed an easy-to-use, modifiable, and inexpensive system for multielectrode neural recording and stimulation. Setup costs are less than US$10,000 for 64 channels, an order of magnitude lower than comparable commercial systems. Unlike commercial equipment, the system recovers rapidly from stimulation and allows short-latency action potentials (<1 ms post-stimulus) to be detected, facilitating closed-loop applications and exposing neural activity that would otherwise remain hidden. To illustrate this capability, evoked activity from microstimulation of the rodent hippocampus is presented. System noise levels are similar to existing platforms, and extracellular action potentials and local field potentials can be recorded simultaneously. The system is modular, in banks of 16 channels, and flexible in usage: while primarily designed for in vivo use, it can be combined with commercial preamplifiers to record from in vitro multielectrode arrays. The system's open-source control software, NeuroRighter, is implemented in C#, with an easy-to-use graphical interface. As C# functions in a managed code environment, which may impact performance, analysis was conducted to ensure comparable speed to C++ for this application. Hardware schematics, layout files, and software are freely available. Since maintaining wired headstage connections with freely moving animals is difficult, we describe a new method of

An improved out-cell to in-cell rapid transfer system at the HFEF-south

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

Bacca, J.P.; Sherman, E.K.

1990-01-01

The Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) Hot Fuel Examination Facility-South (HFEF-S), located at the ANL-West site of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment and modifications in preparation for its use, beginning in 1991, in demonstrating remote recycling of fast reactor, metal-alloy fuel as part of the US Department of Energy liquid-metal reactor, Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) program. Included in these improvements to HFEF-S is a new, small-item, rapid transfer system (RTS). When installed, this system will enable the rapid transfer of small items from the hot-cell exterior into the argon cell (argon-gas atmosphere) of the facility withoutmore » necessitating the use of time-consuming and laborious procedures. The new RTS will also provide another important function associated with HFEF-S hot-cell operation in the IFR Fuel Recycle Program; namely, the rapid insertion of clean, radioactive contamination-measuring smear paper specimens into the hot cells for area surveys, and the expedited removal of these contaminated (including alpha as well as beta/gamma contamination) smears from the argon cell for transfer to an adjacent health physics field laboratory in the facility for nuclear contamination/radiation counting.« less

Fatigue crack growth spectrum simplification: Facilitation of on-board damage prognosis systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adler, Matthew Adam

2009-12-01

Better lifetime predictions of systems subjected to fatigue loading are needed in support of the optimization of the costs of life-cycle engineering. In particular, the climate is especially encouraging for the development of safer aircraft. One issue is that aircraft experience complex fatigue loading and current methods for the prediction of fatigue damage accumulation rely on intensive computational tools that are not currently carried onboard during flight. These tools rely on complex models that are made more difficult by the complicated load spectra themselves. This presents an overhead burden as offline analysis must be performed at an offsite facility. This architecture is thus unable to provide online, timely information for on-board use. The direct objective of this research was to facilitate the real-time fatigue damage assessments of on-board systems with a particular emphasis on aging aircraft. To achieve the objective, the goal of this research was to simplify flight spectra. Variable-amplitude spectra, in which the load changes on a cycle-by-cycle basis, cannot readily be supported by an onboard system because the models required to predict fatigue crack growth during variable-amplitude loading are too complicated. They are too complicated because variable-amplitude fatigue crack growth analysis must be performed on a cycle-by-cycle basis as no closed-form solution exists. This makes these calculations too time-consuming and requires impractical, heavy onboard systems or offsite facilities. The hypothesis is to replace a variable-amplitude spectrum with an equivalent constant-amplitude spectrum. The advantage is a dramatic reduction in the complexity of the problem so that damage predictions can be made onboard by simple, fast calculations in real-time without the need to add additional weight to the aircraft. The intent is to reduce the computational burden and facilitate on-board projection of damage evolution and prediction for the accurate

Two distinct secretion systems facilitate tissue invasion by the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

PubMed Central

Giraldo, Martha C.; Dagdas, Yasin F.; Gupta, Yogesh K.; Mentlak, Thomas A.; Yi, Mihwa; Martinez-Rocha, Ana Lilia; Saitoh, Hiromasa; Terauchi, Ryohei; Talbot, Nicholas J.; Valent, Barbara

2013-01-01

To cause plant diseases, pathogenic micro-organisms secrete effector proteins into host tissue to suppress immunity and support pathogen growth. Bacterial pathogens have evolved several distinct secretion systems to target effector proteins, but whether fungi, which cause the major diseases of most crop species, also require different secretory mechanisms is not known. Here we report that the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae possesses two distinct secretion systems to target effectors during plant infection. Cytoplasmic effectors, which are delivered into host cells, preferentially accumulate in the biotrophic interfacial complex, a novel plant membrane-rich structure associated with invasive hyphae. We show that the biotrophic interfacial complex is associated with a novel form of secretion involving exocyst components and the Sso1 t-SNARE. By contrast, effectors that are secreted from invasive hyphae into the extracellular compartment follow the conventional secretory pathway. We conclude that the blast fungus has evolved distinct secretion systems to facilitate tissue invasion. PMID:23774898

Using learning theory, interprofessional facilitation competencies, and behavioral indicators to evaluate facilitator training.

PubMed

LeGros, Theresa A; Amerongen, Helen M; Cooley, Janet H; Schloss, Ernest P

2015-01-01

Despite the increasing need for faculty and preceptors skilled in interprofessional facilitation (IPF), the relative novelty of the field poses a challenge to the development and evaluation of IPF programs. We use learning theory and IPF competencies with associated behavioral indicators to develop and evaluate six key messages in IPF training and experience. Our mixed methods approach included two phases: quantitative data collection with embedded qualitative data, followed by qualitative data collection in explanatory sequential fashion. This enabled triangulated analyses of both data types and of facilitation behaviors from facilitator and student perspectives. Results indicate the competency-based training was effective. Facilitators felt comfortable performing behaviors associated with IPF competencies; student observations of those behaviors supported facilitator self-reported performance. Overall, students perceived more facilitation opportunities than facilitators. Findings corroborate the importance of recruiting seasoned facilitators and establishing IPF guidelines that acknowledge variable team dynamics and help facilitators recognize teachable moments.

Systems and methods for facilitating hydrogen storage using naturally occurring nanostructure assemblies

DOEpatents

Fliermans,; Carl, B [Augusta, GA

2012-08-07

Some or all of the needs above can be addressed by embodiments of the invention. According to embodiments of the invention, systems and methods for facilitating hydrogen storage using naturally occurring nanostructure assemblies can be implemented. In one embodiment, a method for storing hydrogen can be provided. The method can include providing diatoms comprising diatomaceous earth or diatoms from a predefined culture. In addition, the method can include heating the diatoms in a sealed environment in the presence of at least one of titanium, a transition metal, or a noble metal to provide a porous hydrogen storage medium. Furthermore, the method can include exposing the porous hydrogen storage medium to hydrogen. In addition, the method can include storing at least a portion of the hydrogen in the porous hydrogen storage medium.

Video feedforward for rapid learning of a picture-based communication system.

PubMed

Smith, Jemma; Hand, Linda; Dowrick, Peter W

2014-04-01

This study examined the efficacy of video self modeling (VSM) using feedforward, to teach various goals of a picture exchange communication system (PECS). The participants were two boys with autism and one man with Down syndrome. All three participants were non-verbal with no current functional system of communication; the two children had long histories of PECS failure. A series of replications, with different length baselines, was used to examine whether video self modeling could replace the PECS method of teaching to achieve the same goals. All three participants showed rapid learning of their target behavior when introduced to their self modeling videos, and effects generalized without the need for further intervention. We conclude that VSM, using feedforward, can provide a fast, simple way of teaching the use of a picture-based communication system without the need for prompts or intensive operant conditioning. VSM may provide an accessible, easy-to-use alternative to common methods of teaching augmentative and alternative communication systems.

One-year outcomes after rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement.

PubMed

Young, Christopher; Laufer, Günther; Kocher, Alfred; Solinas, Marco; Alamanni, Francesco; Polvani, Gianluca; Podesser, Bruno K; Aramendi, Jose Ignacio; Arribas, Jose; Bouchot, Olivier; Livi, Ugolino; Massetti, Massimo; Terp, Kim; Giot, Christophe; Glauber, Mattia

2018-02-01

The goals of rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement include facilitation of minimally invasive surgery and reduced aortic crossclamp time. We report the short-term outcomes of a series of 493 patients undergoing rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement with the EDWARDS INTUITY valve system (Edwards Lifesciences, LLC, Irvine, Calif). Assessing Standard oF Care and Clinical Outcomes UsiNg the EDWARDS INTUITY VAlve SysTem in a European multI-center, Active, pOst-market surveillaNce Study was a prospective, multicenter (n = 26) European registry designed to evaluate the safety and performance of the valve system. During rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement, device technical success and crossclamp time were assessed. Procedural outcomes, hemodynamic performance, and various adverse events and clinical outcomes were evaluated up to 2 years. Between 2012 and 2014, 493 of 517 enrolled patients successfully received implants with the study valve (95.4% technical success). Mean crossclamp times for 163 full sternotomies, 128 mini-upper sternotomies, and 36 right anterior thoracotomies isolated aortic valve replacements were 47.3, 52.0, and 73.3 minutes, respectively. Mean follow-up was 1.8 years, with 870 total patient-years of follow-up. Mean effective orifice area increased from 0.72 (baseline) to 1.88 cm 2 , and mean pressure gradient decreased from 47.6 to 9.6 mm Hg (1 year). Mean effective orifice area index increased (0.39-1.01 cm 2 /m 2 ), and 28 of 287 patients (9.8%) exhibited severe prosthesis-patient mismatch at 1 year. After 1 year, 68.1% and 21.7% of patients were in New York Heart Association class I and II, respectively. Freedom from death, major bleeding, major perivalvular leak, reoperation, and device explant at 1 year were 0.935, 0.939, 0.976, 0.975, and 0.983, respectively. These results demonstrate commendable safety and performance of the test valve system over the short term in a broad European setting. Copyright © 2017 The

Hidden asymmetry and long range rapidity correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialas, A.; Bzdak, A.; Zalewski, K.

2012-04-01

Interpretation of long-range rapidity correlations in terms of the fluctuating rapidity density distribution of the system created in high-energy collisions is proposed. When applied to recent data of the STAR Collaboration, it shows a substantial asymmetric component in the shape of this system in central Au-Au collisions, implying that boost invariance is violated on the event-by-event basis even at central rapidity. This effect may seriously influence the hydrodynamic expansion of the system.

Negotiation Support Systems for Facilitating International Water Conflicts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirchi, A.; Madani, K.; Rouhani, O. M.

2011-12-01

Two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Caspian Sea -the largest inland body of water on earth- continues to be the subject of one of the world's most insurmountable disputes, involving Iran, Russia, and the new sovereign states of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. The conflict is over the legal status of this multinational water body, which supplies almost all of the world's black caviar, and holds about 10% and 4% of the world's oil and gas reserves, respectively. Typically, proposed division methods for sharing the Caspian Sea and its valuable resources focus either on the areal shares or on the oil and gas shares of the parties. As such, total gains of littoral states under different division methods have remained unclear. In this study, we have developed the Caspian Sea Negotiation Support System (NSS) to delineate optimal boundaries for sharing the sea. The Caspian Sea NSS facilitates simultaneous consideration of the countries' areal and resource shares from the sea under different sharing methods. The developed model is run under different division scenarios to provide insights into the sensitivity of the countries' gains and locations of nautical boundaries to the proposed division rules and the economic values of the Caspian Sea resources. The results are highly sensitive to the proposed division rules, and there is an indirect relationship between the allocated area and resource shares. The main policy implication of the study is that explicit quantification of the countries' resource and areal gains under any suggested legal regime for governing the Caspian Sea is a precursor the success of the negotiations.

Rapid analysis and exploration of fluorescence microscopy images.

PubMed

Pavie, Benjamin; Rajaram, Satwik; Ouyang, Austin; Altschuler, Jason M; Steininger, Robert J; Wu, Lani F; Altschuler, Steven J

2014-03-19

Despite rapid advances in high-throughput microscopy, quantitative image-based assays still pose significant challenges. While a variety of specialized image analysis tools are available, most traditional image-analysis-based workflows have steep learning curves (for fine tuning of analysis parameters) and result in long turnaround times between imaging and analysis. In particular, cell segmentation, the process of identifying individual cells in an image, is a major bottleneck in this regard. Here we present an alternate, cell-segmentation-free workflow based on PhenoRipper, an open-source software platform designed for the rapid analysis and exploration of microscopy images. The pipeline presented here is optimized for immunofluorescence microscopy images of cell cultures and requires minimal user intervention. Within half an hour, PhenoRipper can analyze data from a typical 96-well experiment and generate image profiles. Users can then visually explore their data, perform quality control on their experiment, ensure response to perturbations and check reproducibility of replicates. This facilitates a rapid feedback cycle between analysis and experiment, which is crucial during assay optimization. This protocol is useful not just as a first pass analysis for quality control, but also may be used as an end-to-end solution, especially for screening. The workflow described here scales to large data sets such as those generated by high-throughput screens, and has been shown to group experimental conditions by phenotype accurately over a wide range of biological systems. The PhenoBrowser interface provides an intuitive framework to explore the phenotypic space and relate image properties to biological annotations. Taken together, the protocol described here will lower the barriers to adopting quantitative analysis of image based screens.

Health systems facilitators and barriers to the integration of HIV and chronic disease services: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Watt, Nicola; Sigfrid, Louise; Legido-Quigley, Helena; Hogarth, Sue; Maimaris, Will; Otero-García, Laura; Perel, Pablo; Buse, Kent; McKee, Martin; Piot, Peter; Balabanova, Dina

2017-01-01

Abstract Integration of services for patients with more than one diagnosed condition has intuitive appeal but it has been argued that the empirical evidence to support it is limited. We report the findings of a systematic review that sought to identify health system factors, extrinsic to the integration process, which either facilitated or hindered the integration of services for two common disorders, HIV and chronic non-communicable diseases. Findings were initially extracted and organized around a health system framework, followed by a thematic cross-cutting analysis and validation steps. Of the 150 articles included, 67% (n = 102) were from high-income countries. The articles explored integration with services for one or several chronic disorders, the most studied being alcohol or substance use disorders (47.7%), and mental health issues (29.5%). Four cross-cutting themes related to the health system were identified. The first and most common theme was the requirement for effective collaboration and coordination: formal and informal productive relationships throughout the system between providers and within teams, and between staff and patients. The second was the need for adequate and appropriately skilled and incentivized health workers—with the right expertise, training and operational support for the programme. The third was the need for supportive institutional structures and dedicated resources. The fourth was leadership in terms of political will, effective managerial oversight and organizational culture, indicating that actual implementation is as important as programme design. A fifth theme, outside the health system, but underpinning all aspects of the system operation, was that placing the patient at the centre of service delivery and responding holistically to their diverse needs. This was an important facilitator of integration. These findings confirm that integration processes in service delivery depend substantially for their success on

75 FR 11938 - Meridian Automotive Systems, Grand Rapids, MI; Notice of Termination of Investigation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-12

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-70,227] Meridian Automotive... by a company official on behalf of workers of Meridian Automotive Systems, Grand Rapids, Michigan (Meridian Automotive). The petitioning group of workers is covered by an active certification, (TA-W-70,766...

Noise Impact Inventory of Elevated Structures in U.S. Urban Rail Rapid Transit Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-09-01

This report presents the results of the third task of a five-task program dealing with the reduction of noise from elevated structures in use in U.S. rail rapid transit systems. This report is an inventory and impact assessment of the noise radiated ...

The Sequences of 1504 Mutants in the Model Rice Variety Kitaake Facilitate Rapid Functional Genomic Studies.

PubMed

Li, Guotian; Jain, Rashmi; Chern, Mawsheng; Pham, Nikki T; Martin, Joel A; Wei, Tong; Schackwitz, Wendy S; Lipzen, Anna M; Duong, Phat Q; Jones, Kyle C; Jiang, Liangrong; Ruan, Deling; Bauer, Diane; Peng, Yi; Barry, Kerrie W; Schmutz, Jeremy; Ronald, Pamela C

2017-06-01

The availability of a whole-genome sequenced mutant population and the cataloging of mutations of each line at a single-nucleotide resolution facilitate functional genomic analysis. To this end, we generated and sequenced a fast-neutron-induced mutant population in the model rice cultivar Kitaake ( Oryza sativa ssp japonica ), which completes its life cycle in 9 weeks. We sequenced 1504 mutant lines at 45-fold coverage and identified 91,513 mutations affecting 32,307 genes, i.e., 58% of all rice genes. We detected an average of 61 mutations per line. Mutation types include single-base substitutions, deletions, insertions, inversions, translocations, and tandem duplications. We observed a high proportion of loss-of-function mutations. We identified an inversion affecting a single gene as the causative mutation for the short-grain phenotype in one mutant line. This result reveals the usefulness of the resource for efficient, cost-effective identification of genes conferring specific phenotypes. To facilitate public access to this genetic resource, we established an open access database called KitBase that provides access to sequence data and seed stocks. This population complements other available mutant collections and gene-editing technologies. This work demonstrates how inexpensive next-generation sequencing can be applied to generate a high-density catalog of mutations. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

On-site identification of meat species in processed foods by a rapid real-time polymerase chain reaction system.

PubMed

Furutani, Shunsuke; Hagihara, Yoshihisa; Nagai, Hidenori

2017-09-01

Correct labeling of foods is critical for consumers who wish to avoid a specific meat species for religious or cultural reasons. Therefore, gene-based point-of-care food analysis by real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is expected to contribute to the quality control in the food industry. In this study, we perform rapid identification of meat species by our portable rapid real-time PCR system, following a very simple DNA extraction method. Applying these techniques, we correctly identified beef, pork, chicken, rabbit, horse, and mutton in processed foods in 20min. Our system was sensitive enough to detect the interfusion of about 0.1% chicken egg-derived DNA in a processed food sample. Our rapid real-time PCR system is expected to contribute to the quality control in food industries because it can be applied for the identification of meat species, and future applications can expand its functionality to the detection of genetically modified organisms or mutations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Qualitative exploration of nurses' decisions to activate rapid response teams.

PubMed

Astroth, Kim S; Woith, Wendy M; Stapleton, Stephen J; Degitz, R Joseph; Jenkins, Sheryl H

2013-10-01

To identify barriers and facilitators to nurses' decisions regarding activation of rapid response teams (RRTs) in hospitals. Hospitalised patients in the United States who experience cardiopulmonary arrest seldom recover. Most of these patients show signs of clinical deterioration prior to cardiopulmonary arrest. RRTs have been shown to decrease the incidence of cardiopulmonary arrest by bringing needed resources to unstable patients. Despite the evidence in support of the activation of RRTs, nurses do not always use this resource. Nurses' decisions to activate or not to activate the RRT are not clearly understood. We used a qualitative design for this study. A purposive sample of 15 medical/surgical nurses was recruited from a small medical centre in the Midwest. Researchers used semistructured, open-ended questions to elicit subject responses regarding facilitators and barriers to activating RRTs. Themes emerged and were categorised as facilitators and barriers to calling the RRT. Facilitators and barriers were then subdivided into distinct subthemes: RRT characteristics and unit culture. The expertise of the RRT members and support and encouragement from nursing unit colleagues and leaders emerged as two potential facilitators. Communication of the RRT members and calling the physician first emerged as two potential barriers. We also identified educational factors that were not clearly facilitators or barriers to calling the RRT. Further study is needed using quantitative designs with larger sample sizes. Nurses can build upon knowledge of facilitators and barriers related to RRT characteristics and nursing unit culture. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Facilitating Developmental Guidance through Behavioral Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Donna H.

1980-01-01

The counselor, facilitating classroom development guidance lessons, may experience conflict and difficulty. The management system presented here allows for flexibility and provides sufficient behavioral structure, while encouraging individual expression from students. This behavioral management approach is supportive of, but secondary to,…

Using hub technology to facilitate information system integration in a health-care enterprise.

PubMed

Gendler, S M; Friedman, B A; Henricks, W H

1996-04-01

The deployment and maintenance of multiple point-to-point interfaces between a clinical information system, such as a laboratory information system, and other systems within a healthcare enterprise is expensive and time consuming. Moreover, the demand for such interfaces is increasing as hospitals consolidate and clinical laboratories participate in the development of regional laboratory networks and create host-to-host links with laboratory outreach clients. An interface engine, also called a hub, is an evolving technology that could replace multiple point-to-point interfaces from a laboratory information system with a single interface to the hub, preferably HL7 based. The hub then routes and translates laboratory information to other systems within the enterprise. Changes in application systems in an enterprise where a centralized interface engine has been implemented then amount to thorough analysis, an update of the enterprise's data dictionary, purchase of a single new vendor-supported interface, and table-based parameter changes on the hub. Two other features of an interface engine, support for structured query language and information store-and-forward, will facilitate the development of clinical data repositories and provide flexibility when interacting with other host systems. This article describes the advantages and disadvantages of an interface engine and lists some problems not solved by the technology. Finally, early developmental experience with an interface engine at the University of Michigan Medical Center and the benefits of the project on system integration efforts are described, not the least of which has been the enthusiastic adoption of the HL7 standard for all future interface projects.

Transposable elements as agents of rapid adaptation may explain the genetic paradox of invasive species.

PubMed

Stapley, Jessica; Santure, Anna W; Dennis, Stuart R

2015-05-01

Rapid adaptation of invasive species to novel habitats has puzzled evolutionary biologists for decades, especially as this often occurs in the face of limited genetic variability. Although some ecological traits common to invasive species have been identified, little is known about the possible genomic/genetic mechanisms that may underlie their success. A common scenario in many introductions is that small founder population sizes will often lead to reduced genetic diversity, but that invading populations experience large environmental perturbations, such as changes in habitat and environmental stress. Although sudden and intense stress is usually considered in a negative context, these perturbations may actually facilitate rapid adaptation by affecting genome structure, organization and function via interactions with transposable elements (TEs), especially in populations with low genetic diversity. Stress-induced changes in TE activity can alter gene action and can promote structural variation that may facilitate the rapid adaptation observed in new environments. We focus here on the adaptive potential of TEs in relation to invasive species and highlight their role as powerful mutational forces that can rapidly create genetic diversity. We hypothesize that activity of transposable elements can explain rapid adaptation despite low genetic variation (the genetic paradox of invasive species), and provide a framework under which this hypothesis can be tested using recently developed and emerging genomic technologies. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Learning to Take the Tablet: How Pre-Service Teachers use iPads to Facilitate their Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pegrum, Mark; Howitt, Christine; Striepe, Michelle

2013-01-01

Mobile handheld devices are spreading rapidly in education. iPads, especially, are increasingly being adopted by different educational sectors, but there is currently little empirical evidence on whether, or how, they facilitate student learning. This paper reports on how iPads contributed to pre-service teachers' learning, including their…

Combustibility of Electrical Wire and Cable for Rail Rapid Transit Systems. Volume 1. Flammability.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-05-01

The objective of this study was to examine the flammability of wires and cables used in rapid rail transit systems. The overall goal of the study was to quantify the fire properties of wires and cables in a manner so that the relative fire hazards co...

Combustibility of Electrical Wire and Cable for Rail Rapid Transit Systems. Volume 2. Toxicity.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-05-01

The objective of this study was to examine the flammability of wires and cables used in rapid rail transit systems. The overall goal of the study was to quantify the fire properties of wires and cables in a manner so that the relative fire hazards co...

Single-Pass, Closed-System Rapid Expansion of Lymphocyte Cultures for Adoptive Cell Therapy

PubMed Central

Klapper, Jacob A.; Thomasian, Armen A.; Smith, Douglas M.; Gorgas, Gayle C.; Wunderlich, John R.; Smith, Franz O.; Hampson, Brian S.; Rosenberg, Steven A.; Dudley, Mark E.

2009-01-01

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) for metastatic melanoma involves the ex vivo expansion and re-infusion of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) obtained from resected specimens. With an overall objective response rate of fifty-six percent, this T-cell immunotherapy provides an appealing alternative to other therapies, including conventional therapies with lower response rates. However, there are significant regulatory and logistical concerns associated with the ex vivo activation and large scale expansion of these cells. The best current practice uses a rapid expansion protocol (REP) consisting of an ex vivo process that occurs in tissue culture flasks (T-flasks) and gas-permeable bags, utilizes OKT3 (anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody), recombinant human interleukin-2, and irradiated peripheral blood mononuclear cells to initiate rapid lymphocyte growth. A major limitation to the widespread delivery of therapy to large numbers of melanoma patients is the open system in which a REP is initiated. To address this problem, we have investigated the initiation, expansion and harvest at clinical scale of TIL in a closed-system continuous perfusion bioreactor. Each cell product met all safety criteria for patient treatment and by head-to-head comparison had a similar potency and phenotype as cells grown in control T-flasks and gas-permeable bags. However, the currently available bioreactor cassettes were limited in the total cell numbers that could be generated. This bioreactor may simplify the process of the rapid expansion of TIL under stringent regulatory conditions thereby enabling other institutions to pursue this form of ACT. PMID:19389403

Enabling rapid behavioral ecotoxicity studies using an integrated lab-on-a-chip systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yushi; Nugegoda, Dayanthi; Wlodkowic, Donald

2015-12-01

Behavioral ecotoxicity tests are gaining an increasing recognition in environmental toxicology. Behavior of sensitive bioindicator species can change rapidly in response to an acute exposure to contaminants and thus has a much higher sensitivity as compared to conventional LC50 mortality tests. Furthermore, behavioral endpoints seems to be very good candidates to develop early-warning biomonitoring systems needed for rapid chemical risk assessment. Behavioral tests are non-invasive, fast, do not harm indicator organisms (behavioural changes are very rapid) and are thus fully compatible with 3R (Replacement - Reduction - Refinement) principle encouraging alternatives to conventional animal testing. These characteristics are essential when designing improved ecotoxicity tests for chemical risk assessment. In this work, we present a pilot development of miniaturized Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) devices for studying toxin avoidance behaviors of small aquatic crustaceans. As an investigative tool, LOCs represent a new direction that may miniaturize and revolutionize behavioral ecotoxicology. Specifically our innovative microfluidic prototype: (i) enables convening "caging" of specimens for real-time videomicroscopy; (ii) eliminates the evaporative water loss thus providing an opportunity for long-term behavioral studies; (iii) exploits laminar fluid flow under low Reynolds numbers to generate discrete domains and gradients enabling for the first time toxin avoidance studies on small aquatic crustaceans; (iv) integrates off-the-chip mechatronic interfaces and video analysis algorithms for single animal movement analysis. We provide evidence that by merging innovative bioelectronic and biomicrofluidic technologies we can deploy inexpensive and reliable systems for culture, electronic tracking and complex computational analysis of behavior of bioindicator organisms.

Rapid Access Real-Time device and Rapid Access software: new tools in the armamentarium of capsule endoscopy.

PubMed

Spada, Cristiano; Riccioni, Maria Elena; Costamagna, Guido

2007-07-01

Small bowel capsule endoscopy represents a significant advance in the investigation of the small bowel, allowing direct visualization of this section of the gastrointestinal system. More recently, new video capsules have been released, specifically designed to investigate the esophagus and the colon. In June 2006, Given Imaging Ltd received marketing clearance from the US FDA for the Rapid Access Real-Time (RT) and Rapid Access software. The Rapid Access RT is a handheld device that enables real-time viewing during capsule endoscopy procedures. To date, the clinical benefits of this device are unknown as studies on the Rapid Access RT system have not yet been published. However, it appears that the Rapid Access RT system may reduce the examination and reading time, and may impact significantly in cases where it is important to know the precise localization of the capsule (during PillCam ESO ingestion procedures, PillCam Colon examinations or when delayed gastric transit is suspected) or in case of severe gastrointestinal bleeding (when a therapeutic procedure is required urgently).

Recent Ground Hold and Rapid Depressurization Testing of Multilayer Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Wesley L.

2014-01-01

In the development of flight insulation systems for large cryogenic orbital storage (spray on foam and multilayer insulation), testing need include all environments that are experienced during flight. While large efforts have been expended on studying, bounding, and modeling the orbital performance of the insulation systems, little effort has been expended on the ground hold and ascent phases of a mission. Historical cryogenic in-space systems that have flown have been able to ignore these phases of flight due to the insulation system being within a vacuum jacket. In the development phase of the Nuclear Mars Vehicle and the Shuttle Nuclear Vehicle, several insulation systems were evaluated for the full mission cycle. Since that time there had been minimal work on these phases of flight until the Constellation program began investigating cryogenic service modules and long duration upper stages. With the inception of the Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer Technology Demonstration Mission, a specific need was seen for the data and as such, several tests were added to the Cryogenic Boil-off Reduction System liquid hydrogen test matrix to provide more data on a insulation system. Testing was attempted with both gaseous nitrogen (GN2) and gaseous helium (GHe) backfills. The initial tests with nitrogen backfill were not successfully completed due to nitrogen liquefaction and solidification preventing the rapid pumpdown of the vacuum chamber. Subsequent helium backfill tests were successful and showed minimal degradation. The results are compared to the historical data.

Maize Cropping Systems Mapping Using RapidEye Observations in Agro-Ecological Landscapes in Kenya.

PubMed

Richard, Kyalo; Abdel-Rahman, Elfatih M; Subramanian, Sevgan; Nyasani, Johnson O; Thiel, Michael; Jozani, Hosein; Borgemeister, Christian; Landmann, Tobias

2017-11-03

Cropping systems information on explicit scales is an important but rarely available variable in many crops modeling routines and of utmost importance for understanding pests and disease propagation mechanisms in agro-ecological landscapes. In this study, high spatial and temporal resolution RapidEye bio-temporal data were utilized within a novel 2-step hierarchical random forest (RF) classification approach to map areas of mono- and mixed maize cropping systems. A small-scale maize farming site in Machakos County, Kenya was used as a study site. Within the study site, field data was collected during the satellite acquisition period on general land use/land cover (LULC) and the two cropping systems. Firstly, non-cropland areas were masked out from other land use/land cover using the LULC mapping result. Subsequently an optimized RF model was applied to the cropland layer to map the two cropping systems (2nd classification step). An overall accuracy of 93% was attained for the LULC classification, while the class accuracies (PA: producer's accuracy and UA: user's accuracy) for the two cropping systems were consistently above 85%. We concluded that explicit mapping of different cropping systems is feasible in complex and highly fragmented agro-ecological landscapes if high resolution and multi-temporal satellite data such as 5 m RapidEye data is employed. Further research is needed on the feasibility of using freely available 10-20 m Sentinel-2 data for wide-area assessment of cropping systems as an important variable in numerous crop productivity models.

When Words Collide: Facilitation and Interference in the Report of Repeated Words From Rapidly Presented Lists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masson, Michael E. J.

2004-01-01

Inhibited encoding is the basis of some accounts of repetition blindness--impaired report of the second occurrence of a repeated word in a rapidly presented word sequence. The author presents evidence for the claim that repetition effects arise from constructive processes of perception and memory that occur to some extent after the word sequence…

Vegetation pattern formation in semiarid systems induced by long-range competition in the absence of facilitation mechanisms.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Garcia, Ricardo; Calabrese, Justin M.; Hernandez-Garcia, Emilio; Lopez, Cristobal

2014-05-01

Regular patterns and spatial organization of vegetation have been observed in many arid and semiarid ecosystems worldwide, covering a diverse range of plant taxa and soil types. A key common ingredient in these systems is that plant growth is severely limited by water availability, and thus plants likely compete strongly for water. The study of such patterns is especially interesting because their features may reveal much about the underlying physical and biological processes that generated them in addition to giving information on the characteristics of the ecosystem. It is possible, for instance, to infer their resilience against anthropogenic disturbances or climatic changes that could cause abrupt shifts in the system and lead it to a desert state. Therefore much research has focused on identifying the underlying mechanisms that can produce spatial patterning in water-limited systems (Klausmeier, 1999). They are believed to arise from the interplay between long-range competition and facilitation processes acting at smaller distances (Borgogno et al., 2009). This combination of mechanisms is justified by arguing that water percolates more readily through the soil in vegetated areas (short range), and that plants compete for water resources over greater distances via long lateral roots (long range). However, recent studies have shown that even in the limit of local facilitation patterns may still appear (Martinez-Garcia et al., 2013). In this work (Martinez-Garcia et al., 2013b), we show that, under rather general conditions, long-range competition alone is the minimal ingredient to shape gapped and stripped vegetation patterns typical of models that also account for facilitation in addition to competition. To this end we propose a simple, general model for the dynamics of vegetation, which includes only long-range competition between plants. Competition is introduced through a nonlocal term, where the kernel function quantifies the intensity of the interaction

Prophylaxis against the systemic hypotension induced by propofol during rapid-sequence intubation.

PubMed

el-Beheiry, H; Kim, J; Milne, B; Seegobin, R

1995-10-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of two prophylactic approaches against the anticipated hypotension induced by propofol during rapid-sequence intubation. Thirty-six male or female nonpremedicated ASA class I-II patients aged 21-60 yr undergoing elective outpatient surgery were included in the study. Patients were randomly allocated to receive pre-induction ephedrine sulphate (70 micrograms x kg(-1)iv), pre-induction volume loading (12 ml x kg(-1) Ringer's lactate) or no treatment. Rapid-sequence intubation with cricoid pressure was then performed with propofol (2.5 mg. x kg(-1)) and succinylcholine (1.5 mg x kg(-1). The lungs were subsequently ventilated with 0.25-0.5% isoflurane in a 2:1 N2O/O2 mixture. Vecuronium was given once neuromuscular function had recovered from the succinylcholine. Heart rate and systemic arterial blood pressure were measured non-invasively before induction, after propofol administration and every minute for ten minutes after intubation. Pre-induction volume loading prevented the hypotension observed before surgical stimulation in control and ephedrine groups. Moreover, pre-induction volume loading was not associated with increases in heart rate after intubation as was ephedrine administration. The intubating conditions were excellent to satisfactory in most patients and the overall incidence of adverse events during intubation was mainly due to pain during injection of propofol. The present study showed that preoperative volume loading is more efficacious than pre-induction administration of ephedrine sulphate in maintaining haemodynamic stability during rapid-sequence induction with propofol and succinylcholine. In addition, propofol in combination with succinylcholine provides excellent conditions for rapid-sequence intubation.

77 FR 35962 - Utilizing Rapidly Deployable Aerial Communications Architecture in Response to an Emergency

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-15

... Aerial Communications Architecture in Response to an Emergency AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission... deployable aerial communications architecture (DACA) in facilitating emergency response by rapidly restoring... copying during normal business hours in the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street...

Facilitators for practice change in Spanish community pharmacy.

PubMed

Gastelurrutia, Miguel A; Benrimoj, S I Charlie; Castrillon, Carla C; de Amezua, María J Casado; Fernandez-Llimos, Fernando; Faus, Maria J

2009-02-01

To identify and prioritise facilitators for practice change in Spanish community pharmacy. Spanish community pharmacies. Qualitative study. Thirty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with community pharmacists (n = 15) and pharmacy strategists (n = 18), and the results were examined using the content analysis method. In addition, two nominal groups (seven community pharmacists and seven strategists) were formed to identify and prioritise facilitators. Results of both techniques were then triangulated. Facilitators for practice change. Twelve facilitators were identified and grouped into four domains (D1: Pharmacist; D2: Pharmacy as an organisation; D3: Pharmaceutical profession; D4: Miscellaneous). Facilitators identified in D1 include: the need for more clinical education at both pre- and post-graduate levels; the need for clearer and unequivocal messages from professional leaders about the future of the professional practice; and the need for a change in pharmacists' attitudes. Facilitators in D2 are: the need to change the reimbursement system to accommodate cognitive service delivery as well as dispensing; and the need to change the front office of pharmacies. Facilitators identified in D3 are: the need for the Spanish National Professional Association to take a leadership role in the implementation of cognitive services; the need to reduce administrative workload; and the need for universities to reduce the gap between education and research. Other facilitators identified in this study include: the need to increase patients' demand for cognitive services at pharmacies; the need to improve pharmacist-physician relationships; the need for support from health care authorities; and the need for improved marketing of cognitive services and their benefits to society, including physicians and health care authorities. Twelve facilitators were identified. Strategists considered clinical education and pharmacists' attitude as the most important, and

Strengthening health professions regulation in Cambodia: a rapid assessment.

PubMed

Clarke, David; Duke, Jan; Wuliji, Tana; Smith, Alyson; Phuong, Keat; San, Un

2016-03-10

This paper describes a rapid assessment of Cambodia's current system for regulating its health professions. The assessment forms part of a co-design process to set strategic priorities for strengthening health profession regulation to improve the quality and safety of health services. A health system approach for strengthening health professions' regulation is underway and aims to support the Government of Cambodia's plans for scaling up its health workforce, improving health services' safety and quality, and meeting its Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) obligations to facilitate trade in health care services. The assessment used a mixed methods approach including: A desktop review of key laws, plans, reports and other documents relating to the regulation of the health professions in Cambodia (medicine, dentistry, midwifery, nursing and pharmacy); Key informant interviews with stakeholders in Cambodia (The term "stakeholders" refers to government officials, people working on health professional regulation, people working for the various health worker training institutions and health workers at the national and provincial level); Surveys and questionnaires to assess Cambodian stakeholder knowledge of regulation; Self-assessments by members of the five Cambodian regulatory councils regarding key capacities and activities of high-performing regulatory bodies; and A rapid literature review to identify: The key functions of health professional regulation; The key issues affecting the Cambodian health sector (including relevant developments in the wider ASEAN region); and "Smart" health profession regulation practices of possible relevance to Cambodia. We found that the current regulatory system only partially meets Cambodia's needs. A number of key regulatory functions are being performed, but overall, the current system was not designed with Cambodia's specific needs in mind. The existing system is also overly complex, with considerable duplication and

Handwriting generates variable visual input to facilitate symbol learning

PubMed Central

Li, Julia X.; James, Karin H.

2015-01-01

Recent research has demonstrated that handwriting practice facilitates letter categorization in young children. The present experiments investigated why handwriting practice facilitates visual categorization by comparing two hypotheses: That handwriting exerts its facilitative effect because of the visual-motor production of forms, resulting in a direct link between motor and perceptual systems, or because handwriting produces variable visual instances of a named category in the environment that then changes neural systems. We addressed these issues by measuring performance of 5 year-old children on a categorization task involving novel, Greek symbols across 6 different types of learning conditions: three involving visual-motor practice (copying typed symbols independently, tracing typed symbols, tracing handwritten symbols) and three involving visual-auditory practice (seeing and saying typed symbols of a single typed font, of variable typed fonts, and of handwritten examples). We could therefore compare visual-motor production with visual perception both of variable and similar forms. Comparisons across the six conditions (N=72) demonstrated that all conditions that involved studying highly variable instances of a symbol facilitated symbol categorization relative to conditions where similar instances of a symbol were learned, regardless of visual-motor production. Therefore, learning perceptually variable instances of a category enhanced performance, suggesting that handwriting facilitates symbol understanding by virtue of its environmental output: supporting the notion of developmental change though brain-body-environment interactions. PMID:26726913

Utilizing Fission Technology to Enable Rapid and Affordable Access to any Point in the Solar System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houts, Mike; Bonometti, Joe; Morton, Jeff; Hrbud, Ivana; Bitteker, Leo; VanDyke, Melissa; Godfroy, T.; Pedersen, K.; Dobson, C.; Patton, B.;

Validation of a rapid bacteria endospore enumeration system for use with spacecraft assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, F.; Kuhlman, G.; Kirschner, L.; Kazarians, G.; Matsuyama, A.; Pickett, M.; Venkateswaran, K.; Kastner, J.; Kern, R.

NASA planetary protection policy sets forth strict limits on the number of bacterial endospores that can be present on a spacecraft at launch Currently the only approved method for counting the spores is a culture based assay that requires three days to produce results a timeframe that can be at odds with the rapid pace and rigorous deadlines of spacecraft assembly A possible alternative to the traditional culture based approach is the Millipore Rapid Microbiology Detection System RMDS which has previously been used for process and contamination control in the pharmaceutical and food industries The RMDS is rapid and simple shows high sensitivity 1 colony forming unit CFU sample and correlates well with traditional culture-based methods It combines membrane filtration adenosine triphosphate ATP bioluminescence chemistry and image analysis based on photon detection with a Charge Coupled Device CCD camera In this study we have optimized the assay condition and evaluated the use of the RMDS as a rapid spore detection tool for NASA applications Seven species of Bacillus nine strains that have been repeatedly isolated from clean room environments were assayed In order to select for spores the samples were subjected to a heat shock step before proceeding with the RMDS incubation protocol All strains were detected by the RMDS in sim 5 hours and these assay times were repeatedly demonstrated along with low image background noise The RMDS-based spore detection method is undergoing the final stages of validation and is

Design of a smart, survivable sensor system for rapid transit applications

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

Hogan, J.R.; Mitchell, J.L.

1994-08-01

An application of smart sensor technology developed by Sandia National Laboratories has been proposed for real-time monitoring and tracking in the transportation industry. Its primary purpose is to reduce operating costs by improving preventative maintenance scheduling, reducing the number, severity and consequence of accidents and by reducing losses due to theft. The concept uses a strap-on sensor package, the Green Box, that can be attached to any vehicle. The Green Box is designed as a valued-added component, integrated into existing transportation industry systems and standards. The device, designed to provide advanced warning of component failures, would be capable of survivingmore » most typical accidents. In an accident, the system would send a distress signal notifying authorities of the location and condition of the cargo; permitting them to respond in the most effective manner. In addition, the Green Box is adaptable for use as a notification/locator system to enhance the security of operators and passengers for various modes of public transportation. The modular architecture which facilitates system integration in a number of different applications is discussed. A test plan for evaluating performance in both normal and abnormal operating and accident conditions is described.« less

On mitigating rapid onset natural disasters: Project THRUST (Tsunami Hazards Reduction Utilizing Systems Technology)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernard, E. N.; Behn, R. R.; Hebenstreit, G. T.; Gonzalez, F. I.; Krumpe, P.; Lander, J. F.; Lorca, E.; McManamon, P. M.; Milburn, H. B.

Rapid onset natural hazards have claimed more than 2.8 million lives worldwide in the past 20 years. This category includes such events as earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes, tornados, floods, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, and tsunamis. Effective hazard mitigation is particularly difficult in such cases, since the time available to issue warnings can be very short or even nonexistent. This paper presents the concept of a local warning system that exploits and integrates the existing technologies of risk evaluation, environmental measurement, and telecommunications. We describe Project THRUST, a successful implementation of this general, systematic approach to tsunamis. The general approach includes pre-event emergency planning, real-time hazard assessment, and rapid warning via satellite communication links.

Rapid Quench in an Electrostatic Levitator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

SanSoucie, Michael P.; Rogers, Jan R.; Matson, Douglas M.

2016-01-01

The Electrostatic Levitation (ESL) Laboratory at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is a unique facility for investigators studying high-temperature materials. The ESL laboratory's main chamber has been upgraded with the addition of a rapid quench system. This system allows samples to be dropped into a quench vessel that can be filled with a low melting point material, such as a gallium or indium alloy, as a quench medium. Thereby allowing rapid quenching of undercooled liquid metals. Up to eight quench vessels can be loaded into a wheel inside the chamber that is indexed with control software. The system has been tested successfully with samples of zirconium, iron-cobalt alloys, titanium-zirconium-nickel alloys, and a silicon-cobalt alloy. This new rapid quench system will allow materials science studies of undercooled materials and new materials development. In this presentation, the system is described and some initial results are presented.

A Portable Impedance Immunosensing System for Rapid Detection of Salmonella Typhimurium

PubMed Central

Wen, Tao; Wang, Ronghui; Sotero, America; Li, Yanbin

2017-01-01

Salmonella Typhimurium is one of the most dangerous foodborne pathogens and poses a significant threat to human health. The objective of this study was to develop a portable impedance immunosensing system for rapid and sensitive detection of S. Typhimurium in poultry. The developed portable impedance immunosensing system consisted of a gold interdigitated array microelectrode (IDAM), a signal acquisitive interface and a laptop computer with LabVIEW software. The IDAM was first functionalized with 16-Mercaptohexadecanoic acid, and streptavidin was immobilized onto the electrode surface through covalent bonding. Then, biotin-labelled S. Typhimurium-antibody was immobilized onto the IDAM surface. Samples were dropped on the surface of the IDAM and the S. Typhimurium cells in the samples were captured by the antibody on the IDAM. This resulted in impedance changes that were measured and displayed with the LabVIEW software. An equivalent circuit of the immunosensor demonstrated that the largest change in impedance was due to the electron-transfer resistance. The equivalent circuit showed an increase of 35% for the electron-transfer resistance value compared to the negative control. The calibration result indicated that the portable impedance immunosensing system could be used to measure the standard impedance elements, and it had a maximum error of measurement of approximately 13%. For pure culture detection, the system had a linear relationship between the impedance change and the logarithmic value of S. Typhimurium cells ranging from 76 to 7.6 × 106 CFU (colony-forming unit) (50 μL)−1. The immunosensor also had a correlation coefficient of 0.98, and a high specificity for detection of S. Typhimurium cells with a limit of detection (LOD) of 102 CFU (50 μL)−1. The detection time from the moment a sample was introduced to the display of the results was 1 h. To conclude, the portable impedance immunosensing system for detection of S. Typhimurium achieved an LOD

A Portable Impedance Immunosensing System for Rapid Detection of Salmonella Typhimurium.

PubMed

Wen, Tao; Wang, Ronghui; Sotero, America; Li, Yanbin

2017-08-28

Salmonella Typhimurium is one of the most dangerous foodborne pathogens and poses a significant threat to human health. The objective of this study was to develop a portable impedance immunosensing system for rapid and sensitive detection of S . Typhimurium in poultry. The developed portable impedance immunosensing system consisted of a gold interdigitated array microelectrode (IDAM), a signal acquisitive interface and a laptop computer with LabVIEW software. The IDAM was first functionalized with 16-Mercaptohexadecanoic acid, and streptavidin was immobilized onto the electrode surface through covalent bonding. Then, biotin-labelled S . Typhimurium -antibody was immobilized onto the IDAM surface. Samples were dropped on the surface of the IDAM and the S . Typhimurium cells in the samples were captured by the antibody on the IDAM. This resulted in impedance changes that were measured and displayed with the LabVIEW software. An equivalent circuit of the immunosensor demonstrated that the largest change in impedance was due to the electron-transfer resistance. The equivalent circuit showed an increase of 35% for the electron-transfer resistance value compared to the negative control. The calibration result indicated that the portable impedance immunosensing system could be used to measure the standard impedance elements, and it had a maximum error of measurement of approximately 13%. For pure culture detection, the system had a linear relationship between the impedance change and the logarithmic value of S . Typhimurium cells ranging from 76 to 7.6 × 10⁶ CFU (colony-forming unit) (50 μL) -1 . The immunosensor also had a correlation coefficient of 0.98, and a high specificity for detection of S . Typhimurium cells with a limit of detection (LOD) of 10² CFU (50 μL) -1 . The detection time from the moment a sample was introduced to the display of the results was 1 h. To conclude, the portable impedance immunosensing system for detection of S . Typhimurium achieved

Rapid deceleration mode evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conners, Timothy R.; Nobbs, Steven G.; Orme, John S.

1995-01-01

Aircraft with flight capability above 1.4 normally have an RPM lockup or similar feature to prevent inlet buzz that would occur at low engine airflows. This RPM lockup has the effect of holding the engine thrust level at the intermediate power (maximum non-afterburning). For aircraft such as military fighters or supersonic transports, the need exists to be able to rapidly slow from supersonic to subsonic speeds. For example, a supersonic transport that experiences a cabin decompression needs to be able to slow/descend rapidly, and this requirement may size the cabin environmental control system. For a fighter, there may be a desire to slow/descend rapidly, and while doing so to minimize fuel usage and engine exhaust temperature. Both of these needs can be aided by achieving the minimum possible overall net propulsive force. As the intermediate power thrust levels of engines increase, it becomes even more difficult to slow rapidly from supersonic speeds. Therefore, a mode of the performance seeking control (PSC) system to minimize overall propulsion system thrust has been developed and tested. The rapid deceleration mode reduces the engine airflow consistent with avoiding inlet buzz. The engine controls are trimmed to minimize the thrust produced by this reduced airflow, and moves the inlet geometry to degrade the inlet performance. As in the case of the other PSC modes, the best overall performance (in this case the least net propulsive force) requires an integrated optimization of inlet, engine, and nozzle variables. This paper presents the predicted and measured results for the supersonic minimum thrust mode, including the overall effects on aircraft deceleration.

a Method for Preview Vibration Control of Systems Having Forcing Inputs and Rapidly-Switched Dampers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ElBeheiry, E. M.

1998-07-01

In a variety of applications, especially in large scale dynamic systems, the mechanization of different vibration control elements in different locations would be decided by limitations placed on the modal vibration of the system and the inherent dynamic coupling between its modes. Also, the quality of vibration control to the economy of producing the whole system would be another trade-off leading to a mix of passive, active and semi-active vibration control elements in one system. This termactiveis limited to externally powered vibration control inputs and the termsemi-activeis limited to rapidly switched dampers. In this article, an optimal preview control method is developed for application to dynamic systems having active and semi-active vibration control elements mechanized at different locations in one system. The system is then a piecewise (bilinear) controller in which two independent sets of control inputs appear additively and multiplicatively. Calculus of variations along with the Hamiltonian approach are employed for the derivation of this method. In essence, it requires the active elements to be ideal force generators and the switched dampers to have the property of on-line variation of the damping characteristics to pre-determined limits. As the dampers switch during operation the whole system's structure differs, and then values of the active forcing inputs are adapted to match these rapid changes. Strictly speaking, each rapidly switched damper has pre-known upper and lower damping levels and it can take on any in-between value. This in-between value is to be determined by the method as long as the damper tracks a pre-known fully active control demand. In every damping state of each semi-active damper the method provides the optimal matching values of the active forcing inputs. The method is shown to have the feature of solving simple standard matrix equations to obtain closed form solutions. A comprehensive 9-DOF tractor semi-trailer model is used

Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) 3.0 System Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chullen, Cinda; Campbell, Colin; Papale, William; Hawes, Kevin; Wichowski, Robert

2015-01-01

The Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) 3.0 system is currently under development by NASA, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) in conjunction with United Technologies Corporation Aerospace Systems (UTAS). The RCA technology is a new carbon dioxide (CO2) and humidity removal system that has been baselined for the Advanced Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AEMU) Portable Life Support System. The evolution of the RCA development has progressed through several iterations of technology readiness levels including RCA 1.0, RCA 2.0, and RCA 3.0 test articles. The RCA is an advancement over currently technologies due to its unique regeneration capability. The RCA is capable of simultaneously removing CO2 and humidity from an influent air steam and subsequent regeneration when exposed to a vacuum source. The RCA technology uses two solid amine sorbent beds in an alternating fashion to adsorb CO2 and water (uptake mode) and desorb CO2 and water (regeneration mode) at the same time. The two beds operate in an efficient manner so that while one bed is in the uptake mode, the other is in the regeneration mode, thus continuously providing an on-service sorbent bed by which CO2 and humidity may be removed. The RCA 2.0 and 3.0 test articles were designed with a novel valve assembly which allows for switching between uptake and regeneration modes with only one moving part while minimizing gas volume losses to the vacuum source by means of an internal pressure equalization step during actuation. The RCA technology also is low power, small, and has performed extremely well in all development testing thus far. A final design was selected for the RCA 3.0, fabricated, assembled, and performance tested in 2014 with delivery to NASAJSC in January 2015. This paper will provide an overview on the RCA 3.0 system design and results of pre-delivery testing with references to the development of RCA 1.0 and RCA 2.0.

Bioluminescence-based system for rapid detection of natural transformation.

PubMed

Santala, Ville; Karp, Matti; Santala, Suvi

2016-07-01

Horizontal gene transfer plays a significant role in bacterial evolution and has major clinical importance. Thus, it is vital to understand the mechanisms and kinetics of genetic transformations. Natural transformation is the driving mechanism for horizontal gene transfer in diverse genera of bacteria. Our study introduces a simple and rapid method for the investigation of natural transformation. This highly sensitive system allows the detection of a transformation event directly from a bacterial population without any separation step or selection of cells. The system is based on the bacterial luciferase operon from Photorhabdus luminescens The studied molecular tools consist of the functional modules luxCDE and luxAB, which involve a replicative plasmid and an integrative gene cassette. A well-established host for bacterial genetic investigations, Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1, is used as the model bacterium. We show that natural transformation followed by homologous recombination or plasmid recircularization can be readily detected in both actively growing and static biofilm-like cultures, including very rare transformation events. The system allows the detection of natural transformation within 1 h of introducing sample DNA into the culture. The introduced method provides a convenient means to study the kinetics of natural transformation under variable conditions and perturbations. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Rapid and amplification-free detection of fish pathogens by utilizing a molecular beacon-based microfluidic system.

PubMed

Su, Yi-Chih; Wang, Chih-Hung; Chang, Wen-Hsin; Chen, Tzong-Yueh; Lee, Gwo-Bin

2015-01-15

Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) and iridovirus are highly infectious pathogens that can cause lethal diseases in various species of fish. These infectious diseases have no effective treatments and the mortality rate is over 80%, which could cause dramatic economic losses in the aquaculture industry. Conventional diagnostic methods of NNV or iridovirus infected fishes, such as virus culture, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and nucleic acid assays usually require time-consuming and complex procedures performed by specialized technicians with delicate laboratory facilities. Rapid, simple, accurate and on-site detection of NNV and iridovirus infections would enable timely preventive measures such as immediate sacrifice of infected fishes, and is therefore critically needed for the aquaculture industry. In this study, a microfluidic-based assay that employ magnetic beads conjugated with viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) capturing probes and fluorescent DNA molecular beacons were developed to rapidly detect NNV and iridovirus. Importantly, this new assay was realized in an integrated microfluidic system with a custom-made control system. With this approach, direct and automated NNV and iridovirus detection from infected fishes can be achieved in less than 30 min. Therefore, this molecular-beacon based microfluidic system presents a potentially promising tool for rapid diagnosis of fish pathogens in the field in the future. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Implementation of Environmental Flows for Intermittent River Systems: Adaptive Management and Stakeholder Participation Facilitate Implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conallin, John; Wilson, Emma; Campbell, Josh

2018-03-01

Anthropogenic pressure on freshwater ecosystems is increasing, and often leading to unacceptable social-ecological outcomes. This is even more prevalent in intermittent river systems where many are already heavily modified, or human encroachment is increasing. Although adaptive management approaches have the potential to aid in providing the framework to consider the complexities of intermittent river systems and improve utility within the management of these systems, success has been variable. This paper looks at the application of an adaptive management pilot project within an environmental flows program in an intermittent stream (Tuppal Creek) in the Murray Darling Basin, Australia. The program focused on stakeholder involvement, participatory decision-making, and simple monitoring as the basis of an adaptive management approach. The approach found that by building trust and ownership through concentrating on inclusiveness and transparency, partnerships between government agencies and landholders were developed. This facilitated a willingness to accept greater risks and unintended consequences allowing implementation to occur.

High definition for systems biology of microbial communities: metagenomics gets genome-centric and strain-resolved.

PubMed

Turaev, Dmitrij; Rattei, Thomas

2016-06-01

The systems biology of microbial communities, organismal communities inhabiting all ecological niches on earth, has in recent years been strongly facilitated by the rapid development of experimental, sequencing and data analysis methods. Novel experimental approaches and binning methods in metagenomics render the semi-automatic reconstructions of near-complete genomes of uncultivable bacteria possible, while advances in high-resolution amplicon analysis allow for efficient and less biased taxonomic community characterization. This will also facilitate predictive modeling approaches, hitherto limited by the low resolution of metagenomic data. In this review, we pinpoint the most promising current developments in metagenomics. They facilitate microbial systems biology towards a systemic understanding of mechanisms in microbial communities with scopes of application in many areas of our daily life. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toward a Data Scalable Solution for Facilitating Discovery of Science Resources

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

Weaver, Jesse R.; Castellana, Vito G.; Morari, Alessandro

Science is increasingly motivated by the need to process larger quantities of data. It is facing severe challenges in data collection, management, and processing, so much so that the computational demands of “data scaling” are competing with, and in many fields surpassing, the traditional objective of decreasing processing time. Example domains with large datasets include astronomy, biology, genomics, climate/weather, and material sciences. This paper presents a real-world use case in which we wish to answer queries pro- vided by domain scientists in order to facilitate discovery of relevant science resources. The problem is that the metadata for these science resourcesmore » is very large and is growing quickly, rapidly increasing the need for a data scaling solution. We propose a system – SGEM – designed for answering graph-based queries over large datasets on cluster architectures, and we re- port performance results for queries on the current RDESC dataset of nearly 1.4 billion triples, and on the well-known BSBM SPARQL query benchmark.« less

The Rapid Transit System That Achieves Higher Performance with Lower Life-Cycle Costs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sone, Satoru; Takagi, Ryo

In the age of traction system made of inverter and ac traction motors, distributed traction system with pure electric brake of regenerative mode has been recognised very advantageous. This paper proposes a new system as the lowest life-cycle cost system for high performance rapid transit, a new architecture and optimum parameters of power feeding system, and a new running method of trains. In Japan, these components of this proposal, i.e. pure electric brake and various countermeasures of reducing loss of regeneration have been already popular but not as yet the new running method for better utilisation of the equipment and for lower life-cycle cost. One example of what are proposed in this paper will be made as Tsukuba Express, which is under construction as the most modern commuter railway in Greater Tokyo area.

Understanding Facilitation: Theory and Principles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogan, Christine

This book introduces newcomers to the concept of facilitation, and it presents a critical analysis of established and current theory on facilitation for existing practitioners. The following are among the topics discussed: (1) emergence of the field of facilitation; (2) development of facilitation in management; (3) development of facilitation in…

Developing a complex systems perspective for medical education to facilitate the integration of basic science and clinical medicine.

PubMed

Aron, David C

2017-04-01

The purpose of medical education is to produce competent and capable professional practitioners who can combine the art and science of medicine. Moreover, this process must prepare individuals to practise in a field in which knowledge is increasing and the contexts in which that knowledge is applied are changing in unpredictable ways. The 'basic sciences' are important in the training of a physician. The goal of basic science training is to learn it in a way that the material can be applied in practice. Much effort has been expended to integrate basic science and clinical training, while adding many other topics to the medical curriculum. This effort has been challenging. The aims of the paper are (1) to propose a unifying conceptual framework that facilitates knowledge integration among all levels of living systems from cell to society and (2) illustrate the organizing principles with two examples of the framework in action - cybernetic systems (with feedback) and distributed robustness. Literature related to hierarchical and holarchical frameworks was reviewed. An organizing framework derived from living systems theory and spanning the range from molecular biology to health systems management was developed. The application of cybernetic systems to three levels (regulation of pancreatic beta cell production of insulin, physician adjustment of medication for glycaemic control and development and action of performance measures for diabetes care) was illustrated. Similarly distributed robustness was illustrated by the DNA damage response system and principles underlying patient safety. Each of the illustrated organizing principles offers a means to facilitate the weaving of basic science and clinical medicine throughout the course of study. The use of such an approach may promote systems thinking, which is a core competency for effective and capable medical practice. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

DC-Analyzer-facilitated combinatorial strategy for rapid directed evolution of functional enzymes with multiple mutagenesis sites.

PubMed

Wang, Xiong; Zheng, Kai; Zheng, Huayu; Nie, Hongli; Yang, Zujun; Tang, Lixia

2014-12-20

Iterative saturation mutagenesis (ISM) has been shown to be a powerful method for directed evolution. In this study, the approach was modified (termed M-ISM) by combining the single-site saturation mutagenesis method with a DC-Analyzer-facilitated combinatorial strategy, aiming to evolve novel biocatalysts efficiently in the case where multiple sites are targeted simultaneously. Initially, all target sites were explored individually by constructing single-site saturation mutagenesis libraries. Next, the top two to four variants in each library were selected and combined using the DC-Analyzer-facilitated combinatorial strategy. In addition to site-saturation mutagenesis, iterative saturation mutagenesis also needed to be performed. The advantages of M-ISM over ISM were that the screening effort is greatly reduced, and the entire M-ISM procedure was less time-consuming. The M-ISM strategy was successfully applied to the randomization of halohydrin dehalogenase from Agrobacterium radiobacter AD1 (HheC) when five interesting sites were targeted simultaneously. After screening 900 clones in total, six positive mutants were obtained. These mutants exhibited 4.0- to 9.3-fold higher k(cat) values than did the wild-type HheC toward 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol. However, with the ISM strategy, the best hit showed a 5.9-fold higher k(cat) value toward 1,3-DCP than the wild-type HheC, which was obtained after screening 4000 clones from four rounds of mutagenesis. Therefore, M-ISM could serve as a simple and efficient version of ISM for the randomization of target genes with multiple positions of interest.

Rapid Quench in an Electrostatic Levitator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

SanSoucie, Michael P.; Rogers, Jan R.; Matson, Michael M.

2016-01-01

The Electrostatic Levitation (ESL) Laboratory at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is a unique facility for investigators studying high-temperature materials. The ESL laboratory’s main chamber has been upgraded with the addition of a rapid quench system. This system allows samples to be dropped into a quench vessel that can be filled with a low melting point material, such as a gallium or indium alloy, as a quench medium. Thereby allowing rapid quenching of undercooled liquid metals. Up to eight quench vessels can be loaded into a wheel inside the chamber that is indexed with control software. The system has been tested successfully with samples of zirconium, iron-cobalt alloys, iron-chromium-nickel, titanium-zirconium-nickel alloys, and a silicon-cobalt alloy. This new rapid quench system will allow materials science studies of undercooled materials and new materials development. The system is described and some initial results are presented.

Health systems facilitators and barriers to the integration of HIV and chronic disease services: a systematic review.

PubMed

Watt, Nicola; Sigfrid, Louise; Legido-Quigley, Helena; Hogarth, Sue; Maimaris, Will; Otero-García, Laura; Perel, Pablo; Buse, Kent; McKee, Martin; Piot, Peter; Balabanova, Dina

2017-11-01

Integration of services for patients with more than one diagnosed condition has intuitive appeal but it has been argued that the empirical evidence to support it is limited. We report the findings of a systematic review that sought to identify health system factors, extrinsic to the integration process, which either facilitated or hindered the integration of services for two common disorders, HIV and chronic non-communicable diseases. Findings were initially extracted and organized around a health system framework, followed by a thematic cross-cutting analysis and validation steps. Of the 150 articles included, 67% (n = 102) were from high-income countries. The articles explored integration with services for one or several chronic disorders, the most studied being alcohol or substance use disorders (47.7%), and mental health issues (29.5%). Four cross-cutting themes related to the health system were identified. The first and most common theme was the requirement for effective collaboration and coordination: formal and informal productive relationships throughout the system between providers and within teams, and between staff and patients. The second was the need for adequate and appropriately skilled and incentivized health workers-with the right expertise, training and operational support for the programme. The third was the need for supportive institutional structures and dedicated resources. The fourth was leadership in terms of political will, effective managerial oversight and organizational culture, indicating that actual implementation is as important as programme design. A fifth theme, outside the health system, but underpinning all aspects of the system operation, was that placing the patient at the centre of service delivery and responding holistically to their diverse needs. This was an important facilitator of integration. These findings confirm that integration processes in service delivery depend substantially for their success on characteristics of

The NHERI RAPID Facility: Enabling the Next-Generation of Natural Hazards Reconnaissance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wartman, J.; Berman, J.; Olsen, M. J.; Irish, J. L.; Miles, S.; Gurley, K.; Lowes, L.; Bostrom, A.

2017-12-01

The NHERI post-disaster, rapid response research (or "RAPID") facility, headquartered at the University of Washington (UW), is a collaboration between UW, Oregon State University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Florida. The RAPID facility will enable natural hazard researchers to conduct next-generation quick response research through reliable acquisition and community sharing of high-quality, post-disaster data sets that will enable characterization of civil infrastructure performance under natural hazard loads, evaluation of the effectiveness of current and previous design methodologies, understanding of socio-economic dynamics, calibration of computational models used to predict civil infrastructure component and system response, and development of solutions for resilient communities. The facility will provide investigators with the hardware, software and support services needed to collect, process and assess perishable interdisciplinary data following extreme natural hazard events. Support to the natural hazards research community will be provided through training and educational activities, field deployment services, and by promoting public engagement with science and engineering. Specifically, the RAPID facility is undertaking the following strategic activities: (1) acquiring, maintaining, and operating state-of-the-art data collection equipment; (2) developing and supporting mobile applications to support interdisciplinary field reconnaissance; (3) providing advisory services and basic logistics support for research missions; (4) facilitating the systematic archiving, processing and visualization of acquired data in DesignSafe-CI; (5) training a broad user base through workshops and other activities; and (6) engaging the public through citizen science, as well as through community outreach and education. The facility commenced operations in September 2016 and will begin field deployments beginning in September 2018. This poster will provide an overview

Attentional awakening: gradual modulation of temporal attention in rapid serial visual presentation.

PubMed

Ariga, Atsunori; Yokosawa, Kazuhiko

2008-03-01

Orienting attention to a point in time facilitates processing of an item within rapidly changing surroundings. We used a one-target RSVP task to look for differences in accuracy in reporting a target related to when the target temporally appeared in the sequence. The results show that observers correctly report a target early in the sequence less frequently than later in the sequence. Previous RSVP studies predicted equivalently accurate performances for one target wherever it appeared in the sequence. We named this new phenomenon attentional awakening, which reflects a gradual modulation of temporal attention in a rapid sequence.

The 'patient's physician one-step removed': the evolving roles of medical tourism facilitators.

PubMed

Snyder, Jeremy; Crooks, Valorie A; Adams, Krystyna; Kingsbury, Paul; Johnston, Rory

2011-09-01

Medical tourism involves patients travelling internationally to receive medical services. This practice raises a range of ethical issues, including potential harms to the patient's home and destination country and risks to the patient's own health. Medical tourists often engage the services of a facilitator who may book travel and accommodation and link the patient with a hospital abroad. Facilitators have the potential to exacerbate or mitigate the ethical concerns associated with medical tourism, but their roles are poorly understood. 12 facilitators were interviewed from 10 Canadian medical tourism companies. Three themes were identified: facilitators' roles towards the patient, health system and medical tourism industry. Facilitators' roles towards the patient were typically described in terms of advocacy and the provision of information, but limited by facilitators' legal liability. Facilitators felt they played a positive role in the lives of their patients and the Canadian health system and served as catalysts for reform, although they noted an adversarial relationship with some Canadian physicians. Many facilitators described personally visiting medical tourism sites and forming personal relationships with surgeons abroad, but noted the need for greater regulation of their industry. Facilitators play a substantial and evolving role in the practice of medical tourism and may be entering a period of professionalisation. Because of the key role of facilitators in determining the effects of medical tourism on patients and public health, this paper recommends a planned conversation between medical tourism stakeholders to define and shape facilitators' roles.

Work System Assessment to Facilitate the Dissemination of a Quality Improvement Program for Optimizing Blood Culture Use: A Case Study Using a Human Factors Engineering Approach.

PubMed

Xie, Anping; Woods-Hill, Charlotte Z; King, Anne F; Enos-Graves, Heather; Ascenzi, Judy; Gurses, Ayse P; Klaus, Sybil A; Fackler, James C; Milstone, Aaron M

2017-11-20

Work system assessments can facilitate successful implementation of quality improvement programs. Using a human factors engineering approach, we conducted a work system assessment to facilitate the dissemination of a quality improvement program for optimizing blood culture use in pediatric intensive care units at 2 hospitals. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were conducted with clinicians from Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital and University of Virginia Medical Center. Interview data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Blood culture-ordering practices are influenced by various work system factors, including people, tasks, tools and technologies, the physical environment, organizational conditions, and the external environment. A clinical decision-support tool could facilitate implementation by (1) standardizing blood culture-ordering practices, (2) ensuring that prescribing clinicians review the patient's condition before ordering a blood culture, (3) facilitating critical thinking, and (4) empowering nurses to communicate with physicians and advocate for adherence to blood culture-ordering guidelines. The success of interventions for optimizing blood culture use relies heavily on the local context. A work system analysis using a human factors engineering approach can identify key areas to be addressed for the successful dissemination of quality improvement interventions. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Design review report for the SY-101 RAPID mitigation system

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

SCHLOSSER, R.L.

1999-05-24

This report documents design reviews conducted of the SY-101 Respond And Pump In Days (RAPID) Mitigation System. As part of the SY-101 Surface-Level-Rise Remediation Project, the SY-101 WID Mitigation System will reduce the potential unacceptable consequences of crust growth in Tank 241-SY-101 (SY-101). Projections of the crust growth rate indicate that the waste level in the tank may reach the juncture of the primary and secondary confinement structures of the tank late in 1999. Because of this time constraint, many design activities are being conducted in parallel and design reviews were conducted for system adequacy as well as design implementationmore » throughout the process. Design implementation, as used in this design review report, is the final component selection (e.g., which circuit breaker, valve, or thermocouple) that meets the approved design requirements, system design, and design and procurement specifications. Design implementation includes the necessary analysis, testing, verification, and qualification to demonstrate compliance with the system design and design requirements. Design implementation is outside the scope of this design review. The design activities performed prior to detailed design implementation (i.e., system mission requirements, functional design requirements, technical criteria, system conceptual design, and where design and build contracts were placed, the procurement specification) have been reviewed and are within the scope of this design review report. Detailed design implementation will be controlled, reviewed, and where appropriate, approved in accordance with Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) engineering procedures. Review of detailed design implementation will continue until all components necessary to perform the transfer function are installed and tested.« less

Rapid extraction from and direct identification in clinical samples of methicillin-resistant staphylococci using the PCR.

PubMed

Jaffe, R I; Lane, J D; Albury, S V; Niemeyer, D M

2000-09-01

Methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) are one of the most common causes of nosocomial infections and bacteremia. Standard bacterial identification and susceptibility testing frequently require as long as 72 h to report results, and there may be difficulty in rapidly and accurately identifying methicillin resistance. The use of the PCR is a rapid and simple process for the amplification of target DNA sequences, which can be used to identify and test bacteria for antimicrobial resistance. However, many sample preparation methods are unsuitable for PCR utilization in the clinical laboratory because they either are not cost-effective, take too long to perform, or do not provide a satisfactory DNA template for PCR. Our goal was to provide same-day results to facilitate rapid diagnosis and therapy. In this report, we describe a rapid method for extraction of bacterial DNA directly from blood culture bottles that gave quality DNA for PCR in as little as 20 min. We compared this extraction method to the standard QIAGEN method for turnaround time (TAT), cost, purity, and use of template in PCR. Specific identification of MRS was determined using intragenic primer sets for bacterial and Staphylococcus 16S rRNA and mecA gene sequences. The PCR primer sets were validated with 416 isolates of staphylococci, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (n = 106), methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (n = 134), and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (n = 176). The total supply cost of our extraction method and PCR was $2.15 per sample with a result TAT of less than 4 h. The methods described herein represent a rapid and accurate DNA extraction and PCR-based identification system, which makes the system an ideal candidate for use under austere field conditions and one that may have utility in the clinical laboratory.

Orchestrating rapid long-distance signaling in plants with Ca2+ , ROS and electrical signals.

PubMed

Choi, Won-Gyu; Miller, Gad; Wallace, Ian; Harper, Jeffrey; Mittler, Ron; Gilroy, Simon

2017-05-01

Plants show a rapid systemic response to a wide range of environmental stresses, where the signals from the site of stimulus perception are transmitted to distal organs to elicit plant-wide responses. A wide range of signaling molecules are trafficked through the plant, but a trio of potentially interacting messengers, reactive oxygen species (ROS), Ca 2+ and electrical signaling ('trio signaling') appear to form a network supporting rapid signal transmission. The molecular components underlying this rapid communication are beginning to be identified, such as the ROS producing NAPDH oxidase RBOHD, the ion channel two pore channel 1 (TPC1), and glutamate receptor-like channels GLR3.3 and GLR3.6. The plant cell wall presents a plant-specific route for possible propagation of signals from cell to cell. However, the degree to which the cell wall limits information exchange between cells via transfer of small molecules through an extracellular route, or whether it provides an environment to facilitate transmission of regulators such as ROS or H + remains to be determined. Similarly, the role of plasmodesmata as both conduits and gatekeepers for the propagation of rapid cell-to-cell signaling remains a key open question. Regardless of how signals move from cell to cell, they help prepare distant parts of the plant for impending challenges from specific biotic or abiotic stresses. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Facilitators and Barriers to Safe Medication Administration to Hospital Inpatients: A Mixed Methods Study of Nurses’ Medication Administration Processes and Systems (the MAPS Study)

PubMed Central

McLeod, Monsey; Barber, Nicholas; Franklin, Bryony Dean

2015-01-01

Context Research has documented the problem of medication administration errors and their causes. However, little is known about how nurses administer medications safely or how existing systems facilitate or hinder medication administration; this represents a missed opportunity for implementation of practical, effective, and low-cost strategies to increase safety. Aim To identify system factors that facilitate and/or hinder successful medication administration focused on three inter-related areas: nurse practices and workarounds, workflow, and interruptions and distractions. Methods We used a mixed-methods ethnographic approach involving observational fieldwork, field notes, participant narratives, photographs, and spaghetti diagrams to identify system factors that facilitate and/or hinder successful medication administration in three inpatient wards, each from a different English NHS trust. We supplemented this with quantitative data on interruptions and distractions among other established medication safety measures. Findings Overall, 43 nurses on 56 drug rounds were observed. We identified a median of 5.5 interruptions and 9.6 distractions per hour. We identified three interlinked themes that facilitated successful medication administration in some situations but which also acted as barriers in others: (1) system configurations and features, (2) behaviour types among nurses, and (3) patient interactions. Some system configurations and features acted as a physical constraint for parts of the drug round, however some system effects were partly dependent on nurses’ inherent behaviour; we grouped these behaviours into ‘task focused’, and ‘patient-interaction focused’. The former contributed to a more streamlined workflow with fewer interruptions while the latter seemed to empower patients to act as a defence barrier against medication errors by being: (1) an active resource of information, (2) a passive information resource, and/or (3) a �

Handwriting generates variable visual output to facilitate symbol learning.

PubMed

Li, Julia X; James, Karin H

2016-03-01

Recent research has demonstrated that handwriting practice facilitates letter categorization in young children. The present experiments investigated why handwriting practice facilitates visual categorization by comparing 2 hypotheses: that handwriting exerts its facilitative effect because of the visual-motor production of forms, resulting in a direct link between motor and perceptual systems, or because handwriting produces variable visual instances of a named category in the environment that then changes neural systems. We addressed these issues by measuring performance of 5-year-old children on a categorization task involving novel, Greek symbols across 6 different types of learning conditions: 3 involving visual-motor practice (copying typed symbols independently, tracing typed symbols, tracing handwritten symbols) and 3 involving visual-auditory practice (seeing and saying typed symbols of a single typed font, of variable typed fonts, and of handwritten examples). We could therefore compare visual-motor production with visual perception both of variable and similar forms. Comparisons across the 6 conditions (N = 72) demonstrated that all conditions that involved studying highly variable instances of a symbol facilitated symbol categorization relative to conditions where similar instances of a symbol were learned, regardless of visual-motor production. Therefore, learning perceptually variable instances of a category enhanced performance, suggesting that handwriting facilitates symbol understanding by virtue of its environmental output: supporting the notion of developmental change though brain-body-environment interactions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Lateralization in motor facilitation during action observation: a TMS study.

PubMed

Aziz-Zadeh, Lisa; Maeda, Fumiko; Zaidel, Eran; Mazziotta, John; Iacoboni, Marco

2002-05-01

Action observation facilitates corticospinal excitability. This is presumably due to a premotor neural system that is active when we perform actions and when we observe actions performed by others. It has been speculated that this neural system is a precursor of neural systems subserving language. If this theory is true, we may expect hemispheric differences in the motor facilitation produced by action observation, with the language-dominant left hemisphere showing stronger facilitation than the right hemisphere. Furthermore, it has been suggested that body parts are recognized via cortical regions controlling sensory and motor processing associated with that body part. If this is true, then corticospinal facilitation during action observation should be modulated by the laterality of the observed body part. The present study addressed these two issues using TMS for each motor cortex separately as participants observed actions being performed by a left hand, a right hand, or a control stimulus on the computer screen. We found no overall difference between the right and left hemisphere for motor-evoked potential (MEP) size during action observation. However, when TMS was applied to the left motor cortex, MEPs were larger while observing right hand actions. Likewise, when TMS was applied to the right motor cortex, MEPs were larger while observing left hand actions. Our data do not suggest left hemisphere superiority in the facilitating effects of action observation on the motor system. However, they do support the notion of a sensory-motor loop according to which sensory stimulus properties (for example, the image of a left hand or a right hand) directly affect motor cortex activity, even when no motor output is required. The pattern of this effect is congruent with the pattern of motor representation in each hemisphere.

A Direct and Rapid Method to Determine Cyanide in Urine by Capillary Electrophoresis

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qiyang; Maddukuri, Naveen; Gong, Maojun

2015-01-01

Cyanides are poisonous chemicals that widely exist in nature and industrial processes as well as accidental fires. Rapid and accurate determination of cyanide exposure would facilitate forensic investigation, medical diagnosis, and chronic cyanide monitoring. Here, a rapid and direct method was developed for the determination of cyanide ions in urinary samples. This technique was based on an integrated capillary electrophoresis system coupled with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. Cyanide ions were derivatized with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde (NDA) and a primary amine (glycine) for LIF detection. Three separate reagents, NDA, glycine, and cyanide sample, were mixed online, which secured uniform conditions between samples for cyanide derivatization and reduced the risk of precipitation formation of mixtures. Conditions were optimized; the derivatization was completed in 2-4 minutes, and the separation was observed in 25 s. The limit of detection (LOD) was 4.0 nM at 3-fold signal-to-noise ratio for standard cyanide in buffer. The cyanide levels in urine samples from smokers and non-smokers were determined by using the method of standard addition, which demonstrated significant difference of cyanide levels in urinary samples from the two groups of people. The developed method was rapid and accurate, and is anticipated to be applicable to cyanide detection in waste water with appropriate modification. PMID:26342870

A direct and rapid method to determine cyanide in urine by capillary electrophoresis.

PubMed

Zhang, Qiyang; Maddukuri, Naveen; Gong, Maojun

2015-10-02

Cyanides are poisonous chemicals that widely exist in nature and industrial processes as well as accidental fires. Rapid and accurate determination of cyanide exposure would facilitate forensic investigation, medical diagnosis, and chronic cyanide monitoring. Here, a rapid and direct method was developed for the determination of cyanide ions in urinary samples. This technique was based on an integrated capillary electrophoresis system coupled with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. Cyanide ions were derivatized with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde (NDA) and a primary amine (glycine) for LIF detection. Three separate reagents, NDA, glycine, and cyanide sample, were mixed online, which secured uniform conditions between samples for cyanide derivatization and reduced the risk of precipitation formation of mixtures. Conditions were optimized; the derivatization was completed in 2-4min, and the separation was observed in 25s. The limit of detection (LOD) was 4.0nM at 3-fold signal-to-noise ratio for standard cyanide in buffer. The cyanide levels in urine samples from smokers and non-smokers were determined by using the method of standard addition, which demonstrated significant difference of cyanide levels in urinary samples from the two groups of people. The developed method was rapid and accurate, and is anticipated to be applicable to cyanide detection in waste water with appropriate modification. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Rapid Surveillance for Vector Presence (RSVP): Development of a novel system for detecting Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.

PubMed

Montgomery, Brian L; Shivas, Martin A; Hall-Mendelin, Sonja; Edwards, Jim; Hamilton, Nicholas A; Jansen, Cassie C; McMahon, Jamie L; Warrilow, David; van den Hurk, Andrew F

2017-03-01

The globally important Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses are primarily transmitted by the invasive mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. In Australia, there is an increasing risk that these species may invade highly urbanized regions and trigger outbreaks. We describe the development of a Rapid Surveillance for Vector Presence (RSVP) system to expedite presence- absence surveys for both species. We developed a methodology that uses molecular assays to efficiently screen pooled ovitrap (egg trap) samples for traces of target species ribosomal RNA. Firstly, specific real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays were developed which detect a single Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus first instar larva in samples containing 4,999 and 999 non-target mosquitoes, respectively. ImageJ software was evaluated as an automated egg counting tool using ovitrap collections obtained from Brisbane, Australia. Qualitative assessment of ovistrips was required prior to automation because ImageJ did not differentiate between Aedes eggs and other objects or contaminants on 44.5% of ovistrips assessed, thus compromising the accuracy of egg counts. As a proof of concept, the RSVP was evaluated in Brisbane, Rockhampton and Goomeri, locations where Ae. aegypti is considered absent, present, and at the margin of its range, respectively. In Brisbane, Ae. aegypti was not detected in 25 pools formed from 477 ovitraps, comprising ≈ 54,300 eggs. In Rockhampton, Ae. aegypti was detected in 4/6 pools derived from 45 ovitraps, comprising ≈ 1,700 eggs. In Goomeri, Ae. aegypti was detected in 5/8 pools derived from 62 ovitraps, comprising ≈ 4,200 eggs. RSVP can rapidly detect nucleic acids from low numbers of target species within large samples of endemic species aggregated from multiple ovitraps. This screening capability facilitates deployment of ovitrap configurations of varying spatial scales, from a single residential block to entire suburbs or towns

Rapid Surveillance for Vector Presence (RSVP): Development of a novel system for detecting Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus

PubMed Central

Montgomery, Brian L.; Shivas, Martin A.; Hall-Mendelin, Sonja; Edwards, Jim; Hamilton, Nicholas A.; Jansen, Cassie C.; McMahon, Jamie L.; Warrilow, David

2017-01-01

Background The globally important Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses are primarily transmitted by the invasive mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. In Australia, there is an increasing risk that these species may invade highly urbanized regions and trigger outbreaks. We describe the development of a Rapid Surveillance for Vector Presence (RSVP) system to expedite presence- absence surveys for both species. Methodology/Principal findings We developed a methodology that uses molecular assays to efficiently screen pooled ovitrap (egg trap) samples for traces of target species ribosomal RNA. Firstly, specific real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays were developed which detect a single Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus first instar larva in samples containing 4,999 and 999 non-target mosquitoes, respectively. ImageJ software was evaluated as an automated egg counting tool using ovitrap collections obtained from Brisbane, Australia. Qualitative assessment of ovistrips was required prior to automation because ImageJ did not differentiate between Aedes eggs and other objects or contaminants on 44.5% of ovistrips assessed, thus compromising the accuracy of egg counts. As a proof of concept, the RSVP was evaluated in Brisbane, Rockhampton and Goomeri, locations where Ae. aegypti is considered absent, present, and at the margin of its range, respectively. In Brisbane, Ae. aegypti was not detected in 25 pools formed from 477 ovitraps, comprising ≈ 54,300 eggs. In Rockhampton, Ae. aegypti was detected in 4/6 pools derived from 45 ovitraps, comprising ≈ 1,700 eggs. In Goomeri, Ae. aegypti was detected in 5/8 pools derived from 62 ovitraps, comprising ≈ 4,200 eggs. Conclusions/Significance RSVP can rapidly detect nucleic acids from low numbers of target species within large samples of endemic species aggregated from multiple ovitraps. This screening capability facilitates deployment of ovitrap configurations of varying spatial

Comparison of four methods for rapid identification of Staphylococcus aureus directly from BACTEC 9240 blood culture system.

PubMed

Ozen, N S; Ogunc, D; Mutlu, D; Ongut, G; Baysan, B O; Gunseren, F

2011-01-01

Differentiation of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) from coagulase-negative staphylococci is very important in blood stream infections. Identification of S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) from blood cultures takes generally 18-24 h after positive signaling on continuously monitored automated blood culture system. In this study, we evaluated the performance of tube coagulase test (TCT), slide agglutination test (Dry Spot Staphytect Plus), conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and LightCycler Staphylococcus MGrade kit directly from blood culture bottles to achieve rapid identification of S. aureus by using the BACTEC 9240 blood culture system. A total of 129 BACTEC 9240 bottles growing gram-positive cocci suggesting Staphylococci were tested directly from blood culture broths (BCBs) with TCT, Dry Spot Staphytect Plus, conventional PCR and LightCycler Staphylococcus MGrade kit for rapid identification of S. aureus. The sensitivities of the tests were 99, 68, 99 and 100%, respectively. Our results suggested that 2 h TCT was found to be simple and inexpensive method for the rapid identification of S. aureus directly from positive blood cultures.

Developing a rapid-response program for health system decision-makers in Canada: findings from an issue brief and stakeholder dialogue.

PubMed

Wilson, Michael G; Lavis, John N; Gauvin, Francois-Pierre

2015-03-11

There is currently no mechanism in place outside of government to provide rapid syntheses of the best available research evidence about problems, options and/or implementation considerations related to a specific health system challenge that Canadian health system decision-makers need to address in a timely manner. A 'rapid-response' program could address this gap by providing access to optimally packaged, relevant and high-quality research evidence over short periods of time (i.e. days or weeks). We prepared an issue brief that describes the best available research evidence related to the problem, three broad features of a program that addresses the problem and implementation considerations. We identified systematic reviews by searching for organization-targeted implementation strategies in Health Systems Evidence ( www.healthsystemsevidence.org ) and drew on an existing analytical framework for how knowledge-brokering organizations can organize themselves to operationalize the program features. The issue brief was then used to inform a half-day stakeholder dialogue about whether and how to develop a rapid-response program for health system decision-makers in Canada. We thematically synthesized the deliberations. We found very few relevant systematic reviews but used frameworks and examples from existing programs to 1) outline key considerations for organizing a rapid-response program,, 2) determine what can be done in timelines ranging from 3 to 10 and 30 business days, and 3) define success and measure it. The 11 dialogue participants from across Canada largely agreed with the content presented in the brief, but noted two key challenges to consider: securing stable, long-term funding and finding a way to effectively and equitably manage the expected demand. Recommendations and suggestions for next steps from dialogue participants included taking an 'organic' approach to developing a pan-Canadian network and including jurisdictional scans as a type of product to

Workstation-Based Simulation for Rapid Prototyping and Piloted Evaluation of Control System Designs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mansur, M. Hossein; Colbourne, Jason D.; Chang, Yu-Kuang; Aiken, Edwin W. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The development and optimization of flight control systems for modem fixed- and rotary-. wing aircraft consume a significant portion of the overall time and cost of aircraft development. Substantial savings can be achieved if the time required to develop and flight test the control system, and the cost, is reduced. To bring about such reductions, software tools such as Matlab/Simulink are being used to readily implement block diagrams and rapidly evaluate the expected responses of the completed system. Moreover, tools such as CONDUIT (CONtrol Designer's Unified InTerface) have been developed that enable the controls engineers to optimize their control laws and ensure that all the relevant quantitative criteria are satisfied, all within a fully interactive, user friendly, unified software environment.

RapidIO as a multi-purpose interconnect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baymani, Simaolhoda; Alexopoulos, Konstantinos; Valat, Sébastien

2017-10-01

RapidIO (http://rapidio.org/) technology is a packet-switched high-performance fabric, which has been under active development since 1997. Originally meant to be a front side bus, it developed into a system level interconnect which is today used in all 4G/LTE base stations world wide. RapidIO is often used in embedded systems that require high reliability, low latency and scalability in a heterogeneous environment - features that are highly interesting for several use cases, such as data analytics and data acquisition (DAQ) networks. We will present the results of evaluating RapidIO in a data analytics environment, from setup to benchmark. Specifically, we will share the experience of running ROOT and Hadoop on top of RapidIO. To demonstrate the multi-purpose characteristics of RapidIO, we will also present the results of investigating RapidIO as a technology for high-speed DAQ networks using a generic multi-protocol event-building emulation tool. In addition we will present lessons learned from implementing native ports of CERN applications to RapidIO.

The Sequences of 1,504 Mutants in the Model Rice Variety Kitaake Facilitate Rapid Functional Genomic Studies

DOE PAGES

Li, Guotian; Jain, Rashmi; Chern, Mawsheng; ...

2017-06-02

The availability of a whole-genome sequenced mutant population and the cataloging of mutations of each line at a single-nucleotide resolution facilitate functional genomic analysis. To this end, we generated and sequenced a fast-neutron-induced mutant population in the model rice cultivar Kitaake (Oryza sativa ssp japonica), which completes its life cycle in 9 weeks. We sequenced 1504 mutant lines at 45-fold coverage and identified 91,513 mutations affecting 32,307 genes, i.e., 58% of all rice genes. We detected an average of 61 mutations per line. Mutation types include single-base substitutions, deletions, insertions, inversions, translocations, and tandem duplications. We observed a high proportionmore » of loss-of-function mutations. We identified an inversion affecting a single gene as the causative mutation for the short-grain phenotype in one mutant line. This result reveals the usefulness of the resource for efficient, cost-effective identification of genes conferring specific phenotypes. To facilitate public access to this genetic resource, we established an open access database called KitBase that provides access to sequence data and seed stocks. This population complements other available mutant collections and gene-editing technologies. In conclusion, this work demonstrates how inexpensive next-generation sequencing can be applied to generate a high-density catalog of mutations.« less

Rapid generation of recombinant Pseudomonas putida secondary metabolite producers using yTREX.

PubMed

Domröse, Andreas; Weihmann, Robin; Thies, Stephan; Jaeger, Karl-Erich; Drepper, Thomas; Loeschcke, Anita

2017-12-01

Microbial secondary metabolites represent a rich source of valuable compounds with a variety of applications in medicine or agriculture. Effective exploitation of this wealth of chemicals requires the functional expression of the respective biosynthetic genes in amenable heterologous hosts. We have previously established the TREX system which facilitates the transfer, integration and expression of biosynthetic gene clusters in various bacterial hosts. Here, we describe the yTREX system, a new tool adapted for one-step yeast recombinational cloning of gene clusters. We show that with yTREX, Pseudomonas putida secondary metabolite production strains can rapidly be constructed by random targeting of chromosomal promoters by Tn5 transposition. Feasibility of this approach was corroborated by prodigiosin production after yTREX cloning, transfer and expression of the respective biosynthesis genes from Serratia marcescens . Furthermore, the applicability of the system for effective pathway rerouting by gene cluster adaptation was demonstrated using the violacein biosynthesis gene cluster from Chromobacterium violaceum , producing pathway metabolites violacein, deoxyviolacein, prodeoxyviolacein, and deoxychromoviridans. Clones producing both prodigiosin and violaceins could be readily identified among clones obtained after random chromosomal integration by their strong color-phenotype. Finally, the addition of a promoter-less reporter gene enabled facile detection also of phenazine-producing clones after transfer of the respective phenazine-1-carboxylic acid biosynthesis genes from Pseudomonas aeruginosa . All compounds accumulated to substantial titers in the mg range. We thus corroborate here the suitability of P. putida for the biosynthesis of diverse natural products, and demonstrate that the yTREX system effectively enables the rapid generation of secondary metabolite producing bacteria by activation of heterologous gene clusters, applicable for natural compound

Hunting-mediated predator facilitation and superadditive mortality in a European ungulate.

PubMed

Gehr, Benedikt; Hofer, Elizabeth J; Pewsner, Mirjam; Ryser, Andreas; Vimercati, Eric; Vogt, Kristina; Keller, Lukas F

2018-01-01

Predator-prey theory predicts that in the presence of multiple types of predators using a common prey, predator facilitation may result as a consequence of contrasting prey defense mechanisms, where reducing the risk from one predator increases the risk from the other. While predator facilitation is well established in natural predator-prey systems, little attention has been paid to situations where human hunters compete with natural predators for the same prey. Here, we investigate hunting-mediated predator facilitation in a hunter-predator-prey system. We found that hunter avoidance by roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus ) exposed them to increase predation risk by Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx ). Lynx responded by increasing their activity and predation on deer, providing evidence that superadditive hunting mortality may be occurring through predator facilitation. Our results reveal a new pathway through which human hunters, in their role as top predators, may affect species interactions at lower trophic levels and thus drive ecosystem processes.

Rapid optical imaging of EGF receptor expression with a single-chain antibody SNAP-tag fusion protein.

PubMed

Kampmeier, Florian; Niesen, Judith; Koers, Alexander; Ribbert, Markus; Brecht, Andreas; Fischer, Rainer; Kiessling, Fabian; Barth, Stefan; Thepen, Theo

2010-10-01

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in several types of cancer and its inhibition can effectively inhibit tumour progression. The purpose of this study was to design an EGFR-specific imaging probe that combines efficient tumour targeting with rapid systemic clearance to facilitate non-invasive assessment of EGFR expression. Genetic fusion of a single-chain antibody fragment with the SNAP-tag produced a 48-kDa antibody derivative that can be covalently and site-specifically labelled with substrates containing 0 (6)-benzylguanine. The EGFR-specific single-chain variable fragment (scFv) fusion protein 425(scFv)SNAP was labelled with the near infrared (NIR) dye BG-747, and its accumulation, specificity and kinetics were monitored using NIR fluorescence imaging in a subcutaneous pancreatic carcinoma xenograft model. The 425(scFv)SNAP fusion protein accumulates rapidly and specifically at the tumour site. Its small size allows efficient renal clearance and a high tumour to background ratio (TBR) of 33.2 +/- 6.3 (n = 4) 10 h after injection. Binding of the labelled antibody was efficiently competed with a 20-fold excess of unlabelled probe, resulting in an average TBR of 6 +/- 1.35 (n = 4), which is similar to that obtained with a non-tumour-specific probe (5.44 +/- 1.92, n = 4). When compared with a full-length antibody against EGFR (cetuximab), 425(scFv)SNAP-747 showed significantly higher TBRs and complete clearance 72 h post-injection. The 425(scFv)SNAP fusion protein combines rapid and specific targeting of EGFR-positive tumours with a versatile and robust labelling technique that facilitates the attachment of fluorophores for use in optical imaging. The same approach could be used to couple a chelating agent for use in nuclear imaging.

How the strengths of Lisp-family languages facilitate building complex and flexible bioinformatics applications.

PubMed

Khomtchouk, Bohdan B; Weitz, Edmund; Karp, Peter D; Wahlestedt, Claes

2018-05-01

We present a rationale for expanding the presence of the Lisp family of programming languages in bioinformatics and computational biology research. Put simply, Lisp-family languages enable programmers to more quickly write programs that run faster than in other languages. Languages such as Common Lisp, Scheme and Clojure facilitate the creation of powerful and flexible software that is required for complex and rapidly evolving domains like biology. We will point out several important key features that distinguish languages of the Lisp family from other programming languages, and we will explain how these features can aid researchers in becoming more productive and creating better code. We will also show how these features make these languages ideal tools for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications. We will specifically stress the advantages of domain-specific languages (DSLs): languages that are specialized to a particular area, and thus not only facilitate easier research problem formulation, but also aid in the establishment of standards and best programming practices as applied to the specific research field at hand. DSLs are particularly easy to build in Common Lisp, the most comprehensive Lisp dialect, which is commonly referred to as the 'programmable programming language'. We are convinced that Lisp grants programmers unprecedented power to build increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence systems that may ultimately transform machine learning and artificial intelligence research in bioinformatics and computational biology.

How the strengths of Lisp-family languages facilitate building complex and flexible bioinformatics applications

PubMed Central

Khomtchouk, Bohdan B; Weitz, Edmund; Karp, Peter D; Wahlestedt, Claes

2018-01-01

Abstract We present a rationale for expanding the presence of the Lisp family of programming languages in bioinformatics and computational biology research. Put simply, Lisp-family languages enable programmers to more quickly write programs that run faster than in other languages. Languages such as Common Lisp, Scheme and Clojure facilitate the creation of powerful and flexible software that is required for complex and rapidly evolving domains like biology. We will point out several important key features that distinguish languages of the Lisp family from other programming languages, and we will explain how these features can aid researchers in becoming more productive and creating better code. We will also show how these features make these languages ideal tools for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications. We will specifically stress the advantages of domain-specific languages (DSLs): languages that are specialized to a particular area, and thus not only facilitate easier research problem formulation, but also aid in the establishment of standards and best programming practices as applied to the specific research field at hand. DSLs are particularly easy to build in Common Lisp, the most comprehensive Lisp dialect, which is commonly referred to as the ‘programmable programming language’. We are convinced that Lisp grants programmers unprecedented power to build increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence systems that may ultimately transform machine learning and artificial intelligence research in bioinformatics and computational biology. PMID:28040748

Rapid Endolysosomal Escape and Controlled Intracellular Trafficking of Cell Surface Mimetic Quantum-Dots-Anchored Peptides and Glycopeptides.

PubMed

Tan, Roger S; Naruchi, Kentaro; Amano, Maho; Hinou, Hiroshi; Nishimura, Shin-Ichiro

2015-09-18

A novel strategy for the development of a high performance nanoparticules platform was established by means of cell surface mimetic quantum-dots (QDs)-anchored peptides/glycopeptides, which was developed as a model system for nanoparticle-based drug delivery (NDD) vehicles with defined functions helping the specific intracellular trafficking after initial endocytosis. In this paper, we proposed a standardized protocol for the preparation of multifunctional QDs that allows for efficient cellular uptake and rapid escaping from the endolysosomal system and subsequent cytoplasmic molecular delivery to the target cellular compartment. Chemoselective ligation of the ketone-functionalized hexahistidine derivative facilitated both efficient endocytic entry and rapid endolysosomal escape of the aminooxy/phosphorylcholine self-assembled monolayer-coated QDs (AO/PCSAM-QDs) to the cytosol in various cell lines such as human normal and cancer cells, while modifications of these QDs with cell-penetrating arginine-rich peptides showed poor cellular uptake and induced self-aggregation of AO/PCSAM-QDs. Combined use of hexahistidylated AO/PCSAM-QDs with serglycine-like glycopeptides, namely synthetic proteoglycan initiators (PGIs), elicited the entry and controlled intracellular trafficking, Golgi localization, and also excretion of these nanoparticles, which suggested that the present approach would provide an ideal platform for the design of high performance NDD systems.

Using Multiple Schedules during Functional Communication Training to Promote Rapid Transfer of Treatment Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Wayne W.; Greer, Brian D.; Fuhrman, Ashley M.; Querim, Angie C.

2015-01-01

Multiple schedules with signaled periods of reinforcement and extinction have been used to thin reinforcement schedules during functional communication training (FCT) to make the intervention more practical for parents and teachers. We evaluated whether these signals would also facilitate rapid transfer of treatment effects across settings and…

An Efficient, Rapid, and Recyclable System for CRISPR-Mediated Genome Editing in Candida albicans.

PubMed

Nguyen, Namkha; Quail, Morgan M F; Hernday, Aaron D

2017-01-01

Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen of humans. Historically, molecular genetic analysis of this important pathogen has been hampered by the lack of stable plasmids or meiotic cell division, limited selectable markers, and inefficient methods for generating gene knockouts. The recent development of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat(s) (CRISPR)-based tools for use with C. albicans has opened the door to more efficient genome editing; however, previously reported systems have specific limitations. We report the development of an optimized CRISPR-based genome editing system for use with C. albicans . Our system is highly efficient, does not require molecular cloning, does not leave permanent markers in the genome, and supports rapid, precise genome editing in C. albicans . We also demonstrate the utility of our system for generating two independent homozygous gene knockouts in a single transformation and present a method for generating homozygous wild-type gene addbacks at the native locus. Furthermore, each step of our protocol is compatible with high-throughput strain engineering approaches, thus opening the door to the generation of a complete C. albicans gene knockout library. IMPORTANCE Candida albicans is the major fungal pathogen of humans and is the subject of intense biomedical and discovery research. Until recently, the pace of research in this field has been hampered by the lack of efficient methods for genome editing. We report the development of a highly efficient and flexible genome editing system for use with C. albicans . This system improves upon previously published C. albicans CRISPR systems and enables rapid, precise genome editing without the use of permanent markers. This new tool kit promises to expedite the pace of research on this important fungal pathogen.

Facilitated versus Non-Facilitated Online Case Discussions: Comparing Differences in Problem Space Coverage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ertmer, Peggy A.; Koehler, Adrie A.

2015-01-01

The facilitator plays a key role in guiding students' efforts during case discussions. However, few studies have compared differences in learning outcomes for students participating in facilitated versus non-facilitated discussions. In this research, we used "problem space coverage" as a learning measure to compare outcomes between…

Providing rapid feedback to residents on their teaching skills: an educational strategy for contemporary trainees.

PubMed

Katz-Sidlow, Rachel J; Baer, Tamar G; Gershel, Jeffrey C

2016-03-20

The objective of this study was to assess the attitudes of contemporary residents toward receiving rapid feedback on their teaching skills from their medical student learners. Participants consisted of 20 residents in their second post-graduate training year. These residents facilitated 44 teaching sessions with medical students within our Resident-as-Teacher program. Structured, written feedback from students was returned to the resident within 3 days following each session. Residents completed a short survey about the utility of the feedback, whether they would make a change to future teaching sessions based on the feedback, and what specifically they might change. The survey utilized a 4-point scale ("Not helpful/likely=1" to "Very helpful/likely=4"), and allowed for one free-text response. Free-text responses were hand-coded and underwent qualitative analysis to identify themes. There were 182 student feedback encounters resulting from 44 teaching sessions. The survey response rate was 73% (32/44). Ninety-four percent of residents rated the rapid feedback as "very helpful," and 91% would "very likely" make a change to subsequent sessions based on student feedback. Residents' proposed changes included modifications to session content and/or their personal teaching style. Residents found that rapid feedback received from medical student learners was highly valuable to them in their roles as teachers. A rapid feedback strategy may facilitate an optimal educational environment for contemporary trainees.

The Biosurveillance Analytics Resource Directory (BARD): Facilitating the use of epidemiological models for infectious disease surveillance

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

Margevicius, Kristen J.; Generous, Nicholas; Abeyta, Esteban

Epidemiological modeling for infectious disease is important for disease management and its routine implementation needs to be facilitated through better description of models in an operational context. A standardized model characterization process that allows selection or making manual comparisons of available models and their results is currently lacking. A key need is a universal framework to facilitate model description and understanding of its features. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has developed a comprehensive framework that can be used to characterize an infectious disease model in an operational context. The framework was developed through a consensus among a panel of subjectmore » matter experts. In this paper, we describe the framework, its application to model characterization, and the development of the Biosurveillance Analytics Resource Directory (BARD; http://brd.bsvgateway.org/brd/), to facilitate the rapid selection of operational models for specific infectious/communicable diseases. We offer this framework and associated database to stakeholders of the infectious disease modeling field as a tool for standardizing model description and facilitating the use of epidemiological models.« less

The Biosurveillance Analytics Resource Directory (BARD): Facilitating the Use of Epidemiological Models for Infectious Disease Surveillance

PubMed Central

Margevicius, Kristen J; Generous, Nicholas; Abeyta, Esteban; Althouse, Ben; Burkom, Howard; Castro, Lauren; Daughton, Ashlynn; Del Valle, Sara Y.; Fairchild, Geoffrey; Hyman, James M.; Kiang, Richard; Morse, Andrew P.; Pancerella, Carmen M.; Pullum, Laura; Ramanathan, Arvind; Schlegelmilch, Jeffrey; Scott, Aaron; Taylor-McCabe, Kirsten J; Vespignani, Alessandro; Deshpande, Alina

2016-01-01

Epidemiological modeling for infectious disease is important for disease management and its routine implementation needs to be facilitated through better description of models in an operational context. A standardized model characterization process that allows selection or making manual comparisons of available models and their results is currently lacking. A key need is a universal framework to facilitate model description and understanding of its features. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has developed a comprehensive framework that can be used to characterize an infectious disease model in an operational context. The framework was developed through a consensus among a panel of subject matter experts. In this paper, we describe the framework, its application to model characterization, and the development of the Biosurveillance Analytics Resource Directory (BARD; http://brd.bsvgateway.org/brd/), to facilitate the rapid selection of operational models for specific infectious/communicable diseases. We offer this framework and associated database to stakeholders of the infectious disease modeling field as a tool for standardizing model description and facilitating the use of epidemiological models. PMID:26820405

The Biosurveillance Analytics Resource Directory (BARD): Facilitating the Use of Epidemiological Models for Infectious Disease Surveillance.

PubMed

Margevicius, Kristen J; Generous, Nicholas; Abeyta, Esteban; Althouse, Ben; Burkom, Howard; Castro, Lauren; Daughton, Ashlynn; Del Valle, Sara Y; Fairchild, Geoffrey; Hyman, James M; Kiang, Richard; Morse, Andrew P; Pancerella, Carmen M; Pullum, Laura; Ramanathan, Arvind; Schlegelmilch, Jeffrey; Scott, Aaron; Taylor-McCabe, Kirsten J; Vespignani, Alessandro; Deshpande, Alina

2016-01-01

Epidemiological modeling for infectious disease is important for disease management and its routine implementation needs to be facilitated through better description of models in an operational context. A standardized model characterization process that allows selection or making manual comparisons of available models and their results is currently lacking. A key need is a universal framework to facilitate model description and understanding of its features. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has developed a comprehensive framework that can be used to characterize an infectious disease model in an operational context. The framework was developed through a consensus among a panel of subject matter experts. In this paper, we describe the framework, its application to model characterization, and the development of the Biosurveillance Analytics Resource Directory (BARD; http://brd.bsvgateway.org/brd/), to facilitate the rapid selection of operational models for specific infectious/communicable diseases. We offer this framework and associated database to stakeholders of the infectious disease modeling field as a tool for standardizing model description and facilitating the use of epidemiological models.

The Biosurveillance Analytics Resource Directory (BARD): Facilitating the use of epidemiological models for infectious disease surveillance

DOE PAGES

Margevicius, Kristen J.; Generous, Nicholas; Abeyta, Esteban; ...

2016-01-28

Epidemiological modeling for infectious disease is important for disease management and its routine implementation needs to be facilitated through better description of models in an operational context. A standardized model characterization process that allows selection or making manual comparisons of available models and their results is currently lacking. A key need is a universal framework to facilitate model description and understanding of its features. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has developed a comprehensive framework that can be used to characterize an infectious disease model in an operational context. The framework was developed through a consensus among a panel of subjectmore » matter experts. In this paper, we describe the framework, its application to model characterization, and the development of the Biosurveillance Analytics Resource Directory (BARD; http://brd.bsvgateway.org/brd/), to facilitate the rapid selection of operational models for specific infectious/communicable diseases. We offer this framework and associated database to stakeholders of the infectious disease modeling field as a tool for standardizing model description and facilitating the use of epidemiological models.« less

Implementing a Lean Management System in Primary Care: Facilitators and Barriers From the Front Lines.

PubMed

Hung, Dorothy; Martinez, Meghan; Yakir, Maayan; Gray, Caroline

2015-01-01

Although Lean management techniques are increasingly used in health care to improve quality and reduce costs, lessons about how to successfully implement this approach on the front lines of care delivery are not well documented. In this study, we highlight key facilitators and barriers to implementing Lean among frontline primary care providers. This case study took place at a large, ambulatory care delivery system serving nearly 1 million patients. In-depth interviews were conducted with primary care physicians, staff, and administrators to identify key factors impacting Lean redesigns in primary care. Overall, staff engagement and performance management, sensitivity to the professional values and culture of medicine, and perceived adequacy of organizational resources were critical when introducing Lean changes. Specific drivers of change included empowerment of staff at all levels, visual display of performance metrics, and a culture of innovation and collaboration. Barriers included physician resistance to standardized work, difficulty transferring management responsibilities to non-physician staff, and time and staffing required for participating in improvement efforts. Although Lean offers a new approach to delivering care, the implementation process itself is both complex and crucial to success. Understanding early facilitators and barriers can maximize Lean's, potential to improve health care delivery.

Disturbance facilitates the coexistence of antagonistic ecosystem engineers in California estuaries.

PubMed

Castorani, Max C N; Hovel, Kevin A; Williams, Susan L; Baskett, Marissa L

2014-08-01

Ecological theory predicts that interactions between antagonistic ecosystem engineers can lead to local competitive exclusion, but disturbance can facilitate broader coexistence. However, few empirical studies have tested the potential for disturbance to mediate competition between engineers. We examined the capacity for disturbance and habitat modification to explain the disjunct distributions of two benthic ecosystem engineers, eelgrass Zostera marina and the burrowing ghost shrimp Neotrypaea californiensis, in two California estuaries. Sediment sampling in eelgrass and ghost shrimp patches revealed that ghost shrimp change benthic biogeochemistry over small scales (centimeters) but not patch scales (meters to tens of meters), suggesting a limited capacity for sediment modification to explain species distributions. To determine the relative competitive abilities of engineers, we conducted reciprocal transplantations of ghost shrimp and eelgrass. Local ghost shrimp densities declined rapidly following the addition of eelgrass, and transplanted eelgrass expanded laterally into the surrounding ghost shrimp-dominated areas. When transplanted into eelgrass patches, ghost shrimp failed to persist. Ghost shrimp were also displaced from plots with structural mimics of eelgrass rhizomes and roots, suggesting that autogenic habitat modification by eelgrass is an important mechanism determining ghost shrimp distributions. However, ghost shrimp were able to rapidly colonize experimental disturbances to eelgrass patch edges, which are common in shallow estuaries. We conclude that coexistence in this system is maintained by spatiotemporally asynchronous disturbances and a competition-colonization trade-off: eelgrass is a competitively superior ecosystem engineer, but benthic disturbances permit the coexistence of ghost shrimp at the landscape scale by modulating the availability of space.

A knowledge-based patient assessment system: conceptual and technical design.

PubMed Central

Reilly, C. A.; Zielstorff, R. D.; Fox, R. L.; O'Connell, E. M.; Carroll, D. L.; Conley, K. A.; Fitzgerald, P.; Eng, T. K.; Martin, A.; Zidik, C. M.; Segal, M.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the design of an inpatient patient assessment application that captures nursing assessment data using a wireless laptop computer. The primary aim of this system is to capture structured information for facilitating decision support and quality monitoring. The system also aims to improve efficiency of recording patient assessments, reduce costs, and improve discharge planning and early identification of patient learning needs. Object-oriented methods were used to elicit functional requirements and to model the proposed system. A tools-based development approach is being used to facilitate rapid development and easy modification of assessment items and rules for decision support. Criteria for evaluation include perceived utility by clinician users, validity of decision support rules, time spent recording assessments, and perceived utility of aggregate reports for quality monitoring. PMID:11079970

A knowledge-based patient assessment system: conceptual and technical design.

PubMed

Reilly, C A; Zielstorff, R D; Fox, R L; O'Connell, E M; Carroll, D L; Conley, K A; Fitzgerald, P; Eng, T K; Martin, A; Zidik, C M; Segal, M

2000-01-01

This paper describes the design of an inpatient patient assessment application that captures nursing assessment data using a wireless laptop computer. The primary aim of this system is to capture structured information for facilitating decision support and quality monitoring. The system also aims to improve efficiency of recording patient assessments, reduce costs, and improve discharge planning and early identification of patient learning needs. Object-oriented methods were used to elicit functional requirements and to model the proposed system. A tools-based development approach is being used to facilitate rapid development and easy modification of assessment items and rules for decision support. Criteria for evaluation include perceived utility by clinician users, validity of decision support rules, time spent recording assessments, and perceived utility of aggregate reports for quality monitoring.

Rapid Prototyping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Javelin, a Lone Peak Engineering Inc. Company has introduced the SteamRoller(TM) System as a commercial product. The system was designed by Javelin during a Phase II NASA funded small commercial product. The purpose of the invention was to allow automated-feed of flexible ceramic tapes to the Laminated Object Manufacturing rapid prototyping equipment. The ceramic material that Javelin was working with during the Phase II project is silicon nitride. This engineered ceramic material is of interest for space-based component.

Patient, Program, and System Barriers and Facilitators to Detoxification Services in the U.S. Veterans Health Administration: A Qualitative Study of Provider Perspectives.

PubMed

Schultz, Nicole R; Martinez, Rociel; Cucciare, Michael A; Timko, Christine

2016-08-23

Because substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is expanding, and detoxification (detox) is often the entry point to SUD treatment, it is critical to provide ready access to detox services. The purpose of the current study was to examine patient, program, and system barriers or facilitators to detox access within an integrated health care system with variable rates of detox utilization across facilities. Inpatient and outpatient providers from 31 different U.S. Veterans Health Administration detox programs were interviewed. Qualitative analyses identified six facilitators and 11 barriers to detox access. Facilitators included program staff and program characteristics such as encouragement and immediate access, as well as systemic cooperation and patient circumstances. Barriers to detox included programmatic and systemic problems, including lack of available detox services, program rules or admission requirements, funding shortages, stigma related to a SUD diagnosis or receiving detox services, and a deficiency of education and training. Other major barriers pertained to patients' lack of motivation and competing responsibilities. To improve detox access, health care settings should consider enhancing supportive relationships by emphasizing outreach, engagement, and rapport-building with patients, improving systemic communication and teamwork, educating patients on available detox services and the detox process, and addressing patient centered barriers such as resistance to detox or competing responsibilities. In addition, programs should consider open-door and immediate-admission policies. These approaches may improve detox access, which is important for increasing the likelihood of transitioning patients to SUD treatment, thus improving outcomes and reducing utilization of high-cost services.

Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA 2.0) System Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papale, William; O'Coin, James; Wichowski, Robert; Chullen, Cinda; Campbell, Colin

2012-01-01

The Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) system is a low power assembly capable of simultaneously removing carbon dioxide (CO2) and humidity from an influent air steam and subsequent regeneration when exposed to a vacuum source. Two solid amine sorbent beds are alternated between an uptake mode and a regeneration mode. During the uptake mode, the sorbent is exposed to an air steam (ventilation loop) to adsorb CO2 and water vapor, while during the regeneration mode, the sorbent rejects the adsorbed CO2 and water vapor to a vacuum source. The two beds operate such that while one bed is in the uptake mode, the other is in the regeneration mode, thus continuously providing an on-service sorbent bed by which CO2 and humidity may be removed. A novel valve assembly provides a simple means of diverting the process air flow through the uptake bed while simultaneously directing the vacuum source to the regeneration bed. Additionally, the valve assembly is designed to allow for switching between uptake and regeneration modes with only one moving part while minimizing gas volume losses to the vacuum source by means of an internal pressure equalization step during actuation. The process can be controlled by a compact, low power controller design with several modes of operation available to the user. Together with NASA, United Technologies Corporation Aerospace Systems has been developing RCA 2.0 based on performance and design feedback on several sorbent bed test articles and valve design concepts. A final design was selected in November 2011 and fabricated and assembled between March and August 2012, with delivery to NASA-JSC in September 2012. This paper will provide an overview on the RCA system design and results of pre-delivery testing.

Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA 2.0) System Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papale, William; O'Coin, James; Wichowski, Robert; Chullen, Cinda; Campbell, Colin

2013-01-01

The Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) system is a low-power assembly capable of simultaneously removing carbon dioxide (CO2) and humidity from an influent air steam and subsequent regeneration when exposed to a vacuum source. Two solid amine sorbent beds are alternated between an uptake mode and a regeneration mode. During the uptake mode, the sorbent is exposed to an air steam (ventilation loop) to adsorb CO2 and water (H2O) vapor, whereas during the regeneration mode, the sorbent rejects the adsorbed CO2 and H2O vapor to a vacuum source. The two beds operate such that while one bed is in the uptake mode, the other is in the regeneration mode, thus continuously providing an on-service sorbent bed by which CO2 and humidity may be removed. A novel valve assembly provides a simple means of diverting the process air flow through the uptake bed while simultaneously directing the vacuum source to the regeneration bed. Additionally, the valve assembly is designed to allow for switching between uptake and regeneration modes with only one moving part while minimizing gas volume losses to the vacuum source by means of an internal pressure equalization step during actuation. The process can be controlled by a compact, low-power controller design with several modes of operation available to the user. Together with NASA Johnson Space Center, Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International, Inc. has been developing RCA 2.0 based on performance and design feedback on several sorbent bed test articles and valve design concepts. A final design of RCA 2.0 was selected in November 2011 and fabricated and assembled between March and August 2012, with delivery to NASA Johnson Space Center in September 2012. This paper provides an overview of the RCA system design and results of pre-delivery testing.

The use of an automated flight test management system in the development of a rapid-prototyping flight research facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duke, Eugene L.; Hewett, Marle D.; Brumbaugh, Randal W.; Tartt, David M.; Antoniewicz, Robert F.; Agarwal, Arvind K.

1988-01-01

An automated flight test management system (ATMS) and its use to develop a rapid-prototyping flight research facility for artificial intelligence (AI) based flight systems concepts are described. The ATMS provides a flight test engineer with a set of tools that assist in flight planning and simulation. This system will be capable of controlling an aircraft during the flight test by performing closed-loop guidance functions, range management, and maneuver-quality monitoring. The rapid-prototyping flight research facility is being developed at the Dryden Flight Research Facility of the NASA Ames Research Center (Ames-Dryden) to provide early flight assessment of emerging AI technology. The facility is being developed as one element of the aircraft automation program which focuses on the qualification and validation of embedded real-time AI-based systems.

Rapid and long-lasting learning of feature binding

PubMed Central

Yashar, Amit; Carrasco, Marisa

2016-01-01

How are features integrated (bound) into objects and how can this process be facilitated? Here we investigated the role of rapid perceptual learning in feature binding and its long-lasting effects. By isolating the contributions of individual features from their conjunctions between training and test displays, we demonstrate for the first time that training can rapidly and substantially improve feature binding. Observers trained on a conjunction search task consisting of a rapid display with one target-conjunction, then tested with a new target-conjunction. Features were the same between training and test displays. Learning transferred to the new target when its conjunction was presented as a distractor, but not when only its component features were presented in different conjunction distractors during training. Training improvement lasted for up to 16 months, but, in all conditions, it was specific to the trained target. Our findings suggest that with short training observers’ ability to bind two specific features into an object is improved, and that this learning effect can last for over a year. Moreover, our findings show that while the short-term learning effect reflects activation of presented items and their binding, long-term consolidation is task specific. PMID:27289484

Analysis of Rapid Multi-Focal Zone ARFI Imaging

PubMed Central

Rosenzweig, Stephen; Palmeri, Mark; Nightingale, Kathryn

2015-01-01

Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging has shown promise for visualizing structure and pathology within multiple organs; however, because the contrast depends on the push beam excitation width, image quality suffers outside of the region of excitation. Multi-focal zone ARFI imaging has previously been used to extend the region of excitation (ROE), but the increased acquisition duration and acoustic exposure have limited its utility. Supersonic shear wave imaging has previously demonstrated that through technological improvements in ultrasound scanners and power supplies, it is possible to rapidly push at multiple locations prior to tracking displacements, facilitating extended depth of field shear wave sources. Similarly, ARFI imaging can utilize these same radiation force excitations to achieve tight pushing beams with a large depth of field. Finite element method simulations and experimental data are presented demonstrating that single- and rapid multi-focal zone ARFI have comparable image quality (less than 20% loss in contrast), but the multi-focal zone approach has an extended axial region of excitation. Additionally, as compared to single push sequences, the rapid multi-focal zone acquisitions improve the contrast to noise ratio by up to 40% in an example 4 mm diameter lesion. PMID:25643078

Automatic Semantic Facilitation in Anterior Temporal Cortex Revealed through Multimodal Neuroimaging

PubMed Central

Gramfort, Alexandre; Hämäläinen, Matti S.; Kuperberg, Gina R.

2013-01-01

A core property of human semantic processing is the rapid, facilitatory influence of prior input on extracting the meaning of what comes next, even under conditions of minimal awareness. Previous work has shown a number of neurophysiological indices of this facilitation, but the mapping between time course and localization—critical for separating automatic semantic facilitation from other mechanisms—has thus far been unclear. In the current study, we used a multimodal imaging approach to isolate early, bottom-up effects of context on semantic memory, acquiring a combination of electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements in the same individuals with a masked semantic priming paradigm. Across techniques, the results provide a strikingly convergent picture of early automatic semantic facilitation. Event-related potentials demonstrated early sensitivity to semantic association between 300 and 500 ms; MEG localized the differential neural response within this time window to the left anterior temporal cortex, and fMRI localized the effect more precisely to the left anterior superior temporal gyrus, a region previously implicated in semantic associative processing. However, fMRI diverged from early EEG/MEG measures in revealing semantic enhancement effects within frontal and parietal regions, perhaps reflecting downstream attempts to consciously access the semantic features of the masked prime. Together, these results provide strong evidence that automatic associative semantic facilitation is realized as reduced activity within the left anterior superior temporal cortex between 300 and 500 ms after a word is presented, and emphasize the importance of multimodal neuroimaging approaches in distinguishing the contributions of multiple regions to semantic processing. PMID:24155321

What supports do health system organizations have in place to facilitate evidence-informed decision-making? A qualitative study.

PubMed

Ellen, Moriah E; Léon, Gregory; Bouchard, Gisèle; Lavis, John N; Ouimet, Mathieu; Grimshaw, Jeremy M

2013-08-06

Decisions regarding health systems are sometimes made without the input of timely and reliable evidence, leading to less than optimal health outcomes. Healthcare organizations can implement tools and infrastructures to support the use of research evidence to inform decision-making. The purpose of this study was to profile the supports and instruments (i.e., programs, interventions, instruments or tools) that healthcare organizations currently have in place and which ones were perceived to facilitate evidence-informed decision-making. In-depth semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with individuals in three different types of positions (i.e., a senior management team member, a library manager, and a 'knowledge broker') in three types of healthcare organizations (i.e., regional health authorities, hospitals and primary care practices) in two Canadian provinces (i.e., Ontario and Quebec). The interviews were taped, transcribed, and then analyzed thematically using NVivo 9 qualitative data analysis software. A total of 57 interviews were conducted in 25 organizations in Ontario and Quebec. The main findings suggest that, for the healthcare organizations that participated in this study, the following supports facilitate evidence-informed decision-making: facilitating roles that actively promote research use within the organization; establishing ties to researchers and opinion leaders outside the organization; a technical infrastructure that provides access to research evidence, such as databases; and provision and participation in training programs to enhance staff's capacity building. This study identified the need for having a receptive climate, which laid the foundation for the implementation of other tangible initiatives and supported the use of research in decision-making. This study adds to the literature on organizational efforts that can increase the use of research evidence in decision-making. Some of the identified supports may increase the use of

Provider perspectives on barriers and facilitators to adjuvant endocrine therapy-related symptom management.

PubMed

Samuel, Cleo A; Turner, Kea; Donovan, Heidi A S; Beckjord, Ellen; Cardy, Alexandra; Dew, Mary Amanda; van Londen, G J

2017-12-01

Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) utilization is linked to improved clinical outcomes among breast cancer survivors (BCS); yet, AET adherence rates remain suboptimal. Little is known about provider perspectives regarding barriers and facilitators to AET-related symptom management (SM). In this study, we examined provider perspectives on the barriers and facilitators to AET-related SM among BCS and opportunities for improvement. We conducted three focus groups (FGs) with a multidisciplinary group of healthcare providers (n = 13) experienced in caring for BCS undergoing AET. We utilized semi-structured discussion guides to elicit provider perspectives on AET-related SM. FGs were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative software to identify key themes. Providers described patient-, provider-, and system-level barriers and facilitators to AET-related SM. At the patient-level, barriers included competing demands, limited time/resources, and possible misattribution of some symptoms to AET, while family/social relationships and insurance emerged as important facilitators. Discomfort with SM, limited time, and challenges distinguishing AET-related symptoms from other conditions were key provider-level barriers. Provider-level facilitators included routine symptom documentation and strong provider relationships. Care fragmentation and complexity of the cancer care delivery system were described as system-level barriers; however, survivor clinics were endorsed by providers. Provider perspectives on AET-related SM can shed light on SM barriers and facilitators spanning multiple levels of the cancer care delivery system. Strategies for improving AET-related SM in BCS include increasing patients' knowledge and engagement in SM, equipping providers with efficient SM strategies, and improving coordination of symptom-related services through survivorship programs.

Development of an on-site rapid real-time polymerase chain reaction system and the characterization of suitable DNA polymerases for TaqMan probe technology.

PubMed

Furutani, Shunsuke; Naruishi, Nahoko; Hagihara, Yoshihisa; Nagai, Hidenori

2016-08-01

On-site quantitative analyses of microorganisms (including viruses) by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system are significantly influencing medical and biological research. We have developed a remarkably rapid and portable real-time PCR system that is based on microfluidic approaches. Real-time PCR using TaqMan probes consists of a complex reaction. Therefore, in a rapid real-time PCR, the optimum DNA polymerase must be estimated by using actual real-time PCR conditions. In this study, we compared the performance of three DNA polymerases in actual PCR conditions using our rapid real-time PCR system. Although KAPA2G Fast HS DNA Polymerase has the highest enzymatic activity among them, SpeedSTAR HS DNA Polymerase exhibited better performance to rapidly increase the fluorescence signal in an actual real-time PCR using TaqMan probes. Furthermore, we achieved rapid detection of Escherichia coli in 7 min by using SpeedSTAR HS DNA Polymerase with the same sensitivity as that of a conventional thermal cycler.

A Novel 24 GHz One-Shot, Rapid and Portable Microwave Imaging System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghasr, M. T.; Abou-Khousa, M. A.; Kharkovsky, S.; Zoughi, R.; Pommerenke, D.

2008-01-01

Development of microwave and millimeter wave imaging systems has received significant attention in the past decade. Signals at these frequencies penetrate inside of dielectric materials and have relatively small wavelengths. Thus. imaging systems at these frequencies can produce images of the dielectric and geometrical distributions of objects. Although there are many different approaches for imaging at these frequencies. they each have their respective advantageous and limiting features (hardware. reconstruction algorithms). One method involves electronically scanning a given spatial domain while recording the coherent scattered field distribution from an object. Consequently. different reconstruction or imaging techniques may be used to produce an image (dielectric distribution and geometrical features) of the object. The ability to perform this accuratev and fast can lead to the development of a rapid imaging system that can be used in the same manner as a video camera. This paper describes the design of such a system. operating at 2-1 GHz. using modulated scatterer technique applied to 30 resonant slots in a prescribed measurement domain.

Facilitation may not be an adequate mechanism of community succession on carrion.

PubMed

Michaud, Jean-Philippe; Moreau, Gaétan

2017-04-01

The facilitation model of ecological succession was advanced by plant ecologists in the late 1970s and was then introduced to carrion ecology in the late 1980s, without empirical evidence of its applicability. Ecologists in both disciplines proposed removing early colonists, in this case fly eggs and larvae, from the substrate to determine whether other species could still colonize, which to our knowledge has never been attempted. Here, we tested the facilitation model in a carrion system by removing fly eggs and larvae from carcasses that were exposed in agricultural fields and assigned to one of the following treatment levels of removal intensity: 0, <5, 50, and 100%. Subsequent patterns of colonisation did not provide support for the applicability of the facilitation model in carrion systems. Although results showed, in part, that the removal of fly eggs and larvae decreased the decomposition rate of carcasses, the removal did not prevent colonization by secondary colonizers. Finally, we discuss future studies and make recommendations as to how the facilitation model could be improved, firstly by being more specific about the scale where facilitation is believed to be occurring, secondly by clearly stating what environmental modification is believed to be involved, and thirdly by disentangling facilitation from priority effects.

Rapid onset of decoherence in driven-dissipative Rydberg systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magnan, Eric; Boulier, Thomas; Bracamontes, Carlos; Maslek, James; Young, Jeremy; Gorshkov, Alexei; Porto, Trey; Rolston, Steven; JQI-Rubidium One Team

2017-04-01

Rydberg atoms have been strong candidates for the realization of quantum information processing and quantum simulation. Recently, however, there has been concerns about this approach due to the observation of a rapid onset of decoherence in large ensembles. In we provide experimental support for the hypothesis that this is due to the avalanche-like onset of exchange dipole interactions, fueled by blackbody transitions to nearby Rydberg states of opposite parity. Making a fully microscopic model has proven difficult as it requires beyond mean-field arguments, but the ubiquitousness of Rydberg-Rydberg blackbody transitions at room temperature and the always-resonant nature of dipole exchange interactions make it an interesting challenge, and argues for deeper study into the matter. In this poster, we present complementary measurements and analysis that confirm this mechanism. We also discuss several possibilities to reduce its impact on the system's coherence. This work was partially supported by NSF PIF, AFOSR, ARO, ARL-CDQI, and NSF PFC at JQI.

Research on rapid agile metrology for manufacturing based on real-time multitask operating system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jihong; Song, Zhen; Yang, Daoshan; Zhou, Ji; Buckley, Shawn

1996-10-01

Rapid agile metrology for manufacturing (RAMM) using multiple non-contact sensors is likely to remain a growing trend in manufacturing. High speed inspecting systems for manufacturing is characterized by multitasks implemented in parallel and real-time events which occur simultaneously. In this paper, we introduce a real-time operating system into RAMM research. A general task model of a class-based object- oriented technology is proposed. A general multitask frame of a typical RAMM system using OPNet is discussed. Finally, an application example of a machine which inspects parts held on a carrier strip is described. With RTOS and OPNet, this machine can measure two dimensions of the contacts at 300 parts/second.

Rapid Separation of Bacteria from Blood—Review and Outlook

PubMed Central

Alizadeh, Mahsa; Husseini, Ghaleb A.; McClellan, Daniel S.; Buchanan, Clara M.; Bledsoe, Colin G.; Robison, Richard A.; Blanco, Rae; Roeder, Beverly L.; Melville, Madison; Hunter, Alex K.

2017-01-01

The high morbidity and mortality rate of bloodstream infections involving antibiotic-resistant bacteria necessitate a rapid identification of the infectious organism and its resistance profile. Traditional methods based on culturing the blood typically require at least 24 h, and genetic amplification by PCR in the presence of blood components has been problematic. The rapid separation of bacteria from blood would facilitate their genetic identification by PCR or other methods so that the proper antibiotic regimen can quickly be selected for the septic patient. Microfluidic systems that separate bacteria from whole blood have been developed, but these are designed to process only microliter quantities of whole blood or only highly diluted blood. However, symptoms of clinical blood infections can be manifest with bacterial burdens perhaps as low as 10 CFU/mL, and thus milliliter quantities of blood must be processed to collect enough bacteria for reliable genetic analysis. This review considers the advantages and shortcomings of various methods to separate bacteria from blood, with emphasis on techniques that can be done in less than 10 min on milliliter-quantities of whole blood. These techniques include filtration, screening, centrifugation, sedimentation, hydrodynamic focusing, chemical capture on surfaces or beads, field-flow fractionation, and dielectrophoresis. Techniques with the most promise include screening, sedimentation, and magnetic bead capture, as they allow large quantities of blood to be processed quickly. Some microfluidic techniques can be scaled up. PMID:27160415

Rapid and efficient crossing blood-brain barrier: Hydrophobic drug delivery system based on propionylated amylose helix nanoclusters.

PubMed

Gao, Wei; Liu, Yongchun; Jing, Guixia; Li, Ke; Zhao, Yuan; Sha, Baoyong; Wang, Qiang; Wu, Daocheng

2017-01-01

A novel strategy of rapid transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) via phosphatidylethanolamine-triggered release is developed through both molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and experiments. Hydrophobic drugs, namely, propofol, iodine, and 1,1'-dioctadecyltetramethyl indotricarbocyanine iodide, were loaded with propionylated amylose helix (HLPAH) nanoclusters to form PLPAH, ILPAH, and DLPAH nanoclusters, respectively. These clusters were subjected to MD simulation, structure measurement, in vitro triggered study, in vivo DLPAH imaging, and analysis of PLPAH sedative effects on rabbits. Results indicated that HLPAH nanoclusters were initially located on the BBB, and the helix was unfolded to release the loaded hydrophobic drugs. The released drugs crossed the BBB and performed their functions in the central nervous system (CNS) through concentration gradient and hydrophobicity. This mechanism of HLPAH across the BBB featured high membrane permeability and specificity, rapid onset, short maintenance, rapid recovery, and lower dosage of drugs. Hence, this novel strategy is very meaningful for the development of CNS drug carriers and the proposed system could be used to improve the therapeutic effects of CNS diseases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dorsolateral striatal lesions impair navigation based on landmark-goal vectors but facilitate spatial learning based on a “cognitive map”

PubMed Central

Poulter, Steven L.; Austen, Joe M.

2015-01-01

In three experiments, the nature of the interaction between multiple memory systems in rats solving a variation of a spatial task in the water maze was investigated. Throughout training rats were able to find a submerged platform at a fixed distance and direction from an intramaze landmark by learning a landmark-goal vector. Extramaze cues were also available for standard place learning, or “cognitive mapping,” but these cues were valid only within each session, as the position of the platform moved around the pool between sessions together with the intramaze landmark. Animals could therefore learn the position of the platform by taking the consistent vector from the landmark across sessions or by rapidly encoding the new platform position on each session with reference to the extramaze cues. Excitotoxic lesions of the dorsolateral striatum impaired vector-based learning but facilitated cognitive map-based rapid place learning when the extramaze cues were relatively poor (Experiment 1) but not when they were more salient (Experiments 2 and 3). The way the lesion effects interacted with cue availability is consistent with the idea that the memory systems involved in the current navigation task are functionally cooperative yet associatively competitive in nature. PMID:25691518

Mechanism-based model of a mass rapid transit system: A perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Legara, Erika Fille; Khoon, Lee Kee; Guang, Hung Gih; Monterola, Christopher

2015-01-01

In this paper, we discuss our findings on the spatiotemporal dynamics within the mass rapid transit (MRT) system of Singapore. We show that the trip distribution of Origin-Destination (OD) station pairs follows a power-law, implying the existence of critical OD pairs. We then present and discuss the empirically validated agent-based model (ABM) we have developed. The model allows recreation of the observed statistics and the setting up of various scenarios and their effects on the system, such as increasing the commuter population and the propagation of travel delays within the transportation network. The proposed model further enables identification of bottlenecks that can cause the MRT to break down, and consequently provide foresight on how such disruptions can possibly be managed. This can potentially provide a versatile approach for transport planners and government regulators to make quantifiable policies that optimally balance cost and convenience as a function of the number of the commuting public.

A Rapid Whole Genome Sequencing and Analysis System Supporting Genomic Epidemiology (7th Annual SFAF Meeting, 2012)

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

FitzGerald, Michael

2012-06-01

Michael FitzGerald on "A rapid whole genome sequencing and analysis system supporting genomic epidemiology" at the 2012 Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future Meeting held June 5-7, 2012 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

A Rapid Whole Genome Sequencing and Analysis System Supporting Genomic Epidemiology (7th Annual SFAF Meeting, 2012)

ScienceCinema

FitzGerald, Michael

2018-01-11

Michael FitzGerald on "A rapid whole genome sequencing and analysis system supporting genomic epidemiology" at the 2012 Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future Meeting held June 5-7, 2012 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Temporal-Spatial Interaction between Reactive Oxygen Species and Abscisic Acid Regulates Rapid Systemic Acclimation in Plants[W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Suzuki, Nobuhiro; Miller, Gad; Salazar, Carolina; Mondal, Hossain A.; Shulaev, Elena; Cortes, Diego F.; Shuman, Joel L.; Luo, Xiaozhong; Shah, Jyoti; Schlauch, Karen; Shulaev, Vladimir; Mittler, Ron

2013-01-01

Being sessile organisms, plants evolved sophisticated acclimation mechanisms to cope with abiotic challenges in their environment. These are activated at the initial site of exposure to stress, as well as in systemic tissues that have not been subjected to stress (termed systemic acquired acclimation [SAA]). Although SAA is thought to play a key role in plant survival during stress, little is known about the signaling mechanisms underlying it. Here, we report that SAA in plants requires at least two different signals: an autopropagating wave of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that rapidly spreads from the initial site of exposure to the entire plant and a stress-specific signal that conveys abiotic stress specificity. We further demonstrate that SAA is stress specific and that a temporal–spatial interaction between ROS and abscisic acid regulates rapid SAA to heat stress in plants. In addition, we demonstrate that the rapid ROS signal is associated with the propagation of electric signals in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our findings unravel some of the basic signaling mechanisms underlying SAA in plants and reveal that signaling events and transcriptome and metabolome reprogramming of systemic tissues in response to abiotic stress occur at a much faster rate than previously envisioned. PMID:24038652

Using Technology to Facilitate Collaboration in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)

PubMed Central

Jessell, Lauren; Smith, Vivian; Jemal, Alexis; Windsor, Liliane

2017-01-01

This study explores the use of Computer-Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) technologies, by way of a computer-based system called iCohere. This system was used to facilitate collaboration conducting Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). Data was gathered from 13 members of a Community Collaborative Board (CCB). Analysis revealed that iCohere served the following functions: facilitating communication, providing a depository for information and resource sharing, and allowing for remote meeting attendance. Results indicated that while iCohere was useful in performing these functions, less expensive technologies had the potential to achieve similar goals if properly implemented. Implications for future research on CSCW systems and CBPR are discussed. PMID:29056871

Smart health and innovation: facilitating health-related behaviour change.

PubMed

Redfern, J

2017-08-01

Non-communicable diseases (NCD) are the leading cause of death globally. Smart health technology and innovation is a potential strategy for increasing reach and for facilitating health behaviour change. Despite rapid growth in the availability and affordability of technology there remains a paucity of published and robust research in the area as it relates to health. The objective of the present paper is to review and provide a snapshot of a variety of contemporary examples of smart health strategies with a focus on evidence and research as it relates to prevention with a CVD management lens. In the present analysis, five examples will be discussed and they include a physician-directed strategy, consumer directed strategies, a public health approach and a screening strategy that utilises external hardware that connects to a smartphone. In conclusion, NCD have common risk factors and all have an association with nutrition and health. Smart health and innovation is evolving rapidly and may help with diagnosis, treatment and management. While on-going research, development and knowledge is needed, the growth of technology development and utilisation offers opportunities to reach more people and achieve better health outcomes at local, national and international levels.

Using System Architecture, Review Entry Criteria, and Standard Work Package Data to Enable Rapid Development of Integrated Master Schedules

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

ENTRY CRITERIA, AND STANDARD WORK PACKAGE DATA TO ENABLE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED MASTER SCHEDULES by Burton W. Porter Jr. March 2016...2. REPORT DATE March 2016 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE USING SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE, REVIEW ENTRY ... ENTRY CRITERIA, AND STANDARD WORK PACKAGE DATA TO ENABLE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED MASTER SCHEDULES Burton W. Porter Jr. Civilian

Facilitating Systemic Research and Learning and the Transition to Agricultural Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eksvard, Karin

2010-01-01

This article focuses on how a facilitated process of triple loop learning can enable transition toward more sustainable forms of farming. The article is a case-based study of Participatory Learning and Action Research with organic tomato growers in Malardalen, Sweden. The importance of negotiating learning and action, capacity building, and…

Visual Processing in Rapid-Chase Systems: Image Processing, Attention, and Awareness

PubMed Central

Schmidt, Thomas; Haberkamp, Anke; Veltkamp, G. Marina; Weber, Andreas; Seydell-Greenwald, Anna; Schmidt, Filipp

2011-01-01

Visual stimuli can be classified so rapidly that their analysis may be based on a single sweep of feedforward processing through the visuomotor system. Behavioral criteria for feedforward processing can be evaluated in response priming tasks where speeded pointing or keypress responses are performed toward target stimuli which are preceded by prime stimuli. We apply this method to several classes of complex stimuli. (1) When participants classify natural images into animals or non-animals, the time course of their pointing responses indicates that prime and target signals remain strictly sequential throughout all processing stages, meeting stringent behavioral criteria for feedforward processing (rapid-chase criteria). (2) Such priming effects are boosted by selective visual attention for positions, shapes, and colors, in a way consistent with bottom-up enhancement of visuomotor processing, even when primes cannot be consciously identified. (3) Speeded processing of phobic images is observed in participants specifically fearful of spiders or snakes, suggesting enhancement of feedforward processing by long-term perceptual learning. (4) When the perceived brightness of primes in complex displays is altered by means of illumination or transparency illusions, priming effects in speeded keypress responses can systematically contradict subjective brightness judgments, such that one prime appears brighter than the other but activates motor responses as if it was darker. We propose that response priming captures the output of the first feedforward pass of visual signals through the visuomotor system, and that this output lacks some characteristic features of more elaborate, recurrent processing. This way, visuomotor measures may become dissociated from several aspects of conscious vision. We argue that “fast” visuomotor measures predominantly driven by feedforward processing should supplement “slow” psychophysical measures predominantly based on visual awareness

Phase II Report: Design Study for Automated Document Location and Control System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booz, Allen Applied Research, Inc., Bethesda, MD.

The scope of Phase II is the design of a system for document control within the National Agricultural Library (NAL) that will facilitate the processing of the documents selected, ordered, or received; that will avoid backlogs; and that will provide rapid document location reports. The results are set forth as follows: Chapter I, Introduction,…

Wax: A benign hydrogen-storage material that rapidly releases H2-rich gases through microwave-assisted catalytic decomposition

PubMed Central

Gonzalez-Cortes, S.; Slocombe, D. R.; Xiao, T.; Aldawsari, A.; Yao, B.; Kuznetsov, V. L.; Liberti, E.; Kirkland, A. I.; Alkinani, M. S.; Al-Megren, H. A.; Thomas, J. M.; Edwards, P. P.

2016-01-01

Hydrogen is often described as the fuel of the future, especially for application in hydrogen powered fuel-cell vehicles (HFCV’s). However, its widespread implementation in this role has been thwarted by the lack of a lightweight, safe, on-board hydrogen storage material. Here we show that benign, readily-available hydrocarbon wax is capable of rapidly releasing large amounts of hydrogen through microwave-assisted catalytic decomposition. This discovery offers a new material and system for safe and efficient hydrogen storage and could facilitate its application in a HFCV. Importantly, hydrogen storage materials made of wax can be manufactured through completely sustainable processes utilizing biomass or other renewable feedstocks. PMID:27759014

The facilitated component of intestinal glucose absorption

PubMed Central

Kellett, George L

2001-01-01

Over the last decade, a debate has developed about the mechanism of the passive or ‘diffusive’ component of intestinal glucose absorption and, indeed, whether it even exists. Pappenheimer and colleagues have proposed that paracellular solvent drag contributes a passive component, which, at high concentrations of sugars similar to those in the jejunal lumen immediately after a meal, is severalfold greater than the active component mediated by the Na+-glucose cotransporter SGLT1. On the other hand, Ferraris & Diamond maintain that the kinetics of glucose absorption can be explained solely in terms of SGLT1 and that a passive or paracellular component plays little, if any, part. Recently, we have provided new evidence that the passive component of glucose absorption exists, but is in fact facilitated since it is mediated by the rapid, glucose-dependent activation and recruitment of the facilitative glucose transporter GLUT2 to the brush-border membrane; regulation involves a protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent pathway activated by glucose transport through SGLT1 and also involves mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) signalling pathways. This topical review seeks to highlight the significant points of the debate, to show how our proposals on GLUT2 impact on different aspects of the debate and to look at the regulatory events that are likely to be involved in the short-term regulation of sugar absorption during the assimilation of a meal. PMID:11251042

A public resource facilitating clinical use of genomes

PubMed Central

Ball, Madeleine P.; Thakuria, Joseph V.; Zaranek, Alexander Wait; Clegg, Tom; Rosenbaum, Abraham M.; Wu, Xiaodi; Angrist, Misha; Bhak, Jong; Bobe, Jason; Callow, Matthew J.; Cano, Carlos; Chou, Michael F.; Chung, Wendy K.; Douglas, Shawn M.; Estep, Preston W.; Gore, Athurva; Hulick, Peter; Labarga, Alberto; Lee, Je-Hyuk; Lunshof, Jeantine E.; Kim, Byung Chul; Kim, Jong-Il; Li, Zhe; Murray, Michael F.; Nilsen, Geoffrey B.; Peters, Brock A.; Raman, Anugraha M.; Rienhoff, Hugh Y.; Robasky, Kimberly; Wheeler, Matthew T.; Vandewege, Ward; Vorhaus, Daniel B.; Yang, Joyce L.; Yang, Luhan; Aach, John; Ashley, Euan A.; Drmanac, Radoje; Kim, Seong-Jin; Li, Jin Billy; Peshkin, Leonid; Seidman, Christine E.; Seo, Jeong-Sun; Zhang, Kun; Rehm, Heidi L.; Church, George M.

2012-01-01

Rapid advances in DNA sequencing promise to enable new diagnostics and individualized therapies. Achieving personalized medicine, however, will require extensive research on highly reidentifiable, integrated datasets of genomic and health information. To assist with this, participants in the Personal Genome Project choose to forgo privacy via our institutional review board- approved “open consent” process. The contribution of public data and samples facilitates both scientific discovery and standardization of methods. We present our findings after enrollment of more than 1,800 participants, including whole-genome sequencing of 10 pilot participant genomes (the PGP-10). We introduce the Genome-Environment-Trait Evidence (GET-Evidence) system. This tool automatically processes genomes and prioritizes both published and novel variants for interpretation. In the process of reviewing the presumed healthy PGP-10 genomes, we find numerous literature references implying serious disease. Although it is sometimes impossible to rule out a late-onset effect, stringent evidence requirements can address the high rate of incidental findings. To that end we develop a peer production system for recording and organizing variant evaluations according to standard evidence guidelines, creating a public forum for reaching consensus on interpretation of clinically relevant variants. Genome analysis becomes a two-step process: using a prioritized list to record variant evaluations, then automatically sorting reviewed variants using these annotations. Genome data, health and trait information, participant samples, and variant interpretations are all shared in the public domain—we invite others to review our results using our participant samples and contribute to our interpretations. We offer our public resource and methods to further personalized medical research. PMID:22797899

Prevalence and Correlates of Drug/Alcohol-Facilitated and Incapacitated Sexual Assault in a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescent Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCauley, Jenna L.; Conoscenti, Lauren M.; Ruggiero, Kenneth J.; Resnick, Heidi S.; Saunders, Benjamin E.; Kilpatrick, Dean G.

2009-01-01

Incapacitated/drug-alcohol facilitated sexual assault (IS/DAFS) is rapidly gaining recognition as a distinct form of assault with unique public health implications. This study reports the prevalence, case characteristics, and associated health risks of IS/DAFS using a large, nationally representative sample of 1,763 adolescent girls. Results…

Charge Energy Transport in Hopping Systems with Rapidly Decreasing Density of States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendels, Dan; Organic Electronics Group Technion Team

2014-03-01

An accurate description of the carrier hopping topology in the energy domain of hopping systems incorporating a rapidly decreasing density of states and the subsequent energetic position of these systems' so called effective conduction band is crucial for rationalizing and quantifying these systems' thermo-electric properties, doping related phenomena and carrier gradient effects such as the emergence of the General Einstein Relation under degenerate conditions. Additionally, as will be shown, the 'mobile' carriers propagating through the system can have excess energies reaching 0.3eV above the system quasi-Fermi energy. Hence, since these mobile carriers are most prone to reach systems interfaces and interact with oppositely charged carriers, their excess energy should be considered in determining the efficiencies of energy dependent processes such as carrier recombination and exciton dissociation. In light of the stated motivations, a comprehensive numerical and analytical study of the topology of hopping in the energetic density of such systems (i.e. the statistics regarding which energy values carriers visit most and in what manner) was implemented and the main statistical features of the hopping process that determine the position in energy of the system's effective conduction band were distilled. The obtained results also help shed light on yet to be elucidated discrepancies between predictions given by the widely employed transport energy concept and Monte Carlo simulations.

Continued Development of the Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) System for Advanced Extravehicular Activity Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papale, William; Chullen, Cinda; Campbell, Colin; Conger, Bruce; McMillin, Summer; Jeng, Frank

2014-01-01

Development activities related to the Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Humidity control system have progressed to the point of integrating the RCA into an advanced Primary Life Support System (PLSS 2.0) to evaluate the interaction of the RCA among other PLSS components in a ground test environment. The RCA 2.0 assembly (integrated into PLSS 2.0) consists of a valve assembly with commercial actuator motor, a sorbent canister, and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based process node controller. Continued design and development activities for RCA 3.0 have been aimed at optimizing the canister size and incorporating greater fidelity in the valve actuator motor and valve position feedback design. Further, the RCA process node controller is envisioned to incorporate a higher degree of functionality to support a distributed PLSS control architecture. This paper will describe the progression of technology readiness levels of RCA 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 along with a review of the design and manufacturing successes and challenges for 2.0 and 3.0 units. The anticipated interfaces and interactions with the PLSS 2.0/2.5/3.0 assemblies will also be discussed.

Rapid identification of Prototheca species by the API 20C system.

PubMed Central

Padhye, A A; Baker, J G; D'Amato, R F

1979-01-01

The conventional auxanographic method of testing for the assimilation of carbohydrates and alcohols by the various species of Prototheca requires at least 2 weeks of incubation at 25 to 30 degrees C before definitive results are obtained. Even though Prototheca spp., in culture as well as in fixed tissues, can be identified more rapidly by fluorescent-antibody techniques in which species-specific reagents are used, such diagnostic facilities and reagents are not available in most diagnostic laboratories. The API 20C clinical yeast identification system, a commercially available ready-to-use micromethod, was found to permit the definitive identification of P. stagnora, P. wickerhamii, and P. zopfii within 4 days. Images PMID:393722

Rapid transport of CCL11 across the blood-brain barrier: regional variation and importance of blood cells.

PubMed

Erickson, Michelle A; Morofuji, Yoichi; Owen, Joshua B; Banks, William A

2014-06-01

Increased blood levels of the eotaxin chemokine C-C motif ligand 11 (CCL11) in aging were recently shown to negatively regulate adult hippocampal neurogenesis. How circulating CCL11 could affect the central nervous system (CNS) is not clear, but one possibility is that it can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Here, we show that CCL11 undergoes bidirectional transport across the BBB. Transport of CCL11 from blood into whole brain (influx) showed biphasic kinetics, with a slow phase preceding a rapid phase of uptake. We found that the slow phase was explained by binding of CCL11 to cellular components in blood, whereas the rapid uptake phase was mediated by direct interactions with the BBB. CCL11, even at high doses, did not cause BBB disruption. All brain regions except striatum showed a delayed rapid-uptake phase. Striatum had only an early rapid-uptake phase, which was the fastest of any brain region. We also observed a slow but saturable transport system for CCL11 from brain to blood. C-C motif ligand 3 (CCR3), an important receptor for CCL11, did not facilitate CCL11 transport across the BBB, although high concentrations of a CCR3 inhibitor increased brain uptake without causing BBB disruption. Our results indicate that CCL11 in the circulation can access many regions of the brain outside of the neurogenic niche via transport across the BBB. This suggests that blood-borne CCL11 may have important physiologic functions in the CNS and implicates the BBB as an important regulator of physiologic versus pathologic effects of this chemokine.

Rapid Transport of CCL11 across the Blood-Brain Barrier: Regional Variation and Importance of Blood Cells

PubMed Central

Erickson, Michelle A.; Morofuji, Yoichi; Owen, Joshua B.

2014-01-01

Increased blood levels of the eotaxin chemokine C-C motif ligand 11 (CCL11) in aging were recently shown to negatively regulate adult hippocampal neurogenesis. How circulating CCL11 could affect the central nervous system (CNS) is not clear, but one possibility is that it can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Here, we show that CCL11 undergoes bidirectional transport across the BBB. Transport of CCL11 from blood into whole brain (influx) showed biphasic kinetics, with a slow phase preceding a rapid phase of uptake. We found that the slow phase was explained by binding of CCL11 to cellular components in blood, whereas the rapid uptake phase was mediated by direct interactions with the BBB. CCL11, even at high doses, did not cause BBB disruption. All brain regions except striatum showed a delayed rapid-uptake phase. Striatum had only an early rapid-uptake phase, which was the fastest of any brain region. We also observed a slow but saturable transport system for CCL11 from brain to blood. C-C motif ligand 3 (CCR3), an important receptor for CCL11, did not facilitate CCL11 transport across the BBB, although high concentrations of a CCR3 inhibitor increased brain uptake without causing BBB disruption. Our results indicate that CCL11 in the circulation can access many regions of the brain outside of the neurogenic niche via transport across the BBB. This suggests that blood-borne CCL11 may have important physiologic functions in the CNS and implicates the BBB as an important regulator of physiologic versus pathologic effects of this chemokine. PMID:24706984

A versatile system for rapid multiplex genome-edited CAR T cell generation

PubMed Central

Ren, Jiangtao; Zhang, Xuhua; Liu, Xiaojun; Fang, Chongyun; Jiang, Shuguang; June, Carl H.; Zhao, Yangbing

2017-01-01

The therapeutic potential of CRISPR system has already been demonstrated in many instances and begun to overlap with the rapidly expanding field of cancer immunotherapy, especially on the production of genetically modified T cell receptor or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Efficient genomic disruption of multiple gene loci to generate universal donor cells, as well as potent effector T cells resistant to multiple inhibitory pathways such as PD-1 and CTLA4 is an attractive strategy for cell therapy. In this study, we accomplished rapid and efficient multiplex genomic editing, and re-directing T cells with antigen specific CAR via a one-shot CRISPR protocol by incorporation of multiple gRNAs in a CAR lentiviral vector. High efficient double knockout of endogenous TCR and HLA class I could be easily achieved to generate allogeneic universal CAR T cells. We also generated Fas-resistant universal CAR T cells by triple gene disruption. Simultaneous gene editing of four gene loci using the one-shot CRISPR protocol to generate allogeneic universal T cells deficient of both PD1 and CTLA-4 was also attempted. PMID:28199983

Validation of the Puumala virus rapid field test for bank voles in Germany.

PubMed

Reil, D; Imholt, C; Rosenfeld, U M; Drewes, S; Fischer, S; Heuser, E; Petraityte-Burneikiene, R; Ulrich, R G; Jacob, J

2017-02-01

Puumala virus (PUUV) causes many human infections in large parts of Europe and can lead to mild to moderate disease. The bank vole (Myodes glareolus) is the only reservoir of PUUV in Central Europe. A commercial PUUV rapid field test for rodents was validated for bank-vole blood samples collected in two PUUV-endemic regions in Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg). A comparison of the results of the rapid field test and standard ELISAs indicated a test efficacy of 93-95%, largely independent of the origin of the antigens used in the ELISA. In ELISAs, reactivity for the German PUUV strain was higher compared to the Swedish strain but not compared to the Finnish strain, which was used for the rapid field test. In conclusion, the use of the rapid field test can facilitate short-term estimation of PUUV seroprevalence in bank-vole populations in Germany and can aid in assessing human PUUV infection risk.

Providing rapid feedback to residents on their teaching skills: an educational strategy for contemporary trainees

PubMed Central

Baer, Tamar G.; Gershel, Jeffrey C.

2016-01-01

Objectives The objective of this study was to assess the attitudes of contemporary residents toward receiving rapid feedback on their teaching skills from their medical student learners. Methods Participants consisted of 20 residents in their second post-graduate training year. These residents facilitated 44 teaching sessions with medical students within our Resident-as-Teacher program. Structured, written feedback from students was returned to the resident within 3 days following each session. Residents completed a short survey about the utility of the feedback, whether they would make a change to future teaching sessions based on the feedback, and what specifically they might change. The survey utilized a 4-point scale (“Not helpful/likely=1” to “Very helpful/likely=4”), and allowed for one free-text response. Free-text responses were hand-coded and underwent qualitative analysis to identify themes.   Results There were 182 student feedback encounters resulting from 44 teaching sessions. The survey response rate was 73% (32/44). Ninety-four percent of residents rated the rapid feedback as “very helpful,” and 91% would “very likely” make a change to subsequent sessions based on student feedback. Residents’ proposed changes included modifications to session content and/or their personal teaching style.    Conclusions Residents found that rapid feedback received from medical student learners was highly valuable to them in their roles as teachers. A rapid feedback strategy may facilitate an optimal educational environment for contemporary trainees. PMID:26995390

Rapid detection of microbial cell abundance in aquatic systems

DOE PAGES

Rocha, Andrea M.; Yuan, Quan; Close, Dan M.; ...

2016-06-01

The detection and quantification of naturally occurring microbial cellular densities is an essential component of environmental systems monitoring. While there are a number of commonly utilized approaches for monitoring microbial abundance, capacitance-based biosensors represent a promising approach because of their low-cost and label-free detection of microbial cells, but are not as well characterized as more traditional methods. Here, we investigate the applicability of enhanced alternating current electrokinetics (ACEK) capacitive sensing as a new application for rapidly detecting and quantifying microbial cellular densities in cultured and environmentally sourced aquatic samples. ACEK capacitive sensor performance was evaluated using two distinct and dynamicmore » systems the Great Australian Bight and groundwater from the Oak Ridge Reservation in Oak Ridge, TN. Results demonstrate that ACEK capacitance-based sensing can accurately determine microbial cell counts throughout cellular concentrations typically encountered in naturally occurring microbial communities (10 3 – 10 6 cells/mL). A linear relationship was observed between cellular density and capacitance change correlations, allowing a simple linear curve fitting equation to be used for determining microbial abundances in unknown samples. As a result, this work provides a foundation for understanding the limits of capacitance-based sensing in natural environmental samples and supports future efforts focusing on evaluating the robustness ACEK capacitance-based within aquatic environments.« less

Rapid detection of microbial cell abundance in aquatic systems

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

Rocha, Andrea M.; Yuan, Quan; Close, Dan M.

The detection and quantification of naturally occurring microbial cellular densities is an essential component of environmental systems monitoring. While there are a number of commonly utilized approaches for monitoring microbial abundance, capacitance-based biosensors represent a promising approach because of their low-cost and label-free detection of microbial cells, but are not as well characterized as more traditional methods. Here, we investigate the applicability of enhanced alternating current electrokinetics (ACEK) capacitive sensing as a new application for rapidly detecting and quantifying microbial cellular densities in cultured and environmentally sourced aquatic samples. ACEK capacitive sensor performance was evaluated using two distinct and dynamicmore » systems the Great Australian Bight and groundwater from the Oak Ridge Reservation in Oak Ridge, TN. Results demonstrate that ACEK capacitance-based sensing can accurately determine microbial cell counts throughout cellular concentrations typically encountered in naturally occurring microbial communities (10 3 – 10 6 cells/mL). A linear relationship was observed between cellular density and capacitance change correlations, allowing a simple linear curve fitting equation to be used for determining microbial abundances in unknown samples. As a result, this work provides a foundation for understanding the limits of capacitance-based sensing in natural environmental samples and supports future efforts focusing on evaluating the robustness ACEK capacitance-based within aquatic environments.« less

China’s Rapidly Aging Population Creates Policy Challenges In Shaping A Viable Long-Term Care System

PubMed Central

Feng, Zhanlian; Liu, Chang; Guan, Xinping; Mor, Vincent

2013-01-01

In China, formal long-term care services for the large aging population have increased to meet escalating demands as demographic shifts and socioeconomic changes have eroded traditional elder care. We analyze China’s evolving long-term care landscape and trace major government policies and private-sector initiatives shaping it. Although home and community-based services remain spotty, institutional care is booming with little regulatory oversight. Chinese policy makers face mounting challenges overseeing the rapidly growing residential care sector, given the tension arising from policy inducements to further institutional growth, a weak regulatory framework, and the lack of enforcement capacity. We recommend addressing the following pressing policy issues: building a balanced system of services and avoiding an “institutional bias” that promotes rapid growth of elder care institutions over home or community-based care; strengthening regulatory oversight and quality assurance with information systems; and prioritizing education and training initiatives to grow a professionalized long-term care workforce. PMID:23213161

Scalable Method to Produce Biodegradable Nanoparticles that Rapidly Penetrate Human Mucus

PubMed Central

Xu, Qingguo; Boylan, Nicholas J.; Cai, Shutian; Miao, Bolong; Patel, Himatkumar; Hanes, Justin

2013-01-01

Mucus typically traps and rapidly removes foreign particles from the airways, gastrointestinal tract, nasopharynx, female reproductive tract and the surface of the eye. Nanoparticles capable of rapid penetration through mucus can potentially avoid rapid clearance, and open significant opportunities for controlled drug delivery at mucosal surfaces. Here, we report an industrially scalable emulsification method to produce biodegradable mucus-penetrating particles (MPP). The emulsification of diblock copolymers of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) and polyethylene glycol (PLGA-PEG) using low molecular weight (MW) emulsifiers forms dense brush PEG coatings on nanoparticles that allow rapid nanoparticle penetration through fresh undiluted human mucus. In comparison, conventional high MW emulsifiers, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), interrupts the PEG coating on nanoparticles, resulting in their immobilization in mucus owing to adhesive interactions with mucus mesh elements. PLGA-PEG nanoparticles with a wide range of PEG MW (1, 2, 5, and 10 kDa), prepared by the emulsification method using low MW emulsifiers, all rapidly penetrated mucus. A range of drugs, from hydrophobic small molecules to hydrohilic large biologics, can be efficiently loaded into biodegradable MPP using the method described. This readily scalable method should facilitate the production of MPP products for mucosal drug delivery, as well as potentially longer-circulating particles following intravenous administration. PMID:23751567

On the role of disks in the formation of stellar systems: A numerical parameter study of rapid accretion

DOE PAGES

Kratter, Kaitlin M.; Matzner, Christopher D.; Krumholz, Mark R.; ...

2009-12-23

We study rapidly accreting, gravitationally unstable disks with a series of idealized global, numerical experiments using the code ORION. Our numerical parameter study focuses on protostellar disks, showing that one can predict disk behavior and the multiplicity of the accreting star system as a function of two dimensionless parameters which compare the infall rate to the disk sound speed and orbital period. Although gravitational instabilities become strong, we find that fragmentation into binary or multiple systems occurs only when material falls in several times more rapidly than the canonical isothermal limit. The disk-to-star accretion rate is proportional to the infallmore » rate and governed by gravitational torques generated by low-m spiral modes. Furthermore, we also confirm the existence of a maximum stable disk mass: disks that exceed ~50% of the total system mass are subject to fragmentation and the subsequent formation of binary companions.« less

Fluoxetine Facilitates Fear Extinction Through Amygdala Endocannabinoids

PubMed Central

Gunduz-Cinar, Ozge; Flynn, Shaun; Brockway, Emma; Kaugars, Katherine; Baldi, Rita; Ramikie, Teniel S; Cinar, Resat; Kunos, George; Patel, Sachin; Holmes, Andrew

2016-01-01

Pharmacologically elevating brain endocannabinoids (eCBs) share anxiolytic and fear extinction-facilitating properties with classical therapeutics, including the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine. There are also known functional interactions between the eCB and serotonin systems and preliminary evidence that antidepressants cause alterations in brain eCBs. However, the potential role of eCBs in mediating the facilitatory effects of fluoxetine on fear extinction has not been established. Here, to test for a possible mechanistic contribution of eCBs to fluoxetine's proextinction effects, we integrated biochemical, electrophysiological, pharmacological, and behavioral techniques, using the extinction-impaired 129S1/Sv1mJ mouse strain. Chronic fluoxetine treatment produced a significant and selective increase in levels of anandamide in the BLA, and an associated decrease in activity of the anandamide-catabolizing enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase. Slice electrophysiological recordings showed that fluoxetine-induced increases in anandamide were associated with the amplification of eCB-mediated tonic constraint of inhibitory, but not excitatory, transmission in the BLA. Behaviorally, chronic fluoxetine facilitated extinction retrieval in a manner that was prevented by systemic or BLA-specific blockade of CB1 receptors. In contrast to fluoxetine, citalopram treatment did not increase BLA eCBs or facilitate extinction. Taken together, these findings reveal a novel, obligatory role for amygdala eCBs in the proextinction effects of a major pharmacotherapy for trauma- and stressor-related disorders and anxiety disorders. PMID:26514583

Fluoxetine Facilitates Fear Extinction Through Amygdala Endocannabinoids.

PubMed

Gunduz-Cinar, Ozge; Flynn, Shaun; Brockway, Emma; Kaugars, Katherine; Baldi, Rita; Ramikie, Teniel S; Cinar, Resat; Kunos, George; Patel, Sachin; Holmes, Andrew

2016-05-01

Pharmacologically elevating brain endocannabinoids (eCBs) share anxiolytic and fear extinction-facilitating properties with classical therapeutics, including the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine. There are also known functional interactions between the eCB and serotonin systems and preliminary evidence that antidepressants cause alterations in brain eCBs. However, the potential role of eCBs in mediating the facilitatory effects of fluoxetine on fear extinction has not been established. Here, to test for a possible mechanistic contribution of eCBs to fluoxetine's proextinction effects, we integrated biochemical, electrophysiological, pharmacological, and behavioral techniques, using the extinction-impaired 129S1/Sv1mJ mouse strain. Chronic fluoxetine treatment produced a significant and selective increase in levels of anandamide in the BLA, and an associated decrease in activity of the anandamide-catabolizing enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase. Slice electrophysiological recordings showed that fluoxetine-induced increases in anandamide were associated with the amplification of eCB-mediated tonic constraint of inhibitory, but not excitatory, transmission in the BLA. Behaviorally, chronic fluoxetine facilitated extinction retrieval in a manner that was prevented by systemic or BLA-specific blockade of CB1 receptors. In contrast to fluoxetine, citalopram treatment did not increase BLA eCBs or facilitate extinction. Taken together, these findings reveal a novel, obligatory role for amygdala eCBs in the proextinction effects of a major pharmacotherapy for trauma- and stressor-related disorders and anxiety disorders.

Barriers, facilitators and views about next steps to implementing supports for evidence-informed decision-making in health systems: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Ellen, Moriah E; Léon, Grégory; Bouchard, Gisèle; Ouimet, Mathieu; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Lavis, John N

2014-12-05

Mobilizing research evidence for daily decision-making is challenging for health system decision-makers. In a previous qualitative paper, we showed the current mix of supports that Canadian health-care organizations have in place and the ones that are perceived to be helpful to facilitate the use of research evidence in health system decision-making. Factors influencing the implementation of such supports remain poorly described in the literature. Identifying the barriers to and facilitators of different interventions is essential for implementation of effective, context-specific, supports for evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) in health systems. The purpose of this study was to identify (a) barriers and facilitators to implementing supports for EIDM in Canadian health-care organizations, (b) views about emerging development of supports for EIDM, and (c) views about the priorities to bridge the gaps in the current mix of supports that these organizations have in place. This qualitative study was conducted in three types of health-care organizations (regional health authorities, hospitals, and primary care practices) in two Canadian provinces (Ontario and Quebec). Fifty-seven in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with senior managers, library managers, and knowledge brokers from health-care organizations that have already undertaken strategic initiatives in knowledge translation. The interviews were taped, transcribed, and then analyzed thematically using NVivo 9 qualitative data analysis software. Limited resources (i.e., money or staff), time constraints, and negative attitudes (or resistance) toward change were the most frequently identified barriers to implementing supports for EIDM. Genuine interest from health system decision-makers, notably their willingness to invest money and resources and to create a knowledge translation culture over time in health-care organizations, was the most frequently identified facilitator to

Field manipulations of resources mediate the transition from intraspecific competition to facilitation.

PubMed

Svanfeldt, Karin; Monro, Keyne; Marshall, Dustin J

2017-05-01

Population density affects individual performance, though its effects are often mixed. For sessile species, increases in population density typically reduce performance. Still, cases of positive density-dependence do occur in sessile systems and demand explanation. The stress gradient hypothesis (SGH) predicts that under stressful conditions, positive effects of facilitation may outweigh the negative effects of competition. While some elements of the SGH are well studied, its potential to explain intraspecific facilitation has received little attention. Further, there have been questions regarding whether the SGH holds if the stressor is a resource. Most studies of interactions between the environment and intraspecific facilitation have relied on natural environmental gradients; manipulative studies are much rarer. To test the effects of intraspecific density and resources, we manipulated resource availability over natural population densities for the marine bryozoan Watersipora subtorquata. We found negative effects of density on colony performance in low resource environments, but mainly positive density-dependence in high resource environments. By adding resources, competition effects were reduced and the positive effects of facilitation were revealed. Our results suggest that resource availability mediates the relative strength of competition and facilitation in our system. We also suggest that intraspecific facilitation is more common than may be appreciated and that environmental variation may mediate the balance between negative and positive density-dependence. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2017 British Ecological Society.

ScreenCube: A 3D Printed System for Rapid and Cost-Effective Chemical Screening in Adult Zebrafish.

PubMed

Monstad-Rios, Adrian T; Watson, Claire J; Kwon, Ronald Y

2018-02-01

Phenotype-based small molecule screens in zebrafish embryos and larvae have been successful in accelerating pathway and therapeutic discovery for diverse biological processes. Yet, the application of chemical screens to adult physiologies has been relatively limited due to additional demands on cost, space, and labor associated with screens in adult animals. In this study, we present a 3D printed system and methods for intermittent drug dosing that enable rapid and cost-effective chemical administration in adult zebrafish. Using prefilled screening plates, the system enables dosing of 96 fish in ∼3 min, with a 10-fold reduction in drug quantity compared to that used in previous chemical screens in adult zebrafish. We characterize water quality kinetics during immersion in the system and use these kinetics to rationally design intermittent dosing regimens that result in 100% fish survival. As a demonstration of system fidelity, we show the potential to identify two known chemical inhibitors of adult tail fin regeneration, cyclopamine and dorsomorphin. By developing methods for rapid and cost-effective chemical administration in adult zebrafish, this study expands the potential for small molecule discovery in postembryonic models of development, disease, and regeneration.

Implicit Learning of Arithmetic Regularities Is Facilitated by Proximal Contrast

PubMed Central

Prather, Richard W.

2012-01-01

Natural number arithmetic is a simple, powerful and important symbolic system. Despite intense focus on learning in cognitive development and educational research many adults have weak knowledge of the system. In current study participants learn arithmetic principles via an implicit learning paradigm. Participants learn not by solving arithmetic equations, but through viewing and evaluating example equations, similar to the implicit learning of artificial grammars. We expand this to the symbolic arithmetic system. Specifically we find that exposure to principle-inconsistent examples facilitates the acquisition of arithmetic principle knowledge if the equations are presented to the learning in a temporally proximate fashion. The results expand on research of the implicit learning of regularities and suggest that contrasting cases, show to facilitate explicit arithmetic learning, is also relevant to implicit learning of arithmetic. PMID:23119101

Barriers and Facilitators to Online Portal Use Among Patients and Caregivers in a Safety Net Health Care System: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Tieu, Lina; Sarkar, Urmimala; Schillinger, Dean; Ralston, James D; Ratanawongsa, Neda; Pasick, Rena; Lyles, Courtney R

2015-12-03

Patient portals have the potential to support self-management for chronic diseases and improve health outcomes. With the rapid rise in adoption of patient portals spurred by meaningful use incentives among safety net health systems (a health system or hospital providing a significant level of care to low-income, uninsured, and vulnerable populations), it is important to understand the readiness and willingness of patients and caregivers in safety net settings to access their personal health records online. To explore patient and caregiver perspectives on online patient portal use before its implementation at San Francisco General Hospital, a safety net hospital. We conducted 16 in-depth interviews with chronic disease patients and caregivers who expressed interest in using the Internet to manage their health. Discussions focused on health care experiences, technology use, and interest in using an online portal to manage health tasks. We used open coding to categorize all the barriers and facilitators to portal use, followed by a second round of coding that compared the categories to previously published findings. In secondary analyses, we also examined specific barriers among 2 subgroups: those with limited health literacy and caregivers. We interviewed 11 patients and 5 caregivers. Patients were predominantly male (82%, 9/11) and African American (45%, 5/11). All patients had been diagnosed with diabetes and the majority had limited health literacy (73%, 8/11). The majority of caregivers were female (80%, 4/5), African American (60%, 3/5), caregivers of individuals with diabetes (60%, 3/5), and had adequate health literacy (60%, 3/5). A total of 88% (14/16) of participants reported interest in using the portal after viewing a prototype. Major perceived barriers included security concerns, lack of technical skills/interest, and preference for in-person communication. Facilitators to portal use included convenience, health monitoring, and improvements in patient

Barriers and Facilitators to Online Portal Use Among Patients and Caregivers in a Safety Net Health Care System: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Sarkar, Urmimala; Schillinger, Dean; Ralston, James D; Ratanawongsa, Neda; Pasick, Rena; Lyles, Courtney R

2015-01-01

Background Patient portals have the potential to support self-management for chronic diseases and improve health outcomes. With the rapid rise in adoption of patient portals spurred by meaningful use incentives among safety net health systems (a health system or hospital providing a significant level of care to low-income, uninsured, and vulnerable populations), it is important to understand the readiness and willingness of patients and caregivers in safety net settings to access their personal health records online. Objective To explore patient and caregiver perspectives on online patient portal use before its implementation at San Francisco General Hospital, a safety net hospital. Methods We conducted 16 in-depth interviews with chronic disease patients and caregivers who expressed interest in using the Internet to manage their health. Discussions focused on health care experiences, technology use, and interest in using an online portal to manage health tasks. We used open coding to categorize all the barriers and facilitators to portal use, followed by a second round of coding that compared the categories to previously published findings. In secondary analyses, we also examined specific barriers among 2 subgroups: those with limited health literacy and caregivers. Results We interviewed 11 patients and 5 caregivers. Patients were predominantly male (82%, 9/11) and African American (45%, 5/11). All patients had been diagnosed with diabetes and the majority had limited health literacy (73%, 8/11). The majority of caregivers were female (80%, 4/5), African American (60%, 3/5), caregivers of individuals with diabetes (60%, 3/5), and had adequate health literacy (60%, 3/5). A total of 88% (14/16) of participants reported interest in using the portal after viewing a prototype. Major perceived barriers included security concerns, lack of technical skills/interest, and preference for in-person communication. Facilitators to portal use included convenience, health

Representing nursing guideline with unified modeling language to facilitate development of a computer system: a case study.

PubMed

Choi, Jeeyae; Choi, Jeungok E

2014-01-01

To provide best recommendations at the point of care, guidelines have been implemented in computer systems. As a prerequisite, guidelines are translated into a computer-interpretable guideline format. Since there are no specific tools to translate nursing guidelines, only a few nursing guidelines are translated and implemented in computer systems. Unified modeling language (UML) is a software writing language and is known to well and accurately represent end-users' perspective, due to the expressive characteristics of the UML. In order to facilitate the development of computer systems for nurses' use, the UML was used to translate a paper-based nursing guideline, and its ease of use and the usefulness were tested through a case study of a genetic counseling guideline. The UML was found to be a useful tool to nurse informaticians and a sufficient tool to model a guideline in a computer program.

Facilitating Facilitators to Facilitate, in Problem or Enquiry Based Learning Sessions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coelho, Catherine

2014-01-01

Problem based learning (PBL) has been used in dental education over the past 20 years and uses a patient case scenario to stimulate learning in a small group setting, where a trained facilitator does not teach but guides the group to bring about deep contextualized learning, to be empathetic to each other and to encourage fair and equitable…

Hadron rapidity spectra within a hybrid model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khvorostukhin, A. S.; Toneev, V. D.

2017-01-01

A 2-stage hybrid model is proposed that joins the fast initial state of interaction, described by the hadron string dynamics (HSD) model, to subsequent evolution of the expanding system at the second stage, treated within ideal hydrodynamics. The developed hybrid model is assigned to describe heavy-ion collisions in the energy range of the NICA collider under construction in Dubna. Generally, the model is in reasonable agreement with the available data on proton rapidity spectra. However, reproducing proton rapidity spectra, our hybrid model cannot describe the rapidity distributions of pions. The model should be improved by taking into consideration viscosity effects at the hydrodynamical stage of system evolution.