Fast Magnetoresistive Random-Access Memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Jiin-Chuan; Stadler, Henry L.; Katti, Romney R.

1991-01-01

Magnetoresistive binary digital memories of proposed new type expected to feature high speed, nonvolatility, ability to withstand ionizing radiation, high density, and low power. In memory cell, magnetoresistive effect exploited more efficiently by use of ferromagnetic material to store datum and adjacent magnetoresistive material to sense datum for readout. Because relative change in sensed resistance between "zero" and "one" states greater, shorter sampling and readout access times achievable.

Fast food purchasing and access to fast food restaurants: a multilevel analysis of VicLANES.

PubMed

Thornton, Lukar E; Bentley, Rebecca J; Kavanagh, Anne M

2009-05-27

While previous research on fast food access and purchasing has not found evidence of an association, these studies have had methodological problems including aggregation error, lack of specificity between the exposures and outcomes, and lack of adjustment for potential confounding. In this paper we attempt to address these methodological problems using data from the Victorian Lifestyle and Neighbourhood Environments Study (VicLANES) - a cross-sectional multilevel study conducted within metropolitan Melbourne, Australia in 2003. The VicLANES data used in this analysis included 2547 participants from 49 census collector districts in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. The outcome of interest was the total frequency of fast food purchased for consumption at home within the previous month (never, monthly and weekly) from five major fast food chains (Red Rooster, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Hungry Jacks and Pizza Hut). Three measures of fast food access were created: density and variety, defined as the number of fast food restaurants and the number of different fast food chains within 3 kilometres of road network distance respectively, and proximity defined as the road network distance to the closest fast food restaurant.Multilevel multinomial models were used to estimate the associations between fast food restaurant access and purchasing with never purchased as the reference category. Models were adjusted for confounders including determinants of demand (attitudes and tastes that influence food purchasing decisions) as well as individual and area socio-economic characteristics. Purchasing fast food on a monthly basis was related to the variety of fast food restaurants (odds ratio 1.13; 95% confidence interval 1.02 - 1.25) after adjusting for individual and area characteristics. Density and proximity were not found to be significant predictors of fast food purchasing after adjustment for individual socio-economic predictors. Although we found an independent association between fast food purchasing and access to a wider variety of fast food restaurant, density and proximity were not significant predictors. The methods used in our study are an advance on previous analyses.

Review of optical memory technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, D.

1972-01-01

Optical technologies for meeting the demands of large capacity fast access time memory are discussed in terms of optical phenomena and laser applications. The magneto-optic and electro-optic approaches are considered to be the most promising memory approaches.

Focusing on fast food restaurants alone underestimates the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and exposure to fast food in a large rural area.

PubMed

Sharkey, Joseph R; Johnson, Cassandra M; Dean, Wesley R; Horel, Scott A

2011-01-25

Individuals and families are relying more on food prepared outside the home as a source for at-home and away-from-home consumption. Restricting the estimation of fast-food access to fast-food restaurants alone may underestimate potential spatial access to fast food. The study used data from the 2006 Brazos Valley Food Environment Project (BVFEP) and the 2000 U.S. Census Summary File 3 for six rural counties in the Texas Brazos Valley region. BVFEP ground-truthed data included identification and geocoding of all fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, supermarkets, and grocery stores in study area and on-site assessment of the availability and variety of fast-food lunch/dinner entrées and side dishes. Network distance was calculated from the population-weighted centroid of each census block group to all retail locations that marketed fast food (n = 205 fast-food opportunities). Spatial access to fast-food opportunities (FFO) was significantly better than to traditional fast-food restaurants (FFR). The median distance to the nearest FFO was 2.7 miles, compared with 4.5 miles to the nearest FFR. Residents of high deprivation neighborhoods had better spatial access to a variety of healthier fast-food entrée and side dish options than residents of low deprivation neighborhoods. Our analyses revealed that identifying fast-food restaurants as the sole source of fast-food entrées and side dishes underestimated neighborhood exposure to fast food, in terms of both neighborhood proximity and coverage. Potential interventions must consider all retail opportunities for fast food, and not just traditional FFR.

Focusing on fast food restaurants alone underestimates the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and exposure to fast food in a large rural area

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Individuals and families are relying more on food prepared outside the home as a source for at-home and away-from-home consumption. Restricting the estimation of fast-food access to fast-food restaurants alone may underestimate potential spatial access to fast food. Methods The study used data from the 2006 Brazos Valley Food Environment Project (BVFEP) and the 2000 U.S. Census Summary File 3 for six rural counties in the Texas Brazos Valley region. BVFEP ground-truthed data included identification and geocoding of all fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, supermarkets, and grocery stores in study area and on-site assessment of the availability and variety of fast-food lunch/dinner entrées and side dishes. Network distance was calculated from the population-weighted centroid of each census block group to all retail locations that marketed fast food (n = 205 fast-food opportunities). Results Spatial access to fast-food opportunities (FFO) was significantly better than to traditional fast-food restaurants (FFR). The median distance to the nearest FFO was 2.7 miles, compared with 4.5 miles to the nearest FFR. Residents of high deprivation neighborhoods had better spatial access to a variety of healthier fast-food entrée and side dish options than residents of low deprivation neighborhoods. Conclusions Our analyses revealed that identifying fast-food restaurants as the sole source of fast-food entrées and side dishes underestimated neighborhood exposure to fast food, in terms of both neighborhood proximity and coverage. Potential interventions must consider all retail opportunities for fast food, and not just traditional FFR. PMID:21266055

[Application of Fourier amplitude sensitivity test in Chinese healthy volunteer population pharmacokinetic model of tacrolimus].

PubMed

Guan, Zheng; Zhang, Guan-min; Ma, Ping; Liu, Li-hong; Zhou, Tian-yan; Lu, Wei

2010-07-01

In this study, we evaluated the influence of different variance from each of the parameters on the output of tacrolimus population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) model in Chinese healthy volunteers, using Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (FAST). Besides, we estimated the index of sensitivity within whole course of blood sampling, designed different sampling times, and evaluated the quality of parameters' and the efficiency of prediction. It was observed that besides CL1/F, the index of sensitivity for all of the other four parameters (V1/F, V2/F, CL2/F and k(a)) in tacrolimus PopPK model showed relatively high level and changed fast with the time passing. With the increase of the variance of k(a), its indices of sensitivity increased obviously, associated with significant decrease in sensitivity index for the other parameters, and obvious change in peak time as well. According to the simulation of NONMEM and the comparison among different fitting results, we found that the sampling time points designed according to FAST surpassed the other time points. It suggests that FAST can access the sensitivities of model parameters effectively, and assist the design of clinical sampling times and the construction of PopPK model.

Research of Ad Hoc Networks Access Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Ma

With the continuous development of mobile communication technology, Ad Hoc access network has become a hot research, Ad Hoc access network nodes can be used to expand capacity of multi-hop communication range of mobile communication system, even business adjacent to the community, improve edge data rates. When the ad hoc network is the access network of the internet, the gateway discovery protocol is very important to choose the most appropriate gateway to guarantee the connectivity between ad hoc network and IP based fixed networks. The paper proposes a QoS gateway discovery protocol which uses the time delay and stable route to the gateway selection conditions. And according to the gateway discovery protocol, it also proposes a fast handover scheme which can decrease the handover time and improve the handover efficiency.

catsHTM: A Tool for Fast Accessing and Cross-matching Large Astronomical Catalogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soumagnac, Maayane T.; Ofek, Eran O.

2018-07-01

Fast access to large catalogs is required for some astronomical applications. Here we introduce the catsHTM tool, consisting of several large catalogs reformatted into HDF5-based file format, which can be downloaded and used locally. To allow fast access, the catalogs are partitioned into hierarchical triangular meshes and stored in HDF5 files. Several tools are provided to perform efficient cone searches at resolutions spanning from a few arc-seconds to degrees, within a few milliseconds time. The first released version includes the following catalogs (by alphabetical order): 2MASS, 2MASS extended sources, AKARI, APASS, Cosmos, DECaLS/DR5, FIRST, GAIA/DR1, GAIA/DR2, GALEX/DR6Plus7, HSC/v2, IPHAS/DR2, NED redshifts, NVSS, Pan-STARRS1/DR1, PTF photometric catalog, ROSAT faint source, SDSS sources, SDSS/DR14 spectroscopy, SkyMapper, Spitzer/SAGE, Spitzer/IRAC galactic center, UCAC4, UKIDSS/DR10, VST/ATLAS/DR3, VST/KiDS/DR3, WISE and XMM. We provide Python code that allows to perform cone searches, as well as MATLAB code for performing cone searches, catalog cross-matching, general searches, as well as load and create these catalogs.

Fast food purchasing and access to fast food restaurants: a multilevel analysis of VicLANES

PubMed Central

Thornton, Lukar E; Bentley, Rebecca J; Kavanagh, Anne M

2009-01-01

Background While previous research on fast food access and purchasing has not found evidence of an association, these studies have had methodological problems including aggregation error, lack of specificity between the exposures and outcomes, and lack of adjustment for potential confounding. In this paper we attempt to address these methodological problems using data from the Victorian Lifestyle and Neighbourhood Environments Study (VicLANES) – a cross-sectional multilevel study conducted within metropolitan Melbourne, Australia in 2003. Methods The VicLANES data used in this analysis included 2547 participants from 49 census collector districts in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. The outcome of interest was the total frequency of fast food purchased for consumption at home within the previous month (never, monthly and weekly) from five major fast food chains (Red Rooster, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Hungry Jacks and Pizza Hut). Three measures of fast food access were created: density and variety, defined as the number of fast food restaurants and the number of different fast food chains within 3 kilometres of road network distance respectively, and proximity defined as the road network distance to the closest fast food restaurant. Multilevel multinomial models were used to estimate the associations between fast food restaurant access and purchasing with never purchased as the reference category. Models were adjusted for confounders including determinants of demand (attitudes and tastes that influence food purchasing decisions) as well as individual and area socio-economic characteristics. Results Purchasing fast food on a monthly basis was related to the variety of fast food restaurants (odds ratio 1.13; 95% confidence interval 1.02 – 1.25) after adjusting for individual and area characteristics. Density and proximity were not found to be significant predictors of fast food purchasing after adjustment for individual socio-economic predictors. Conclusion Although we found an independent association between fast food purchasing and access to a wider variety of fast food restaurant, density and proximity were not significant predictors. The methods used in our study are an advance on previous analyses. PMID:19473503

A Time of Flight Fast Neutron Imaging System Design Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canion, Bonnie; Glenn, Andrew; Sheets, Steven; Wurtz, Ron; Nakae, Les; Hausladen, Paul; McConchie, Seth; Blackston, Matthew; Fabris, Lorenzo; Newby, Jason

2017-09-01

LLNL and ORNL are designing an active/passive fast neutron imaging system that is flexible to non-ideal detector positioning. It is often not possible to move an inspection object in fieldable imager applications such as safeguards, arms control treaty verification, and emergency response. Particularly, we are interested in scenarios which inspectors do not have access to all sides of an inspection object, due to interfering objects or walls. This paper will present the results of a simulation-based design parameter study, that will determine the optimum system design parameters for a fieldable system to perform time-of-flight based imaging analysis. The imaging analysis is based on the use of an associated particle imaging deuterium-tritium (API DT) neutron generator to get the time-of-flight of radiation induced within an inspection object. This design study will investigate the optimum design parameters for such a system (e.g. detector size, ideal placement, etc.), as well as the upper and lower feasible design parameters that the system can expect to provide results within a reasonable amount of time (e.g. minimum/maximum detector efficiency, detector standoff, etc.). Ideally the final prototype from this project will be capable of using full-access techniques, such as transmission imaging, when the measurement circumstances allow, but with the additional capability of producing results at reduced accessibility.

"Socioeconomic inequalities in children's accessibility to food retailing: Examining the roles of mobility and time".

PubMed

Ravensbergen, Léa; Buliung, Ron; Wilson, Kathi; Faulkner, Guy

2016-03-01

Childhood overweight and obesity rates in Canada are at concerning levels, more apparently so for individuals of lower socioeconomic status (SES). Accessibility to food establishments likely influences patterns of food consumption, a contributor to body weight. Previous work has found that households living in lower income neighbourhoods tend to have greater geographical accessibility to unhealthy food establishments and lower accessibility to healthy food stores. This study contributes to the literature on neighbourhood inequalities in accessibility to healthy foods by explicitly focusing on children, an understudied population, and by incorporating mobility and time into metrics of accessibility. Accessibility to both healthy and unhealthy food retailing is measured within children's activity spaces using Road Network and Activity Location Buffering methods. Weekday vs. weekend accessibility to food establishments is then compared. The results suggest that children attending lower SES schools had almost two times the density of fast food establishments and marginally higher supermarket densities in their activity spaces. Children attending higher SES schools also had much larger activity spaces. All children had higher supermarket densities during weekdays than on weekend days. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors related to the number of fast food meals obtained by college meal plan students.

PubMed

Dingman, Deirdre A; Schulz, Mark R; Wyrick, David L; Bibeau, Daniel L; Gupta, Sat N

2014-01-01

This study tested whether days on campus, financial access through a meal plan, and health consciousness were associated with number of meals that college students obtained from fast food restaurants. In April 2013, all students currently enrolled in a meal plan were invited to participate in an online survey (N = 1,246). Students were asked to report the total number of meals eaten in the past week and where they obtained them. Negative binomial regression was used, and it was found that the number of meals obtained from fast food restaurants was positively associated with financial access and negatively associated with health consciousness. An association between days on campus and the number of meals obtained from fast food restaurants was not found. Increasing levels of health consciousness and reducing access to fast food restaurants through flex plans may reduce college students' consumption of fast food.

Fast interrupt platform for extended DOS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duryea, T. W.

1995-01-01

Extended DOS offers the unique combination of a simple operating system which allows direct access to the interrupt tables, 32 bit protected mode access to 4096 MByte address space, and the use of industry standard C compilers. The drawback is that fast interrupt handling requires both 32 bit and 16 bit versions of each real-time process interrupt handler to avoid mode switches on the interrupts. A set of tools has been developed which automates the process of transforming the output of a standard 32 bit C compiler to 16 bit interrupt code which directly handles the real mode interrupts. The entire process compiles one set of source code via a make file, which boosts productivity by making the management of the compile-link cycle very simple. The software components are in the form of classes written mostly in C. A foreground process written as a conventional application which can use the standard C libraries can communicate with the background real-time classes via a message passing mechanism. The platform thus enables the integration of high performance real-time processing into a conventional application framework.

Association between neighborhood need and spatial access to food stores and fast food restaurants in neighborhoods of colonias.

PubMed

Sharkey, Joseph R; Horel, Scott; Han, Daikwon; Huber, John C

2009-02-16

To determine the extent to which neighborhood needs (socioeconomic deprivation and vehicle availability) are associated with two criteria of food environment access: 1) distance to the nearest food store and fast food restaurant and 2) coverage (number) of food stores and fast food restaurants within a specified network distance of neighborhood areas of colonias, using ground-truthed methods. Data included locational points for 315 food stores and 204 fast food restaurants, and neighborhood characteristics from the 2000 U.S. Census for the 197 census block group (CBG) study area. Neighborhood deprivation and vehicle availability were calculated for each CBG. Minimum distance was determined by calculating network distance from the population-weighted center of each CBG to the nearest supercenter, supermarket, grocery, convenience store, dollar store, mass merchandiser, and fast food restaurant. Coverage was determined by calculating the number of each type of food store and fast food restaurant within a network distance of 1, 3, and 5 miles of each population-weighted CBG center. Neighborhood need and access were examined using Spearman ranked correlations, spatial autocorrelation, and multivariate regression models that adjusted for population density. Overall, neighborhoods had best access to convenience stores, fast food restaurants, and dollar stores. After adjusting for population density, residents in neighborhoods with increased deprivation had to travel a significantly greater distance to the nearest supercenter or supermarket, grocery store, mass merchandiser, dollar store, and pharmacy for food items. The results were quite different for association of need with the number of stores within 1 mile. Deprivation was only associated with fast food restaurants; greater deprivation was associated with fewer fast food restaurants within 1 mile. CBG with greater lack of vehicle availability had slightly better access to more supercenters or supermarkets, grocery stores, or fast food restaurants. Increasing deprivation was associated with decreasing numbers of grocery stores, mass merchandisers, dollar stores, and fast food restaurants within 3 miles. It is important to understand not only the distance that people must travel to the nearest store to make a purchase, but also how many shopping opportunities they have in order to compare price, quality, and selection. Future research should examine how spatial access to the food environment influences the utilization of food stores and fast food restaurants, and the strategies used by low-income families to obtain food for the household.

Non-volatile, high density, high speed, Micromagnet-Hall effect Random Access Memory (MHRAM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Jiin C.; Katti, Romney R.; Stadler, Henry L.

1991-01-01

The micromagnetic Hall effect random access memory (MHRAM) has the potential of replacing ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, and SRAMs because of its ability to achieve non-volatility, radiation hardness, high density, and fast access times, simultaneously. Information is stored magnetically in small magnetic elements (micromagnets), allowing unlimited data retention time, unlimited numbers of rewrite cycles, and inherent radiation hardness and SEU immunity, making the MHRAM suitable for ground based as well as spaceflight applications. The MHRAM device design is not affected by areal property fluctuations in the micromagnet, so high operating margins and high yield can be achieved in large scale integrated circuit (IC) fabrication. The MHRAM has short access times (less than 100 nsec). Write access time is short because on-chip transistors are used to gate current quickly, and magnetization reversal in the micromagnet can occur in a matter of a few nanoseconds. Read access time is short because the high electron mobility sensor (InAs or InSb) produces a large signal voltage in response to the fringing magnetic field from the micromagnet. High storage density is achieved since a unit cell consists only of two transistors and one micromagnet Hall effect element. By comparison, a DRAM unit cell has one transistor and one capacitor, and a SRAM unit cell has six transistors.

An Empirical Study of Factors Driving the Adoption of Mobile Learning in Omani Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarrab, Mohamed; Al Shibli, Ibtisam; Badursha, Nabeela

2016-01-01

Mobile learning (M-learning) provides a new learning channel in which learners can access content and just in time information as required irrespective of the time and location. Even though M-learning is fast evolving in many regions of the world, research addressing the driving factors of M-learning adoption is in short supply. This article…

The availability and accessibility of nutrition information in fast food outlets in five states post-menu labelling legislation in New South Wales.

PubMed

Wellard, Lyndal; Havill, Michelle; Hughes, Clare; Watson, Wendy L; Chapman, Kathy

2015-12-01

1) Explore the availability and accessibility of fast food energy and nutrient information post-NSW menu labelling legislation in states with and without menu labelling legislation. 2) Determine whether availability and accessibility differed compared with pre-menu labelling legislation in NSW. We visited 210 outlets of the five largest fast food chains in five Australian states to observe the availability and accessibility of energy and nutrient information. Results were compared with 197 outlets surveyed pre-menu labelling. Most outlets (95%) provided energy values, half provided nutrient values and 3% provided information for all menu items. The total amount of information available increased post-NSW menu labelling implementation (473 versus 178 pre-implementation, p<0.001); however, fewer outlets provided nutrient values (26% versus 97% pre-implementation, p<0.001). Fast food chains surveyed had voluntarily introduced menu labelling nationally. However, more nutrient information was available in-store in 2010, showing that fast food chains are able to provide comprehensive nutrition information, yet they have stopped doing so. Menu labelling legislation should compel fast food chains to provide accessible nutrition information including nutrient values in addition to energy for all menu items in-store. Additionally, public education campaigns are needed to ensure customers can use menu labelling. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

Fast Facts about Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Association for K-12 Online Learning, 2013

2013-01-01

This report explores the latest data concerning online and blended learning, enrollment, access, courses, and key policies indicators. It also reviews online learning statistics, trends, policy issues, and iNACOL strategic priorities. This report provides a snapshot view of state funding models for both full-time and supplemental online learning…

Transcription factor assisted loading and enhancer dynamics dictate the hepatic fasting response

PubMed Central

Goldstein, Ido; Baek, Songjoon; Presman, Diego M.; Paakinaho, Ville; Swinstead, Erin E.; Hager, Gordon L.

2017-01-01

Fasting elicits transcriptional programs in hepatocytes leading to glucose and ketone production. This transcriptional program is regulated by many transcription factors (TFs). To understand how this complex network regulates the metabolic response to fasting, we aimed at isolating the enhancers and TFs dictating it. Measuring chromatin accessibility revealed that fasting massively reorganizes liver chromatin, exposing numerous fasting-induced enhancers. By utilizing computational methods in combination with dissecting enhancer features and TF cistromes, we implicated four key TFs regulating the fasting response: glucocorticoid receptor (GR), cAMP responsive element binding protein 1 (CREB1), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARA), and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (CEBPB). These TFs regulate fuel production by two distinctly operating modules, each controlling a separate metabolic pathway. The gluconeogenic module operates through assisted loading, whereby GR doubles the number of sites occupied by CREB1 as well as enhances CREB1 binding intensity and increases accessibility of CREB1 binding sites. Importantly, this GR-assisted CREB1 binding was enhancer-selective and did not affect all CREB1-bound enhancers. Single-molecule tracking revealed that GR increases the number and DNA residence time of a portion of chromatin-bound CREB1 molecules. These events collectively result in rapid synergistic gene expression and higher hepatic glucose production. Conversely, the ketogenic module operates via a GR-induced TF cascade, whereby PPARA levels are increased following GR activation, facilitating gradual enhancer maturation next to PPARA target genes and delayed ketogenic gene expression. Our findings reveal a complex network of enhancers and TFs that dynamically cooperate to restore homeostasis upon fasting. PMID:28031249

Using AberOWL for fast and scalable reasoning over BioPortal ontologies.

PubMed

Slater, Luke; Gkoutos, Georgios V; Schofield, Paul N; Hoehndorf, Robert

2016-08-08

Reasoning over biomedical ontologies using their OWL semantics has traditionally been a challenging task due to the high theoretical complexity of OWL-based automated reasoning. As a consequence, ontology repositories, as well as most other tools utilizing ontologies, either provide access to ontologies without use of automated reasoning, or limit the number of ontologies for which automated reasoning-based access is provided. We apply the AberOWL infrastructure to provide automated reasoning-based access to all accessible and consistent ontologies in BioPortal (368 ontologies). We perform an extensive performance evaluation to determine query times, both for queries of different complexity and for queries that are performed in parallel over the ontologies. We demonstrate that, with the exception of a few ontologies, even complex and parallel queries can now be answered in milliseconds, therefore allowing automated reasoning to be used on a large scale, to run in parallel, and with rapid response times.

Kickstarting Creativity: Supporting the Productive Faces of Uncertainty in Information Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Theresa Dirndorfer

2010-01-01

Introduction: Examines implications of research suggesting fast access to information may reduce the time needed for creative thinking and reflection. To support human thought through information provision, more opportunities to experience and work with imperfect information and to engage with ambiguities are needed. Method: Four linked arguments…

Association between neighborhood need and spatial access to food stores and fast food restaurants in neighborhoods of Colonias

PubMed Central

Sharkey, Joseph R; Horel, Scott; Han, Daikwon; Huber, John C

2009-01-01

Objective To determine the extent to which neighborhood needs (socioeconomic deprivation and vehicle availability) are associated with two criteria of food environment access: 1) distance to the nearest food store and fast food restaurant and 2) coverage (number) of food stores and fast food restaurants within a specified network distance of neighborhood areas of colonias, using ground-truthed methods. Methods Data included locational points for 315 food stores and 204 fast food restaurants, and neighborhood characteristics from the 2000 U.S. Census for the 197 census block group (CBG) study area. Neighborhood deprivation and vehicle availability were calculated for each CBG. Minimum distance was determined by calculating network distance from the population-weighted center of each CBG to the nearest supercenter, supermarket, grocery, convenience store, dollar store, mass merchandiser, and fast food restaurant. Coverage was determined by calculating the number of each type of food store and fast food restaurant within a network distance of 1, 3, and 5 miles of each population-weighted CBG center. Neighborhood need and access were examined using Spearman ranked correlations, spatial autocorrelation, and multivariate regression models that adjusted for population density. Results Overall, neighborhoods had best access to convenience stores, fast food restaurants, and dollar stores. After adjusting for population density, residents in neighborhoods with increased deprivation had to travel a significantly greater distance to the nearest supercenter or supermarket, grocery store, mass merchandiser, dollar store, and pharmacy for food items. The results were quite different for association of need with the number of stores within 1 mile. Deprivation was only associated with fast food restaurants; greater deprivation was associated with fewer fast food restaurants within 1 mile. CBG with greater lack of vehicle availability had slightly better access to more supercenters or supermarkets, grocery stores, or fast food restaurants. Increasing deprivation was associated with decreasing numbers of grocery stores, mass merchandisers, dollar stores, and fast food restaurants within 3 miles. Conclusion It is important to understand not only the distance that people must travel to the nearest store to make a purchase, but also how many shopping opportunities they have in order to compare price, quality, and selection. Future research should examine how spatial access to the food environment influences the utilization of food stores and fast food restaurants, and the strategies used by low-income families to obtain food for the household. PMID:19220879

High-speed, random-access fluorescence microscopy: I. High-resolution optical recording with voltage-sensitive dyes and ion indicators.

PubMed

Bullen, A; Patel, S S; Saggau, P

1997-07-01

The design and implementation of a high-speed, random-access, laser-scanning fluorescence microscope configured to record fast physiological signals from small neuronal structures with high spatiotemporal resolution is presented. The laser-scanning capability of this nonimaging microscope is provided by two orthogonal acousto-optic deflectors under computer control. Each scanning point can be randomly accessed and has a positioning time of 3-5 microseconds. Sampling time is also computer-controlled and can be varied to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. Acquisition rates up to 200k samples/s at 16-bit digitizing resolution are possible. The spatial resolution of this instrument is determined by the minimal spot size at the level of the preparation (i.e., 2-7 microns). Scanning points are selected interactively from a reference image collected with differential interference contrast optics and a video camera. Frame rates up to 5 kHz are easily attainable. Intrinsic variations in laser light intensity and scanning spot brightness are overcome by an on-line signal-processing scheme. Representative records obtained with this instrument by using voltage-sensitive dyes and calcium indicators demonstrate the ability to make fast, high-fidelity measurements of membrane potential and intracellular calcium at high spatial resolution (2 microns) without any temporal averaging.

High-speed, random-access fluorescence microscopy: I. High-resolution optical recording with voltage-sensitive dyes and ion indicators.

PubMed Central

Bullen, A; Patel, S S; Saggau, P

1997-01-01

The design and implementation of a high-speed, random-access, laser-scanning fluorescence microscope configured to record fast physiological signals from small neuronal structures with high spatiotemporal resolution is presented. The laser-scanning capability of this nonimaging microscope is provided by two orthogonal acousto-optic deflectors under computer control. Each scanning point can be randomly accessed and has a positioning time of 3-5 microseconds. Sampling time is also computer-controlled and can be varied to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. Acquisition rates up to 200k samples/s at 16-bit digitizing resolution are possible. The spatial resolution of this instrument is determined by the minimal spot size at the level of the preparation (i.e., 2-7 microns). Scanning points are selected interactively from a reference image collected with differential interference contrast optics and a video camera. Frame rates up to 5 kHz are easily attainable. Intrinsic variations in laser light intensity and scanning spot brightness are overcome by an on-line signal-processing scheme. Representative records obtained with this instrument by using voltage-sensitive dyes and calcium indicators demonstrate the ability to make fast, high-fidelity measurements of membrane potential and intracellular calcium at high spatial resolution (2 microns) without any temporal averaging. Images FIGURE 6 PMID:9199810

Transcription factor target site search and gene regulation in a background of unspecific binding sites.

PubMed

Hettich, J; Gebhardt, J C M

2018-06-02

Response time and transcription level are vital parameters of gene regulation. They depend on how fast transcription factors (TFs) find and how efficient they occupy their specific target sites. It is well known that target site search is accelerated by TF binding to and sliding along unspecific DNA and that unspecific associations alter the occupation frequency of a gene. However, whether target site search time and occupation frequency can be optimized simultaneously is mostly unclear. We developed a transparent and intuitively accessible state-based formalism to calculate search times to target sites on and occupation frequencies of promoters of arbitrary state structure. Our formalism is based on dissociation rate constants experimentally accessible in live cell experiments. To demonstrate our approach, we consider promoters activated by a single TF, by two coactivators or in the presence of a competitive inhibitor. We find that target site search time and promoter occupancy differentially vary with the unspecific dissociation rate constant. Both parameters can be harmonized by adjusting the specific dissociation rate constant of the TF. However, while measured DNA residence times of various eukaryotic TFs correspond to a fast search time, the occupation frequencies of target sites are generally low. Cells might tolerate low target site occupancies as they enable timely gene regulation in response to a changing environment. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Fast massive preventive security and information communication systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akopian, David; Chen, Philip; Miryakar, Susheel; Kumar, Abhinav

2008-04-01

We present a fast massive information communication system for data collection from distributive sources such as cell phone users. As a very important application one can mention preventive notification systems when timely notification and evidence communication may help to improve safety and security through wide public involvement by ensuring easy-to-access and easy-to-communicate information systems. The technology significantly simplifies the response to the events and will help e.g. special agencies to gather crucial information in time and respond as quickly as possible. Cellular phones are nowadays affordable for most of the residents and became a common personal accessory. The paper describes several ways to design such systems including existing internet access capabilities of cell phones or downloadable specialized software. We provide examples of such designs. The main idea is in structuring information in predetermined way and communicating data through a centralized gate-server which will automatically process information and forward it to a proper destination. The gate-server eliminates a need in knowing contact data and specific local community infrastructure. All the cell phones will have self-localizing capability according to FCC E911 mandate, thus the communicated information can be further tagged automatically by location and time information.

Fast-Food Environments and Family Fast-Food Intake in Nonmetropolitan Areas

PubMed Central

Longacre, Meghan R.; Drake, Keith M.; MacKenzie, Todd A.; Gibson, Lucinda; Owens, Peter; Titus, Linda J.; Beach, Michael L.; Dalton, Madeline A.

2012-01-01

Background Little is known about the influence of in-town fast-food availability on family-level fast-food intake in nonmetropolitan areas. Purpose The purpose of the current study was to determine whether the presence of chain fast-food outlets was associated with fast-food intake among adolescents and parents, and to assess whether this relationship was moderated by family access to motor vehicles. Methods Telephone surveys were conducted with 1547 adolescent–parent dyads in 32 New Hampshire and Vermont communities between 2007 and 2008. Fast-food intake in the past week was measured through self-report. In-town fast-food outlets were located and enumerated using an onsite audit. Family motor vehicle access was categorized based on the number of vehicles per licensed drivers in the household. Poisson regression was used to determine unadjusted and adjusted risk ratios (RRs). Analyses were conducted in 2011. Results About half (52.1%) of adolescents and 34.7% of parents consumed fast food at least once in the past week. Adolescents and parents who lived in towns with five or more fast-food outlets were about 30% more likely to eat fast food compared to those in towns with no fast-food outlets, even after adjusting for individual, family, and town characteristics (RR=1.29, 95% CI= 1.10, 1.51; RR=1.32, 95% CI=1.07,1.62, respectively). Interaction models demonstrated that the influence of in-town fast-food outlets on fast-food intake was strongest among families with low motor vehicle access. Conclusions In nonmetropolitan areas, household transportation should be considered as an important moderator of the relationship between in-town fast-food outlets and family intake. PMID:22608373

Fast-food environments and family fast-food intake in nonmetropolitan areas.

PubMed

Longacre, Meghan R; Drake, Keith M; MacKenzie, Todd A; Gibson, Lucinda; Owens, Peter; Titus, Linda J; Beach, Michael L; Dalton, Madeline A

2012-06-01

Little is known about the influence of in-town fast-food availability on family-level fast-food intake in nonmetropolitan areas. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether the presence of chain fast-food outlets was associated with fast-food intake among adolescents and parents, and to assess whether this relationship was moderated by family access to motor vehicles. Telephone surveys were conducted with 1547 adolescent-parent dyads in 32 New Hampshire and Vermont communities between 2007 and 2008. Fast-food intake in the past week was measured through self-report. In-town fast-food outlets were located and enumerated using an onsite audit. Family motor vehicle access was categorized based on the number of vehicles per licensed drivers in the household. Poisson regression was used to determine unadjusted and adjusted risk ratios (RRs). Analyses were conducted in 2011. About half (52.1%) of adolescents and 34.7% of parents consumed fast food at least once in the past week. Adolescents and parents who lived in towns with five or more fast-food outlets were about 30% more likely to eat fast food compared to those in towns with no fast-food outlets, even after adjusting for individual, family, and town characteristics (RR=1.29, 95% CI= 1.10, 1.51; RR=1.32, 95% CI=1.07, 1.62, respectively). Interaction models demonstrated that the influence of in-town fast-food outlets on fast-food intake was strongest among families with low motor vehicle access. In nonmetropolitan areas, household transportation should be considered as an important moderator of the relationship between in-town fast-food outlets and family intake. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcription factor assisted loading and enhancer dynamics dictate the hepatic fasting response.

PubMed

Goldstein, Ido; Baek, Songjoon; Presman, Diego M; Paakinaho, Ville; Swinstead, Erin E; Hager, Gordon L

2017-03-01

Fasting elicits transcriptional programs in hepatocytes leading to glucose and ketone production. This transcriptional program is regulated by many transcription factors (TFs). To understand how this complex network regulates the metabolic response to fasting, we aimed at isolating the enhancers and TFs dictating it. Measuring chromatin accessibility revealed that fasting massively reorganizes liver chromatin, exposing numerous fasting-induced enhancers. By utilizing computational methods in combination with dissecting enhancer features and TF cistromes, we implicated four key TFs regulating the fasting response: glucocorticoid receptor (GR), cAMP responsive element binding protein 1 (CREB1), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARA), and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (CEBPB). These TFs regulate fuel production by two distinctly operating modules, each controlling a separate metabolic pathway. The gluconeogenic module operates through assisted loading, whereby GR doubles the number of sites occupied by CREB1 as well as enhances CREB1 binding intensity and increases accessibility of CREB1 binding sites. Importantly, this GR-assisted CREB1 binding was enhancer-selective and did not affect all CREB1-bound enhancers. Single-molecule tracking revealed that GR increases the number and DNA residence time of a portion of chromatin-bound CREB1 molecules. These events collectively result in rapid synergistic gene expression and higher hepatic glucose production. Conversely, the ketogenic module operates via a GR-induced TF cascade, whereby PPARA levels are increased following GR activation, facilitating gradual enhancer maturation next to PPARA target genes and delayed ketogenic gene expression. Our findings reveal a complex network of enhancers and TFs that dynamically cooperate to restore homeostasis upon fasting. Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Engineering Design of ITER Prototype Fast Plant System Controller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goncalves, B.; Sousa, J.; Carvalho, B.; Rodrigues, A. P.; Correia, M.; Batista, A.; Vega, J.; Ruiz, M.; Lopez, J. M.; Rojo, R. Castro; Wallander, A.; Utzel, N.; Neto, A.; Alves, D.; Valcarcel, D.

2011-08-01

The ITER control, data access and communication (CODAC) design team identified the need for two types of plant systems. A slow control plant system is based on industrial automation technology with maximum sampling rates below 100 Hz, and a fast control plant system is based on embedded technology with higher sampling rates and more stringent real-time requirements than that required for slow controllers. The latter is applicable to diagnostics and plant systems in closed-control loops whose cycle times are below 1 ms. Fast controllers will be dedicated industrial controllers with the ability to supervise other fast and/or slow controllers, interface to actuators and sensors and, if necessary, high performance networks. Two prototypes of a fast plant system controller specialized for data acquisition and constrained by ITER technological choices are being built using two different form factors. This prototyping activity contributes to the Plant Control Design Handbook effort of standardization, specifically regarding fast controller characteristics. Envisaging a general purpose fast controller design, diagnostic use cases with specific requirements were analyzed and will be presented along with the interface with CODAC and sensors. The requirements and constraints that real-time plasma control imposes on the design were also taken into consideration. Functional specifications and technology neutral architecture, together with its implications on the engineering design, were considered. The detailed engineering design compliant with ITER standards was performed and will be discussed in detail. Emphasis will be given to the integration of the controller in the standard CODAC environment. Requirements for the EPICS IOC providing the interface to the outside world, the prototype decisions on form factor, real-time operating system, and high-performance networks will also be discussed, as well as the requirements for data streaming to CODAC for visualization and archiving.

Sabotaging the California Dream

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piland, William E.

2004-01-01

Higher education, the California dream for well over 2 million undergraduate students, is turning into a nightmare. The Golden State's promise of unparalleled access to community colleges and universities is fast becoming a tarnished relic of the past. And this state of affairs is occurring at a time when the demand for higher education has never…

Neighborhood deprivation and access to fast-food retailing: a national study.

PubMed

Pearce, Jamie; Blakely, Tony; Witten, Karen; Bartie, Phil

2007-05-01

Obesogenic environments may be an important contextual explanation for the growing obesity epidemic, including its unequal social distribution. The objective of this study was to determine whether geographic access to fast-food outlets varied by neighborhood deprivation and school socioeconomic ranking, and whether any such associations differed to those for access to healthier food outlets. Data were collected on the location of fast-food outlets, supermarkets, and convenience stores across New Zealand. The data were geocoded and geographic information systems used to calculate travel distances from each census meshblock (i.e., neighborhood), and each school, to the closest fast-food outlet. Median travel distances are reported by a census-based index of socioeconomic deprivation for each neighborhood, and by a Ministry of Education measure of socioeconomic circumstances for each school. Analyses were repeated for outlets selling healthy food to allow comparisons. At the national level, statistically significant negative associations were found between neighborhood access to the nearest fast-food outlet and neighborhood deprivation (p<0.001) for both multinational fast-food outlets and locally operated outlets. The travel distances to both types of fast food outlet were at least twice as far in the least socially deprived neighborhoods compared to the most deprived neighborhoods. A similar pattern was found for outlets selling healthy food such as supermarkets and smaller food outlets (p<0.001). These relationships were broadly linear with travel distances tending to be shorter in more-deprived neighborhoods. There is a strong association between neighborhood deprivation and geographic access to fast food outlets in New Zealand, which may contribute to the understanding of environmental causes of obesity. However, outlets potentially selling healthy food (e.g., supermarkets) are patterned by deprivation in a similar way. These findings highlight the importance of considering all aspects of the food environment (healthy and unhealthy) when developing environmental strategies to address the obesity epidemic.

Digital Holographic Data Storage with Fast Access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, J.; Chang, T.; Choi, S.; Hong, J.

Recent investigations in holographic mass memory systems have produced proof of concept demonstrations that have highlighted their potential for providing unprecedented capacity, data transfer rates and fast random access performance [1-4]. The exploratory nature of most such investigations has been largely confined to benchtop experiments in which the practical constraints of packaging and environmental concerns have been ignored. We have embarked on an effort to demonstrate the holographic mass memory concept by developing a compact prototype system geared for avionics and similar applications, which demand the following features (mostly interdependent factors): (1) solid-state design (no moving parts), (2) fast data-seek time, (3) robustness with respect to environmental factors (temperature, vibration, shock). In this chapter, we report on the development and demonstration of two systems, one with 100 Mbytes and the other with more than 1 Gbyte of storage capacity. Both systems feature solid-state design with the addressing mechanism realized with acousto-optic deflectors that are capable of better than 50 µs data seek time. Since the basic designs for the two systems are similar, we describe only the larger system in detail. The operation of the smaller system has been demonstrated in various environments, including hand-held operation and thermal/mechanical shock, and a photograph of the smaller system is provided as well as actual digital data retrieved from the same system.

Packaged digital holographic data storage with fast access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Jian; Chang, Tallis Y.; Choi, Sung; Hong, John H.

1998-11-01

Recent investigations in holographic mass memory systems have produced proof of concept demonstrations that have highlighted their potential for providing unprecedented capacity, data transfer rates and fast random access performance. The exploratory nature of most such investigations have been largely confined to benchtop experiments in which the practical constraints of packaging and environmental concerns have been ignored. We have embarked on an effort to demonstrate the holographic mass memory concept by developing a compact prototype system geared for avionics and similar applications which demand the following features (mostly interdependent factors): (1) solid state design (no moving parts), (2) fast data seek time, (3) robust with respect to environmental factors (temperature, vibration, shock). In this paper, we report on the development and demonstration of two systems, one with 100 Mbytes and the other with more than 1 Gbyte of storage capacity. Both systems feature solid state design with the addressing mechanism realized with acousto- optic deflectors that are capable of better than 50 microseconds data seek time. Since the basic designs for the two systems are similar, we describe only the larger system in detail. The operation of the smaller system has been demonstrated in various environments including hand-held operation and thermal/mechanical shock and a photograph of the smaller system is provided as well as actual digital data retrieved from the same system.

Genetic diversity and genome-wide association analysis of cooking time in dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

PubMed

Cichy, Karen A; Wiesinger, Jason A; Mendoza, Fernando A

2015-08-01

Fivefold diversity for cooking time found in a panel of 206 Phaseolus vulgaris accessions. Fastest accession cooks nearly 20 min faster than average.   SNPs associated with cooking time on Pv02, 03, and 06. Dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are a nutrient dense food and a dietary staple in parts of Africa and Latin America. One of the major factors that limits greater utilization of beans is their long cooking times compared to other foods. Cooking time is an important trait with implications for gender equity, nutritional value of diets, and energy utilization. Very little is known about the genetic diversity and genomic regions involved in determining cooking time. The objective of this research was to assess cooking time on a panel of 206 P. vulgaris accessions, use genome- wide association analysis (GWAS) to identify genomic regions influencing this trait, and to test the ability to predict cooking time by raw seed characteristics. In this study 5.5-fold variation for cooking time was found and five bean accessions were identified which cook in less than 27 min across 2 years, where the average cooking time was 37 min. One accession, ADP0367 cooked nearly 20 min faster than average. Four of these five accessions showed close phylogenetic relationship based on a NJ tree developed with ~5000 SNP markers, suggesting a potentially similar underlying genetic mechanism. GWAS revealed regions on chromosomes Pv02, Pv03, and Pv06 associated with cooking time. Vis/NIR scanning of raw seed explained 68 % of the phenotypic variation for cooking time, suggesting with additional experimentation, it may be possible to use this spectroscopy method to non-destructively identify fast cooking lines as part of a breeding program.

A New Experimental Device for Transapical Access of the Aortic and Mitral Valves as well as the Aorta in its Various Segments.

PubMed

Paim, Leonardo; Fonseca, José Honório Palma da; Arruda, Francismar Vidal de; Gutierrez, Paulo Sampaio; Moreira, Luiz Felipe Pinho; Jatene, Fabio Biscegli

2017-01-01

To present the results of a new experimental device developed to facilitate the transapical access in endovascular treatment of structural heart diseases. It aims to reduce the risk of bleeding and complications in this type of access and demonstrate the device as a safe, fast and effective alternative. CorPoint is composed of three parts: introducer, base with coiled spring, and closing capsule. By rotating movements, the spring is introduced into the myocardium and progressively approaches the base to the surface of the heart. Guidewires and catheters are inserted through the hollow central part and, at the end of the procedure, the capsule is screwed over the base, therefore stopping any bleeding. The device was implanted in 15 pigs, weighing 60 kg each, through an anterolateral thoracotomy, while catheters were introduced and guided by fluoroscopy. All animals had minimal bleeding; introducers with diameter up to 22 Fr were used and various catheters and guidewires were easily handled. After finishing the procedure, the closing capsule was attached and no bleeding was observed at the site. This new device has proved effective, fast and secure for the transapical access. This shows great potential for use, especially by ensuring an easier and direct access to the mitral and aortic valves; the shortest distance to be traveled by catheters; access to the ascending and descending aorta; decreased bleeding complications; decreased surgical time; and the possibility of allowing the technique to evolve and become totally percutaneous.

Probing Photoinduced Structural Phase Transitions by Fast or Ultra-Fast Time-Resolved X-Ray Diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cailleau, Hervé Collet, Eric; Buron-Le Cointe, Marylise; Lemée-Cailleau, Marie-Hélène Koshihara, Shin-Ya

A new frontier in the field of structural science is the emergence of the fast and ultra-fast X-ray science. Recent developments in time-resolved X-ray diffraction promise direct access to the dynamics of electronic, atomic and molecular motions in condensed matter triggered by a pulsed laser irradiation, i.e. to record "molecular movies" during the transformation of matter initiated by light pulse. These laser pump and X-ray probe techniques now provide an outstanding opportunity for the direct observation of a photoinduced structural phase transition as it takes place. The use of X-ray short-pulse of about 100ps around third-generation synchrotron sources allows structural investigations of fast photoinduced processes. Other new X-ray sources, such as laser-produced plasma ones, generate ultra-short pulses down to 100 fs. This opens the way to femtosecond X-ray crystallography, but with rather low X-ray intensities and more limited experimental possibilities at present. However this new ultra-fast science rapidly progresses around these sources and new large-scale projects exist. It is the aim of this contribution to overview the state of art and the perspectives of fast and ultra-fast X-ray scattering techniques to study photoinduced phase transitions (here, the word ultra-fast is used for sub-picosecond time resolution). In particular we would like to largely present the contribution of crystallographic methods in comparison with optical methods, such as pump-probe reflectivity measurements, the reader being not necessary familiar with X-ray scattering. Thus we want to present which type of physical information can be obtained from the positions of the Bragg peaks, their intensity and their shape, as well as from the diffuse scattering beyond Bragg peaks. An important physical feature is to take into consideration the difference in nature between a photoinduced phase transition and conventional homogeneous photoinduced chemical or biochemical processes where molecules transform in an independent way each other. Actually the photoinduced phase transition with the establishment of the new electronic and structural oscopic order is preceded by precursor co-operative phenomena due to the formation of nano-scale correlated objects. These are the counterpart of pre-transitional fluctuations at thermal equilibrium which take place above the transition temperature (short range order preceding long range one). Moreover ultra-fast X-ray scattering will play a central role within the fascinating field of manipulating coherence, for instance to directly observe coherent atomic motions induced by a light pulse, such as optical phonons. In the first part of this contribution we present what experimental features are accessible by X-ray scattering to describe the physical picture for a photoinduced structural phase transition. The second part shows how a time-resolved X-ray scattering experiment can be performed with regards to the different pulsed X-ray sources. The first time-resolved X-ray diffraction experiments on photoinduced phase transitions are described and discussed in the third part. Finally some challenges for future are briefly indicated in the conclusion.

Pay Big to Publish Fast: Academic Journal Rackets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Truth, Frank

2012-01-01

In the context of open-access (OA) academic publishing, the mounting pressure cross global academe to publish or perish has spawned an exponentially growing number of dodgy academic e-journals charging high fees to authors, often US$300-650, and even triple that amount, promising super-fast processing and publication open-access (OA) online.…

Easily Accessible Camera Mount

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chalson, H. E.

1986-01-01

Modified mount enables fast alinement of movie cameras in explosionproof housings. Screw on side and readily reached through side door of housing. Mount includes right-angle drive mechanism containing two miter gears that turn threaded shaft. Shaft drives movable dovetail clamping jaw that engages fixed dovetail plate on camera. Mechanism alines camera in housing and secures it. Reduces installation time by 80 percent.

Mobile "Comfort" Zones: Overcoming Barriers to Enable Facilitated Learning in the Workplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holley, Debbie; Sentance, Sue

2015-01-01

The affordances of mobile technologies are well documented (Vavoula (2004); Wali (2008); Pachler et al (2010); Cook (2011); Sharples (2013). Linked with the rapid expansion of the "SMART" phones, where users access fast/high quality information, new opportunities are offered to engage students at a time/place of their own choosing. Our…

P-hacking.

PubMed

Raj, A Thirumal; Patil, Shankargouda; Sarode, Sachin; Sarode, Gargi

2017-08-01

Due to increasing rate of research articles getting published in recent times, medical science is evolving very fast. Open access policies of the journals make information easily available to the stakeholders for building future research proposal. Blindly having faith in whatever is published in the literature is detrimental for science; however, it is hard to find out the correctness of the data analysis.

A New Ticket-Based Authentication Mechanism for Fast Handover in Mesh Network.

PubMed

Lai, Yan-Ming; Cheng, Pu-Jen; Lee, Cheng-Chi; Ku, Chia-Yi

2016-01-01

Due to the ever-growing popularity mobile devices of various kinds have received worldwide, the demands on large-scale wireless network infrastructure development and enhancement have been rapidly swelling in recent years. A mobile device holder can get online at a wireless network access point, which covers a limited area. When the client leaves the access point, there will be a temporary disconnection until he/she enters the coverage of another access point. Even when the coverages of two neighboring access points overlap, there is still work to do to make the wireless connection smoothly continue. The action of one wireless network access point passing a client to another access point is referred to as the handover. During handover, for security concerns, the client and the new access point should perform mutual authentication before any Internet access service is practically gained/provided. If the handover protocol is inefficient, in some cases discontinued Internet service will happen. In 2013, Li et al. proposed a fast handover authentication mechanism for wireless mesh network (WMN) based on tickets. Unfortunately, Li et al.'s work came with some weaknesses. For one thing, some sensitive information such as the time and date of expiration is sent in plaintext, which increases security risks. For another, Li et al.'s protocol includes the use of high-quality tamper-proof devices (TPDs), and this unreasonably high equipment requirement limits its applicability. In this paper, we shall propose a new efficient handover authentication mechanism. The new mechanism offers a higher level of security on a more scalable ground with the client's privacy better preserved. The results of our performance analysis suggest that our new mechanism is superior to some similar mechanisms in terms of authentication delay.

A New Ticket-Based Authentication Mechanism for Fast Handover in Mesh Network

PubMed Central

Lai, Yan-Ming; Cheng, Pu-Jen; Lee, Cheng-Chi; Ku, Chia-Yi

2016-01-01

Due to the ever-growing popularity mobile devices of various kinds have received worldwide, the demands on large-scale wireless network infrastructure development and enhancement have been rapidly swelling in recent years. A mobile device holder can get online at a wireless network access point, which covers a limited area. When the client leaves the access point, there will be a temporary disconnection until he/she enters the coverage of another access point. Even when the coverages of two neighboring access points overlap, there is still work to do to make the wireless connection smoothly continue. The action of one wireless network access point passing a client to another access point is referred to as the handover. During handover, for security concerns, the client and the new access point should perform mutual authentication before any Internet access service is practically gained/provided. If the handover protocol is inefficient, in some cases discontinued Internet service will happen. In 2013, Li et al. proposed a fast handover authentication mechanism for wireless mesh network (WMN) based on tickets. Unfortunately, Li et al.’s work came with some weaknesses. For one thing, some sensitive information such as the time and date of expiration is sent in plaintext, which increases security risks. For another, Li et al.’s protocol includes the use of high-quality tamper-proof devices (TPDs), and this unreasonably high equipment requirement limits its applicability. In this paper, we shall propose a new efficient handover authentication mechanism. The new mechanism offers a higher level of security on a more scalable ground with the client’s privacy better preserved. The results of our performance analysis suggest that our new mechanism is superior to some similar mechanisms in terms of authentication delay. PMID:27171160

Associations between the purchase of healthy and fast foods and restrictions to food access: a cross-sectional study in Melbourne, Australia.

PubMed

Burns, Cate; Bentley, Rebecca; Thornton, Lukar; Kavanagh, Anne

2015-01-01

To examine the associations between financial, physical and transport conditions that may restrict food access (which we define as food security indicators) and the purchase of fast foods and nutritious staples such as bread and milk. Multilevel logistic and multinomial regression analysis of cross-sectional survey data to assess associations between the three indicators of food insecurity and household food shopping adjusted for sociodemographic and socio-economic variables. Random selection of households (n 3995) from fifty Census Collector Districts in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003. The main food shoppers in each household (n 2564). After adjustment for confounders, analysis showed that a greater likelihood of purchasing chain-brand fast food on a weekly basis compared with never was associated with running out of money to buy food (OR = 1·59; 95 % CI 1·08, 2·34) and reporting difficulties lifting groceries (OR = 1·77; 95 % CI 1·23, 2·54). Respondents without regular access to a car to do food shopping were less likely to purchase bread types considered more nutritious than white bread (OR = 0·75; 95 % CI 0·59, 0·95) and milk types considered more nutritious than full-cream milk (OR = 0·62; 95 % CI 0·47, 0·81). The food insecurity indicators were not associated with the purchasing of fruits, vegetables or non-chain fast food. Householders experiencing financial and physical barriers were more likely to frequently purchase chain fast foods while limited access to a car resulted in a lower likelihood that the nutritious options were purchased for two core food items (bread and milk). Policies and interventions that improve financial access to food and lessen the effect of physical limitations to carrying groceries may reduce the purchasing of fast foods. Further research is required on food sourcing and dietary quality among those with food access restrictions.

Fast Fenton footprinting: a laboratory-based method for the time-resolved analysis of DNA, RNA and proteins

PubMed Central

Shcherbakova, Inna; Mitra, Somdeb; Beer, Robert H.; Brenowitz, Michael

2006-01-01

‘Footprinting’ describes assays in which ligand binding or structure formation protects polymers such as nucleic acids and proteins from either cleavage or modification; footprinting allows the accessibility of individual residues to be mapped in solution. Equilibrium and time-dependent footprinting links site-specific structural information with thermodynamic and kinetic transitions. The hydroxyl radical (·OH) is a particularly valuable footprinting probe by virtue of it being among the most reactive of chemical oxidants; it reports the solvent accessibility of reactive sites on macromolecules with as fine as a single residue resolution. A novel method of millisecond time-resolved ·OH footprinting has been developed based on the Fenton reaction, Fe(II) + H2O2 → Fe(III) + ·OH + OH−. This method can be implemented in laboratories using widely available three-syringe quench flow mixers and inexpensive reagents to study local changes in the solvent accessibility of DNA, RNA and proteins associated with their biological function. PMID:16582097

Usage Patterns of a Mobile Palliative Care Application.

PubMed

Zhang, Haipeng; Liu, David; Marks, Sean; Rickerson, Elizabeth M; Wright, Adam; Gordon, William J; Landman, Adam

2018-06-01

Fast Facts Mobile (FFM) was created to be a convenient way for clinicians to access the Fast Facts and Concepts database of palliative care articles on a smartphone or tablet device. We analyzed usage patterns of FFM through an integrated analytics platform on the mobile versions of the FFM application. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the usage data from FFM as a way to better understand user behavior for FFM as a palliative care educational tool. This is an exploratory, retrospective analysis of de-identified analytics data collected through the iOS and Android versions of FFM captured from November 2015 to November 2016. FFM App download statistics from November 1, 2015, to November 1, 2016, were accessed from the Apple and Google development websites. Further FFM session data were obtained from the analytics platform built into FFM. FFM was downloaded 9409 times over the year with 201,383 articles accessed. The most searched-for terms in FFM include the following: nausea, methadone, and delirium. We compared frequent users of FFM to infrequent users of FFM and found that 13% of all users comprise 66% of all activity in the application. Demand for useful and scalable tools for both primary palliative care and specialty palliative care will likely continue to grow. Understanding the usage patterns for FFM has the potential to inform the development of future versions of Fast Facts. Further studies of mobile palliative care educational tools will be needed to further define the impact of these educational tools.

A graphite based STT-RAM cell with reduction in switching current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varghani, Ali; Peiravi, Ali

2015-10-01

Spin Transfer Torque Random Access Memory (STT-RAM) is a serious candidate for "universal memory" because of its non-volatility, fast access time, high density, good scalability, high endurance and relatively low power dissipation. However, problems with low write speed and large write current are important existing challenges in STT-RAM design and there is a tradeoff between them and data retention time. In this study, a novel STT-RAM cell structure which uses perfect graphite based Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) is proposed. First, the cross-section of the structure is selected to be an ellipse of 45 nm and 180 nm dimensions and a six-layer graphite is used as tunnel barrier. By passing a lateral current with a short pulse width (before applying STT current and independent of it) through four middle graphene layers of the tunnel barrier, a 27% reduction in the amplitude of the switching current (for fast switching time of 2 ns) or a 58% reduction in its pulse width is achieved without any reduction in data retention time. Finally, the effect of downscaling of technology on the proposed structure is evaluated. A reduction of 31.6% and 9% in switching current is achieved for 90 and 22 nm cell width respectively by passing sufficient current (100 μA with 0.1 ns pulse width) through the tunnel barrier. Simulations are done using Object Oriented Micro Magnetic Framework (OOMMF).

Nutritional quality and marketing strategies of fast food children's combo meals in Guatemala.

PubMed

Mazariegos, Sofia; Chacón, Violeta; Cole, Adam; Barnoya, Joaquin

2016-01-01

Overweight and obesity prevalence in children is now on the rise in low/middle-income countries, including Guatemala. Fast food consumption is a recognized contributing factor to this rise. Fast food restaurants use health claims, toy giveaways, price incentives and fast service to promote children's combo meals. This study sought to assess the use of toy giveaways, time to delivery and price incentives as marketing strategies in fast food chain restaurants in Guatemala. In addition, we sought to compare nutritional quality of combo meals with and without health claims. We visited one restaurant from each of the 8 major fast food chains in Guatemala and purchased all children's combo meals to assess the prevalence of toy giveaways, health claims, and difference in delivery time and price between the combo meal and each meal item purchased separately. Each item was then classified as "healthy" or "less healthy" using the UK Nutrition Profile Model. Nutrition information was collected on-site, from the restaurant website, or by calling the customer service phone number. We found 114 combo meals, 21 (18.4%) of which were children's combo meals. Five (24%) had nutrition information, all were classified by our analysis as "less healthy", and three had a health claim. On average, combo meals were US$1.93 less expensive than purchasing children's meal items individually ( p  = 0.01). Time to delivery was 1.44 min faster for combo meals compared to purchasing meal items individually ( p  = 0.19). Children's fast food combo meals in Guatemala were promoted using several marketing strategies that encourage consumption, including offering toy giveaways and price incentives. In addition, nutrition information is lacking in fast food chain restaurants. Public health advocates in Guatemala should consider a comprehensive approach to encourage healthier choices within fast food restaurants including policies that require fruit and vegetable options for meal side dishes, accessible and easy to read nutrition information, and restrict the use of toy giveaways.

mrsFAST-Ultra: a compact, SNP-aware mapper for high performance sequencing applications.

PubMed

Hach, Faraz; Sarrafi, Iman; Hormozdiari, Farhad; Alkan, Can; Eichler, Evan E; Sahinalp, S Cenk

2014-07-01

High throughput sequencing (HTS) platforms generate unprecedented amounts of data that introduce challenges for processing and downstream analysis. While tools that report the 'best' mapping location of each read provide a fast way to process HTS data, they are not suitable for many types of downstream analysis such as structural variation detection, where it is important to report multiple mapping loci for each read. For this purpose we introduce mrsFAST-Ultra, a fast, cache oblivious, SNP-aware aligner that can handle the multi-mapping of HTS reads very efficiently. mrsFAST-Ultra improves mrsFAST, our first cache oblivious read aligner capable of handling multi-mapping reads, through new and compact index structures that reduce not only the overall memory usage but also the number of CPU operations per alignment. In fact the size of the index generated by mrsFAST-Ultra is 10 times smaller than that of mrsFAST. As importantly, mrsFAST-Ultra introduces new features such as being able to (i) obtain the best mapping loci for each read, and (ii) return all reads that have at most n mapping loci (within an error threshold), together with these loci, for any user specified n. Furthermore, mrsFAST-Ultra is SNP-aware, i.e. it can map reads to reference genome while discounting the mismatches that occur at common SNP locations provided by db-SNP; this significantly increases the number of reads that can be mapped to the reference genome. Notice that all of the above features are implemented within the index structure and are not simple post-processing steps and thus are performed highly efficiently. Finally, mrsFAST-Ultra utilizes multiple available cores and processors and can be tuned for various memory settings. Our results show that mrsFAST-Ultra is roughly five times faster than its predecessor mrsFAST. In comparison to newly enhanced popular tools such as Bowtie2, it is more sensitive (it can report 10 times or more mappings per read) and much faster (six times or more) in the multi-mapping mode. Furthermore, mrsFAST-Ultra has an index size of 2GB for the entire human reference genome, which is roughly half of that of Bowtie2. mrsFAST-Ultra is open source and it can be accessed at http://mrsfast.sourceforge.net. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Building the vision : a series of AZTech ITS model deployment success stories for the Phoenix metropolitan area : number six : user friendliness touches Arizona : kiosks offer fast, efficient resource for traveler and community information

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-01

To the traveling public, the most readily apparent benefit of AZTech is easy access to traveler information. Providing travelers with real value requires that information to be factual, comprehensive and timely. Through AZTech, numerous services are ...

A system for the automated data-acquisition of fast transient signals in excitable membranes.

PubMed

Bustamante, J O

1988-01-01

This paper provides a description of a system for the acquisition of fast transient currents flowing across excitable membranes. The front end of the system consists of a CAMAC crate with plug-in modules. The modules provide control of CAMAC operations, analog to digital conversion, electronic memory storage and timing of events. The signals are transferred under direct memory access to an IBM PC microcomputer through a special-purpose interface. Voltage levels from a digital to analog board in the microcomputer are passed through multiplexers to produce the desired voltage pulse patterns to elicit the transmembrane currents. The dead time between consecutive excitatory voltage pulses is limited only by the computer data bus and the software characteristics. The dead time between data transfers can be reduced to the order of milliseconds, which is sufficient for most experiments with transmembrane ionic currents.

Stably accessing octave-spanning microresonator frequency combs in the soliton regime.

PubMed

Li, Qing; Briles, Travis C; Westly, Daron A; Drake, Tara E; Stone, Jordan R; Ilic, B Robert; Diddams, Scott A; Papp, Scott B; Srinivasan, Kartik

2017-02-01

Microresonator frequency combs can be an enabling technology for optical frequency synthesis and timekeeping in low size, weight, and power architectures. Such systems require comb operation in low-noise, phase-coherent states such as solitons, with broad spectral bandwidths (e.g., octave-spanning) for self-referencing to detect the carrier-envelope offset frequency. However, accessing such states is complicated by thermo-optic dispersion. For example, in the Si 3 N 4 platform, precisely dispersion-engineered structures can support broadband operation, but microsecond thermal time constants often require fast pump power or frequency control to stabilize the solitons. In contrast, here we consider how broadband soliton states can be accessed with simple pump laser frequency tuning, at a rate much slower than the thermal dynamics. We demonstrate octave-spanning soliton frequency combs in Si 3 N 4 microresonators, including the generation of a multi-soliton state with a pump power near 40 mW and a single-soliton state with a pump power near 120 mW. We also develop a simplified two-step analysis to explain how these states are accessed without fast control of the pump laser, and outline the required thermal properties for such operation. Our model agrees with experimental results as well as numerical simulations based on a Lugiato-Lefever equation that incorporates thermo-optic dispersion. Moreover, it also explains an experimental observation that a member of an adjacent mode family on the red-detuned side of the pump mode can mitigate the thermal requirements for accessing soliton states.

Accessibility of fast food outlets is associated with fast food intake. A study in the Capital Region of Denmark.

PubMed

Bernsdorf, Kamille Almer; Lau, Cathrine Juel; Andreasen, Anne Helms; Toft, Ulla; Lykke, Maja; Glümer, Charlotte

2017-11-01

Literature suggests that people living in areas with a wealth of unhealthy fast food options may show higher levels of fast food intake. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were applied to examine the association between GIS-located fast food outlets (FFOs) and self-reported fast food intake among adults (+ 16 years) in the Capital Region of Denmark (N = 48,305). Accessibility of FFOs was measured both as proximity (distance to nearest FFO) and density (number of FFOs within a 1km network buffer around home). Odds of fast food intake ≥ 1/week increased significantly with increasing FFO density and decreased significantly with increasing distance to the nearest FFO for distances ≤ 4km. For long distances (>4km), odds increased with increasing distance, although this applied only for car owners. Results suggest that Danish health promotion strategies need to consider the contribution of the built environment to unhealthy eating. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of an acute fast on energy compensation and feeding behaviour in lean men and women.

PubMed

Johnstone, A M; Faber, P; Gibney, E R; Elia, M; Horgan, G; Golden, B E; Stubbs, R J

2002-12-01

Humans appear to defend against energy deficit to a greater extent than energy surplus. Severe dietary energy restriction resulting in 5-30% weight loss often leads to hyperphagia and weight regain in lean subjects. However, the period of time over which fasting is often endured in Western society are far shorter, approximately 1-2 days. This study examined how a 36 h fast effected the subsequent day's energy and nutrient intake in a group of 24 healthy, lean men and women. Subjects underwent two 2 day treatments, termed 'fast' and 'maintenance'. During the 'fast' treatment, subjects were fed a maintenance diet on the day prior to the fast (day -1) to prevent overeating. They then consumed non-energy drinks only, from 20:00 h on day -1 to 08:00 h on day 2 (ad libitum feeding day), thus fasting for 36 h. On the 'maintenance' protocol, subjects received a maintenance diet throughout day 1. Throughout day 2 they had ad libitum access to a range of familiar foods, which were the same for both treatments. Body weight, blood glucose and respiratory quotient were used as compliance checks. Hunger was monitored on day's -1, 1 and 2 for the fast treatment only. On day 2, average energy intake was 10.2 vs 12.2 MJ/day (s.e.d. 1.0) on the post-maintenance and post-fast periods, respectively (P=0.049). Subjects altered feeding behaviour, in response to the fast, only at breakfast time, selecting a higher-fat meal (P<0.005). Compared to day -1, motivation to eat was elevated during the fast (P<0.05). This continued until breakfast was consumed during the re-feeding period (day 2), when values then returned to baseline. These data suggest that a 36 h fast, which generated a negative energy balance of approximately 12 MJ, did not induce a powerful, unconditioned stimulus to compensate on the subsequent day.

The clinical diagnostic accuracy of rapid detection of healthcare-associated bloodstream infection in intensive care using multipathogen real-time PCR technology

PubMed Central

Dunn, Graham; Chadwick, Paul; Young, Duncan; Bentley, Andrew; Carlson, Gordon; Warhurst, Geoffrey

2011-01-01

Background There is growing interest in the potential utility of real-time PCR in diagnosing bloodstream infection by detecting pathogen DNA in blood samples within a few hours. SeptiFast is a multipathogen probe-based real-time PCR system targeting ribosomal DNA sequences of bacteria and fungi. It detects and identifies the commonest pathogens causing bloodstream infection and has European regulatory approval. The SeptiFast pathogen panel is suited to identifying healthcare-associated bloodstream infection acquired during complex healthcare, and the authors report here the protocol for the first detailed health-technology assessment of multiplex real-time PCR in this setting. Methods/design A Phase III multicentre double-blinded diagnostic study will determine the clinical validity of SeptiFast for the rapid detection of healthcare-associated bloodstream infection, against the current service standard of microbiological culture, in an adequately sized population of critically ill adult patients. Results from SeptiFast and standard microbiological culture procedures in each patient will be compared at study conclusion and the metrics of clinical diagnostic accuracy of SeptiFast determined in this population setting. In addition, this study aims to assess further the preliminary evidence that the detection of pathogen DNA in the bloodstream using SeptiFast may have value in identifying the presence of infection elsewhere in the body. Furthermore, differences in circulating immune-inflammatory markers in patient groups differentiated by the presence/absence of culturable pathogens and pathogen DNA will help elucidate further the patho-physiology of infection developing in the critically ill. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval has been granted by the North West 6 Research Ethics Committee (09/H1003/109). Based on the results of this first non-commercial study, independent recommendations will be made to The Department of Health (open-access health technology assessment report) as to whether SeptiFast has sufficient clinical diagnostic accuracy to move forward to efficacy testing during the provision of routine clinical care. PMID:22021785

Media Access and War Reporting: The Conflict between an Open Society and the Perceived Need for Government Control.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-18

letters or letters of official and semi-official affairs; word-of-mouth by ship captains, travelers or newcomers; and from clippings from other news- 14...papers. By today’s standards, it took news a long time to travel regardless of the mode chosen. 8 *, The postal system at the time was not a very...was slow, but in harmony with the old saw which tells us that bad news travels fast the report of the fight at Lexington made surprising time. 2 0 This

Digging Back In Time: Integrating Historical Data Into an Operational Ocean Observing System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCammon, M.

2016-02-01

Modern technologies allow reporting and display of data near real-time from in situ instrumentation live on the internet. This has given users fast access to critical information for scientific applications, marine safety, planning, and numerous other activities. Equally as valuable is having access to historical data sets. However, it is challenging to identify sources and access of historical data of interest as it exists in many different locations, depending on the funding source and provider. Also, time-varying formats can make it difficult to data-mine and display historical data. There is also the issue of data quality, and having a systematic means of assessing credibility of historical data sets. The Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) data management system demonstrates the successful ingestion of historical data, both old and new (as recent as yesterday) and has integrated numerous historical data streams into user friendly data portals, available for data upload and display on the AOOS Website. An example is the inclusion of non-real-time (e.g. day old) AIS (Automatic Identification System) ship tracking data, important for scientists working in marine mammal migration regions. Other examples include historical sea ice data, and various data streams from previous research projects (e.g. moored time series, HF Radar surface currents, weather, shipboard CTD). Most program or project websites only offer access to data specific to their agency or project alone, but do not have the capacity to provide access to the plethora of other data that might be available for the region and be useful for integration, comparison and synthesis. AOOS offers end users access to a one stop-shop for data in the area they want to research, helping them identify other sources of information and access. Demonstrations of data portals using historical data illustrate these benefits.

Time-resolved absorbance changes induced by fast acidification of bacteriorhodopsin in vesicle systems.

PubMed Central

Druckmann, S; Ottolenghi, M; Korenstein, R

1985-01-01

The direction of the accessibility to protons of the binding site in bacteriorhodopsin is of primary importance in elucidating the proton-pump mechanism. The problem is approached via the pH-dependent equilibrium bR560 in equilibrium bR605 in vesicles with preferentially oriented purple membranes. Fast acidification (stopped-flow) experiments with inside-out, monomeric, bR vesicles were carried out with and without a buffer enclosed in the vesicle interior. The results, showing a buffer-induced delay in the formation of bR605, indicate that the binding site is accessible to protons from the inside of the vesicles. We arrive at this conclusion also by working with inside-out trimeric vesicles in the presence and in the absence of H+ (and K+) ionophores. The results suggest that in Halobacterium halobium, the binding site and thus the retinal Schiff base are exposed to the outside of the cell. This conclusion is consistent with a pumping mechanism based on a light-induced pK change. PMID:3978185

Effect of re-feeding after starvation on biomechanical properties in rat small intestine.

PubMed

Dou, Y; Gregersen, S; Zhao, J; Zhuang, F; Gregersen, H

2001-10-01

Luminal nutrients are essential for maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the gut. Starvation induces pronounced structural and biomechanical remodelling in the rat small intestine. The present work was done to study the recovery process after resumption of food intake. Twenty-five Wistar rats were allocated to five groups. Four groups fasted for 7 days but had free access to water. One of these groups served as fasted controls and was killed at the end of the fast. The other three groups were re-fed for 2, 4 and 7 days before they were euthanised. The fifth group had free access to food during the whole study (fed controls). The intestinal no-load state, zero-stress state and the stress-strain relationship during distension were studied. The intestinal segments were cut transversely into a series of short ring-shaped segments to obtain the no-load state. Each ring was cut in the radial direction to obtain the zero-stress state. The rats regained the lost body weight (22%) by the 7th day of re-feeding. The lost duodenal mass (40%) and jejunal mass (25%) were regained by the 2nd day whereas the lost mass from ileum (18%) was regained by the 4th day. The fasting-induced morphometric changes were normalised by re-feeding on the 2nd day in the duodenum and jejunum, and on the 4th day in the ileum. The longitudinal stress-strain curves shifted to the right after fasting and shifted back within two days following re-feeding (P<0.05). The circumferential stress-strain curves in the fasted or re-fed rats changed in a similar though less pronounced way. Normal values were reached within 4-7 days for the circumferential direction. In conclusion, fasting-induced biomechanical and structural remodelling were normalised by re-feeding in a time- and location-dependent way.

Intraosseous access in the military operational setting.

PubMed

Vassallo, J; Horne, S; Smith, J E

2014-01-01

In an operational military environment, circulatory access can prove difficult for a variety of reasons including profound hypovolaemia, and limited first responder experience. With many injuries that cause catastrophic haemorrhage, such as traumatic limb amputations, circulatory access is needed as quickly as possible. Since 2006, the Defence Medical Services have been using the EZ-IO and FAST1 devices as a means of obtaining circulatory access. A prospective observational study was conducted between March and July 2011 at the Emergency Department, Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. All patients with an intraosseous device had data recorded that included if the device successfully flushed (functionality) and if any problems were encountered. 117 patients presented with a total of 195 devices: 149 were EZ-IO (76%) and 46 were FAST1 (24%). Functionality was recorded for 111 (57%), with 17 failing to function, yielding an overall success rate of 84.7%. Device failure was observed to be more prevalent in the humerus; inability to flush the device was the leading cause, followed by mechanical failure. There were 2 complications, device breaking on removal being the reason for both. The devices in the study were tested for a period of time following insertion (median 32 minutes), and still the success rates mirror those found in the literature. Observed differences between sites were not found to be significant with confidence intervals overlapping. Further work is proposed to investigate the long-term complications of intraosseous devices.

Spatial access to residential care resources in Beijing, China

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background As the population is ageing rapidly in Beijing, the residential care sector is in a fast expansion process with the support of the municipal government. Understanding spatial accessibility to residential care resources by older people supports the need for rational allocation of care resources in future planning. Methods Based on population data and data on residential care resources, this study uses two Geographic Information System (GIS) based methods – shortest path analysis and a two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method to analyse spatial accessibility to residential care resources. Results Spatial accessibility varies as the methods and considered factors change. When only time distance is considered, residential care resources are more accessible in the central city than in suburban and exurban areas. If care resources are considered in addition to time distance, spatial accessibility is relatively poor in the central city compared to the northeast to southeast side of the suburban and exurban areas. The resources in the northwest to southwest side of the city are the least accessible, even though several hotspots of residential care resources are located in these areas. Conclusions For policy making, it may require combining various methods for a comprehensive analysis. The methods used in this study provide tools for identifying underserved areas in order to improve equity in access to and efficiency in allocation of residential care resources in future planning. PMID:22877360

Association between proximity to and coverage of traditional fast-food restaurants and non-traditional fast-food outlets and fast-food consumption among rural adults

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Objective The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between residential exposure to fast-food entrées, using two measures of potential spatial access: proximity (distance to the nearest location) and coverage (number of different locations), and weekly consumption of fast-food meals. Methods Traditional fast-food restaurants and non-traditional fast-food outlets, such as convenience stores, supermarkets, and grocery stores, from the 2006 Brazos Valley Food Environment Project were linked with individual participants (n = 1409) who completed the nutrition module in the 2006 Brazos Valley Community Health Assessment. Results Increased age, poverty, increased distance to the nearest fast food, and increased number of different traditional fast-food restaurants, non-traditional fast-food outlets, or fast-food opportunities were associated with less frequent weekly consumption of fast-food meals. The interaction of gender and proximity (distance) or coverage (number) indicated that the association of proximity to or coverage of fast-food locations on fast-food consumption was greater among women and opposite of independent effects. Conclusions Results provide impetus for identifying and understanding the complex relationship between access to all fast-food opportunities, rather than to traditional fast-food restaurants alone, and fast-food consumption. The results indicate the importance of further examining the complex interaction of gender and distance in rural areas and particularly in fast-food consumption. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the need for health promotion and policy efforts to consider all sources of fast-food as part of promoting healthful food choices. PMID:21599955

Associations between major chain fast-food outlet availability and change in body mass index: a longitudinal observational study of women from Victoria, Australia

PubMed Central

Thornton, Lukar E; Olstad, Dana Lee; Cerin, Ester; Ball, Kylie

2017-01-01

Objectives The residential neighbourhood fast-food environment has the potential to lead to increased levels of obesity by providing opportunities for residents to consume energy-dense products. This longitudinal study aimed to examine whether change in body mass index (BMI) differed dependent on major chain fast-food outlet availability among women residing in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Setting Eighty disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Victoria, Australia. Participants Sample of 882 women aged 18–46 years at baseline (wave I: 2007/2008) who remained at the same residential location at all three waves (wave II: 2010/2011; wave III: 2012/2013) of the Resilience for Eating and Activity Despite Inequality study. Primary outcome BMI based on self-reported height and weight at each wave. Results There was no evidence of an interaction between time and the number of major chain fast-food outlets within 2 (p=0.88), 3 (p=0.66) or 5 km (p=0.24) in the multilevel models of BMI. Furthermore, there was no evidence of an interaction between time and change in availability at any distance and BMI. Conclusions Change in BMI was not found to differ by residential major chain fast-food outlet availability among Victorian women residing in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. It may be that exposure to fast-food outlets around other locations regularly visited influence change in BMI. Future research needs to consider what environments are the key sources for accessing and consuming fast food and how these relate to BMI and obesity risk. PMID:29042381

Development of a fusion approach selection tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohl, C.; Zeng, Y.

2015-06-01

During the last decades number and quality of available remote sensing satellite sensors for Earth observation has grown significantly. The amount of available multi-sensor images along with their increased spatial and spectral resolution provides new challenges to Earth scientists. With a Fusion Approach Selection Tool (FAST) the remote sensing community would obtain access to an optimized and improved image processing technology. Remote sensing image fusion is a mean to produce images containing information that is not inherent in the single image alone. In the meantime the user has access to sophisticated commercialized image fusion techniques plus the option to tune the parameters of each individual technique to match the anticipated application. This leaves the operator with an uncountable number of options to combine remote sensing images, not talking about the selection of the appropriate images, resolution and bands. Image fusion can be a machine and time-consuming endeavour. In addition it requires knowledge about remote sensing, image fusion, digital image processing and the application. FAST shall provide the user with a quick overview of processing flows to choose from to reach the target. FAST will ask for available images, application parameters and desired information to process this input to come out with a workflow to quickly obtain the best results. It will optimize data and image fusion techniques. It provides an overview on the possible results from which the user can choose the best. FAST will enable even inexperienced users to use advanced processing methods to maximize the benefit of multi-sensor image exploitation.

Fast, axis-agnostic, dynamically summarized storage and retrieval for mass spectrometry data.

PubMed

Handy, Kyle; Rosen, Jebediah; Gillan, André; Smith, Rob

2017-01-01

Mass spectrometry, a popular technique for elucidating the molecular contents of experimental samples, creates data sets comprised of millions of three-dimensional (m/z, retention time, intensity) data points that correspond to the types and quantities of analyzed molecules. Open and commercial MS data formats are arranged by retention time, creating latency when accessing data across multiple m/z. Existing MS storage and retrieval methods have been developed to overcome the limitations of retention time-based data formats, but do not provide certain features such as dynamic summarization and storage and retrieval of point meta-data (such as signal cluster membership), precluding efficient viewing applications and certain data-processing approaches. This manuscript describes MzTree, a spatial database designed to provide real-time storage and retrieval of dynamically summarized standard and augmented MS data with fast performance in both m/z and RT directions. Performance is reported on real data with comparisons against related published retrieval systems.

The Effect of Fasting Duration on Baseline Blood Glucose Concentration, Blood Insulin Concentration, Glucose/Insulin Ratio, Oral Sugar Test, and Insulin Response Test Results in Horses.

PubMed

Bertin, F R; Taylor, S D; Bianco, A W; Sojka-Kritchevsky, J E

2016-09-01

Published descriptions of the oral sugar test (OST) and insulin response test (IRT) have been inconsistent when specifying the protocol for fasting horses before testing. The purpose of our study was to examine the effect of fasting duration on blood glucose concentration, blood insulin concentration, glucose/insulin ratio, OST, and IRT results in horses. Ten healthy adult horses. Both OST and IRT were performed on horses without fasting and after fasting for 3, 6, and 12 hours. Thus, 8 tests were performed per horse in a randomized order. Blood collected at the initial time point of the OST was analysed for both blood glucose and serum insulin concentrations so that baseline concentrations and the glucose/insulin ratio could be determined. Unless fasted, horses had free-choice access to grass hay. There was no effect of fasting and fasting duration on blood glucose concentration, serum insulin concentration, glucose/insulin ratio, or the OST. Response to insulin in the IRT was decreased in fasted horses. The effect increased with fasting duration, with the least response to insulin administration after a 12-hour fast. These data indicate that insulin sensitivity is not a fixed trait in horses. Fasting a horse is not recommended for a glucose/insulin ratio or IRT, and fasting a horse for 3 hours is recommended for the OST. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Reconfigurable Integrated Optoelectronics

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

state -changing could be done also using thermo-optical, mechano-optical, magneto-optical or opto-optical inputs. The speed of reconfiguration can be fast... quantum computers, is a futuristic activity; however, Jeremy O’Brien believes that the time horizon for OQC suc- cess can be brought closer in by using ...2011 Richard Soref. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use

Ultra High Strain Rate Nanoindentation Testing.

PubMed

Sudharshan Phani, Pardhasaradhi; Oliver, Warren Carl

2017-06-17

Strain rate dependence of indentation hardness has been widely used to study time-dependent plasticity. However, the currently available techniques limit the range of strain rates that can be achieved during indentation testing. Recent advances in electronics have enabled nanomechanical measurements with very low noise levels (sub nanometer) at fast time constants (20 µs) and high data acquisition rates (100 KHz). These capabilities open the doors for a wide range of ultra-fast nanomechanical testing, for instance, indentation testing at very high strain rates. With an accurate dynamic model and an instrument with fast time constants, step load tests can be performed which enable access to indentation strain rates approaching ballistic levels (i.e., 4000 1/s). A novel indentation based testing technique involving a combination of step load and constant load and hold tests that enables measurement of strain rate dependence of hardness spanning over seven orders of magnitude in strain rate is presented. A simple analysis is used to calculate the equivalent uniaxial response from indentation data and compared to the conventional uniaxial data for commercial purity aluminum. Excellent agreement is found between the indentation and uniaxial data over several orders of magnitude of strain rate.

Neighborhood Disparities in Access to Healthy Foods and Their Effects on Environmental Justice

PubMed Central

Dave, Jayna

2012-01-01

Environmental justice is concerned with an equitable distribution of environmental burdens. These burdens comprise immediate health hazards as well as subtle inequities, such as limited access to healthy foods. We reviewed the literature on neighborhood disparities in access to fast-food outlets and convenience stores. Low-income neighborhoods offered greater access to food sources that promote unhealthy eating. The distribution of fast-food outlets and convenience stores differed by the racial/ethnic characteristics of the neighborhood. Further research is needed to address the limitations of current studies, identify effective policy actions to achieve environmental justice, and evaluate intervention strategies to promote lifelong healthy eating habits, optimum health, and vibrant communities. PMID:22813465

Program for the analysis of time series. [by means of fast Fourier transform algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, T. J.; Brown, C. G.; Hardin, J. C.

1974-01-01

A digital computer program for the Fourier analysis of discrete time data is described. The program was designed to handle multiple channels of digitized data on general purpose computer systems. It is written, primarily, in a version of FORTRAN 2 currently in use on CDC 6000 series computers. Some small portions are written in CDC COMPASS, an assembler level code. However, functional descriptions of these portions are provided so that the program may be adapted for use on any facility possessing a FORTRAN compiler and random-access capability. Properly formatted digital data are windowed and analyzed by means of a fast Fourier transform algorithm to generate the following functions: (1) auto and/or cross power spectra, (2) autocorrelations and/or cross correlations, (3) Fourier coefficients, (4) coherence functions, (5) transfer functions, and (6) histograms.

An improved synthesis of pentacene: rapid access to a benchmark organic semiconductor.

PubMed

Pramanik, Chandrani; Miller, Glen P

2012-04-20

Pentacene is an organic semiconductor used in a variety of thin-film organic electronic devices. Although at least six separate syntheses of pentacene are known (two from dihydropentacenes, two from 6,13-pentacenedione and two from 6,13-dihydro-6,13-dihydroxypentacene), none is ideal and several utilize elevated temperatures that may facilitate the oxidation of pentacene as it is produced. Here, we present a fast (-2 min of reaction time), simple, high-yielding (≥ 90%), low temperature synthesis of pentacene from readily available 6,13-dihydro-6,13-dihydroxypentacene. Further, we discuss the mechanism of this highly efficient reaction. With this improved synthesis, researchers gain rapid, affordable access to high purity pentacene in excellent yield and without the need for a time consuming sublimation.

Fast probe of local electronic states in nanostructures utilizing a single-lead quantum dot

PubMed Central

Otsuka, Tomohiro; Amaha, Shinichi; Nakajima, Takashi; Delbecq, Matthieu R.; Yoneda, Jun; Takeda, Kenta; Sugawara, Retsu; Allison, Giles; Ludwig, Arne; Wieck, Andreas D.; Tarucha, Seigo

2015-01-01

Transport measurements are powerful tools to probe electronic properties of solid-state materials. To access properties of local electronic states in nanostructures, such as local density of states, electronic distribution and so on, micro-probes utilizing artificial nanostructures have been invented to perform measurements in addition to those with conventional macroscopic electronic reservoirs. Here we demonstrate a new kind of micro-probe: a fast single-lead quantum dot probe, which utilizes a quantum dot coupled only to the target structure through a tunneling barrier and fast charge readout by RF reflectometry. The probe can directly access the local electronic states with wide bandwidth. The probe can also access more electronic states, not just those around the Fermi level, and the operations are robust against bias voltages and temperatures. PMID:26416582

Fast-responder: Rapid mobile-phone access to recent remote sensing imagery for first responders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talbot, L. M.; Talbot, B. G.

We introduce Fast-Responder, a novel prototype data-dissemination application and architecture concept to rapidly deliver remote sensing imagery to smartphones to enable situational awareness. The architecture implements a Fast-Earth image caching system on the phone and interacts with a Fast-Earth server. Prototype evaluation successfully demonstrated that National Guard users could select a location, download multiple remote sensing images, and flicker between images, all in less than a minute on a 3G mobile commercial link. The Fast-Responder architecture is a significant advance that is designed to meet the needs of mobile users, such as National Guard response units, to rapidly access information during a crisis, such as a natural or man-made disaster. This paper focuses on the architecture design and advanced user interface concepts for small-screens for highly active mobile users. Novel Fast-Responder concepts can also enable rapid dissemination and evaluation of imagery on the desktop, opening new technology horizons for both desktop and mobile users.

Recovery from swimming-induced hypothermia in king penguins: effects of nutritional condition.

PubMed

Halsey, L G; Handrich, Y; Rey, B; Fahlman, A; Woakes, A J; Butler, P J

2008-01-01

We investigated changes in the rate of oxygen consumption (V O2) and body temperature of wild king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) in different nutritional conditions during recovery after exposure to cold water. Over time, birds undertook an identical experiment three times, each characterized by different nutritional conditions: (1) having recently completed a foraging trip, (2) after fasting for many days, and (3) having been refed one meal after the fast. The experiments consisted of a 2-h session in a water channel followed by a period of recovery in a respirometer chamber on land. Refed birds recovered significantly more quickly than fed birds, in terms of both time to reach resting V O2 on land and time to reach recovery of lower abdominal temperature. Previous work found that when penguins are in cold water, abdominal temperatures decrease less in refed birds than in fed or fasted birds, suggesting that refed birds may be vasoconstricting the periphery while perfusing the gut region to access nutrients. This, alongside an increased resting [V O2], seems the most reasonable explanation for why refed birds recovered more quickly subsequent to cold-water exposure in this study; that is, vasoconstriction of the insulative periphery meant that they lost less heat generated by the body core.

Association between junk food consumption and fast-food outlet access near school among Quebec secondary-school children: findings from the Quebec Health Survey of High School Students (QHSHSS) 2010-11.

PubMed

Cutumisu, Nicoleta; Traoré, Issouf; Paquette, Marie-Claude; Cazale, Linda; Camirand, Hélène; Lalonde, Benoit; Robitaille, Eric

2017-04-01

We investigated the association between junk food consumption at lunchtime (JCL) and fast-food outlet access near school among secondary-school children in Quebec. A geographic information system database was used to characterize the food environment around a sub-sample of 374 public schools in which 26 655 students were enrolled. The outcome variable was JCL during the previous week, dichotomized into low JCL (none or once) v. high JCL (twice or more). Access to fast-food outlets near school was assessed using an existing database of fast-food outlets in Quebec. Covariates included student (age, sex and self-rated perceived health), family (familial status and parental education) and school (urban/rural status and deprivation) variables. Hierarchical logistic regression models were employed for analyses using PROC GLIMMIX of SAS version 9.3. Province of Quebec, Canada. We used data from the Quebec Health Survey of High School Students (QHSHSS) 2010-11, a survey of secondary-school Quebec students. Exposure to two or more fast-food outlets within a radius of 750 m around schools was associated with a higher likelihood of excess JCL (OR=1·50; 95 % CI 1·28, 1·75), controlling for the characteristics of the students, their families and their schools. The food environment surrounding schools can constitute a target for interventions to improve food choices among secondary-school children living in the province of Quebec. Transforming environments around schools to promote healthy eating includes modifying zoning regulations that restrict access to fast-food outlets around schools.

Genuine Onion: Simple, Fast, Flexible, and Cheap Website Authentication

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-21

Genuine onion : Simple, Fast, Flexible, and Cheap Website Authentication Paul Syverson U.S. Naval Research Laboratory paul.syverson@nrl.navy.mil...access to Internet websites. Tor is also used to access sites on the . onion virtual domain. The focus of . onion use and discussion has traditionally... onion system can be used to provide an entirely separate benefit: basic website authentication. We also argue that not only can onionsites provide

Ferroelectric tunneling element and memory applications which utilize the tunneling element

DOEpatents

Kalinin, Sergei V [Knoxville, TN; Christen, Hans M [Knoxville, TN; Baddorf, Arthur P [Knoxville, TN; Meunier, Vincent [Knoxville, TN; Lee, Ho Nyung [Oak Ridge, TN

2010-07-20

A tunneling element includes a thin film layer of ferroelectric material and a pair of dissimilar electrically-conductive layers disposed on opposite sides of the ferroelectric layer. Because of the dissimilarity in composition or construction between the electrically-conductive layers, the electron transport behavior of the electrically-conductive layers is polarization dependent when the tunneling element is below the Curie temperature of the layer of ferroelectric material. The element can be used as a basis of compact 1R type non-volatile random access memory (RAM). The advantages include extremely simple architecture, ultimate scalability and fast access times generic for all ferroelectric memories.

Geographic Accessibility Of Food Outlets Not Associated With Body Mass Index Change Among Veterans, 2009-14.

PubMed

Zenk, Shannon N; Tarlov, Elizabeth; Wing, Coady; Matthews, Stephen A; Jones, Kelly; Tong, Hao; Powell, Lisa M

2017-08-01

In recent years, various levels of government in the United States have adopted or discussed subsidies, tax breaks, zoning laws, and other public policies that promote geographic access to healthy food. However, there is little evidence from large-scale longitudinal or quasi-experimental research to suggest that the local mix of food outlets actually affects body mass index (BMI). We used a longitudinal design to examine whether the proximity of food outlets, by type, was associated with BMI changes between 2009 and 2014 among 1.7 million veterans in 382 metropolitan areas. We found no evidence that either absolute or relative geographic accessibility of supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, or mass merchandisers was associated with changes in an individual's BMI over time. While policies that alter only geographic access to food outlets may promote equitable access to healthy food and improve nutrition, our findings suggest they will do little to combat obesity in adults. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Working memory at work: how the updating process alters the nature of working memory transfer.

PubMed

Zhang, Yanmin; Verhaeghen, Paul; Cerella, John

2012-01-01

In three N-Back experiments, we investigated components of the process of working memory (WM) updating, more specifically access to items stored outside the focus of attention and transfer from the focus to the region of WM outside the focus. We used stimulus complexity as a marker. We found that when WM transfer occurred under full attention, it was slow and highly sensitive to stimulus complexity, much more so than WM access. When transfer occurred in conjunction with access, however, it was fast and no longer sensitive to stimulus complexity. Thus the updating context altered the nature of WM processing: The dual-task situation (transfer in conjunction with access) drove memory transfer into a more efficient mode, indifferent to stimulus complexity. In contrast, access times consistently increased with complexity, unaffected by the processing context. This study reinforces recent reports that retrieval is a (perhaps the) key component of working memory functioning. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Working Memory at Work: How the Updating Process Alters the Nature of Working Memory Transfer

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yanmin; Verhaeghen, Paul; Cerella, John

2011-01-01

In three N-Back experiments, we investigated components of the process of working memory (WM) updating, more specifically access to items stored outside the focus of attention and transfer from the focus to the region of WM outside the focus. We used stimulus complexity as a marker. We found that when WM transfer occurred under full attention, it was slow and highly sensitive to stimulus complexity, much more so than WM access. When transfer occurred in conjunction with access, however, it was fast and no longer sensitive to stimulus complexity. Thus the updating context altered the nature of WM processing: The dual-task situation (transfer in conjunction with access) drove memory transfer into a more efficient mode, indifferent to stimulus complexity. In contrast, access times consistently increased with complexity, unaffected by the processing context. This study reinforces recent reports that retrieval is a (perhaps the) key component of working memory functioning. PMID:22105718

Stably accessing octave-spanning microresonator frequency combs in the soliton regime

PubMed Central

Li, Qing; Briles, Travis C.; Westly, Daron A.; Drake, Tara E.; Stone, Jordan R.; Ilic, B. Robert; Diddams, Scott A.; Papp, Scott B.; Srinivasan, Kartik

2017-01-01

Microresonator frequency combs can be an enabling technology for optical frequency synthesis and timekeeping in low size, weight, and power architectures. Such systems require comb operation in low-noise, phase-coherent states such as solitons, with broad spectral bandwidths (e.g., octave-spanning) for self-referencing to detect the carrier-envelope offset frequency. However, accessing such states is complicated by thermo-optic dispersion. For example, in the Si3N4 platform, precisely dispersion-engineered structures can support broadband operation, but microsecond thermal time constants often require fast pump power or frequency control to stabilize the solitons. In contrast, here we consider how broadband soliton states can be accessed with simple pump laser frequency tuning, at a rate much slower than the thermal dynamics. We demonstrate octave-spanning soliton frequency combs in Si3N4 microresonators, including the generation of a multi-soliton state with a pump power near 40 mW and a single-soliton state with a pump power near 120 mW. We also develop a simplified two-step analysis to explain how these states are accessed without fast control of the pump laser, and outline the required thermal properties for such operation. Our model agrees with experimental results as well as numerical simulations based on a Lugiato-Lefever equation that incorporates thermo-optic dispersion. Moreover, it also explains an experimental observation that a member of an adjacent mode family on the red-detuned side of the pump mode can mitigate the thermal requirements for accessing soliton states. PMID:28603754

Scaling Trapped Ion Quantum Computers Using Fast Gates and Microtraps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratcliffe, Alexander K.; Taylor, Richard L.; Hope, Joseph J.; Carvalho, André R. R.

2018-06-01

Most attempts to produce a scalable quantum information processing platform based on ion traps have focused on the shuttling of ions in segmented traps. We show that an architecture based on an array of microtraps with fast gates will outperform architectures based on ion shuttling. This system requires higher power lasers but does not require the manipulation of potentials or shuttling of ions. This improves optical access, reduces the complexity of the trap, and reduces the number of conductive surfaces close to the ions. The use of fast gates also removes limitations on the gate time. Error rates of 10-5 are shown to be possible with 250 mW laser power and a trap separation of 100 μ m . The performance of the gates is shown to be robust to the limitations in the laser repetition rate and the presence of many ions in the trap array.

The Flex Track: Flexible Partitioning between Low- and High-Acuity Areas of an Emergency Department

PubMed Central

Laker, Lauren F.; Froehle, Craig M.; Lindsell, Christopher J.; Ward, Michael J.

2014-01-01

Study Objective EDs with both low- and high-acuity treatment areas often have fixed allocation of resources, regardless of demand. We demonstrate the utility of discrete-event simulation to evaluate flexible partitioning between low- and high-acuity ED areas to identify the best operational strategy for subsequent implementation. Methods A discrete-event simulation was used to model patient flow through a 50-bed, urban, teaching ED that handles 85,000 patient visits annually. The ED has historically allocated ten beds to a Fast Track for low-acuity patients. We estimated the effect of a Flex Track policy, which involved switching up to five of these Fast Track beds to serving both low- and high-acuity patients, on patient waiting times. When the high-acuity beds were not at capacity, low-acuity patients were given priority access to flexible beds. Otherwise, high-acuity patients were given priority access to flexible beds. Wait times were estimated for patients by disposition and emergency severity index (ESI) score. Results A Flex Track policy using three flexible beds produced the lowest mean patient waiting of 30.9 (95% CI 30.6–31.2) minutes. The typical Fast Track approach of rigidly separating high- and low–acuity beds produced a mean patient wait time of 40.6 (95% CI 40.2–50.0) minutes, 31% higher than the three-bed Flex Track. A completely flexible ED, where all beds can accommodate any patient, produced mean wait times of 35.1 (95% CI 34.8–35.4) minutes. The results from the three-bed Flex Track scenario were robust, performing well across a range of scenarios involving higher and lower patient volumes and care durations. Conclusion Using discrete-event simulation, we have shown that adding some flexibility into bed allocation between low- and high-acuity can provide substantial reductions in overall patient waiting and a more efficient ED. PMID:24954578

Do semantic sentence constraint and L2 proficiency influence language selectivity of lexical access in native language listening?

PubMed

Lagrou, Evelyne; Hartsuiker, Robert J; Duyck, Wouter

2015-12-01

We investigated whether language nonselective lexical access in bilingual auditory word recognition when listening in the native language (L1) is modulated by (a) the semantic constraint of the sentence and (b) the second language (L2) proficiency level. We report 2 experiments in which Dutch-English bilinguals with different proficiency levels completed an L1 auditory lexical-decision task on the last word of low- and high-constraining sentences. The critical stimuli were interlingual homophones (e.g., lief [sweet] - leaf /li:f/). Participants recognized homophones significantly slower than matched control words. Importantly, neither the semantic constraint of the sentence, nor the proficiency level of the bilinguals interacted with this interlingual homophone effect. However, when we compared the slow and fast reaction times (RTs), we observed a reduction in the homophone interference effect when listening to high-constraining sentences in L1 for the slow RTs, but not for the fast RTs. Taken together, this provides strong evidence for a language-nonselective account of lexical access when listening in L1, and suggests that even when low-proficient bilinguals are listening to high-constraint sentences in L1, both languages of a bilingual are still activated. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Finding and Localizing FRBs in Realtime with realfast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Law, Casey J.; Bower, Geoffrey C.; Burke-Spolaor, Sarah; Butler, Bryan J.; Paul, Demorest; Lazio, Joseph; Rupen, Michael P.

2017-01-01

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are mysterious millisecond radio transients that seem to originate from outside of the Milky Way. Despite having discovered roughly 20 FRBs, single-dish radio telescopes have not localized an FRB well enough to associate them confidently with multiwavelength counterparts (e.g., a host galaxy). Thus, fundamental questions about their distance, energetics, and origin remain open. Radio interferometers expand on science capabilities of single-dish radio telescopes by their ability to instantaneously localize sources. However, using interferometers at millisecond timescales ("fast imaging") generates a Terabyte of data per hour, enough to choke typical data analysis pipelines and too large to move via the internet.To open access to this novel capability of interferometers, we are building realfast, a GPU cluster at the Very Large Array (VLA) that will be dedicated to real-time, fast transient searches. Real-time processing will be used to trigger data recording for those brief moments when millisecond transients occur. Realfast will be integrated with the VLA correlator to search a fast copy of all observations, a fundamentally new capability that will be open to all VLA users. By controlling the output data rate, realfast will observe thousands of hours per year, enough to find and localize dozens of FRBs. I will present early development progress and discoveries from realfast observations.

"Fast Track" and "Traditional Path" Coaches: Affordances, Agency and Social Capital

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rynne, Steven

2014-01-01

A recent development in large-scale coach accreditation (certification) structures has been the "fast tracking" of former elite athletes. Former elite athletes are often exempted from entry-level qualifications and are generally granted access to fast track courses that are shortened versions of the accreditation courses undertaken by…

Technical developments for an upgrade of the LEBIT Penning trap mass spectrometry facility for rare isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redshaw, M.; Barquest, B. R.; Bollen, G.; Bustabad, S. E.; Campbell, C. M.; Ferrer, R.; Gehring, A.; Kwiatkowski, A. A.; Lincoln, D. L.; Morrissey, D. J.; Pang, G. K.; Ringle, R.; Schwarz, S.

2011-07-01

The LEBIT (Low Energy Beam and Ion Trap) facility is the only Penning trap mass spectrometry (PTMS) facility to utilize rare isotopes produced via fast-beam fragmentation. This technique allows access to practically all elements lighter than uranium, and in particular enables the production of isotopes that are not available or that are difficult to obtain at isotope separation on-line facilities. The preparation of the high-energy rare-isotope beam produced by projectile fragmentation for low-energy PTMS experiments is achieved by gas stopping to slow down and thermalize the fast-beam ions, along with an rf quadrupole cooler and buncher and rf quadrupole ion guides to deliver the beam to the Penning trap. During its first phase of operation LEBIT has been very successful, and new developments are now underway to access rare isotopes even farther from stability, which requires dealing with extremely short lifetimes and low production rates. These developments aim at increasing delivery efficiency, minimizing delivery and measurement time, and maximizing use of available beam time. They include an upgrade to the gas-stopping station, active magnetic field monitoring and stabilization by employing a miniature Penning trap as a magnetometer, the use of stored waveform inverse Fourier transform (SWIFT) to most effectively remove unwanted ions, and charge breeding.

Fast and Efficient XML Data Access for Next-Generation Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Röst, Hannes L; Schmitt, Uwe; Aebersold, Ruedi; Malmström, Lars

2015-01-01

In mass spectrometry-based proteomics, XML formats such as mzML and mzXML provide an open and standardized way to store and exchange the raw data (spectra and chromatograms) of mass spectrometric experiments. These file formats are being used by a multitude of open-source and cross-platform tools which allow the proteomics community to access algorithms in a vendor-independent fashion and perform transparent and reproducible data analysis. Recent improvements in mass spectrometry instrumentation have increased the data size produced in a single LC-MS/MS measurement and put substantial strain on open-source tools, particularly those that are not equipped to deal with XML data files that reach dozens of gigabytes in size. Here we present a fast and versatile parsing library for mass spectrometric XML formats available in C++ and Python, based on the mature OpenMS software framework. Our library implements an API for obtaining spectra and chromatograms under memory constraints using random access or sequential access functions, allowing users to process datasets that are much larger than system memory. For fast access to the raw data structures, small XML files can also be completely loaded into memory. In addition, we have improved the parsing speed of the core mzML module by over 4-fold (compared to OpenMS 1.11), making our library suitable for a wide variety of algorithms that need fast access to dozens of gigabytes of raw mass spectrometric data. Our C++ and Python implementations are available for the Linux, Mac, and Windows operating systems. All proposed modifications to the OpenMS code have been merged into the OpenMS mainline codebase and are available to the community at https://github.com/OpenMS/OpenMS.

Fast and Efficient XML Data Access for Next-Generation Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Röst, Hannes L.; Schmitt, Uwe; Aebersold, Ruedi; Malmström, Lars

2015-01-01

Motivation In mass spectrometry-based proteomics, XML formats such as mzML and mzXML provide an open and standardized way to store and exchange the raw data (spectra and chromatograms) of mass spectrometric experiments. These file formats are being used by a multitude of open-source and cross-platform tools which allow the proteomics community to access algorithms in a vendor-independent fashion and perform transparent and reproducible data analysis. Recent improvements in mass spectrometry instrumentation have increased the data size produced in a single LC-MS/MS measurement and put substantial strain on open-source tools, particularly those that are not equipped to deal with XML data files that reach dozens of gigabytes in size. Results Here we present a fast and versatile parsing library for mass spectrometric XML formats available in C++ and Python, based on the mature OpenMS software framework. Our library implements an API for obtaining spectra and chromatograms under memory constraints using random access or sequential access functions, allowing users to process datasets that are much larger than system memory. For fast access to the raw data structures, small XML files can also be completely loaded into memory. In addition, we have improved the parsing speed of the core mzML module by over 4-fold (compared to OpenMS 1.11), making our library suitable for a wide variety of algorithms that need fast access to dozens of gigabytes of raw mass spectrometric data. Availability Our C++ and Python implementations are available for the Linux, Mac, and Windows operating systems. All proposed modifications to the OpenMS code have been merged into the OpenMS mainline codebase and are available to the community at https://github.com/OpenMS/OpenMS. PMID:25927999

Bitstream decoding processor for fast entropy decoding of variable length coding-based multiformat videos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jo, Hyunho; Sim, Donggyu

2014-06-01

We present a bitstream decoding processor for entropy decoding of variable length coding-based multiformat videos. Since most of the computational complexity of entropy decoders comes from bitstream accesses and table look-up process, the developed bitstream processing unit (BsPU) has several designated instructions to access bitstreams and to minimize branch operations in the table look-up process. In addition, the instruction for bitstream access has the capability to remove emulation prevention bytes (EPBs) of H.264/AVC without initial delay, repeated memory accesses, and additional buffer. Experimental results show that the proposed method for EPB removal achieves a speed-up of 1.23 times compared to the conventional EPB removal method. In addition, the BsPU achieves speed-ups of 5.6 and 3.5 times in entropy decoding of H.264/AVC and MPEG-4 Visual bitstreams, respectively, compared to an existing processor without designated instructions and a new table mapping algorithm. The BsPU is implemented on a Xilinx Virtex5 LX330 field-programmable gate array. The MPEG-4 Visual (ASP, Level 5) and H.264/AVC (Main Profile, Level 4) are processed using the developed BsPU with a core clock speed of under 250 MHz in real time.

Associations between major chain fast-food outlet availability and change in body mass index: a longitudinal observational study of women from Victoria, Australia.

PubMed

Lamb, Karen E; Thornton, Lukar E; Olstad, Dana Lee; Cerin, Ester; Ball, Kylie

2017-10-16

The residential neighbourhood fast-food environment has the potential to lead to increased levels of obesity by providing opportunities for residents to consume energy-dense products. This longitudinal study aimed to examine whether change in body mass index (BMI) differed dependent on major chain fast-food outlet availability among women residing in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Eighty disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Victoria, Australia. Sample of 882 women aged 18-46 years at baseline (wave I: 2007/2008) who remained at the same residential location at all three waves (wave II: 2010/2011; wave III: 2012/2013) of the Resilience for Eating and Activity Despite Inequality study. BMI based on self-reported height and weight at each wave. There was no evidence of an interaction between time and the number of major chain fast-food outlets within 2 (p=0.88), 3 (p=0.66) or 5 km (p=0.24) in the multilevel models of BMI. Furthermore, there was no evidence of an interaction between time and change in availability at any distance and BMI. Change in BMI was not found to differ by residential major chain fast-food outlet availability among Victorian women residing in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. It may be that exposure to fast-food outlets around other locations regularly visited influence change in BMI. Future research needs to consider what environments are the key sources for accessing and consuming fast food and how these relate to BMI and obesity risk. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Fast multidimensional ensemble empirical mode decomposition for the analysis of big spatio-temporal datasets.

PubMed

Wu, Zhaohua; Feng, Jiaxin; Qiao, Fangli; Tan, Zhe-Min

2016-04-13

In this big data era, it is more urgent than ever to solve two major issues: (i) fast data transmission methods that can facilitate access to data from non-local sources and (ii) fast and efficient data analysis methods that can reveal the key information from the available data for particular purposes. Although approaches in different fields to address these two questions may differ significantly, the common part must involve data compression techniques and a fast algorithm. This paper introduces the recently developed adaptive and spatio-temporally local analysis method, namely the fast multidimensional ensemble empirical mode decomposition (MEEMD), for the analysis of a large spatio-temporal dataset. The original MEEMD uses ensemble empirical mode decomposition to decompose time series at each spatial grid and then pieces together the temporal-spatial evolution of climate variability and change on naturally separated timescales, which is computationally expensive. By taking advantage of the high efficiency of the expression using principal component analysis/empirical orthogonal function analysis for spatio-temporally coherent data, we design a lossy compression method for climate data to facilitate its non-local transmission. We also explain the basic principles behind the fast MEEMD through decomposing principal components instead of original grid-wise time series to speed up computation of MEEMD. Using a typical climate dataset as an example, we demonstrate that our newly designed methods can (i) compress data with a compression rate of one to two orders; and (ii) speed-up the MEEMD algorithm by one to two orders. © 2016 The Authors.

A DTN-Based Multiple Access Fast Forward Service for the NASA Space Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Israel, David; Davis, Faith; Marquart. Jane

2011-01-01

The NASA Space Network provides a demand access return link service capable of providing users a space link "on demand". An equivalent service in the forward link direction is not possible due to Tracking and Data Relay Spacecraft (TDRS) constraints. A Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN)-based Multiple Access Fast Forward (MAFF) service has been proposed to provide a forward link to a user as soon as possible. Previous concept studies have identified a basic architecture and implementation approach. This paper reviews the user scenarios and benefits of an MAFF service and proposes an implementation approach based on the use of DTN protocols.

Using Fast Food Nutrition Facts to Make Healthier Menu Selections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turley, Jennifer

2009-01-01

Objectives: This teaching idea enables students to (1) access and analyze fast food nutrition facts information (Calorie, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sugar, and sodium content); (2) decipher unhealthy and healthier food choices from fast food restaurant menus for better meal and diet planning to reduce obesity and minimize…

Association between Childhood Obesity and Neighbourhood Accessibility to Fast-Food Outlets: A Nationwide 6-Year Follow-Up Study of 944,487 Children.

PubMed

Hamano, Tsuyoshi; Li, Xinjun; Sundquist, Jan; Sundquist, Kristina

2017-01-01

The aim of this 6-year follow-up study was to examine whether neighbourhood accessibility to fast-food outlets was associated with diagnosed childhood obesity, after adjustment for neighbourhood- and individual-level socio-demographic factors. This 6-year follow-up study comprised 484,677 boys and 459,810 girls aged 0-14 years in Sweden. The follow-up period ran from January 1, 2005, until hospitalisation/out-patient treatment for obesity, death, emigration or the end of the study period on December 31, 2010. Multilevel logistic regression models (individual-level factors at the first level and neighbourhood-level factors at the second level) were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). We identified 6,968 obesity cases (3,878 boys and 3,090 girls) during the follow-up period. Higher odds of childhood obesity for those living in neighbourhoods with accessibility to fast-food outlets was observed (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.07-1.22) that remained significant after adjustments (OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.00-1.13). This prospective nationwide study showed that the neighbourhood accessibility to fast-food outlets was independently associated with increased odds of diagnosed childhood obesity. This finding implicates that residential environments should be considered when developing health promotion programmes. © 2017 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Elasticity and Anelasticity of Materials from Time-Resolved X-ray Diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinogeikin, S. V.; Smith, J.; Lin, C.; Bai, L.; Rod, E.; Shen, G.

2014-12-01

Recent advances in synchrotron sources, x-ray optics, area detectors, and sample environment control have enabled many time-resolved experimental techniques for studying materials at extreme pressure and temperature conditions. The High Pressure Collaborative Access Team (HPCAT) at the Advanced Photon Source has made a sustained effort to develop and assemble a powerful collection of high-pressure apparatus for time-resolved research, and considerable time has been invested in developing techniques for collecting high-quality time-resolved x-ray scattering data. In this talk we will outline recently developed capabilities at HPCAT for studying elasticity and anelasticity of minerals using fast compression and cyclic compression-decompression. A few recent studies will be highlighted. For example, with fast x-ray area detectors having millisecond time resolution, accurate thermal equations of state of materials at temperatures up to 1000K and megabar pressures can be collected in a matter of seconds using membrane-driven diamond anvil cells (DAC), yielding unprecedented time and pressure resolution of true isotherms. Short duration of the experiments eliminates temperature variation during the experiments and in general allows volume measurements at higher pressures and temperatures. Alternatively, high-frequency (kilohertz range) radial diffraction measurements in a panoramic DAC combined with fast, precise cyclic loading/unloading by piezo drive could provide the short time scale necessary for studying rheology of minerals from the elastic response and lattice relaxation as a function of pressure, temperature and strain rate. Finally, we consider some possible future applications for time-resolved high-pressure, high-temperature research of mantle minerals.

Fast food restaurant locations according to socioeconomic disadvantage, urban-regional locality, and schools within Victoria, Australia.

PubMed

Thornton, Lukar E; Lamb, Karen E; Ball, Kylie

2016-12-01

Features of the built environment provide opportunities to engage in both healthy and unhealthy behaviours. Access to a high number of fast food restaurants may encourage greater consumption of fast food products. The distribution of fast food restaurants at a state-level has not previously been reported in Australia. Using the location of 537 fast food restaurants from four major chains (McDonald׳s, KFC, Hungry Jacks, and Red Rooster), this study examined fast food restaurant locations across the state of Victoria relative to area-level disadvantage, urban-regional locality (classified as Major Cities, Inner Regional, or Outer Regional), and around schools. Findings revealed greater locational access to fast food restaurants in more socioeconomically disadvantaged areas (compared to areas with lower levels of disadvantage), nearby to secondary schools (compared to primary schools), and nearby to primary and secondary schools within the most disadvantaged areas of the major city region (compared to primary and secondary schools in areas with lower levels of disadvantage). Adjusted models showed no significant difference in location according to urban-regional locality. Knowledge of the distribution of fast food restaurants in Australia will assist local authorities to target potential policy mechanisms, such as planning regulations, where they are most needed.

International Schools for Young Astronomers Teaching for Astronomy Development: two programmes of the International Astronomical Union

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerbaldi, Michèle; DeGreve, Jean-Pierre; Guinan, Edward

2011-06-01

This text outlines the main features of two educational programmes of the International Astronomical Union (IAU): the International Schools for Young Astronomers (ISYA) and the Teaching for Astronomy Development programme (TAD), developed since 1967. The main goal of the International Schools for Young Astronomers (ISYA) is to support astronomy (education and research) in developing countries in organizing a 3-week School for students with typically M.Sc. degrees. The context in which the ISYA were developed changed drastically during the last decade. From a time when access to large telescopes was difficult and mainly organized on a nation-basis, nowadays the archives of astronomical data have accumulated at the same time that many major telescope become accessible, and they are accessible from everywhere, the concept of virtual observatory reinforcing this access. A second programme of the IAU, Teaching for Astronomy Development (TAD), partially based on a School, but also of shorter duration (typically one week) has a complementary objective. It is dedicated to assist countries that have little or no astronomical activity, but that wish to enhance their astronomy education. The fast development of the TAD programme over the past years is emphasized.

48 CFR 1852.223-76 - Federal Automotive Statistical Tool Reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... data describing vehicle usage required by the Federal Automotive Statistical Tool (FAST) by October 15 of each year. FAST is accessed through http://fastweb.inel.gov/. (End of clause) [68 FR 43334, July...

48 CFR 1852.223-76 - Federal Automotive Statistical Tool Reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... data describing vehicle usage required by the Federal Automotive Statistical Tool (FAST) by October 15 of each year. FAST is accessed through http://fastweb.inel.gov/. (End of clause) [68 FR 43334, July...

48 CFR 1852.223-76 - Federal Automotive Statistical Tool Reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... data describing vehicle usage required by the Federal Automotive Statistical Tool (FAST) by October 15 of each year. FAST is accessed through http://fastweb.inel.gov/. (End of clause) [68 FR 43334, July...

48 CFR 1852.223-76 - Federal Automotive Statistical Tool Reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... data describing vehicle usage required by the Federal Automotive Statistical Tool (FAST) by October 15 of each year. FAST is accessed through http://fastweb.inel.gov/. (End of clause) [68 FR 43334, July...

Effects of early-life exposure to Western diet and wheel access on metabolic syndrome profiles in mice bred for high voluntary exercise.

PubMed

Meek, T H; Eisenmann, J C; Keeney, B K; Hannon, R M; Dlugosz, E M; Garland, T

2014-03-01

Experimental studies manipulating diet and exercise have shown varying effects on metabolic syndrome components in both humans and rodents. To examine the potential interactive effects of diet, exercise and genetic background, we studied mice from four replicate lines bred (52 generations) for high voluntary wheel running (HR lines) and four unselected control lines (C). At weaning, animals were housed for 60 days with or without wheels and fed either a standard chow or Western diet (WD, 42% kcal from fat). Four serial (three juvenile and one adult) blood samples were taken to measure fasting total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides and glucose. Western diet was obesogenic for all mice, even after accounting for the amount of wheel running and kilojoules consumed. Western diet significantly raised glucose as well as TC and HDL-C concentrations. At the level of individual variation (repeatability), there was a modest correlation (r = 0.3-0.5) of blood lipids over time, which was reduced with wheel access and/or WD. Neither genetic selection history nor wheel access had a statistically significant effect on blood lipids. However, HR and C mice had divergent ontogenetic trajectories for body mass and caloric intake. HR mice also had lower adiposity, an effect that was dependent on wheel access. The environmental factors of diet and wheel access had pronounced effects on body mass, food consumption and fasting glucose concentrations, interacting with each other and/or with genetic strain. These data underscore the importance (and often unpredictable nature) of genotype-by-environment and environment-by-environment interactions when studying body weight regulation. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

GEMINI: a computationally-efficient search engine for large gene expression datasets.

PubMed

DeFreitas, Timothy; Saddiki, Hachem; Flaherty, Patrick

2016-02-24

Low-cost DNA sequencing allows organizations to accumulate massive amounts of genomic data and use that data to answer a diverse range of research questions. Presently, users must search for relevant genomic data using a keyword, accession number of meta-data tag. However, in this search paradigm the form of the query - a text-based string - is mismatched with the form of the target - a genomic profile. To improve access to massive genomic data resources, we have developed a fast search engine, GEMINI, that uses a genomic profile as a query to search for similar genomic profiles. GEMINI implements a nearest-neighbor search algorithm using a vantage-point tree to store a database of n profiles and in certain circumstances achieves an [Formula: see text] expected query time in the limit. We tested GEMINI on breast and ovarian cancer gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas project and show that it achieves a query time that scales as the logarithm of the number of records in practice on genomic data. In a database with 10(5) samples, GEMINI identifies the nearest neighbor in 0.05 sec compared to a brute force search time of 0.6 sec. GEMINI is a fast search engine that uses a query genomic profile to search for similar profiles in a very large genomic database. It enables users to identify similar profiles independent of sample label, data origin or other meta-data information.

Energy Security: The Pathway to a Cost-Effective, Efficient, and Reliable Energy Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-12

mention of these facilities is likely to incite talk of grisly death and destruction of biblical proportion. Such is the plight of the nuclear...gulf-of-mexico/,. (accessed January 12, 2010)0 31 John W Schoen, "Can Technology Help find Oil Fast Enough?", msnbc.com, December 20, 2004, http:l...John W. "Can Technology Help find Oil Fast Enough?", msnbc.com, December 20, 2004, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6072980/, (accessed January 11, 2010

The flex track: flexible partitioning between low- and high-acuity areas of an emergency department.

PubMed

Laker, Lauren F; Froehle, Craig M; Lindsell, Christopher J; Ward, Michael J

2014-12-01

Emergency departments (EDs) with both low- and high-acuity treatment areas often have fixed allocation of resources, regardless of demand. We demonstrate the utility of discrete-event simulation to evaluate flexible partitioning between low- and high-acuity ED areas to identify the best operational strategy for subsequent implementation. A discrete-event simulation was used to model patient flow through a 50-bed, urban, teaching ED that handles 85,000 patient visits annually. The ED has historically allocated 10 beds to a fast track for low-acuity patients. We estimated the effect of a flex track policy, which involved switching up to 5 of these fast track beds to serving both low- and high-acuity patients, on patient waiting times. When the high-acuity beds were not at capacity, low-acuity patients were given priority access to flexible beds. Otherwise, high-acuity patients were given priority access to flexible beds. Wait times were estimated for patients by disposition and Emergency Severity Index score. A flex track policy using 3 flexible beds produced the lowest mean patient waiting time of 30.9 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI] 30.6 to 31.2 minutes). The typical fast track approach of rigidly separating high- and low-acuity beds produced a mean patient wait time of 40.6 minutes (95% CI 40.2 to 50.0 minutes), 31% higher than that of the 3-bed flex track. A completely flexible ED, in which all beds can accommodate any patient, produced mean wait times of 35.1 minutes (95% CI 34.8 to 35.4 minutes). The results from the 3-bed flex track scenario were robust, performing well across a range of scenarios involving higher and lower patient volumes and care durations. Using discrete-event simulation, we have shown that adding some flexibility into bed allocation between low and high acuity can provide substantial reductions in overall patient waiting and a more efficient ED. Copyright © 2014 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fast Facts: Recent Statistics from the Library Research Service, Numbers 283-289. January-December, 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Library Research Service, 2010

2010-01-01

Issues 283 through 289 of "Fast Facts" from the Library Research Service present data collected from libraries in Colorado and throughout the nation. Topics addressed in these "Fast Facts" from 2010 include the relationship between computer access in libraries and use of traditional services, analysis of the third year of data…

Food outlet availability, deprivation and obesity in a multi-ethnic sample of pregnant women in Bradford, UK.

PubMed

Fraser, L K; Edwards, K L; Tominitz, M; Clarke, G P; Hill, A J

2012-09-01

The obesogenic environment model would suggest that increased availability or access to energy dense foods which are high in saturated fat may be related to obesity. The association between food outlet location, deprivation, weight status and ethnicity was analysed using individual level data on a sample of 1198 pregnant women in the UK Born in Bradford cohort using geographic information systems (GIS) methodology. In the non South Asian group 24% were obese as were 17% of the South Asian group (BMI > 30). Food outlet identification methods revealed 886 outlets that were allocated into 5 categories of food shops. More than 95% of all participants lived within 500 m of a fast food outlet. Women in higher areas of deprivation had greater access to fast food outlets and to other forms of food shops. Contrary to hypotheses, there was a negative association between BMI and fast food outlet density in close (250 m) proximity in the South Asian group. Overall, these women had greater access to all food stores including fast food outlets compared to the non South Asian group. The stronger association between area level deprivation and fast food density than with area level deprivation and obesity argues for more detailed accounts of the obesogenic environment that include measures of individual behaviour. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enabling Broadband as Commodity within Access Networks: A QoS Recipe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Areizaga, Enrique; Foglar, Andreas; Elizondo, Antonio J.; Geilhardt, Frank

This paper describes the QoS features that will transform the access networks landscape in order to bring “Broadband” as a commodity while setting up the pillars of the “Future Media Internet”. Quality of Experience is obviously key for emerging and future services. Broadcasting services will first need to equal the QoE of their counterparts in the Open-air market (for IP-TV examples would be artifact-free, no picture freezing, fast zapping times) and offer new features often using interactivity (Time-shifted TV, access to more content, 3DTV with feeling of presence). The huge variety of communications alternatives will lead to different requirements per customer, whose needs will also be dependent on parameters like where the connection is made, the time of the day/day of the week/period of the year or even his/her mood. Today’s networks, designed for providing just Broadband connectivity, will not be enough to satisfy customer’s needs and will necessarily support the introduction of new and innovative services. The Networks of the future should learn from the way the users are communicating, what services they are using, where, when, and how, and adapt accordingly.

Overweight and obesity: can we reconcile evidence about supermarkets and fast food retailers for public health policy?

PubMed

Viola, Deborah; Arno, Peter S; Maroko, Andrew R; Schechter, Clyde B; Sohler, Nancy; Rundle, Andrew; Neckerman, Kathryn M; Maantay, Juliana

2013-08-01

The aim of this study is to determine whether access to fast food outlets and supermarkets is associated with overweight and obesity in New York City neighborhoods. We use a Bayesian ecologic approach for spatial prediction. Consistent with prior research, we find no association between fast food density and overweight or obesity. Consistent with prior research, we find that supermarket access has a salutary impact on overweight and obesity. Given the lack of empirical evidence linking fast food retailers with adverse health outcomes, policymakers should be encouraged to adopt policies that incentivize the establishment of supermarkets and the modification of existing food store markets and retailers to offer healthier choices. Reaching within neighborhoods and modifying the physical environment and public health prevention and intervention efforts based on the characteristics of those neighborhoods may play a key role in creating healthier communities.

Neighborhood disparities in access to healthy foods and their effects on environmental justice

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Environmental justice is concerned with an equitable distribution of environmental burdens. These burdens comprise immediate health hazards as well as subtle inequities, such as limited access to healthy foods. We reviewed the literature on neighborhood disparities in access to fast-food outlets and...

Multidimensional MnO2 nanohair-decorated hybrid multichannel carbon nanofiber as an electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jun, Jaemoon; Lee, Jun Seop; Shin, Dong Hoon; Kim, Sung Gun; Jang, Jyongsik

2015-09-01

One-dimensional (1D)-structured nanomaterials represent one of the most attractive candidates for energy-storage systems due to their contribution to design simplicity, fast charge-transportation network, and their allowance for more accessible ion diffusion. In particular, 1D-structured nanomaterials with a highly complex inner-pore configuration enhance functionality by taking advantage of both the hollow and 1D structures. In this study, we report a MnO2 nanohair-decorated, hybrid multichannel carbon nanofiber (Mn_MCNF) fabricated via single-nozzle co-electrospinning of two immiscible polymer solutions, followed by carbonization and redox reactions. With improved ion accessibility, the optimized Mn_MCNF sample (Mn_MCNF_60 corresponding to a reaction duration time of 60 min for optimal MnO2 nanohair growth) exhibited a high specific capacitance of 855 F g-1 and excellent cycling performance with ~87.3% capacitance retention over 5000 cycles.One-dimensional (1D)-structured nanomaterials represent one of the most attractive candidates for energy-storage systems due to their contribution to design simplicity, fast charge-transportation network, and their allowance for more accessible ion diffusion. In particular, 1D-structured nanomaterials with a highly complex inner-pore configuration enhance functionality by taking advantage of both the hollow and 1D structures. In this study, we report a MnO2 nanohair-decorated, hybrid multichannel carbon nanofiber (Mn_MCNF) fabricated via single-nozzle co-electrospinning of two immiscible polymer solutions, followed by carbonization and redox reactions. With improved ion accessibility, the optimized Mn_MCNF sample (Mn_MCNF_60 corresponding to a reaction duration time of 60 min for optimal MnO2 nanohair growth) exhibited a high specific capacitance of 855 F g-1 and excellent cycling performance with ~87.3% capacitance retention over 5000 cycles. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental data includes optical images, TGA, magnified pore distribution curves and supercapacitor device of the MCNF and Mn_MCNF. See DOI: 10.1039/C5NR03616J

Holographic memory for high-density data storage and high-speed pattern recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Claire

2002-09-01

As computers and the internet become faster and faster, more and more information is transmitted, received, and stored everyday. The demand for high density and fast access time data storage is pushing scientists and engineers to explore all possible approaches including magnetic, mechanical, optical, etc. Optical data storage has already demonstrated its potential in the competition against other storage technologies. CD and DVD are showing their advantages in the computer and entertainment market. What motivated the use of optical waves to store and access information is the same as the motivation for optical communication. Light or an optical wave has an enormous capacity (or bandwidth) to carry information because of its short wavelength and parallel nature. In optical storage, there are two types of mechanism, namely localized and holographic memories. What gives the holographic data storage an advantage over localized bit storage is the natural ability to read the stored information in parallel, therefore, meeting the demand for fast access. Another unique feature that makes the holographic data storage attractive is that it is capable of performing associative recall at an incomparable speed. Therefore, volume holographic memory is particularly suitable for high-density data storage and high-speed pattern recognition. In this paper, we review previous works on volume holographic memories and discuss the challenges for this technology to become a reality.

Turbo-Satori: a neurofeedback and brain-computer interface toolbox for real-time functional near-infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Lührs, Michael; Goebel, Rainer

2017-10-01

Turbo-Satori is a neurofeedback and brain-computer interface (BCI) toolbox for real-time functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). It incorporates multiple pipelines from real-time preprocessing and analysis to neurofeedback and BCI applications. The toolbox is designed with a focus in usability, enabling a fast setup and execution of real-time experiments. Turbo-Satori uses an incremental recursive least-squares procedure for real-time general linear model calculation and support vector machine classifiers for advanced BCI applications. It communicates directly with common NIRx fNIRS hardware and was tested extensively ensuring that the calculations can be performed in real time without a significant change in calculation times for all sampling intervals during ongoing experiments of up to 6 h of recording. Enabling immediate access to advanced processing features also allows the use of this toolbox for students and nonexperts in the field of fNIRS data acquisition and processing. Flexible network interfaces allow third party stimulus applications to access the processed data and calculated statistics in real time so that this information can be easily incorporated in neurofeedback or BCI presentations.

Methodology for fast detection of false sharing in threaded scientific codes

DOEpatents

Chung, I-Hsin; Cong, Guojing; Murata, Hiroki; Negishi, Yasushi; Wen, Hui-Fang

2014-11-25

A profiling tool identifies a code region with a false sharing potential. A static analysis tool classifies variables and arrays in the identified code region. A mapping detection library correlates memory access instructions in the identified code region with variables and arrays in the identified code region while a processor is running the identified code region. The mapping detection library identifies one or more instructions at risk, in the identified code region, which are subject to an analysis by a false sharing detection library. A false sharing detection library performs a run-time analysis of the one or more instructions at risk while the processor is re-running the identified code region. The false sharing detection library determines, based on the performed run-time analysis, whether two different portions of the cache memory line are accessed by the generated binary code.

Parameter optimization for transitions between memory states in small arrays of Josephson junctions

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

Rezac, Jacob D.; Imam, Neena; Braiman, Yehuda

Coupled arrays of Josephson junctions possess multiple stable zero voltage states. Such states can store information and consequently can be utilized for cryogenic memory applications. Basic memory operations can be implemented by sending a pulse to one of the junctions and studying transitions between the states. In order to be suitable for memory operations, such transitions between the states have to be fast and energy efficient. Here in this article we employed simulated annealing, a stochastic optimization algorithm, to study parameter optimization of array parameters which minimizes times and energies of transitions between specifically chosen states that can be utilizedmore » for memory operations (Read, Write, and Reset). Simulation results show that such transitions occur with access times on the order of 10–100 ps and access energies on the order of 10 -19–5×10 -18 J. Numerical simulations are validated with approximate analytical results.« less

Dynamic relations between fast-food restaurant and body weight status: a longitudinal and multilevel analysis of Chinese adults

PubMed Central

Xu, Hongwei; Short, Susan E; Liu, Tao

2013-01-01

Background Mixed findings have been reported on the association between Western fast-food restaurants and body weight status. Results vary across study contexts and are sensitive to the samples, measures and methods used. Most studies have failed to examine the temporally dynamic associations between community exposure to fast-food restaurants and weight changes. Methods Bayesian hierarchical regressions are used to model changes in body mass index, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHpR) as a function of changes in Western fast-food restaurants in 216 communities for more than 9000 Chinese adults followed up multiple times between 2000 and 2009. Results Number of Western fast-food restaurants is positively associated with subsequent increases in WHtR and WHpR among rural population. More fast-food restaurants are positively associated with a future increase in WHpR for urban women. Increased availability of fast food between two waves is related to increased WHtR for urban men over the same period. A past increase in number of fast-food restaurants is associated with subsequent increases in WHtR and WHpR for rural population. Conclusions The associations between community exposure to Western fast food and weight changes are temporally dynamic rather than static. Improved measures of exposure to community environment are needed to achieve more precise estimates and better understanding of these relationships. In light of the findings in this study and China’s rapid economic growth, further investigation and increased public health monitoring is warranted since Western fast food is likely to be more accessible and affordable in the near future. PMID:22923769

Dynamic relations between fast-food restaurant and body weight status: a longitudinal and multilevel analysis of Chinese adults.

PubMed

Xu, Hongwei; Short, Susan E; Liu, Tao

2013-03-01

Mixed findings have been reported on the association between Western fast-food restaurants and body weight status. Results vary across study contexts and are sensitive to the samples, measures and methods used. Most studies have failed to examine the temporally dynamic associations between community exposure to fast-food restaurants and weight changes. Bayesian hierarchical regressions are used to model changes in body mass index, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHpR) as a function of changes in Western fast-food restaurants in 216 communities for more than 9000 Chinese adults followed up multiple times between 2000 and 2009. Number of Western fast-food restaurants is positively associated with subsequent increases in WHtR and WHpR among rural population. More fast-food restaurants are positively associated with a future increase in WHpR for urban women. Increased availability of fast food between two waves is related to increased WHtR for urban men over the same period. A past increase in number of fast-food restaurants is associated with subsequent increases in WHtR and WHpR for rural population. The associations between community exposure to Western fast food and weight changes are temporally dynamic rather than static. Improved measures of exposure to community environment are needed to achieve more precise estimates and better understanding of these relationships. In light of the findings in this study and China's rapid economic growth, further investigation and increased public health monitoring is warranted since Western fast food is likely to be more accessible and affordable in the near future.

Third Congress on Information System Science and Technology

DTIC Science & Technology

1968-04-01

versions of the same compiler. The " fast compile-slow execute" and the "slow compile- fast execute" gimmick is the greatest hoax ever per- petrated on the... fast such natural language analysis and translation can be accomplished. If the fairly superficial syntactic anal- ysis of a sentence which is...two kinds of computer: a fast computer with large immediate access and bulk memory for rear echelon and large installation em- ployment, and a

Beyond Food Access: The Impact of Parent-, Home-, and Neighborhood-Level Factors on Children’s Diets

PubMed Central

Futrell Dunaway, Lauren; Carton, Thomas; Ma, Ping; Mundorf, Adrienne R.; Keel, Kelsey; Theall, Katherine P.

2017-01-01

Despite the growth in empirical research on neighborhood environmental characteristics and their influence on children’s diets, physical activity, and obesity, much remains to be learned, as few have examined the relationship between neighborhood food availability on dietary behavior in children, specifically. This analysis utilized data from a community-based, cross-sectional sample of children (n = 199) that was collected in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2010. This dataset was linked to food environment data to assess the impact of neighborhood food access as well as household and parent factors on children’s diets. We observed a negligible impact of the neighborhood food environment on children’s diets, except with respect to fast food, with children who had access to fast food within 500 m around their home significantly less likely (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.1, 0.8) to consume vegetables. Key parental and household factors did play a role in diet, including receipt of public assistance and cooking meals at home. Children receiving public assistance were 2.5 times (95% CI: 1.1, 5.4) more likely to consume fruit more than twice per day compared with children not receiving public assistance. Children whose family cooked dinner at home more than 5 times per week had significantly more consumption of fruit (64% vs. 58%) and vegetables (55% vs. 39%), but less soda (27% vs. 43%). Findings highlight the need for future research that focuses on the dynamic and complex relationships between built and social factors in the communities and homes of children that impact their diet in order to develop multilevel prevention approaches that address childhood obesity. PMID:28632162

Beyond Food Access: The Impact of Parent-, Home-, and Neighborhood-Level Factors on Children's Diets.

PubMed

Futrell Dunaway, Lauren; Carton, Thomas; Ma, Ping; Mundorf, Adrienne R; Keel, Kelsey; Theall, Katherine P

2017-06-20

Despite the growth in empirical research on neighborhood environmental characteristics and their influence on children's diets, physical activity, and obesity, much remains to be learned, as few have examined the relationship between neighborhood food availability on dietary behavior in children, specifically. This analysis utilized data from a community-based, cross-sectional sample of children ( n = 199) that was collected in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2010. This dataset was linked to food environment data to assess the impact of neighborhood food access as well as household and parent factors on children's diets. We observed a negligible impact of the neighborhood food environment on children's diets, except with respect to fast food, with children who had access to fast food within 500 m around their home significantly less likely (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.1, 0.8) to consume vegetables. Key parental and household factors did play a role in diet, including receipt of public assistance and cooking meals at home. Children receiving public assistance were 2.5 times (95% CI: 1.1, 5.4) more likely to consume fruit more than twice per day compared with children not receiving public assistance. Children whose family cooked dinner at home more than 5 times per week had significantly more consumption of fruit (64% vs. 58%) and vegetables (55% vs. 39%), but less soda (27% vs. 43%). Findings highlight the need for future research that focuses on the dynamic and complex relationships between built and social factors in the communities and homes of children that impact their diet in order to develop multilevel prevention approaches that address childhood obesity.

Parallel In Situ Indexing for Data-intensive Computing

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

Kim, Jinoh; Abbasi, Hasan; Chacon, Luis

2011-09-09

As computing power increases exponentially, vast amount of data is created by many scientific re- search activities. However, the bandwidth for storing the data to disks and reading the data from disks has been improving at a much slower pace. These two trends produce an ever-widening data access gap. Our work brings together two distinct technologies to address this data access issue: indexing and in situ processing. From decades of database research literature, we know that indexing is an effective way to address the data access issue, particularly for accessing relatively small fraction of data records. As data sets increasemore » in sizes, more and more analysts need to use selective data access, which makes indexing an even more important for improving data access. The challenge is that most implementations of in- dexing technology are embedded in large database management systems (DBMS), but most scientific datasets are not managed by any DBMS. In this work, we choose to include indexes with the scientific data instead of requiring the data to be loaded into a DBMS. We use compressed bitmap indexes from the FastBit software which are known to be highly effective for query-intensive workloads common to scientific data analysis. To use the indexes, we need to build them first. The index building procedure needs to access the whole data set and may also require a significant amount of compute time. In this work, we adapt the in situ processing technology to generate the indexes, thus removing the need of read- ing data from disks and to build indexes in parallel. The in situ data processing system used is ADIOS, a middleware for high-performance I/O. Our experimental results show that the indexes can improve the data access time up to 200 times depending on the fraction of data selected, and using in situ data processing system can effectively reduce the time needed to create the indexes, up to 10 times with our in situ technique when using identical parallel settings.« less

Effect of a feed/fast protocol on pH in the proximal equine stomach.

PubMed

Husted, L; Sanchez, L C; Baptiste, K E; Olsen, S N

2009-09-01

Risk factors for the development of gastric squamous ulcers include various management procedures, such as intermittent feed deprivation that can occur during weight management regimens or stall and dry lot confinement. To investigate the effect of intermittent feed deprivation relative to continuous feed intake on proximal intragastric pH, specifically in the region of the squamous mucosa of the lesser curvature. In 6 horses, pH electrodes were placed just inside of the oesophageal sphincter in the stomach for each of two 72 h protocols (A and B) in a randomised, cross-over design. Protocol A consisted of 12 h fed, 12 h fasted, 24 h fed and 24 h fasted, in sequence. Protocol B consisted of 72 h fed. During the fed periods of each protocol, horses had ad libitum access to coastal Bermuda hay and were fed sweet feed (1 kg, b.i.d.). Horses had ad libitum access to water at all times. Proximal intragastric pH was significantly lower during protocol A, than during protocol B. However, hourly mean pH was significantly different only during the day and evening hours between protocols. During protocol B, mean proximal pH decreased significantly from 03.00 to 09.00 compared to 19.00 to 23.00 h. A moderate positive correlation of hay intake vs. proximal gastric pH could be established. Intermittent feed deprivation decreased proximal gastric pH in horses relative to those horses for which feed was not restricted. However, the effect was only significant when fasting occurred during the day and evening hours, as a nocturnal decrease in pH occurred simultaneously in the fed horses. Episodes of daytime feed deprivation should be avoided if possible, as proximal gastric acid exposure rapidly increases during such events.

Performance study of the neutron-TPC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Meng; Li, Yulan; Niu, Libo; Deng, Zhi; Cheng, Xiaolei; He, Li; Zhang, Hongyan; Fu, Jianqiang; Yan, Yangyang; Cai, Yiming; Li, Yuanjing

2017-02-01

Fast neutron spectrometers will play an important role in the future of the nuclear industry and nuclear physics experiments, in tasks such as fast neutron reactor monitoring, thermo-nuclear fusion plasma diagnostics, nuclear reaction cross-section measurement, and special nuclear material detection. Recently, a new fast neutron spectrometer based on a GEM (Gas Electron Multiplier amplification)-TPC (Time Projection Chamber), named the neutron-TPC, has been under development at Tsinghua University. It is designed to have a high energy resolution, high detection efficiency, easy access to the medium material, an outstanding n/γ suppression ratio, and a wide range of applications. This paper presents the design, test, and experimental study of the neutron-TPC. Based on the experimental results, the energy resolution (FWHM) of the neutron-TPC can reach 15.7%, 10.3% and 7.0% with detection efficiency higher than 10-5 for 1.2 MeV, 1.81 MeV and 2.5 MeV neutrons respectively. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (11275109)

Body mass index, neighborhood fast food and restaurant concentration, and car ownership.

PubMed

Inagami, Sanae; Cohen, Deborah A; Brown, Arleen F; Asch, Steven M

2009-09-01

Eating away from home and particularly fast food consumption have been shown to contribute to weight gain. Increased geographic access to fast food outlets and other restaurants may contribute to higher levels of obesity, especially in individuals who rely largely on the local environment for their food purchases. We examined whether fast food and restaurant concentrations are associated with body mass index and whether car ownership might moderate this association. We linked the 2000 US Census data and information on locations of fast food and other restaurants with the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Study database, which consists of 2,156 adults sampled from 63 neighborhoods in Los Angeles County. Multilevel modeling was used to estimate associations between body mass index (BMI), fast food and restaurant concentration, and car ownership after adjustment for individual-level factors and socioeconomic characteristics of residential neighborhoods. A high concentration of local restaurants is associated with BMI. Car owners have higher BMIs than non-car owners; however, individuals who do not own cars and reside in areas with a high concentration of fast food outlets have higher BMIs than non-car owners who live in areas with no fast food outlets, approximately 12 lb more (p = 0.02) for an individual with a height of 5 ft. 5 in. Higher restaurant density is associated with higher BMI among local residents. The local fast food environment has a stronger association with BMI for local residents who do not have access to cars.

The intraosseous have it: A prospective observational study of vascular access success rates in patients in extremis using video review.

PubMed

Chreiman, Kristen M; Dumas, Ryan P; Seamon, Mark J; Kim, Patrick K; Reilly, Patrick M; Kaplan, Lewis J; Christie, Jason D; Holena, Daniel N

2018-04-01

Quick and successful vascular access in injured patients arriving in extremis is crucial to enable early resuscitation and rapid OR transport for definitive repair. We hypothesized that intraosseous (IO) access would be faster and have higher success rates than peripheral intravenous (PIV) or central venous catheters (CVCs). High-definition video recordings of resuscitations for all patients undergoing emergency department thoracotomy from April 2016 to July 2017 were reviewed as part of a quality improvement initiative. Demographics, mechanism of injury, access type, access location, start and stop time, and success of each vascular access attempt were recorded. Times to completion for access types (PIV, IO, CVC) were compared using Kruskal-Wallis test adjusted for multiple comparisons, while categorical outcomes, such as success rates by access type, were compared using χ test or Fisher's exact test. Study patients had a median age of 30 years (interquartile range [IQR], 25-38 years), 92% were male, 92% were African American, and 93% sustained penetrating trauma. A total of 145 access attempts in 38 patients occurred (median, 3.8; SD, 1.4 attempts per patient). There was no difference between duration of PIV and IO attempts (0.63; IQR, 0.35-0.96 vs. 0.39 IQR, 0.13-0.65 minutes, adjusted p = 0.03), but both PIV and IO were faster than CVC attempts (3.2; IQR, 1.72-5.23 minutes; adjusted p < 0.001 for both comparisons). Intraosseous lines had higher success rates than PIVs or CVCs (95% vs. 42% vs. 46%, p < 0.001). Access attempts using IO are as fast as PIV attempts but are more than twice as likely to be successful. Attempts at CVC access in patients in extremis have high rates of failure and take a median of over 3 minutes. While IO access may not completely supplant PIVs and CVCs, IO access should be considered as a first-line therapy for trauma patients in extremis. Therapeutic, level III.

The price of access: capitalization of neighborhood contextual factors

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Studies of neighborhood context on health behavior have not considered that the health benefits of context may be ‘capitalized’ into, or included in, higher housing values. This study examines the associations of better neighborhood context with neighborhood housing values. Methods We use the third wave of Add Health (2000-2001) to estimate the association of neighborhood contextual variables and housing values first across then within income types. This is a census block group-level analysis. Results We find that neighborhood context, especially access to fruit and vegetable outlets, is capitalized into, or associated with, higher housing values. Fast food and convenience store access are associated with lower housing values. Capitalization differs by income quartile of the neighborhood. Even those in the poorest neighborhoods value access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and those in the wealthier neighborhoods value activity resources. All neighborhood incomes types place negative value on fast food access and convenience store access. Conclusions Access to health-related contextual attributes is capitalized into higher housing prices. Access to fresh fruits and vegetables is valued in neighborhoods of all income levels. Modeling these associations by neighborhood income levels helps explain the mixed results in the literature on the built environment in terms of linking health outcomes to access. PMID:23927010

Optimizing tertiary storage organization and access for spatio-temporal datasets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Ling Tony; Rotem, Doron; Shoshani, Arie; Drach, Bob; Louis, Steve; Keating, Meridith

1994-01-01

We address in this paper data management techniques for efficiently retrieving requested subsets of large datasets stored on mass storage devices. This problem represents a major bottleneck that can negate the benefits of fast networks, because the time to access a subset from a large dataset stored on a mass storage system is much greater that the time to transmit that subset over a network. This paper focuses on very large spatial and temporal datasets generated by simulation programs in the area of climate modeling, but the techniques developed can be applied to other applications that deal with large multidimensional datasets. The main requirement we have addressed is the efficient access of subsets of information contained within much larger datasets, for the purpose of analysis and interactive visualization. We have developed data partitioning techniques that partition datasets into 'clusters' based on analysis of data access patterns and storage device characteristics. The goal is to minimize the number of clusters read from mass storage systems when subsets are requested. We emphasize in this paper proposed enhancements to current storage server protocols to permit control over physical placement of data on storage devices. We also discuss in some detail the aspects of the interface between the application programs and the mass storage system, as well as a workbench to help scientists to design the best reorganization of a dataset for anticipated access patterns.

High-energy terahertz wave parametric oscillator with a surface-emitted ring-cavity configuration.

PubMed

Yang, Zhen; Wang, Yuye; Xu, Degang; Xu, Wentao; Duan, Pan; Yan, Chao; Tang, Longhuang; Yao, Jianquan

2016-05-15

A surface-emitted ring-cavity terahertz (THz) wave parametric oscillator has been demonstrated for high-energy THz output and fast frequency tuning in a wide frequency range. Through the special optical design with a galvano-optical scanner and four-mirror ring-cavity structure, the maximum THz wave output energy of 12.9 μJ/pulse is achieved at 1.359 THz under the pump energy of 172.8 mJ. The fast THz frequency tuning in the range of 0.7-2.8 THz can be accessed with the step response of 600 μs. Moreover, the maximum THz wave output energy from this configuration is 3.29 times as large as that obtained from the conventional surface-emitted THz wave parametric oscillator with the same experimental conditions.

Redox-Active Star Molecules Incorporating the 4-Benzolypyridinium Cation: Implications for the Charge Transfer Efficiency Along Branches versus Across the Perimeter in Dendrimers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, Jin-Hua; Rawashdeh, Abdel Monem M.; Oh, Woon Su; Sotiriou-Leventis, Chariklia; Leventis, Nicholas

2003-01-01

We report the redox properties of four star systems incorporating the 4-benzoyl-N-alkylpyridinium cation; the redox potential varies along the branches, but remains constant at fixed radii. Voltammetric analysis (cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry) shows that only two of the three redox-active centers in the perimeter are electrochemically accessible during potential sweeps as slow as 20 mV/s and as fast as 10 V/s. On the contrary, both redox centers of a branch are accessible electrochemically within the same time frame. These results are discussed in terms of slow through-space charge transfer and the globular 3-D folding of the molecules.

Two Improved Access Methods on Compact Binary (CB) Trees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shishibori, Masami; Koyama, Masafumi; Okada, Makoto; Aoe, Jun-ichi

2000-01-01

Discusses information retrieval and the use of binary trees as a fast access method for search strategies such as hashing. Proposes new methods based on compact binary trees that provide faster access and more compact storage, explains the theoretical basis, and confirms the validity of the methods through empirical observations. (LRW)

Integrated semiconductor-magnetic random access memory system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katti, Romney R. (Inventor); Blaes, Brent R. (Inventor)

2001-01-01

The present disclosure describes a non-volatile magnetic random access memory (RAM) system having a semiconductor control circuit and a magnetic array element. The integrated magnetic RAM system uses CMOS control circuit to read and write data magnetoresistively. The system provides a fast access, non-volatile, radiation hard, high density RAM for high speed computing.

Individual and area-level socioeconomic associations with fast food purchasing.

PubMed

Thornton, Lukar E; Bentley, Rebecca J; Kavanagh, Anne M

2011-10-01

It has been suggested that those with lower socioeconomic characteristics would be more likely to seek energy-dense food options such as fast food because of cheaper prices; however, to date the evidence has been inconsistent. This study examines both individual- and area-level socioeconomic characteristics and their independent associations with chain-brand fast food purchasing. Data from the 2003 Victorian Lifestyle and Neighbourhood Environments Study (VicLANES); a multilevel study of 2,547 adults from 49 small-areas in Melbourne, Australia, were used. Multilevel multinomial models adjusted for confounders were used to assess associations between individual socioeconomic position (education, occupation and income) and area socioeconomic characteristics in relation to fast food purchasing from five major fast food chains with outcome categories: never, at least monthly and at least weekly. The study finally assessed whether any potential area-level associations were mediated by fast food access. Increased fast food purchasing was independently associated with lower education, being a blue-collar employee and decreased household income. Results for area-level disadvantage were marginally insignificant after adjustment for individual-level characteristics, although they were suggestive that living in an area with greater levels of disadvantage increased an individual's odds of more frequent fast food purchasing. This effect was further attenuated when measures of fast food restaurant access were included in the models. Independent effects of lower individual-level socioeconomic characteristics and more frequent fast food purchasing for home consumption are demonstrated. Although evidence was suggestive of an independent association with area-level disadvantage this did not reach statistical significance.

The association between neighborhood economic hardship, the retail food environment, fast food intake, and obesity: findings from the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin.

PubMed

Laxy, Michael; Malecki, Kristen C; Givens, Marjory L; Walsh, Matthew C; Nieto, F Javier

2015-03-13

Neighborhood-level characteristics such as economic hardship and the retail food environment are assumed to be correlated and to influence consumers' dietary behavior and health status, but few studies have investigated these different relationships comprehensively in a single study. This work aims to investigate the association between neighborhood-level economic hardship, the retail food environment, fast food consumption, and obesity prevalence. Linking data from the population-based Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW, n = 1,570, 2008-10) and a commercially available business database, the Wisconsin Retail Food Environment Index (WRFEI) was defined as the mean distance from each participating household to the three closest supermarkets divided by the mean distance to the three closest convenience stores or fast food restaurants. Based on US census data, neighborhood-level economic hardship was defined by the Economic Hardship Index (EHI). Relationships were analyzed using multivariate linear and logistic regression models. SHOW residents living in neighborhoods with the highest economic hardship faced a less favorable retail food environment (WRFEI = 2.53) than residents from neighborhoods with the lowest economic hardship (WRFEI = 1.77; p-trend < 0.01). We found no consistent or significant associations between the WRFEI and obesity and only a weak borderline-significant association between access to fast food restaurants and self-reported fast food consumption (≥ 2 times/week, OR = 0.59-0.62, p = 0.05-0.09) in urban residents. Participants reporting higher frequency of fast food consumption (≥ 2 times vs. <2 times per week) were more likely to be obese (OR = 1.35, p = 0.06). This study indicates that neighborhood-level economic hardship is associated with an unfavorable retail food environment. However inconsistent or non-significant relationships between the retail food environment, fast food consumption, and obesity were observed. More research is needed to enhance methodological approaches to assess the retail food environment and to understand the complex relationship between neighborhood characteristics, health behaviors, and health outcomes.

Do Adolescents Who Live or Go to School Near Fast Food Restaurants Eat More Frequently From Fast Food Restaurants?

PubMed Central

Forsyth, Ann; Wall, Melanie; Larson, Nicole; Story, Mary; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

2012-01-01

This population-based study examined whether residential or school neighborhood access to fast food restaurants is related to adolescents’ eating frequency of fast food. A classroom-based survey of racially/ethnically diverse adolescents (n=2,724) in 20 secondary schools in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota was used to assess eating frequency at five types of fast food restaurants. Black, Hispanic, and Native American adolescents lived near more fast food restaurants than white and Asian adolescents and also ate at fast food restaurants more often. After controlling for individual-level socio-demographics, adolescent males living near high numbers fast food restaurants ate more frequently from these venues compared to their peers. PMID:23064515

Efficient biprediction decision scheme for fast high efficiency video coding encoding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Sang-hyo; Lee, Seung-ho; Jang, Euee S.; Jun, Dongsan; Kang, Jung-Won

2016-11-01

An efficient biprediction decision scheme of high efficiency video coding (HEVC) is proposed for fast-encoding applications. For low-delay video applications, bidirectional prediction can be used to increase compression performance efficiently with previous reference frames. However, at the same time, the computational complexity of the HEVC encoder is significantly increased due to the additional biprediction search. Although a some research has attempted to reduce this complexity, whether the prediction is strongly related to both motion complexity and prediction modes in a coding unit has not yet been investigated. A method that avoids most compression-inefficient search points is proposed so that the computational complexity of the motion estimation process can be dramatically decreased. To determine if biprediction is critical, the proposed method exploits the stochastic correlation of the context of prediction units (PUs): the direction of a PU and the accuracy of a motion vector. Through experimental results, the proposed method showed that the time complexity of biprediction can be reduced to 30% on average, outperforming existing methods in view of encoding time, number of function calls, and memory access.

Qualified doctor and medical students' use of resources for accessing information: what is used and why?

PubMed

Brennan, Nicola; Edwards, Sarah; Kelly, Narcie; Miller, Alice; Harrower, Lucy; Mattick, Karen

2014-09-01

Learning to access information using resources such as books and search engines is an important and fast changing challenge for doctors and medical students. Many resources exist to support evidence-based clinical decision-making, but a wide range of factors influences their use. To explore qualified doctor and medical students' use of resources for accessing information and to determine what is used and why. A stratified sample of 46 participants was recruited in Devon, UK. Participants kept a self-report diary of resources used over a week. The diaries were then used to stimulate recall within a semi-structured interview. Diary data were collated into tables of resource use. Qualitative data from the interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Many resources were used by participants but typically for a short duration of time. Categories of reasons for accessing resources were 'to check', 'to learn' and 'to demonstrate'. The two main factors influencing choice of information resource were 'ease of access' and 'quality of information'. Students accessed more information, for a longer duration. Resources must be quick to use, easy to access and tailored to the different purposes that they serve for qualified doctors and medical students. © 2014 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2014 Health Libraries Group.

A current drive by using the fast wave in frequency range higher than two timeslower hybrid resonance frequency on tokamaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sun Ho; Hwang, Yong Seok; Jeong, Seung Ho; Wang, Son Jong; Kwak, Jong Gu

2017-10-01

An efficient current drive scheme in central or off-axis region is required for the steady state operation of tokamak fusion reactors. The current drive by using the fast wave in frequency range higher than two times lower hybrid resonance (w>2wlh) could be such a scheme in high density, high temperature reactor-grade tokamak plasmas. First, it has relatively higher parallel electric field to the magnetic field favorable to the current generation, compared to fast waves in other frequency range. Second, it can deeply penetrate into high density plasmas compared to the slow wave in the same frequency range. Third, parasitic coupling to the slow wave can contribute also to the current drive avoiding parametric instability, thermal mode conversion and ion heating occured in the frequency range w<2wlh. In this study, the propagation boundary, accessibility, and the energy flow of the fast wave are given via cold dispersion relation and group velocity. The power absorption and current drive efficiency are discussed qualitatively through the hot dispersion relation and the polarization. Finally, those characteristics are confirmed with ray tracing code GENRAY for the KSTAR plasmas.

Design and test of a regenerative satellite transmultiplexer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, Kenny King-Ming

1993-05-01

In a multiple access scheme for regenerative satellite communications, the bulk frequency division multiple access (FDMA) uplink signal is demodulated on board the satellite and then remodulated for time division multiplexing (TDM) downlink transmission. Conversion from frequency to time division multiplex format requires that the uplink signal be frequency demultiplexed and each individual carrier be subsequently demodulated. For thin-route application which consists of a large number of channels with fixed data rate, multicarrier demodulation can be accomplished efficiently by a digital transmultiplexer (TMUX) using a fast Fourier transform processor followed by a bank of per-channel processors. A time domain description of the TMUX algorithm is derived which elucidates how the TMUX functions. The per-channel processor performs timing and carrier recovery for optimum and coherent data detection. Timing recovery is necessarily achieved asynchronously by a filter coefficient interpolation. Carrier recovery is performed using an all-digital phase-locked loop. The combination of both timing and carrier loops is investigated for a multi-user system. The performance of the overall system is assessed over a multi-user, additive white Gaussian noise channel for a bit energy to noise power spectral density ratio down to zero dB.

Cloud-based calculators for fast and reliable access to NOAA's geomagnetic field models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woods, A.; Nair, M. C.; Boneh, N.; Chulliat, A.

2017-12-01

While the Global Positioning System (GPS) provides accurate point locations, it does not provide pointing directions. Therefore, the absolute directional information provided by the Earth's magnetic field is of primary importance for navigation and for the pointing of technical devices such as aircrafts, satellites and lately, mobile phones. The major magnetic sources that affect compass-based navigation are the Earth's core, its magnetized crust and the electric currents in the ionosphere and magnetosphere. NOAA/CIRES Geomagnetism (ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/) group develops and distributes models that describe all these important sources to aid navigation. Our geomagnetic models are used in variety of platforms including airplanes, ships, submarines and smartphones. While the magnetic field from Earth's core can be described in relatively fewer parameters and is suitable for offline computation, the magnetic sources from Earth's crust, ionosphere and magnetosphere require either significant computational resources or real-time capabilities and are not suitable for offline calculation. This is especially important for small navigational devices or embedded systems, where computational resources are limited. Recognizing the need for a fast and reliable access to our geomagnetic field models, we developed cloud-based application program interfaces (APIs) for NOAA's ionospheric and magnetospheric magnetic field models. In this paper we will describe the need for reliable magnetic calculators, the challenges faced in running geomagnetic field models in the cloud in real-time and the feedback from our user community. We discuss lessons learned harvesting and validating the data which powers our cloud services, as well as our strategies for maintaining near real-time service, including load-balancing, real-time monitoring, and instance cloning. We will also briefly talk about the progress we achieved on NOAA's Big Earth Data Initiative (BEDI) funded project to develop API interface to our Enhanced Magnetic Model (EMM).

Associations between children's diets and features of their residential and school neighbourhood food environments.

PubMed

Van Hulst, Andraea; Barnett, Tracie A; Gauvin, Lise; Daniel, Mark; Kestens, Yan; Bird, Madeleine; Gray-Donald, Katherine; Lambert, Marie

2012-07-26

Among studies of the built environment, few examine neighbourhood food environments in relation to children's diets. We examined the associations of residential and school neighbourhood access to different types of food establishments with children's diets. Data from QUALITY (Quebec Adipose and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth), an ongoing study on the natural history of obesity in 630 Quebec youth aged 8-10 years with a parental history of obesity, were analyzed (n=512). Three 24-hour diet recalls were used to assess dietary intake of vegetables and fruit, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Questionnaires were used to determine the frequency of eating/snacking out and consumption of delivered/take-out foods. We characterized residential and school neighbourhood food environments by means of a Geographic Information System. Variables included distance to the nearest supermarket, fast-food restaurant and convenience store, and densities of each food establishment type computed for 1 km network buffers around each child's residence and school. Retail Food Environment indices were also computed. Multivariable logistic regressions (residential access) and generalized estimating equations (school access) were used for analysis. Residential and school neighbourhood access to supermarkets was not associated with children's diets. Residing in neighbourhoods with lower access to fast-food restaurants and convenience stores was associated with a lower likelihood of eating and snacking out. Children attending schools in neighbourhoods with a higher number of unhealthful relative to healthful food establishments scored most poorly on dietary outcomes. Further investigations are needed to inform policies aimed at shaping neighbourhood-level food purchasing opportunities, particularly for access to fast-food restaurants and convenience stores.

Use of Schema on Read in Earth Science Data Archives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrenko, M.; Hegde, M.; Smit, C.; Pilone, P.; Pham, L.

2017-12-01

Traditionally, NASA Earth Science data archives have file-based storage using proprietary data file formats, such as HDF and HDF-EOS, which are optimized to support fast and efficient storage of spaceborne and model data as they are generated. The use of file-based storage essentially imposes an indexing strategy based on data dimensions. In most cases, NASA Earth Science data uses time as the primary index, leading to poor performance in accessing data in spatial dimensions. For example, producing a time series for a single spatial grid cell involves accessing a large number of data files. With exponential growth in data volume due to the ever-increasing spatial and temporal resolution of the data, using file-based archives poses significant performance and cost barriers to data discovery and access. Storing and disseminating data in proprietary data formats imposes an additional access barrier for users outside the mainstream research community. At the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data Information Services Center (GES DISC), we have evaluated applying the "schema-on-read" principle to data access and distribution. We used Apache Parquet to store geospatial data, and have exposed data through Amazon Web Services (AWS) Athena, AWS Simple Storage Service (S3), and Apache Spark. Using the "schema-on-read" approach allows customization of indexing—spatial or temporal—to suit the data access pattern. The storage of data in open formats such as Apache Parquet has widespread support in popular programming languages. A wide range of solutions for handling big data lowers the access barrier for all users. This presentation will discuss formats used for data storage, frameworks with support for "schema-on-read" used for data access, and common use cases covering data usage patterns seen in a geospatial data archive.

Use of Schema on Read in Earth Science Data Archives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hegde, Mahabaleshwara; Smit, Christine; Pilone, Paul; Petrenko, Maksym; Pham, Long

2017-01-01

Traditionally, NASA Earth Science data archives have file-based storage using proprietary data file formats, such as HDF and HDF-EOS, which are optimized to support fast and efficient storage of spaceborne and model data as they are generated. The use of file-based storage essentially imposes an indexing strategy based on data dimensions. In most cases, NASA Earth Science data uses time as the primary index, leading to poor performance in accessing data in spatial dimensions. For example, producing a time series for a single spatial grid cell involves accessing a large number of data files. With exponential growth in data volume due to the ever-increasing spatial and temporal resolution of the data, using file-based archives poses significant performance and cost barriers to data discovery and access. Storing and disseminating data in proprietary data formats imposes an additional access barrier for users outside the mainstream research community. At the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data Information Services Center (GES DISC), we have evaluated applying the schema-on-read principle to data access and distribution. We used Apache Parquet to store geospatial data, and have exposed data through Amazon Web Services (AWS) Athena, AWS Simple Storage Service (S3), and Apache Spark. Using the schema-on-read approach allows customization of indexing spatially or temporally to suit the data access pattern. The storage of data in open formats such as Apache Parquet has widespread support in popular programming languages. A wide range of solutions for handling big data lowers the access barrier for all users. This presentation will discuss formats used for data storage, frameworks with This presentation will discuss formats used for data storage, frameworks with support for schema-on-read used for data access, and common use cases covering data usage patterns seen in a geospatial data archive.

Real-time FPGA architectures for computer vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arias-Estrada, Miguel; Torres-Huitzil, Cesar

2000-03-01

This paper presents an architecture for real-time generic convolution of a mask and an image. The architecture is intended for fast low level image processing. The FPGA-based architecture takes advantage of the availability of registers in FPGAs to implement an efficient and compact module to process the convolutions. The architecture is designed to minimize the number of accesses to the image memory and is based on parallel modules with internal pipeline operation in order to improve its performance. The architecture is prototyped in a FPGA, but it can be implemented on a dedicated VLSI to reach higher clock frequencies. Complexity issues, FPGA resources utilization, FPGA limitations, and real time performance are discussed. Some results are presented and discussed.

BabelFish-Tools for IEEE C37.118.2-compliant real-time synchrophasor data mediation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almas, M. S.; Vanfretti, L.; Baudette, M.

BabelFish (BF) is a real-time data mediator for development and fast prototyping of synchrophasor applications. BF is compliant with the synchrophasor data transmission IEEE Std C37.118.2-2011. BF establishes a TCP/IP connection with any Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) or Phasor Data Concentrator (PDC) stream and parses the IEEE Std C37.118.2-2011 frames in real-time to provide access to raw numerical data in the LabVIEW environment. Furthermore, BF allows the user to select "data-of-interest" and transmit it to either a local or remote application using the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) in order to support both unicast and multicast communication. In the power systems Wide Area Monitoring Protection and Control (WAMPAC) domain, BF provides the first Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) for the purpose of giving the users tools for fast prototyping of new applications processing PMU measurements in their chosen environment, thus liberating them of time consuming synchrophasor data handling and allowing them to develop applications in a modular fashion, without a need of a large and monolithic synchrophasor software environment.

Population shuffling between ground and high energy excited states

PubMed Central

Sabo, T Michael; Trent, John O; Lee, Donghan

2015-01-01

Stochastic processes powered by thermal energy lead to protein motions traversing time-scales from picoseconds to seconds. Fundamental to protein functionality is the utilization of these dynamics for tasks such as catalysis, folding, and allostery. A hierarchy of motion is hypothesized to connect and synergize fast and slow dynamics toward performing these essential activities. Population shuffling predicts a “top-down” temporal hierarchy, where slow time-scale conformational interconversion leads to a shuffling of the free energy landscape for fast time-scale events. Until now, population shuffling was only applied to interconverting ground states. Here, we extend the framework of population shuffling to be applicable for a system interconverting between low energy ground and high energy excited states, such as the SH3 domain mutants G48M and A39V/N53P/V55L from the Fyn tyrosine kinase, providing another tool for accessing the structural dynamics of high energy excited states. Our results indicate that the higher energy gauche− rotameric state for the leucine χ2 dihedral angle contributes significantly to the distribution of rotameric states in both the major and minor forms of the SH3 domain. These findings are corroborated with unrestrained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on both the major and minor states of the SH3 domain demonstrating high correlations between experimental and back-calculated leucine χ2 rotameric populations. Taken together, we demonstrate how fast time-scale rotameric side-chain population distributions can be extracted from slow time-scale conformational exchange data further extending the scope and the applicability of the population shuffling model. PMID:26316263

Population shuffling between ground and high energy excited states.

PubMed

Sabo, T Michael; Trent, John O; Lee, Donghan

2015-11-01

Stochastic processes powered by thermal energy lead to protein motions traversing time-scales from picoseconds to seconds. Fundamental to protein functionality is the utilization of these dynamics for tasks such as catalysis, folding, and allostery. A hierarchy of motion is hypothesized to connect and synergize fast and slow dynamics toward performing these essential activities. Population shuffling predicts a "top-down" temporal hierarchy, where slow time-scale conformational interconversion leads to a shuffling of the free energy landscape for fast time-scale events. Until now, population shuffling was only applied to interconverting ground states. Here, we extend the framework of population shuffling to be applicable for a system interconverting between low energy ground and high energy excited states, such as the SH3 domain mutants G48M and A39V/N53P/V55L from the Fyn tyrosine kinase, providing another tool for accessing the structural dynamics of high energy excited states. Our results indicate that the higher energy gauche - rotameric state for the leucine χ2 dihedral angle contributes significantly to the distribution of rotameric states in both the major and minor forms of the SH3 domain. These findings are corroborated with unrestrained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on both the major and minor states of the SH3 domain demonstrating high correlations between experimental and back-calculated leucine χ2 rotameric populations. Taken together, we demonstrate how fast time-scale rotameric side-chain population distributions can be extracted from slow time-scale conformational exchange data further extending the scope and the applicability of the population shuffling model. © 2015 The Protein Society.

Lower hybrid accessibility in a large, hot reversed field pinch

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

Dziubek, R.A.

1995-02-01

Recent theoretical and experimental results indicate that driving a current in the outer radius of an RPF suppresses sawtooth activity and increases particle and energy confinement times. One candidate for a form of steady state current drive is the slow wave at the lower hybrid frequency. Here, the accessibility of such a wave in an RFP plasma is investigated theoretically, with focus on the RFX machine of Padua, Italy. To drive current, the slow wave with frequency between 1.0--1.5 GHz is considered where optimal Landau damping is desired at r/a {approximately} 0.7. By numerically determining the values of the wave`smore » perpendicular index of refraction which satisfy the hot plasma dispersion relation, regions of propagation and evanescence can be found. The path of the wave can then be traced over a contour map of these regions so that accessibility can be clearly seen. The possibility of mode conversion events can be ascertained by plotting the values of the perpendicular index of refraction for the fast and slow wave and observing convergence points. To locate regions of maximum Landau damping, a technique developed by Stix was adapted for use with the slow wave in an RFP plasma. Results show that the slow wave is accessible to the target region without mode conversion so long as the value of the parallel index of refraction is correctly chosen at the edge of the plasma. Landau damping can also be optimized with this method. In an RFP, 2--20% of the electron population consists of fast electrons. Because this species alters the total electron distribution function and raises the effective temperature in the outer regions of the plasma, its presence is expected to shift the location of ideal Landau damping.« less

New insights on diabetes in Turner syndrome: results from an observational study in adulthood.

PubMed

Ibarra-Gasparini, Daniela; Altieri, Paola; Scarano, Emanuela; Perri, Annamaria; Morselli-Labate, Antonio M; Pagotto, Uberto; Mazzanti, Laura; Pasquali, Renato; Gambineri, Alessandra

2018-03-01

To explore the characteristics of diabetes mellitus in adults with Turner syndrome. Observational study consisting of a prospective phase after the access of adults with Turner syndrome to the Endocrinology Unit (median period of follow-up 15.6, interquartile range: 12.0-24.5 months) and a retrospective collection of data from the diagnosis of Turner syndrome until the time of access to the Endocrinology Unit. A total of 113 Italian Turner syndrome patients were included in the study. During the prospective phase of the study, each patient underwent physical examination, fasting blood sampling, and an oral glucose tolerance test on a yearly basis. Oral glucose tolerance test was used to perform the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Before access to the Endocrinology Unit, diabetes mellitus was diagnosed in two Turner syndrome patients. Another five cases of diabetes mellitus were diagnosed at the first access to the Endocrinology Unit, whereas seven new cases of diabetes mellitus were diagnosed during the prospective phase of the study. At the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, only one patient had fasting glucose above 126 mg/dL, and only two had an HbA1c value >6.5% (48 mmol/mol). When compared to normo-glucose tolerant patients, the diabetic patients had a significantly lower insulin-to-glucose ratio at 30 and 60 min of the oral glucose tolerance test. In the regression analyses, only age was associated with the development of diabetes mellitus. This study confirms that diabetes mellitus is frequent in Turner syndrome and suggests that it is specific to the syndrome. In addition, this study demonstrates that oral glucose tolerance test is a more sensitive test than HbA1c for the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus in Turner syndrome.

Interactive analysis of geographically distributed population imaging data collections over light-path data networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Lew, Baldur; Botha, Charl P.; Milles, Julien R.; Vrooman, Henri A.; van de Giessen, Martijn; Lelieveldt, Boudewijn P. F.

2015-03-01

The cohort size required in epidemiological imaging genetics studies often mandates the pooling of data from multiple hospitals. Patient data, however, is subject to strict privacy protection regimes, and physical data storage may be legally restricted to a hospital network. To enable biomarker discovery, fast data access and interactive data exploration must be combined with high-performance computing resources, while respecting privacy regulations. We present a system using fast and inherently secure light-paths to access distributed data, thereby obviating the need for a central data repository. A secure private cloud computing framework facilitates interactive, computationally intensive exploration of this geographically distributed, privacy sensitive data. As a proof of concept, MRI brain imaging data hosted at two remote sites were processed in response to a user command at a third site. The system was able to automatically start virtual machines, run a selected processing pipeline and write results to a user accessible database, while keeping data locally stored in the hospitals. Individual tasks took approximately 50% longer compared to a locally hosted blade server but the cloud infrastructure reduced the total elapsed time by a factor of 40 using 70 virtual machines in the cloud. We demonstrated that the combination light-path and private cloud is a viable means of building an analysis infrastructure for secure data analysis. The system requires further work in the areas of error handling, load balancing and secure support of multiple users.

Cardiac e-learning: Development of a web-based implantable cardioverter defibrillator educational system.

PubMed

Hickey, Kathleen T; Johnson, Mary P; Biviano, Angelo; Aboelela, Sally; Thomas, Tami; Bakken, Suzanne; Garan, Hasan; Zimmerman, John L; Whang, William

2011-04-01

The objective of this study was to design a Web-based implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) module that would allow greater access to learning which could occur at an individual's convenience outside the fast-paced clinical environment. A Web-based ICD software educational program was developed to provide general knowledge of the function of the ICD and the interpretation of the stored electrocardiograms. This learning tool could be accessed at any time via the Columbia University Internet server, using a unique, password protected login. A series of basic and advanced ICD terms were presented using actual ICD screenshots and videos that simulated scenarios the practitioner would most commonly encounter in the fast-paced clinical setting. To determine the usefulness of the site and improve the module, practitioners were asked to complete a brief (less than 5 min) online survey at the end of the module. Twenty-six practitioners have logged into our Web site: 20 nurses/nurse practitioners, four cardiac fellows, and two other practitioners. The majority of respondents rated the program as easy to use and useful. The success of this module has led to it becoming part of the training for student nurse practitioners before a clinical electrophysiology rotation, and the module is accessed by our cardiac entry level fellows before a rotation in the intensive care unit or electrophysiology service. Remote electronic arrhythmia learning is a successful example of the melding of technology and education to enhance clinical learning.

FastQuery: A Parallel Indexing System for Scientific Data

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

Chou, Jerry; Wu, Kesheng; Prabhat,

2011-07-29

Modern scientific datasets present numerous data management and analysis challenges. State-of-the- art index and query technologies such as FastBit can significantly improve accesses to these datasets by augmenting the user data with indexes and other secondary information. However, a challenge is that the indexes assume the relational data model but the scientific data generally follows the array data model. To match the two data models, we design a generic mapping mechanism and implement an efficient input and output interface for reading and writing the data and their corresponding indexes. To take advantage of the emerging many-core architectures, we also developmore » a parallel strategy for indexing using threading technology. This approach complements our on-going MPI-based parallelization efforts. We demonstrate the flexibility of our software by applying it to two of the most commonly used scientific data formats, HDF5 and NetCDF. We present two case studies using data from a particle accelerator model and a global climate model. We also conducted a detailed performance study using these scientific datasets. The results show that FastQuery speeds up the query time by a factor of 2.5x to 50x, and it reduces the indexing time by a factor of 16 on 24 cores.« less

Temporal Gillespie Algorithm: Fast Simulation of Contagion Processes on Time-Varying Networks

PubMed Central

Vestergaard, Christian L.; Génois, Mathieu

2015-01-01

Stochastic simulations are one of the cornerstones of the analysis of dynamical processes on complex networks, and are often the only accessible way to explore their behavior. The development of fast algorithms is paramount to allow large-scale simulations. The Gillespie algorithm can be used for fast simulation of stochastic processes, and variants of it have been applied to simulate dynamical processes on static networks. However, its adaptation to temporal networks remains non-trivial. We here present a temporal Gillespie algorithm that solves this problem. Our method is applicable to general Poisson (constant-rate) processes on temporal networks, stochastically exact, and up to multiple orders of magnitude faster than traditional simulation schemes based on rejection sampling. We also show how it can be extended to simulate non-Markovian processes. The algorithm is easily applicable in practice, and as an illustration we detail how to simulate both Poissonian and non-Markovian models of epidemic spreading. Namely, we provide pseudocode and its implementation in C++ for simulating the paradigmatic Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible and Susceptible-Infected-Recovered models and a Susceptible-Infected-Recovered model with non-constant recovery rates. For empirical networks, the temporal Gillespie algorithm is here typically from 10 to 100 times faster than rejection sampling. PMID:26517860

Temporal Gillespie Algorithm: Fast Simulation of Contagion Processes on Time-Varying Networks.

PubMed

Vestergaard, Christian L; Génois, Mathieu

2015-10-01

Stochastic simulations are one of the cornerstones of the analysis of dynamical processes on complex networks, and are often the only accessible way to explore their behavior. The development of fast algorithms is paramount to allow large-scale simulations. The Gillespie algorithm can be used for fast simulation of stochastic processes, and variants of it have been applied to simulate dynamical processes on static networks. However, its adaptation to temporal networks remains non-trivial. We here present a temporal Gillespie algorithm that solves this problem. Our method is applicable to general Poisson (constant-rate) processes on temporal networks, stochastically exact, and up to multiple orders of magnitude faster than traditional simulation schemes based on rejection sampling. We also show how it can be extended to simulate non-Markovian processes. The algorithm is easily applicable in practice, and as an illustration we detail how to simulate both Poissonian and non-Markovian models of epidemic spreading. Namely, we provide pseudocode and its implementation in C++ for simulating the paradigmatic Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible and Susceptible-Infected-Recovered models and a Susceptible-Infected-Recovered model with non-constant recovery rates. For empirical networks, the temporal Gillespie algorithm is here typically from 10 to 100 times faster than rejection sampling.

Single-incision laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer through a homemade single port access device.

PubMed

Jiang, Zhi-Wei; Zhang, Shu; Wang, Gang; Zhao, Kun; Liu, Jiang; Ning, Li; Li, Jieshou

2015-01-01

We presented a series of single-incision laparoscopic distal gastrectomies for early gastric cancer patients through a type of homemade single port access device and some other conventional laparoscopic instruments. A single-incision laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with D1 + α lymph node dissection was performed on a 46 years old male patient who had an early gastric cancer. This single port access device has facilitated the conventional laparoscopic instruments to accomplish the surgery and we made in only 6 minutes. Total operating time for this surgery was 240 minutes. During the operation, there were about 100 milliliters of blood loss, and 17 lymph-nodes were retrieved. This homemade single port access device shows its superiority in economy and convenience for complex single-incision surgeries. Single-incision laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer can be conducted by experienced laparoscopic surgeons. Fully take advantage of both SILS and fast track surgery plan can bring to successful surgeries with minimal postoperative pain, quicker mobilization, early recovery of intestinal function, and better cosmesis effect for the patients.

Sant Joan d’Alacant declaration in defense of Open Access to scientific publications, by the group of editors of Spanish journals on health sciences (GERECS)

PubMed

Grupo de Editores de Revistas Españolas Sobre Ciencias de la Salud, Gerecs

2018-01-10

3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) lyase deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder that usually presents in the neonatal period with vomiting, metabolic acidosis, hypoglycemia and absent ketonuria. Few cases are reported in the literature, and optimal dietary management and long term outcome are not fully understood. We report a 2 year old girl with HMG-CoA-lyase deficiency who had limited fasting tolerance on a low protein diet, with several recurrent hospital admissions with severe hypoketotic hypoglycaemia and metabolic acidosis. We also review the dietary management and outcome of other reported cases in the literature. In order to define optimal dietary treatment, it is important to collect higher numbers of case studies with detailed dietary management, fasting times and outcome.

Disentangling neighborhood contextual associations with child body mass index, diet, and physical activity: The role of built, socioeconomic, and social environments

PubMed Central

Carroll-Scott, Amy; Gilstad-Hayden, Kathryn; Rosenthal, Lisa; Peters, Susan M.; McCaslin, Catherine; Joyce, Rebecca; Ickovics, Jeannette R.

2014-01-01

Obesity prevalence among US children and adolescents has tripled in the past three decades. Consequently, dramatic increases in chronic disease incidence are expected, particularly among populations already experiencing health disparities. Recent evidence identifies characteristics of “obesogenic” neighborhood environments that affect weight and weight-related behaviors. This study aimed to examine associations between built, socioeconomic, and social characteristics of a child’s residential environment on body mass index (BMI), diet, and physical activity. We focused on pre-adolescent children living in New Haven, Connecticut to better understand neighborhood environments’ contribution to persistent health disparities. Participants were 1048 fifth and sixth grade students who completed school-based health surveys and physical measures in fall 2009. Student data were linked to US Census, parks, retailer, and crime data. Analyses were conducted using multilevel modeling. Property crimes and living further from a grocery store were associated with higher BMI. Students living within a 5-min walk of a fast food outlet had higher BMI, and those living in a tract with higher density of fast food outlets reported less frequent healthy eating and more frequent unhealthy eating. Students’ reported perceptions of access to parks, playgrounds, and gyms were associated with more frequent healthy eating and exercise. Students living in more affluent neighborhoods reported more frequent healthy eating, less unhealthy eating, and less screen time. Neighborhood social ties were positively associated with frequency of exercise. In conclusion, distinct domains of neighborhood environment characteristics were independently related to children’s BMI and health behaviors. Findings link healthy behaviors with built, social, and socioeconomic environment assets (access to parks, social ties, affluence), and unhealthy behaviors with built environment inhibitors (access to fast food outlets), suggesting neighborhood environments are an important level at which to intervene to prevent childhood obesity and its adverse consequences. PMID:23642646

biobambam: tools for read pair collation based algorithms on BAM files

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Sequence alignment data is often ordered by coordinate (id of the reference sequence plus position on the sequence where the fragment was mapped) when stored in BAM files, as this simplifies the extraction of variants between the mapped data and the reference or of variants within the mapped data. In this order paired reads are usually separated in the file, which complicates some other applications like duplicate marking or conversion to the FastQ format which require to access the full information of the pairs. Results In this paper we introduce biobambam, a set of tools based on the efficient collation of alignments in BAM files by read name. The employed collation algorithm avoids time and space consuming sorting of alignments by read name where this is possible without using more than a specified amount of main memory. Using this algorithm tasks like duplicate marking in BAM files and conversion of BAM files to the FastQ format can be performed very efficiently with limited resources. We also make the collation algorithm available in the form of an API for other projects. This API is part of the libmaus package. Conclusions In comparison with previous approaches to problems involving the collation of alignments by read name like the BAM to FastQ or duplication marking utilities our approach can often perform an equivalent task more efficiently in terms of the required main memory and run-time. Our BAM to FastQ conversion is faster than all widely known alternatives including Picard and bamUtil. Our duplicate marking is about as fast as the closest competitor bamUtil for small data sets and faster than all known alternatives on large and complex data sets.

Library Media Specialists and Assisted Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards-Johnson, Adriana

2009-01-01

Today many library resources are accessible 24/7. Students can be in the classroom, home, or at their favorite fast food place and do what once required a visit to the library. Electronic access to information has become a major part of the culture. No longer are students just watching a 16mm projected film in class; now they can access online…

Access to Basic Education in Ghana: The Evidence and the Issues. Country Analytic Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akyeampong, Kwame; Djangmah, Jerome; Oduro, Abena; Seidu, Alhassan; Hunt, Frances

2007-01-01

The analysis of access to education in Ghana builds on the Ministry of Education Sector Performance Report and the World Bank sector studies. Though access has improved it remains uneven and has not grown as fast enough to reach universal levels of participation in primary school and JSS [Junior Secondary School] by 2015. More needs to be…

Trajectory data privacy protection based on differential privacy mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Ke; Yang, Lihao; Liu, Yongzhi; Liao, Niandong

2018-05-01

In this paper, we propose a trajectory data privacy protection scheme based on differential privacy mechanism. In the proposed scheme, the algorithm first selects the protected points from the user’s trajectory data; secondly, the algorithm forms the polygon according to the protected points and the adjacent and high frequent accessed points that are selected from the accessing point database, then the algorithm calculates the polygon centroids; finally, the noises are added to the polygon centroids by the differential privacy method, and the polygon centroids replace the protected points, and then the algorithm constructs and issues the new trajectory data. The experiments show that the running time of the proposed algorithms is fast, the privacy protection of the scheme is effective and the data usability of the scheme is higher.

Simulation of Voltage SET Operation in Phase-Change Random Access Memories with Heater Addition and Ring-Type Contactor for Low-Power Consumption by Finite Element Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Yue-Feng; Song, Zhi-Tang; Ling, Yun; Liu, Yan; Li, Yi-Jin

2010-06-01

A three-dimensional finite element model for phase change random access memory is established to simulate electric, thermal and phase state distribution during (SET) operation. The model is applied to simulate the SET behaviors of the heater addition structure (HS) and the ring-type contact in the bottom electrode (RIB) structure. The simulation results indicate that the small bottom electrode contactor (BEC) is beneficial for heat efficiency and reliability in the HS cell, and the bottom electrode contactor with size Fx = 80 nm is a good choice for the RIB cell. Also shown is that the appropriate SET pulse time is 100 ns for the low power consumption and fast operation.

Remote observing environment using a KVM-over-IP for the OAO 188 cm telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanagisawa, Kenshi; Inoue, Goki; Kuroda, Daisuke; Ukita, Nobuharu; Mizumoto, Yoshihiko; Izumiura, Hideyuki

2016-08-01

We have prepared remote observing environment for the 188 cm telescope at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory. A KVM-over-IP and a VPN gateway are employed as core devices, which offer reliable, secure and fast link between on site and remote sites. We have confirmed the KVM-over-IP has ideal characteristics for serving the remote observing environment; the use is simple for both users and maintainer; access from any platform is available; multiple and simultaneous access is possible; and maintenance load is small. We also demonstrated that the degradation of observing efficiency specific to the remote observing is negligibly small. The remote observing environment has fully opened since the semester 2016A, about 30% of the total observing time in the last semester was occupied by remote observing.

A New Signaling Architecture THREP with Autonomous Radio-Link Control for Wireless Communications Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirono, Masahiko; Nojima, Toshio

This paper presents a new signaling architecture for radio-access control in wireless communications systems. Called THREP (for THREe-phase link set-up Process), it enables systems with low-cost configurations to provide tetherless access and wide-ranging mobility by using autonomous radio-link controls for fast cell searching and distributed call management. A signaling architecture generally consists of a radio-access part and a service-entity-access part. In THREP, the latter part is divided into two steps: preparing a communication channel, and sustaining it. Access control in THREP is thus composed of three separated parts, or protocol phases. The specifications of each phase are determined independently according to system requirements. In the proposed architecture, the first phase uses autonomous radio-link control because we want to construct low-power indoor wireless communications systems. Evaluation of channel usage efficiency and hand-over loss probability in the personal handy-phone system (PHS) shows that THREP makes the radio-access sub-system operations in a practical application model highly efficient, and the results of a field experiment show that THREP provides sufficient protection against severe fast CNR degradation in practical indoor propagation environments.

Redox-Active Star Molecules Incorporating the 4-Benzoylpyridinium Cation - Implications for the Charge Transfer Along Branches vs. Across the Perimeter in Dendrimer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leventis, Nicholas; Yang, Jinua; Fabrizio,Even F.; Rawashdeh, Abdel-Monem M.; Oh, Woon Su; Sotiriou-Leventis, Chariklia

2004-01-01

Dendrimers are self-repeating globular branched star molecules, whose fractal structure continues to fascinate, challenge, and inspire. Functional dendrimers may incorporate redox centers, and potential applications include antennae molecules for light harvesting, sensors, mediators, and artificial biomolecules. We report the synthesis and redox properties of four star systems incorporating the 4-benzoyl-N-alkylpyridinium cation; the redox potential varies along the branches but remains constant at fixed radii. Bulk electrolysis shows that at a semi-infinite time scale all redox centers are electrochemically accessible. However, voltammetric analysis (cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry) shows that on1y two of the three redox-active centers in the perimeter are electrochemically accessible during potential sweeps as slow as 20 mV/s and as fast as 10 V/s. On the contrary, both redox centers along branches are accessible electrochemically within the same time frame. These results are explained in terms of slow through-space charge transfer and the globular 3-D folding of the molecules and are discussed in terms of their implications on the design of efficient redox functional dendrimers.

Development of Inspection and Repair Technology for Heat Exchanger Tubes in Fast Breeder Reactors

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

Technology for Heat Exchanger Tubes in Fast Breeder Reactors Akihiko NISHIMURA *1 , Takahisa SHOBU, Kiyoshi OKA, Toshihiko YAMAGUCHI, Yukihiro SHIMADA...fast breeder reactors (FBRs). It comprises a laser processing head combined with an eddy current testing unit. Ultrashort laser pulse ablation is used...be applied in the main- tenance of large structures such as nuclear reactors and chemical factories [1]. Internal access to a blanket cooling pipe

Interactive Plasma Physics Education Using Data from Fusion Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calderon, Brisa; Davis, Bill; Zwicker, Andrew

2010-11-01

The Internet Plasma Physics Education Experience (IPPEX) website was created in 1996 to give users access to data from plasma and fusion experiments. Interactive material on electricity, magnetism, matter, and energy was presented to generate interest and prepare users to understand data from a fusion experiment. Initially, users were allowed to analyze real-time and archival data from the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) experiment. IPPEX won numerous awards for its novel approach of allowing users to participate in ongoing research. However, the latest revisions of IPPEX were in 2001 and the interactive material is no longer functional on modern browsers. Also, access to real-time data was lost when TFTR was shut down. The interactive material on IPPEX is being rewritten in ActionScript3.0, and real-time and archival data from the National Spherical Tokamak Experiment (NSTX) will be made available to users. New tools like EFIT animations, fast cameras, and plots of important plasma parameters will be included along with an existing Java-based ``virtual tokamak.'' Screenshots from the upgraded website and future directions will be presented.

Click C@refully Before You Quote: Citing Internet-Based Sources

PubMed Central

1999-01-01

At the end of the 20th century, access to information provided by the World Wide Web (WWW) is changing as never before. The fast availability of current medical literature and the availability of tools for easy access to information, as well as for the easy production of information, have confronted research physicians, scholars, and students with new kinds of problems, many of which concern us personally. Quality control, difficulty establishing basic citation components, lack of standard guidelines for citing, as well as the short lifetime of Internet addresses concern us deeply. Some of these problems could be solved by the concept of an “Online-Library of Medicine” presented in the following paper. Since, however, at the present time there are no good answers to the problems regarding citing Internet-based sources, a Web surfer must keep in his or her mind the motto “caveat lector” (let the reader beware) - or, rather, in the spirit of our time: click c@refully before you cite. PMID:10527339

Fast access to the CMS detector condition data employing HTML5 technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierro, Giuseppe Antonio; Cavallari, Francesca; Di Guida, Salvatore; Innocente, Vincenzo

2011-12-01

This paper focuses on using HTML version 5 (HTML5) for accessing condition data for the CMS experiment, evaluating the benefits and risks posed by the use of this technology. According to the authors of HTML5, this technology attempts to solve issues found in previous iterations of HTML and addresses the needs of web applications, an area previously not adequately covered by HTML. We demonstrate that employing HTML5 brings important benefits in terms of access performance to the CMS condition data. The combined use of web storage and web sockets allows increasing the performance and reducing the costs in term of computation power, memory usage and network bandwidth for client and server. Above all, the web workers allow creating different scripts that can be executed using multi-thread mode, exploiting multi-core microprocessors. Web workers have been employed in order to substantially decrease the web page rendering time to display the condition data stored in the CMS condition database.

Time-restricted feeding improves insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in a mouse model of postmenopausal obesity.

PubMed

Chung, Heekyung; Chou, Winjet; Sears, Dorothy D; Patterson, Ruth E; Webster, Nicholas J G; Ellies, Lesley G

2016-12-01

Menopause is associated with significant hormonal changes that result in increased total body fat and abdominal fat, amplifying the risk for metabolic syndrome and diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer in postmenopausal women. Intermittent fasting regimens hold significant health benefit promise for obese humans, however, regimens that include extreme daytime calorie restriction or daytime fasting are generally associated with hunger and irritability, hampering long-term compliance and adoption in the clinical setting. Time-restricted feeding (TRF), a regimen allowing eating only during a specific period in the normal circadian feeding cycle, without calorie restriction, may increase compliance and provide a more clinically viable method for reducing the detrimental metabolic consequences associated with obesity. We tested TRF as an intervention in a mouse model of postmenopausal obesity. Metabolic parameters were measured using Clinical Laboratory Animal Monitoring System (CLAMS) and we carried out glucose tolerance tests. We also stained liver sections with oil red O to examine steatosis and measured gene expression related to gluconeogenesis. Preexisting metabolic disease was significantly attenuated during 7 weeks of TRF. Despite having access to the same high fat diet (HFD) as ad libitum fed (ALF) mice, TRF mice experienced rapid weight loss followed by a delayed improvement in insulin resistance and a reduced severity of hepatic steatosis by having access to the HFD for only 8h during their normal nocturnal feeding period. The lower respiratory exchange ratio in the TRF group compared with the ALF group early in the dark phase suggested that fat was the predominant fuel source in the TRF group and correlated with gene expression analyses that suggested a switch from gluconeogenesis to ketogenesis. In addition, TRF mice were more physically active than ALF fed mice. Our data support further analysis of TRF as a clinically viable form of intermittent fasting to improve metabolic health due to obesity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distributed Processing of Projections of Large Datasets: A Preliminary Study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maddox, Brian G.

2004-01-01

Modern information needs have resulted in very large amounts of data being used in geographic information systems. Problems arise when trying to project these data in a reasonable amount of time and accuracy, however. Current single-threaded methods can suffer from two problems: fast projection with poor accuracy, or accurate projection with long processing time. A possible solution may be to combine accurate interpolation methods and distributed processing algorithms to quickly and accurately convert digital geospatial data between coordinate systems. Modern technology has made it possible to construct systems, such as Beowulf clusters, for a low cost and provide access to supercomputer-class technology. Combining these techniques may result in the ability to use large amounts of geographic data in time-critical situations.

How Fast Is Fast Enough?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henke, Karen Greenwood

2007-01-01

Just how much bandwidth does the average student in the United States have access to today, and how much will he or she need in the future? That depends, according to district CTOs, state technology directors, industry experts, and classroom teachers. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that 97 percent of U.S. public schools with…

Revealing Hidden Structural Order Controlling Both Fast and Slow Glassy Dynamics in Supercooled Liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Hua; Tanaka, Hajime

2018-01-01

The dynamics of a supercooled liquid near the glass transition is characterized by two-step relaxation, fast β and slow α relaxations. Because of the apparently disordered nature of glassy structures, there have been long debates over whether the origin of drastic slowing-down of the α relaxation accompanied by heterogeneous dynamics is thermodynamic or dynamic. Furthermore, it has been elusive whether there is any deep connection between fast β and slow α modes. To settle these issues, here we introduce a set of new structural order parameters characterizing sterically favored structures with high local packing capability, and then access structure-dynamics correlation by a novel nonlocal approach. We find that the particle mobility is under control of the static order parameter field. The fast β process is controlled by the instantaneous order parameter field locally, resulting in short-time particle-scale dynamics. Then the mobility field progressively develops with time t , following the initial order parameter field from disorder to more ordered regions. As is well known, the heterogeneity in the mobility field (dynamic heterogeneity) is maximized with a characteristic length ξ4, when t reaches the relaxation time τα. We discover that this mobility pattern can be predicted solely by a spatial coarse graining of the initial order parameter field at t =0 over a length ξ without any dynamical information. Furthermore, we find a relation ξ ˜ξ4, indicating that the static length ξ grows coherently with the dynamic one ξ4 upon cooling. This further suggests an intrinsic link between τα and ξ : the growth of the static length ξ is the origin of dynamical slowing-down. These we confirm for the first time in binary glass formers both in two and three spatial dimensions. Thus, a static structure has two intrinsic characteristic lengths, particle size and ξ , which control dynamics in local and nonlocal manners, resulting in the emergence of the two key relaxation modes, fast β and slow α processes, respectively. Because the two processes share a common structural origin, we can even predict a dynamic propensity pattern at long timescale from the fast β pattern. The presence of such intrinsic structure-dynamics correlation strongly indicates a thermodynamic nature of glass transition.

Compression for an effective management of telemetry data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arcangeli, J.-P.; Crochemore, M.; Hourcastagnou, J.-N.; Pin, J.-E.

1993-01-01

A Technological DataBase (T.D.B.) records all the values taken by the physical on-board parameters of a satellite since launch time. The amount of temporal data is very large (about 15 Gbytes for the satellite TDF1) and an efficient system must allow users to have a fast access to any value. This paper presents a new solution for T.D.B. management. The main feature of our new approach is the use of lossless data compression methods. Several parametrizable data compression algorithms based on substitution, relative difference and run-length encoding are available. Each of them is dedicated to a specific type of variation of the parameters' values. For each parameter, an analysis of stability is performed at decommutation time, and then the best method is chosen and run. A prototype intended to process different sorts of satellites has been developed. Its performances are well beyond the requirements and prove that data compression is both time and space efficient. For instance, the amount of data for TDF1 has been reduced to 1.05 Gbytes (compression ratio is 1/13) and access time for a typical query has been reduced from 975 seconds to 14 seconds.

Implementation of Ferroelectric Memories for Space Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Philpy, Stephen C.; Derbenwick, Gary F.; Kamp, David A.; Isaacson, Alan F.

2000-01-01

Ferroelectric random access semiconductor memories (FeRAMs) are an ideal nonvolatile solution for space applications. These memories have low power performance, high endurance and fast write times. By combining commercial ferroelectric memory technology with radiation hardened CMOS technology, nonvolatile semiconductor memories for space applications can be attained. Of the few radiation hardened semiconductor manufacturers, none have embraced the development of radiation hardened FeRAMs, due a limited commercial space market and funding limitations. Government funding may be necessary to assure the development of radiation hardened ferroelectric memories for space applications.

Fast and Scalable Computation of the Forward and Inverse Discrete Periodic Radon Transform.

PubMed

Carranza, Cesar; Llamocca, Daniel; Pattichis, Marios

2016-01-01

The discrete periodic radon transform (DPRT) has extensively been used in applications that involve image reconstructions from projections. Beyond classic applications, the DPRT can also be used to compute fast convolutions that avoids the use of floating-point arithmetic associated with the use of the fast Fourier transform. Unfortunately, the use of the DPRT has been limited by the need to compute a large number of additions and the need for a large number of memory accesses. This paper introduces a fast and scalable approach for computing the forward and inverse DPRT that is based on the use of: a parallel array of fixed-point adder trees; circular shift registers to remove the need for accessing external memory components when selecting the input data for the adder trees; an image block-based approach to DPRT computation that can fit the proposed architecture to available resources; and fast transpositions that are computed in one or a few clock cycles that do not depend on the size of the input image. As a result, for an N × N image (N prime), the proposed approach can compute up to N(2) additions per clock cycle. Compared with the previous approaches, the scalable approach provides the fastest known implementations for different amounts of computational resources. For example, for a 251×251 image, for approximately 25% fewer flip-flops than required for a systolic implementation, we have that the scalable DPRT is computed 36 times faster. For the fastest case, we introduce optimized just 2N + ⌈log(2) N⌉ + 1 and 2N + 3 ⌈log(2) N⌉ + B + 2 cycles, architectures that can compute the DPRT and its inverse in respectively, where B is the number of bits used to represent each input pixel. On the other hand, the scalable DPRT approach requires more 1-b additions than for the systolic implementation and provides a tradeoff between speed and additional 1-b additions. All of the proposed DPRT architectures were implemented in VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL) and validated using an Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implementation.

Centrality measures highlight proton traps and access points to proton highways in kinetic Monte Carlo trajectories

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

Krueger, Rachel A.; Haibach, Frederick G.; Fry, Dana L.

2015-04-21

A centrality measure based on the time of first returns rather than the number of steps is developed and applied to finding proton traps and access points to proton highways in the doped perovskite oxides: AZr{sub 0.875}D{sub 0.125}O{sub 3}, where A is Ba or Sr and the dopant D is Y or Al. The high centrality region near the dopant is wider in the SrZrO{sub 3} systems than the BaZrO{sub 3} systems. In the aluminum-doped systems, a region of intermediate centrality (secondary region) is found in a plane away from the dopant. Kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) trajectories show that thismore » secondary region is an entry to fast conduction planes in the aluminum-doped systems in contrast to the highest centrality area near the dopant trap. The yttrium-doped systems do not show this secondary region because the fast conduction routes are in the same plane as the dopant and hence already in the high centrality trapped area. This centrality measure complements kMC by highlighting key areas in trajectories. The limiting activation barriers found via kMC are in very good agreement with experiments and related to the barriers to escape dopant traps.« less

Use of ruthenium dyes for subnanosecond detector fidelity testing in real time transient absorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrdin, Martin; Thiagarajan, Viruthachalam; Villette, Sandrine; Espagne, Agathe; Brettel, Klaus

2009-04-01

Transient absorption spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the study of photoreactions on time scales from femtoseconds to seconds. Typically, reactions slower than ˜1 ns are recorded by the "classical" technique; the reaction is triggered by an excitation flash, and absorption changes accompanying the reaction are recorded in real time using a continuous monitoring light beam and a detection system with sufficiently fast response. The pico- and femtosecond region can be accessed by the more recent "pump-probe" technique, which circumvents the difficulties of real time detection on a subnanosecond time scale. This is paid for by accumulation of an excessively large number of shots to sample the reaction kinetics. Hence, it is of interest to extend the classical real time technique as far as possible to the subnanosecond range. In order to identify and minimize detection artifacts common on a subnanosecond scale, like overshoot, ringing, and signal reflections, rigorous testing is required of how the detection system responds to fast changes of the monitoring light intensity. Here, we introduce a novel method to create standard signals for detector fidelity testing on a time scale from a few picoseconds to tens of nanoseconds. The signals result from polarized measurements of absorption changes upon excitation of ruthenium complexes {[Ru(bpy)3]2+ and a less symmetric derivative} by a short laser flash. Two types of signals can be created depending on the polarization of the monitoring light with respect to that of the excitation flash: a fast steplike bleaching at magic angle and a monoexponentially decaying bleaching for parallel polarizations. The lifetime of the decay can be easily varied via temperature and viscosity of the solvent. The method is applied to test the performance of a newly developed real time transient absorption setup with 300 ps time resolution and high sensitivity.

On-board B-ISDN fast packet switching architectures. Phase 1: Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faris, Faris; Inukai, Thomas; Lee, Fred; Paul, Dilip; Shyy, Dong-Jye

1993-01-01

The broadband integrate services digital network (B-ISDN) is an emerging telecommunications technology that will meet most of the telecommunications networking needs in the mid-1990's to early next century. The satellite-based system is well positioned for providing B-ISDN service with its inherent capabilities of point-to-multipoint and broadcast transmission, virtually unlimited connectivity between any two points within a beam coverage, short deployment time of communications facility, flexible and dynamic reallocation of space segment capacity, and distance insensitive cost. On-board processing satellites, particularly in a multiple spot beam environment, will provide enhanced connectivity, better performance, optimized access and transmission link design, and lower user service cost. The following are described: the user and network aspects of broadband services; the current development status in broadband services; various satellite network architectures including system design issues; and various fast packet switch architectures and their detail designs.

Optimization of memory use of fragment extension-based protein-ligand docking with an original fast minimum cost flow algorithm.

PubMed

Yanagisawa, Keisuke; Komine, Shunta; Kubota, Rikuto; Ohue, Masahito; Akiyama, Yutaka

2018-06-01

The need to accelerate large-scale protein-ligand docking in virtual screening against a huge compound database led researchers to propose a strategy that entails memorizing the evaluation result of the partial structure of a compound and reusing it to evaluate other compounds. However, the previous method required frequent disk accesses, resulting in insufficient acceleration. Thus, more efficient memory usage can be expected to lead to further acceleration, and optimal memory usage could be achieved by solving the minimum cost flow problem. In this research, we propose a fast algorithm for the minimum cost flow problem utilizing the characteristics of the graph generated for this problem as constraints. The proposed algorithm, which optimized memory usage, was approximately seven times faster compared to existing minimum cost flow algorithms. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Designing a SCADA system simulator for fast breeder reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nugraha, E.; Abdullah, A. G.; Hakim, D. L.

2016-04-01

SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system simulator is a Human Machine Interface-based software that is able to visualize the process of a plant. This study describes the results of the process of designing a SCADA system simulator that aims to facilitate the operator in monitoring, controlling, handling the alarm, accessing historical data and historical trend in Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) type Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR). This research used simulation to simulate NPP type FBR Kalpakkam in India. This simulator was developed using Wonderware Intouch software 10 and is equipped with main menu, plant overview, area graphics, control display, set point display, alarm system, real-time trending, historical trending and security system. This simulator can properly simulate the principle of energy flow and energy conversion process on NPP type FBR. This SCADA system simulator can be used as training media for NPP type FBR prospective operators.

78 FR 18318 - U.S. Healthcare Trade Mission to Turkey

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-26

... 64. Average life expectancy is 75 years. It has a fast-growing middle class that is willing to spend more on quality goods and services, and a democratically elected government which has historically... Turkish government has made healthcare access and quality a priority. To improve healthcare access for its...

Fast, multi-channel real-time processing of signals with microsecond latency using graphics processing units.

PubMed

Rath, N; Kato, S; Levesque, J P; Mauel, M E; Navratil, G A; Peng, Q

2014-04-01

Fast, digital signal processing (DSP) has many applications. Typical hardware options for performing DSP are field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated DSP chips, or general purpose personal computer systems. This paper presents a novel DSP platform that has been developed for feedback control on the HBT-EP tokamak device. The system runs all signal processing exclusively on a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to achieve real-time performance with latencies below 8 μs. Signals are transferred into and out of the GPU using PCI Express peer-to-peer direct-memory-access transfers without involvement of the central processing unit or host memory. Tests were performed on the feedback control system of the HBT-EP tokamak using forty 16-bit floating point inputs and outputs each and a sampling rate of up to 250 kHz. Signals were digitized by a D-TACQ ACQ196 module, processing done on an NVIDIA GTX 580 GPU programmed in CUDA, and analog output was generated by D-TACQ AO32CPCI modules.

Neighborhood environments: disparities in access to healthy foods in the U.S.

PubMed

Larson, Nicole I; Story, Mary T; Nelson, Melissa C

2009-01-01

Poor dietary patterns and obesity, established risk factors for chronic disease, have been linked to neighborhood deprivation, neighborhood minority composition, and low area population density. Neighborhood differences in access to food may have an important influence on these relationships and health disparities in the U.S. This article reviews research relating to the presence, nature, and implications of neighborhood differences in access to food. A snowball strategy was used to identify relevant research studies (n=54) completed in the U.S. and published between 1985 and April 2008. Research suggests that neighborhood residents who have better access to supermarkets and limited access to convenience stores tend to have healthier diets and lower levels of obesity. Results from studies examining the accessibility of restaurants are less consistent, but there is some evidence to suggest that residents with limited access to fast-food restaurants have healthier diets and lower levels of obesity. National and local studies across the U.S. suggest that residents of low-income, minority, and rural neighborhoods are most often affected by poor access to supermarkets and healthful food. In contrast, the availability of fast-food restaurants and energy-dense foods has been found to be greater in lower-income and minority neighborhoods. Neighborhood disparities in access to food are of great concern because of their potential to influence dietary intake and obesity. Additional research is needed to address various limitations of current studies, identify effective policy actions, and evaluate intervention strategies designed to promote more equitable access to healthy foods.

Software Engineering Principles 3-14 August 1981,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

small disk used (but rot that of the extended mass storage or large disk option); it is very fast (about 1/5 the speed of the primary memory, where the...extended mass storage or large disk option); it is very fast (about 1/5 the speed of the primary memory, where the disk was 1/10000 for access); and...programed and tested - must be correct and fast D. Choice of right synchronization operations: Design problem 1. Several mentioned in literature 9-22

Usefulness of a fast track list for anxious patients in a upper GI endoscopy.

PubMed

Cardin, Fabrizio; Andreotti, Alessandra; Zorzi, Manuel; Terranova, Claudio; Martella, Bruno; Amato, Bruno; Militello, Carmelo

2012-01-01

To determine whether patients with no alarm signs who ask the endoscopist to shorten their waiting time due to test result anxiety, represent a risk category for a major organic pathology. At our open-access endoscopy service, we set up an expedite list for six months for outpatients who complained that the waiting time for gastroscopy was too long. Over this period we studied 373 gastroscopy patients. In addition to personal details, we collected information on the presence of Hp infection and compliance with dyspepsia guideline indications for gastroscopy. Average waiting time was 38.2 days (SD 12.7). The 66 patients who considered the waiting time too long underwent gastroscopy within 15 days. We made 5 diagnoses of esophageal and gastric tumour and gastric ulcer (7.6%) among the expedite list patients and 14 (4.6%) among those on the normal list (p=0.31). On including duodenal peptic disease in the analysis, the total prevalence rate rose to 19.7% in the short-wait group and to 10.4% (p=0.036) in the longer-wait group. Our data suggests that asking to be fast-tracked does not have prognostic impact on the diagnosis of a major (gastric ulcer and cancer) pathology.

Design and implementation for integrated UAV multi-spectral inspection system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, X.; Li, X.; Yan, F.

2018-04-01

In order to improve the working efficiency of the transmission line inspection and reduce the labour intensity of the inspectors, this paper presents an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) inspection system architecture for the transmission line inspection. In this document, the light-duty design for different inspection equipment and processing terminals is completed. It presents the reference design for the information-processing terminal, supporting the inspection and interactive equipment accessing, and obtains all performance indicators of the inspection information processing through the tests. Practical application shows that the UAV inspection system supports access and management of different types of mainstream fault detection equipment, and can implement the independent diagnosis of the detected information to generate inspection reports in line with industry norms, which can meet the fast, timely, and efficient requirements for the power line inspection work.

Intracellular applications of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy: prospects for neuroscience.

PubMed

Kim, Sally A; Schwille, Petra

2003-10-01

Based on time-averaging fluctuation analysis of small fluorescent molecular ensembles in equilibrium, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy has recently been applied to investigate processes in the intracellular milieu. The exquisite sensitivity of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy provides access to a multitude of measurement parameters (rates of diffusion, local concentration, states of aggregation and molecular interactions) in real time with fast temporal and high spatial resolution. The introduction of dual-color cross-correlation, imaging, two-photon excitation, and coincidence analysis coupled with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy has expanded the utility of the technique to encompass a wide range of promising applications in living cells that may provide unprecedented insight into understanding the molecular mechanisms of intracellular neurobiological processes.

Bubble memory module for spacecraft application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayes, P. J.; Looney, K. T.; Nichols, C. D.

1985-01-01

Bubble domain technology offers an all-solid-state alternative for data storage in onboard data systems. A versatile modular bubble memory concept was developed. The key module is the bubble memory module which contains all of the storage devices and circuitry for accessing these devices. This report documents the bubble memory module design and preliminary hardware designs aimed at memory module functional demonstration with available commercial bubble devices. The system architecture provides simultaneous operation of bubble devices to attain high data rates. Banks of bubble devices are accessed by a given bubble controller to minimize controller parts. A power strobing technique is discussed which could minimize the average system power dissipation. A fast initialization method using EEPROM (electrically erasable, programmable read-only memory) devices promotes fast access. Noise and crosstalk problems and implementations to minimize these are discussed. Flight memory systems which incorporate the concepts and techniques of this work could now be developed for applications.

Failure Analysis by Statistical Techniques (FAST). Volume 1. User’s Manual

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-10-31

REPORT NUMBER DNA 3336F-1 2. OOVT ACCESSION NO 4. TITLE Cand Sublllle) • FAILURE ANALYSIS BY STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES (FAST) Volume I, User’s...SS2), and t’ a facility ( SS7 ). The other three diagrams break down the three critical subsystems. T le median probability of survival of the

Does access to fast food lead to super-sized pregnant women and whopper babies?

PubMed

Lhila, Aparna

2011-12-01

Rise in the availability of fast-food restaurants has been blamed, at least partly, for the increasing obesity in the U.S. The existing studies of obesity have focused primarily on children, adolescents, and adults, and this paper extends the literature by raising a little-studied question and using nationally representative data to answer it. It examines the relationship between the supply of fast-food restaurants and weight gain of pregnant women and their newborns. I study prenatal weight gain because excessive weight gain has been linked to postpartum overweight/obesity and I study both tails of the birthweight distribution because the origin of obesity may be traced to the prenatal period and both tail outcomes have been associated with obesity later in life. I merge the 1998 and 2004 Natality Detail Files with the Area Resource File, and County Business Patterns, which provide data on the number of fast-food restaurants in the metropolitan area where the mother resides. The empirical model includes an extensive list of MSA characteristics and MSA fixed effects to control for factors that may be correlated with both health outcomes and restaurants' location decision. Results reveal that the fast-food and weight gain relationship is robust to the inclusion of these controls but these controls greatly mitigate the fast food-infant health relationship. Greater access to fast-food restaurants is positively related to mothers' probability of excessive weight gain but it does not share a statistically significant relationship with birthweight. These relationships hold in all the socioeconomic and demographic subgroups studied. 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Model My Watershed - A Robust Online App to Enable Citizen Scientists to Model Watershed Hydrology and Water Quality at Regulatory-Level Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniels, M.; Kerlin, S.; Arscott, D.

2017-12-01

Citizen-based watershed monitoring has historically lacked scientific rigor and geographic scope due to limitation in access to watershed-level data and the high level skills and resources required to adequately model watershed dynamics. Public access to watershed information is currently routed through a variety of governmental data portals and often requires advanced geospatial skills to collect and present in useable forms. At the same time, tremendous financial resources are being invested in watershed restoration and management efforts, and often these resources pass through local stakeholder groups such as conservation NGO, watershed interest groups, and local municipalities without extensive hydrologic knowledge or access to sophisticated modeling resources. Even governmental agencies struggle to understand how to best steer or prioritize restoration investments. A new app, Model My Watershed, was built to improve access to watershed data and modeling capabilities in a fast, accessible, free web-app format. Working across the contiguous United States, the Model My Watershed app provides land cover, soils, aerial imagery and relief, watershed delineation, and stream network delineation. Users can model watersheds or areas of interest and create management scenarios to evaluate implementation of land cover changes and best management practice implementation with both hydrologic and water quality outputs that meet TMDL regulatory standards.

Greater access to fast-food outlets is associated with poorer bone health in young children.

PubMed

Vogel, C; Parsons, C; Godfrey, K; Robinson, S; Harvey, N C; Inskip, H; Cooper, C; Baird, J

2016-03-01

A healthy diet positively influences childhood bone health, but how the food environment relates to bone development is unknown. Greater neighbourhood access to fast-food outlets was associated with lower bone mass among infants, while greater access to healthy speciality stores was associated with higher bone mass at 4 years. Identifying factors that contribute to optimal childhood bone development could help pinpoint strategies to improve long-term bone health. A healthy diet positively influences bone health from before birth and during childhood. This study addressed a gap in the literature by examining the relationship between residential neighbourhood food environment and bone mass in infants and children. One thousand one hundred and seven children participating in the Southampton Women's Survey, UK, underwent measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) at birth and 4 and/or 6 years by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Cross-sectional observational data describing food outlets within the boundary of each participant's neighbourhood were used to derive three measures of the food environment: the counts of fast-food outlets, healthy speciality stores and supermarkets. Neighbourhood exposure to fast-food outlets was associated with lower BMD in infancy (β = -0.23 (z-score): 95% CI -0.38, -0.08) and lower BMC after adjustment for bone area and confounding variables (β = -0.17 (z-score): 95% CI -0.32, -0.02). Increasing neighbourhood exposure to healthy speciality stores was associated with higher BMD at 4 and 6 years (β = 0.16(z-score): 95% CI 0.00, 0.32 and β = 0.13(z-score): 95% CI -0.01, 0.26 respectively). The relationship with BMC after adjustment for bone area and confounding variables was statistically significant at 4 years, but not at 6 years. The neighbourhood food environment that pregnant mothers and young children are exposed may affect bone development during early childhood. If confirmed in future studies, action to reduce access to fast-food outlets could have benefits for childhood development and long-term bone health.

Overview of Initial NSTX-U Experimental Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglia, Devon; the NSTX-U Team

2016-10-01

Initial operation of the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) has satisfied a number of commissioning milestones, including demonstration of discharges that exceed the field and pulse length of NSTX. ELMy H-mode operation at the no-wall βN limit is obtained with Boronized wall conditioning. Peak H-mode parameters include: Ip = 1 MA, BT0 = 0.63 T, WMHD = 330 kJ, βN = 4, βN/li = 6, κ = 2.3, τE , tot >50 ms. Access to high-performance H-mode scenarios with long MHD-quiescent periods is enabled by the resilient timing of the L-H transition via feedback control of the diverting time and shape, and correction of the dominant n =1 error fields during the Ip ramp. Stationary L-mode discharges have been realized up to 1 MA with 2 s discharges achieved at Ip = 650 kA. The long-pulse L-mode discharges enabled by the new central solenoid supported initial experiments on error field measurements and correction, plasma shape control, controlled discharge ramp-down, L-mode transport and fast ion physics. Increased off-axis current drive and reduction of fast ion instabilities has been observed with the new, more tangential neutral beamline. The initial results support that access to increased field, current and heating at low-aspect-ratio expands the regimes available to develop scenarios, diagnostics and predictive models that inform the design and optimization of future burning plasma tokamak devices, including ITER. Work Supported by U.S. DOE Contract No. DE-AC02-09CH11466.

Efficient traffic grooming with dynamic ONU grouping for multiple-OLT-based access network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shizong; Gu, Rentao; Ji, Yuefeng; Wang, Hongxiang

2015-12-01

Fast bandwidth growth urges large-scale high-density access scenarios, where the multiple Passive Optical Networking (PON) system clustered deployment can be adopted as an appropriate solution to fulfill the huge bandwidth demands, especially for a future 5G mobile network. However, the lack of interaction between different optical line terminals (OLTs) results in part of the bandwidth resources waste. To increase the bandwidth efficiency, as well as reduce bandwidth pressure at the edge of a network, we propose a centralized flexible PON architecture based on Time- and Wavelength-Division Multiplexing PON (TWDM PON). It can provide flexible affiliation for optical network units (ONUs) and different OLTs to support access network traffic localization. Specifically, a dynamic ONU grouping algorithm (DGA) is provided to obtain the minimal OLT outbound traffic. Simulation results show that DGA obtains an average 25.23% traffic gain increment under different OLT numbers within a small ONU number situation, and the traffic gain will increase dramatically with the increment of the ONU number. As the DGA can be deployed easily as an application running above the centralized control plane, the proposed architecture can be helpful to improve the network efficiency for future traffic-intensive access scenarios.

The association between obesity and urban food environments.

PubMed

Bodor, J Nicholas; Rice, Janet C; Farley, Thomas A; Swalm, Chris M; Rose, Donald

2010-09-01

Several studies have examined associations between the food retail environment and obesity, though virtually no work has been done in the urban South, where obesity rates are among the highest in the country. This study assessed associations between access to food retail outlets and obesity in New Orleans. Data on individual characteristics and body weight were collected by telephone interviews from a random sample of adults (N = 3,925) living in New Orleans in 2004-2005. The neighborhood of each individual was geo-mapped by creating a 2-km buffer around the center point of the census tract in which they lived. Food retailer counts were created by summing the total number of each food store type and fast food establishment within this 2-km neighborhood. Hierarchical linear models assessed associations between access to food retailers and obesity status. After adjusting for individual characteristics, each additional supermarket in a respondent's neighborhood was associated with a reduced odds for obesity (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88-0.99). Fast food restaurant (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.02) and convenience store (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.02) access were each predictive of greater obesity odds. An individual's access to food stores and fast food restaurants may play a part in determining weight status. Future studies with longitudinal and experimental designs are needed to test whether modifications in the food environment may assist in the prevention of obesity.

Fast dye salts provide fast access to azidoarene synthons in multi-step one-pot tandem click transformations

PubMed Central

Fletcher, James T.; Reilly, Jacquelline E.

2012-01-01

This study examined whether commercially available diazonium salts could be used as efficient aromatic azide precursors in one-pot multi-step click transformations. Seven different diazonium salts, including Fast Red RC, Fast Blue B, Fast Corinth V and Variamine Blue B were surveyed under aqueous click reaction conditions of CuSO4/Na ascorbate catalyst with 1:1 t-BuOH:H2O solvent. Two-step tandem reactions with terminal alkyne and diyne co-reactants led to 1,2,3-triazole products in 66%-88% yields, while three-step tandem reactions with trimethylsilyl-protected alkyne and diyne co-reactants led to 1,2,3-triazole products in 61%-78% yields. PMID:22368306

Socioeconomic variations in women's diets: what is the role of perceptions of the local food environment?

PubMed

Inglis, V; Ball, K; Crawford, D

2008-03-01

To test the contribution of perceived environmental factors (food availability, accessibility and affordability) to mediating socioeconomic variations in women's fruit, vegetable and fast food consumption. A community sample of 1580 women from 45 neighbourhoods provided survey data on their socioeconomic position (SEP) (education and income); diet (fruit, vegetable and fast food consumption); and the perceived availability of, access to and cost of healthy food in their local area. Once perceived environmental variables were considered, the associations between SEP and diet were weak and non-significant, suggesting that socioeconomic differences in diet were almost wholly explained by perceptions of food availability, accessibility and affordability. Strategies to decrease socioeconomic inequalities in diet could involve promoting inexpensive ways to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, and ensuring that people of low SEP are aware that many healthy foods are available at relatively low cost. Future research should also confirm if perceptions match objective measures of food availability, accessibility and affordability, in order to address the real and/or perceived lack of healthy options in low SEP neighbourhoods.

Grouper: A Compact, Streamable Triangle Mesh Data Structure.

PubMed

Luffel, Mark; Gurung, Topraj; Lindstrom, Peter; Rossignac, Jarek

2013-05-08

We present Grouper: an all-in-one compact file format, random-access data structure, and streamable representation for large triangle meshes. Similarly to the recently published SQuad representation, Grouper represents the geometry and connectivity of a mesh by grouping vertices and triangles into fixed-size records, most of which store two adjacent triangles and a shared vertex. Unlike SQuad, however, Grouper interleaves geometry with connectivity and uses a new connectivity representation to ensure that vertices and triangles can be stored in a coherent order that enables memory-efficient sequential stream processing. We present a linear-time construction algorithm that allows streaming out Grouper meshes using a small memory footprint while preserving the initial ordering of vertices. As part of this construction, we show how the problem of assigning vertices and triangles to groups reduces to a well-known NP-hard optimization problem, and present a simple yet effective heuristic solution that performs well in practice. Our array-based Grouper representation also doubles as a triangle mesh data structure that allows direct access to vertices and triangles. Storing only about two integer references per triangle, Grouper answers both incidence and adjacency queries in amortized constant time. Our compact representation enables data-parallel processing on multicore computers, instant partitioning and fast transmission for distributed processing, as well as efficient out-of-core access.

Ultrafast random-access scanning in two-photon microscopy using acousto-optic deflectors.

PubMed

Salomé, R; Kremer, Y; Dieudonné, S; Léger, J-F; Krichevsky, O; Wyart, C; Chatenay, D; Bourdieu, L

2006-06-30

Two-photon scanning microscopy (TPSM) is a powerful tool for imaging deep inside living tissues with sub-cellular resolution. The temporal resolution of TPSM is however strongly limited by the galvanometric mirrors used to steer the laser beam. Fast physiological events can therefore only be followed by scanning repeatedly a single line within the field of view. Because acousto-optic deflectors (AODs) are non-mechanical devices, they allow access at any point within the field of view on a microsecond time scale and are therefore excellent candidates to improve the temporal resolution of TPSM. However, the use of AOD-based scanners with femtosecond pulses raises several technical difficulties. In this paper, we describe an all-digital TPSM setup based on two crossed AODs. It includes in particular an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) placed at 45 degrees with respect to the AODs to pre-compensate for the large spatial distortions of femtosecond pulses occurring in the AODs, in order to optimize the spatial resolution and the fluorescence excitation. Our setup allows recording from freely selectable point-of-interest at high speed (1kHz). By maximizing the time spent on points of interest, random-access TPSM (RA-TPSM) constitutes a promising method for multiunit recordings with millisecond resolution in biological tissues.

Real-time field programmable gate array architecture for computer vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arias-Estrada, Miguel; Torres-Huitzil, Cesar

2001-01-01

This paper presents an architecture for real-time generic convolution of a mask and an image. The architecture is intended for fast low-level image processing. The field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based architecture takes advantage of the availability of registers in FPGAs to implement an efficient and compact module to process the convolutions. The architecture is designed to minimize the number of accesses to the image memory and it is based on parallel modules with internal pipeline operation in order to improve its performance. The architecture is prototyped in a FPGA, but it can be implemented on dedicated very- large-scale-integrated devices to reach higher clock frequencies. Complexity issues, FPGA resources utilization, FPGA limitations, and real-time performance are discussed. Some results are presented and discussed.

Early Patient Access to Medicines: Health Technology Assessment Bodies Need to Catch Up with New Marketing Authorization Methods.

PubMed

Leyens, Lada; Brand, Angela

National and international medicines agencies have developed innovative methods to expedite promising new medicines to the market and facilitate early patient access. Some of these approval pathways are the conditional approval and the adaptive pathways by the European Medicines Agency (EMA); the Promising Innovative Medicine (PIM) designation and the Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS) by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), as well as the Fast Track, Breakthrough or Accelerated Approval methods by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, at least in Europe, these methods cannot achieve the goal of improving timely access for patients to new medicines on their own; the reimbursement process also has to become adaptive and flexible. In the past 2 years, the effective access (national patient access) to newly approved oncology drugs ranged from 1 to 30 months, with an extremely high variability between European countries. The goal of early patient access in Europe can only be achieved if the national health technology assessment bodies, such as NICE (ENG), HAS (FR), G-BA (DE) or AIFA (IT), provide harmonized, transparent, flexible, conditional and adaptive methods that adopt the level of evidence accepted by the medicines agencies. The efforts from medicines agencies are welcome but will be in vain if health technology assessments do not follow with similar initiatives, and the European 'postcode' lottery will continue. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Submultiple Data Collection to Explore Spectroscopic Instrument Instabilities Shows that Much of the "Noise" is not Stochastic.

PubMed

Meuse, Curtis W; Filliben, James J; Rubinson, Kenneth A

2018-04-17

As has long been understood, the noise on a spectrometric signal can be reduced by averaging over time, and the averaged noise is expected to decrease as t 1/2 , the square root of the data collection time. However, with contemporary capability for fast data collection and storage, we can retain and access a great deal more information about a signal train than just its average over time. During the same collection time, we can record the signal averaged over much shorter, equal, fixed periods. This is, then, the set of signals over submultiples of the total collection time. With a sufficiently large set of submultiples, the distribution of the signal's fluctuations over the submultiple periods of the data stream can be acquired at each wavelength (or frequency). From the autocorrelations of submultiple sets, we find only some fraction of these fluctuations consist of stochastic noise. Part of the fluctuations are what we call "fast drift", which is defined as drift over a time shorter than the complete measurement period of the average spectrum. In effect, what is usually assumed to be stochastic noise has a significant component of fast drift due to changes of conditions in the spectroscopic system. In addition, we show that the extreme values of the fluctuation of the signals are usually not balanced (equal magnitudes, equal probabilities) on either side of the mean or median without an inconveniently long measurement time; the data is almost inevitably biased. In other words, the unbalanced data is collected in an unbalanced manner around the mean, and so the median provides a better measure of the true spectrum. As is shown here, by using the medians of these distributions, the signal-to-noise of the spectrum can be increased and sampling bias reduced. The effect of this submultiple median data treatment is demonstrated for infrared, circular dichroism, and Raman spectrometry.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Kansas City Kansas Public Schools Invests in

Science.gov Websites

station for up to 70 CNG school buses, one mobile CNG refueling unit, and CNG safety modifications to the buses and fast-fill dispensers for public access. After receiving only one response, KCKPS simplified , or at one of the City of Kansas City, Missouri's private fast-fill stations. The first CNG bus was

Factors Related to the Number of Fast Food Meals Obtained by College Meal Plan Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dingman, Deirdre A.; Schulz, Mark R.; Wyrick, David L.; Bibeau, Daniel L.; Gupta, Sat N.

2014-01-01

Objectives: This study tested whether days on campus, financial access through a meal plan, and health consciousness were associated with number of meals that college students obtained from fast food restaurants. Participants and Methods: In April 2013, all students currently enrolled in a meal plan were invited to participate in an online survey…

ProbFAST: Probabilistic functional analysis system tool.

PubMed

Silva, Israel T; Vêncio, Ricardo Z N; Oliveira, Thiago Y K; Molfetta, Greice A; Silva, Wilson A

2010-03-30

The post-genomic era has brought new challenges regarding the understanding of the organization and function of the human genome. Many of these challenges are centered on the meaning of differential gene regulation under distinct biological conditions and can be performed by analyzing the Multiple Differential Expression (MDE) of genes associated with normal and abnormal biological processes. Currently MDE analyses are limited to usual methods of differential expression initially designed for paired analysis. We proposed a web platform named ProbFAST for MDE analysis which uses Bayesian inference to identify key genes that are intuitively prioritized by means of probabilities. A simulated study revealed that our method gives a better performance when compared to other approaches and when applied to public expression data, we demonstrated its flexibility to obtain relevant genes biologically associated with normal and abnormal biological processes. ProbFAST is a free accessible web-based application that enables MDE analysis on a global scale. It offers an efficient methodological approach for MDE analysis of a set of genes that are turned on and off related to functional information during the evolution of a tumor or tissue differentiation. ProbFAST server can be accessed at http://gdm.fmrp.usp.br/probfast.

ProbFAST: Probabilistic Functional Analysis System Tool

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The post-genomic era has brought new challenges regarding the understanding of the organization and function of the human genome. Many of these challenges are centered on the meaning of differential gene regulation under distinct biological conditions and can be performed by analyzing the Multiple Differential Expression (MDE) of genes associated with normal and abnormal biological processes. Currently MDE analyses are limited to usual methods of differential expression initially designed for paired analysis. Results We proposed a web platform named ProbFAST for MDE analysis which uses Bayesian inference to identify key genes that are intuitively prioritized by means of probabilities. A simulated study revealed that our method gives a better performance when compared to other approaches and when applied to public expression data, we demonstrated its flexibility to obtain relevant genes biologically associated with normal and abnormal biological processes. Conclusions ProbFAST is a free accessible web-based application that enables MDE analysis on a global scale. It offers an efficient methodological approach for MDE analysis of a set of genes that are turned on and off related to functional information during the evolution of a tumor or tissue differentiation. ProbFAST server can be accessed at http://gdm.fmrp.usp.br/probfast. PMID:20353576

Probing ultra-fast processes with high dynamic range at 4th-generation light sources: Arrival time and intensity binning at unprecedented repetition rates.

PubMed

Kovalev, S; Green, B; Golz, T; Maehrlein, S; Stojanovic, N; Fisher, A S; Kampfrath, T; Gensch, M

2017-03-01

Understanding dynamics on ultrafast timescales enables unique and new insights into important processes in the materials and life sciences. In this respect, the fundamental pump-probe approach based on ultra-short photon pulses aims at the creation of stroboscopic movies. Performing such experiments at one of the many recently established accelerator-based 4th-generation light sources such as free-electron lasers or superradiant THz sources allows an enormous widening of the accessible parameter space for the excitation and/or probing light pulses. Compared to table-top devices, critical issues of this type of experiment are fluctuations of the timing between the accelerator and external laser systems and intensity instabilities of the accelerator-based photon sources. Existing solutions have so far been only demonstrated at low repetition rates and/or achieved a limited dynamic range in comparison to table-top experiments, while the 4th generation of accelerator-based light sources is based on superconducting radio-frequency technology, which enables operation at MHz or even GHz repetition rates. In this article, we present the successful demonstration of ultra-fast accelerator-laser pump-probe experiments performed at an unprecedentedly high repetition rate in the few-hundred-kHz regime and with a currently achievable optimal time resolution of 13 fs (rms). Our scheme, based on the pulse-resolved detection of multiple beam parameters relevant for the experiment, allows us to achieve an excellent sensitivity in real-world ultra-fast experiments, as demonstrated for the example of THz-field-driven coherent spin precession.

A fast time-difference inverse solver for 3D EIT with application to lung imaging.

PubMed

Javaherian, Ashkan; Soleimani, Manuchehr; Moeller, Knut

2016-08-01

A class of sparse optimization techniques that require solely matrix-vector products, rather than an explicit access to the forward matrix and its transpose, has been paid much attention in the recent decade for dealing with large-scale inverse problems. This study tailors application of the so-called Gradient Projection for Sparse Reconstruction (GPSR) to large-scale time-difference three-dimensional electrical impedance tomography (3D EIT). 3D EIT typically suffers from the need for a large number of voxels to cover the whole domain, so its application to real-time imaging, for example monitoring of lung function, remains scarce since the large number of degrees of freedom of the problem extremely increases storage space and reconstruction time. This study shows the great potential of the GPSR for large-size time-difference 3D EIT. Further studies are needed to improve its accuracy for imaging small-size anomalies.

Examining the relationship between the food environment and adult diabetes prevalence by county economic and racial composition: an ecological study.

PubMed

Haynes-Maslow, Lindsey; Leone, Lucia A

2017-08-09

Inequitable access to healthy food may contribute to health disparities. This study examines the relationship between the prevalence of adult diabetes and food access in the U.S. by county economic/racial composition. An ecological study from 2012 was used to estimate the relationship between diabetes and retail food outlet access. County diabetes prevalence was measured based on individual responses to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey question, "Have you ever been told by a doctor that you have diabetes?" If the answer was "yes" individuals were classified as having diabetes. Retail food outlets included grocery stores, supercenters, farmer's markets, full-service restaurants, fast food restaurants and convenience stores. Counties were categorized as "high-poverty" or "low-poverty". Counties were categorized as low (< 4.6%), medium (4.6%-31.0%), and high (> 31.0%) percent minority residents. Multiple linear regression models estimated the association between retail food outlets and diabetes, controlling for confounders, and testing for interactions between retail food outlets and county racial composition. Regression models were conditioned on county economic composition. Data were analyzed in 2016. Density of retail foods outlets varied greatly by county economic and racial composition; counties with medium-minority populations had the least access to grocery stores and the highest access to fast food restaurants and convenience stores. Low poverty/low-minority population counties had the greatest access to farmer's markets and grocery stores. For low poverty/low-minority counties, grocery stores were associated with decreased of diabetes prevalence. Supercenters were associated with an increase in diabetes prevalence for high-poverty/low-minority counties. Only low poverty/medium-minority counties had a statistically significant relationship between farmer's markets and diabetes prevalence. Fast food restaurants were found to be positively associated with diabetes prevalence in all counties except high poverty/medium-minority. However, only low poverty/low-minority counties had a statistically significant relationship. Across all models, access to full service restaurants were significantly associated with lower prevalence of diabetes. Generally, access to convenience stores were associated with increased diabetes prevalence, except for high poverty/low-minority counties. The food environment is more strongly associated with diabetes prevalence for wealthier counties with a lower proportion of minority residents. This is important given efforts to increase food access in vulnerable communities. Availability of healthier food may not be enough to change health outcomes.

THREE-DIMENSIONAL RANDOM ACCESS MULTIPHOTON MICROSCOPY FOR FAST FUNCTIONAL IMAGING OF NEURONAL ACTIVITY

PubMed Central

Reddy, Gaddum Duemani; Kelleher, Keith; Fink, Rudy; Saggau, Peter

2009-01-01

The dynamic ability of neuronal dendrites to shape and integrate synaptic responses is the hallmark of information processing in the brain. Effectively studying this phenomenon requires concurrent measurements at multiple sites on live neurons. Significant progress has been made by optical imaging systems which combine confocal and multiphoton microscopy with inertia-free laser scanning. However, all systems developed to date restrict fast imaging to two dimensions. This severely limits the extent to which neurons can be studied, since they represent complex three-dimensional (3D) structures. Here we present a novel imaging system that utilizes a unique arrangement of acousto-optic deflectors to steer a focused ultra-fast laser beam to arbitrary locations in 3D space without moving the objective lens. As we demonstrate, this highly versatile random-access multiphoton microscope supports functional imaging of complex 3D cellular structures such as neuronal dendrites or neural populations at acquisition rates on the order of tens of kilohertz. PMID:18432198

Pre-school obesity is inversely associated with vegetable intake, grocery stores and outdoor play

PubMed Central

Kepper, M.; Tseng, T.-S.; Volaufova, J.; Scribner, R.; Nuss, H.; Sothern, M.

2016-01-01

Summary The study determined the association between body mass index (BMI) [B-Z] score and fruit and vegetable intake, frequency and ratio of fast food outlets and grocery stores in concentric areas around the child’s residence, outdoor play and total crime index. Data from 78 Louisiana pre-school children were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression analysis. Parental-reported fruit intake was linearly associated with increased number of grocery store counts in concentric areas around the child’s residence (P = 0.0406, P = 0.0281). Vegetable intake was inversely (P = 0.04) and the ratio of fast food outlets to grocery stores in a 2-mile concentric area around the child’s residence was positively (P = 0.05) associated to BMI z score after applying Best Model regression analysis (F = 3.06, P = 0.0346). Children residing in neighbourhoods with greater access to fast foods and lower access to fruits and vegetables may be at higher risk for developing obesity during pre-school years. PMID:26305391

A national study of the association between food environments and county-level health outcomes.

PubMed

Ahern, Melissa; Brown, Cheryl; Dukas, Stephen

2011-01-01

This national, county-level study examines the relationship between food availability and access, and health outcomes (mortality, diabetes, and obesity rates) in both metro and non-metro areas. This is a secondary, cross-sectional analysis using Food Environment Atlas and CDC data. Linear regression models estimate relationships between food availability and access variables (direct-to-consumer farm sales, per capita grocery stores, full-service restaurants, fast food restaurants, and convenience stores) with health outcomes. Controls include smoking, race/ethnicity, gender, age, education, poverty, primary care availability, recreational facility availability, and mobility/distance-from-grocery-store. Non-metro findings: Lower adjusted mortality rates were associated with more per capita full-service restaurants and grocery stores, and greater per capita direct farm sales. Lower adjusted diabetes rates were associated with a lower per capita supply of fast food restaurants and convenience stores, and more per capita full-service restaurants and grocery stores. Lower adjusted obesity rates were associated with more per capita full-service restaurants and grocery stores. Unexpectedly, obesity rates were positively associated with per capita grocery stores and negatively associated with fast food restaurants. Metro findings: More per capita full-service restaurants, grocery stores, and direct farm sales are associated with positive health outcomes; fast food restaurants and convenience stores are associated with negative health outcomes. The food access/availability environment is an important determinant of health outcomes in metro and non-metro areas. Future research should focus on more refined specifications that capture variability across non-metro settings. © 2011 National Rural Health Association.

Fast segmentation of satellite images using SLIC, WebGL and Google Earth Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donchyts, Gennadii; Baart, Fedor; Gorelick, Noel; Eisemann, Elmar; van de Giesen, Nick

2017-04-01

Google Earth Engine (GEE) is a parallel geospatial processing platform, which harmonizes access to petabytes of freely available satellite images. It provides a very rich API, allowing development of dedicated algorithms to extract useful geospatial information from these images. At the same time, modern GPUs provide thousands of computing cores, which are mostly not utilized in this context. In the last years, WebGL became a popular and well-supported API, allowing fast image processing directly in web browsers. In this work, we will evaluate the applicability of WebGL to enable fast segmentation of satellite images. A new implementation of a Simple Linear Iterative Clustering (SLIC) algorithm using GPU shaders will be presented. SLIC is a simple and efficient method to decompose an image in visually homogeneous regions. It adapts a k-means clustering approach to generate superpixels efficiently. While this approach will be hard to scale, due to a significant amount of data to be transferred to the client, it should significantly improve exploratory possibilities and simplify development of dedicated algorithms for geoscience applications. Our prototype implementation will be used to improve surface water detection of the reservoirs using multispectral satellite imagery.

Building Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Interphases for Fast Interfacial Transport in Rechargeable Metal Batteries.

PubMed

Zhao, Qing; Tu, Zhengyuan; Wei, Shuya; Zhang, Kaihang; Choudhury, Snehashis; Liu, Xiaotun; Archer, Lynden A

2018-01-22

We report a facile in situ synthesis that utilizes readily accessible SiCl 4 cross-linking chemistry to create durable hybrid solid-electrolyte interphases (SEIs) on metal anodes. Such hybrid SEIs composed of Si-interlinked OOCOR molecules that host LiCl salt exhibit fast charge-transfer kinetics and as much as five-times higher exchange current densities, in comparison to their spontaneously formed analogues. Electrochemical analysis and direct optical visualization of Li and Na deposition in symmetric Li/Li and Na/Na cells show that the hybrid SEI provides excellent morphological control at high current densities (3-5 mA cm -2 ) for Li and even for notoriously unstable Na metal anodes. The fast interfacial transport attributes of the SEI are also found to be beneficial for Li-S cells and stable electrochemical cycling was achieved in galvanostatic studies at rates as high as 2 C. Our work therefore provides a promising approach towards rational design of multifunctional, elastic SEIs that overcome the most serious limitations of spontaneously formed interphases on high-capacity metal anodes. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A reconfigurable multicarrier demodulator architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kwatra, S. C.; Jamali, M. M.

1991-01-01

An architecture based on parallel and pipline design approaches has been developed for the Frequency Division Multiple Access/Time Domain Multiplexed (FDMA/TDM) conversion system. The architecture has two main modules namely the transmultiplexer and the demodulator. The transmultiplexer has two pipelined modules. These are the shared multiplexed polyphase filter and the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The demodulator consists of carrier, clock, and data recovery modules which are interactive. Progress on the design of the MultiCarrier Demodulator (MCD) using commercially available chips and Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) and simulation studies using Viewlogic software will be presented at the conference.

Keylogger Application to Monitoring Users Activity with Exact String Matching Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahim, Robbi; Nurdiyanto, Heri; Saleh A, Ansari; Abdullah, Dahlan; Hartama, Dedy; Napitupulu, Darmawan

2018-01-01

The development of technology is very fast, especially in the field of Internet technology that at any time experiencing significant changes, The development also supported by the ability of human resources, Keylogger is a tool that most developed because this application is very rarely recognized a malicious program by antivirus, keylogger will record all activities related to keystrokes, the recording process is accomplished by using string matching method. The application of string matching method in the process of recording the keyboard is to help the admin in knowing what the user accessed on the computer.

Multidimensional MnO2 nanohair-decorated hybrid multichannel carbon nanofiber as an electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors.

PubMed

Jun, Jaemoon; Lee, Jun Seop; Shin, Dong Hoon; Kim, Sung Gun; Jang, Jyongsik

2015-10-14

One-dimensional (1D)-structured nanomaterials represent one of the most attractive candidates for energy-storage systems due to their contribution to design simplicity, fast charge-transportation network, and their allowance for more accessible ion diffusion. In particular, 1D-structured nanomaterials with a highly complex inner-pore configuration enhance functionality by taking advantage of both the hollow and 1D structures. In this study, we report a MnO2 nanohair-decorated, hybrid multichannel carbon nanofiber (Mn_MCNF) fabricated via single-nozzle co-electrospinning of two immiscible polymer solutions, followed by carbonization and redox reactions. With improved ion accessibility, the optimized Mn_MCNF sample (Mn_MCNF_60 corresponding to a reaction duration time of 60 min for optimal MnO2 nanohair growth) exhibited a high specific capacitance of 855 F g(-1) and excellent cycling performance with ∼87.3% capacitance retention over 5000 cycles.

Enhanced Information Retrieval Using AJAX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kachhwaha, Rajendra; Rajvanshi, Nitin

2010-11-01

Information Retrieval deals with the representation, storage, organization of, and access to information items. The representation and organization of information items should provide the user with easy access to the information with the rapid development of Internet, large amounts of digitally stored information is readily available on the World Wide Web. This information is so huge that it becomes increasingly difficult and time consuming for the users to find the information relevant to their needs. The explosive growth of information on the Internet has greatly increased the need for information retrieval systems. However, most of the search engines are using conventional information retrieval systems. An information system needs to implement sophisticated pattern matching tools to determine contents at a faster rate. AJAX has recently emerged as the new tool such the of information retrieval process of information retrieval can become fast and information reaches the use at a faster pace as compared to conventional retrieval systems.

Remote Sensing Information Gateway: A free application and web service for fast, convenient, interoperable access to large repositories of atmospheric data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plessel, T.; Szykman, J.; Freeman, M.

2012-12-01

EPA's Remote Sensing Information Gateway (RSIG) is a widely used free applet and web service for quickly and easily retrieving, visualizing and saving user-specified subsets of atmospheric data - by variable, geographic domain and time range. Petabytes of available data include thousands of variables from a set of NASA and NOAA satellites, aircraft, ground stations and EPA air-quality models. The RSIG applet is used by atmospheric researchers and uses the rsigserver web service to obtain data and images. The rsigserver web service is compliant with the Open Geospatial Consortium Web Coverage Service (OGC-WCS) standard to facilitate data discovery and interoperability. Since rsigserver is publicly accessible, it can be (and is) used by other applications. This presentation describes the architecture and technical implementation details of this successful system with an emphasis on achieving convenience, high-performance, data integrity and security.

Mass storage systems for data transport in the early space station era 1992-1998

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carper, Richard (Editor); Dalton, John (Editor); Healey, Mike (Editor); Kempster, Linda (Editor); Martin, John (Editor); Mccaleb, Fred (Editor); Sobieski, Stanley (Editor); Sos, John (Editor)

1987-01-01

NASA's Space Station Program will provide a vehicle to deploy an unprecedented number of data producing experiments and operational devices. Peak down link data rates are expected to be in the 500 megabit per second range and the daily data volume could reach 2.4 terabytes. Such startling requirements inspired an internal NASA study to determine if economically viable data storage solutions are likely to be available to support the Ground Data Transport segment of the NASA data system. To derive the requirements for data storage subsystems, several alternative data transport architectures were identified with different degrees of decentralization. Data storage operations at each subsystem were categorized based on access time and retrieval functions, and reduced to the following types of subsystems: First in First out (FIFO) storage, fast random access storage, and slow access with staging. The study showed that industry funded magnetic and optical storage technology has a reasonable probability of meeting these requirements. There are, however, system level issues that need to be addressed in the near term.

Endurance Enhancement and High Speed Set/Reset of 50 nm Generation HfO2 Based Resistive Random Access Memory Cell by Intelligent Set/Reset Pulse Shape Optimization and Verify Scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higuchi, Kazuhide; Miyaji, Kousuke; Johguchi, Koh; Takeuchi, Ken

2012-02-01

This paper proposes a verify-programming method for the resistive random access memory (ReRAM) cell which achieves a 50-times higher endurance and a fast set and reset compared with the conventional method. The proposed verify-programming method uses the incremental pulse width with turnback (IPWWT) for the reset and the incremental voltage with turnback (IVWT) for the set. With the combination of IPWWT reset and IVWT set, the endurance-cycle increases from 48 ×103 to 2444 ×103 cycles. Furthermore, the measured data retention-time after 20 ×103 set/reset cycles is estimated to be 10 years. Additionally, the filamentary based physical model is proposed to explain the set/reset failure mechanism with various set/reset pulse shapes. The reset pulse width and set voltage correspond to the width and length of the conductive-filament, respectively. Consequently, since the proposed IPWWT and IVWT recover set and reset failures of ReRAM cells, the endurance-cycles are improved.

Prognosis and management of myocardial infarction: Comparisons between the French FAST-MI 2010 registry and the French public health database.

PubMed

Massoullié, Grégoire; Wintzer-Wehekind, Jérome; Chenaf, Chouki; Mulliez, Aurélien; Pereira, Bruno; Authier, Nicolas; Eschalier, Alain; Clerfond, Guillaume; Souteyrand, Géraud; Tabassome, Simon; Danchin, Nicolas; Citron, Bernard; Lusson, Jean-René; Puymirat, Étienne; Motreff, Pascal; Eschalier, Romain

2016-05-01

Multicentre registries of myocardial infarction management show a steady improvement in prognosis and greater access to myocardial revascularization in a more timely manner. While French registries are the standard references, the question arises: are data stemming solely from the activity of French cardiac intensive care units (ICUs) a true reflection of the entire French population with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)? To compare data on patients hospitalized for STEMI from two French registries: the French registry of acute ST-elevation or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (FAST-MI) and the Échantillon généraliste des bénéficiaires (EGB) database. We compared patients treated for STEMI listed in the FAST-MI 2010 registry (n=1716) with those listed in the EGB database, which comprises a sample of 1/97th of the French population, also from 2010 (n=403). Compared with the FAST-MI 2010 registry, the EGB database population were older (67.2±15.3 vs 63.3±14.5 years; P<0.001), had a higher percentage of women (36.0% vs 24.7%; P<0.001), were less likely to undergo emergency coronary angiography (75.2% vs 96.3%; P<0.001) and were less often treated in university hospitals (27.1% vs 37.0%; P=0.001). There were no significant differences between the two registries in terms of cardiovascular risk factors, comorbidities and drug treatment at admission. Thirty-day mortality was higher in the EGB database (10.2% vs 4.4%; P<0.001). Registries such as FAST-MI are indispensable, not only for assessing epidemiological changes over time, but also for evaluating the prognostic effect of modern STEMI management. Meanwhile, exploitation of data from general databases, such as EGB, provides additional relevant information, as they include a broader population not routinely admitted to cardiac ICUs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Architectural constructs of Ampex DST

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Clay

1993-01-01

The DST 800 automated library is a high performance, automated tape storage system, developed by AMPEX, providing mass storage to host systems. Physical Volume Manager (PVM) is a volume server which supports either a DST 800, DST 600 stand alone tape drive, or a combination of DST 800 and DST 600 subsystems. The objective of the PVM is to provide the foundation support to allow automated and operator assisted access to the DST cartridges with continuous operation. A second objective is to create a data base about the media, its location, and its usage so that the quality and utilization of the media on which specific data is recorded and the performance of the storage system may be managed. The DST tape drive architecture and media provides several unique functions that enhance the ability to achieve high media space utilization and fast access. Access times are enhanced through the implementation of multiple areas (called system zones) on the media where the media may be unloaded. This reduces positioning time in loading and unloading the cartridge. Access times are also reduced through high speed positioning in excess of 800 megabytes per second. A DST cartridge can be partitioned into fixed size units which can be reclaimed for rewriting without invalidating other recorded data on the tape cartridge. Most tape management systems achieve space reclamation by deleting an entire tape volume, then allowing users to request a 'scratch tape' or 'nonspecific' volume when they wish to record data to tape. Physical cartridge sizes of 25, 75, or 165 gigabytes will make this existing process inefficient or unusable. The DST cartridge partitioning capability provides an efficient mechanism for addressing the tape space utilization problem.

PCM-Based Durable Write Cache for Fast Disk I/O

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

Liu, Zhuo; Wang, Bin; Carpenter, Patrick

2012-01-01

Flash based solid-state devices (FSSDs) have been adopted within the memory hierarchy to improve the performance of hard disk drive (HDD) based storage system. However, with the fast development of storage-class memories, new storage technologies with better performance and higher write endurance than FSSDs are emerging, e.g., phase-change memory (PCM). Understanding how to leverage these state-of-the-art storage technologies for modern computing systems is important to solve challenging data intensive computing problems. In this paper, we propose to leverage PCM for a hybrid PCM-HDD storage architecture. We identify the limitations of traditional LRU caching algorithms for PCM-based caches, and develop amore » novel hash-based write caching scheme called HALO to improve random write performance of hard disks. To address the limited durability of PCM devices and solve the degraded spatial locality in traditional wear-leveling techniques, we further propose novel PCM management algorithms that provide effective wear-leveling while maximizing access parallelism. We have evaluated this PCM-based hybrid storage architecture using applications with a diverse set of I/O access patterns. Our experimental results demonstrate that the HALO caching scheme leads to an average reduction of 36.8% in execution time compared to the LRU caching scheme, and that the SFC wear leveling extends the lifetime of PCM by a factor of 21.6.« less

Fast protein folding kinetics

PubMed Central

Gelman, Hannah; Gruebele, Martin

2014-01-01

Fast folding proteins have been a major focus of computational and experimental study because they are accessible to both techniques: they are small and fast enough to be reasonably simulated with current computational power, but have dynamics slow enough to be observed with specially developed experimental techniques. This coupled study of fast folding proteins has provided insight into the mechanisms which allow some proteins to find their native conformation well less than 1 ms and has uncovered examples of theoretically predicted phenomena such as downhill folding. The study of fast folders also informs our understanding of even “slow” folding processes: fast folders are small, relatively simple protein domains and the principles that govern their folding also govern the folding of more complex systems. This review summarizes the major theoretical and experimental techniques used to study fast folding proteins and provides an overview of the major findings of fast folding research. Finally, we examine the themes that have emerged from studying fast folders and briefly summarize their application to protein folding in general as well as some work that is left to do. PMID:24641816

Accessing world knowledge: evidence from N400 and reaction time priming.

PubMed

Chwilla, Dorothee J; Kolk, Herman H J

2005-12-01

How fast are we in accessing world knowledge? In two experiments, we tested for priming for word triplets that described a conceptual script (e.g., DIRECTOR-BRIBE-DISMISSAL) but were not associatively related and did not share a category relationship. Event-related brain potentials were used to track the time course at which script information becomes available. In Experiment 1, in which participants made lexical decisions, we found a facilitation for script-related relative to unrelated triplets, as indicated by (i) a decrease in both reaction time and errors, and (ii) an N400-like priming effect. In Experiment 2, we further explored the locus of script priming by increasing the contribution of meaning integration processes. The participants' task was to indicate whether the three words presented a plausible scenario. Again, an N400 script priming effect was obtained. Directing attention to script relations was effective in enhancing the N400 effect. The time course of the N400 effect was similar to that of the standard N400 effect to semantic relations. The present results show that script priming can be obtained in the visual modality, and that script information is immediately accessed and integrated with context. This supports the view that script information forms a central aspect of word meaning. The RT and N400 script priming effects reported in this article are problematic for most current semantic priming models, like spreading activation models, expectancy models, and task-specific semantic matching/integration models. They support a view in which there is no clear cutoff point between semantic knowledge and world knowledge.

MPEG-1 low-cost encoder solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grueger, Klaus; Schirrmeister, Frank; Filor, Lutz; von Reventlow, Christian; Schneider, Ulrich; Mueller, Gerriet; Sefzik, Nicolai; Fiedrich, Sven

1995-02-01

A solution for real-time compression of digital YCRCB video data to an MPEG-1 video data stream has been developed. As an additional option, motion JPEG and video telephone streams (H.261) can be generated. For MPEG-1, up to two bidirectional predicted images are supported. The required computational power for motion estimation and DCT/IDCT, memory size and memory bandwidth have been the main challenges. The design uses fast-page-mode memory accesses and requires only one single 80 ns EDO-DRAM with 256 X 16 organization for video encoding. This can be achieved only by using adequate access and coding strategies. The architecture consists of an input processing and filter unit, a memory interface, a motion estimation unit, a motion compensation unit, a DCT unit, a quantization control, a VLC unit and a bus interface. For using the available memory bandwidth by the processing tasks, a fixed schedule for memory accesses has been applied, that can be interrupted for asynchronous events. The motion estimation unit implements a highly sophisticated hierarchical search strategy based on block matching. The DCT unit uses a separated fast-DCT flowgraph realized by a switchable hardware unit for both DCT and IDCT operation. By appropriate multiplexing, only one multiplier is required for: DCT, quantization, inverse quantization, and IDCT. The VLC unit generates the video-stream up to the video sequence layer and is directly coupled with an intelligent bus-interface. Thus, the assembly of video, audio and system data can easily be performed by the host computer. Having a relatively low complexity and only small requirements for DRAM circuits, the developed solution can be applied to low-cost encoding products for consumer electronics.

Thermal strategies of king penguins during prolonged fasting in water.

PubMed

Lewden, Agnès; Enstipp, Manfred R; Bonnet, Batshéva; Bost, Caroline; Georges, Jean-Yves; Handrich, Yves

2017-12-15

Most animals experience periods of unfavourable conditions, challenging their daily energy balance. During breeding, king penguins fast voluntarily for up to 1.5 months in the colony, after which they replenish their energy stores at sea. However, at sea, birds might encounter periods of low foraging profitability, forcing them to draw from previously stored energy (e.g. subcutaneous fat). Accessing peripheral fat stores requires perfusion, increasing heat loss and thermoregulatory costs. Hence, how these birds balance the conflicting demands of nutritional needs and thermoregulation is unclear. We investigated the physiological responses of king penguins to fasting in cold water by: (1) monitoring tissue temperatures, as a proxy of tissue perfusion, at four distinct sites (deep and peripheral); and (2) recording their oxygen consumption rate while birds floated inside a water tank. Despite frequent oscillations, temperatures of all tissues often reached near-normothermic levels, indicating that birds maintained perfusion to peripheral tissues throughout their fasting period in water. The oxygen consumption rate of birds increased with fasting duration in water, while it was also higher when the flank tissue was warmer, indicating greater perfusion. Hence, fasting king penguins in water maintained peripheral perfusion, despite the associated greater heat loss and, therefore, thermoregulatory costs, probably to access subcutaneous fat stores. Hence, the observed normothermia in peripheral tissues of king penguins at sea, upon completion of a foraging bout, is likely explained by their nutritional needs: depositing free fatty acids (FFA) in subcutaneous tissues after profitable foraging or mobilizing FFA to fuel metabolism when foraging success was insufficient. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

The FAQUIRE Approach: FAst, QUantitative, hIghly Resolved and sEnsitivity Enhanced 1H, 13C Data.

PubMed

Farjon, Jonathan; Milande, Clément; Martineau, Estelle; Akoka, Serge; Giraudeau, Patrick

2018-02-06

The targeted analysis of metabolites in complex mixtures is a challenging issue. NMR is one of the major tools in this field, but there is a strong need for more sensitive, better-resolved, and faster quantitative methods. In this framework, we introduce the concept of FAst, QUantitative, hIghly Resolved and sEnsitivity enhanced (FAQUIRE) NMR to push forward the limits of metabolite NMR analysis. 2D 1 H, 13 C 2D quantitative maps are promising alternatives for enhancing the spectral resolution but are highly time-consuming because of (i) the intrinsic nature of 2D, (ii) the longer recycling times required for quantitative conditions, and (iii) the higher number of scans needed to reduce the level of detection/quantification to access low concentrated metabolites. To reach this aim, speeding up the recently developed QUantItative Perfected and pUre shifted HSQC (QUIPU HSQC) is an interesting attempt to develop the FAQUIRE concept. Thanks to the combination of spectral aliasing, nonuniform sampling, and variable repetition time, the acquisition time of 2D quantitative maps is reduced by a factor 6 to 9, while conserving a high spectral resolution thanks to a pure shift approach. The analytical potential of the new Quick QUIPU HSQC (Q QUIPU HSQC) is evaluated on a model metabolite sample, and its potential is shown on breast-cell extracts embedding metabolites at millimolar to submillimolar concentrations.

Public/Private Partnerships with Hazardous Material Motor Carriers: Creating Incentives to Increase Security through Assessed Risk (STAR)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

Program,” http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/cargo_security/ ctpat /fast/ (accessed October 14, 2008). 73 U.S. Customs and Border Protection, “What Is...Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism (C- TPAT)?” http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/cargo_security/ ctpat /what_ctpat/ (accessed October 14, 2008...cgov/trade/cargo_security/ ctpat / (accessed September 12, 2008). 69 1. National Park Service Historic Preservation Tax Incentives The U.S. government

An On-Chip Disposable Salivary Glucose Sensor for Diabetes Control.

PubMed

Du, Yunqing; Zhang, Wenjun; Wang, Ming L

2016-11-01

Self-management of blood glucose (BG) is considered a norm for diabetes control. However, this invasive process is uncomfortable for patients, especially when intensive measurements with frequent finger pricks are required. Saliva, an alternative body fluid that is easily accessible and contains trace amount of glucose can be potentially used for the noninvasive monitoring of diabetes. As a solution for real-time glucose measurements using saliva for diabetic care, we have developed an on-chip disposable glucose nano-biosensor through a layer-by-layer assembly process. In this work, a clinical study of 10 healthy subjects was conducted to determine the potential usefulness of salivary glucose (SG) sensors for glycemic control. Findings revealed (1) the individual BG/SG ratio at fasting was consistent over an entire year when there was no significant change of personal health; (2) the individual SG levels tracked closely with BG levels after meals; (3) a time difference of 15-30 minutes exists between peak levels of BG and SG; (4) 2 hours after a meal, the BG/SG ratio returned to a similar value at fasting. We propose to measure fasting and pre- and 2-hour postprandial SG levels for self-management of glycemic levels. As a result, this article is not intended to replace the common BG tests. With preliminary results, we believe SG itself could be used as means for reliable diabetes monitoring and a potential fluid for prognosis of future disease. © 2016 Diabetes Technology Society.

Korean adolescents' perceptions of nutrition and health towards fast foods in Busan area

PubMed Central

Yoon, Ji-young; Lee, Kyung-a

2008-01-01

Adolescents in Busan area were asked in a survey about their perception and attitudes towards fast food. Most respondents answered that they consume fast food once a month because it is fast, easily accessible and tasty. Although they perceived fast food as unhealthy and less nutritious, they were less aware of its effect on their health and nutritional status. The more knowledgeable respondents were about nutrition and health the less likely they were to choose fast food over other meals. However, respondents who had little or no knowledge about the nutritional factors of fast food accounted for 43.1%. As to their source of dietary information, students relied on themselves (31.0%), parents (20.5%) and friends (19.9%). The medium through which students got the most nutrition and health information was television (66.8%), followed by the Internet (36.7%) and magazines (29.7%). This study will enable educators to plan more effective strategies for improving the dietary knowledge of the adolescent population. PMID:20126603

Sociodemographic Disparities in Proximity of Schools to Tobacco Outlets and Fast-Food Restaurants.

PubMed

D'Angelo, Heather; Ammerman, Alice; Gordon-Larsen, Penny; Linnan, Laura; Lytle, Leslie; Ribisl, Kurt M

2016-09-01

To examine the association of school sociodemographic characteristics with tobacco outlet and fast-food restaurant availability near schools in a national study. Business lists and data from the National Center for Education Statistics were used to calculate the numbers of tobacco outlets and fast-food restaurants within 800 meters of public schools in 97 US counties. More than 50% of schools with a majority of Hispanic students had both a fast-food restaurant and tobacco outlet nearby, compared with 21% of schools with a majority of White students. In adjusted models, each 10% increase in the number of low-income and Hispanic students enrolled in a school led to a 3% to 5% increase in the odds of the school having both a fast-food restaurant and a tobacco outlet nearby. Low-income and Hispanic students are disproportionately exposed to both tobacco outlets and fast-food restaurants near their schools. Easy access to tobacco products and fast food may influence youth smoking initiation and contribute to poor dietary intake.

Obesity-promoting food environments and the spatial clustering of food outlets around schools.

PubMed

Day, Peter L; Pearce, Jamie

2011-02-01

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in school-aged children is potentially linked to contextual influences such as the food environment around schools. The proximity of fast-food and convenience stores to schools may enhance access to unhealthy foods and have a negative impact on diet. This study used spatial cluster analysis to determine whether food outlets are clustered around schools and evaluated the extent of food outlet clustering by school and school neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics. The locations in 2008 of all schools, fast-food outlets, and convenience stores in five urban regions across New Zealand were geocoded. Using GIS analysis conducted in 2009, the number and proportion of outlets within 400-m and 800-m road distance around each school was calculated. The spatial clustering of food outlets within 1.5 km of schools was determined using a multi-type K-function. Food outlet type, school level, SES, the degree of population density, and commercial land use zoning around each school were compared. Primary/intermediate schools had a total proportion of 19.3 outlets per 1000 students within 800 m compared to 6.6 for secondary schools. The most socially deprived quintile of schools had three times the number and proportion of food outlets compared to the least-deprived quintile. There was a high degree of clustering of food outlets around schools, with up to 5.5 times more outlets than might be expected. Outlets were most clustered up to 800 m from schools and around secondary schools, socially deprived schools, and schools in densely populated and commercially zoned areas. Food environments in New Zealand within walking proximity to schools are characterized by a high density of fast-food outlets and convenience stores, particularly in more-socially deprived settings. These obesogenic environments provide ready access to obesity-promoting foods that may have a negative impact on student diet and contribute to inequalities in health. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficient multitasking of Choleski matrix factorization on CRAY supercomputers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Overman, Andrea L.; Poole, Eugene L.

1991-01-01

A Choleski method is described and used to solve linear systems of equations that arise in large scale structural analysis. The method uses a novel variable-band storage scheme and is structured to exploit fast local memory caches while minimizing data access delays between main memory and vector registers. Several parallel implementations of this method are described for the CRAY-2 and CRAY Y-MP computers demonstrating the use of microtasking and autotasking directives. A portable parallel language, FORCE, is used for comparison with the microtasked and autotasked implementations. Results are presented comparing the matrix factorization times for three representative structural analysis problems from runs made in both dedicated and multi-user modes on both computers. CPU and wall clock timings are given for the parallel implementations and are compared to single processor timings of the same algorithm.

Shortened preoperative fasting for prevention of complications associated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Xu, Duo; Zhu, Xuejiao; Xu, Yuan; Zhang, Liqing

2017-02-01

Objective Routine fasting (12 h) is always applied before laparoscopic cholecystectomy, but prolonged preoperative fasting causes thirst, hunger, and irritability as well as dehydration, low blood glucose, insulin resistance and other adverse reactions. We assessed the safety and efficacy of a shortened preoperative fasting period in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to 20 November 2015 and selected controlled trials with a shortened fasting time before laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We assessed the results by performing a meta-analysis using a variety of outcome measures and investigated the heterogeneity by subgroup analysis. Results Eleven trials were included. Forest plots showed that a shortened fasting time reduced the operative risk and patient discomfort. A shortened fasting time also reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting as well as operative vomiting. With respect to glucose metabolism, a shortened fasting time significantly reduced abnormalities in the ratio of insulin sensitivity. The C-reactive protein concentration was also reduced by a shortened fasting time. Conclusions A shortened preoperative fasting time increases patients' postoperative comfort, improves insulin resistance, and reduces stress responses. This evidence supports the clinical application of a shortened fasting time before laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

A C-Te-based binary OTS device exhibiting excellent performance and high thermal stability for selector application.

PubMed

Chekol, Solomon Amsalu; Yoo, Jongmyung; Park, Jaehyuk; Song, Jeonghwan; Sung, Changhyuck; Hwang, Hyunsang

2018-08-24

In this letter, we demonstrate a new binary ovonic threshold switching (OTS) selector device scalable down to ø30 nm based on C-Te. Our proposed selector device exhibits outstanding performance such as a high switching ratio (I on /I off  > 10 5 ), an extremely low off-current (∼1 nA), an extremely fast operating speed of <10 ns (transition time of <2 ns and delay time of <8 ns), high endurance (10 9 ), and high thermal stability (>450 °C). The observed high thermal stability is caused by the relatively small atomic size of C, compared to Te, which can effectively suppress the segregation and crystallization of Te in the OTS film. Furthermore, to confirm the functionality of the selector in a crossbar array, we evaluated a 1S-1R device by integrating our OTS device with a ReRAM (resistive random access memory) device. The 1S-1R integrated device exhibits a successful suppression of leakage current at the half-selected cell and shows an excellent read-out margin (>2 12 word lines) in a fast read operation.

Polymer Dynamics from Synthetic to Biological Macromolecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richter, D.; Niedzwiedz, K.; Monkenbusch, M.; Wischnewski, A.; Biehl, R.; Hoffmann, B.; Merkel, R.

2008-02-01

High resolution neutron scattering together with a meticulous choice of the contrast conditions allows to access the large scale dynamics of soft materials including biological molecules in space and time. In this contribution we present two examples. One from the world of synthetic polymers, the other from biomolecules. First, we will address the peculiar dynamics of miscible polymer blends with very different component glass transition temperatures. Polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA), polyethyleneoxide (PEO) are perfectly miscible but exhibit a difference in the glass transition temperature by 200 K. We present quasielastic neutron scattering investigations on the dynamics of the fast component in the range from angströms to nanometers over a time frame of five orders of magnitude. All data may be consistently described in terms of a Rouse model with random friction, reflecting the random environment imposed by the nearly frozen PMMA matrix on the fast mobile PEO. In the second part we touch on some new developments relating to large scale internal dynamics of proteins by neutron spin echo. We will report results of some pioneering studies which show the feasibility of such experiments on large scale protein motion which will most likely initiate further studies in the future.

A comparison of two types of running wheel in terms of mouse preference, health, and welfare.

PubMed

Walker, Michael; Mason, Georgia

2018-07-01

Voluntary wheel running occurs in mice of all strains, sexes, and ages. Mice find voluntary wheel running rewarding, and it leads to numerous health benefits. For this reason wheels are used both to enhance welfare and to create models of exercise. However, many designs of running wheel are used. This makes between-study comparisons difficult, as this variability could potentially affect the amount, pattern, and/or intensity of running behaviour, and thence the wheels' effects on welfare and exercise-related changes in anatomy and physiology. This study therefore evaluated two commercially available models, chosen because safe for group-housed mice: Bio Serv®'s "fast-trac" wheel combo and Ware Manufacturing Inc.'s stainless steel mesh 5″ upright wheel. Working with a total of three hundred and fifty one female C57BL/6, DBA/2 and BALB/c mice, we assessed these wheels' relative utilization by mice when access was free; the strength of motivation for each wheel-type when access required crossing an electrified grid; and the impact each wheel had on mouse well-being (inferred from acoustic startle responses and neophobia) and exercise-related anatomical changes (BMI; heart and hind limb masses). Mice ran more on the "fast-trac" wheel regardless of whether both wheel-types were available at once, or only if one was present. In terms of motivation, subjects required to work to access a single wheel worked equally hard for both wheel-types (even if locked and thus not useable for running), but if provided with one working wheel for free and the other type of wheel (again unlocked) accessible via crossing the electrified grid, the "fast-trac" wheel emerged as more motivating, as the Maximum Price Paid for the Ware metal wheel was lower than that paid for the "fast-trac" plastic wheel, at least for C57BL/6s and DBA/2s. No deleterious consequences were noted with either wheel in terms of health and welfare, but only mice with plastic wheels developed significantly larger hearts and hind limbs than control animals with locked wheels. Thus, where differences emerged, Bio Serv®'s "fast-trac" wheel combos appeared to better meet the aims of exercise provision than Ware Manufacturing's steel upright wheels. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Arroyo Management Plan (Alameda County): A Plan for Implementing Access and Restoring Riparian Habitats

Treesearch

Kent E. Watson; Jim Horner; Louise Mozingo

1989-01-01

Innovative techniques for restoring riparian habitats are of little value without a community endorsed plan for their implementation. A flood control district commissioned the Arroyo Management Plan in order to determine how it might provide public access and improve habitat along its current and future channels in a fast-growing area of Northern California. The Plan,...

Growth performance of fast growing broilers reared under different types of production systems with outdoor access: Implications for organic and alternative production systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Outdoor access is an important part of organic and free range poultry production, yet there is limited information on the impact of various housing and production systems on growth performance and colonization of foodborne pathogens. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the ...

Evaluation of Fast-Time Wake Vortex Prediction Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Proctor, Fred H.; Hamilton, David W.

2009-01-01

Current fast-time wake models are reviewed and three basic types are defined. Predictions from several of the fast-time models are compared. Previous statistical evaluations of the APA-Sarpkaya and D2P fast-time models are discussed. Root Mean Square errors between fast-time model predictions and Lidar wake measurements are examined for a 24 hr period at Denver International Airport. Shortcomings in current methodology for evaluating wake errors are also discussed.

How to resolve microsecond current fluctuations in single ion channels: The power of beta distributions

PubMed Central

Schroeder, Indra

2015-01-01

Abstract A main ingredient for the understanding of structure/function correlates of ion channels is the quantitative description of single-channel gating and conductance. However, a wealth of information provided from fast current fluctuations beyond the temporal resolution of the recording system is often ignored, even though it is close to the time window accessible to molecular dynamics simulations. This kind of current fluctuations provide a special technical challenge, because individual opening/closing or blocking/unblocking events cannot be resolved, and the resulting averaging over undetected events decreases the single-channel current. Here, I briefly summarize the history of fast-current fluctuation analysis and focus on the so-called “beta distributions.” This tool exploits characteristics of current fluctuation-induced excess noise on the current amplitude histograms to reconstruct the true single-channel current and kinetic parameters. A guideline for the analysis and recent applications demonstrate that a construction of theoretical beta distributions by Markov Model simulations offers maximum flexibility as compared to analytical solutions. PMID:26368656

Price, promotion, and availability of nutrition information: a descriptive study of a popular fast food chain in New York City.

PubMed

Basch, Corey Hannah; Ethan, Danna; Rajan, Sonali

2013-08-25

Legislation in NYC requires chain restaurants to post calorie information on menu boards in an effort to help consumers make more informed decisions about food and beverage items they are purchasing. While this is a step in the right direction in light of the current obesity epidemic, there are other issues that warrant attention in a fast food setting, namely the pricing of healthy food options, promotional strategies, and access to comprehensive nutrition information. This study focused on a popular fast-food chain in NYC. The study's aims were threefold: (1) to determine the cost differential between the healthiest meal item on the chain's general menu and meal items available specifically on a reduced cost menu for one dollar (US$1.00); (2) to identify and describe the promotions advertised in the windows of these restaurants, as well as the nutrition content of promoted items; and (3) to ascertain availability of comprehensive nutrition information to consumers within the restaurants. We found the healthiest meal item to be significantly higher in price than less nutritious meal items available for $1.00 (t=146.9, p<.001), with the mean cost differential equal to $4.33 (95% CI: $4.27, $4.39). Window promotions generally advertised less healthful menu items, which may aid in priming customers to purchase these versus more healthful options. Comprehensive nutrition information beyond calorie counts was not readily accessible prior to purchasing. In addition to improving access to comprehensive nutrition information, advertising more of and lowering the prices of nutritious options may encourage consumers to purchase healthier foods in a fast food setting. Additional research in this area is needed in other geographic locations and restaurant chains. 

Walkable home neighbourhood food environment and children's overweight and obesity: Proximity, density or price?

PubMed

Le, Ha; Engler-Stringer, Rachel; Muhajarine, Nazeem

2016-06-09

To identify characteristics of the food environment associated with child overweight/obesity that could, if subjected to intervention, mitigate the risk of childhood overweight/obesity. We examined whether the proximity to or density of grocery and convenience stores or fast food restaurants, or the prices of healthy food options were more strongly associated with overweight/obesity risk in children. We collected geocoded data by residential addresses for 1,469 children aged 10-14 years and conducted a census of all food outlets in Saskatoon. The Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (NEMS)-Stores and the NEMS-Restaurants were used to measure availability, quality and relative price of healthy food items in stores and restaurants. Children's weight status was calculated on the basis of measured height and weight. Logistic regression was used to test the associations between overweight/obesity and food environment variables. Within an 800 m walking distance from home, 76% of children did not have access to a grocery store; 58% and 32% had access to at least one convenience store or one fast-food restaurant respectively. A significantly lower odds of overweight/obesity was associated with lower price of healthy food items/options in grocery stores (odds ratio [OR] = 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-0.99) and fast-food restaurants (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-0.99) within walking distance of home. Neither the distance to the closest food outlet nor the density of food outlets around children's homes was associated with odds of overweight/obesity. Improving economic access to healthy food in food outlets or fast-food restaurants is one strategy to counter childhood overweight/ obesity.

Price, Promotion, and Availability of Nutrition Information: A Descriptive Study of a Popular Fast Food Chain in New York City

PubMed Central

Basch, Corey Hannah; Ethan, Danna; Rajan, Sonali

2013-01-01

Legislation in NYC requires chain restaurants to post calorie information on menu boards in an effort to help consumers make more informed decisions about food and beverage items they are purchasing. While this is a step in the right direction in light of the current obesity epidemic, there are other issues that warrant attention in a fast food setting, namely the pricing of healthy food options, promotional strategies, and access to comprehensive nutrition information. This study focused on a popular fast-food chain in NYC. The study’s aims were threefold: (1) to determine the cost differential between the healthiest meal item on the chain’s general menu and meal items available specifically on a reduced cost menu for one dollar (US$1.00); (2) to identify and describe the promotions advertised in the windows of these restaurants, as well as the nutrition content of promoted items; and (3) to ascertain availability of comprehensive nutrition information to consumers within the restaurants. We found the healthiest meal item to be significantly higher in price than less nutritious meal items available for $1.00 (t = 146.9, p < .001), with the mean cost differential equal to $4.33 (95% CI $4.27, $4.39). Window promotions generally advertised less healthful menu items, which may aid in priming customers to purchase these versus more healthful options. Comprehensive nutrition information beyond calorie counts was not readily accessible prior to purchasing. In addition to improving access to comprehensive nutrition information, advertising more of and lowering the prices of nutritious options may encourage consumers to purchase healthier foods in a fast food setting. Additional research in this area is needed in other geographic locations and restaurant chains. PMID:24171876

Secure web-based access to radiology: forms and databases for fast queries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McColl, Roderick W.; Lane, Thomas J.

2002-05-01

Currently, Web-based access to mini-PACS or similar databases commonly utilizes either JavaScript, Java applets or ActiveX controls. Many sites do not permit applets or controls or other binary objects for fear of viruses or worms sent by malicious users. In addition, the typical CGI query mechanism requires several parameters to be sent with the http GET/POST request, which may identify the patient in some way; this in unacceptable for privacy protection. Also unacceptable are pages produced by server-side scripts which can be cached by the browser, since these may also contain sensitive information. We propose a simple mechanism for access to patient information, including images, which guarantees security of information, makes it impossible to bookmark the page, or to return to the page after some defined length of time. In addition, this mechanism is simple, therefore permitting rapid access without the need to initially download an interface such as an applet or control. In addition to image display, the design of the site allows the user to view and save movies of multi-phasic data, or to construct multi-frame datasets from entire series. These capabilities make the site attractive for research purposes such as teaching file preparation.

Application of Fast Dynamic Allan Variance for the Characterization of FOGs-Based Measurement While Drilling.

PubMed

Wang, Lu; Zhang, Chunxi; Gao, Shuang; Wang, Tao; Lin, Tie; Li, Xianmu

2016-12-07

The stability of a fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) in measurement while drilling (MWD) could vary with time because of changing temperature, high vibration, and sudden power failure. The dynamic Allan variance (DAVAR) is a sliding version of the Allan variance. It is a practical tool that could represent the non-stationary behavior of the gyroscope signal. Since the normal DAVAR takes too long to deal with long time series, a fast DAVAR algorithm has been developed to accelerate the computation speed. However, both the normal DAVAR algorithm and the fast algorithm become invalid for discontinuous time series. What is worse, the FOG-based MWD underground often keeps working for several days; the gyro data collected aboveground is not only very time-consuming, but also sometimes discontinuous in the timeline. In this article, on the basis of the fast algorithm for DAVAR, we make a further advance in the fast algorithm (improved fast DAVAR) to extend the fast DAVAR to discontinuous time series. The improved fast DAVAR and the normal DAVAR are used to responsively characterize two sets of simulation data. The simulation results show that when the length of the time series is short, the improved fast DAVAR saves 78.93% of calculation time. When the length of the time series is long ( 6 × 10 5 samples), the improved fast DAVAR reduces calculation time by 97.09%. Another set of simulation data with missing data is characterized by the improved fast DAVAR. Its simulation results prove that the improved fast DAVAR could successfully deal with discontinuous data. In the end, a vibration experiment with FOGs-based MWD has been implemented to validate the good performance of the improved fast DAVAR. The results of the experience testify that the improved fast DAVAR not only shortens computation time, but could also analyze discontinuous time series.

Application of Fast Dynamic Allan Variance for the Characterization of FOGs-Based Measurement While Drilling

PubMed Central

Wang, Lu; Zhang, Chunxi; Gao, Shuang; Wang, Tao; Lin, Tie; Li, Xianmu

2016-01-01

The stability of a fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) in measurement while drilling (MWD) could vary with time because of changing temperature, high vibration, and sudden power failure. The dynamic Allan variance (DAVAR) is a sliding version of the Allan variance. It is a practical tool that could represent the non-stationary behavior of the gyroscope signal. Since the normal DAVAR takes too long to deal with long time series, a fast DAVAR algorithm has been developed to accelerate the computation speed. However, both the normal DAVAR algorithm and the fast algorithm become invalid for discontinuous time series. What is worse, the FOG-based MWD underground often keeps working for several days; the gyro data collected aboveground is not only very time-consuming, but also sometimes discontinuous in the timeline. In this article, on the basis of the fast algorithm for DAVAR, we make a further advance in the fast algorithm (improved fast DAVAR) to extend the fast DAVAR to discontinuous time series. The improved fast DAVAR and the normal DAVAR are used to responsively characterize two sets of simulation data. The simulation results show that when the length of the time series is short, the improved fast DAVAR saves 78.93% of calculation time. When the length of the time series is long (6×105 samples), the improved fast DAVAR reduces calculation time by 97.09%. Another set of simulation data with missing data is characterized by the improved fast DAVAR. Its simulation results prove that the improved fast DAVAR could successfully deal with discontinuous data. In the end, a vibration experiment with FOGs-based MWD has been implemented to validate the good performance of the improved fast DAVAR. The results of the experience testify that the improved fast DAVAR not only shortens computation time, but could also analyze discontinuous time series. PMID:27941600

The Virtual Watershed Observatory: Cyberinfrastructure for Model-Data Integration and Access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duffy, C.; Leonard, L. N.; Giles, L.; Bhatt, G.; Yu, X.

2011-12-01

The Virtual Watershed Observatory (VWO) is a concept where scientists, water managers, educators and the general public can create a virtual observatory from integrated hydrologic model results, national databases and historical or real-time observations via web services. In this paper, we propose a prototype for automated and virtualized web services software using national data products for climate reanalysis, soils, geology, terrain and land cover. The VWO has the broad purpose of making accessible water resource simulations, real-time data assimilation, calibration and archival at the scale of HUC 12 watersheds (Hydrologic Unit Code) anywhere in the continental US. Our prototype for model-data integration focuses on creating tools for fast data storage from selected national databases, as well as the computational resources necessary for a dynamic, distributed watershed simulation. The paper will describe cyberinfrastructure tools and workflow that attempts to resolve the problem of model-data accessibility and scalability such that individuals, research teams, managers and educators can create a WVO in a desired context. Examples are given for the NSF-funded Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory and the European Critical Zone Observatories within the SoilTrEC project. In the future implementation of WVO services will benefit from the development of a cloud cyber infrastructure as the prototype evolves to data and model intensive computation for continental scale water resource predictions.

Demonstration of flexible and reconfigurable WDM multicast scheme supporting downstream emergency multicast communication for WDM optical access network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ze; Zhang, Min; Wang, Danshi; Cui, Yue

2017-09-01

We propose a flexible and reconfigurable wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) multicast scheme supporting downstream emergency multicast communication for WDM optical access network (WDM-OAN) via a multicast module (MM) based on four-wave mixing (FWM) in a semiconductor optical amplifier. It serves as an emergency measure to dispose of the burst, large bandwidth, and real-time multicast service with fast service provisioning and high resource efficiency. It also plays the role of physical backup in cases of big data migration or network disaster caused by invalid lasers or modulator failures. It provides convenient and reliable multicast service and emergency protection for WDM-OAN without modifying WDM-OAN structure. The strategies of an MM setting at the optical line terminal and remote node are discussed to apply this scheme to passive optical networks and active optical networks, respectively. Utilizing the proposed scheme, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept experiment in which one-to-six/eight 10-Gbps nonreturn-to-zero-differential phase-shift keying WDM multicasts in both strategies are successfully transmitted over single-mode fiber of 20.2 km. One-to-many reconfigurable WDM multicasts dealing with higher data rate and other modulation formats of multicast service are possible through the proposed scheme. It can be applied to different WDM access technologies, e.g., time-wavelength-division multiplexing-OAN and coherent WDM-OAN, and upgraded smoothly.

Probing ultra-fast processes with high dynamic range at 4th-generation light sources: Arrival time and intensity binning at unprecedented repetition rates

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

Kovalev, S.; Green, B.; Golz, T.

Here, understanding dynamics on ultrafast timescales enables unique and new insights into important processes in the materials and life sciences. In this respect, the fundamental pump-probe approach based on ultra-short photon pulses aims at the creation of stroboscopic movies. Performing such experiments at one of the many recently established accelerator-based 4th-generation light sources such as free-electron lasers or superradiant THz sources allows an enormous widening of the accessible parameter space for the excitation and/or probing light pulses. Compared to table-top devices, critical issues of this type of experiment are fluctuations of the timing between the accelerator and external laser systemsmore » and intensity instabilities of the accelerator-based photon sources. Existing solutions have so far been only demonstrated at low repetition rates and/or achieved a limited dynamic range in comparison to table-top experiments, while the 4th generation of accelerator-based light sources is based on superconducting radio-frequency technology, which enables operation at MHz or even GHz repetition rates. In this article, we present the successful demonstration of ultra-fast accelerator-laser pump-probe experiments performed at an unprecedentedly high repetition rate in the few-hundred-kHz regime and with a currently achievable optimal time resolution of 13 fs (rms). Our scheme, based on the pulse-resolved detection of multiple beam parameters relevant for the experiment, allows us to achieve an excellent sensitivity in real-world ultra-fast experiments, as demonstrated for the example of THz-field-driven coherent spin precession.« less

Probing ultra-fast processes with high dynamic range at 4th-generation light sources: Arrival time and intensity binning at unprecedented repetition rates

DOE PAGES

Kovalev, S.; Green, B.; Golz, T.; ...

2017-03-06

Here, understanding dynamics on ultrafast timescales enables unique and new insights into important processes in the materials and life sciences. In this respect, the fundamental pump-probe approach based on ultra-short photon pulses aims at the creation of stroboscopic movies. Performing such experiments at one of the many recently established accelerator-based 4th-generation light sources such as free-electron lasers or superradiant THz sources allows an enormous widening of the accessible parameter space for the excitation and/or probing light pulses. Compared to table-top devices, critical issues of this type of experiment are fluctuations of the timing between the accelerator and external laser systemsmore » and intensity instabilities of the accelerator-based photon sources. Existing solutions have so far been only demonstrated at low repetition rates and/or achieved a limited dynamic range in comparison to table-top experiments, while the 4th generation of accelerator-based light sources is based on superconducting radio-frequency technology, which enables operation at MHz or even GHz repetition rates. In this article, we present the successful demonstration of ultra-fast accelerator-laser pump-probe experiments performed at an unprecedentedly high repetition rate in the few-hundred-kHz regime and with a currently achievable optimal time resolution of 13 fs (rms). Our scheme, based on the pulse-resolved detection of multiple beam parameters relevant for the experiment, allows us to achieve an excellent sensitivity in real-world ultra-fast experiments, as demonstrated for the example of THz-field-driven coherent spin precession.« less

Fast and accurate quantum molecular dynamics of dense plasmas across temperature regimes

DOE PAGES

Sjostrom, Travis; Daligault, Jerome

2014-10-10

Here, we develop and implement a new quantum molecular dynamics approximation that allows fast and accurate simulations of dense plasmas from cold to hot conditions. The method is based on a carefully designed orbital-free implementation of density functional theory. The results for hydrogen and aluminum are in very good agreement with Kohn-Sham (orbital-based) density functional theory and path integral Monte Carlo calculations for microscopic features such as the electron density as well as the equation of state. The present approach does not scale with temperature and hence extends to higher temperatures than is accessible in the Kohn-Sham method and lowermore » temperatures than is accessible by path integral Monte Carlo calculations, while being significantly less computationally expensive than either of those two methods.« less

Introducing MCgrid 2.0: Projecting cross section calculations on grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bothmann, Enrico; Hartland, Nathan; Schumann, Steffen

2015-11-01

MCgrid is a software package that provides access to interpolation tools for Monte Carlo event generator codes, allowing for the fast and flexible variation of scales, coupling parameters and PDFs in cutting edge leading- and next-to-leading-order QCD calculations. We present the upgrade to version 2.0 which has a broader scope of interfaced interpolation tools, now providing access to fastNLO, and features an approximated treatment for the projection of MC@NLO-type calculations onto interpolation grids. MCgrid 2.0 also now supports the extended information provided through the HepMC event record used in the recent SHERPA version 2.2.0. The additional information provided therein allows for the support of multi-jet merged QCD calculations in a future update of MCgrid.

Fast converging minimum probability of error neural network receivers for DS-CDMA communications.

PubMed

Matyjas, John D; Psaromiligkos, Ioannis N; Batalama, Stella N; Medley, Michael J

2004-03-01

We consider a multilayer perceptron neural network (NN) receiver architecture for the recovery of the information bits of a direct-sequence code-division-multiple-access (DS-CDMA) user. We develop a fast converging adaptive training algorithm that minimizes the bit-error rate (BER) at the output of the receiver. The adaptive algorithm has three key features: i) it incorporates the BER, i.e., the ultimate performance evaluation measure, directly into the learning process, ii) it utilizes constraints that are derived from the properties of the optimum single-user decision boundary for additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) multiple-access channels, and iii) it embeds importance sampling (IS) principles directly into the receiver optimization process. Simulation studies illustrate the BER performance of the proposed scheme.

Ureteroscopy-assisted Percutaneous Kidney Access Made Easy: First Clinical Experience with a Novel Navigation System Using Electromagnetic Guidance (IDEAL Stage 1).

PubMed

Lima, Estevao; Rodrigues, Pedro L; Mota, Paulo; Carvalho, Nuno; Dias, Emanuel; Correia-Pinto, Jorge; Autorino, Riccardo; Vilaça, João L

2017-10-01

Puncture of the renal collecting system represents a challenging step in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Limitations related to the use of standard fluoroscopic-based and ultrasound-based maneuvers have been recognized. To describe the technique and early clinical outcomes of a novel navigation system for percutaneous kidney access. This was a proof-of-concept study (IDEAL phase 1) conducted at a single academic center. Ten PCNL procedures were performed for patients with kidney stones. Flexible ureterorenoscopy was performed to determine the optimal renal calyx for access. An electromagnetic sensor was inserted through the working channel. Then the selected calyx was punctured with a needle with a sensor on the tip guided by real-time three-dimensional images observed on the monitor. The primary endpoints were the accuracy and clinical applicability of the system in clinical use. Secondary endpoints were the time to successful puncture, the number of attempts for successful puncture, and complications. Ten patients were enrolled in the study. The median age was 47.1 yr (30-63), median body mass index was 22.85kg/m 2 (19-28.3), and median stone size was 2.13cm (1.5-2.5cm). All stones were in the renal pelvis. The Guy's stone score was 1 in nine cases and 2 in one case. All 10 punctures of the collecting system were successfully completed at the first attempt without X-ray exposure. The median time to successful puncture starting from insertion of the needle was 20 s (range 15-35). No complications occurred. We describe the first clinical application of a novel navigation system using real-time electromagnetic sensors for percutaneous kidney access. This new technology overcomes the intrinsic limitations of traditional methods of kidney access, allowing safe, precise, fast, and effective puncture of the renal collecting system. We describe a new technology allowing safe and easy puncture of the kidney without radiation exposure. This could significantly facilitate one of the most challenging steps in percutaneous removal of kidney stones. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Emergency sternal intraosseous access for warm fresh whole blood transfusion in damage control resuscitation.

PubMed

Bjerkvig, Christopher Kalhagen; Fosse, Theodor Kaurin; Apelseth, Torunn Oveland; Sivertsen, Joar; Braathen, Hanne; Eliassen, Håkon Skogrand; Guttormsen, Anne Berit; Cap, Andrew P; Strandenes, Geir

2018-06-01

Intraosseous (IO) vascular access is increasingly used as an emergency tool for achieving access to the systemic circulation in critically ill patients. The role of IO transfusion of blood in damage control resuscitation is however questionable due to possible inadequate flow rate and hemolysis. Some experts claim that IO transfusion is contraindicated. In this study, we have challenged this statement by looking at flow rates of autologous fresh whole blood reinfusion and hemolysis using two of the commonly used Food and Drug Administration-approved and Conformité Européenne (CE)-marked sternal needles. Additionally, the success rate of sternal access between the two devices is evaluated. Volunteer professional military personnel, were enrolled prospectively in a nonrandomized observational study design. We collected 450 mL of autologous whole blood from each participant. Participants were divided into the following three groups of 10: Tactically Advanced Lifesaving IO Needle (T.A.L.O.N.) IO, FAST1 IO, and intravenous group. The reinfusion was done by gravity only. Blood sampling was performed before blood collection and 30 minutes after reinfusion. Investigation of hemolysis was performed by measurements of haptoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase. Success rate was evaluated by correct aspiration of bone marrow. Median reinfusion rate was 46.2 mL/min in the FAST1 group, 32.4 mL/min in the T.A.L.O.N. group, and 74.1 mL/min in the intravenous group. Blood samples from all participants were within normal ranges. There was no statistically significant difference in haptoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase between the groups. In the FAST1 group, 1 (9%) of 11 procedures failed. In the T.A.L.O.N. group, 4 (29%) of 14 procedures failed. Although preferable, achieving peripheral venous access in the bleeding patient is a major problem. Our findings suggest that fresh whole-blood transfusion through the IO route is safe, reliable, and provide sufficient flow for resuscitation. Therapeutic/Care management study, level III.

Pre-school obesity is inversely associated with vegetable intake, grocery stores and outdoor play.

PubMed

Kepper, M; Tseng, T-S; Volaufova, J; Scribner, R; Nuss, H; Sothern, M

2016-10-01

The study determined the association between body mass index (BMI) z score and fruit and vegetable intake, frequency and ratio of fast food outlets and grocery stores in concentric areas around the child's residence, outdoor play and total crime index. Data from 78 Louisiana pre-school children were analyzed using Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analysis. Parental-reported fruit intake was linearly associated with increased number of grocery store counts in concentric areas around the child's residence (P = 0.0406, P = 0.0281). Vegetable intake was inversely (P = 0.04) and the ratio of fast food outlets to grocery stores in a 2-mile concentric area around the child's residence was positively (P = 0.05) associated to BMI z score after applying Best Model regression analysis (F = 3.06, P = 0.0346). Children residing in neighbourhoods with greater access to fast foods and lower access to fruits and vegetables may be at higher risk for developing obesity during pre-school years. © 2015 World Obesity.

How to Serve Content to PDA Users on-the-Go

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuddy, Colleen

2006-01-01

Fans of mobile devices are everywhere, and they are using their PDAs, smart phones, and mobile phones to access Web-based content. Chances are that they are trying to access your library's Web site or find library-based content for their devices. In this article, the author presents some tips on how to serve those who wants to grab some fast info…

Spatial accessibility to physical activity facilities and to food outlets and overweight in French youth.

PubMed

Casey, R; Chaix, B; Weber, C; Schweitzer, B; Charreire, H; Salze, P; Badariotti, D; Banos, A; Oppert, J-M; Simon, C

2012-07-01

Some characteristics of the built environment have been associated with obesity in youth. Our aim was to determine whether individual and environmental socio-economic characteristics modulate the relation between youth overweight and spatial accessibility to physical activity (PA) facilities and to food outlets. Cross-sectional study. 3293 students, aged 12 ± 0.6 years, randomly selected from eastern France middle schools. Using geographical information systems (GIS), spatial accessibility to PA facilities (urban and nature) was assessed using the distance to PA facilities at the municipality level; spatial accessibility to food outlets (general food outlets, bakeries and fast-food outlets) was calculated at individual level using the student home address and the food outlets addresses. Relations of weight status with spatial accessibility to PA facilities and to food outlets were analysed using mixed logistic models, testing potential direct and interaction effects of individual and environmental socio-economic characteristics. Individual socio-economic status modulated the relation between spatial accessibility to PA facilities and to general food outlets and overweight. The likelihood of being overweight was higher when spatial accessibility to urban PA facilities and to general food outlets was low, but in children of blue-collar-workers only. The odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval) for being overweight of blue-collar-workers children compared with non-blue-collar-workers children was 1.76 (1.25-2.49) when spatial accessibility to urban PA facilities was low. This OR was 1.86 (1.20-2.86) when spatial accessibility to general food outlets was low. There was no significant relationship of overweight with either nature PA facilities or other food outlets (bakeries and fast-food outlets). These results indicate that disparities in spatial accessibility to PA facilities and to general food outlets may amplify the risk of overweight in socio-economically disadvantaged youth. These data should be relevant for influencing health policies and urban planning at both a national and local level.

Genetic Local Search for Optimum Multiuser Detection Problem in DS-CDMA Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shaowei; Ji, Xiaoyong

Optimum multiuser detection (OMD) in direct-sequence code-division multiple access (DS-CDMA) systems is an NP-complete problem. In this paper, we present a genetic local search algorithm, which consists of an evolution strategy framework and a local improvement procedure. The evolution strategy searches the space of feasible, locally optimal solutions only. A fast iterated local search algorithm, which employs the proprietary characteristics of the OMD problem, produces local optima with great efficiency. Computer simulations show the bit error rate (BER) performance of the GLS outperforms other multiuser detectors in all cases discussed. The computation time is polynomial complexity in the number of users.

Performance evaluation of a distance learning program.

PubMed

Dailey, D J; Eno, K R; Brinkley, J F

1994-01-01

This paper presents a performance metric which uses a single number to characterize the response time for a non-deterministic client-server application operating over the Internet. When applied to a Macintosh-based distance learning application called the Digital Anatomist Browser, the metric allowed us to observe that "A typical student doing a typical mix of Browser commands on a typical data set will experience the same delay if they use a slow Macintosh on a local network or a fast Macintosh on the other side of the country accessing the data over the Internet." The methodology presented is applicable to other client-server applications that are rapidly appearing on the Internet.

Exploring gastric emptying rate in minipigs: Effect of food type and pre-dosing of metoclopramide.

PubMed

Henze, Laura J; Griffin, Brendan T; Christiansen, Martin; Bundgaard, Christoffer; Langguth, Peter; Holm, René

2018-06-15

The present study investigated the gastric emptying rate in Göttingen minipigs pre- and post-prandial and evaluated the effect of metoclopramide on the same parameter, using paracetamol as an absorption marker. The pharmacokinetic evaluation of the obtained plasma concentration data for paracetamol demonstrated that the fastest gastric emptying rate was observed in the animals that were allowed access to normal pig food. There was no significant difference in the stomach emptying rate observed between fasted and fed minipigs, when fed either with a FDA standard breakfast or a nutritional energy drink. Pre-dosing minipigs with metoclopramide (0.2 or 0.4 mg/kg) did not demonstrate any effect on gastric emptying in either the fasted or fed state. The data in the present study demonstrated a relatively prolonged gastric emptying rate in mini-pigs both in the fasted and fed state, hence when conducting pharmacokinetic studies using minipigs, this should be taken into account when planning the plasma sampling time points. Further, as no difference could be observed in gastric emptying rate as a function of food, the data also suggest that the Göttingen mini-pigs seems less suited to predict for food effect studies than other species. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fast parallel tandem mass spectral library searching using GPU hardware acceleration.

PubMed

Baumgardner, Lydia Ashleigh; Shanmugam, Avinash Kumar; Lam, Henry; Eng, Jimmy K; Martin, Daniel B

2011-06-03

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics is a maturing discipline of biologic research that is experiencing substantial growth. Instrumentation has steadily improved over time with the advent of faster and more sensitive instruments collecting ever larger data files. Consequently, the computational process of matching a peptide fragmentation pattern to its sequence, traditionally accomplished by sequence database searching and more recently also by spectral library searching, has become a bottleneck in many mass spectrometry experiments. In both of these methods, the main rate-limiting step is the comparison of an acquired spectrum with all potential matches from a spectral library or sequence database. This is a highly parallelizable process because the core computational element can be represented as a simple but arithmetically intense multiplication of two vectors. In this paper, we present a proof of concept project taking advantage of the massively parallel computing available on graphics processing units (GPUs) to distribute and accelerate the process of spectral assignment using spectral library searching. This program, which we have named FastPaSS (for Fast Parallelized Spectral Searching), is implemented in CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) from NVIDIA, which allows direct access to the processors in an NVIDIA GPU. Our efforts demonstrate the feasibility of GPU computing for spectral assignment, through implementation of the validated spectral searching algorithm SpectraST in the CUDA environment.

A prospective audit of preprocedural fasting practices on a transplant ward: when fasting becomes starving.

PubMed

Vidot, Helen; Teevan, Kate; Carey, Sharon; Strasser, Simone; Shackel, Nicholas

2016-03-01

To investigate the prevalence and duration of preprocedural medically ordered fasting during a period of hospitalisation in an Australian population of patients with hepatic cirrhosis or following liver transplantation and to identify potential solutions to reduce fasting times. Protein-energy malnutrition is a common finding in patients with hepatic cirrhosis and can impact significantly on survival and quality of life. Protein and energy requirements in patients with cirrhosis are higher than those of healthy individuals. A significant feature of cirrhosis is the induction of starvation metabolism following seven to eight hours of food deprivation. Many investigative and interventional procedures for patients with cirrhosis necessitate a period of fasting to comply with anaesthesia guidelines. An observational study of the fasting episodes for 34 hospitalised patients with hepatic cirrhosis or following liver transplantation. Nutritional status was estimated using subjective global assessment and handgrip strength. The prevalence and duration of fasting practices for diagnostic or investigational procedures were estimated using electronic records and patient notes. Thirty-three patients (97%) were malnourished. Twenty-two patients (65%) were fasted during the observation period. There were 43 occasions of fasting with a median fasting time of 13·5 hours. On 40 occasions fasting times exceeded the maximum six-hour guideline recommended prior to the administration of anaesthesia by the majority of Anaesthesiology Societies. The majority of procedures (77%) requiring fasting occurred after midday. Eating breakfast on the day of the procedure reduced fasting time by 45%. Medically ordered preprocedural fasting times almost always exceed existing guidelines in this nutritionally compromised group. Adherence to fasting guidelines and eating breakfast before the procedure can reduce fasting times significantly and avoid the potential induction of starvation metabolism in this nutritionally at risk group. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fast and Accurate Simulation of the Cray XMT Multithreaded Supercomputer

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

Villa, Oreste; Tumeo, Antonino; Secchi, Simone

Irregular applications, such as data mining and analysis or graph-based computations, show unpredictable memory/network access patterns and control structures. Highly multithreaded architectures with large processor counts, like the Cray MTA-1, MTA-2 and XMT, appear to address their requirements better than commodity clusters. However, the research on highly multithreaded systems is currently limited by the lack of adequate architectural simulation infrastructures due to issues such as size of the machines, memory footprint, simulation speed, accuracy and customization. At the same time, Shared-memory MultiProcessors (SMPs) with multi-core processors have become an attractive platform to simulate large scale machines. In this paper, wemore » introduce a cycle-level simulator of the highly multithreaded Cray XMT supercomputer. The simulator runs unmodified XMT applications. We discuss how we tackled the challenges posed by its development, detailing the techniques introduced to make the simulation as fast as possible while maintaining a high accuracy. By mapping XMT processors (ThreadStorm with 128 hardware threads) to host computing cores, the simulation speed remains constant as the number of simulated processors increases, up to the number of available host cores. The simulator supports zero-overhead switching among different accuracy levels at run-time and includes a network model that takes into account contention. On a modern 48-core SMP host, our infrastructure simulates a large set of irregular applications 500 to 2000 times slower than real time when compared to a 128-processor XMT, while remaining within 10\\% of accuracy. Emulation is only from 25 to 200 times slower than real time.« less

Switching dynamics of TaOx-based threshold switching devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodwill, Jonathan M.; Gala, Darshil K.; Bain, James A.; Skowronski, Marek

2018-03-01

Bi-stable volatile switching devices are being used as access devices in solid-state memory arrays and as the active part of compact oscillators. Such structures exhibit two stable states of resistance and switch between them at a critical value of voltage or current. A typical resistance transient under a constant amplitude voltage pulse starts with a slow decrease followed by a rapid drop and leveling off at a low steady state value. This behavior prompted the interpretation of initial delay and fast transition as due to two different processes. Here, we show that the entire transient including incubation time, transition time, and the final resistance values in TaOx-based switching can be explained by one process, namely, Joule heating with the rapid transition due to the thermal runaway. The time, which is required for the device in the conducting state to relax back to the stable high resistance one, is also consistent with the proposed mechanism.

Fast and efficient STT switching in MTJ using additional transient pulse current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathak, Sachin; Cha, Jongin; Jo, Kangwook; Yoon, Hongil; Hong, Jongill

2017-06-01

We propose a profile of write pulse current-density to switch magnetization in a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction to reduce switching time and write energy as well. Our simulated results show that an overshoot transient pulse current-density (current spike) imposed to conventional rectangular-shaped pulse current-density (main pulse) significantly improves switching speed that yields the reduction in write energy accordingly. For example, we could dramatically reduce the switching time by 80% and thereby reduce the write energy over 9% in comparison to the switching without current spike. The current spike affects the spin dynamics of the free layer and reduces the switching time mainly due to spin torque induced. On the other hand, the large Oersted field induced causes changes in spin texture. We believe our proposed write scheme can make a breakthrough in magnetic random access memory technology seeking both high speed operation and low energy consumption.

Reducing the Handover Delay in FMIPv6 Using Proactive Care-of Address Scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yong; Jin, Depeng; Su, Li; Zeng, Lieguang

To deal with the increasing number of mobile devices accessing the Internet and the increasing demands of mobility management, IETF has proposed Mobile IPv6 and its fast handover protocol FMIPv6. In FMIPv6, the possibility of Care-of Address (CoA) collision and the time for Return Routability (RR) procedure result in long handover delay, which makes it unsuitable for real-time applications. In this paper, we propose an improved handover scheme for FMIPv6, which reduces the handover delay by using proactive CoA acquisition, configuration and test method. In our proposal, collision-free CoA is proactively prepared, and the time for RR procedure does not contribute to the handover delay. Furthermore, we analyze our proposal's benefits and overhead tradeoff. The numerical results demonstrate that it outperforms the current schemes, such as FMIPv6 and enhanced FMIPv6, on the aspect of handover delay and packet transmission delay.

MAI-free performance of PMU-OFDM transceiver in time-variant environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadjpour, Layla; Tsai, Shang-Ho; Kuo, C.-C. J.

2005-06-01

An approximately multi-user OFDM transceiver was introduced to reduce the multi-access interference (MAI ) due to the carrier frequency offset (CFO) to a negligible amount via precoding by Tsai, Lin and Kuo. In this work, we investigate the performance of this precoded multi-user (PMU) OFDM system in a time-variant channel environment. We analyze and compare the MAI effect caused by time-variant channels in the PMU-OFDM and the OFDMA systems. Generally speaking, the MAI effect consists of two parts. The first part is due to the loss of orthogonality among subchannels for all users while the second part is due to the CFO effect caused by the Doppler shift. Simulation results show that, although OFDMA outperforms the PMU-OFDM transceiver in a fast time-variant environment without CFO, PMU-OFDM outperforms OFDMA in a slow time-variant channel via the use of M/2 symmetric or anti-symmetric codewords of M Hadamard-Walsh codes.

Open- and closed-state fast inactivation in sodium channels

PubMed Central

Lehmann-Horn, Frank; Holzherr, Boris D

2011-01-01

The role of sodium channel closed-state fast inactivation in membrane excitability is not well understood. We compared open- and closed-state fast inactivation, and the gating charge immobilized during these transitions, in skeletal muscle channel hNaV1.4. A significant fraction of total charge movement and its immobilization occurred in the absence of channel opening. Simulated action potentials in skeletal muscle fibers were attenuated when pre-conditioned by subthreshold depolarization. Anthopleurin A, a site-3 toxin that inhibits gating charge associated with the movement of DIVS4, was used to assess the role of this voltage sensor in closed-state fast inactivation. Anthopleurin elicited opposing effects on the gating mode, kinetics and charge immobilized during open- versus closed-state fast inactivation. This same toxin produced identical effects on recovery of channel availability and remobilization of gating charge, irrespective of route of entry into fast inactivation. Our findings suggest that depolarization promoting entry into fast inactivation from open versus closed states provides access to the IFMT receptor via different rate-limiting conformational translocations of DIVS4. PMID:21099342

Sociodemographic Disparities in Proximity of Schools to Tobacco Outlets and Fast-Food Restaurants

PubMed Central

Ammerman, Alice; Gordon-Larsen, Penny; Linnan, Laura; Lytle, Leslie; Ribisl, Kurt M.

2016-01-01

Objectives. To examine the association of school sociodemographic characteristics with tobacco outlet and fast-food restaurant availability near schools in a national study. Methods. Business lists and data from the National Center for Education Statistics were used to calculate the numbers of tobacco outlets and fast-food restaurants within 800 meters of public schools in 97 US counties. Results. More than 50% of schools with a majority of Hispanic students had both a fast-food restaurant and tobacco outlet nearby, compared with 21% of schools with a majority of White students. In adjusted models, each 10% increase in the number of low-income and Hispanic students enrolled in a school led to a 3% to 5% increase in the odds of the school having both a fast-food restaurant and a tobacco outlet nearby. Conclusions. Low-income and Hispanic students are disproportionately exposed to both tobacco outlets and fast-food restaurants near their schools. Easy access to tobacco products and fast food may influence youth smoking initiation and contribute to poor dietary intake. PMID:27459453

Mass Loss Rates of Fasting Polar Bears.

PubMed

Pilfold, Nicholas W; Hedman, Daryll; Stirling, Ian; Derocher, Andrew E; Lunn, Nicholas J; Richardson, Evan

2016-01-01

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) have adapted to an annual cyclic regime of feeding and fasting, which is extreme in seasonal sea ice regions of the Arctic. As a consequence of climate change, sea ice breakup has become earlier and the duration of the open-water period through which polar bears must rely on fat reserves has increased. To date, there is limited empirical data with which to evaluate the potential energetic capacity of polar bears to withstand longer fasts. We measured the incoming and outgoing mass of inactive polar bears (n = 142) that were temporarily detained by Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship during the open-water period near the town of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, in 2009-2014. Polar bears were given access to water but not food and held for a median length of 17 d. Median mass loss rates were 1.0 kg/d, while median mass-specific loss rates were 0.5%/d, similar to other species with high adiposity and prolonged fasting capacities. Mass loss by unfed captive adult males was identical to that lost by free-ranging individuals, suggesting that terrestrial feeding contributes little to offset mass loss. The inferred metabolic rate was comparable to a basal mammalian rate, suggesting that while on land, polar bears can maintain a depressed metabolic rate to conserve energy. Finally, we estimated time to starvation for subadults and adult males for the on-land period. Results suggest that at 180 d of fasting, 56%-63% of subadults and 18%-24% of adult males in this study would die of starvation. Results corroborate previous assessments on the limits of polar bear capacity to withstand lengthening ice-free seasons and emphasize the greater sensitivity of subadults to changes in sea ice phenology.

New biomarkers for increased intestinal permeability induced by dextran sodium sulphate and fasting in chickens.

PubMed

Gilani, S; Howarth, G S; Kitessa, S M; Tran, C D; Forder, R E A; Hughes, R J

2017-10-01

Increased intestinal permeability (IP) can lead to compromised health in chickens. As there is limited literature on in vivo biomarkers to assess increased IP in chickens, the objective of this study was to identify a reliable biomarker of IP using DSS ingestion and fasting models. Male Ross chickens (n = 48) were reared until day 14 on the floor pen in an animal care facility, randomized into the following groups: control, DSS and fasting (each with n = 16), and then placed in metabolism cages. DSS was administered in drinking water at 0.75% from days 16 to 21, while controls and fasted groups received water. All birds had free access to feed and water except the birds in the fasting group that were denied feed for 19.5 h on day 20. On day 21, all chickens were given two separate oral gavages comprising fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-d, 2.2 mg in 1 ml/bird) at time zero and lactulose, mannitol and rhamnose (LMR) sugars (0.25 g L, 0.05 g M and 0.05 g R in 2 ml/bird) at 60 min. Whole blood was collected from the brachial vein in a syringe 90 min post-LMR sugar gavage. Serum FITC-d and plasma LMR sugar concentrations were measured by spectrophotometry and high-performance ion chromatography respectively. Plasma concentrations of intestinal fatty acid binding protein, diamine oxidase, tight junction protein (TJP), d-lactate and faecal α-antitrypsin inhibitor concentration were also analysed by ELISA. FITC-d increased significantly (p < 0.05) after fasting compared with control. L/M and L/R ratios for fasting and L/M ratio for DSS increased compared with control chickens (p < 0.05). TJP in plasma was significantly increased due to fasting but not DSS treatment, compared with controls. Other tests did not indicate changes in IP (p > 0.05). We concluded that FITC-d and LMR sugar tests can be used in chickens to assess changes in IP. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

A fast and high-sensitive dual-wavelength diffuse optical tomography system using digital lock-in photon-counting technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Weiting; Yi, Xi; Zhao, Huijuan; Gao, Feng

2014-09-01

We presented a novel dual-wavelength diffuse optical imaging system which can perform 2-D or 3-D imaging fast and high-sensitively for monitoring the dynamic change of optical parameters. A newly proposed lock-in photon-counting detection method was adopted for week optical signal collection, which brought in excellent property as well as simplified geometry. Fundamental principles of the lock-in photon-counting detection were elaborately demonstrated, and the feasibility was strictly verified by the linearity experiment. Systemic performance of the prototype set up was experimentally accessed, including stray light rejection and inherent interference. Results showed that the system possessed superior anti-interference capability (under 0.58% in darkroom) compared with traditional photon-counting detection, and the crosstalk between two wavelengths was lower than 2.28%. For comprehensive assessment, 2-D phantom experiments towards relatively large dimension model (diameter of 4cm) were conducted. Different absorption targets were imaged to investigate detection sensitivity. Reconstruction image under all conditions was exciting, with a desirable SNR. Study on image quality v.s. integration time put forward a new method for accessing higher SNR with the sacrifice of measuring speed. In summary, the newly developed system showed great potential in promoting detection sensitivity as well as measuring speed. This will make substantial progress in dynamically tracking the blood concentration distribution in many clinical areas, such as small animal disease modeling, human brain activity research and thick tissues (for example, breast) diagnosis.

Planning nonlinear access paths for temporal bone surgery.

PubMed

Fauser, Johannes; Sakas, Georgios; Mukhopadhyay, Anirban

2018-05-01

Interventions at the otobasis operate in the narrow region of the temporal bone where several highly sensitive organs define obstacles with minimal clearance for surgical instruments. Nonlinear trajectories for potential minimally invasive interventions can provide larger distances to risk structures and optimized orientations of surgical instruments, thus improving clinical outcomes when compared to existing linear approaches. In this paper, we present fast and accurate planning methods for such nonlinear access paths. We define a specific motion planning problem in [Formula: see text] with notable constraints in computation time and goal pose that reflect the requirements of temporal bone surgery. We then present [Formula: see text]-RRT-Connect: two suitable motion planners based on bidirectional Rapidly exploring Random Tree (RRT) to solve this problem efficiently. The benefits of [Formula: see text]-RRT-Connect are demonstrated on real CT data of patients. Their general performance is shown on a large set of realistic synthetic anatomies. We also show that these new algorithms outperform state-of-the-art methods based on circular arcs or Bézier-Splines when applied to this specific problem. With this work, we demonstrate that preoperative and intra-operative planning of nonlinear access paths is possible for minimally invasive surgeries at the otobasis.

An Internet of Things based physiological signal monitoring and receiving system for virtual enhanced health care network.

PubMed

Rajan, J Pandia; Rajan, S Edward

2018-01-01

Wireless physiological signal monitoring system designing with secured data communication in the health care system is an important and dynamic process. We propose a signal monitoring system using NI myRIO connected with the wireless body sensor network through multi-channel signal acquisition method. Based on the server side validation of the signal, the data connected to the local server is updated in the cloud. The Internet of Things (IoT) architecture is used to get the mobility and fast access of patient data to healthcare service providers. This research work proposes a novel architecture for wireless physiological signal monitoring system using ubiquitous healthcare services by virtual Internet of Things. We showed an improvement in method of access and real time dynamic monitoring of physiological signal of this remote monitoring system using virtual Internet of thing approach. This remote monitoring and access system is evaluated in conventional value. This proposed system is envisioned to modern smart health care system by high utility and user friendly in clinical applications. We claim that the proposed scheme significantly improves the accuracy of the remote monitoring system compared to the other wireless communication methods in clinical system.

Cued Speech Transliteration: Effects of Speaking Rate and Lag Time on Production Accuracy

PubMed Central

Tessler, Morgan P.

2016-01-01

Many deaf and hard-of-hearing children rely on interpreters to access classroom communication. Although the exact level of access provided by interpreters in these settings is unknown, it is likely to depend heavily on interpreter accuracy (portion of message correctly produced by the interpreter) and the factors that govern interpreter accuracy. In this study, the accuracy of 12 Cued Speech (CS) transliterators with varying degrees of experience was examined at three different speaking rates (slow, normal, fast). Accuracy was measured with a high-resolution, objective metric in order to facilitate quantitative analyses of the effect of each factor on accuracy. Results showed that speaking rate had a large negative effect on accuracy, caused primarily by an increase in omitted cues, whereas the effect of lag time on accuracy, also negative, was quite small and explained just 3% of the variance. Increased experience level was generally associated with increased accuracy; however, high levels of experience did not guarantee high levels of accuracy. Finally, the overall accuracy of the 12 transliterators, 54% on average across all three factors, was low enough to raise serious concerns about the quality of CS transliteration services that (at least some) children receive in educational settings. PMID:27221370

Solving large mixed linear models using preconditioned conjugate gradient iteration.

PubMed

Strandén, I; Lidauer, M

1999-12-01

Continuous evaluation of dairy cattle with a random regression test-day model requires a fast solving method and algorithm. A new computing technique feasible in Jacobi and conjugate gradient based iterative methods using iteration on data is presented. In the new computing technique, the calculations in multiplication of a vector by a matrix were recorded to three steps instead of the commonly used two steps. The three-step method was implemented in a general mixed linear model program that used preconditioned conjugate gradient iteration. Performance of this program in comparison to other general solving programs was assessed via estimation of breeding values using univariate, multivariate, and random regression test-day models. Central processing unit time per iteration with the new three-step technique was, at best, one-third that needed with the old technique. Performance was best with the test-day model, which was the largest and most complex model used. The new program did well in comparison to other general software. Programs keeping the mixed model equations in random access memory required at least 20 and 435% more time to solve the univariate and multivariate animal models, respectively. Computations of the second best iteration on data took approximately three and five times longer for the animal and test-day models, respectively, than did the new program. Good performance was due to fast computing time per iteration and quick convergence to the final solutions. Use of preconditioned conjugate gradient based methods in solving large breeding value problems is supported by our findings.

Adaptive time-stepping Monte Carlo integration of Coulomb collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Särkimäki, K.; Hirvijoki, E.; Terävä, J.

2018-01-01

We report an accessible and robust tool for evaluating the effects of Coulomb collisions on a test particle in a plasma that obeys Maxwell-Jüttner statistics. The implementation is based on the Beliaev-Budker collision integral which allows both the test particle and the background plasma to be relativistic. The integration method supports adaptive time stepping, which is shown to greatly improve the computational efficiency. The Monte Carlo method is implemented for both the three-dimensional particle momentum space and the five-dimensional guiding center phase space. Detailed description is provided for both the physics and implementation of the operator. The focus is in adaptive integration of stochastic differential equations, which is an overlooked aspect among existing Monte Carlo implementations of Coulomb collision operators. We verify that our operator converges to known analytical results and demonstrate that careless implementation of the adaptive time step can lead to severely erroneous results. The operator is provided as a self-contained Fortran 95 module and can be included into existing orbit-following tools that trace either the full Larmor motion or the guiding center dynamics. The adaptive time-stepping algorithm is expected to be useful in situations where the collision frequencies vary greatly over the course of a simulation. Examples include the slowing-down of fusion products or other fast ions, and the Dreicer generation of runaway electrons as well as the generation of fast ions or electrons with ion or electron cyclotron resonance heating.

A Lightweight Remote Parallel Visualization Platform for Interactive Massive Time-varying Climate Data Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, J.; Zhang, T.; Huang, Q.; Liu, Q.

2014-12-01

Today's climate datasets are featured with large volume, high degree of spatiotemporal complexity and evolving fast overtime. As visualizing large volume distributed climate datasets is computationally intensive, traditional desktop based visualization applications fail to handle the computational intensity. Recently, scientists have developed remote visualization techniques to address the computational issue. Remote visualization techniques usually leverage server-side parallel computing capabilities to perform visualization tasks and deliver visualization results to clients through network. In this research, we aim to build a remote parallel visualization platform for visualizing and analyzing massive climate data. Our visualization platform was built based on Paraview, which is one of the most popular open source remote visualization and analysis applications. To further enhance the scalability and stability of the platform, we have employed cloud computing techniques to support the deployment of the platform. In this platform, all climate datasets are regular grid data which are stored in NetCDF format. Three types of data access methods are supported in the platform: accessing remote datasets provided by OpenDAP servers, accessing datasets hosted on the web visualization server and accessing local datasets. Despite different data access methods, all visualization tasks are completed at the server side to reduce the workload of clients. As a proof of concept, we have implemented a set of scientific visualization methods to show the feasibility of the platform. Preliminary results indicate that the framework can address the computation limitation of desktop based visualization applications.

FASTING IN ELECTIVE SURGICAL PATIENTS: COMPARISON AMONG THE TIME PRESCRIBED, PERFORMED AND RECOMMENDED ON PERIOPERATIVE CARE PROTOCOLS

PubMed Central

FRANCISCO, Saionara Cristina; BATISTA, Sandra Teixeira; PENA, Geórgia das Graças

2015-01-01

Background: Prolonged preoperative fasting may impair nutritional status of the patient and their recovery. In contrast, some studies show that fasting abbreviation can improve the response to trauma and decrease the length of hospital stay. Aim: Investigate whether the prescribed perioperative fasting time and practiced by patients is in compliance with current multimodal protocols and identify the main factors associated. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 65 patients undergoing elective surgery of the digestive tract or abdominal wall. We investigated the fasting time in the perioperative period, hunger and thirst reports, physical status, diabetes diagnosis, type of surgery and anesthesia. Results: The patients were between 19 and 87 years, mostly female (73.8%). The most performed procedure was cholecystectomy (47.69%) and general anesthesia the most used (89.23%). The most common approach was to start fasting from midnight for liquids and solids, and most of the patients received grade II (64.6%) to the physical state. The real fasting average time was 16 h (9.5-41.58) was higher than prescribed (11 h, 6.58 -26.75). The patients submitted to surgery in the afternoon were in more fasting time than those who did in the morning (p<0.001). The intensity of hunger and thirst increased in postoperative fasting period (p=0.010 and 0.027). The average period of postoperative fasting was 18.25 h (3.33-91.83) and only 23.07% restarted feeding on the same day. Conclusion: Patients were fasted for prolonged time, higher even than the prescribed time and intensity of the signs of discomfort such as hunger and thirst increased over time. To better recovery and the patient's well-being, it is necessary to establish a preoperative fasting abbreviation protocol. PMID:26734794

Access to and Exclusion from Primary Education in Slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh. CREATE Pathways to Access. Research Monograph No. 45

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Stuart

2010-01-01

Bangladesh's urban population is rising fast. In the capital, Dhaka, some 4 million people live in slums. They are lacking in wealth, power and social connections; probably under-counted in national surveys; and under-served by both government and non-government organisations, many of whom still see poverty as a rural issue or see the urban poor…

FastStats: A to Z

MedlinePlus

... access to statistics on topics of public health importance and is organized alphabetically. Links are provided to ... Electronic Medical Records Emergency Department Visits Emphysema Exercise/Physical Activity H Health Expenditures Health Insurance Coverage Heart Disease ...

Design of a Holonic Control Architecture for Distributed Sensor Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

Tracking tasks require only intermit - tent access to the sensors to maintain a given track quality. The higher the specified quality, the more often...resolution of the sensor (i.e., sensor mode), which can be adjusted to compensate for fast moving targets tracked over long ranges, or slower moving...but provides higher data update rates that are beneficial when tracking fast agile targets (i.e., a fighter). Table A.2 illustrates the dependence of

Chronic high fat diet induces cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in mice.

PubMed

Wang, Zhi; Li, Liaoliao; Zhao, Huijuan; Peng, Shuling; Zuo, Zhiyi

2015-08-01

Obesity can cause pathological changes in organs. We determined the effects of chronic high fat diet (HFD) and intermittent fasting, a paradigm providing organ protection, on mouse heart. Seven-week old CD1 male mice were randomly assigned to control, HFD and intermittent fasting groups. Control mice had free access to regular diet (RD). RD was provided every other day to mice in the intermittent fasting group. Mice in HFD group had free access to HFD. Their left ventricles were harvested 11 months after they had been on these diet regimens. HFD increased cardiomyocyte cross-section area and fibrosis. HFD decreased active caspase 3, an apoptosis marker, and the ratio of microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3) II/LC3I, an autophagy marker. HFD increased the phospho-glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) at Ser9, a sign of GSK-3β inhibition. Nuclear GATA binding protein 4 and yes-associated protein, two GSK-3β targeting transcription factors that can induce hypertrophy-related gene expression, were increased in HFD-fed mice. Mice on intermittent fasting did not have these changes except for the increased active caspase 3 and decreased ratio of LC3II/LC3I. These results suggest that chronic HFD induces myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, which may be mediated by GSK-3β inhibition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Test-bed for the remote health monitoring system for bridge structures using FBG sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Chin-Hyung; Park, Ki-Tae; Joo, Bong-Chul; Hwang, Yoon-Koog

2009-05-01

This paper reports on test-bed for the long-term health monitoring system for bridge structures employing fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, which is remotely accessible via the web, to provide real-time quantitative information on a bridge's response to live loading and environmental changes, and fast prediction of the structure's integrity. The sensors are attached on several locations of the structure and connected to a data acquisition system permanently installed onsite. The system can be accessed through remote communication using an optical cable network, through which the evaluation of the bridge behavior under live loading can be allowed at place far away from the field. Live structural data are transmitted continuously to the server computer at the central office. The server computer is connected securely to the internet, where data can be retrieved, processed and stored for the remote web-based health monitoring. Test-bed revealed that the remote health monitoring technology will enable practical, cost-effective, and reliable condition assessment and maintenance of bridge structures.

Block-Based Connected-Component Labeling Algorithm Using Binary Decision Trees

PubMed Central

Chang, Wan-Yu; Chiu, Chung-Cheng; Yang, Jia-Horng

2015-01-01

In this paper, we propose a fast labeling algorithm based on block-based concepts. Because the number of memory access points directly affects the time consumption of the labeling algorithms, the aim of the proposed algorithm is to minimize neighborhood operations. Our algorithm utilizes a block-based view and correlates a raster scan to select the necessary pixels generated by a block-based scan mask. We analyze the advantages of a sequential raster scan for the block-based scan mask, and integrate the block-connected relationships using two different procedures with binary decision trees to reduce unnecessary memory access. This greatly simplifies the pixel locations of the block-based scan mask. Furthermore, our algorithm significantly reduces the number of leaf nodes and depth levels required in the binary decision tree. We analyze the labeling performance of the proposed algorithm alongside that of other labeling algorithms using high-resolution images and foreground images. The experimental results from synthetic and real image datasets demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is faster than other methods. PMID:26393597

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

Sun, Z. J.; Wells, D.; Green, J.

Photon Activation Analysis (PAA) of environmental, archaeological and industrial samples requires extensive data analysis that is susceptible to error. For the purpose of saving time, manpower and minimizing error, a computer program was designed, built and implemented using SQL, Access 2007 and asp.net technology to automate this process. Based on the peak information of the spectrum and assisted by its PAA library, the program automatically identifies elements in the samples and calculates their concentrations and respective uncertainties. The software also could be operated in browser/server mode, which gives the possibility to use it anywhere the internet is accessible. By switchingmore » the nuclide library and the related formula behind, the new software can be easily expanded to neutron activation analysis (NAA), charged particle activation analysis (CPAA) or proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Implementation of this would standardize the analysis of nuclear activation data. Results from this software were compared to standard PAA analysis with excellent agreement. With minimum input from the user, the software has proven to be fast, user-friendly and reliable.« less

Dual representation of item positions in verbal short-term memory: Evidence for two access modes.

PubMed

Lange, Elke B; Verhaeghen, Paul; Cerella, John

Memory sets of N = 1~5 digits were exposed sequentially from left-to-right across the screen, followed by N recognition probes. Probes had to be compared to memory list items on identity only (Sternberg task) or conditional on list position. Positions were probed randomly or in left-to-right order. Search functions related probe response times to set size. Random probing led to ramped, "Sternbergian" functions whose intercepts were elevated by the location requirement. Sequential probing led to flat search functions-fast responses unaffected by set size. These results suggested that items in STM could be accessed either by a slow search-on-identity followed by recovery of an associated location tag, or in a single step by following item-to-item links in study order. It is argued that this dual coding of location information occurs spontaneously at study, and that either code can be utilised at retrieval depending on test demands.

The development of a collaborative virtual environment for finite element simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdul-Jalil, Mohamad Kasim

Communication between geographically distributed designers has been a major hurdle in traditional engineering design. Conventional methods of communication, such as video conferencing, telephone, and email, are less efficient especially when dealing with complex design models. Complex shapes, intricate features and hidden parts are often difficult to describe verbally or even using traditional 2-D or 3-D visual representations. Virtual Reality (VR) and Internet technologies have provided a substantial potential to bridge the present communication barrier. VR technology allows designers to immerse themselves in a virtual environment to view and manipulate this model just as in real-life. Fast Internet connectivity has enabled fast data transfer between remote locations. Although various collaborative virtual environment (CVE) systems have been developed in the past decade, they are limited to high-end technology that is not accessible to typical designers. The objective of this dissertation is to discover and develop a new approach to increase the efficiency of the design process, particularly for large-scale applications wherein participants are geographically distributed. A multi-platform and easily accessible collaborative virtual environment (CVRoom), is developed to accomplish the stated research objective. Geographically dispersed designers can meet in a single shared virtual environment to discuss issues pertaining to the engineering design process and to make trade-off decisions more quickly than before, thereby speeding the entire process. This 'faster' design process will be achieved through the development of capabilities to better enable the multidisciplinary and modeling the trade-off decisions that are so critical before launching into a formal detailed design. The features of the environment developed as a result of this research include the ability to view design models, use voice interaction, and to link engineering analysis modules (such as Finite Element Analysis module, such as is demonstrated in this work). One of the major issues in developing a CVE system for engineering design purposes is to obtain any pertinent simulation results in real-time. This is critical so that the designers can make decisions based on these results quickly. For example, in a finite element analysis, if a design model is changed or perturbed, the analysis results must be obtained in real-time or near real-time to make the virtual meeting environment realistic. In this research, the finite difference-based Design Sensitivity Analysis (DSA) approach is employed to approximate structural responses (i.e. stress, displacement, etc), so as to demonstrate the applicability of CVRoom for engineering design trade-offs. This DSA approach provides for fast approximation and is well-suited for the virtual meeting environment where fast response time is required. The DSA-based approach is tested on several example test problems to show its applicability and limitations. This dissertation demonstrates that an increase in efficiency and reduction of time required for a complex design processing can be accomplished using the approach developed in this dissertation research. Several implementations of CVRoom by students working on common design tasks were investigated. All participants confirmed the preference of using the collaborative virtual environment developed in this dissertation work (CVRoom) over other modes of interactions. It is proposed here that CVRoom is representative of the type of collaborative virtual environment that will be used by most designers in the future to reduce the time required in a design cycle and thereby reduce the associated cost.

Six-month Longitudinal Comparison of a Portable Tablet Perimeter With the Humphrey Field Analyzer.

PubMed

Prea, Selwyn Marc; Kong, Yu Xiang George; Mehta, Aditi; He, Mingguang; Crowston, Jonathan G; Gupta, Vinay; Martin, Keith R; Vingrys, Algis J

2018-06-01

To establish the medium-term repeatability of the iPad perimetry app Melbourne Rapid Fields (MRF) compared to Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) 24-2 SITA-standard and SITA-fast programs. Multicenter longitudinal observational clinical study. Sixty patients (stable glaucoma/ocular hypertension/glaucoma suspects) were recruited into a 6-month longitudinal clinical study with visits planned at baseline and at 2, 4, and 6 months. At each visit patients undertook visual field assessment using the MRF perimetry application and either HFA SITA-fast (n = 21) or SITA-standard (n = 39). The primary outcome measure was the association and repeatability of mean deviation (MD) for the MRF and HFA tests. Secondary measures were the point-wise threshold and repeatability for each test, as well as test time. MRF was similar to SITA-fast in speed and significantly faster than SITA-standard (MRF 4.6 ± 0.1 minutes vs SITA-fast 4.3 ± 0.2 minutes vs SITA-standard 6.2 ± 0.1 minutes, P < .001). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between MRF and SITA-fast for MD at the 4 visits ranged from 0.71 to 0.88. ICC values between MRF and SITA-standard for MD ranged from 0.81 to 0.90. Repeatability of MRF MD outcomes was excellent, with ICC for baseline and the 6-month visit being 0.98 (95% confidence interval: 0.96-0.99). In comparison, ICC at 6-month retest for SITA-fast was 0.95 and SITA-standard 0.93. Fewer points changed with the MRF, although for those that did, the MRF gave greater point-wise variability than did the SITA tests. MRF correlated strongly with HFA across 4 visits over a 6-month period, and has good test-retest reliability. MRF is suitable for monitoring visual fields in settings where conventional perimetry is not readily accessible. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Archiving and Near Real Time Visualization of USGS Instantaneous Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaslavsky, I.; Ryan, D.; Whitenack, T.; Valentine, D. W.; Rodriguez, M.

2009-12-01

The CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System project has been developing databases, services and online and desktop software applications supporting standards-based publication and access to large volumes of hydrologic data from US federal agencies and academic partners. In particular, the CUAHSI WaterML 1.x schema specification for exchanging hydrologic time series, earlier published as an OGC Discussion Paper (2007), has been adopted by the United States Geological Survey to provide web service access to USGS daily values and instantaneous data. The latter service, making available raw measurements of discharge, gage height and several other parameters for over 10,000 USGS real time measurement points, was announced by USGS, as an experimental WaterML-compliant service, at the end of July 2009. We demonstrate an online application that leverages the new service for nearly continuous harvesting of USGS real time data, and simultaneous visualization and analysis of the data streams. To make this possible, we integrate service components of the CUAHSI software stack with Open Source Data Turbine (OSDT) system, an NSF-supported software environment for robust and scalable assimilation of multimedia data streams (e.g. from sensors), and interfacing with a variety of viewers, databases, archival systems and client applications. Our application continuously queries USGS Instantaneous water data service (which provides access to 15-min measurements updated at USGS every 4 hours), and maps the results for each station-variable combination to a separate "channel", which is used by OSDT to quickly access and manipulate the time series. About 15,000 channels are used, which makes it by far the largest deployment of OSDT. Using RealTime Data Viewer, users can now select one or more stations of interest (e.g. from upstream or downstream from each other), and observe and annotate simultaneous dynamics in the respective discharge and gage height values, using fast forward or backward modes, real-time mode, etc. Memory management, scheduling service-based retrieval from USGS web services, and organizing access to 7,330 selected stations, turned out to be the major challenges in this project. To allow station navigation, they are grouped by state and county in the user interface. Memory footprint has been monitored under different Java VM settings, to find the correct regime. These and other solutions are discussed in the paper, and accompanied with a series of examples of simultaneous visualization of discharge from multiple stations as a component of hydrologic analysis.

Fast laboratory-based micro-computed tomography for pore-scale research: Illustrative experiments and perspectives on the future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bultreys, Tom; Boone, Marijn A.; Boone, Matthieu N.; De Schryver, Thomas; Masschaele, Bert; Van Hoorebeke, Luc; Cnudde, Veerle

2016-09-01

Over the past decade, the wide-spread implementation of laboratory-based X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanners has revolutionized both the experimental and numerical research on pore-scale transport in geological materials. The availability of these scanners has opened up the possibility to image a rock's pore space in 3D almost routinely to many researchers. While challenges do persist in this field, we treat the next frontier in laboratory-based micro-CT scanning: in-situ, time-resolved imaging of dynamic processes. Extremely fast (even sub-second) micro-CT imaging has become possible at synchrotron facilities over the last few years, however, the restricted accessibility of synchrotrons limits the amount of experiments which can be performed. The much smaller X-ray flux in laboratory-based systems bounds the time resolution which can be attained at these facilities. Nevertheless, progress is being made to improve the quality of measurements performed on the sub-minute time scale. We illustrate this by presenting cutting-edge pore scale experiments visualizing two-phase flow and solute transport in real-time with a lab-based environmental micro-CT set-up. To outline the current state of this young field and its relevance to pore-scale transport research, we critically examine its current bottlenecks and their possible solutions, both on the hardware and the software level. Further developments in laboratory-based, time-resolved imaging could prove greatly beneficial to our understanding of transport behavior in geological materials and to the improvement of pore-scale modeling by providing valuable validation.

A miniaturized technique for assessing protein thermodynamics and function using fast determination of quantitative cysteine reactivity.

PubMed

Isom, Daniel G; Marguet, Philippe R; Oas, Terrence G; Hellinga, Homme W

2011-04-01

Protein thermodynamic stability is a fundamental physical characteristic that determines biological function. Furthermore, alteration of thermodynamic stability by macromolecular interactions or biochemical modifications is a powerful tool for assessing the relationship between protein structure, stability, and biological function. High-throughput approaches for quantifying protein stability are beginning to emerge that enable thermodynamic measurements on small amounts of material, in short periods of time, and using readily accessible instrumentation. Here we present such a method, fast quantitative cysteine reactivity, which exploits the linkage between protein stability, sidechain protection by protein structure, and structural dynamics to characterize the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of proteins. In this approach, the reaction of a protected cysteine and thiol-reactive fluorogenic indicator is monitored over a gradient of temperatures after a short incubation time. These labeling data can be used to determine the midpoint of thermal unfolding, measure the temperature dependence of protein stability, quantify ligand-binding affinity, and, under certain conditions, estimate folding rate constants. Here, we demonstrate the fQCR method by characterizing these thermodynamic and kinetic properties for variants of Staphylococcal nuclease and E. coli ribose-binding protein engineered to contain single, protected cysteines. These straightforward, information-rich experiments are likely to find applications in protein engineering and functional genomics. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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

Ryan, Philip Michael; Ahn, Joonwook; Bell, R. E.

High-harmonic fast wave (HHFW) heating and current drive is being developed in NSTX to provide bulk electron heating and q(0) control during non-inductively sustained Hmode plasmas fuelled by deuterium neutral-beam injection (NBI). In addition, it is used to assist the plasma current ramp-up. A major modification to increase the RF power limit was made in 2009; the original end-grounded, single end-powered current straps of the 12- element array were replaced with center-grounded, double end-powered straps. Greater than 3 MW have been coupled into NBI-driven, ELMy H-mode plasmas with this upgraded antenna. Improved core HHFW heating, particularly at longer wavelengths andmore » during low-density start-up and plasma current ramp-up, has been obtained by lowering the edge density with lithium wall conditioning, thereby moving the critical density for fast-wave propagation away from the vessel wall [1]. Significant core electron heating of NBI-fuelled H-modes has been observed for the first time over a range of launched wavelengths and H-modes can be accessed by HHFW alone. Visible and IR camera images of the antenna and divertor indicate that fast wave interactions can deposit considerable RF energy on the outboard divertor plate, especially at longer wavelengths that begin to propagate closer to the vessel walls. Edge power loss can also arise from HHFWgenerated parametric decay instabilities; edge ion heating is observed that is wavelength dependent. During plasmas where HHFW is combined with NBI, there is a significant enhancement in neutron rate, and fast-ion D-alpha (FIDA) emission measurements clearly show broadening of the fast-ion profile in the plasma core. Large edge localized modes (ELMs) have been observed immediately following the termination of RF power, whether the power turn off is programmed or due to antenna arcing. Causality has not been established but new experiments are planned and will be reported. Fast digitization of the reflected power signal indicates a much faster rise time for arcs than for ELMs. Based on this observation, an ELM/arc discrimination system is being implemented to maintain RF power during ELMs even when the reflection coefficient becomes large. This work is supported by US DOE contracts DE-AC-05-00OR22725 and DE-AC02- 09CH11466. References [1] C. K. Phillips, et al, Nuclear Fusion 10, 075015 (2009)« less

[Digital pathology : The time has come!

PubMed

Grobholz, R

2018-05-01

Digital pathology (DP) and whole-slide imaging (WSI) technology have matured substantially over the last few years. Meanwhile, commercial systems are available that can be used in routine practice. Illustration of DP experiences in a routine diagnostic setting. A DP system offers several advantages: 1) glass slides are no longer unique; 2) access to cases is possible from any location; 3) digital image analysis can be applied; and 4) archived WSI can be easily accessed. From this point, several secondary advantages arise: a) the slide compilation of the case and the case assignment is fast and safe; b) carrying cases to the pathologist is obsolete and paperless work is possible; c) WSI can be used for a second opinion and be accessible in remote locations; d) WSI of referred cases are still accessible after returning the slides; e) histological images can easily be provided in tumor boards; f) the office desk is clean; and g) a "home office" is possible. To introduce a DP system, a comprehensive workflow analysis is needed that clarifies the needs and wishes of the respective institute. In order to optimally meet the requirements, open DP platforms are of particular advantage, because they enable the integration of scanners from various manufacturers. Further developments in image analysis, such as virtual tissue reconstruction, could enrich the diagnostic process in the future and improve treatment quality.

FAST: FAST Analysis of Sequences Toolbox

PubMed Central

Lawrence, Travis J.; Kauffman, Kyle T.; Amrine, Katherine C. H.; Carper, Dana L.; Lee, Raymond S.; Becich, Peter J.; Canales, Claudia J.; Ardell, David H.

2015-01-01

FAST (FAST Analysis of Sequences Toolbox) provides simple, powerful open source command-line tools to filter, transform, annotate and analyze biological sequence data. Modeled after the GNU (GNU's Not Unix) Textutils such as grep, cut, and tr, FAST tools such as fasgrep, fascut, and fastr make it easy to rapidly prototype expressive bioinformatic workflows in a compact and generic command vocabulary. Compact combinatorial encoding of data workflows with FAST commands can simplify the documentation and reproducibility of bioinformatic protocols, supporting better transparency in biological data science. Interface self-consistency and conformity with conventions of GNU, Matlab, Perl, BioPerl, R, and GenBank help make FAST easy and rewarding to learn. FAST automates numerical, taxonomic, and text-based sorting, selection and transformation of sequence records and alignment sites based on content, index ranges, descriptive tags, annotated features, and in-line calculated analytics, including composition and codon usage. Automated content- and feature-based extraction of sites and support for molecular population genetic statistics make FAST useful for molecular evolutionary analysis. FAST is portable, easy to install and secure thanks to the relative maturity of its Perl and BioPerl foundations, with stable releases posted to CPAN. Development as well as a publicly accessible Cookbook and Wiki are available on the FAST GitHub repository at https://github.com/tlawrence3/FAST. The default data exchange format in FAST is Multi-FastA (specifically, a restriction of BioPerl FastA format). Sanger and Illumina 1.8+ FastQ formatted files are also supported. FAST makes it easier for non-programmer biologists to interactively investigate and control biological data at the speed of thought. PMID:26042145

QuakeSim: a Web Service Environment for Productive Investigations with Earth Surface Sensor Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, J. W.; Donnellan, A.; Granat, R. A.; Lyzenga, G. A.; Glasscoe, M. T.; McLeod, D.; Al-Ghanmi, R.; Pierce, M.; Fox, G.; Grant Ludwig, L.; Rundle, J. B.

2011-12-01

The QuakeSim science gateway environment includes a visually rich portal interface, web service access to data and data processing operations, and the QuakeTables ontology-based database of fault models and sensor data. The integrated tools and services are designed to assist investigators by covering the entire earthquake cycle of strain accumulation and release. The Web interface now includes Drupal-based access to diverse and changing content, with new ability to access data and data processing directly from the public page, as well as the traditional project management areas that require password access. The system is designed to make initial browsing of fault models and deformation data particularly engaging for new users. Popular data and data processing include GPS time series with data mining techniques to find anomalies in time and space, experimental forecasting methods based on catalogue seismicity, faulted deformation models (both half-space and finite element), and model-based inversion of sensor data. The fault models include the CGS and UCERF 2.0 faults of California and are easily augmented with self-consistent fault models from other regions. The QuakeTables deformation data include the comprehensive set of UAVSAR interferograms as well as a growing collection of satellite InSAR data.. Fault interaction simulations are also being incorporated in the web environment based on Virtual California. A sample usage scenario is presented which follows an investigation of UAVSAR data from viewing as an overlay in Google Maps, to selection of an area of interest via a polygon tool, to fast extraction of the relevant correlation and phase information from large data files, to a model inversion of fault slip followed by calculation and display of a synthetic model interferogram.

Quality of care indicators in inflammatory bowel disease in a tertiary referral center with open access and objective assessment policies.

PubMed

Gonczi, Lorant; Kurti, Zsuzsanna; Golovics, Petra Anna; Lovasz, Barbara Dorottya; Menyhart, Orsolya; Seres, Anna; Sumegi, Liza Dalma; Gal, Alexander; Ilias, Akos; Janos, Papp; Gecse, Krisztina Barbara; Bessisow, Talat; Afif, Waqqas; Bitton, Alain; Vegh, Zsuzsanna; Lakatos, Peter Laszlo

2018-01-01

In the management of inflammatory bowel diseases, there is considerable variation in quality of care. The aim of this study was to evaluate structural, access/process components and outcome quality indicators in our tertiary referral IBD center. In the first phase, structural/process components were assessed, followed by the second phase of formal evaluation of access and management on a set of consecutive IBD patients with and without active disease (248CD/125UC patients, median age 35/39 years). Structural/process components of our IBD center met the international recommendations. At or around the time of diagnosis usual procedures were full colonoscopy in all patients, with ileocolonoscopy/gastroscopy/CT/MRI in 81.8/45.5/66.1/49.6% of CD patients. A total of 86.7% of CD patients had any follow-up imaging evaluation or endoscopy. The median waiting time for non-emergency endoscopy/CT/MRI was 16/14/22 days. During the observational period patients with flares (CD/UC:50.6/54.6%) were seen by specialist at the IBD clinic within a median of 1day with same day laboratory assessment, abdominal US, CT scan/surgical consult and change in therapy if needed. Surgery and hospitalization rates were 20.1/1.4% and 17.3/3.2% of CD/UC patients. Our results highlight that structural components and processes applied in our center are in line with international recommendations, including an open clinic concept and fast track access to specialist consultation, endoscopy and imaging. Copyright © 2017 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technical note: a novel method for routine genotyping of horse coat color gene polymorphisms.

PubMed

Royo, L J; Fernández, I; Azor, P J; Alvarez, I; Pérez-Pardal, L; Goyache, F

2008-06-01

The aim of this note is to describe a reliable, fast, and cost-effective real-time PCR method for routine genotyping of mutations responsible for most coat color variation in horses. The melanocortin-1 receptor, Agouti-signaling peptide, and membrane-associated transporter protein alleles were simultaneously determined using 2 PCR protocols. The assay described here is an alternative method for routine genotyping of a defined number of polymorphisms. Allelic variants are detected in real time and no post-PCR manipulations are required, therefore limiting costs and possible carryover contamination. Data can be copied to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet for semiautomatic determination of the genotype using a macro freely available at http://www.igijon.com/personales/fgoyache/software_i.htm (last accessed February 26, 2007). The performance of the method is demonstrated on 156 Spanish Purebred horses.

Slow dynamics in translation-invariant quantum lattice models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michailidis, Alexios A.; Žnidarič, Marko; Medvedyeva, Mariya; Abanin, Dmitry A.; Prosen, Tomaž; Papić, Z.

2018-03-01

Many-body quantum systems typically display fast dynamics and ballistic spreading of information. Here we address the open problem of how slow the dynamics can be after a generic breaking of integrability by local interactions. We develop a method based on degenerate perturbation theory that reveals slow dynamical regimes and delocalization processes in general translation invariant models, along with accurate estimates of their delocalization time scales. Our results shed light on the fundamental questions of the robustness of quantum integrable systems and the possibility of many-body localization without disorder. As an example, we construct a large class of one-dimensional lattice models where, despite the absence of asymptotic localization, the transient dynamics is exceptionally slow, i.e., the dynamics is indistinguishable from that of many-body localized systems for the system sizes and time scales accessible in experiments and numerical simulations.

A Hybrid Multilevel Storage Architecture for Electric Power Dispatching Big Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Hu; Huang, Bibin; Hong, Bowen; Hu, Jing

2017-10-01

Electric power dispatching is the center of the whole power system. In the long run time, the power dispatching center has accumulated a large amount of data. These data are now stored in different power professional systems and form lots of information isolated islands. Integrating these data and do comprehensive analysis can greatly improve the intelligent level of power dispatching. In this paper, a hybrid multilevel storage architecture for electrical power dispatching big data is proposed. It introduces relational database and NoSQL database to establish a power grid panoramic data center, effectively meet power dispatching big data storage needs, including the unified storage of structured and unstructured data fast access of massive real-time data, data version management and so on. It can be solid foundation for follow-up depth analysis of power dispatching big data.

Automated detection and tracking of solar and heliospheric features in the frame of the European project HELIO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnin, X.; Aboudarham, J.; Fuller, N.; Renie, C.; Perez-Suarez, D.; Gallagher, P.; Higgins, P.; Krista, L.; Csillaghy, A.; Bentley, R.

2011-12-01

In the frame of the European project HELIO, the Observatoire de Paris-Meudon is in charge of the Heliophysics Feature Catalogue (HFC), a service which provides access to existing solar and heliospheric feature data. In order to create a catalogue as exhaustive as possible, recognition codes are developed to automatically detect and track features. At the time, HFC contains data of filaments, active regions, coronal holes, sunspots and type III radio bursts for a full solar cycle. The insertion of prominences and type II radio bursts should be done in the short term. We present here an overview of some of the algorithms used to populate HFC. The development of such fast and robust techniques also addresses the needs of the Space Weather community in terms of near real-time monitoring capabilities.

Radiation immune RAM semiconductor technology for the 80's. [Random Access Memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanna, W. A.; Panagos, P.

1983-01-01

This paper presents current and short term future characteristics of RAM semiconductor technologies which were obtained by literature survey and discussions with cognizant Government and industry personnel. In particular, total ionizing dose tolerance and high energy particle susceptibility of the technologies are addressed. Technologies judged compatible with spacecraft applications are ranked to determine the best current and future technology for fast access (less than 60 ns), radiation tolerant RAM.

Toward Real-Time Classification of Wake Regimes from Sensor Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Mengying; Hemati, Maziar S.

2017-11-01

Hydrodynamic signals can transmit information that can be used by marine swimmers to detect disturbances in the local environment. Biological swimmers are able to sense and detect these signals with their hydrodynamic receptor systems. Recently, similar flow sensing systems have been developed with an aim to improve swimming efficiency in human-engineered underwater vehicles. A key part of the sensing strategy is to first classify wake structures in the external fluid, then to execute suitable control actions accordingly. In our previous work, we showed that a variety of 2S and 2P wakes can be distinguished based on time signatures of surface sensor measurements. However, we assumed access to the full dataset. In this talk, we extend our previous findings to classify wake regimes from sensor measurements in real-time, using a recursive Fast Fourier Transform algorithm. Wakes in different dynamical regimes, which may also vary in time, can be distinguished using our approach. Our results provide insights for enhancing hydrodynamic sensory capabilities in human-engineered systems.

Preoperative fasting for elective surgery in a regional hospital in Oman.

PubMed

Abdullah Al Maqbali, Mohammed

2016-07-28

A fasting period before anesthesia is necessary to avoid the aspiration of stomach contents, which can be threatening to the patient's life. Guidelines from professional societies in the USA and UK recommend that healthy patients fast for 6 hours from solid food and 2 hours from liquids. Despite this, many institutions still practice nil-by-mouth after midnight. This can affect the patient's recovery after surgery, and increase the length of stay in hospital. The aim of this study was to assess the duration of fasting before elective surgery on the part of adult patients. A prospective study was conducted to identify the fasting time and complications among surgical patients undergoing elective surgery over a 4-month period. The patients were asked for preoperative fasting times, and the complication. The demographic data were taken from the patients' files. A total of 169 patients were included in the study, 88 male and 81 female. The minimum and maximum fasting hours with regard to food were 7 hours and 19 hours, respectively; all the patients fasted from food for longer than the recommended time. The minimum and maximum fasting hours for fluids were 4 hours and 19 hours, respectively; all the patients fasted from fluid for longer than the recommended time. Most of the patients fasted from food and fluids for more than the time recommended by the American Society of Anaesthesiologists, the Royal College of Nursing, the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland and the Royal College of Anaesthetists. Excessive fasting could lead to discomfort and possible morbidity in surgical patients. The surgical team needs to collaborate to reduce the fasting time by revising the operative list.

Basic Studies of Gases for Fast Switches.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-04-01

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE (When Data Entered) REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE AD INSTRUC TIONS FORE COMPLETING PORM 1. REPORT NUMBER 2. GOVT...ACCESSION NO. 3. RECIPIENT’S CATALOG NUMBER I STn. TYPE OF REPORT N PERIOD COVERED Semiannual Status Report Basic studies of Gases for Fast Switches 10/l/82...3/31/83 ~6. PERFORMING ORG. REPORT NUMBER 7. AUTNOR(s) 0. CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMBER (a) DOE No. 40-1246-82, L. G. Christophorou and S. R. Hunter DOE No

Simulator platform for fast reactor operation and safety technology demonstration

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

Vilim, R. B.; Park, Y. S.; Grandy, C.

2012-07-30

A simulator platform for visualization and demonstration of innovative concepts in fast reactor technology is described. The objective is to make more accessible the workings of fast reactor technology innovations and to do so in a human factors environment that uses state-of-the art visualization technologies. In this work the computer codes in use at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) for the design of fast reactor systems are being integrated to run on this platform. This includes linking reactor systems codes with mechanical structures codes and using advanced graphics to depict the thermo-hydraulic-structure interactions that give rise to an inherently safe responsemore » to upsets. It also includes visualization of mechanical systems operation including advanced concepts that make use of robotics for operations, in-service inspection, and maintenance.« less

The risk of shorter fasting time for pediatric deep sedation.

PubMed

Clark, Mathew; Birisci, Esma; Anderson, Jordan E; Anliker, Christina M; Bryant, Micheal A; Downs, Craig; Dalabih, Abdallah

2016-01-01

Current guidelines adopted by the American Academy of Pediatrics calls for prolonged fasting times before performing pediatric procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA). PSA is increasingly provided to children outside of the operating theater by sedation trained pediatric providers and does not require airway manipulation. We investigated the safety of a shorter fasting time compared to a longer and guideline compliant fasting time. We tried to identify the association between fasting time and sedation-related complications. This is a prospective observational study that included children 2 months to 18 years of age and had an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification of I or II, who underwent deep sedation for elective procedures, performed by pediatric critical care providers. Procedures included radiologic imaging studies, electroencephalograms, auditory brainstem response, echocardiograms, Botox injections, and other minor surgical procedures. Subjects were divided into two groups depending on the length of their fasting time (4-6 h and >6 h). Complication rates were calculated and compared between the three groups. In the studied group of 2487 subjects, 1007 (40.5%) had fasting time of 4-6 h and the remaining 1480 (59.5%) subjects had fasted for >6 h. There were no statistically significant differences in any of the studied complications between the two groups. This study found no difference in complication rate in regard to the fasting time among our subjects cohort, which included only healthy children receiving elective procedures performed by sedation trained pediatric critical care providers. This suggests that using shorter fasting time may be safe for procedures performed outside of the operating theater that does not involve high-risk patients or airway manipulation.

Measurements of coastal storm surge by the U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

DelCharco, Michael J.

1998-01-01

In the wake of a storm, local, state, and federal emergency planners needed storm surge elevation data as quickly as possible. These data are used by officials to decide what areas are in the greatest need of assistance and what areas qualify for special designations. To accelerate the pace at which storm surge data can be gathered and released, the US geological survey (USGC) has established a network of coastal water elevation gages that are linked to satellite networks. These data are made available in real-time on the World Wide Web. While Internet access is usually fast and reliable, this process can be augmented by cellular phone, two-way radio, and other data communication techniques.

Limited protection of macro-aggregate-occluded organic carbon in Siberian steppe soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bischoff, Norbert; Mikutta, Robert; Shibistova, Olga; Puzanov, Alexander; Silanteva, Marina; Grebennikova, Anna; Fuß, Roland; Guggenberger, Georg

2017-05-01

Macro-aggregates especially in agricultural steppe soils are supposed to play a vital role for soil organic carbon (OC) stabilization at a decadal timescale. While most research on soil OC stabilization in steppes focused on North American prairie soils of the Great Plains with information mainly provided by short-term incubation experiments, little is known about the agricultural steppes in southwestern Siberia, though they belong to the greatest conversion areas in the world and occupy an area larger than that in the Great Plains. To quantify the proportion of macro-aggregate-protected OC under different land use as function of land use intensity and time since land use change (LUC) from pasture to arable land in Siberian steppe soils, we determined OC mineralization rates of intact (250-2000 µm) and crushed (< 250 µm) macro-aggregates in long-term incubations over 401 days (20 °C; 60 % water holding capacity) along two agricultural chronosequences in the Siberian Kulunda steppe. Additionally, we incubated bulk soil (< 2000 µm) to determine the effect of LUC and subsequent agricultural use on a fast and a slow soil OC pool (labile vs. more stable OC), as derived from fitting exponential-decay models to incubation data. We hypothesized that (i) macro-aggregate crushing leads to increased OC mineralization due to an increasing microbial accessibility of a previously occluded labile macro-aggregate OC fraction, and (ii) bulk soil OC mineralization rates and the size of the fast OC pool are higher in pasture than in arable soils with decreasing bulk soil OC mineralization rates and size of the fast OC pool as land use intensity and time since LUC increase. Against our hypothesis, OC mineralization rates of crushed macro-aggregates were similar to those of intact macro-aggregates under all land use regimes. Macro-aggregate-protected OC was almost absent and accounted for < 1 % of the total macro-aggregate OC content and to a maximum of 8 ± 4 % of mineralized OC. In accordance to our second hypothesis, highest bulk soil OC mineralization rates and sizes of the fast OC pool were determined under pasture, but mineralization rates and pool sizes were unaffected by land use intensity and time since LUC. However, at one chronosequence mean residence times of the fast and slow OC pool tended to decrease with increasing time since establishment of arable use. We conclude that the tillage-induced breakdown of macro-aggregates has not reduced the OC contents in the soils under study. The decline of OC after LUC is probably attributed to the faster soil OC turnover under arable land as compared to pasture at a reduced plant residue input.

Preoperative fasting times in elective surgical patients at a referral Hospital in Botswana.

PubMed

Abebe, Worknehe Agegnehu; Rukewe, Ambrose; Bekele, Negussie Alula; Stoffel, Moeng; Dichabeng, Mompelegi Nicoh; Shifa, Jemal Zeberga

2016-01-01

Adults and children are required to fast before anaesthesia to reduce the risk of regurgitation and aspiration of gastric contents. However, prolonged periods of fasting are unnecessary and may cause complications. This study was conducted to evaluate preoperative fasting period in our centre and compare it with the ASA recommendations and factors that influence fasting periods. This is a cross-sectional study of preoperative fasting times among elective surgical patients. A total numbers of 260 patients were interviewed as they arrived at the reception area of operating theatre using questionnaire. Majority of patients (98.1%) were instructed to fast from midnight. Fifteen patients (5.8%) reported that they were told the importance of preoperative fasting. The mean fasting period were 15.9±2.5 h (range 12.0-25.3 h) for solids and 15.3±2.3 h (range 12.0-22.0 h) for liquids. The mean duration of fasting was significantly longer for patients operated after midday compared to those operated before midday, p<0.001. The mean fasting periods were 7.65 times longer for clear liquid and 2.5 times for solids than the ASA guidelines. It is imperative that the Hospital should establish Preoperative fasting policies and teach the staff who should ensure compliance with guidelines.

Object tracking on mobile devices using binary descriptors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savakis, Andreas; Quraishi, Mohammad Faiz; Minnehan, Breton

2015-03-01

With the growing ubiquity of mobile devices, advanced applications are relying on computer vision techniques to provide novel experiences for users. Currently, few tracking approaches take into consideration the resource constraints on mobile devices. Designing efficient tracking algorithms and optimizing performance for mobile devices can result in better and more efficient tracking for applications, such as augmented reality. In this paper, we use binary descriptors, including Fast Retina Keypoint (FREAK), Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF (ORB), Binary Robust Independent Features (BRIEF), and Binary Robust Invariant Scalable Keypoints (BRISK) to obtain real time tracking performance on mobile devices. We consider both Google's Android and Apple's iOS operating systems to implement our tracking approach. The Android implementation is done using Android's Native Development Kit (NDK), which gives the performance benefits of using native code as well as access to legacy libraries. The iOS implementation was created using both the native Objective-C and the C++ programing languages. We also introduce simplified versions of the BRIEF and BRISK descriptors that improve processing speed without compromising tracking accuracy.

Fast and Sustained Degradation of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants Using Flexible Self-Supported Metal-Organic Framework Filters.

PubMed

Liang, Huixin; Yao, Aonan; Jiao, Xiuling; Li, Cheng; Chen, Dairong

2018-06-20

Self-detoxification filters against lethal chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are highly desirable for the protection of human beings and the environment. In this report, flexible self-supported filters of a series of Zr(IV)-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) including UiO-66, UiO-67, and UiO-66-NH 2 were successfully prepared and exhibited fast and sustained degradation of CWA simulants. A half-life as short as 2.4 min was obtained for the catalytic hydrolysis of dimethyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate, and the percent conversion remained above 90% over a long-term exposure of 120 min, well exceeding those of the previously reported composite MOF filters and the corresponding MOF powders. The outstanding detoxification performance of the self-supported fibrous filter comes from the exceptionally high surface area, excellent pore accessibility, and hierarchical structure from the nano- to macroscale. This work demonstrates, for the first time, MOF-only filters as efficient self-detoxification media, which will offer new opportunities for the design and fabrication of functional materials for toxic chemical protection.

Fast regional readout CMOS Image Sensor for dynamic MLC tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zin, H.; Harris, E.; Osmond, J.; Evans, P.

2014-03-01

Advanced radiotherapy techniques such as volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) require verification of the complex beam delivery including tracking of multileaf collimators (MLC) and monitoring the dose rate. This work explores the feasibility of a prototype Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor Image Sensor (CIS) for tracking these complex treatments by utilising fast, region of interest (ROI) read out functionality. An automatic edge tracking algorithm was used to locate the MLC leaves edges moving at various speeds (from a moving triangle field shape) and imaged with various sensor frame rates. The CIS demonstrates successful edge detection of the dynamic MLC motion within accuracy of 1.0 mm. This demonstrates the feasibility of the sensor to verify treatment delivery involving dynamic MLC up to ~400 frames per second (equivalent to the linac pulse rate), which is superior to any current techniques such as using electronic portal imaging devices (EPID). CIS provides the basis to an essential real-time verification tool, useful in accessing accurate delivery of complex high energy radiation to the tumour and ultimately to achieve better cure rates for cancer patients.

RAPSearch: a fast protein similarity search tool for short reads

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is producing enormous corpuses of short DNA reads, affecting emerging fields like metagenomics. Protein similarity search--a key step to achieve annotation of protein-coding genes in these short reads, and identification of their biological functions--faces daunting challenges because of the very sizes of the short read datasets. Results We developed a fast protein similarity search tool RAPSearch that utilizes a reduced amino acid alphabet and suffix array to detect seeds of flexible length. For short reads (translated in 6 frames) we tested, RAPSearch achieved ~20-90 times speedup as compared to BLASTX. RAPSearch missed only a small fraction (~1.3-3.2%) of BLASTX similarity hits, but it also discovered additional homologous proteins (~0.3-2.1%) that BLASTX missed. By contrast, BLAT, a tool that is even slightly faster than RAPSearch, had significant loss of sensitivity as compared to RAPSearch and BLAST. Conclusions RAPSearch is implemented as open-source software and is accessible at http://omics.informatics.indiana.edu/mg/RAPSearch. It enables faster protein similarity search. The application of RAPSearch in metageomics has also been demonstrated. PMID:21575167

[Development of a video image system for wireless capsule endoscopes based on DSP].

PubMed

Yang, Li; Peng, Chenglin; Wu, Huafeng; Zhao, Dechun; Zhang, Jinhua

2008-02-01

A video image recorder to record video picture for wireless capsule endoscopes was designed. TMS320C6211 DSP of Texas Instruments Inc. is the core processor of this system. Images are periodically acquired from Composite Video Broadcast Signal (CVBS) source and scaled by video decoder (SAA7114H). Video data is transported from high speed buffer First-in First-out (FIFO) to Digital Signal Processor (DSP) under the control of Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD). This paper adopts JPEG algorithm for image coding, and the compressed data in DSP was stored to Compact Flash (CF) card. TMS320C6211 DSP is mainly used for image compression and data transporting. Fast Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) algorithm and fast coefficient quantization algorithm are used to accelerate operation speed of DSP and decrease the executing code. At the same time, proper address is assigned for each memory, which has different speed;the memory structure is also optimized. In addition, this system uses plenty of Extended Direct Memory Access (EDMA) to transport and process image data, which results in stable and high performance.

29 CFR 1918.26 - Access to barges and river towboats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

....26 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND HEALTH REGULATIONS FOR LONGSHORING Gangways and Other Means of... made fast to the vessel, wharf, or dolphins. ...

From impedance theory to needle electrode guidance in tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalvøy, Håvard; Høyum, Per; Grimnes, Sverre; Martinsen, Ørjan G.

2010-04-01

Fast access to blood vessels or other tissues/organs can be crucial in clinical or acute medical treatment. We have developed a method for needle guidance for use in different types of applications. The feasibility of an automatic application for fast access to blood vessels during acute cardiac arrest, based on this method, has been evaluated. Suited electrode setups were found by development of needle electrode models used in simulation and sensitivity analyses. In vitro measurements were done both to determine the fundamental properties of the electrodes for use in the models and to confirm the simulation results. Development of algorithms for tissue characterization and differentiation was based on in vivo impedance measurement in porcine models and confirmed in human tissue in vivo. Feasibility was proven by application prototyping and impedance data presented as invasive Electrical Impedance Tomography (iEIT). Our conclusion is that this method can be utilized in a wide range of clinical applications.

Gender differences and access to a sports dietitian influence dietary habits of collegiate athletes.

PubMed

Hull, Michael V; Jagim, Andrew R; Oliver, Jonathan M; Greenwood, Mike; Busteed, Deanna R; Jones, Margaret T

2016-01-01

Limited research exists on the effect of a sports dietitian (SD) on athletes' dietary habits and nutrient periodization, which is the deliberate manipulation of macronutrient intake to match training goals. Further, the difference in dietary habits between men and women collegiate athletes has been understudied. A survey questionnaire examining dietary habits and practices was administered to athletes at two universities that employed a full time SD. Not all athletes used the SD as their primary source for nutritional guidance. The purposes were to examine the effect of a SD as a primary source of nutrition information, and the effect of gender on dietary habits in collegiate athletes. Three hundred eighty-three women ( n  = 240) and men ( n  = 143) student-athletes (mean ± SD: age = 19.7 ± 1.4 years) from 10 collegiate sports took a 15-min survey consisting of questions on dietary habits and practices. Topics queried included eating habits, breakfast habits, hydration habits, nutritional supplementation use, pre-workout nutrition, post-workout nutrition, nutrition during team trips, and nutrient timing. Data were sorted by the athlete's source of nutritional information (i.e., sport dietitian, other). Data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics and 2-way Pearson X 2 analyses ( p  ≤ 0.10). When a SD was indicated as the primary nutrition information source, athletes appeared to have a greater understanding of nutrient periodization (47.12 % vs. 32.85 %), were more likely to have school-provided boxed meals while on team trips (21.29 % vs. 6.77 %), and also less likely to consume fast food while on team trips (9.90 % vs. 19.55 %). Men athletes consumed fast food or restaurant meals more frequently, had higher weekly and more frequent alcohol intake during the competitive season. Women athletes were more likely to prepare meals, eat breakfast 7 days a week, and have school-provided boxed meals. Positive effects on dietary habits were observed when a SD was the primary nutrition information source. Practitioners should be aware of the gender differences in alcohol intake, fast food consumption, and knowledge of nutrient periodization. Collegiate athletes and athletic staff members could benefit from SD access to safeguard against dietary habits detrimental to performance.

Novel energy-saving strategies to multiple stressors in birds: the ultradian regulation of body temperature.

PubMed

Tattersall, Glenn J; Roussel, Damien; Voituron, Yann; Teulier, Loïc

2016-09-28

This study aimed to examine thermoregulatory responses in birds facing two commonly experienced stressors, cold and fasting. Logging devices allowing long-term and precise access to internal body temperature were placed within the gizzards of ducklings acclimated to cold (CA) (5°C) or thermoneutrality (TN) (25°C). The animals were then examined under three equal 4-day periods: ad libitum feeding, fasting and re-feeding. Through the analysis of daily as well as short-term, or ultradian, variations of body temperature, we showed that while ducklings at TN show only a modest decline in daily thermoregulatory parameters when fasted, they exhibit reduced surface temperatures from key sites of vascular heat exchange during fasting. The CA birds, on the other hand, significantly reduced their short-term variations of body temperature while increasing long-term variability when fasting. This phenomenon would allow the CA birds to reduce the energetic cost of body temperature maintenance under fasting. By analysing ultradian regulation of body temperature, we describe a means by which an endotherm appears to lower thermoregulatory costs in response to the combined stressors of cold and fasting. © 2016 The Author(s).

Novel energy-saving strategies to multiple stressors in birds: the ultradian regulation of body temperature

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

This study aimed to examine thermoregulatory responses in birds facing two commonly experienced stressors, cold and fasting. Logging devices allowing long-term and precise access to internal body temperature were placed within the gizzards of ducklings acclimated to cold (CA) (5°C) or thermoneutrality (TN) (25°C). The animals were then examined under three equal 4-day periods: ad libitum feeding, fasting and re-feeding. Through the analysis of daily as well as short-term, or ultradian, variations of body temperature, we showed that while ducklings at TN show only a modest decline in daily thermoregulatory parameters when fasted, they exhibit reduced surface temperatures from key sites of vascular heat exchange during fasting. The CA birds, on the other hand, significantly reduced their short-term variations of body temperature while increasing long-term variability when fasting. This phenomenon would allow the CA birds to reduce the energetic cost of body temperature maintenance under fasting. By analysing ultradian regulation of body temperature, we describe a means by which an endotherm appears to lower thermoregulatory costs in response to the combined stressors of cold and fasting. PMID:27655770

Spatial accessibility to physical activity facilities and to food outlets and overweight in French youth

PubMed Central

Casey, R; Chaix, B; Weber, C; Schweitzer, B; Charreire, H; Salze, P; Badariotti, D; Banos, A; Oppert, J-M; Simon, C

2012-01-01

Objective: Some characteristics of the built environment have been associated with obesity in youth. Our aim was to determine whether individual and environmental socio-economic characteristics modulate the relation between youth overweight and spatial accessibility to physical activity (PA) facilities and to food outlets. Design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects: 3293 students, aged 12±0.6 years, randomly selected from eastern France middle schools. Measurements and methods: Using geographical information systems (GIS), spatial accessibility to PA facilities (urban and nature) was assessed using the distance to PA facilities at the municipality level; spatial accessibility to food outlets (general food outlets, bakeries and fast-food outlets) was calculated at individual level using the student home address and the food outlets addresses. Relations of weight status with spatial accessibility to PA facilities and to food outlets were analysed using mixed logistic models, testing potential direct and interaction effects of individual and environmental socio-economic characteristics. Results: Individual socio-economic status modulated the relation between spatial accessibility to PA facilities and to general food outlets and overweight. The likelihood of being overweight was higher when spatial accessibility to urban PA facilities and to general food outlets was low, but in children of blue-collar-workers only. The odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval) for being overweight of blue-collar-workers children compared with non-blue-collar-workers children was 1.76 (1.25–2.49) when spatial accessibility to urban PA facilities was low. This OR was 1.86 (1.20–2.86) when spatial accessibility to general food outlets was low. There was no significant relationship of overweight with either nature PA facilities or other food outlets (bakeries and fast-food outlets). Conclusion: These results indicate that disparities in spatial accessibility to PA facilities and to general food outlets may amplify the risk of overweight in socio-economically disadvantaged youth. These data should be relevant for influencing health policies and urban planning at both a national and local level. PMID:22310474

Probing the Time Structure of the Quark-Gluon Plasma with Top Quarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apolinário, Liliana; Milhano, José Guilherme; Salam, Gavin P.; Salgado, Carlos A.

2018-06-01

The tiny droplets of quark gluon plasma (QGP) created in high-energy nuclear collisions experience fast expansion and cooling with a lifetime of a few fm /c . Despite the information provided by probes such as jet quenching and quarkonium suppression, and the excellent description by hydrodynamical models, direct access to the time evolution of the system remains elusive. We point out that the study of hadronically decaying W bosons, notably in events with a top-antitop quark pair, can provide key novel insight into the time structure of the QGP. This is because of a unique feature, namely a time delay between the moment of the collision and that when the W -boson decay products start interacting with the medium. Furthermore, the length of the time delay can be constrained by selecting specific reconstructed top-quark momenta. We carry out a Monte Carlo feasibility study and find that the LHC has the potential to bring first limited information on the time structure of the QGP. Substantially increased LHC heavy-ion luminosities or future higher-energy colliders would open opportunities for more extensive studies.

Fasting, circadian rhythms, and time restricted feeding in healthy lifespan

PubMed Central

Longo, Valter D.; Panda, Satchidananda

2016-01-01

Summary Feeding in most animals is confined to a defined period, leaving short periods of fasting that coincide with sleep. Fasting enables organisms to enter alternative metabolic phases, which rely less on glucose and more on ketone body-like carbon sources. Both intermittent and periodic fasting result in benefits ranging from prevention to the enhanced treatment of diseases. Similarly, time-restricted feeding (TRF), in which feeding time is restricted to certain hours of the day, allows the daily fasting period to last >12 h, thus imparting pleiotropic benefits in multiple organisms. Understanding the mechanistic link between nutrients and the fasting benefits is leading to the identification of fasting mimicking diets (FMDs) that achieve changes similar to those caused by fasting. Given the pleiotropic and sustained benefits of TRF and FMD, both basic science and translational research are warranted to develop fasting-associated interventions into effective and inexpensive treatments with the potential to improve healthspan. PMID:27304506

Optimal reblocking as a practical tool for neighborhood development

DOE PAGES

Brelsford, Christa; Martin, Taylor; Bettencourt, Luís M. A.

2017-06-12

Fast urbanization is a common feature of many developing human societies. In many cases, past and present, explosive population growth in cities outstrips the rate of provision of housing and urban services and leads to the formation of informal settlements or slums. Slums are extremely varied in terms of their histories, infrastructure, and rates of change, but they share certain common features: informal land use, lack of physical accesses, and nonexistent or poor quality urban services. Currently, about 1 billion people worldwide live in slums, a number that could triple by 2050 if no practical solutions are enacted to reversemore » this trend. Underlying most problems of slums is the issue of lack of physical accesses to places of work and residence. This prevents residents and businesses from having an address, obtaining basic services such as water and sanitation, and being helped in times of emergency. In this paper, we show how the physical layout of any neighborhood can be classified quantitatively in terms of its access topology in a way that is independent of its geometry. Topological indices capturing levels of access to structures within a city block can then be used to define a constrained optimization problem, whose solution generates an access network that makes each structure in the settlement accessible to services with minimal disruption and cost. We discuss the general applicability of these techniques to several informal settlements in developing cities and demonstrate various technical aspects of our solutions. In conclusion, we discuss how these techniques could be used on a large scale to speed up human development processes in cities throughout the world while respecting their local identity and history.« less

Optimal reblocking as a practical tool for neighborhood development

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

Brelsford, Christa; Martin, Taylor; Bettencourt, Luís M. A.

Fast urbanization is a common feature of many developing human societies. In many cases, past and present, explosive population growth in cities outstrips the rate of provision of housing and urban services and leads to the formation of informal settlements or slums. Slums are extremely varied in terms of their histories, infrastructure, and rates of change, but they share certain common features: informal land use, lack of physical accesses, and nonexistent or poor quality urban services. Currently, about 1 billion people worldwide live in slums, a number that could triple by 2050 if no practical solutions are enacted to reversemore » this trend. Underlying most problems of slums is the issue of lack of physical accesses to places of work and residence. This prevents residents and businesses from having an address, obtaining basic services such as water and sanitation, and being helped in times of emergency. In this paper, we show how the physical layout of any neighborhood can be classified quantitatively in terms of its access topology in a way that is independent of its geometry. Topological indices capturing levels of access to structures within a city block can then be used to define a constrained optimization problem, whose solution generates an access network that makes each structure in the settlement accessible to services with minimal disruption and cost. We discuss the general applicability of these techniques to several informal settlements in developing cities and demonstrate various technical aspects of our solutions. In conclusion, we discuss how these techniques could be used on a large scale to speed up human development processes in cities throughout the world while respecting their local identity and history.« less

Using component technologies for web based wavelet enhanced mammographic image visualization.

PubMed

Sakellaropoulos, P; Costaridou, L; Panayiotakis, G

2000-01-01

The poor contrast detectability of mammography can be dealt with by domain specific software visualization tools. Remote desktop client access and time performance limitations of a previously reported visualization tool are addressed, aiming at more efficient visualization of mammographic image resources existing in web or PACS image servers. This effort is also motivated by the fact that at present, web browsers do not support domain-specific medical image visualization. To deal with desktop client access the tool was redesigned by exploring component technologies, enabling the integration of stand alone domain specific mammographic image functionality in a web browsing environment (web adaptation). The integration method is based on ActiveX Document Server technology. ActiveX Document is a part of Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) extensible systems object technology, offering new services in existing applications. The standard DICOM 3.0 part 10 compatible image-format specification Papyrus 3.0 is supported, in addition to standard digitization formats such as TIFF. The visualization functionality of the tool has been enhanced by including a fast wavelet transform implementation, which allows for real time wavelet based contrast enhancement and denoising operations. Initial use of the tool with mammograms of various breast structures demonstrated its potential in improving visualization of diagnostic mammographic features. Web adaptation and real time wavelet processing enhance the potential of the previously reported tool in remote diagnosis and education in mammography.

A Dual-Colour Architecture for Pump-Probe Spectroscopy of Ultrafast Magnetization Dynamics in the Sub-10-femtosecond Range.

PubMed

Gonçalves, C S; Silva, A S; Navas, D; Miranda, M; Silva, F; Crespo, H; Schmool, D S

2016-03-15

Current time-resolution-limited dynamic measurements clearly show the need for improved techniques to access processes on the sub-10-femtosecond timescale. To access this regime, we have designed and constructed a state-of-the-art time-resolved magneto-optic Kerr effect apparatus, based on a new dual-color scheme, for the measurement of ultrafast demagnetization and precessional dynamics in magnetic materials. This system can operate well below the current temporal ranges reported in the literature, which typically lie in the region of around 50 fs and above. We have used a dual-colour scheme, based on ultra broadband hollow-core fibre and chirped mirror pulse compression techniques, to obtain unprecedented sub-8-fs pump and probe pulse durations at the sample plane. To demonstrate the capabilities of this system for ultrafast demagnetization and precessional dynamics studies, we have performed measurements in a ferrimagnetic GdFeCo thin film. Our study has shown that the magnetization shows a sudden drop within the first picosecond after the pump pulse, a fast recovery (remagnetization) within a few picoseconds, followed by a clear oscillation or precession during a slower magnetization recovery. Moreover, we have experimentally confirmed for the first time that a sub-10-fs pulse is able to efficiently excite a magnetic system such as GdFeCo.

Acute personalized habitual caffeine doses improve attention and have selective effects when considering the fractionation of executive functions.

PubMed

Lanini, Juliana; Galduróz, José Carlos Fernandes; Pompéia, Sabine

2016-01-01

Caffeine is widely used, often consumed with food, and improves simple and complex/executive attention under fasting conditions. We investigated whether these cognitive effects are observed when personalized habitual doses of caffeine are ingested by caffeine consumers, whether they are influenced by nutriments and if various executive domains are susceptible to improvement. This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study including 60 young, healthy, rested males randomly assigned to one of four treatments: placebo fasting, caffeine fasting, placebo meal and caffeine meal. Caffeine doses were individualized for each participant based on their self-reported caffeine consumption at the time of testing (morning). The test battery included measures of simple and sustained attention, executive domains (inhibiting, updating, shifting, dual tasking, planning and accessing long-term memory), control measures of subjective alterations, glucose and insulin levels, skin conductance, heart rate and pupil dilation. Regardless of meal intake, acute habitual doses of caffeine decreased fatigue, and improved simple and sustained attention and executive updating. This executive effect was not secondary to the habitual weekly dose consumed, changes in simple and sustained attention, mood, meal ingestion and increases in cognitive effort. We conclude that the morning caffeine "fix" has positive attentional effects and selectively improved executive updating whether or not caffeine is consumed with food. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fast parallel tandem mass spectral library searching using GPU hardware acceleration

PubMed Central

Baumgardner, Lydia Ashleigh; Shanmugam, Avinash Kumar; Lam, Henry; Eng, Jimmy K.; Martin, Daniel B.

2011-01-01

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics is a maturing discipline of biologic research that is experiencing substantial growth. Instrumentation has steadily improved over time with the advent of faster and more sensitive instruments collecting ever larger data files. Consequently, the computational process of matching a peptide fragmentation pattern to its sequence, traditionally accomplished by sequence database searching and more recently also by spectral library searching, has become a bottleneck in many mass spectrometry experiments. In both of these methods, the main rate limiting step is the comparison of an acquired spectrum with all potential matches from a spectral library or sequence database. This is a highly parallelizable process because the core computational element can be represented as a simple but arithmetically intense multiplication of two vectors. In this paper we present a proof of concept project taking advantage of the massively parallel computing available on graphics processing units (GPUs) to distribute and accelerate the process of spectral assignment using spectral library searching. This program, which we have named FastPaSS (for Fast Parallelized Spectral Searching) is implemented in CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) from NVIDIA which allows direct access to the processors in an NVIDIA GPU. Our efforts demonstrate the feasibility of GPU computing for spectral assignment, through implementation of the validated spectral searching algorithm SpectraST in the CUDA environment. PMID:21545112

Fast-food restaurants, park access, and insulin resistance among Hispanic youth.

PubMed

Hsieh, Stephanie; Klassen, Ann C; Curriero, Frank C; Caulfield, Laura E; Cheskin, Lawrence J; Davis, Jaimie N; Goran, Michael I; Weigensberg, Marc J; Spruijt-Metz, Donna

2014-04-01

Evidence of associations between the built environment and obesity risk has been steadily building, yet few studies have focused on the relationship between the built environment and aspects of metabolism related to obesity's most tightly linked comorbidity, type 2 diabetes. To examine the relationship between aspects of the neighborhood built environment and insulin resistance using accurate laboratory measures to account for fat distribution and adiposity. Data on 453 Hispanic youth (aged 8-18 years) from 2001 to 2011 were paired with neighborhood built environment and 2000 Census data. Analyses were conducted in 2011. Walking-distance buffers were built around participants' residential locations. Body composition and fat distribution were assessed using dual x-ray absorptiometry and waist circumference. Variables for park space, food access, walkability, and neighborhood sociocultural aspects were entered into a multivariate regression model predicting insulin resistance as determined by the homeostasis model assessment. Independent of obesity measures, greater fast-food restaurant density was associated with higher insulin resistance. Increased park space and neighborhood linguistic isolation were associated with lower insulin resistance among boys. Among girls, park space was associated with lower insulin resistance, but greater neighborhood linguistic isolation was associated with higher insulin resistance. A significant interaction between waist circumference and neighborhood linguistic isolation indicated that the negative association between neighborhood linguistic isolation and insulin resistance diminished with increased waist circumference. Reducing access to fast food and increasing public park space may be valuable to addressing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, but effects may vary by gender. Copyright © 2014 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lab-X-ray multidimensional imaging of processes inside porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godinho, Jose

2017-04-01

Time-lapse and other multidimensional X-ray imaging techniques have mostly been applied using synchrotron radiation, which limits accessibility and complicates data analysis. Here, we present new time-lapse imaging approaches using laboratory X-ray computed microtomography (CT) to study transformations inside porous media. Specifically, three methods will be presented: 1) Quantitative time-lapse radiography to study sub-second processes. For example to study the penetration of particles into fractures and pores, which is essential to understand how proppants keep fractures opened during hydraulic fracturing and how filter cakes form during borehole drilling. 2) Combination of time-lapse CT with diffraction tomography to study the transformation between bio-inspired polymorphs in 6D, e.g. mineral phase transformation between ACC, Vaterite and Calcite - CaCO3, and between ACS, Anhydrite and Gypsum - CaSO4. Crystals can be resolved in nanopores down to 7 nm (over 100 times smaller than the resolution of CT), which allows studying the effect of confinement on phase stability and growth rates. 3) Fast iterative helical micro-CT scanning to study samples of high ratio height to width (e.g. long cores) with optimal resolution. Here we show how this can be useful to study the distribution of the products from fluid-mediated mineral reactions throughout longer reaction paths and more representative volumes. Using state of the art reconstruction algorithms allows reducing the scanning times from over ten hours to below two hours enabling time-lapse studies. It is expected that these new techniques will open new possibilities for time-lapse imaging of a wider range of geological processes using laboratory X-ray CT, thereby increasing the accessibility of multidimensional imaging to a larger number of users and applications in geology.

The generalized centroid difference method for picosecond sensitive determination of lifetimes of nuclear excited states using large fast-timing arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Régis, J.-M.; Mach, H.; Simpson, G. S.; Jolie, J.; Pascovici, G.; Saed-Samii, N.; Warr, N.; Bruce, A.; Degenkolb, J.; Fraile, L. M.; Fransen, C.; Ghita, D. G.; Kisyov, S.; Koester, U.; Korgul, A.; Lalkovski, S.; Mărginean, N.; Mutti, P.; Olaizola, B.; Podolyak, Z.; Regan, P. H.; Roberts, O. J.; Rudigier, M.; Stroe, L.; Urban, W.; Wilmsen, D.

2013-10-01

A novel method for direct electronic “fast-timing” lifetime measurements of nuclear excited states via γ-γ coincidences using an array equipped with N∈N equally shaped very fast high-resolution LaBr3(Ce) scintillator detectors is presented. Analogous to the mirror symmetric centroid difference method, the generalized centroid difference method provides two independent “start” and “stop” time spectra obtained by a superposition of the N(N-1)γ-γ time difference spectra of the N detector fast-timing system. The two fast-timing array time spectra correspond to a forward and reverse gating of a specific γ-γ cascade. Provided that the energy response and the electronic time pick-off of the detectors are almost equal, a mean prompt response difference between start and stop events is calibrated and used as a single correction for lifetime determination. These combined fast-timing arrays mean γ-γ time-walk characteristics can be determined for 40 keV

Preoperative fasting: knowledge and perceptions.

PubMed

Baril, Patrice; Portman, Harriet

2007-10-01

Preoperative patient fasting is an essential element of the patient preparation process, but patients may be fasting for excessive lengths of time. Investigators at one facility used semi-structured interviews to explore the knowledge and beliefs of patients, nurses, and anesthesia care providers regarding the practice of preoperative patient fasting. Findings indicate that some patients had excessive fasting times, and practitioners had erroneous perceptions about patient knowledge regarding the rationale for fasting and compliance with instructions. Clinicians expressed concern about the effects of excessive fasting but were reluctant to relax the policy.

Availability of healthier options in traditional and nontraditional rural fast-food outlets

PubMed Central

Creel, Jennifer S; Sharkey, Joseph R; McIntosh, Alex; Anding, Jenna; Huber, J Charles

2008-01-01

Background Food prepared away from home has become increasingly popular to U.S. families, and may contribute to obesity. Sales have been dominated by fast food outlets, where meals are purchased for dining away from home or in the home. Although national chain affiliated fast-food outlets are considered the main source for fast food, fast foods are increasingly available in convenience stores and supermarkets/grocery stores. In rural areas, these nontraditional fast-food outlets may provide most of the opportunities for procurement of fast foods. Methods Using all traditional and nontraditio nal fast-food outlets identified in six counties in rural Texas, the type and number of regular and healthiermenu options were surveyed using on-site observation in all food venues that were primarily fast food, supermarket/grocery store, and convenience store and compared with 2005 Dietary Guidelines. Results Traditional fast-food outlets represented 84 (41%) of the 205 opportunities for procurement of fast food; 109 (53.2%) were convenience stores and 12 (5.8%) supermarkets/grocery stores. Although a s imilar variety of regular breakfast and lunch/dinner entrées were available in traditional fast-food outlets and convenience stores, the variety of healthier breakfast and lunch/dinner entrées was significantly greater in fast food outlets. Compared with convenience stores, supermarkets/grocery stores provided a greater variety of regular and healthier entrées and lunch/dinner side dishes. Conclusion Convenience stores and supermarkets/grocery stores more than double the potential access to fast foods in this rural area than traditional fast-food outlets alone; however, traditional fast food outlets offer greater opportunity for healthier fast food options than convenience stores. A complete picture of fast food environment and the availability of healthier fast food options are essential to understand environmental influences on diet and health outcomes, and identify potential targets for intervention. PMID:19040722

Preoperative fasting times in elective surgical patients at a referral Hospital in Botswana

PubMed Central

Abebe, Worknehe Agegnehu; Rukewe, Ambrose; Bekele, Negussie Alula; Stoffel, Moeng; Dichabeng, Mompelegi Nicoh; Shifa, Jemal Zeberga

2016-01-01

Introduction Adults and children are required to fast before anaesthesia to reduce the risk of regurgitation and aspiration of gastric contents. However, prolonged periods of fasting are unnecessary and may cause complications. This study was conducted to evaluate preoperative fasting period in our centre and compare it with the ASA recommendations and factors that influence fasting periods. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of preoperative fasting times among elective surgical patients. A total numbers of 260 patients were interviewed as they arrived at the reception area of operating theatre using questionnaire. Results Majority of patients (98.1%) were instructed to fast from midnight. Fifteen patients (5.8%) reported that they were told the importance of preoperative fasting. The mean fasting period were 15.9±2.5 h (range 12.0-25.3 h) for solids and 15.3±2.3 h (range 12.0-22.0 h) for liquids. The mean duration of fasting was significantly longer for patients operated after midday compared to those operated before midday, p<0.001. Conclusion The mean fasting periods were 7.65 times longer for clear liquid and 2.5 times for solids than the ASA guidelines. It is imperative that the Hospital should establish Preoperative fasting policies and teach the staff who should ensure compliance with guidelines. PMID:27222691

Novel and easy access to highly luminescent Eu and Tb doped ultra-small CaF2, SrF2 and BaF2 nanoparticles - structure and luminescence.

PubMed

Ritter, Benjamin; Haida, Philipp; Fink, Friedrich; Krahl, Thoralf; Gawlitza, Kornelia; Rurack, Knut; Scholz, Gudrun; Kemnitz, Erhard

2017-02-28

A universal fast and easy access at room temperature to transparent sols of nanoscopic Eu 3+ and Tb 3+ doped CaF 2 , SrF 2 and BaF 2 particles via the fluorolytic sol-gel synthesis route is presented. Monodisperse quasi-spherical nanoparticles with sizes of 3-20 nm are obtained with up to 40% rare earth doping showing red or green luminescence. In the beginning luminescence quenching effects are only observed for the highest content, which demonstrates the unique and outstanding properties of these materials. From CaF 2 :Eu10 via SrF 2 :Eu10 to BaF 2 :Eu10 a steady increase of the luminescence intensity and lifetime occurs by a factor of ≈2; the photoluminescence quantum yield increases by 29 to 35% due to the lower phonon energy of the matrix. The fast formation process of the particles within fractions of seconds is clearly visualized by exploiting appropriate luminescence processes during the synthesis. Multiply doped particles are also available by this method. Fine tuning of the luminescence properties is achieved by variation of the Ca-to-Sr ratio. Co-doping with Ce 3+ and Tb 3+ results in a huge increase (>50 times) of the green luminescence intensity due to energy transfer Ce 3+ → Tb 3+ . In this case, the luminescence intensity is higher for CaF 2 than for SrF 2 , due to a lower spatial distance of the rare earth ions.

Usability of a mobile electronic medical record prototype: a verbal protocol analysis.

PubMed

Wu, Robert C; Orr, M Scott; Chignell, Mark; Straus, Sharon E

2008-06-01

Point of care access to electronic medical records may provide clinicians with the information they want when they need it and may in turn improve patient safety. Yet providing an electronic medical record on handheld devices presents many usability challenges, and it is unclear whether clinicians will use them. An iterative design process for the development and evaluation of a prototype of a mobile electronic medical record was performed. Usability sessions were conducted in which physicians were asked to 'think aloud' while working through clinical scenarios using the prototype. Verbal protocol analysis, which consists of coding utterances, was conducted on the transcripts from the sessions and common themes were extracted. Usability sessions were held with five family physicians and four internists with varying levels of computer expertise. Physicians were able to use the device to complete 52 of 54 required tasks. Users commented that it was intuitive (9/9), would increase accessibility (5/9) but for them to use it, it would need the system to be fast and time-saving (5/9). Users had difficulty entering information (5/9) and reading the screen (4/9). In terms of functionality, users had concerns about completeness of information (6/9), details of ordering (5/9) and desired billing functionality (5/9) and integration with other systems (4/9). While physicians can use mobile electronic medical records in realistic scenarios, certain requirements likely need to be met including a fast system with easy data selection, easy data entry and improved display before widespread adoption occurs.

Typographic influences on reading.

PubMed

Lewis, C; Walker, P

1989-05-01

The research reported here comprises an empirical investigation of the phenomenon of typographic allusion. In a preliminary study, subjects rated the perceptual qualities possessed by different typefaces (e.g. heavy-light, fast-slow). The results indicated that subjects agreed as to typeface characteristics and that typefaces were distinguished by such qualities. In Expt 1, subjects undertook a speeded decision task in which they responded according to which one of four adjectives appeared tachistoscopically. Each word appeared in a typeface whose qualities were either consistent or inconsistent with its meaning. Reaction times for inconsistent stimuli were significantly slower than those for consistent trials. In preparation for Expt 2, the same rating procedure was used to elicit subjects' judgements of the attributes of different animals. Subjects agreed as to animals' qualities and such qualities reliably distinguished between the animals. The names of these animals were then used as targets in a binary decision task and each one appeared in a typeface possessing qualities which were either congruent or incongruent with those of the animal. Subjects responded according to whether they considered the animal presented on each trial to be heavy or light, or fast or slow moving. Responses on trials in which the animal and typeface possessed conflicting attributes were significantly slower than responses when animal and typeface qualities were congruent. These results are discussed in relation to current views regarding the processing of written English. We argue that typographic features of words are able to access a semantic code and that this code can interact with the derivation of a linguistic code specifying a word's meaning and/or with post-lexical access decision processes.

Mobile, real-time, and point-of-care augmented reality is robust, accurate, and feasible: a prospective pilot study.

PubMed

Kenngott, Hannes Götz; Preukschas, Anas Amin; Wagner, Martin; Nickel, Felix; Müller, Michael; Bellemann, Nadine; Stock, Christian; Fangerau, Markus; Radeleff, Boris; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Meinzer, Hans-Peter; Maier-Hein, Lena; Müller-Stich, Beat Peter

2018-06-01

Augmented reality (AR) systems are currently being explored by a broad spectrum of industries, mainly for improving point-of-care access to data and images. Especially in surgery and especially for timely decisions in emergency cases, a fast and comprehensive access to images at the patient bedside is mandatory. Currently, imaging data are accessed at a distance from the patient both in time and space, i.e., at a specific workstation. Mobile technology and 3-dimensional (3D) visualization of radiological imaging data promise to overcome these restrictions by making bedside AR feasible. In this project, AR was realized in a surgical setting by fusing a 3D-representation of structures of interest with live camera images on a tablet computer using marker-based registration. The intent of this study was to focus on a thorough evaluation of AR. Feasibility, robustness, and accuracy were thus evaluated consecutively in a phantom model and a porcine model. Additionally feasibility was evaluated in one male volunteer. In the phantom model (n = 10), AR visualization was feasible in 84% of the visualization space with high accuracy (mean reprojection error ± standard deviation (SD): 2.8 ± 2.7 mm; 95th percentile = 6.7 mm). In a porcine model (n = 5), AR visualization was feasible in 79% with high accuracy (mean reprojection error ± SD: 3.5 ± 3.0 mm; 95th percentile = 9.5 mm). Furthermore, AR was successfully used and proved feasible within a male volunteer. Mobile, real-time, and point-of-care AR for clinical purposes proved feasible, robust, and accurate in the phantom, animal, and single-trial human model shown in this study. Consequently, AR following similar implementation proved robust and accurate enough to be evaluated in clinical trials assessing accuracy, robustness in clinical reality, as well as integration into the clinical workflow. If these further studies prove successful, AR might revolutionize data access at patient bedside.

Fast Geometric Consensus Approach for Protein Model Quality Assessment

PubMed Central

Adamczak, Rafal; Pillardy, Jaroslaw; Vallat, Brinda K.

2011-01-01

Abstract Model quality assessment (MQA) is an integral part of protein structure prediction methods that typically generate multiple candidate models. The challenge lies in ranking and selecting the best models using a variety of physical, knowledge-based, and geometric consensus (GC)-based scoring functions. In particular, 3D-Jury and related GC methods assume that well-predicted (sub-)structures are more likely to occur frequently in a population of candidate models, compared to incorrectly folded fragments. While this approach is very successful in the context of diversified sets of models, identifying similar substructures is computationally expensive since all pairs of models need to be superimposed using MaxSub or related heuristics for structure-to-structure alignment. Here, we consider a fast alternative, in which structural similarity is assessed using 1D profiles, e.g., consisting of relative solvent accessibilities and secondary structures of equivalent amino acid residues in the respective models. We show that the new approach, dubbed 1D-Jury, allows to implicitly compare and rank N models in O(N) time, as opposed to quadratic complexity of 3D-Jury and related clustering-based methods. In addition, 1D-Jury avoids computationally expensive 3D superposition of pairs of models. At the same time, structural similarity scores based on 1D profiles are shown to correlate strongly with those obtained using MaxSub. In terms of the ability to select the best models as top candidates 1D-Jury performs on par with other GC methods. Other potential applications of the new approach, including fast clustering of large numbers of intermediate structures generated by folding simulations, are discussed as well. PMID:21244273

Quantum Entanglement Molecular Absorption Spectrum Simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Quang-Viet; Kojima, Jun

2006-01-01

Quantum Entanglement Molecular Absorption Spectrum Simulator (QE-MASS) is a computer program for simulating two photon molecular-absorption spectroscopy using quantum-entangled photons. More specifically, QE-MASS simulates the molecular absorption of two quantum-entangled photons generated by the spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) of a fixed-frequency photon from a laser. The two-photon absorption process is modeled via a combination of rovibrational and electronic single-photon transitions, using a wave-function formalism. A two-photon absorption cross section as a function of the entanglement delay time between the two photons is computed, then subjected to a fast Fourier transform to produce an energy spectrum. The program then detects peaks in the Fourier spectrum and displays the energy levels of very short-lived intermediate quantum states (or virtual states) of the molecule. Such virtual states were only previously accessible using ultra-fast (femtosecond) laser systems. However, with the use of a single-frequency continuous wave laser to produce SPDC photons, and QEMASS program, these short-lived molecular states can now be studied using much simpler laser systems. QE-MASS can also show the dependence of the Fourier spectrum on the tuning range of the entanglement time of any externally introduced optical-path delay time. QE-MASS can be extended to any molecule for which an appropriate spectroscopic database is available. It is a means of performing an a priori parametric analysis of entangled photon spectroscopy for development and implementation of emerging quantum-spectroscopic sensing techniques. QE-MASS is currently implemented using the Mathcad software package.

A rapid local singularity analysis algorithm with applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhijun; Cheng, Qiuming; Agterberg, Frits

2015-04-01

The local singularity model developed by Cheng is fast gaining popularity in characterizing mineralization and detecting anomalies of geochemical, geophysical and remote sensing data. However in one of the conventional algorithms involving the moving average values with different scales is time-consuming especially while analyzing a large dataset. Summed area table (SAT), also called as integral image, is a fast algorithm used within the Viola-Jones object detection framework in computer vision area. Historically, the principle of SAT is well-known in the study of multi-dimensional probability distribution functions, namely in computing 2D (or ND) probabilities (area under the probability distribution) from the respective cumulative distribution functions. We introduce SAT and it's variation Rotated Summed Area Table in the isotropic, anisotropic or directional local singularity mapping in this study. Once computed using SAT, any one of the rectangular sum can be computed at any scale or location in constant time. The area for any rectangular region in the image can be computed by using only 4 array accesses in constant time independently of the size of the region; effectively reducing the time complexity from O(n) to O(1). New programs using Python, Julia, matlab and C++ are implemented respectively to satisfy different applications, especially to the big data analysis. Several large geochemical and remote sensing datasets are tested. A wide variety of scale changes (linear spacing or log spacing) for non-iterative or iterative approach are adopted to calculate the singularity index values and compare the results. The results indicate that the local singularity analysis with SAT is more robust and superior to traditional approach in identifying anomalies.

The motivation to self-administer is increased after a history of spiking brain levels of cocaine.

PubMed

Zimmer, Benjamin A; Oleson, Erik B; Roberts, David Cs

2012-07-01

Recent attempts to model the addiction process in rodents have focused on cocaine self-administration procedures that provide extended daily access. Such procedures produce a characteristic loading phase during which blood levels rapidly rise and then are maintained within an elevated range for the duration of the session. The present experiments tested the hypothesis that multiple fast-rising spikes in cocaine levels contribute to the addiction process more robustly than constant, maintained drug levels. Here, we compared the effects of various cocaine self-administration procedures that produced very different patterns of drug intake and drug dynamics on Pmax, a behavioral economic measure of the motivation to self-administer drug. Two groups received intermittent access (IntA) to cocaine during daily 6-h sessions. Access was limited to twelve 5-min trials that alternated with 25-min timeout periods, using either a hold-down procedure or a fixed ratio 1 (FR1). Cocaine levels could not be maintained with this procedure; instead the animals experienced 12 fast-rising spikes in cocaine levels each day. The IntA groups were compared with groups given 6-h FR1 long access and 2-h short access sessions and two other control groups. Here, we report that cocaine self-administration procedures resulting in repeatedly spiking drug levels produce more robust increases in Pmax than procedures resulting in maintained high levels of cocaine. These results suggest that rapid spiking of brain-cocaine levels is sufficient to increase the motivation to self-administer cocaine.

Fluorescence Determination of Tryptophan Side-Chain Accessibility and Dynamics in Triple-Helical Collagen-Like Peptides

PubMed Central

Simon-Lukasik, Kristine V.; Persikov, Anton V.; Brodsky, Barbara; Ramshaw, John A. M.; Laws, William R.; Alexander Ross, J. B.; Ludescher, Richard D.

2003-01-01

We report tryptophan fluorescence measurements of emission intensity, iodide quenching, and anisotropy that describe the environment and dynamics at X and Y sites in stable collagen-like peptides of sequence (Gly-X-Y)n. About 90% of tryptophans at both sites have similar solvent exposed fluorescence properties and a lifetime of 8.5–9 ns. Analysis of anisotropy decays using an associative model indicates that these long lifetime populations undergo rapid depolarizing motion with a 0.5 ns correlation time; however, the extent of fast motion at the Y site is considerably less than the essentially unrestricted motion at the X site. About 10% of tryptophans at both sites have a shorter (∼3 ns) lifetime indicating proximity to a protein quenching group; these minor populations are immobile on the peptide surface, depolarizing only by overall trimer rotation. Iodide quenching indicates that tryptophans at the X site are more accessible to solvent. Side chains at X sites are more solvent accessible and considerably more mobile than residues at Y sites and can more readily fluctuate among alternate intermolecular interactions in collagen fibrils. This fluorescence analysis of collagen-like peptides lays a foundation for studies on the structure, dynamics, and function of collagen and of triple-helical junctions in gelatin gels. PMID:12524302

The Information System at CeSAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agneray, F.; Gimenez, S.; Moreau, C.; Roehlly, Y.

2012-09-01

Modern large observational programmes produce important amounts of data from various origins, and need high level quality control, fast data access via easy-to-use graphic interfaces, as well as possibility to cross-correlate informations coming from different observations. The Centre de donnéeS Astrophysique de Marseille (CeSAM) offer web access to VO compliant Information Systems to access data of different projects (VVDS, HeDAM, EXODAT, HST-COSMOS,…), including ancillary data obtained outside Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM) control. The CeSAM Information Systems provides download of catalogues and some additional services like: search, extract and display imaging and spectroscopic data by multi-criteria and Cone Search interfaces.

Density and type of food retailers surrounding Canadian schools: variations across socioeconomic status.

PubMed

Seliske, Laura M; Pickett, William; Boyce, William F; Janssen, Ian

2009-09-01

Lower socioeconomic status (SES) neighbourhoods may have differential access to food retailers, potentially explaining the varying area-level obesity rates. The food retail environment around 188 schools across Canada was examined, including full-service restaurants, fast food restaurants, sub/sandwich retailers, donut/coffee shops, convenience stores, and grocery stores. School addresses were linked to census data to obtain area-level SES measures. Access to food retailers was generally not associated with the neighbourhood SES in the immediate proximity. Within the broader neighbourhood, lower SES neighbourhoods had access to fewer food retailers of all types. This effect was diminished after taking population density into account.

The effect of fast-food availability on fast-food consumption and obesity among rural residents: an analysis by race/ethnicity.

PubMed

Dunn, Richard A; Sharkey, Joseph R; Horel, Scott

2012-01-01

Rural areas of the United States tend to have higher obesity rates than urban areas, particularly in regions with high proportions of non-white residents. This paper analyzes the effect of fast-food availability on the level of fast-food consumption and obesity risk among both white and non-white residents of central Texas. Potential endogeneity of fast-food availability is addressed through instrumental variables regression using distance to the nearest major highway as an instrument. We find that non-whites tend to exhibit higher obesity rates, greater access to fast-food establishments and higher consumption of fast-food meals compared to their white counterparts. In addition, we found that whites and non-whites respond differently to the availability of fast-food in rural environments. Greater availability is not associated with either greater consumption of fast-food meals or a higher obesity risk among the sample of whites. In contrast, greater availability of fast-food is positively associated with both the number of meals consumed for non-white rural residents and their obesity. While our results are robust to specification, the effect of availability on weight outcomes is notably weaker when indirectly calculated from the implied relationship between consumption and caloric intake. This highlights the importance of directly examining the proposed mechanism through which an environmental factor influences weight outcomes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Does the circadian pattern for acute cardiac events presentation vary with fasting?

PubMed

Al Suwaidi, J; Bener, A; Gehani, A A; Behair, S; Al Mohanadi, D; Salam, A; Al Binali, H A

2006-01-01

Over one billion Muslims fast worldwide during the month of Ramadan. The impact of fasting on circadian presentation with acute cardiac events is unknown. To determine if fasting has any effect on the circadian presentation of acute cardiac events. A prospective study in a general hospital. Patients with acute coronary events were divided into two groups based on the history of fasting. Information about age, gender, cardiovascular risk factor profiles and outcome was collected. The relationship of time of presentation of initial symptoms with fasting was evaluated using Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test and chi2 analysis. Of the 1019 patients hospitalized during the study period, 162 were fasting. Although, fasting patients were more likely to present to the emergency department in the time periods 5-6 AM (10.5% vs 6.3%) and 11 PM (11.1% vs 7.1%) and were less likely to present in the time periods 1-2 PM (3.7% vs 7.2%) and 5-6 PM (3.7% vs 7.0%); these differences were not statistically significant. Fasting patients were less likely to have their symptoms start between 5 and 8 AM (11.1% vs 19.4%) and more likely to have symptoms between 5 and 6 PM (11.1% vs 6.0%) and 3 and 4 AM (11.1% vs 6.9%). These differences for time of initial symptoms were statistically significant (P=0.002). Exogenous factors associated with fasting, namely, the changes in food intake and/or sleep timings, affect the circadian rhythm and influence the timing of presentation of acute coronary events.

Ugi-Smiles couplings of 4-substituted pyridine derivatives: a fast access to chloroquine analogues.

PubMed

El Kaïm, Laurent; Grimaud, Laurence; Pravin, Patil

2012-01-20

4-Hydroxy and mercapto pyridines were successfully tested in Ugi-Smiles couplings. Such multicomponent reactions applied to quinoline derivatives afford a very convenient and short synthesis of antimalarial analogues. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Description and Simulation of a Fast Packet Switch Architecture for Communication Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quintana, Jorge A.; Lizanich, Paul J.

1995-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center has been developing the architecture for a multichannel communications signal processing satellite (MCSPS) as part of a flexible, low-cost meshed-VSAT (very small aperture terminal) network. The MCSPS architecture is based on a multifrequency, time-division-multiple-access (MF-TDMA) uplink and a time-division multiplex (TDM) downlink. There are eight uplink MF-TDMA beams, and eight downlink TDM beams, with eight downlink dwells per beam. The information-switching processor, which decodes, stores, and transmits each packet of user data to the appropriate downlink dwell onboard the satellite, has been fully described by using VHSIC (Very High Speed Integrated-Circuit) Hardware Description Language (VHDL). This VHDL code, which was developed in-house to simulate the information switching processor, showed that the architecture is both feasible and viable. This paper describes a shared-memory-per-beam architecture, its VHDL implementation, and the simulation efforts.

Distributed Synchronization Technique for OFDMA-Based Wireless Mesh Networks Using a Bio-Inspired Algorithm

PubMed Central

Kim, Mi Jeong; Maeng, Sung Joon; Cho, Yong Soo

2015-01-01

In this paper, a distributed synchronization technique based on a bio-inspired algorithm is proposed for an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based wireless mesh network (WMN) with a time difference of arrival. The proposed time- and frequency-synchronization technique uses only the signals received from the neighbor nodes, by considering the effect of the propagation delay between the nodes. It achieves a fast synchronization with a relatively low computational complexity because it is operated in a distributed manner, not requiring any feedback channel for the compensation of the propagation delays. In addition, a self-organization scheme that can be effectively used to construct 1-hop neighbor nodes is proposed for an OFDMA-based WMN with a large number of nodes. The performance of the proposed technique is evaluated with regard to the convergence property and synchronization success probability using a computer simulation. PMID:26225974

Distributed Synchronization Technique for OFDMA-Based Wireless Mesh Networks Using a Bio-Inspired Algorithm.

PubMed

Kim, Mi Jeong; Maeng, Sung Joon; Cho, Yong Soo

2015-07-28

In this paper, a distributed synchronization technique based on a bio-inspired algorithm is proposed for an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based wireless mesh network (WMN) with a time difference of arrival. The proposed time- and frequency-synchronization technique uses only the signals received from the neighbor nodes, by considering the effect of the propagation delay between the nodes. It achieves a fast synchronization with a relatively low computational complexity because it is operated in a distributed manner, not requiring any feedback channel for the compensation of the propagation delays. In addition, a self-organization scheme that can be effectively used to construct 1-hop neighbor nodes is proposed for an OFDMA-based WMN with a large number of nodes. The performance of the proposed technique is evaluated with regard to the convergence property and synchronization success probability using a computer simulation.

Probabilistic Nowcasting of Low-Visibility Procedure States at Vienna International Airport During Cold Season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kneringer, Philipp; Dietz, Sebastian J.; Mayr, Georg J.; Zeileis, Achim

2018-04-01

Airport operations are sensitive to visibility conditions. Low-visibility events may lead to capacity reduction, delays and economic losses. Different levels of low-visibility procedures (lvp) are enacted to ensure aviation safety. A nowcast of the probabilities for each of the lvp categories helps decision makers to optimally schedule their operations. An ordered logistic regression (OLR) model is used to forecast these probabilities directly. It is applied to cold season forecasts at Vienna International Airport for lead times of 30-min out to 2 h. Model inputs are standard meteorological measurements. The skill of the forecasts is accessed by the ranked probability score. OLR outperforms persistence, which is a strong contender at the shortest lead times. The ranked probability score of the OLR is even better than the one of nowcasts from human forecasters. The OLR-based nowcasting system is computationally fast and can be updated instantaneously when new data become available.

A space-efficient quantum computer simulator suitable for high-speed FPGA implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, Michael P.; Oniciuc, Liviu; Meyer-Baese, Uwe H.; Chiorescu, Irinel

2009-05-01

Conventional vector-based simulators for quantum computers are quite limited in the size of the quantum circuits they can handle, due to the worst-case exponential growth of even sparse representations of the full quantum state vector as a function of the number of quantum operations applied. However, this exponential-space requirement can be avoided by using general space-time tradeoffs long known to complexity theorists, which can be appropriately optimized for this particular problem in a way that also illustrates some interesting reformulations of quantum mechanics. In this paper, we describe the design and empirical space/time complexity measurements of a working software prototype of a quantum computer simulator that avoids excessive space requirements. Due to its space-efficiency, this design is well-suited to embedding in single-chip environments, permitting especially fast execution that avoids access latencies to main memory. We plan to prototype our design on a standard FPGA development board.

Ramadan Fasting Exerts Immunomodulatory Effects: Insights from a Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Adawi, Mohammad; Watad, Abdulla; Brown, Stav; Aazza, Khadija; Aazza, Hicham; Zouhir, Mohamed; Sharif, Kassem; Ghanayem, Khaled; Farah, Raymond; Mahagna, Hussein; Fiordoro, Stefano; Sukkar, Samir Giuseppe; Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Mahroum, Naim

2017-01-01

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is observed by Muslims as a month of fasting. All Muslim adults are expected to fast; nevertheless certain subgroups, including sick, frail subjects, and pregnant women, among others, are exempted. Ramadan fasting has been shown to impact on body systems in different manners. The influence of Ramadan fasting on immune system regulation remains elusive; however, immune system changes, such as the modulation of body response to various infectious, stressful, and other harmful events, are of great interest during fasting. In this paper, we performed an extensive systematic literature review of different scholarly databases (ISI/Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed,/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Directory of Open Access Journals, EbscoHOST, Scirus, Science Direct, the Cochrane Library, and ProQuest), using the following key words: “fasting,” “Ramadan,” “Islam,” and “immunity.” Conclusions drawn from these findings included: (1) Ramadan fasting has been shown to only mildly influence the immune system and the alterations induced are transient, returning to basal pre-Ramadan status shortly afterward. (2) Ramadan fasting during the second trimester of pregnancy was shown to be safe and did not result in negative fetal outcomes, or maternal oxidative status alterations. (3) In cardiac patients, Ramadan fasting can have beneficial effects including lipid profile improvement and alleviation of oxidative stress. (4) In asthmatic patients as well as in patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and autoimmune disorders, fasting was safe. (5) In psychiatric patients, such as those suffering from schizophrenia, fasting could increase immunologic markers. (6) Fasting Muslim athletes who maintain intensive training schedule during Ramadan showed fluctuations of immunologic markers. PMID:29230208

Ramadan Fasting Exerts Immunomodulatory Effects: Insights from a Systematic Review.

PubMed

Adawi, Mohammad; Watad, Abdulla; Brown, Stav; Aazza, Khadija; Aazza, Hicham; Zouhir, Mohamed; Sharif, Kassem; Ghanayem, Khaled; Farah, Raymond; Mahagna, Hussein; Fiordoro, Stefano; Sukkar, Samir Giuseppe; Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Mahroum, Naim

2017-01-01

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is observed by Muslims as a month of fasting. All Muslim adults are expected to fast; nevertheless certain subgroups, including sick, frail subjects, and pregnant women, among others, are exempted. Ramadan fasting has been shown to impact on body systems in different manners. The influence of Ramadan fasting on immune system regulation remains elusive; however, immune system changes, such as the modulation of body response to various infectious, stressful, and other harmful events, are of great interest during fasting. In this paper, we performed an extensive systematic literature review of different scholarly databases (ISI/Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed,/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Directory of Open Access Journals, EbscoHOST, Scirus, Science Direct, the Cochrane Library, and ProQuest), using the following key words: "fasting," "Ramadan," "Islam," and "immunity." Conclusions drawn from these findings included: (1) Ramadan fasting has been shown to only mildly influence the immune system and the alterations induced are transient, returning to basal pre-Ramadan status shortly afterward. (2) Ramadan fasting during the second trimester of pregnancy was shown to be safe and did not result in negative fetal outcomes, or maternal oxidative status alterations. (3) In cardiac patients, Ramadan fasting can have beneficial effects including lipid profile improvement and alleviation of oxidative stress. (4) In asthmatic patients as well as in patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and autoimmune disorders, fasting was safe. (5) In psychiatric patients, such as those suffering from schizophrenia, fasting could increase immunologic markers. (6) Fasting Muslim athletes who maintain intensive training schedule during Ramadan showed fluctuations of immunologic markers.

The Interactions between Global Education Initiatives and National Education Policy and Planning Processes: A Comparative Case Study of the Education For All Fast Track Initiative in Rwanda and Ethiopia. CREATE Pathways to Access. Research Monograph No. 67

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bermingham, Desmond

2011-01-01

The Education for All Fast Track Initiative (FTI) was launched by the World Bank in 2002 as a global initiative to help low income countries accelerate progress towards the MDG target of universal primary education by 2015. Over the past decade, the FTI has expanded to become one of the most important initiatives to emerge out of the Dakar World…

NASA's Big Earth Data Initiative Accomplishments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klene, Stephan A.; Pauli, Elisheva; Pressley, Natalie N.; Cechini, Matthew F.; McInerney, Mark

2017-01-01

The goal of NASA's effort for BEDI is to improve the usability, discoverability, and accessibility of Earth Observation data in support of societal benefit areas. Accomplishments: In support of BEDI goals, datasets have been entered into Common Metadata Repository(CMR), made available via the Open-source Project for a Network Data Access Protocol (OPeNDAP), have a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) registered for the dataset, and to support fast visualization many layers have been added in to the Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS).

NASA's Big Earth Data Initiative Accomplishments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klene, S. A.; Pauli, E.; Pressley, N. N.; Cechini, M. F.; McInerney, M.

2017-12-01

The goal of NASA's effort for BEDI is to improve the usability, discoverability, and accessibility of Earth Observation data in support of societal benefit areas. Accomplishments: In support of BEDI goals, datasets have been entered into Common Metadata Repository(CMR), made available via the Open-source Project for a Network Data Access Protocol (OPeNDAP), have a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) registered for the dataset, and to support fast visualization many layers have been added in to the Global Imagery Browse Service(GIBS)

Attractors of relaxation discrete-time systems with chaotic dynamics on a fast time scale.

PubMed

Maslennikov, Oleg V; Nekorkin, Vladimir I

2016-07-01

In this work, a new type of relaxation systems is considered. Their prominent feature is that they comprise two distinct epochs, one is slow regular motion and another is fast chaotic motion. Unlike traditionally studied slow-fast systems that have smooth manifolds of slow motions in the phase space and fast trajectories between them, in this new type one observes, apart the same geometric objects, areas of transient chaos. Alternating periods of slow regular motions and fast chaotic ones as well as transitions between them result in a specific chaotic attractor with chaos on a fast time scale. We formulate basic properties of such attractors in the framework of discrete-time systems and consider several examples. Finally, we provide an important application of such systems, the neuronal electrical activity in the form of chaotic spike-burst oscillations.

The Subglacial Access and Fast Ice Research Experiment - SAFIRE - on Store Glacier, West Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christoffersen, P.; Hubbard, B. P.; Doyle, S. H.; Young, T. J.; Hofstede, C. M.; Bougamont, M. H.; Todd, J.; Toberg, N.; Nicholls, K. W.; Box, J.; Walter, J. I.; Hubbard, A.

2015-12-01

Marine-terminating outlet glaciers drain 90 percent of the Greenland Ice Sheet and are responsible for about half of the ice sheet's net annual mass loss, which currently raises global sea level by 1 mm per year. The basal controls on these fast-flowing glaciers are, however, poorly understood, with the implication that numerical ice sheet models needed to predict future dynamic ice loss from Greenland relies on uncertain and often untested basal parameterizations. The Subglacial Access and Fast Ice Research Experiment - SAFIRE - is addressing this paucity of observational constraints by drilling to the bed of Store Glacier, a fast-flowing outlet glacier terminating in Uummannaq Fjord, West Greenland. In 2014, we gained access to the bed in four boreholes drilled to depths of 603-616 m near the center of the glacier, 30 km inland from the calving terminus where ice flows at a rate of 700 m/year. A seismic survey showed the glacier bed to consist of water-saturated, soft sediment. The water level in all four boreholes nevertheless dropped rapidly to 80 m below the ice surface when the drill connected with a basal water system, indicating effective drainage over a sedimentary bed. We were able to install wired sensor strings at the bed (water pressure, temperature, electrical conductivity and turbidity) and within the glacier (temperature and tilt) in three boreholes. The sensors operated for up to 80+ days before cables stretched and ultimately snapped due to high internal strain. The data collected during this sensor deployment show ice as cold as -21 degrees Celcius; yet, temperature of water in the basal water system was persistently above the local freezing point. With diurnal variations detected in several sensor records, we hypothesise that surface water lubricates the ice flow while also warming basal ice. The fast basal motion of Store Glacier not only occurs by basal sliding, but from high rates of concentrated strain in the bottom third of the glacier. Deployment of an autonomous phase-sensitive radar near the drill site complements the data collected by sensors installed in boreholes, as internal reflectors measured at hourly timescale show very high, and highly variable internal strain within the glacier. In 2016, we plan to install new sensors while also sampling cores from the bed.

The EuroNet paediatric hodgkin network - modern imaging data management for real time central review in multicentre trials.

PubMed

Kurch, L; Mauz-Körholz, C; Bertling, S; Wallinder, M; Kaminska, M; Marwede, D; Tchavdarova, L; Georgi, T W; Elsner, A; Barthel, A; Stoevesandt, D; Hasenclever, D; Sattler, B; Sabri, O; Körholz, D; Kluge, R

2013-11-01

Since 2007, children and adolescents with Hodgkin lymphomas are treated in the Europe-wide EuroNet-PHL trials. A real time central review process for stratification of the patients enhances quality control and efficient therapy management. This process includes reading of all cross-sectional-images. Since reference evaluation is time critical, a fast, easy to handle and safe data transfer is important. In addition, immediate and constant access to all the data has to be guaranteed in case of queries and for regulatory reasons. To meet the mentioned requirements the EuroNet Paediatric Hodgkin Data Network (funded by the European Union - Project Number: 2007108) was established between 2008 and 2011. A respective tailored data protection plan was formulated. The aim of this article is to describe the networks' mode of operation and the advantages for multi-centre trials that include centralized image review. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Real-time autocorrelator for fluorescence correlation spectroscopy based on graphical-processor-unit architecture: method, implementation, and comparative studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laracuente, Nicholas; Grossman, Carl

2013-03-01

We developed an algorithm and software to calculate autocorrelation functions from real-time photon-counting data using the fast, parallel capabilities of graphical processor units (GPUs). Recent developments in hardware and software have allowed for general purpose computing with inexpensive GPU hardware. These devices are more suited for emulating hardware autocorrelators than traditional CPU-based software applications by emphasizing parallel throughput over sequential speed. Incoming data are binned in a standard multi-tau scheme with configurable points-per-bin size and are mapped into a GPU memory pattern to reduce time-expensive memory access. Applications include dynamic light scattering (DLS) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) experiments. We ran the software on a 64-core graphics pci card in a 3.2 GHz Intel i5 CPU based computer running Linux. FCS measurements were made on Alexa-546 and Texas Red dyes in a standard buffer (PBS). Software correlations were compared to hardware correlator measurements on the same signals. Supported by HHMI and Swarthmore College

Vortex-Core Reversal Dynamics: Towards Vortex Random Access Memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sang-Koog

2011-03-01

An energy-efficient, ultrahigh-density, ultrafast, and nonvolatile solid-state universal memory is a long-held dream in the field of information-storage technology. The magnetic random access memory (MRAM) along with a spin-transfer-torque switching mechanism is a strong candidate-means of realizing that dream, given its nonvolatility, infinite endurance, and fast random access. Magnetic vortices in patterned soft magnetic dots promise ground-breaking applications in information-storage devices, owing to the very stable twofold ground states of either their upward or downward core magnetization orientation and plausible core switching by in-plane alternating magnetic fields or spin-polarized currents. However, two technologically most important but very challenging issues --- low-power recording and reliable selection of each memory cell with already existing cross-point architectures --- have not yet been resolved for the basic operations in information storage, that is, writing (recording) and readout. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a magnetic vortex random access memory (VRAM) in the basic cross-point architecture. This unique VRAM offers reliable cell selection and low-power-consumption control of switching of out-of-plane core magnetizations using specially designed rotating magnetic fields generated by two orthogonal and unipolar Gaussian-pulse currents along with optimized pulse width and time delay. Our achievement of a new device based on a new material, that is, a medium composed of patterned vortex-state disks, together with the new physics on ultrafast vortex-core switching dynamics, can stimulate further fruitful research on MRAMs that are based on vortex-state dot arrays.

Expanding Access and Usage of NASA Near Real-Time Imagery and Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cechini, M.; Murphy, K. J.; Boller, R. A.; Schmaltz, J. E.; Thompson, C. K.; Huang, T.; McGann, J. M.; Ilavajhala, S.; Alarcon, C.; Roberts, J. T.

2013-12-01

In late 2009, the Land Atmosphere Near-real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) was created to greatly expand the range of near real-time data products from a variety of Earth Observing System (EOS) instruments. Since that time, NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) developed the Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS) to provide highly responsive, scalable, and expandable imagery services that distribute near real-time imagery in an intuitive and geo-referenced format. The GIBS imagery services provide access through standards-based protocols such as the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Map Tile Service (WMTS) and standard mapping file formats such as the Keyhole Markup Language (KML). Leveraging these standard mechanisms opens NASA near real-time imagery to a broad landscape of mapping libraries supporting mobile applications. By easily integrating with mobile application development libraries, GIBS makes it possible for NASA imagery to become a reliable and valuable source for end-user applications. Recently, EOSDIS has taken steps to integrate near real-time metadata products into the EOS ClearingHOuse (ECHO) metadata repository. Registration of near real-time metadata allows for near real-time data discovery through ECHO clients. In kind with the near real-time data processing requirements, the ECHO ingest model allows for low-latency metadata insertion and updates. Combining with the ECHO repository, the fast visual access of GIBS imagery can now be linked directly back to the source data file(s). Through the use of discovery standards such as OpenSearch, desktop and mobile applications can connect users to more than just an image. As data services, such as OGC Web Coverage Service, become more prevalent within the EOSDIS system, applications may even be able to connect users from imagery to data values. In addition, the full resolution GIBS imagery provides visual context to other GIS data and tools. The NASA near real-time imagery covers a broad set of Earth science disciplines. By leveraging the ECHO and GIBS services, these data can become a visual context within which other GIS activities are performed. The focus of this presentation is to discuss the GIBS imagery and ECHO metadata services facilitating near real-time discovery and usage. Existing synergies and future possibilities will also be discussed. The NASA Worldview demonstration client will be used to show an existing application combining the ECHO and GIBS services.

Does muscle creatine phosphokinase have access to the total pool of phosphocreatine plus creatine?

PubMed

Hochachka, P W; Mossey, M K

1998-03-01

Two fundamental assumptions underlie currently accepted dogma on creatine phosphokinase (CPK) function in phosphagen-containing cells: 1) CPK always operates near equilibrium and 2) CPK has access to, and reacts with, the entire pool of phosphocreatine (PCr) and creatine (Cr). We tested the latter assumption in fish fast-twitch or white muscle (WM) by introducing [14C]Cr into the WM pool in vivo. To avoid complications arising from working with muscles formed from a mixture of fast and slow fibers, it was advantageous to work with fish WM because it is uniformly fast twitch and is anatomically separated from other fiber types. According to current theory, at steady state after [14C]Cr administration, the specific activities of PCr and Cr should be the same under essentially all conditions. In contrast, we found that, in various metabolic states between rest and recovery from exercise, the specific activity of PCr greatly exceeds that of Cr. The data imply that a significant fraction of Cr is not free to rapidly exchange with exogenously added [14C]Cr. Releasing of this unlabeled or "cold" Cr on acid extraction accounts for lowered specific activities. This unexpected and provocative result is not consistent with traditional models of phosphagen function.

Application of very high harmonic fast waves for off-axis current drive in the DIII-D and FNSF-AT tokamaks

DOE PAGES

Prater, Ronald; Moeller, Charles P.; Pinsker, Robert I.; ...

2014-06-26

Fast waves at frequencies far above the ion cyclotron frequency and approaching the lower hybrid frequency (also called “helicons” or “whistlers”) have application to off-axis current drive in tokamaks with high electron beta. The high frequency causes the whistler-like behavior of the wave power nearly following field lines, but with a small radial component, so the waves spiral slowly toward the plasma center. The high frequency also contributes to strong damping. Modeling predicts robust off-axis current drive with good efficiency compared to alternatives in high performance discharges in DIII-D and Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) when the electron beta ismore » above about 1.8%. Detailed analysis of ray behavior shows that ray trajectories and damping are deterministic (that is, not strongly affected by plasma profiles or initial ray conditions), unlike the chaotic ray behavior in lower frequency fast wave experiments. Current drive was found to not be sensitive to the launched value of the parallel index of refraction n||, so wave accessibility issues can be reduced. Finally, use of a traveling wave antenna provides a very narrow n|| spectrum, which also helps avoid accessibility problems.« less

Grouper: a compact, streamable triangle mesh data structure.

PubMed

Luffel, Mark; Gurung, Topraj; Lindstrom, Peter; Rossignac, Jarek

2014-01-01

We present Grouper: an all-in-one compact file format, random-access data structure, and streamable representation for large triangle meshes. Similarly to the recently published SQuad representation, Grouper represents the geometry and connectivity of a mesh by grouping vertices and triangles into fixed-size records, most of which store two adjacent triangles and a shared vertex. Unlike SQuad, however, Grouper interleaves geometry with connectivity and uses a new connectivity representation to ensure that vertices and triangles can be stored in a coherent order that enables memory-efficient sequential stream processing. We present a linear-time construction algorithm that allows streaming out Grouper meshes using a small memory footprint while preserving the initial ordering of vertices. As a part of this construction, we show how the problem of assigning vertices and triangles to groups reduces to a well-known NP-hard optimization problem, and present a simple yet effective heuristic solution that performs well in practice. Our array-based Grouper representation also doubles as a triangle mesh data structure that allows direct access to vertices and triangles. Storing only about two integer references per triangle--i.e., less than the three vertex references stored with each triangle in a conventional indexed mesh format--Grouper answers both incidence and adjacency queries in amortized constant time. Our compact representation enables data-parallel processing on multicore computers, instant partitioning and fast transmission for distributed processing, as well as efficient out-of-core access. We demonstrate the versatility and performance benefits of Grouper using a suite of example meshes and processing kernels.

Grouper: A Compact, Streamable Triangle Mesh Data Structure

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

Luffel, Mark; Gurung, Topraj; Lindstrom, Peter

2014-01-01

Here, we present Grouper: an all-in-one compact file format, random-access data structure, and streamable representation for large triangle meshes. Similarly to the recently published SQuad representation, Grouper represents the geometry and connectivity of a mesh by grouping vertices and triangles into fixed-size records, most of which store two adjacent triangles and a shared vertex. Unlike SQuad, however, Grouper interleaves geometry with connectivity and uses a new connectivity representation to ensure that vertices and triangles can be stored in a coherent order that enables memory-efficient sequential stream processing. We also present a linear-time construction algorithm that allows streaming out Grouper meshesmore » using a small memory footprint while preserving the initial ordering of vertices. In this construction, we show how the problem of assigning vertices and triangles to groups reduces to a well-known NP-hard optimization problem, and present a simple yet effective heuristic solution that performs well in practice. Our array-based Grouper representation also doubles as a triangle mesh data structure that allows direct access to vertices and triangles. Storing only about two integer references per triangle-i.e., less than the three vertex references stored with each triangle in a conventional indexed mesh format-Grouper answers both incidence and adjacency queries in amortized constant time. Our compact representation enables data-parallel processing on multicore computers, instant partitioning and fast transmission for distributed processing, as well as efficient out-of-core access. We demonstrate the versatility and performance benefits of Grouper using a suite of example meshes and processing kernels.« less

Chronic intermittent fasting improves cognitive functions and brain structures in mice.

PubMed

Li, Liaoliao; Wang, Zhi; Zuo, Zhiyi

2013-01-01

Obesity is a major health issue. Obesity started from teenagers has become a major health concern in recent years. Intermittent fasting increases the life span. However, it is not known whether obesity and intermittent fasting affect brain functions and structures before brain aging. Here, we subjected 7-week old CD-1 wild type male mice to intermittent (alternate-day) fasting or high fat diet (45% caloric supplied by fat) for 11 months. Mice on intermittent fasting had better learning and memory assessed by the Barnes maze and fear conditioning, thicker CA1 pyramidal cell layer, higher expression of drebrin, a dendritic protein, and lower oxidative stress than mice that had free access to regular diet (control mice). Mice fed with high fat diet was obese and with hyperlipidemia. They also had poorer exercise tolerance. However, these obese mice did not present significant learning and memory impairment or changes in brain structures or oxidative stress compared with control mice. These results suggest that intermittent fasting improves brain functions and structures and that high fat diet feeding started early in life does not cause significant changes in brain functions and structures in obese middle-aged animals.

Chronic Intermittent Fasting Improves Cognitive Functions and Brain Structures in Mice

PubMed Central

Li, Liaoliao; Wang, Zhi; Zuo, Zhiyi

2013-01-01

Obesity is a major health issue. Obesity started from teenagers has become a major health concern in recent years. Intermittent fasting increases the life span. However, it is not known whether obesity and intermittent fasting affect brain functions and structures before brain aging. Here, we subjected 7-week old CD-1 wild type male mice to intermittent (alternate-day) fasting or high fat diet (45% caloric supplied by fat) for 11 months. Mice on intermittent fasting had better learning and memory assessed by the Barnes maze and fear conditioning, thicker CA1 pyramidal cell layer, higher expression of drebrin, a dendritic protein, and lower oxidative stress than mice that had free access to regular diet (control mice). Mice fed with high fat diet was obese and with hyperlipidemia. They also had poorer exercise tolerance. However, these obese mice did not present significant learning and memory impairment or changes in brain structures or oxidative stress compared with control mice. These results suggest that intermittent fasting improves brain functions and structures and that high fat diet feeding started early in life does not cause significant changes in brain functions and structures in obese middle-aged animals. PMID:23755298

Implementation of nitrogen-doped titanium-tungsten tunable heater in phase change random access memory and its effects on device performance

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

Tan, Chun Chia; Zhao, Rong, E-mail: zhao-rong@sutd.edu.sg; Chong, Tow Chong

2014-10-13

Nitrogen-doped titanium-tungsten (N-TiW) was proposed as a tunable heater in Phase Change Random Access Memory (PCRAM). By tuning N-TiW's material properties through doping, the heater can be tailored to optimize the access speed and programming current of PCRAM. Experiments reveal that N-TiW's resistivity increases and thermal conductivity decreases with increasing nitrogen-doping ratio, and N-TiW devices displayed (∼33% to ∼55%) reduced programming currents. However, there is a tradeoff between the current and speed for heater-based PCRAM. Analysis of devices with different N-TiW heaters shows that N-TiW doping levels could be optimized to enable low RESET currents and fast access speeds.

Demonstration of novel, secure, real-time, portable ultrasound transmission from an austere international location.

PubMed

Ogedegbe, Chinwe; Morchel, Herman; Hazelwood, Vikki; Hassler, Cynthia; Feldman, Joseph

2012-01-01

There is not sufficient access to medical care or medical expertise in many parts of the world. An innovative telemedicine system has been developed to provide expert medical guidance to field caregivers [who have less medical expertise but can reach the patient population in need]. Real-time ultrasound video images have been securely transmitted from the Dominican Republic to Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack NJ (HackensackUMC), while the expert physician at HackensackUMC maintained direct voice communication with the field caregiver. Utilizing a portable ultrasound machine (Sonosite) integrated with portable broadcasting device (LiveU), extended Focused Assessment Sonography in Trauma (e-FAST) examinations were performed on healthy volunteers and transmitted via the local cellular network. Additionally, two e-FAST examinations were conducted from a remote location without cellular coverage and transmitted via broad ground area network (BGAN) satellites. The demonstration took the technology "out of the lab" and into a real life, austere environment. The conditions of the Dominican Republic ultrasound mission provided experience on how to manage and utilize this innovative technology in areas where reliable communications and medical coverage are not readily available. The resilient transmission capabilities coupled with the security features deem this portable Telesonography (TS) equipment highly useful in the telemedicine forefront by offering healthcare in underdeveloped areas as well as potentially enhancing throughput in disaster situations.

Affordable and accurate large-scale hybrid-functional calculations on GPU-accelerated supercomputers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratcliff, Laura E.; Degomme, A.; Flores-Livas, José A.; Goedecker, Stefan; Genovese, Luigi

2018-03-01

Performing high accuracy hybrid functional calculations for condensed matter systems containing a large number of atoms is at present computationally very demanding or even out of reach if high quality basis sets are used. We present a highly optimized multiple graphics processing unit implementation of the exact exchange operator which allows one to perform fast hybrid functional density-functional theory (DFT) calculations with systematic basis sets without additional approximations for up to a thousand atoms. With this method hybrid DFT calculations of high quality become accessible on state-of-the-art supercomputers within a time-to-solution that is of the same order of magnitude as traditional semilocal-GGA functionals. The method is implemented in a portable open-source library.

Fast production of Bose-Einstein condensates of metastable helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouton, Q.; Chang, R.; Hoendervanger, A. L.; Nogrette, F.; Aspect, A.; Westbrook, C. I.; Clément, D.

2015-06-01

We report on the Bose-Einstein condensation of metastable 4He atoms using a hybrid approach, consisting of a magnetic quadrupole and an optical dipole trap. In our setup we cross the phase transition with 2 ×106 atoms, and we obtain pure condensates of 5 ×105 atoms in the optical trap. This approach to cooling 4He provides enhanced cycle stability, large optical access to the atoms and results in the production of a condensate every 6 s—a factor 2 faster than the state of the art. This speed-up will significantly reduce the data acquisition time needed for the measurement of many particle correlations, made possible by the ability of metastable helium atoms to be detected individually.

Supersonic Combustion in Air-Breathing Propulsion Systems for Hypersonic Flight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urzay, Javier

2018-01-01

Great efforts have been dedicated during the last decades to the research and development of hypersonic aircrafts that can fly at several times the speed of sound. These aerospace vehicles have revolutionary applications in national security as advanced hypersonic weapons, in space exploration as reusable stages for access to low Earth orbit, and in commercial aviation as fast long-range methods for air transportation of passengers around the globe. This review addresses the topic of supersonic combustion, which represents the central physical process that enables scramjet hypersonic propulsion systems to accelerate aircrafts to ultra-high speeds. The description focuses on recent experimental flights and ground-based research programs and highlights associated fundamental flow physics, subgrid-scale model development, and full-system numerical simulations.

Unified random access memory (URAM) by integration of a nanocrystal floating gate for nonvolatile memory and a partially depleted floating body for capacitorless 1T-DRAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, Seong-Wan; Han, Jin-Woo; Kim, Chung-Jin; Kim, Sungho; Choi, Yang-Kyu

2009-03-01

This paper describes a unified memory (URAM) that utilizes a nanocrystal SOI MOSFET for multi-functional applications of both nonvolatile memory (NVM) and capacitorless 1T-DRAM. By using a discrete storage node (Ag nanocrystal) as the floating gate of the NVM, high defect immunity and 2-bit/cell operation were achieved. The embedded nanocrystal NVM also showed 1T-DRAM operation (program/erase time = 100 ns) characteristics, which were realized by storing holes in the floating body of the SOI MOSFET, without requiring an external capacitor. Three-bit/cell operation was accomplished for different applications - 2-bits for nonvolatility and 1-bit for fast operation.

Fast decoding techniques for extended single-and-double-error-correcting Reed Solomon codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Costello, D. J., Jr.; Deng, H.; Lin, S.

1984-01-01

A problem in designing semiconductor memories is to provide some measure of error control without requiring excessive coding overhead or decoding time. For example, some 256K-bit dynamic random access memories are organized as 32K x 8 bit-bytes. Byte-oriented codes such as Reed Solomon (RS) codes provide efficient low overhead error control for such memories. However, the standard iterative algorithm for decoding RS codes is too slow for these applications. Some special high speed decoding techniques for extended single and double error correcting RS codes. These techniques are designed to find the error locations and the error values directly from the syndrome without having to form the error locator polynomial and solve for its roots.

PCI bus content-addressable-memory (CAM) implementation on FPGA for pattern recognition/image retrieval in a distributed environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Megherbi, Dalila B.; Yan, Yin; Tanmay, Parikh; Khoury, Jed; Woods, C. L.

2004-11-01

Recently surveillance and Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) applications are increasing as the cost of computing power needed to process the massive amount of information continues to fall. This computing power has been made possible partly by the latest advances in FPGAs and SOPCs. In particular, to design and implement state-of-the-Art electro-optical imaging systems to provide advanced surveillance capabilities, there is a need to integrate several technologies (e.g. telescope, precise optics, cameras, image/compute vision algorithms, which can be geographically distributed or sharing distributed resources) into a programmable system and DSP systems. Additionally, pattern recognition techniques and fast information retrieval, are often important components of intelligent systems. The aim of this work is using embedded FPGA as a fast, configurable and synthesizable search engine in fast image pattern recognition/retrieval in a distributed hardware/software co-design environment. In particular, we propose and show a low cost Content Addressable Memory (CAM)-based distributed embedded FPGA hardware architecture solution with real time recognition capabilities and computing for pattern look-up, pattern recognition, and image retrieval. We show how the distributed CAM-based architecture offers a performance advantage of an order-of-magnitude over RAM-based architecture (Random Access Memory) search for implementing high speed pattern recognition for image retrieval. The methods of designing, implementing, and analyzing the proposed CAM based embedded architecture are described here. Other SOPC solutions/design issues are covered. Finally, experimental results, hardware verification, and performance evaluations using both the Xilinx Virtex-II and the Altera Apex20k are provided to show the potential and power of the proposed method for low cost reconfigurable fast image pattern recognition/retrieval at the hardware/software co-design level.

Digital fast neutron radiography of steel reinforcing bar in concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitton, K.; Jones, A.; Joyce, M. J.

2014-12-01

Neutron imaging has previously been used in order to test for cracks, degradation and water content in concrete. However, these techniques often fall short of alternative non-destructive testing methods, such as γ-ray and X-ray imaging, particularly in terms of resolution. Further, thermal neutron techniques can be compromised by the significant expense associated with thermal neutron sources of sufficient intensity to yield satisfactory results that can often precipitate the need for a reactor. Such embodiments are clearly not portable in the context of the needs of field applications. This paper summarises the results of a study to investigate the potential for transmission radiography based on fast neutrons. The objective of this study was to determine whether the presence of heterogeneities in concrete, such as reinforcement structures, could be identified on the basis of variation in transmitted fast-neutron flux. Monte-Carlo simulations have been performed and the results from these are compared to those arising from practical tests using a 252Cf source. The experimental data have been acquired using a digital pulse-shape discrimination system that enables fast neutron transmission to be studied across an array of liquid scintillators placed in close proximity to samples under test, and read out in real time. Whilst this study does not yield sufficient spatial resolution, a comparison of overall flux ratios does provide a basis for the discrimination between samples with contrasting rebar content. This approach offers the potential for non-destructive testing that gives less dose, better transportability and better accessibility than competing approaches. It is also suitable for thick samples where γ-ray and X-ray methods can be limited.

Transcriptional switch of dormant tumors to fast-growing angiogenic phenotype.

PubMed

Almog, Nava; Ma, Lili; Raychowdhury, Raktima; Schwager, Christian; Erber, Ralf; Short, Sarah; Hlatky, Lynn; Vajkoczy, Peter; Huber, Peter E; Folkman, Judah; Abdollahi, Amir

2009-02-01

Tumor dormancy has important implications for early detection and treatment of cancer. Lack of experimental models and limited clinical accessibility constitute major obstacles to the molecular characterization of dormant tumors. We have developed models in which human tumors remain dormant for a prolonged period of time (>120 days) until they switch to rapid growth and become strongly angiogenic. These angiogenic tumors retain their ability to grow fast once injected in new mice. We hypothesized that dormant tumors undergo a stable genetic reprogramming during their switch to the fast-growing phenotype. Genome-wide transcriptional analysis was done to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying the switch of dormant breast carcinoma, glioblastoma, osteosarcoma, and liposarcoma tumors. A consensus expression signature distinguishing all four dormant versus switched fast-growing tumors was generated. In alignment with our phenotypic observation, the angiogenesis process was the most significantly affected functional gene category. The switch of dormant tumors was associated with down-regulation of angiogenesis inhibitor thrombospondin and decreased sensitivity of angiogenic tumors to angiostatin. The conversion of dormant tumors to exponentially growing tumors was also correlated with regulation and activation of pathways not hitherto linked to tumor dormancy process, such as endothelial cell-specific molecule-1, 5'-ecto-nucleotidase, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3, epidermal growth factor receptor, insulin-like growth factor receptor, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling. Further, novel dormancy-specific biomarkers such as H2BK and Eph receptor A5 (EphA5) were discovered. EphA5 plasma levels in mice and mRNA levels in tumor specimens of glioma patients correlated with diseases stage. These data will be instrumental in identifying novel early cancer biomarkers and could provide a rationale for development of dormancy-promoting tumor therapy strategies.

Standardizing Activation Analysis: New Software for Photon Activation Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Z. J.; Wells, D.; Segebade, C.; Green, J.

2011-06-01

Photon Activation Analysis (PAA) of environmental, archaeological and industrial samples requires extensive data analysis that is susceptible to error. For the purpose of saving time, manpower and minimizing error, a computer program was designed, built and implemented using SQL, Access 2007 and asp.net technology to automate this process. Based on the peak information of the spectrum and assisted by its PAA library, the program automatically identifies elements in the samples and calculates their concentrations and respective uncertainties. The software also could be operated in browser/server mode, which gives the possibility to use it anywhere the internet is accessible. By switching the nuclide library and the related formula behind, the new software can be easily expanded to neutron activation analysis (NAA), charged particle activation analysis (CPAA) or proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Implementation of this would standardize the analysis of nuclear activation data. Results from this software were compared to standard PAA analysis with excellent agreement. With minimum input from the user, the software has proven to be fast, user-friendly and reliable.

Individual breathing reactions measured in hemoglobin by hydrogen exchange methods.

PubMed Central

Englander, S W; Calhoun, D B; Englander, J J; Kallenbach, N R; Liem, R K; Malin, E L; Mandal, C; Rogero, J R

1980-01-01

Protein hydrogen exchange is generally believed to register some aspects of internal protein dynamics, but the kind of motion at work is not clear. Experiments are being done to identify the determinants of protein hydrogen exchange and to distinguish between local unfolding and accessibility-penetration mechanisms. Results with small molecules, polynucleotides, and proteins demonstrate that solvent accessibility is by no means sufficient for fast exchange. H-exchange slowing is quite generally connected with intramolecular H-bonding, and the exchange process depends pivotally on transient H-bond cleavage. At least in alpha-helical structures, the cooperative aspect of H-bond cleavage must be expressed in local unfolding reactions. Results obtained by use of a difference hydrogen exchange method appear to provide a direct measurement of transient, cooperative, local unfolding reactions in hemoglobin. The reality of these supposed coherent breathing units is being tested by using the difference H-exchange approach to tritium label the units one at a time and then attempting to locate the tritium by fragmenting the protein, separating the fragments, and testing them for label. Early results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach. PMID:7248462

Arterial roads and area socioeconomic status are predictors of fast food restaurant density in King County, WA

PubMed Central

Hurvitz, Philip M; Moudon, Anne V; Rehm, Colin D; Streichert, Laura C; Drewnowski, Adam

2009-01-01

Background Fast food restaurants reportedly target specific populations by locating in lower-income and in minority neighborhoods. Physical proximity to fast food restaurants has been associated with higher obesity rates. Objective To examine possible associations, at the census tract level, between area demographics, arterial road density, and fast food restaurant density in King County, WA, USA. Methods Data on median household incomes, property values, and race/ethnicity were obtained from King County and from US Census data. Fast food restaurant addresses were obtained from Public Health-Seattle & King County and were geocoded. Fast food density was expressed per tract unit area and per capita. Arterial road density was a measure of vehicular and pedestrian access. Multivariate logistic regression models containing both socioeconomic status and road density were used in data analyses. Results Over one half (53.1%) of King County census tracts had at least one fast food restaurant. Mean network distance from dwelling units to a fast food restaurant countywide was 1.40 km, and 1.07 km for census tracts containing at least one fast food restaurant. Fast food restaurant density was significantly associated in regression models with low median household income (p < 0.001) and high arterial road density (p < 0.001) but not with percent of residents who were nonwhite. Conclusion No significant association was observed between census tract minority status and fast food density in King County. Although restaurant density was linked to low household incomes, that effect was attenuated by arterial road density. Fast food restaurants in King County are more likely to be located in lower income neighborhoods and higher traffic areas. PMID:19630979

Attractors of relaxation discrete-time systems with chaotic dynamics on a fast time scale

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

Maslennikov, Oleg V.; Nekorkin, Vladimir I.

In this work, a new type of relaxation systems is considered. Their prominent feature is that they comprise two distinct epochs, one is slow regular motion and another is fast chaotic motion. Unlike traditionally studied slow-fast systems that have smooth manifolds of slow motions in the phase space and fast trajectories between them, in this new type one observes, apart the same geometric objects, areas of transient chaos. Alternating periods of slow regular motions and fast chaotic ones as well as transitions between them result in a specific chaotic attractor with chaos on a fast time scale. We formulate basicmore » properties of such attractors in the framework of discrete-time systems and consider several examples. Finally, we provide an important application of such systems, the neuronal electrical activity in the form of chaotic spike-burst oscillations.« less

Fasting time duration modulates the onset of insulin-induced hypoglycemic seizures in mice.

PubMed

Pitchaimani, Vigneshwaran; Arumugam, Somasundaram; Thandavarayan, Rajarajan Amirthalingam; Karuppagounder, Vengadeshprabhu; Afrin, Mst Rejina; Sreedhar, Remya; Harima, Meilei; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Miyashita, Shizuka; Nakamura, Takashi; Suzuki, Kenji; Nakamura, Masahiko; Ueno, Kazuyuki; Watanabe, Kenichi

2016-09-01

Fasting (48h) in mice causes resistance to insulin-induced hypoglycemic seizures (IIHS) but in rats fasting (14-16h) predisposes IIHS. So we suspect the duration of fasting may possibly affect the onset of seizures and in this study, we investigated the IIHS by administering 8 Units (U) insulin (INS)/k.g., intraperitoneally to 8 weeks old male C57BL6/J mice. The mice were divided into group 1 (non-fasted), group 2 (6h fasted) and group 3 (24h fasted) and we administered the 8U INS. The first behavioral hypoglycemic seizure symptoms such as jump, clonus or barrel rotations considered as seizure onset and we analyzed the blood glucose level (BGL) and serum beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) level. The time of first seizure onset in group 1 was 109.7±4.3min, group 2 was 46.50±3.9min and group 3 was 165.4±13.26min. The seizure onset time in group 2 was significantly decreased compared to group 1. The seizure onset time in group 3 was significantly increased compared to group 1 and group 2. The decreased BGL after INS administration was correlated with the seizure onset time in group 1 and group 2 but not in group 3. The BHB level in group 3 was significantly higher compared to group 1 and 2. Our data show that the fasting time duration significantly modulates the onset of hypoglycemic seizures. The opposite effect of 6h or 24h fasting time duration is likely caused by different BHB levels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Burst wait time simulation of CALIBAN reactor at delayed super-critical state

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

Humbert, P.; Authier, N.; Richard, B.

2012-07-01

In the past, the super prompt critical wait time probability distribution was measured on CALIBAN fast burst reactor [4]. Afterwards, these experiments were simulated with a very good agreement by solving the non-extinction probability equation [5]. Recently, the burst wait time probability distribution has been measured at CEA-Valduc on CALIBAN at different delayed super-critical states [6]. However, in the delayed super-critical case the non-extinction probability does not give access to the wait time distribution. In this case it is necessary to compute the time dependent evolution of the full neutron count number probability distribution. In this paper we present themore » point model deterministic method used to calculate the probability distribution of the wait time before a prescribed count level taking into account prompt neutrons and delayed neutron precursors. This method is based on the solution of the time dependent adjoint Kolmogorov master equations for the number of detections using the generating function methodology [8,9,10] and inverse discrete Fourier transforms. The obtained results are then compared to the measurements and Monte-Carlo calculations based on the algorithm presented in [7]. (authors)« less

CLOUDCLOUD : general-purpose instrument monitoring and data managing software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dias, António; Amorim, António; Tomé, António

2016-04-01

An effective experiment is dependent on the ability to store and deliver data and information to all participant parties regardless of their degree of involvement in the specific parts that make the experiment a whole. Having fast, efficient and ubiquitous access to data will increase visibility and discussion, such that the outcome will have already been reviewed several times, strengthening the conclusions. The CLOUD project aims at providing users with a general purpose data acquisition, management and instrument monitoring platform that is fast, easy to use, lightweight and accessible to all participants of an experiment. This work is now implemented in the CLOUD experiment at CERN and will be fully integrated with the experiment as of 2016. Despite being used in an experiment of the scale of CLOUD, this software can also be used in any size of experiment or monitoring station, from single computers to large networks of computers to monitor any sort of instrument output without influencing the individual instrument's DAQ. Instrument data and meta data is stored and accessed via a specially designed database architecture and any type of instrument output is accepted using our continuously growing parsing application. Multiple databases can be used to separate different data taking periods or a single database can be used if for instance an experiment is continuous. A simple web-based application gives the user total control over the monitored instruments and their data, allowing data visualization and download, upload of processed data and the ability to edit existing instruments or add new instruments to the experiment. When in a network, new computers are immediately recognized and added to the system and are able to monitor instruments connected to them. Automatic computer integration is achieved by a locally running python-based parsing agent that communicates with a main server application guaranteeing that all instruments assigned to that computer are monitored with parsing intervals as fast as milliseconds. This software (server+agents+interface+database) comes in easy and ready-to-use packages that can be installed in any operating system, including Android and iOS systems. This software is ideal for use in modular experiments or monitoring stations with large variability in instruments and measuring methods or in large collaborations, where data requires homogenization in order to be effectively transmitted to all involved parties. This work presents the software and provides performance comparison with previously used monitoring systems in the CLOUD experiment at CERN.

Making Dynamic Digital Maps Cross-Platform and WWW Capable

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Condit, C. D.

2001-05-01

High-quality color geologic maps are an invaluable information resource for educators, students and researchers. However, maps with large datasets that include images, or various types of movies, in addition to site locations where analytical data has been collected, are difficult to publish in a format that facilitates their easy access, distribution and use. The development of capable desktop computers and object oriented graphical programming environments has facilitated publication of such data sets in an encapsulated form. The original Dynamic Digital Map (DDM) programs, developed using the Macintosh based SuperCard programming environment, exemplified this approach, in which all data are included in a single package designed so that display and access to the data did not depend on proprietary programs. These DDMs were aimed for ease of use, and allowed data to be displayed by several methods, including point-and-click at icons pin-pointing sample (or image) locations on maps, and from clicklists of sample or site numbers. Each of these DDMs included an overview and automated tour explaining the content organization and program use. This SuperCard development culminated in a "DDM Template", which is a SuperCard shell into which SuperCard users could insert their own content and thus create their own DDMs, following instructions in an accompanying "DDM Cookbook" (URL http://www.geo.umass.edu/faculty/condit/condit2.html). These original SuperCard-based DDMs suffered two critical limitations: a single user platform (Macintosh) and, although they can be downloaded from the web, their use lacked an integration into the WWW. Over the last eight months I have been porting the DDM technology to MetaCard, which is aggressively cross-platform (11 UNIX dialects, WIN32 and Macintosh). The new MetaCard DDM is redesigned to make the maps and images accessible either from CD or the web, using the "LoadNGo" concept. LoadNGo allows the user to download the stand-alone DDM program using a standard browser, and then use the program independently to access images, maps and data with fast web connections. DDMs are intended to be a fast and inexpensive way to publish and make accessible, as an integrated product, high-quality color maps and data sets. They are not a substitute for the analytical capability of GIS; however maps produced using GIS and CAD programs can be easily integrated into DDMs. The preparation of any map product is a time consuming effort. To compliment that effort, the DDM Templates have build into them the capability to contain explanatory text at three different user levels (or perhaps in three different languages), thus one DDM may be used as both a research publication medium and an educational outreach product, with the user choosing which user mode to access the data.

CSAM: Compressed SAM format.

PubMed

Cánovas, Rodrigo; Moffat, Alistair; Turpin, Andrew

2016-12-15

Next generation sequencing machines produce vast amounts of genomic data. For the data to be useful, it is essential that it can be stored and manipulated efficiently. This work responds to the combined challenge of compressing genomic data, while providing fast access to regions of interest, without necessitating decompression of whole files. We describe CSAM (Compressed SAM format), a compression approach offering lossless and lossy compression for SAM files. The structures and techniques proposed are suitable for representing SAM files, as well as supporting fast access to the compressed information. They generate more compact lossless representations than BAM, which is currently the preferred lossless compressed SAM-equivalent format; and are self-contained, that is, they do not depend on any external resources to compress or decompress SAM files. An implementation is available at https://github.com/rcanovas/libCSAM CONTACT: canovas-ba@lirmm.frSupplementary Information: Supplementary data is available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Compact Fast Ignition experiments using Joule-class tailored drive pulses under counterbeam configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mori, Yoshitaka; Hanayama, Ryohei; Ishii, Katsuhiro; Kitagawa, Yoneyoshi; Sekine, Takashi; Takeuchi, Yasuki; Kurita, Takashi; Katoh, Yoshinori; Satoh, Nakahiro; Kurita, Norio; Kawashima, Toshiyuki; Komeda, Osamu; Hioki, Tatsumi; Motohiro, Tomoyoshi; Sunahara, Atsushi; Sentoku, Yasuhiko; Miura, Eisuke; Iwamoto, Akifumi; Sakagami, Hitoshi

2017-10-01

Fast ignition (FI) is a form of inertial confinement fusion in which the ignition step and the compression step are separate processes resulting in a reduction of the symmetry requirement for hot spot generation. One of the problems of FI so far are the accessibility of an ignition laser pulse into the assembled core in which the driver energy is converted into relativistic electrons produced in the laser-plasma interaction. We have experimentally demonstrated that a tailored-pulse-assembled core with a diameter of 70 μ m, originally a deuterated polystyrene spherical shell of 500 μ m diameter, is flashed by directly counter irradiating 0.8 J/110 fs laser pulses [Y. MORI et al., PRL 2016]. This result indicates that once the assembled core is squeezed into the target center, the heating lasers can access the core's; edges and deposit their energy into the core. In this talk, we will discuss the heating effects in relation to formation of the assembled core.

The EBI Search engine: providing search and retrieval functionality for biological data from EMBL-EBI.

PubMed

Squizzato, Silvano; Park, Young Mi; Buso, Nicola; Gur, Tamer; Cowley, Andrew; Li, Weizhong; Uludag, Mahmut; Pundir, Sangya; Cham, Jennifer A; McWilliam, Hamish; Lopez, Rodrigo

2015-07-01

The European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI-https://www.ebi.ac.uk) provides free and unrestricted access to data across all major areas of biology and biomedicine. Searching and extracting knowledge across these domains requires a fast and scalable solution that addresses the requirements of domain experts as well as casual users. We present the EBI Search engine, referred to here as 'EBI Search', an easy-to-use fast text search and indexing system with powerful data navigation and retrieval capabilities. API integration provides access to analytical tools, allowing users to further investigate the results of their search. The interconnectivity that exists between data resources at EMBL-EBI provides easy, quick and precise navigation and a better understanding of the relationship between different data types including sequences, genes, gene products, proteins, protein domains, protein families, enzymes and macromolecular structures, together with relevant life science literature. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Scalable global grid catalogue for Run3 and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez Pedreira, M.; Grigoras, C.; ALICE Collaboration

2017-10-01

The AliEn (ALICE Environment) file catalogue is a global unique namespace providing mapping between a UNIX-like logical name structure and the corresponding physical files distributed over 80 storage elements worldwide. Powerful search tools and hierarchical metadata information are integral parts of the system and are used by the Grid jobs as well as local users to store and access all files on the Grid storage elements. The catalogue has been in production since 2005 and over the past 11 years has grown to more than 2 billion logical file names. The backend is a set of distributed relational databases, ensuring smooth growth and fast access. Due to the anticipated fast future growth, we are looking for ways to enhance the performance and scalability by simplifying the catalogue schema while keeping the functionality intact. We investigated different backend solutions, such as distributed key value stores, as replacement for the relational database. This contribution covers the architectural changes in the system, together with the technology evaluation, benchmark results and conclusions.

SeqBox: RNAseq/ChIPseq reproducible analysis on a consumer game computer.

PubMed

Beccuti, Marco; Cordero, Francesca; Arigoni, Maddalena; Panero, Riccardo; Amparore, Elvio G; Donatelli, Susanna; Calogero, Raffaele A

2018-03-01

Short reads sequencing technology has been used for more than a decade now. However, the analysis of RNAseq and ChIPseq data is still computational demanding and the simple access to raw data does not guarantee results reproducibility between laboratories. To address these two aspects, we developed SeqBox, a cheap, efficient and reproducible RNAseq/ChIPseq hardware/software solution based on NUC6I7KYK mini-PC (an Intel consumer game computer with a fast processor and a high performance SSD disk), and Docker container platform. In SeqBox the analysis of RNAseq and ChIPseq data is supported by a friendly GUI. This allows access to fast and reproducible analysis also to scientists with/without scripting experience. Docker container images, docker4seq package and the GUI are available at http://www.bioinformatica.unito.it/reproducibile.bioinformatics.html. beccuti@di.unito.it. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Ga-doped indium oxide nanowire phase change random access memory cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Bo; Lim, Taekyung; Ju, Sanghyun; Latypov, Marat I.; Kim, Hyoung Seop; Meyyappan, M.; Lee, Jeong-Soo

2014-02-01

Phase change random access memory (PCRAM) devices are usually constructed using tellurium based compounds, but efforts to seek other materials providing desirable memory characteristics have continued. We have fabricated PCRAM devices using Ga-doped In2O3 nanowires with three different Ga compositions (Ga/(In+Ga) atomic ratio: 2.1%, 11.5% and 13.0%), and investigated their phase switching properties. The nanowires (˜40 nm in diameter) can be repeatedly switched between crystalline and amorphous phases, and Ga concentration-dependent memory switching behavior in the nanowires was observed with ultra-fast set/reset rates of 80 ns/20 ns, which are faster than for other competitive phase change materials. The observations of fast set/reset rates and two distinct states with a difference in resistance of two to three orders of magnitude appear promising for nonvolatile information storage. Moreover, we found that increasing the Ga concentration can reduce the power consumption and resistance drift; however, too high a level of Ga doping may cause difficulty in achieving the phase transition.

MPCM: a hardware coder for super slow motion video sequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alcocer, Estefanía; López-Granado, Otoniel; Gutierrez, Roberto; Malumbres, Manuel P.

2013-12-01

In the last decade, the improvements in VLSI levels and image sensor technologies have led to a frenetic rush to provide image sensors with higher resolutions and faster frame rates. As a result, video devices were designed to capture real-time video at high-resolution formats with frame rates reaching 1,000 fps and beyond. These ultrahigh-speed video cameras are widely used in scientific and industrial applications, such as car crash tests, combustion research, materials research and testing, fluid dynamics, and flow visualization that demand real-time video capturing at extremely high frame rates with high-definition formats. Therefore, data storage capability, communication bandwidth, processing time, and power consumption are critical parameters that should be carefully considered in their design. In this paper, we propose a fast FPGA implementation of a simple codec called modulo-pulse code modulation (MPCM) which is able to reduce the bandwidth requirements up to 1.7 times at the same image quality when compared with PCM coding. This allows current high-speed cameras to capture in a continuous manner through a 40-Gbit Ethernet point-to-point access.

Continuous water quality monitoring for the hard clam industry in Florida, USA.

PubMed

Bergquist, Derk C; Heuberger, David; Sturmer, Leslie N; Baker, Shirley M

2009-01-01

In 2000, Florida's fast-growing hard clam aquaculture industry became eligible for federal agricultural crop insurance through the US Department of Agriculture, but the responsibility for identifying the cause of mortality remained with the grower. Here we describe the continuous water quality monitoring system used to monitor hard clam aquaculture areas in Florida and show examples of the data collected with the system. Systems recording temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, water depth, turbidity and chlorophyll at 30 min intervals were installed at 10 aquaculture lease areas along Florida's Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Six of these systems sent data in real-time to a public website, and all 10 systems provided data for web-accessible archives. The systems documented environmental conditions that could negatively impact clam survival and productivity and identified biologically relevant water quality differences among clam aquaculture areas. Both the real-time and archived data were used widely by clam growers and nursery managers to make management decisions and in filing crop loss insurance claims. While the systems were labor and time intensive, we recommend adjustments that could reduce costs and staff time requirements.

24 CFR Appendix I to Subpart B of... - Definition of Acoustical Quantities

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... National Standard Specification for Type 1 Sound Level Meters S1.4-1971. Fast time-averaging and A...), somewhat as is the ear. With fast time averaging the sound level meter responds particularly to recent... (iii) The maximum sound level obtained with fast averaging time of a sound level meter exceeds the...

24 CFR Appendix I to Subpart B of... - Definition of Acoustical Quantities

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... National Standard Specification for Type 1 Sound Level Meters S1.4-1971. Fast time-averaging and A...), somewhat as is the ear. With fast time averaging the sound level meter responds particularly to recent... (iii) The maximum sound level obtained with fast averaging time of a sound level meter exceeds the...

24 CFR Appendix I to Subpart B of... - Definition of Acoustical Quantities

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... National Standard Specification for Type 1 Sound Level Meters S1.4-1971. Fast time-averaging and A...), somewhat as is the ear. With fast time averaging the sound level meter responds particularly to recent... (iii) The maximum sound level obtained with fast averaging time of a sound level meter exceeds the...

24 CFR Appendix I to Subpart B of... - Definition of Acoustical Quantities

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... National Standard Specification for Type 1 Sound Level Meters S1.4-1971. Fast time-averaging and A...), somewhat as is the ear. With fast time averaging the sound level meter responds particularly to recent... (iii) The maximum sound level obtained with fast averaging time of a sound level meter exceeds the...

Effects of Housing Systems on Behaviour, Performance and Welfare of Fast-growing Broilers

PubMed Central

Zhao, Zi-guang; Li, Jian-hong; Li, Xiang; Bao, Jun

2014-01-01

This experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of different housing systems on behavioral activities, welfare and meat quality of fast-growing broilers. Two hundred broilers were allocated into two housing systems: indoor housing vs indoor with outdoor access. Their general behavior (feeding, drinking, fighting, standing, lying, walking, investigating, dust-bathing and preening) was observed, and tonic immobility, fluctuating asymmetry of legs and wings were measured, and meat quality was analyzed. The results showed that the indoor-housed broilers with outdoor access had significant higher standing, walking, investigating, dust-bathing and preening than those indoor only. However, farming system was not found to significantly affect their feeding, drinking and fighting activities (p>0.05). The value of FA of tibia length of the broilers with outdoor access was significantly lower than that of the indoor-housed birds (1.57±1.30 vs 2.76±1.40, p<0.05), while no difference was found for the value of FA in tibia diameter and wing length (p>0.05). TI of the broilers with outdoor access was 165.5 that was significantly higher than that (147.2) of the indoor birds (p<0.05). However, death rate in the outdoor run groups was significantly higher than that of the indoor ones (2.0±0.81 vs 4.0±0.82, p<0.05). Meat quality was not affected by the two farming systems. It can be concluded that the results of this study may suggest that the indoor housing with outdoor access provides enriched environment for broilers and facilitates the expression of natural behaviors of the broilers but resulted in poorer performance and higher death rate. PMID:25049936

Convenient Access to Professional Interpreters in the Hospital Decreases Readmission Rates and Estimated Hospital Expenditures for Patients With Limited English Proficiency.

PubMed

Karliner, Leah S; Pérez-Stable, Eliseo J; Gregorich, Steven E

2017-03-01

Twenty-five million people in the United States have limited English proficiency (LEP); this growing and aging population experiences worse outcomes when hospitalized. Federal requirements that hospitals provide language access services are very challenging to implement in the fast-paced, 24-hour hospital environment. To determine if increasing access to professional interpreters improves hospital outcomes for older patients with LEP. Natural experiment on a medicine floor of an academic hospital. Patients age 50 years or above discharged between January 15, 2007 and January 15, 2010. Dual-handset interpreter telephone at every bedside July 15, 2008 to Mar 14, 2009. Thirty-day readmission, length of stay, estimated hospital expenditures. Of 8077 discharges, 1963 were for LEP, and 6114 for English proficient patients. There was a significant decrease in observed 30-day readmission rates for the LEP group during the 8-month intervention period compared with 18 months preintervention (17.8% vs. 13.4%); at the same time English proficient readmission rates increased (16.7% vs. 19.7%); results remained significant in adjusted analyses. This improved readmission outcome for the LEP group was not maintained during the subsequent postintervention period when the telephones became less accessible. There was no significant intervention impact on length of stay in either unadjusted or adjusted analyses. After accounting for interpreter services costs, the estimated 119 readmissions averted during the intervention period were associated with estimated monthly hospital expenditure savings of $161,404. Comprehensive language access represents an important, high value service that all medical centers should provide to achieve equitable, quality healthcare for vulnerable LEP populations.

Convenient Access to Professional Interpreters in the Hospital Decreases Readmission Rates and Estimated Hospital Expenditures for Patients with Limited English Proficiency

PubMed Central

Karliner, Leah S.; Pérez-Stable, Eliseo J.; Gregorich, Steven E.

2016-01-01

Background Twenty-five million people in the U.S. have limited English proficiency (LEP); this growing and aging population experiences worse outcomes when hospitalized. Federal requirements that hospitals provide language access services are very challenging to implement in the fast-paced, 24-hour hospital environment. Objective Determine if increasing access to professional interpreters improves hospital outcomes for older patients with LEP Design Natural experiment on a medicine floor of an academic hospital Participants Patients age ≥50 discharged between Jan 15, 2007–Jan 15, 2010. Exposure Dual-handset interpreter telephone at every bedside July 15, 2008–Mar 14, 2009 Outcome Measures 30-day readmission, length of stay (LOS), estimated hospital expenditures Results Of 8,077 discharges, 1,963 were for LEP, and 6,114 for English-proficient (EP) patients. There was a significant decrease in observed 30-day readmission rates for the LEP group during the 8-month intervention period compared to 18 months pre-intervention (17.8% vs. 13.4%); at the same time EP readmission rates increased (16.7% vs. 19.7%); results remained significant in adjusted analyses. This improved readmission outcome for the LEP group was not maintained during the subsequent post-intervention period when the telephones became less accessible. There was no significant intervention impact on LOS in either unadjusted or adjusted analyses. After accounting for interpreter services costs, the estimated 119 readmissions averted during the intervention period were associated with estimated monthly hospital expenditure savings of $161,404. Conclusions Comprehensive language access represents an important, high value service that all medical centers should provide in order to achieve equitable, quality healthcare for vulnerable LEP populations. PMID:27579909

Seawater drinking restores water balance in dehydrated harp seals.

PubMed

How, Ole-Jakob; Nordøy, Erling S

2007-07-01

The purpose of this study was to answer the question of whether dehydrated harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) are able to obtain a net gain of water from the intake of seawater. Following 24 h of fasting, three subadult female harp seals were dehydrated by intravenous administration of the osmotic diuretic, mannitol. After another 24 h of fasting, the seals were given 1,000 ml seawater via a stomach tube. Urine and blood were collected for measurement of osmolality and osmolytes, while total body water (TBW) was determined by injections of tritiated water. In all seals, the maximum urinary concentrations of Na(+) and Cl(-) were higher than in seawater, reaching 540 and 620 mM, respectively, compared to 444 and 535 mM in seawater. In another experiment, the seals were given ad lib access to seawater for 48 h after mannitol-induced hyper-osmotic dehydration. In animals without access to seawater, the mean blood osmolality increased from 331 to 363 mOsm kg(-1) during dehydration. In contrast, the blood osmolality, hematocrit and TBW returned to normal when the seals were permitted ad lib access to seawater after dehydration. In conclusion, this study shows that harp seals have the capacity to gain net water from mariposa (voluntarily drinking seawater) and are able to restore water balance after profound dehydration by drinking seawater.

The kinetics of competitive antagonists on guinea-pig ileum.

PubMed Central

Roberts, F; Stephenson, R P

1976-01-01

1 The kinetics of action of some competitive muscarinic and histamine antagonists were examined on guinea-pig isolated ileum and their behaviour compared with the predictions of the interaction-limited model described by Paton (1961). 2 The kinetics of antagonism were not consistent with the predictions of this model: (1) The apparent dissociation rate constant calculated from the decrease in occupancy on washout was not independent of the concentration of antagonist. (2) The dissociation rate constant of a 'slow' antagonist calculated from the change in occupancy when a 'fast' antagonist was superimposed varied with the concentration of fast antagonist. (3) If the concentration of slow antagonist was increased when the fast antagonist was superimposed so that the equilibrium occupancy of the 'slow' was the same as before, a transitional phase was observed. 3 The kinetics of antagonism were observed in longitudinal muscle strips and intact pieces of ileum, bathed in Tyrode or Krebs solution, and with isometric and isotonic recording. No evidence was found that the discrepancies between the interaction-limited model and the observed kinetics could be accounted for by the experimental method used. 4 It is therefore concluded that either access is rate-limiting in these circumstances or, if interaction is rate-limiting, some alternative interaction-limited model is required to describe the kinetics of antagonism. In either case it would seem unwise at this time to calculate antagonist-receptor rate constants from the observed kinetics of antagonism. PMID:974378

TGF Observations From A Small, Low-Cost, Low-Mass, High-Speed Versatile Detector System.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sample, J. G.; Smith, D. M.; Johnson, J.; Varney, C.; Gannon, J.; Hunter, S.; Murtaugh, J.; Durtka, J.; Cunningham, B.

2017-12-01

The Light And Fast TGF Recorder or LAFTR is a NASA-University Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) that is designed to observe Terrestrial Gamma Flashes from a sounding balloon. LAFTR is a joint project between UC-Santa Cruz and Montana State University. LAFTR utilizes a small plastic scintillator with a fast shaped SiPM readout and a comparator based digitization similar to ADELE but with 6 energy channels. The discriminator bank is read out with a low-cost FPGA and data stored on board for recovery. LAFTR is able to time-tag gamma ray photons to 10ns at an approximate maximum rate of >5 MCounts/s. The entire systems fits well within the 6lb limit for unrestricted balloon launching and launch plans will be in advance of approaching thunderstorms. The small size of the scintillator and fast counting are ideal for unsaturated observations from near the TGF generation region which LAFTR will access via a valved latex balloon developed by the BOREALIS program at MSU. The valved balloon allows for a flight of several hours at >15km altitude. A test flight is planned for Fall 2017 followed by science observation flights throughout the next year. Although designed for single balloon flights, the low-cost nature of LAFTR potentially allows for many units to be produced allowing multi-point measurements and distributed arrays of ground and tower-based TGF observations as it affords significant student experiences throughout.

Fast associative memory + slow neural circuitry = the computational model of the brain.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berkovich, Simon; Berkovich, Efraim; Lapir, Gennady

1997-08-01

We propose a computational model of the brain based on a fast associative memory and relatively slow neural processors. In this model, processing time is expensive but memory access is not, and therefore most algorithmic tasks would be accomplished by using large look-up tables as opposed to calculating. The essential feature of an associative memory in this context (characteristic for a holographic type memory) is that it works without an explicit mechanism for resolution of multiple responses. As a result, the slow neuronal processing elements, overwhelmed by the flow of information, operate as a set of templates for ranking of the retrieved information. This structure addresses the primary controversy in the brain architecture: distributed organization of memory vs. localization of processing centers. This computational model offers an intriguing explanation of many of the paradoxical features in the brain architecture, such as integration of sensors (through DMA mechanism), subliminal perception, universality of software, interrupts, fault-tolerance, certain bizarre possibilities for rapid arithmetics etc. In conventional computer science the presented type of a computational model did not attract attention as it goes against the technological grain by using a working memory faster than processing elements.

Complete Quantum Control of a Single Silicon-Vacancy Center in a Diamond Nanopillar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jingyuan Linda; Lagoudakis, Konstantinos G.; Tzeng, Yan-Kai; Dory, Constantin; Radulaski, Marina; Kelaita, Yousif; Shen, Zhi-Xun; Melosh, Nicholas A.; Chu, Steven; Vuckovic, Jelena

Coherent quantum control of a quantum bit (qubit) is an important step towards its use in a quantum network. SiV- center in diamond offers excellent physical qualities such as low inhomogeneous broadening, fast photon emission, and a large Debye-Waller factor, while the fast spin manipulation and techniques to extend the spin coherence time are under active investigation. Here, we demonstrate full coherent control over the state of a single SiV- center in a diamond nanopillar using ultrafast optical pulses. The high quality of the chemical vapor deposition grown SiV- centers allows us to coherently manipulate and quasi-resonantly read out the state of the single SiV- center. Moreover, the SiV- centers being coherently controlled are integrated into diamond nanopillar arrays in a site-controlled, individually addressable manner with high yield, low strain, and high spectral stability, which paves the way for scalable on chip optically accessible quantum system in a quantum photonic network. Financial support is provided by the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences through Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences (SIMES) under contract DE-AC02-76SF00515.

Utility of a Web-based intervention for individuals with type 2 diabetes: the impact on physical activity levels and glycemic control.

PubMed

Kim, Chun-Ja; Kang, Duck-Hee

2006-01-01

Despite the numerous benefits of physical activity for patients with diabetes, most healthcare providers in busy clinical settings rarely find time to counsel their patients about it. A Web-based program for healthcare providers can be used as an effective counseling tool, when strategies are outlined for specific stages of readiness for physical activity. Seventy-three adults with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to Web-based intervention, printed-material intervention, or usual care. After 12 weeks, the effects of the interventions on physical activity, fasting blood sugar, and glycosylated hemoglobin were evaluated. Both Web-based and printed material intervention, compared with usual care, were effective in increasing physical activity (P < .001) and decreasing fasting blood sugar (P<.01) and glycosylated hemoglobin (P < .01). Post hoc analysis for change scores indicated significant differences between Web-based intervention and usual care and between printed material intervention and usual care, but not between web-based and printed material intervention. The findings of this study support the value of Web-based and printed material interventions in healthcare counseling. With increasing Web access, the effectiveness of Web-based programs offered directly to patients needs to be tested.

Emergency pediatric anesthesia - accessibility of information.

PubMed

King, Hannah; Pipe, Georgina E M; Linford, Sarah L; Moppett, Iain K; Armstrong, James A M

2015-03-01

Emergency pediatric situations are stressful for all involved. Variation in weight, physiology, and anatomy can be substantial and errors in calculating drugs and fluids can be catastrophic. To evaluate the reliability of information resources that anesthetic trainees might use when faced with common pediatric emergencies. Anesthetic trainees from a single UK deanery were recruited and timed while they identified 18 predetermined pieces of information from three Advanced Pediatric Life Support (APLS) scenarios. The two most popular smartphone applications identified from a previous survey, PaedsED (PaedsED. iED limited, Version 1.0.8, Updated March 2011. ©2009) and Anapaed (AnaPaed. Thierry Girard, Version 1.4.2, Updated Nov 2, 2012. ©Thierry Girard), the British National Formulary for Children (cBNF) and trainee's inherent knowledge were compared with a local, check-list style, handbook of pediatric emergency algorithms - Pediatric Anesthetic Emergency Data sheets (PAEDs). Twenty anesthetic trainees were recruited. The fastest source of information was the trainees own knowledge (median 61 s, IQR 51-83 s). Second fastest was PAEDs (80, [59-110] s), followed by PaedsED (84, [65-111]). The most accurate source overall was PaedsED (100, [83-100]) although the accuracy varied between scenarios. The handbook was rated as the most popular resource by the trainees. Although fastest, trainees own knowledge is inaccurate, highlighting the need for additional, rapidly accessible, information. Of the two smartphone applications, PaedsED proved to be fast, accurate, and more popular, while Anapaed was accurate but slow to use. The PAEDs handbook, with its checklist-style format, was also fast, accurate and rated the most popular information source. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hardware architecture design of a fast global motion estimation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Chaobing; Sang, Hongshi; Shen, Xubang

2015-12-01

VLSI implementation of gradient-based global motion estimation (GME) faces two main challenges: irregular data access and high off-chip memory bandwidth requirement. We previously proposed a fast GME method that reduces computational complexity by choosing certain number of small patches containing corners and using them in a gradient-based framework. A hardware architecture is designed to implement this method and further reduce off-chip memory bandwidth requirement. On-chip memories are used to store coordinates of the corners and template patches, while the Gaussian pyramids of both the template and reference frame are stored in off-chip SDRAMs. By performing geometric transform only on the coordinates of the center pixel of a 3-by-3 patch in the template image, a 5-by-5 area containing the warped 3-by-3 patch in the reference image is extracted from the SDRAMs by burst read. Patched-based and burst mode data access helps to keep the off-chip memory bandwidth requirement at the minimum. Although patch size varies at different pyramid level, all patches are processed in term of 3x3 patches, so the utilization of the patch-processing circuit reaches 100%. FPGA implementation results show that the design utilizes 24,080 bits on-chip memory and for a sequence with resolution of 352x288 and frequency of 60Hz, the off-chip bandwidth requirement is only 3.96Mbyte/s, compared with 243.84Mbyte/s of the original gradient-based GME method. This design can be used in applications like video codec, video stabilization, and super-resolution, where real-time GME is a necessity and minimum memory bandwidth requirement is appreciated.

Towards real-time photon Monte Carlo dose calculation in the cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziegenhein, Peter; Kozin, Igor N.; Kamerling, Cornelis Ph; Oelfke, Uwe

2017-06-01

Near real-time application of Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculation in clinic and research is hindered by the long computational runtimes of established software. Currently, fast MC software solutions are available utilising accelerators such as graphical processing units (GPUs) or clusters based on central processing units (CPUs). Both platforms are expensive in terms of purchase costs and maintenance and, in case of the GPU, provide only limited scalability. In this work we propose a cloud-based MC solution, which offers high scalability of accurate photon dose calculations. The MC simulations run on a private virtual supercomputer that is formed in the cloud. Computational resources can be provisioned dynamically at low cost without upfront investment in expensive hardware. A client-server software solution has been developed which controls the simulations and transports data to and from the cloud efficiently and securely. The client application integrates seamlessly into a treatment planning system. It runs the MC simulation workflow automatically and securely exchanges simulation data with the server side application that controls the virtual supercomputer. Advanced encryption standards were used to add an additional security layer, which encrypts and decrypts patient data on-the-fly at the processor register level. We could show that our cloud-based MC framework enables near real-time dose computation. It delivers excellent linear scaling for high-resolution datasets with absolute runtimes of 1.1 seconds to 10.9 seconds for simulating a clinical prostate and liver case up to 1% statistical uncertainty. The computation runtimes include the transportation of data to and from the cloud as well as process scheduling and synchronisation overhead. Cloud-based MC simulations offer a fast, affordable and easily accessible alternative for near real-time accurate dose calculations to currently used GPU or cluster solutions.

Towards real-time photon Monte Carlo dose calculation in the cloud.

PubMed

Ziegenhein, Peter; Kozin, Igor N; Kamerling, Cornelis Ph; Oelfke, Uwe

2017-06-07

Near real-time application of Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculation in clinic and research is hindered by the long computational runtimes of established software. Currently, fast MC software solutions are available utilising accelerators such as graphical processing units (GPUs) or clusters based on central processing units (CPUs). Both platforms are expensive in terms of purchase costs and maintenance and, in case of the GPU, provide only limited scalability. In this work we propose a cloud-based MC solution, which offers high scalability of accurate photon dose calculations. The MC simulations run on a private virtual supercomputer that is formed in the cloud. Computational resources can be provisioned dynamically at low cost without upfront investment in expensive hardware. A client-server software solution has been developed which controls the simulations and transports data to and from the cloud efficiently and securely. The client application integrates seamlessly into a treatment planning system. It runs the MC simulation workflow automatically and securely exchanges simulation data with the server side application that controls the virtual supercomputer. Advanced encryption standards were used to add an additional security layer, which encrypts and decrypts patient data on-the-fly at the processor register level. We could show that our cloud-based MC framework enables near real-time dose computation. It delivers excellent linear scaling for high-resolution datasets with absolute runtimes of 1.1 seconds to 10.9 seconds for simulating a clinical prostate and liver case up to 1% statistical uncertainty. The computation runtimes include the transportation of data to and from the cloud as well as process scheduling and synchronisation overhead. Cloud-based MC simulations offer a fast, affordable and easily accessible alternative for near real-time accurate dose calculations to currently used GPU or cluster solutions.

The Subglacial Access and Fast Ice Research Experiment (SAFIRE): 1. Programme of investigation on Store Glacier, West Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christoffersen, Poul; Hubbard, Bryn; Bougamont, Marion; Doyle, Samuel; Young, Tun Jan; Hofstede, Coen; Nicholls, Keith; Todd, Joe; Box, Jason; Ryan, Johnny; Toberg, Nick; Walter, Jacob; Hubbard, Alun

2015-04-01

Marine-terminating outlet glaciers drain 90 percent of the Greenland Ice Sheet and are responsible for about half of the ice sheet's net annual mass loss, which currently raises global sea level by almost 1 mm per year. Understanding the processes that drive the fast flow of these glaciers is crucial because a growing body of evidence points to a strong, but spatially varied and often complex, response to oceanographic as well as atmospheric forcing. While the bed of glaciers elsewhere is known to strongly influence the flow of ice, no observations have ever been made at the bed of a marine-terminating glacier in Greenland. The flow of ice in numerical models of the Greenland Ice Sheet consequently rely on untested basal parameterisations, which form a likely and potentially significant source of error in the prediction of sea level rise over the coming decades and century. The Subglacial Access and Fast Ice Research Experiment (SAFIRE) is addressing this paucity of observational constraints by gaining access to the bed of Store Glacier, a marine-terminating outlet of the Greenland Ice Sheet which has a drainage basin of 35,000 square kilometres and terminates in Uummannaq Fjord. In 2014, the SAFIRE programme drilled four boreholes in a region where ice flows at a rate of 700 m per year and where a seismic survey revealed a bed consisting of soft sediment. (See joint abstract by Hofstede et al. for details.) The boreholes were 603-616 m deep and direct access to the bed was confirmed by a clear hydrological connectivity with a basal water system. (See joint abstract by Doyle et al. for details.) With sensors deployed englacially (temperature and tilt) and at the bed (water pressure, turbidity, electrical conductivity), the SAFIRE will inform the ratio of internal ice deformation and basal slip, vertical strain, ice temperature, and fluctuations in water pressure linked to supraglacial lake drainage as well as diurnal drainage into moulins. In 2015, we plan to extract core samples from the bed in order to establish the rheology of the basal sediment and use repeat inclinometry to verify basal and englacial ice deformation rates, while using an optical televiewer to identify layering and texture of ice. With the additional installation of instruments on the glacier's surface (GPS, AWS, passive seismics and radar) and forefield (time-lapse cameras and repeat UAV missions over the calving ice front), the SAFIRE project aims to resolve the basal control on ice flow as well as the dynamics associated with iceberg calving. The observational outcomes will demonstrate how the flow of a major marine terminating outlet glacier in Greenland is influenced by atmospheric and oceanic forcings, while also enabling numerical ice flow modelling to be undertaken with a much improved basal parameterisation.

Development of a fast PCR protocol enabling rapid generation of AmpFℓSTR® Identifiler® profiles for genotyping of human DNA

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Traditional PCR methods for forensic STR genotyping require approximately 2.5 to 4 hours to complete, contributing a significant portion of the time required to process forensic DNA samples. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a fast PCR protocol that enabled amplification of the 16 loci targeted by the AmpFℓSTR® Identifiler® primer set, allowing decreased cycling times. Methods Fast PCR conditions were achieved by substituting the traditional Taq polymerase for SpeedSTAR™ HS DNA polymerase which is designed for fast PCR, by upgrading to a thermal cycler with faster temperature ramping rates and by modifying cycling parameters (less time at each temperature) and adopting a two-step PCR approach. Results The total time required for the optimized protocol is 26 min. A total of 147 forensically relevant DNA samples were amplified using the fast PCR protocol for Identifiler. Heterozygote peak height ratios were not affected by fast PCR conditions, and full profiles were generated for single-source DNA amounts between 0.125 ng and 2.0 ng. Individual loci in profiles produced with the fast PCR protocol exhibited average n-4 stutter percentages ranging from 2.5 ± 0.9% (THO1) to 9.9 ± 2.7% (D2S1338). No increase in non-adenylation or other amplification artefacts was observed. Minor contributor alleles in two-person DNA mixtures were reliably discerned. Low level cross-reactivity (monomorphic peaks) was observed with some domestic animal DNA. Conclusions The fast PCR protocol presented offers a feasible alternative to current amplification methods and could aid in reducing the overall time in STR profile production or could be incorporated into a fast STR genotyping procedure for time-sensitive situations. PMID:22394458

Development of a fast PCR protocol enabling rapid generation of AmpFℓSTR® Identifiler® profiles for genotyping of human DNA.

PubMed

Foster, Amanda; Laurin, Nancy

2012-03-06

Traditional PCR methods for forensic STR genotyping require approximately 2.5 to 4 hours to complete, contributing a significant portion of the time required to process forensic DNA samples. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a fast PCR protocol that enabled amplification of the 16 loci targeted by the AmpFℓSTR® Identifiler® primer set, allowing decreased cycling times. Fast PCR conditions were achieved by substituting the traditional Taq polymerase for SpeedSTAR™ HS DNA polymerase which is designed for fast PCR, by upgrading to a thermal cycler with faster temperature ramping rates and by modifying cycling parameters (less time at each temperature) and adopting a two-step PCR approach. The total time required for the optimized protocol is 26 min. A total of 147 forensically relevant DNA samples were amplified using the fast PCR protocol for Identifiler. Heterozygote peak height ratios were not affected by fast PCR conditions, and full profiles were generated for single-source DNA amounts between 0.125 ng and 2.0 ng. Individual loci in profiles produced with the fast PCR protocol exhibited average n-4 stutter percentages ranging from 2.5 ± 0.9% (THO1) to 9.9 ± 2.7% (D2S1338). No increase in non-adenylation or other amplification artefacts was observed. Minor contributor alleles in two-person DNA mixtures were reliably discerned. Low level cross-reactivity (monomorphic peaks) was observed with some domestic animal DNA. The fast PCR protocol presented offers a feasible alternative to current amplification methods and could aid in reducing the overall time in STR profile production or could be incorporated into a fast STR genotyping procedure for time-sensitive situations.

[Preoperative fasting and fluid management in pediatric patients].

PubMed

Sumiyoshi, Rieko

2013-09-01

Preoperative fasting is principally intended to minimize the risk of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents and facilitate the safe and efficient conduct of anesthesia. Liberalization of fasting guidelines has been implemented in most countries. In general, clear fluids are allowed up to 2h before anesthesia, and light meals up to 6h. In infants, most recommendations now allow breast milk feeding up to 4h and other kinds of milk up to 6h. Recently, the concept of preoperative oral rehydration using a carbohydrate-rich beverage up to 2h has also gained support. Drinking carbohydrate-rich fluids before elective surgery may reduce dehydration, improve hemodynamic stability under anesthesia, facilitate intravenous access, maintain glucose homeostasis, reduce patient irritability, and improve child and parent satisfaction. These guidelines apply to healthy children only. Exclusion criteria included obesity, diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux, ileus, bowel obstruction and emergency care. In particular, trauma and other emergency cases are at higher risk for aspiration regardless of fasting interval and should be managed appropriately.

Physiological and chemical analysis of neurotransmitter candidates at a fast excitatory synapse in the jellyfish Cyanea capillata (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa).

PubMed

Anderson, Peter A V; Trapido-Rosenthal, H G

2009-12-01

Motor nerve net (MNN) neurons in the jellyfish Cyanea capillata communicate with one another by way of fast, bidirectional excitatory chemical synapses. As is the case with almost all identified chemical synapses in cnidarians, the identity of the neurotransmitter at these synapses is unclear. MNN neurons are large enough for stable intracellular recordings. This, together with the fact that they can be exposed, providing unlimited access to them and to their synapses, prompted a study of the action of a variety of neurotransmitter candidates, including those typically associated with fast synapses in higher animals. Only the amino acids taurine and beta-alanine produced physiological responses consistent with those of the normal EPSP in these cells. Moreover, chemical analysis revealed that both taurine and beta-alanine are present in the neurons and released by depolarization. These various findings strongly suggest that either or both of these amino acids, or a closely related compound is the neurotransmitter at the fast chemical synapses between MNN neurons.

Characterizing a fast-response, low-afterglow liquid scintillator for neutron time-of-flight diagnostics in fast ignition experiments.

PubMed

Abe, Y; Hosoda, H; Arikawa, Y; Nagai, T; Kojima, S; Sakata, S; Inoue, H; Iwasa, Y; Iwano, K; Yamanoi, K; Fujioka, S; Nakai, M; Sarukura, N; Shiraga, H; Norimatsu, T; Azechi, H

2014-11-01

The characteristics of oxygen-enriched liquid scintillators with very low afterglow are investigated and optimized for application to a single-hit neutron spectrometer for fast ignition experiments. It is found that 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene has better characteristics as a liquid scintillator solvent than the conventional solvent, p-xylene. In addition, a benzophenon-doped BBQ liquid scintillator is shown to demonstrate very rapid time response, and therefore has potential for further use in neutron diagnostics with fast time resolution.

Training the Multi-Cultural Manager.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neill, Vincent

A West German electronics corporation designed a workshop to provide managers with fast access to the American culture through the cues provided in American language. The aim was to promote more effective communication with American business partners through sensitization to American communication styles, their principal modes of expression, their…

Fasting Might Not Be Necessary Before Lipid Screening: A Nationally Representative Cross-sectional Study

PubMed Central

Skinner, Asheley Cockrell; Perrin, Eliana M.

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND: There are barriers to fasting lipid screening for at-risk children. Results of studies in adults have suggested that lipid testing might be reliably performed without fasting. OBJECTIVE: To examine population-level differences in pediatric lipid values based on length of fast before testing. METHODS: We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2008) to examine total cholesterol (TC), HDL (high-density lipoprotein), LDL (low-density lipoprotein), and triglyceride cholesterol components on the basis of the period of fasting. Young children fasted for varying times before being tested, and children older than 12 years were asked to fast; however, adherence was variable. We used ordinary least-squares regression to test for differences in lipid values that were based on fasting times, controlling for weight status, age, race, ethnicity, and gender. RESULTS: TC, HDL, LDL, or triglyceride values were available for 12 744 children. Forty-eight percent of the TC and HDL samples and 80% of the LDL and triglyceride samples were collected from children who had fasted ≥8 hours. Fasting had a small positive effect for TC, HDL, and LDL, resulting in a mean value for the sample that was 2 to 5 mg/dL higher with a 12-hour fast compared with a no-fast sample. Fasting time had a negative effect on triglycerides (β = −0.859; P = .02), which resulted in values in the fasting group that were 7 mg/dL lower. DISCUSSION: Comparison of cholesterol screening results for a nonfasting group of children compared with results for a similar fasting group resulted in small differences that are likely not clinically important. Physicians might be able to decrease the burden of childhood cholesterol screening by not requiring prescreening fasting for these components. PMID:21807697

The Generalized Centroid Difference method for lifetime measurements via γ-γ coincidences using large fast-timing arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Régis, J.-M.; Jolie, J.; Mach, H.; Simpson, G. S.; Blazhev, A.; Pascovici, G.; Pfeiffer, M.; Rudigier, M.; Saed-Samii, N.; Warr, N.; Blanc, A.; de France, G.; Jentschel, M.; Köster, U.; Mutti, P.; Soldner, T.; Ur, C. A.; Urban, W.; Bruce, A. M.; Drouet, F.; Fraile, L. M.; Ilieva, S.; Korten, W.; Kröll, T.; Lalkovski, S.; Mărginean, S.; Paziy, V.; Podolyák, Zs.; Regan, P. H.; Stezowski, O.; Vancraeyenest, A.

2015-05-01

A novel method for direct electronic "fast-timing" lifetime measurements of nuclear excited states via γ-γ coincidences using an array equipped with N very fast high-resolution LaBr3(Ce) scintillator detectors is presented. The generalized centroid difference method provides two independent "start" and "stop" time spectra obtained without any correction by a superposition of the N(N - 1)/2 calibrated γ-γ time difference spectra of the N detector fast-timing system. The two fast-timing array time spectra correspond to a forward and reverse gating of a specific γ-γ cascade and the centroid difference as the time shift between the centroids of the two time spectra provides a picosecond-sensitive mirror-symmetric observable of the set-up. The energydependent mean prompt response difference between the start and stop events is calibrated and used as a single correction for lifetime determination. These combined fast-timing array mean γ-γ zero-time responses can be determined for 40 keV < Eγ < 1.4 MeV with a precision better than 10 ps using a 152Eu γ-ray source. The new method is described with examples of (n,γ) and (n,f,γ) experiments performed at the intense cold-neutron beam facility PF1B of the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France, using 16 LaBr3(Ce) detectors within the EXILL&FATIMA campaign in 2013. The results are discussed with respect to possible systematic errors induced by background contributions.

How state taxes and policies targeting soda consumption modify the association between school vending machines and student dietary behaviors: a cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Taber, Daniel R; Chriqui, Jamie F; Vuillaume, Renee; Chaloupka, Frank J

2014-01-01

Sodas are widely sold in vending machines and other school venues in the United States, particularly in high school. Research suggests that policy changes have reduced soda access, but the impact of reduced access on consumption is unclear. This study was designed to identify student, environmental, or policy characteristics that modify the associations between school vending machines and student dietary behaviors. Data on school vending machine access and student diet were obtained as part of the National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study (NYPANS) and linked to state-level data on soda taxes, restaurant taxes, and state laws governing the sale of soda in schools. Regression models were used to: 1) estimate associations between vending machine access and soda consumption, fast food consumption, and lunch source, and 2) determine if associations were modified by state soda taxes, restaurant taxes, laws banning in-school soda sales, or student characteristics (race/ethnicity, sex, home food access, weight loss behaviors.). Contrary to the hypothesis, students tended to consume 0.53 fewer servings of soda/week (95% CI: -1.17, 0.11) and consume fast food on 0.24 fewer days/week (95% CI: -0.44, -0.05) if they had in-school access to vending machines. They were also less likely to consume soda daily (23.9% vs. 27.9%, average difference  =  -4.02, 95% CI: -7.28, -0.76). However, these inverse associations were observed primarily among states with lower soda and restaurant tax rates (relative to general food tax rates) and states that did not ban in-school soda sales. Associations did not vary by any student characteristics except for weight loss behaviors. Isolated changes to the school food environment may have unintended consequences unless policymakers incorporate other initiatives designed to discourage overall soda consumption.

How State Taxes and Policies Targeting Soda Consumption Modify the Association between School Vending Machines and Student Dietary Behaviors: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

PubMed Central

Taber, Daniel R.; Chriqui, Jamie F.; Vuillaume, Renee; Chaloupka, Frank J.

2014-01-01

Background Sodas are widely sold in vending machines and other school venues in the United States, particularly in high school. Research suggests that policy changes have reduced soda access, but the impact of reduced access on consumption is unclear. This study was designed to identify student, environmental, or policy characteristics that modify the associations between school vending machines and student dietary behaviors. Methods Data on school vending machine access and student diet were obtained as part of the National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study (NYPANS) and linked to state-level data on soda taxes, restaurant taxes, and state laws governing the sale of soda in schools. Regression models were used to: 1) estimate associations between vending machine access and soda consumption, fast food consumption, and lunch source, and 2) determine if associations were modified by state soda taxes, restaurant taxes, laws banning in-school soda sales, or student characteristics (race/ethnicity, sex, home food access, weight loss behaviors.) Results Contrary to the hypothesis, students tended to consume 0.53 fewer servings of soda/week (95% CI: -1.17, 0.11) and consume fast food on 0.24 fewer days/week (95% CI: -0.44, -0.05) if they had in-school access to vending machines. They were also less likely to consume soda daily (23.9% vs. 27.9%, average difference = -4.02, 95% CI: -7.28, -0.76). However, these inverse associations were observed primarily among states with lower soda and restaurant tax rates (relative to general food tax rates) and states that did not ban in-school soda sales. Associations did not vary by any student characteristics except for weight loss behaviors. Conclusion Isolated changes to the school food environment may have unintended consequences unless policymakers incorporate other initiatives designed to discourage overall soda consumption. PMID:25083906

Rural New Zealand health professionals' perceived barriers to greater use of the internet for learning.

PubMed

Janes, Ron; Arroll, Bruce; Buetow, Stephen; Coster, Gregor; McCormick, Ross; Hague, Iain

2005-01-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate rural North Island (New Zealand) health professionals' attitudes and perceived barriers to using the internet for ongoing professional learning. A cross-sectional postal survey of all rural North Island GPs, practice nurses and pharmacists was conducted in mid-2003. The questionnaire contained both quantitative and qualitative questions. The transcripts from two open questions requiring written answers were analysed for emergent themes, which are reported here. The first open question asked: 'Do you have any comments on the questionnaire, learning, computers or the Internet?' The second open question asked those who had taken a distance-learning course using the internet to list positive and negative aspects of their course, and suggest improvements. Out of 735 rural North Island health professionals surveyed, 430 returned useable questionnaires (a response rate of 59%). Of these, 137 answered the question asking for comments on learning, computers and the internet. Twenty-eight individuals who had completed a distance-learning course using the internet, provided written responses to the second question. Multiple barriers to greater use of the internet were identified. They included lack of access to computers, poor availability of broadband (fast) internet access, lack of IT skills/knowledge, lack of time, concerns about IT costs and database security, difficulty finding quality information, lack of time, energy or motivation to learn new skills, competing priorities (eg family), and a preference for learning modalities which include more social interaction. Individuals also stated that rural health professionals needed to engage the technology, because it provided rapid, flexible access from home or work to a significant health information resource, and would save money and travelling time to urban-based education. In mid-2003, there were multiple barriers to rural North Island health professionals making greater use of the internet for learning. Now that access to broadband internet is available in all rural towns in New Zealand, there is a clear need to address the other identified barriers, especially the self-reported lack of IT skills, which are preventing many in the rural health workforce from gaining maximum advantage from both computers and the internet.

Intermittent fasting modulation of the diabetic syndrome in sand rats. III. Post-mortem investigations.

PubMed

Belkacemi, Louiza; Selselet-Attou, Ghalem; Bulur, Nurdan; Louchami, Karim; Sener, Abdullah; Malaisse, Willy J

2011-01-01

The present report concerns several post-mortem variables examined in sand rats that were either maintained on a vegetal diet (control animals) or exposed first during a 20-day transition period to a mixed diet consisting of a fixed amount of a hypercaloric food and decreasing amounts of the vegetal food and then to a 30-day experimental period of exposure to the hypercaloric food. During the latter period, all animals were either given free access to food or fasting daily for 15 h, i.e. from 5.00 p.m. to 8.00 a.m. The body weight, liver wet weight, pancreas wet weight, plasma glucose and haemoglobin A1c concentration, plasma insulin concentration, insulinogenic index, insulin resistance HOMA, plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentration, liver triglyceride and phospholipid content were all measured. Pancreatic islet (insulin, GLUT2) and liver (lipid droplets) histology were also examined. The main findings consisted in a lower body weight of fasting than non-fasting animals, a higher liver weight in non-diabetic and diabetic rats than in control non-fasting (but not so in fasting) animals, a decrease of pancreas weight in non-diabetic and diabetic as distinct from control animals, a fasting-induced decrease in plasma glucose, plasma insulin and insulin resistance HOMA, plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentration and triglyceride liver content.

A Fast-Time Simulation Tool for Analysis of Airport Arrival Traffic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erzberger, Heinz; Meyn, Larry A.; Neuman, Frank

2004-01-01

The basic objective of arrival sequencing in air traffic control automation is to match traffic demand and airport capacity while minimizing delays. The performance of an automated arrival scheduling system, such as the Traffic Management Advisor developed by NASA for the FAA, can be studied by a fast-time simulation that does not involve running expensive and time-consuming real-time simulations. The fast-time simulation models runway configurations, the characteristics of arrival traffic, deviations from predicted arrival times, as well as the arrival sequencing and scheduling algorithm. This report reviews the development of the fast-time simulation method used originally by NASA in the design of the sequencing and scheduling algorithm for the Traffic Management Advisor. The utility of this method of simulation is demonstrated by examining the effect on delays of altering arrival schedules at a hub airport.

Metabolic Effects of Intermittent Fasting.

PubMed

Patterson, Ruth E; Sears, Dorothy D

2017-08-21

The objective of this review is to provide an overview of intermittent fasting regimens, summarize the evidence on the health benefits of intermittent fasting, and discuss physiological mechanisms by which intermittent fasting might lead to improved health outcomes. A MEDLINE search was performed using PubMed and the terms "intermittent fasting," "fasting," "time-restricted feeding," and "food timing." Modified fasting regimens appear to promote weight loss and may improve metabolic health. Several lines of evidence also support the hypothesis that eating patterns that reduce or eliminate nighttime eating and prolong nightly fasting intervals may result in sustained improvements in human health. Intermittent fasting regimens are hypothesized to influence metabolic regulation via effects on (a) circadian biology, (b) the gut microbiome, and (c) modifiable lifestyle behaviors, such as sleep. If proven to be efficacious, these eating regimens offer promising nonpharmacological approaches to improving health at the population level, with multiple public health benefits.

Feasibility of UltraFast Doppler in Post-operative Evaluation of Hepatic Artery in Recipients following Liver Transplantation.

PubMed

Kim, Se-Young; Kim, Kyoung Won; Choi, Sang Hyun; Kwon, Jae Hyun; Song, Gi-Won; Kwon, Heon-Ju; Yun, Young Ju; Lee, Jeongjin; Lee, Sung-Gyu

2017-11-01

To determine the feasibility of using UltraFast Doppler in post-operative evaluation of the hepatic artery (HA) after liver transplantation (LT), we evaluated 283 simultaneous conventional and UltraFast Doppler sessions in 126 recipients over a 2-mo period after LT, using an Aixplorer scanner The Doppler indexes of the HA (peak systolic velocity [PSV], end-diastolic velocity [EDV], resistive index [RI] and systolic acceleration time [SAT]) by retrospective analysis of retrieved waves from UltraFast Doppler clips were compared with those obtained by conventional spectral Doppler. Correlation, performance in diagnosing the pathologic wave, examination time and reproducibility were evaluated. The PSV, EDV, RI and SAT of spectral and UltraFast Doppler measurements exhibited excellent correlation with favorable diagnostic performance. During the bedside examination, the mean time spent for UltraFast clip storing was significantly shorter than that for conventional Doppler US measurements. Both conventional and UltraFast Doppler exhibited good to excellent inter-analysis consistency. In conclusion, compared with conventional spectral Doppler, UltraFast Doppler values correlated excellently and yielded acceptable pathologic wave diagnostic performance with reduced examination time at the bedside and excellent reproducibility. Copyright © 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preoperative management of surgical patients by "shortened fasting time": a study on the amount of total body water by multi-frequency impedance method.

PubMed

Taniguchi, Hideki; Sasaki, Toshio; Fujita, Hisae

2012-01-01

Preoperative fasting is an established procedure to be practiced for patients before surgery, but optimal preoperative fasting time still remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of "shortened preoperative fasting time" on the change in the amount of total body water (TBW) in elective surgical patients. TBW was measured by multi-frequency impedance method. The patients, who were scheduled to undergo surgery for stomach cancer, were divided into two groups of 15 patients each. Before surgery, patients in the control group were managed with conventional preoperative fasting time, while patients in the "enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS)" group were managed with "shortened preoperative fasting time" and "reduced laxative medication." TBW was measured on the day before surgery and the day of surgery before entering the operating room. Defecation times and anesthesia-related vomiting and aspiration were monitored. TBW values on the day of surgery showed changes in both groups as compared with those on the day before surgery, but the rate of change was smaller in the ERAS group than in the control group (2.4±6.8% [12 patients] vs. -10.6±4.6% [14 patients], p<0.001). Defecation times were less in the ERAS group. Vomiting and aspiration were not observed in either group. The results suggest that preoperative management with "shorted preoperative fasting time" and "reduced administration of laxatives" is effective in the maintenance of TBW in elective surgical patients.

Fasting-induced intestinal damage is mediated by oxidative and inflammatory responses.

PubMed

Abdeen, S; Mathew, T C; Khan, I; Dashti, H; Asfar, S

2009-05-01

Green tea has been shown to repair fasting-induced mucosal damage in rat intestine. The aim of this study was to elucidate the underlying mechanism. Five groups of rats were used. Group 1 had free access to chow diet and water, and those in group 2 were fasted for 3 days. Animals in group 3 were fasted for 3 days, then were allowed drinking water for a further 7 days. Groups 4 and 5 were fasted for 3 days, then given drinking water containing green tea or vitamin E respectively for 7 days. Blood was collected for estimation of total plasma antioxidants, and jejunal samples were used for immunohistochemical analysis of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and for estimation of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Use of green tea was associated with a significant increase in total plasma antioxidants (P < 0.001), and mucosal SOD (P < 0.001), catalase (P = 0.006) and GPx (P = 0.017), but a significant decrease in MPO activity (P < 0.001). Vitamin E produced similar changes, but the effects were smaller. Green tea reverses the fasting-induced damage to the intestinal mucosa by its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. 2009 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development of a medical module for disaster information systems.

PubMed

Calik, Elif; Atilla, Rıdvan; Kaya, Hilal; Aribaş, Alirıza; Cengiz, Hakan; Dicle, Oğuz

2014-01-01

This study aims to improve a medical module which provides a real-time medical information flow about pre-hospital processes that gives health care in disasters; transferring, storing and processing the records that are in electronic media and over internet as a part of disaster information systems. In this study which is handled within the frame of providing information flow among professionals in a disaster case, to supply the coordination of healthcare team and transferring complete information to specified people at real time, Microsoft Access database and SQL query language were used to inform database applications. System was prepared on Microsoft .Net platform using C# language. Disaster information system-medical module was designed to be used in disaster area, field hospital, nearby hospitals, temporary inhabiting areas like tent city, vehicles that are used for dispatch, and providing information flow between medical officials and data centres. For fast recording of the disaster victim data, accessing to database which was used by health care professionals was provided (or granted) among analysing process steps and creating minimal datasets. Database fields were created in the manner of giving opportunity to enter new data and search old data which is recorded before disaster. Web application which provides access such as data entry to the database and searching towards the designed interfaces according to the login credentials access level. In this study, homepage and users' interfaces which were built on database in consequence of system analyses were provided with www.afmedinfo.com web site to the user access. With this study, a recommendation was made about how to use disaster-based information systems in the field of health. Awareness has been developed about the fact that disaster information system should not be perceived only as an early warning system. Contents and the differences of the health care practices of disaster information systems were revealed. A web application was developed supplying a link between the user and the database to make date entry and data query practices by the help of the developed interfaces.

Effects of intermittent fasting on body composition and clinical health markers in humans.

PubMed

Tinsley, Grant M; La Bounty, Paul M

2015-10-01

Intermittent fasting is a broad term that encompasses a variety of programs that manipulate the timing of eating occasions by utilizing short-term fasts in order to improve body composition and overall health. This review examines studies conducted on intermittent fasting programs to determine if they are effective at improving body composition and clinical health markers associated with disease. Intermittent fasting protocols can be grouped into alternate-day fasting, whole-day fasting, and time-restricted feeding. Alternate-day fasting trials of 3 to 12 weeks in duration appear to be effective at reducing body weight (≈3%-7%), body fat (≈3-5.5 kg), total cholesterol (≈10%-21%), and triglycerides (≈14%-42%) in normal-weight, overweight, and obese humans. Whole-day fasting trials lasting 12 to 24 weeks also reduce body weight (≈3%-9%) and body fat, and favorably improve blood lipids (≈5%-20% reduction in total cholesterol and ≈17%-50% reduction in triglycerides). Research on time-restricted feeding is limited, and clear conclusions cannot be made at present. Future studies should examine long-term effects of intermittent fasting and the potential synergistic effects of combining intermittent fasting with exercise. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Life Sciences Institute. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Differences in Mucociliary activity of volunteers undergoing Ramadan versus Nineveh fasting.

PubMed

Develioglu, Omer Necati; Sirazi, Sait; Topak, Murat; Purisa, Sevim; Kulekci, Mehmet

2013-05-01

This study, aimed to evaluate the difference in mucociliary clearance among volunteers who underwent Ramadan versus Nineveh fasting regimens as well as the difference between the fasting period and 4 weeks following the fasting period in both groups. In this study, two different fasting groups were established: Ramadan (fasting for an average of 15 h for 29 consecutive days, n = 40) and Nineveh (60 h of nonstop fasting, n = 26). Subjects in each group underwent saccharin testing twice: at the end of the fasting period prior to resumption of eating and at 4 weeks after the end of Ramadan or Nineveh fasting. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U-test, Wilcoxon, Chi-square, and paired t test. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Forty subjects who underwent Ramadan fasting and 26 subjects who underwent Nineveh fasting were included in this study. Of the 66 study participants, 34 (51.5 %) were men and 32 (48.5 %) were women. Their median age was 31 years (range 17-70 years) for Nineveh fasting subjects and 40 years (range 17-70 years) for Ramadan fasting subjects. Chi-square tests revealed no significant difference between the Ramadan and Nineveh fasting groups in gender (p = 0.418), and the Mann-Whitney U-test showed no difference in age. A statistically significant difference was found in the mucociliary clearance time between the Nineveh fasting and non-fasting periods (p = 0.013). Using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, we found no significant difference in the mucociliary clearance time between the Ramadan fasting and control (4 weeks after the fasting period) periods (p = 0.121). The percentage difference between the fasting and control periods was similar between groups and was not statistically significant for the Ramadan and Nineveh fasting groups (p = 0.086). The results of the present study indicated that long-term fasting with hypohydration contributed to the deterioration of nasal mucociliary clearance. Our data indicate that optimal hydration, sleep patterns, and fasting times contribute to proper mucociliary clearance.

Conducting an acute intense interval exercise session during the Ramadan fasting month: what is the optimal time of the day?

PubMed

Aziz, Abdul Rashid; Chia, Michael Yong Hwa; Low, Chee Yong; Slater, Gary John; Png, Weileen; Teh, Kong Chuan

2012-10-01

This study examines the effects of Ramadan fasting on performance during an intense exercise session performed at three different times of the day, i.e., 08:00, 18:00, and 21:00 h. The purpose was to determine the optimal time of the day to perform an acute high-intensity interval exercise during the Ramadan fasting month. After familiarization, nine trained athletes performed six 30-s Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) cycle bouts followed by a time-to-exhaustion (T(exh)) cycle on six separate randomized and counterbalanced occasions. The three time-of-day nonfasting (control, CON) exercise sessions were performed before the Ramadan month, and the three corresponding time-of-day Ramadan fasting (RAM) exercise sessions were performed during the Ramadan month. Note that the 21:00 h session during Ramadan month was conducted in the nonfasted state after the breaking of the day's fast. Total work (TW) completed during the six WAnT bouts was significantly lower during RAM compared to CON for the 08:00 and 18:00 h (p < .017; effect size [d] = .55 [small] and .39 [small], respectively) sessions, but not for the 21:00 h (p = .03, d = .18 [trivial]) session. The T(exh) cycle duration was significantly shorter during RAM than CON in the 18:00 (p < .017, d = .93 [moderate]) session, but not in the 08:00 (p = .03, d = .57 [small]) and 21:00 h (p = .96, d = .02 [trivial]) sessions. In conclusion, Ramadan fasting had a small to moderate, negative impact on quality of performance during an acute high-intensity exercise session, particularly during the period of the daytime fast. The optimal time to conduct an acute high-intensity exercise session during the Ramadan fasting month is in the evening, after the breaking of the day's fast.

Base Rates: Both Neglected and Intuitive

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennycook, Gordon; Trippas, Dries; Handley, Simon J.; Thompson, Valerie A.

2014-01-01

Base-rate neglect refers to the tendency for people to underweight base-rate probabilities in favor of diagnostic information. It is commonly held that base-rate neglect occurs because effortful (Type 2) reasoning is required to process base-rate information, whereas diagnostic information is accessible to fast, intuitive (Type 1) processing…

Communication Apprehension. Focused Access to Selected Topics (FAST) Bibliography No. 15.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shermis, Michael

This annotated bibliography contains 31 references of articles and papers in the ERIC database that deal with communication apprehension (CA). The first section provides strategies for instructors and students to alleviate communication apprehension, speech anxiety, stage fright, and other problems people have with public speaking. The second…

On Dual Processing and Heuristic Approaches to Moral Cognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lapsley, Daniel K.; Hill, Patrick L.

2008-01-01

We examine the implications of dual-processing theories of cognition for the moral domain, with particular emphasis upon "System 1" theories: the Social Intuitionist Model (Haidt), moral heuristics (Sunstein), fast-and-frugal moral heuristics (Gigerenzer), schema accessibility (Lapsley & Narvaez) and moral expertise (Narvaez). We argue that these…

IM and SMS for the Circulation Desk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Power, June L.

2012-01-01

It's been well documented in a number of articles regarding the contemporary library patron that with the rise in mobile computing and smart phone technology, patrons are looking for fast and easy service from whichever technological avenue they are using to access library services. Libraries are responding with increasing numbers of online…

Online delivery of research products

Treesearch

Randy D. McCracken

2000-01-01

Research institutions are under increasing pressure to provide customers with fast and easy access to scientific publications. Responding to a customer base that has grown exponentially over the last decade, roughly 140 USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) scientists are now able to provide research results almost as soon as their manuscripts are...

Optical Disc Technology and the Cooperative Television Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kranch, Douglas

1989-01-01

Discusses the feasibility of individual television film libraries combining film holdings onto optical disks and developing networks that would allow online searching of, access to, and transmission of video images. It is concluded that recent advances in technology would support fast and cost effective image retrieval with no loss in video…

Intense Terahertz Fields for Fast Energy Release

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-01

could allow us to monitor shock propagation in the sample and observe any effects of THz irradiation . In order to optimize the system, we moved a...the response and access for the THz light needed to simultaneously irradiate the sample. Preliminary measurements of sample responses to each of the

Searching for New Double Stars with a Computer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryant, T. V.

2015-04-01

The advent of computers with large amounts of RAM memory and fast processors, as well as easy internet access to large online astronomical databases, has made computer searches based on astrometric data practicable for most researchers. This paper describes one such search that has uncovered hitherto unrecognized double stars.

FRBCAT: The Fast Radio Burst Catalogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petroff, E.; Barr, E. D.; Jameson, A.; Keane, E. F.; Bailes, M.; Kramer, M.; Morello, V.; Tabbara, D.; van Straten, W.

2016-09-01

Here, we present a catalogue of known Fast Radio Burst sources in the form of an online catalogue, FRBCAT. The catalogue includes information about the instrumentation used for the observations for each detected burst, the measured quantities from each observation, and model-dependent quantities derived from observed quantities. To aid in consistent comparisons of burst properties such as width and signal-to-noise ratios, we have re-processed all the bursts for which we have access to the raw data, with software which we make available. The originally derived properties are also listed for comparison. The catalogue is hosted online as a Mysql database which can also be downloaded in tabular or plain text format for off-line use. This database will be maintained for use by the community for studies of the Fast Radio Burst population as it grows.

High-Throughput Sequencing, a Versatile Weapon to Support Genome-Based Diagnosis in Infectious Diseases: Applications to Clinical Bacteriology

PubMed Central

Caboche, Ségolène; Audebert, Christophe; Hot, David

2014-01-01

The recent progresses of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies enable easy and cost-reduced access to whole genome sequencing (WGS) or re-sequencing. HTS associated with adapted, automatic and fast bioinformatics solutions for sequencing applications promises an accurate and timely identification and characterization of pathogenic agents. Many studies have demonstrated that data obtained from HTS analysis have allowed genome-based diagnosis, which has been consistent with phenotypic observations. These proofs of concept are probably the first steps toward the future of clinical microbiology. From concept to routine use, many parameters need to be considered to promote HTS as a powerful tool to help physicians and clinicians in microbiological investigations. This review highlights the milestones to be completed toward this purpose. PMID:25437800

Streaming simplification of tetrahedral meshes.

PubMed

Vo, Huy T; Callahan, Steven P; Lindstrom, Peter; Pascucci, Valerio; Silva, Cláudio T

2007-01-01

Unstructured tetrahedral meshes are commonly used in scientific computing to represent scalar, vector, and tensor fields in three dimensions. Visualization of these meshes can be difficult to perform interactively due to their size and complexity. By reducing the size of the data, we can accomplish real-time visualization necessary for scientific analysis. We propose a two-step approach for streaming simplification of large tetrahedral meshes. Our algorithm arranges the data on disk in a streaming, I/O-efficient format that allows coherent access to the tetrahedral cells. A quadric-based simplification is sequentially performed on small portions of the mesh in-core. Our output is a coherent streaming mesh which facilitates future processing. Our technique is fast, produces high quality approximations, and operates out-of-core to process meshes too large for main memory.

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

Thurman-Keup, R.; Lumpkin, A. H.; Thangaraj, J.

FAST is a facility at Fermilab that consists of a photoinjector, two superconducting capture cavities, one superconducting ILC-style cryomodule, and a small ring for studying non-linear, integrable beam optics called IOTA. This paper discusses the layout for the optical transport system that provides optical radiation to an externally located streak camera for bunch length measurements, and THz radiation to a Martin-Puplett interferometer, also for bunch length measurements. It accepts radiation from two synchrotron radiation ports in a chicane bunch compressor and a diffraction/transition radiation screen downstream of the compressor. It also has the potential to access signal from a transitionmore » radiation screen or YAG screen after the spectrometer magnet for measurements of energy-time correlations. Initial results from both the streak camera and Martin-Puplett will be presented.« less

Parallel processing approach to transform-based image coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Normile, James O.; Wright, Dan; Chu, Ken; Yeh, Chia L.

1991-06-01

This paper describes a flexible parallel processing architecture designed for use in real time video processing. The system consists of floating point DSP processors connected to each other via fast serial links, each processor has access to a globally shared memory. A multiple bus architecture in combination with a dual ported memory allows communication with a host control processor. The system has been applied to prototyping of video compression and decompression algorithms. The decomposition of transform based algorithms for decompression into a form suitable for parallel processing is described. A technique for automatic load balancing among the processors is developed and discussed, results ar presented with image statistics and data rates. Finally techniques for accelerating the system throughput are analyzed and results from the application of one such modification described.

Design of Belief Propagation Based on FPGA for the Multistereo CAFADIS Camera

PubMed Central

Magdaleno, Eduardo; Lüke, Jonás Philipp; Rodríguez, Manuel; Rodríguez-Ramos, José Manuel

2010-01-01

In this paper we describe a fast, specialized hardware implementation of the belief propagation algorithm for the CAFADIS camera, a new plenoptic sensor patented by the University of La Laguna. This camera captures the lightfield of the scene and can be used to find out at which depth each pixel is in focus. The algorithm has been designed for FPGA devices using VHDL. We propose a parallel and pipeline architecture to implement the algorithm without external memory. Although the BRAM resources of the device increase considerably, we can maintain real-time restrictions by using extremely high-performance signal processing capability through parallelism and by accessing several memories simultaneously. The quantifying results with 16 bit precision have shown that performances are really close to the original Matlab programmed algorithm. PMID:22163404

Design of belief propagation based on FPGA for the multistereo CAFADIS camera.

PubMed

Magdaleno, Eduardo; Lüke, Jonás Philipp; Rodríguez, Manuel; Rodríguez-Ramos, José Manuel

2010-01-01

In this paper we describe a fast, specialized hardware implementation of the belief propagation algorithm for the CAFADIS camera, a new plenoptic sensor patented by the University of La Laguna. This camera captures the lightfield of the scene and can be used to find out at which depth each pixel is in focus. The algorithm has been designed for FPGA devices using VHDL. We propose a parallel and pipeline architecture to implement the algorithm without external memory. Although the BRAM resources of the device increase considerably, we can maintain real-time restrictions by using extremely high-performance signal processing capability through parallelism and by accessing several memories simultaneously. The quantifying results with 16 bit precision have shown that performances are really close to the original Matlab programmed algorithm.

Controllable high-fidelity quantum state transfer and entanglement generation in circuit QED.

PubMed

Xu, Peng; Yang, Xu-Chen; Mei, Feng; Xue, Zheng-Yuan

2016-01-25

We propose a scheme to realize controllable quantum state transfer and entanglement generation among transmon qubits in the typical circuit QED setup based on adiabatic passage. Through designing the time-dependent driven pulses applied on the transmon qubits, we find that fast quantum sate transfer can be achieved between arbitrary two qubits and quantum entanglement among the qubits also can also be engineered. Furthermore, we numerically analyzed the influence of the decoherence on our scheme with the current experimental accessible systematical parameters. The result shows that our scheme is very robust against both the cavity decay and qubit relaxation, the fidelities of the state transfer and entanglement preparation process could be very high. In addition, our scheme is also shown to be insensitive to the inhomogeneous of qubit-resonator coupling strengths.

Doing One Thing Well: Leveraging Microservices for NASA Earth Science Discovery and Access Across Heterogenous Data Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baynes, K.; Gilman, J.; Pilone, D.; Mitchell, A. E.

2015-12-01

The NASA EOSDIS (Earth Observing System Data and Information System) Common Metadata Repository (CMR) is a continuously evolving metadata system that merges all existing capabilities and metadata from EOS ClearingHOuse (ECHO) and the Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) systems. This flagship catalog has been developed with several key requirements: fast search and ingest performance ability to integrate heterogenous external inputs and outputs high availability and resiliency scalability evolvability and expandability This talk will focus on the advantages and potential challenges of tackling these requirements using a microservices architecture, which decomposes system functionality into smaller, loosely-coupled, individually-scalable elements that communicate via well-defined APIs. In addition, time will be spent examining specific elements of the CMR architecture and identifying opportunities for future integrations.

Rotation and kinetic modifications of the tokamak ideal-wall pressure limit.

PubMed

Menard, J E; Wang, Z; Liu, Y; Bell, R E; Kaye, S M; Park, J-K; Tritz, K

2014-12-19

The impact of toroidal rotation, energetic ions, and drift-kinetic effects on the tokamak ideal wall mode stability limit is considered theoretically and compared to experiment for the first time. It is shown that high toroidal rotation can be an important destabilizing mechanism primarily through the angular velocity shear; non-Maxwellian fast ions can also be destabilizing, and drift-kinetic damping can potentially offset these destabilization mechanisms. These results are obtained using the unique parameter regime accessible in the spherical torus NSTX of high toroidal rotation speed relative to the thermal and Alfvén speeds and high kinetic pressure relative to the magnetic pressure. Inclusion of rotation and kinetic effects significantly improves agreement between measured and predicted ideal stability characteristics and may provide new insight into tearing mode triggering.

Cued Speech Transliteration: Effects of Speaking Rate and Lag Time on Production Accuracy.

PubMed

Krause, Jean C; Tessler, Morgan P

2016-10-01

Many deaf and hard-of-hearing children rely on interpreters to access classroom communication. Although the exact level of access provided by interpreters in these settings is unknown, it is likely to depend heavily on interpreter accuracy (portion of message correctly produced by the interpreter) and the factors that govern interpreter accuracy. In this study, the accuracy of 12 Cued Speech (CS) transliterators with varying degrees of experience was examined at three different speaking rates (slow, normal, fast). Accuracy was measured with a high-resolution, objective metric in order to facilitate quantitative analyses of the effect of each factor on accuracy. Results showed that speaking rate had a large negative effect on accuracy, caused primarily by an increase in omitted cues, whereas the effect of lag time on accuracy, also negative, was quite small and explained just 3% of the variance. Increased experience level was generally associated with increased accuracy; however, high levels of experience did not guarantee high levels of accuracy. Finally, the overall accuracy of the 12 transliterators, 54% on average across all three factors, was low enough to raise serious concerns about the quality of CS transliteration services that (at least some) children receive in educational settings. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Marine Web Portal as an Interface between Users and Marine Data and Information Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palazov, A.; Stefanov, A.; Marinova, V.; Slabakova, V.

2012-04-01

Fundamental elements of the success of marine data and information management system and an effective support of marine and maritime economic activities are the speed and the ease with which users can identify, locate, get access, exchange and use oceanographic and marine data and information. There are a lot of activities and bodies have been identified as marine data and information users, such as: science, government and local authorities, port authorities, shipping, marine industry, fishery and aquaculture, tourist industry, environmental protection, coast protection, oil spills combat, Search and Rescue, national security, civil protection, and general public. On other hand diverse sources of real-time and historical marine data and information exist and generally they are fragmented, distributed in different places and sometimes unknown for the users. The marine web portal concept is to build common web based interface which will provide users fast and easy access to all available marine data and information sources, both historical and real-time such as: marine data bases, observing systems, forecasting systems, atlases etc. The service is regionally oriented to meet user needs. The main advantage of the portal is that it provides general look "at glance" on all available marine data and information as well as direct user to easy discover data and information in interest. It is planned to provide personalization ability, which will give the user instrument to tailor visualization according its personal needs.

Flexible and evolutionary optical access networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsueh, Yu-Li

Passive optical networks (PONs) are promising solutions that will open the first-mile bottleneck. Current PONs employ time division multiplexing (TDM) to share bandwidth among users, leading to low cost but limited capacity. In the future, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technologies will be deployed to achieve high performance. This dissertation describes several advanced technologies to enhance PON systems. A spectral shaping line coding scheme is developed to allow a simple and cost-effective overlay of high data-rate services in existing PONs, leaving field-deployed fibers and existing services untouched. Spectral shapes of coded signals can be manipulated to adapt to different systems. For a specific tolerable interference level, the optimal line code can be found which maximizes the data throughput. Experiments are conducted to demonstrate and compare several optimized line codes. A novel PON employing dynamic wavelength allocation to provide bandwidth sharing across multiple physical PONs is designed and experimentally demonstrated. Tunable lasers, arrayed waveguide gratings, and coarse/fine filtering combine to create a flexible optical access solution. The network's excellent scalability can bridge the gap between conventional TDM PONs and WDM PONs. Scheduling algorithms with quality of service support are also investigated. Simulation results show that the proposed architecture exhibits significant performance gain over conventional PON systems. Streaming video transmission is demonstrated on the prototype experimental testbed. The powerful architecture is a promising candidate for next-generation optical access networks. A new CDR circuit for receiving the bursty traffic in PONs is designed and analyzed. It detects data transition edges upon arrival of the data burst and quickly selects the best clock phase by a control logic circuit. Then, an analog delay-locked loop (DLL) keeps track of data transitions and removes phase errors throughout the burst. The combination of the fast phase detection mechanism and a feedback loop based on DLL allows both fast response and manageable jitter performance in the burst-mode application. A new efficient numerical algorithm is developed to analyze holey optical fibers. The algorithm has been verified against experimental data, and is exploited to design holey optical fibers optimized for the discrete Raman amplification.

Navigated MRI-guided liver biopsies in a closed-bore scanner: experience in 52 patients.

PubMed

Moche, Michael; Heinig, Susann; Garnov, Nikita; Fuchs, Jochen; Petersen, Tim-Ole; Seider, Daniel; Brandmaier, Philipp; Kahn, Thomas; Busse, Harald

2016-08-01

To evaluate clinical effectiveness and diagnostic efficiency of a navigation device for MR-guided biopsies of focal liver lesions in a closed-bore scanner. In 52 patients, 55 biopsies were performed. An add-on MR navigation system with optical instrument tracking was used for image guidance and biopsy device insertion outside the bore. Fast control imaging allowed visualization of the true needle position at any time. The biopsy workflow and procedure duration were recorded. Histological analysis and clinical course/outcome were used to calculate sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy. Fifty-four of 55 liver biopsies were performed successfully with the system. No major and four minor complications occurred. Mean tumour size was 23 ± 14 mm and the skin-to-target length ranged from 22 to 177 mm. In 39 cases, access path was double oblique. Sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy were 88 %, 100 % and 92 %, respectively. The mean procedure time was 51 ± 12 min, whereas the puncture itself lasted 16 ± 6 min. On average, four control scans were taken. Using this navigation device, biopsies of poorly visible and difficult accessible liver lesions could be performed safely and reliably in a closed-bore MRI scanner. The system can be easily implemented in clinical routine workflow. • Targeted liver biopsies could be reliably performed in a closed-bore MRI. • The navigation system allows for image guidance outside of the scanner bore. • Assisted MRI-guided biopsies are helpful for focal lesions with a difficult access. • Successful integration of the method in clinical workflow was shown. • Subsequent system installation in an existing MRI environment is feasible.

Faster and exact implementation of the continuous cellular automaton for anisotropic etching simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrando, N.; Gosálvez, M. A.; Cerdá, J.; Gadea, R.; Sato, K.

2011-02-01

The current success of the continuous cellular automata for the simulation of anisotropic wet chemical etching of silicon in microengineering applications is based on a relatively fast, approximate, constant time stepping implementation (CTS), whose accuracy against the exact algorithm—a computationally slow, variable time stepping implementation (VTS)—has not been previously analyzed in detail. In this study we show that the CTS implementation can generate moderately wrong etch rates and overall etching fronts, thus justifying the presentation of a novel, exact reformulation of the VTS implementation based on a new state variable, referred to as the predicted removal time (PRT), and the use of a self-balanced binary search tree that enables storage and efficient access to the PRT values in each time step in order to quickly remove the corresponding surface atom/s. The proposed PRT method reduces the simulation cost of the exact implementation from {O}(N^{5/3}) to {O}(N^{3/2} log N) without introducing any model simplifications. This enables more precise simulations (only limited by numerical precision errors) with affordable computational times that are similar to the less precise CTS implementation and even faster for low reactivity systems.

Neighborhood food environment and body mass index among Japanese older adults: results from the Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study (AGES)

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The majority of studies of the local food environment in relation to obesity risk have been conducted in the US, UK, and Australia. The evidence remains limited to western societies. The aim of this paper is to examine the association of local food environment to body mass index (BMI) in a study of older Japanese individuals. Methods The analysis was based on 12,595 respondents from cross-sectional data of the Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study (AGES), conducted in 2006 and 2007. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), we mapped respondents' access to supermarkets, convenience stores, and fast food outlets, based on a street network (both the distance to the nearest stores and the number of stores within 500 m of the respondents' home). Multiple linear regression and logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between food environment and BMI. Results In contrast to previous reports, we found that better access to supermarkets was related to higher BMI. Better access to fast food outlets or convenience stores was also associated with higher BMI, but only among those living alone. The logistic regression analysis, using categorized BMI, showed that the access to supermarkets was only related to being overweight or obese, but not related to being underweight. Conclusions Our findings provide mixed support for the types of food environment measures previously used in western settings. Importantly, our results suggest the need to develop culture-specific approaches to characterizing neighborhood contexts when hypotheses are extrapolated across national borders. PMID:21777439

High-stability 48-core bendable and movable optical cable for FAST telescope optical transmission system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hongfei; Pan, Gaofeng; Lin, Zhong; Liu, Cheng; Zhu, Wenbai; Nan, Rendong; Li, Chunsheng; Gao, Guanjun; Luo, Wenyong; Jin, Chengjin; Song, Jinyou

2017-11-01

The construction of FAST telescope was completed in Guizhou province of China in September 2016, and a kind of novel high-stability 48-core bendable and movable optical cable was developed and applied in analog data optical transmission system of FAST. Novel structure and selective material of this optical cable ensure high stability of optical power in the process of cables round-trip motion when telescope is tracking a radio source. The 105 times bend and stretch accelerated experiment for this optical cable was implemented, and real-time optical and RF signal power fluctuation were measured. The physical structure of optical cables after 105 times round-trip motion is in good condition; the real-time optical power attenuation fluctuation is smaller than 0.044 dB; the real-time RF power fluctuation is smaller than 0.12 dB. The optical cable developed in this letter meets the requirement of FAST and has been applied in FAST telescope.

Beyond trend analysis: How a modified breakpoint analysis enhances knowledge of agricultural production after Zimbabwe's fast track land reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hentze, Konrad; Thonfeld, Frank; Menz, Gunter

2017-10-01

In the discourse on land reform assessments, a significant lack of spatial and time-series data has been identified, especially with respect to Zimbabwe's ;Fast-Track Land Reform Programme; (FTLRP). At the same time, interest persists among land use change scientists to evaluate causes of land use change and therefore to increase the explanatory power of remote sensing products. This study recognizes these demands and aims to provide input on both levels: Evaluating the potential of satellite remote sensing time-series to answer questions which evolved after intensive land redistribution efforts in Zimbabwe; and investigating how time-series analysis of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) can be enhanced to provide information on land reform induced land use change. To achieve this, two time-series methods are applied to MODIS NDVI data: Seasonal Trend Analysis (STA) and Breakpoint Analysis for Additive Season and Trend (BFAST). In our first analysis, a link of agricultural productivity trends to different land tenure regimes shows that regional clustering of trends is more dominant than a relationship between tenure and trend with a slightly negative slope for all regimes. We demonstrate that clusters of strong negative and positive productivity trends are results of changing irrigation patterns. To locate emerging and fallow irrigation schemes in semi-arid Zimbabwe, a new multi-method approach is developed which allows to map changes from bimodal seasonal phenological patterns to unimodal and vice versa. With an enhanced breakpoint analysis through the combination of STA and BFAST, we are able to provide a technique that can be applied on large scale to map status and development of highly productive cropping systems, which are key for food production, national export and local employment. We therefore conclude that the combination of existing and accessible time-series analysis methods: is able to achieve both: overcoming demonstrated limitations of MODIS based trend analysis and enhancing knowledge of Zimbabwe's FTLRP.

The BLUEPRINT Data Analysis Portal.

PubMed

Fernández, José María; de la Torre, Victor; Richardson, David; Royo, Romina; Puiggròs, Montserrat; Moncunill, Valentí; Fragkogianni, Stamatina; Clarke, Laura; Flicek, Paul; Rico, Daniel; Torrents, David; Carrillo de Santa Pau, Enrique; Valencia, Alfonso

2016-11-23

The impact of large and complex epigenomic datasets on biological insights or clinical applications is limited by the lack of accessibility by easy, intuitive, and fast tools. Here, we describe an epigenomics comparative cyber-infrastructure (EPICO), an open-access reference set of libraries to develop comparative epigenomic data portals. Using EPICO, large epigenome projects can make available their rich datasets to the community without requiring specific technical skills. As a first instance of EPICO, we implemented the BLUEPRINT Data Analysis Portal (BDAP). BDAP provides a desktop for the comparative analysis of epigenomes of hematopoietic cell types based on results, such as the position of epigenetic features, from basic analysis pipelines. The BDAP interface facilitates interactive exploration of genomic regions, genes, and pathways in the context of differentiation of hematopoietic lineages. This work represents initial steps toward broadly accessible integrative analysis of epigenomic data across international consortia. EPICO can be accessed at https://github.com/inab, and BDAP can be accessed at http://blueprint-data.bsc.es. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lower hybrid accessibility in a large, hot reversed field pinch

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

Dziubek, R.A.; Harvey, R.W.; Hokin, S.A.

1995-11-01

Accessibility and damping of the slow wave in a reversed field pinch (RFP) plasma is investigated theoretically, using projected Reversed Field Experiment (RFX) plasma parameters. By numerically solving the hot plasma dispersion relation, regions of propagation are found and the possibility of mode conversion is analyzed. If the parallel index of refraction of the wave is chosen judiciously at the edge of the plasma, the slow wave is accessible to a target region located just inside the reversal surface without mode conversion. Landau damping is also optimized in this region. A representative fast electron population is then added in ordermore » to determine its effect on accessibility and damping. The presence of these electrons, whose parameters were estimated by extrapolation of Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) data, does not affect the accessibility of the wave. However, the initial phase velocity of the wave needs to be increased somewhat in order to maintain optimal damping in the target zone.« less

A simple, effective media access protocol system for integrated, high data rate networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foudriat, E. C.; Maly, K.; Overstreet, C. M.; Khanna, S.; Zhang, L.

1992-01-01

The operation and performance of a dual media access protocol for integrated, gigabit networks are described. Unlike other dual protocols, each protocol supports a different class of traffic. The Carrier Sensed Multiple Access-Ring Network (CSMA/RN) protocol and the Circulating Reservation Packet (CRP) protocol support asynchronous and synchronous traffic, respectively. The two protocols operate with minimal impact upon each other. Performance information demonstrates that they support a complete range of integrated traffic loads, do not require call setup/termination or a special node for synchronous traffic control, and provide effective pre-use and recovery. The CRP also provides guaranteed access and fairness control for the asynchronous system. The paper demonstrates that the CSMA-CRP system fulfills many of the requirements for gigabit LAN-MAN networks most effectively and simply. To accomplish this, CSMA-CRP features are compared against similar ring and bus systems, such as Cambridge Fast Ring, Metaring, Cyclic Reservation Multiple Access, and Distributed Dual Queue Data Bus (DQDB).

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

Digenis, G.A.; Sandefer, E.P.; Parr, A.F.

The behavior of single 250-mg doses of a multiparticulate form of erythromycin base (ERYC(R)), each including five pellets radiolabeled with neutron-activated samarium-153, was observed by gamma scintigraphy in seven male subjects under fasting and nonfasting conditions. The residence time and locus of radiolabeled pellets within regions of the gastrointestinal tract were determined and were correlated with plasma concentrations of erythromycin at coincident time points. Administration of food 30 minutes postdosing reduced fasting plasma erythromycin Cmax and area under the plasma erythromycin versus time curve (AUC) values by 43% and 54%, respectively. Mean peak plasma concentration of erythromycin (Cmax) in themore » fasting state was 1.64 micrograms/mL versus 0.94 micrograms/mL in the nonfasting state. Total oral bioavailability, as determined by mean AUC (0-infinity) of the plasma erythromycin concentration versus time curve, was 7.6 hr/micrograms/mL in the fasted state, versus 3.5 hr/micrograms/mL in the nonfasting state. Mean time to peak plasma erythromycin concentration (tmax) in the fasting state was 3.3 hours, versus 2.3 hours in the nonfasting state. Plasma concentrations of erythromycin in both fasting and nonfasting states were within acceptable therapeutic ranges.« less

Secure FAST: Security Enhancement in the NATO Time Sensitive Targeting Tool

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-11-01

designed to aid in the tracking and prosecuting of Time Sensitive Targets. The FAST tool provides user level authentication and authorisation in terms...level authentication and authorisation in terms of security. It uses operating system level security but does not provide application level security for...and collaboration tool, designed to aid in the tracking and prosecuting of Time Sensitive Targets. The FAST tool provides user level authentication and

Non-unique key B-Tree implementation

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

Ries, D.R.

1980-12-23

The B-Trees are an indexed method to allow fast retrieval and order preserving updates to a FRAMIS relation based on a designated set of keys in the relation. A B-Tree access method is being implemented to provide indexed and sequential (in index order) access to FRAMIS relations. The implementation modifies the basic B-Tree structure to correctly allow multiple key values and still maintain the balanced page fill property of B-Trees. The data structures of the B-Tree are presented first, including the FRAMIS solution to the duplicate key value problem. Then the access level routines and utilities are presented. These routinesmore » include the original B-Tree creation; searching the B-Tree; and inserting, deleting, and replacing tuples on the B-Tree. In conclusion, the uses of the B-Tree access structures at the semantic level to enhance the FRAMIS performance are discussed. 10 figures.« less

Tele-ultrasound and paramedics: real-time remote physician guidance of the Focused Assessment With Sonography for Trauma examination.

PubMed

Boniface, Keith S; Shokoohi, Hamid; Smith, E Reed; Scantlebury, Kari

2011-06-01

The aim of this study was to examine the capability of ultrasound-naïve paramedics to obtain interpretable Focused Assessment With Sonography for Trauma (FAST) images under the remote direction of emergency physicians (EPs). Paramedics without experience using ultrasound participated in a 20-minute lecture covering orientation to the ultrasound machine and the FAST examination. The paramedics subsequently performed FAST examinations on a model patient, whereas the EP remained in another room, out of visual contact. The EP communicated with the paramedic via radio, viewing video from the ultrasound machine on a monitor and directing the probe movements to obtain the views of the FAST examination. We examined the success rate, time to complete the examinations, and adequacy of images from the paramedics' first FAST examination. Fifty-one paramedics performed their first FAST examinations and were able to successfully complete 100% of the views of the FAST. The median time from probe placement to examination completion was 262 seconds (interquartile range, 206-343 seconds). The median time to complete right upper quadrant (RUQ) versus left upper quadrant (LUQ) views was 39 and 50 seconds, respectively. The time to complete the LUQ scan took significantly longer than the RUQ (P < .01). Paramedics completed cardiac and pelvic view in a median time of 42 and 25 seconds, respectively. The study demonstrated that paramedics with no prior ultrasound experience could obtain FAST images under remote guidance from experienced EPs in less than 5 minutes. Given rapidly evolving data transmission technology, this has applicability in battlefield, remote, and rural prehospital settings. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimal Fasting Time before Measurement of Serum Triglyceride Levels in Healthy Volunteers.

PubMed

Pongsuthana, Surapun; Tivatunsakul, Naris

2016-02-01

Coronary heart disease is a major public health problem. Elevated triglyceride levels are a risk factor for atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Food intake interferes with the measurement of serum triglyceride levels, and in previous studies, fasting for 12 hours was recommended before blood sampling. In real-world practice, long fasting times cause patient discomfort and poor compliance, and the present study was, therefore, designed to determine the appropriate fasting time prior to measuring serum triglyceride levels. To determine the appropriate fasting time before measuring serum triglyceride levels. This was a pilot study performed using healthy volunteers aged between 20 and 30 years old from November 2013 to December 2013 at Rajavithi Hospital. The first blood sample was measured in the morning after fasting over 12 hours. The subjects then took their regular breakfast, after which they fasted for 8 hours. Blood samples were taken 6 and 8 hours later and sent to the laboratory for measurement of serum triglyceride levels. 40 volunteers, of whom 25 were female, were enrolled. Their mean age was 25.9 ± 2.81 years old, and their mean weight, height, and body mass index were 61.5 ± 12.5 kg, 167.2 ± 8.3 cm and 21.84 ± 3.1 kg/m2, respectively. Mean fasting serum triglyceride level at 12 hours was 80.23 ± 36.33 mg/dl, at 6 hours it was 110.65 ± 73.45 mg/dl, and at 8 hours it was 75.62 ± 46.81 mg/dl. The group fasting for 12 hours had significantly lower serum triglyceride levels than the group fasting for 6 hours (p-value = 0.003), but no significant difference was found between the group fasting for 12 hours and the one fasting for 8 hours (p-value = 0.493). The present study showed no significant difference in triglyceride levels in patients who had fasted or 8 hours and those who had done so for 12 hours. Fasting for only 8 hours before measurement of serum triglyceride may be sufficient.

Modernising the regulation of medical migration: moving from national monopolies to international markets.

PubMed

Epstein, Richard J; Epstein, Stephen D

2012-10-05

Traditional top-down national regulation of internationally mobile doctors and nurses is fast being rendered obsolete by the speed of globalisation and digitisation. Here we propose a bottom-up system in which responsibility for hiring and accrediting overseas staff begins to be shared by medical employers, managers, and insurers. In this model, professional Boards would retain authority for disciplinary proceedings in response to local complaints, but would lose their present power of veto over foreign practitioners recruited by employers who have independently evaluated and approved such candidates' ability. Evaluations of this kind could be facilitated by globally accessible National Registers of professional work and conduct. A decentralised system of this kind could also dispense with time-consuming national oversight of continuing professional education and license revalidation, which tasks could be replaced over time by tighter institutional audit supported by stronger powers to terminate underperforming employees. Market forces based on the reputation (and, hence, financial and political viability) of employers and institutions could continue to ensure patient safety in the future, while at the same time improving both national system efficiency and international professional mobility.

Evaluation of Fast-Time Wake Vortex Models using Wake Encounter Flight Test Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahmad, Nashat N.; VanValkenburg, Randal L.; Bowles, Roland L.; Limon Duparcmeur, Fanny M.; Gloudesman, Thijs; van Lochem, Sander; Ras, Eelco

2014-01-01

This paper describes a methodology for the integration and evaluation of fast-time wake models with flight data. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration conducted detailed flight tests in 1995 and 1997 under the Aircraft Vortex Spacing System Program to characterize wake vortex decay and wake encounter dynamics. In this study, data collected during Flight 705 were used to evaluate NASA's fast-time wake transport and decay models. Deterministic and Monte-Carlo simulations were conducted to define wake hazard bounds behind the wake generator. The methodology described in this paper can be used for further validation of fast-time wake models using en-route flight data, and for determining wake turbulence constraints in the design of air traffic management concepts.

Introduction of hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic living donor nephrectomy at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge.

PubMed

Gjertsen, H; Sandberg, A-K A; Wadström, J; Tydén, G; Ericzon, B-G

2006-10-01

Living donor kidney transplantation accounts for about 50% of the total number of renal transplantations at our center. From 1999 through 2005, 75 out of 220 living donor nephrectomies were performed with a laparoscopic technique (LLDN). In June 2005, we introduced the technique of hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy (HARS) for living donors. Since the introduction until the end of 2005, 11 out of 18 living donor nephrectomies (LDN) were performed with HARS. Reduced operation time was observed for the HARS group (mean, 166 minutes) compared with the LLDN (mean, 244 minutes). Two grafts showed delayed function, one in the LLND group and one in the HARS group. No major perioperative or postoperative complications were observed in the HARS group, whereas one patient who underwent LLDN developed severe pancreatitis. So far in our hands HARS is a fast and safe procedure with results comparable with open LDN. Compared to LLDN, we experienced reduced operation time together with the advantage of retroperitoneal access.

Next-generation services for e-traceability to ionizing radiation national standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desrosiers, Marc F.; Klemick, Mark; Puhl, James M.; Uchida, David; Mallis, Steven

2004-09-01

An Internet-based system for fast, remote certification of high-dose radiation sources against the US national standard is being constructed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The new service will establish traceability (through transfer dosimetry) in real time at a lower cost by using automated routines and the Internet. A prototype of this service was successfully demonstrated in 2000 at the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Dosimetry Workshop in San Diego. Despite this impressive accomplishment, new developments demanded that several aspects of the service be modified. The new service has been completely redesigned to address these new demands and ensure greater accessibility. A description of the hardware and software configurations of this service as well as the communication and information management aspects will be presented. The Internet-based transfer certification program will provide industry with 24-h, 7-day-per-week, on-demand certifications, immediate turnaround times, and lower cost, ultimately improving the quality of the manufacturing process.

An apparatus for in situ x-ray scattering measurements during polymer injection molding.

PubMed

Rendon, Stanley; Fang, Jun; Burghardt, Wesley R; Bubeck, Robert A

2009-04-01

We report a novel instrument for synchrotron-based in situ x-ray scattering measurements during injection molding processing. It allows direct, real-time monitoring of molecular-scale structural evolution in polymer materials undergoing a complex processing operation. The instrument is based on a laboratory-scale injection molding machine, and employs customized mold tools designed to allow x-ray access during mold filling and subsequent solidification, while providing sufficient robustness to withstand high injection pressures. The use of high energy, high flux synchrotron radiation, and a fast detector allows sufficiently rapid data acquisition to resolve time-dependent orientation dynamics in this transient process. Simultaneous monitoring of temperature and pressure signals allows transient scattering data to be referenced to various stages of the injection molding cycle. Representative data on a commercial liquid crystalline polymer, Vectra(R) B950, are presented to demonstrate the features of this apparatus; however, it may find application in a wide range of polymeric materials such as nanocomposites, semicrystalline polymers and fiber-reinforced thermoplastics.